Thirty-Five

"So, Black, when are we going to Sag Valley again?" Leah asked Jacob as she patiently waited for her breakfast. Her rather large breakfast. She was absolutely starving to the point that she had requested three bagels with steak and egg—Jacob was impressed.

The man grinned. "You enjoyed last night?"

That was an understatement. Last night's run… Leah couldn't explain how wonderful it was to rush into the woods, surrounded by the rest of the pack. It had been enjoyable, relieving, exhilarating, and in some way, gave her an energy boost so great that she didn't dread heading to work only a few hours later.

"Sometimes, I do know what I'm talking about," Jacob joked, grabbing a few packets of ketchup and napkins from the amenities counter. "Not tonight, though. Paul and Jared are doing an all-nighter, and Quil has to prep the bar for the Bears' Sunday home-opener."

"It takes him two days?" Leah asked, grabbing her food off the take-out counter.

"There's gonna a lot of eager Bears fans, hoping the team doesn't fuck up this time," Jacob told his partner as they headed out of the restaurant. "How about Monday night? Make it a quick one."

"Sounds good to me."

"Hey, Black, Uley, and Call, my office in fifteen." Paul directed the cops later that morning. "We have a special guest."

The special guest was recently-released Rosalie Hale.

And boy, she was not happy.

"You had me arrest for conspiracy!" Rosalie said, pointing an accusatory finger at the prosecutor. "What is the meaning of this?"

Jenks was the first to speak, given that the meeting was really about him and Rosalie with a side of Paul. "I'm sure you've heard about Lauren Mallory. Now, I may not know all of the circumstances behind her untimely demise, but I'm sure there is a connection between that and the ambush that wrecked her client's Memorial Day weekend party."

Rosalie bristled. "I am not a member of a criminal organization, nor do I participate in criminal activity."

"No, but your client is," Paul argued. "And does."

Rosalie stiffened in her seat. "I am personally not a member of a—"

Jenks put up a hand, cutting off the fixer. "Calm down, Miss Hale. I do not intend to see you convicted with anything. I had you arrested because I needed attention that you've failed to give me."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Congratulations, Counselor. You got it." She crossed her arms and legs. "So, what do you want?"

"Hours after I threatened to speak to the feds about your client's role in Lauren Mallory's disappearance, she was found. Alive and well. I know you had something to do with it. I know you mostly like had cut a deal with her by offering money for your silence?"

Rosalie's expression was smug. "Really?"

Jenks turned to Paul. "Captain?"

With a nod, Paul reached into his desk and pulled out an evidence bag. Upon receipt, Rosalie studied the content, and it wasn't long before her expression was replaced by irritation. It seemed for the first time in years, she couldn't think of a good comeback.

Which Jenks, of course, reveled in. "In your hand is a check found inside Lauren's apartment the night of her murder."

Rosalie returned the evidence. "What does this have to do with me? My name isn't on that check."

"No," Paul said. "But your client's is."

"The signature reads Edward Cullen. My client was Carlisle Cullen," Rosalie said. "He died some time back."

Jenks tilted his head. "You don't want for him anymore?"

It's kind of hard to work for a dead person, Counselor."

"His family and his estate, then?"

"I cannot confirm or deny—"

"Miss Hale, did you make a deal with Lauren Mallory?" Paul asked.

Rosalie hesitated in her response. "I gave her an option. It was to help her out," she explained. "What she chose to do in the end was her prerogative."

"Do you have any idea why Lauren was killed?" Paul asked.

"I suppose because she knew too much? Maybe someone believed she would testify in court." Rosalie shrugged, feigning ignorance. "I don't know. However, if my client truly wanted her dead, he would have never offered her the money." She let out a dramatic sign. "But considering that he's now dead, I guess we will never know the truth, will we?"

"You have a point," Jenks admitted, though not sounding too upset about it.

"According to the press, Mike Newton is the only suspect in Lauren's murder," Rosalie said. "He confessed, even before questions were asked. He maintained it was his decision and only his."

