Dimitri

We paused, just stood there and looked at the scene further away from the wreckage. We couldn't get any further despite yelling our relationship with Rose, despite Tim trying to explain the situation. It got to the point where Tim was being threatened to be sent of the scene so Janine, Abe and I allowed ourselves to be dragged back behind the barriers.

"At least she's not there, she would have gotten away." Abe said hopeful, but not convinced. He wasn't stupid, he knew what had happened to Rose, he knew she was taken, he knew she was hurt, but if I was him and this was something to do with Aly, I probably would be doing the same thing.

"They've been watching her for months." Janine whispered. "Since she came home. What if this was nothing to do with dhampir women but everything to do with Rose?" Janine looked up at me. Abe had his hand clenched into balls beside him.

"We need to speak to the Alchemists, maybe they'll help when they hear humans know about us."

"I've called them already. They're meeting us at Rose's house tomorrow morning." Abe let out a breath. "Hey! Tim!" Abe yelled, standing behind the barriers so he was still law abiding but was yelling over the officer's head. "Tim! You better get over here or I swear-" Janine shoved his shoulder.

"That's right, go make threats in front of witnesses and get arrested before we can actually find our daughter." Janine hissed through her teeth, grabbing Abe's arm and pulling him away.

"How can you be so calm? You claim to love my daughter and you're just standing there!" I didn't look at Abe. I continued to look at the destroyed car. Aly's words playing around in my mind. Mommy's hurt bad. Aly is very rarely – if ever – wrong when she speaks like that and because Aly shares a bond with Rose, I was more inclined to believe it was true. Why couldn't Aly say that she was having another sibling or something? "You saw them drag marks, there was no struggle. Rose is hurt-"

"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped back, finally breaking my staring contest with the car. "Don't you think I know everything here is my fault? I should have forced her to come home when she told me!"

"Excuse me, I'm being told you're the family of the person that owns this car?" I looked at the officer that spoke and nodded. "Wonderful, my name is Detective Sam Keith. I'm the lead investigator. I was told by Tim one of you called him and told him to come here?"

"Yes, sir. I did." I replied. Abe stood beside me and Janine stood slightly in front. I looked down at the women. She was trying her best to hold back her tongue.

"Can you tell me why you sent him here?"

"I was on the phone with Rose. She called me because one of her colleagues from work was threatening her. She told me she was being followed. We're currently living in Montana; Tim lives closer here."

"Do you have a name for this colleague?" I nodded.

"John - Rose never mentioned a last name."

"What made her think he was threatening her?"

"Rose works in a law firm - they were working on a case where numerous women were being killed. He mentioned to Rose that there were new killings and that women weren't safe. Then, he said to her that she shouldn't lose her memory." The officer looked up at me. "Rose was in a bad car crash close to five years ago and she lost her memory. She only got her memories back the end of May."

"Do you know where he lives?" I shook my head.

"Her boss – Martin. She thought there was something odd about him too." The detective nodded.

"You said you're living in Montana how did you get here so fast?"

"I own a helicopter. Rose is my daughter – I was getting here as fast as I could." I looked at Abe.

"They've been watching her for years." Janine whispered.

"We need to tell Tim - Alchemists won't be too happy once they find out the humans know about us." Abe snapped at him.

"You just saw your girlfriends and child's face marked on tons of photos, you saw drag marks like someone was dragging a body without a struggle, and you're worried about the human's find out about us?" I wasn't paying attention to him. I was staring at the car.

Mommy's hurt bad.

"We have to find her - but it's humans that have her. We can't do anything if the Alchemists aren't informed and you know it. We'll be no good to Rose if Lissa has to order our arrests."

"He's right, Abe." I looked over at her. She wasn't looking at any of us. "Come on, we'll talk to Tim."

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Tim drove us to Rose's house. The drive was silent, all of us not knowing or wanting to say anything. We ignored all our phones, despite them ringing and buzzing constantly. After waving Tim off, I used my set of keys to unlock the door. I stepped through the door, Abe and Janine followed.

"I'll go see if Rose left any food here." I said wanting to do something. Janine and Abe followed me into the kitchen.

"She's been living here?" I looked at Abe and nodded.

"She didn't want anything too big as long as it had two bedrooms, she wanted it." I opened the freezer section of the fridge. "She has frozen pizza." I took it out, stripped the box and plastic and put it in the oven.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Janine picked up a folder that was left on the counter.

"She said she didn't want you to worry." I replied and then sighed. "I think it was because she didn't want you coming here and being next."

"You said Rose thought her boss was involved. I thought it was just that John guy."

"Her boss knew she had marks – Rose's hair is too long and her neck is covered with her work shirts – there's no way he could have seen them. That's why Rose said there was a mole, someone who knew Rose was a Dhampir and that she lost her memory."

"You've literally just eliminated no one." Abe grumbled sitting down on a chair.

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A knock on the front door woke me up. I pushed Rose's pillow away – I was hugging it all night – and got up. I rubbed my hand over my face and walked out of the door. Janine and Abe came out of Aly's room. I put up a hand and walked down to the door in front of them.

"Sally?" I stepped aside and let her in. She gave me a smile as Tim walked in behind her. Abe came down the stairs.

"Dimitri, it's the alche-" Abe cut himself off as he saw Sally and Tim in the living room. "Alcohol delivery."

"No, you're right Abe. I'm the Alchemist." Sally waved him off. "Alcohol delivery? That's the best cover story you have?"

"You're an Alchemist?" Sally nodded.

"Tim's not but I told him when we first started dating."

"That's why you took Rose in, isn't it?" Janine asked, looking between Sally and Tim. Sally nodded. "And you were okay with her living with you? Don't you Alchemists hate us?"

"When I found out she was pregnant I thought one of your Moroi took advantage of her and she was running away. She was a child that lost her memory – if she was my daughter, I'd want someone to do the same."

"Thank you. Honestly, if there is anything I can do – I'll pay for whatever-"

"No, you won't. Rose was and is a pleasure." Tim nodded in agreement. "Honestly, she was a good kid. She took up two jobs even when she was in school so she could pay for Aly herself. The only thing we helped out with was babysitting duty."

"And I was the one that always got the dirty nappies." Tim rolled his eyes. "Was it your people that did this to Rose?" I shook my head.

"No, but it looks like humans are working with one of us, but it was humans that took Rose."

"And you're sure?" Janine nodded her head.

"We can tell if someone is Moroi or Dhampir, Rose never mentioned anything about our kind being involved."

"All right, let's get to work."

We did. After I called Christian to check on Aly.