Jenks snorted. "Everyone knows that's a lie—You or your client can't harm him. He's under protective custody."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Will my charges be dropped?" She then turned to the captain. "Am I free to leave?"

Paul shrugged. "Sure."

The fixer slowly rose from her seat and gathered her belongings. "Thank you, Counselor, Captain… Detectives," she said, sounding anything but grateful. "And for the record, I did not want Lauren to die. Her murder is literally the last thing I need right now."

Paul nodded. "I don't doubt that," he said. "Have a good day, Miss Hale. Officer Call, over her, will lead you out."

Embry soon escorted Rosalie out of the office. When Jenks left a few moments later, seemingly absolutely satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, Jacob asked the captain, "Do you think he got what he wanted?"

Paul nodded. "He got what he wanted. The great Rosalie Hale is rattled. Rattle means she's going to tell her friends about this. Which can mean retaliation, which almost always results in mistakes." He smirked. "Emotional people do stupid shit."

"Rosalie seems hell-bent on protecting Edward," Leah remarked.

"Can we bring him in for questioning? We all know he forced Mike into killing Lauren."

Paul waved off Jacob's suggestion. "Remember what happened last time? What we need is hardcore, tangible evidence. It's great that Mike's singing and all, but we need more. Any of you rock stars got a plan?"

Leah and Jacob shared a look. Jacob seemingly had nothing and Leah? She crossed her arms and dropped her gaze to her lap, rubbing her chin, deep in thought. There had to be something they could do to use as evidence. Everything they had obtained was more or less hearsay and unconfirmed rumors. It was annoying, but Paul was right. They needed something that the judge would accept in court. They needed—

Leah looked up and snapped her fingers. "I got an idea."

"I have to admit; I am truly ashamed for not thinking of this months ago. I'm a goddamn prosecutor, you know. I'm supposed to know this shit," Jenks shook his head as he dropped three large case folders onto the living room table in front of Leah, and Jacob was sitting. "You two came here at a good time. I'm not usually the ones for late-night visits from cops, but uh…" He glanced at the staircase leading up the second floor of his Oak Park home. "Wife's gone for the weekend."

"We're not going to be here long," Leah ensured the prosecutor. "And there's no need to be ashamed. We all didn't think of this until now." She eyed the daunting pile of files. "So, can we make it happen?"

Jenks lit up his signature cigar. "But you two are going to have to do some homework." He gestured the folders between him and the cops. "Now, rules for establishing a wiretap have changed over the years: you can only request one once you exhaust all other investigative matters."

"It's a last resort," Jacob remarked.

"Exactly. Now, the good news is, thanks to House Bill 185, you no longer need a court order. Just as long as we have probable cause, and proof that nothing has worked."

"But I thought we didn't need a court order?" Leah asked.

"You don't," Jenks said. "But you've been in this business long enough to know that you gotta cover your ass in all aspects of your investigation. Your targets are rich and rich people have the means to hire some good ass lawyers."

"Justification shouldn't be an issue," Jacob maintained. "Do you know how many violent felonies we're looking at?"

"Exactly," Jenks said. "My advice is to study those cases in front of you. Use the jargon for your justification so the judge won't pitch a fit. Another thing: an approved wiretap cannot last for more than 24 consecutive hours, and a written record of said surveillance must be submitted to the court within one business day, following the expiration of the tap. If you want more time, then you're going to have to submit another justification."

Leah scoffed. "Judging on the way our favorite criminals are acting, that shouldn't be too hard."

Jenks smirked. "Exactly."

"Seriously, Leah, you're a goddamn genius. Don't let anyone talk about you."

Leah playfully rolled her eyes at Embry's words as she adjusted the headphones over her ears. She, Jacob and Embry were operating inside their so-called "creeper van" (nickname provided by Embry), parked a couple of miles from their Gold Coast target. "Let's hope we get something good."

Earlier, the trio had received a trip from the luckiest undercover agent alive, Benjamin, that there would be some action occurring within the Cullen household that night. Edward had arranged a meeting with Rosalie Hale.

"We will," Jacob promised. "We will…" he trailed off as pressed his headphones against his ears. Seconds passed before he declared, "We got Rosalie Hale. Mark this pertinent info. I'm sure this conversation between her and Edward is about to get real interesting."

"With all due respect, Edward, you're a goddamn fool."

Strong words to say to a leader of one of Chicago's infamous criminal organizations, but there was no trace of fear in Rosalie's voice. She had known Edward for decades, been one of his confidants. He could handle receiving criticism from her.

Judging on the sound made in his throat, Edward didn't approve of Rosalie's statement, but his voice remained calm, "Consider yourself lucky you're a dear friend."

It wasn't a threat, per se, more like a warning, but that didn't falter the fixer. "The only reason why I'm here is because I'm such a dear friend," Rosalie pointed out. "If you were anyone else, I would've dropped you the moment I heard the news about Lauren… Did you know he was going to kill her?"

"No," Edward replied; his tone was curt and definite. "I only wanted him to fix the problem he had created. Lauren Mallory had supposedly spoken to the feds about what occurred at Mike's."

"Even if that was the case, how could you allow him to off a potential witness? The one you just paid off. Jesus Christ, Edward, you just became the boss; you can't afford another run-in with the law. Both on the local and federal level."

"Don't you think I know that?" Edward snapped, and then took a deep breath. "Rosalie, I didn't think he was going to kill the girl."

"You didn't…? You know him to fix the problem. Come on, Edward, you've been in the game long enough to know what that implies."

Edward let out a frustrated sigh. "I didn't think he was going to kill her," he reiterated.

"What did you think he was going to do, Edward? Talk to her?"

"Not kill her," Edward said. "I know why you're upset, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why you're so worried. So, Lauren is gone. Why fret? She had no redeeming qualities, and Mike has already confessed to her demise."

"What I don't understand if how you're not worried."

"What is there to be worried about? The police already have a confession. The ASA should be jumping for joy because his prosecution is a slam dunk."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. Mike confessed, which means he talked. You know damn well they're going to offer him the best plea bargain they can come up with."

Edward snorted. "And what good will that do? Yes, he may be able to get an early release, but what kind of like is he going to live? His business is gone. His family hates him, and there are plenty of people who would love to see his head on a silver platter. If I were him, I'd rather stay in prison." He sighed. "Don't worry. He's not going to rat us out."

"What if he does?"

"Rosalie."

"It's important that we look at this situation from all angles. Play Devil's advocate. What if Mike talks? Then he can pin you for solicitation, among other things."

"Then, I will personally handle it."

"Oh, I sure hope you do," Rosalie replied, not making an effort to mask her doubtfulness. "I don't want to sound paranoid, but you better pay Mike Newton didn't bring up your name during his interrogation."

"Would it matter if he had? According to all vital records, I've been dead for almost a century. They can't convict a dead person."

"If we were dealing with any other police department, I would've agreed with you. But this Chicago. They know about vampires—"

"So what?" Edward quickly shot back. "They don't have the capability to incarcerate us. Isn't that the reason why Barba allowed Jasper and Irina to post bail out a fight? Speaking of them, when should I expect their return?"

"They should. I had Emilio pick them up from the jail, along with their lawyers. They'll be dropped off here shortly, and then we will discuss further actions at my place. You're welcomed to come, although I do advise against doing so, given the fact that Mike may have mentioned your name to the cops."

"You need to be more optimistic, Rose."

"I am optimistic, thank you. I wouldn't be doing what I do best if I weren't."

"So, either Edward's lying to Rosalie or Mike's lying to us," Embry concluded, removing his headset. The meeting between the interim boss and Rosalie had ended. "Or both."

"Most likely both. Mike literally has nothing to lose," Leah said. "He's fucked either way."

Jacob agreed. "Edward values Rosalie's loyalty. He doesn't want to jeopardize their relationship by admitting his involvement. It seems that Rosalie really wanted Lauren to leave this shit behind her.

Leah nodded. Then, turning the dial on the recorder, she switched to another channel; this time, focusing the attention on the foyer of the large home, where Esme, Tanya, and Carme stood, waiting for Jasper's and Irina's arrival. From a distance, Leah could pick up the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. "It must be them," she announced.

Esme announced, joyful as she opened the front door. Carmen slapped while Tanya remained silent. "Let's give them a warm welcome," she suggested before greeting the newcomers. "Oh, it's so nice to see the both of you!"

Jasper and Irina politely greeted the matriarch, then Carmen and finally Tanya.

"You and me both," Jasper said. "How's Edward?"

"Always worrying about your brother? How sweet?" Esme said with affection. "He's fine, considering. I don't think had expected to take over operations so soon."

"Yes, Carlisle's death was a terrible shock."

There was a pause before Esme deeply exhaled. "Indeed," she said. There was something in her voice that was unnerving. "It was terrible, indeed."

"She did it," Embry declared without any doubt in the world. "I don't even have to see her face to know she wasn't being sincere. Carlisle's death wasn't terrible to her."

Jacob nodded.

That's what I've been telling everyone, Leah couldn't help but then returning her attention to the sounds coming from her headphones. There were shuffling, footsteps made, doors being closed. She could pick up Tanya's voice, faint in the background… and that was it.

"I think we're good for the day," Jacob announced sometime later. "Let's go back home."

"Hold up. I'm a bit confused. I thought you were only on the wire to obtain evidence of Edward's involvement in Lauren's murder. Not Esme's involvement in Carlisle's."

"Does it matter which murder is it?" Leah asked her captain. "They're all connected."

"And we got some dirt on Edward," Jacob added. "Yes, he denied it, but Rosalie seems to believe that he had inadvertently directed Mike to shoot Lauren—The whole Esme-conversation just happened to fall on our laps."

"Just happened…" Paul shook his head. "We still don't have any evidence against any of them."

"Boss, if you just listened to her voice—"

"We can't get an arrest warrant based on the tone of someone's voice," Paul said. "Where's the probable cause?" When no one responded, he ran a hand down his face and sighed. "Even if we arrest her, she's going to be let out in hours. Listen: I'm not saying that your suspicions are wrong, but until we have concrete evidence, hard enough to me tell the brass to shove it and the Deal up their asses, we can't touch her."

Leah's eyes widened. Oh, she hadn't known it was like that. Sure, she was aware that Esme had very powerful allies. However, from the way her captain made it sound, Esme Cullen was more untouchable than Edward Masen. Even more than some of the members of the Volturi.

"It's for premeditated murder and conspiracy to murder Jessica," Jacob argued, refusing to give up. "She was Carlisle's wife. He was sleeping with Jessica for the longest. He was messing up the family business that Esme helped build from the shadows. How is that not motive?"

"It's not about that," Paul stressed, becoming increasingly frustrated. "No one is giving her up. Her lawyer, Amun Hussein, has everyone shook. One wrong move and he will sue the department until Kingdom Come, and this task force gets shut down—"

Embry jumped in. "She's clearly making power moves within a criminal organization."

"Do we have admissible evidence for that?"

Embry dropped his head. "No," he mumbled.

"So, we can't do anything?" Leah asked the captain. "Is that what you're seriously telling us? To just, on paper, accept the fact that Esme had nothing to do with Carlisle's and Jessica's murder? That Demetri was the only one who had led her to her demise?"

"Well, he did deliver the final blow," Paul said. "Get me something on Edward, please. Something strong. I need to have someone in handcuffs soon so that I don't have to hear my boss' mouth. And then, we can work on Esme Cullen."

"Thank you all for here this afternoon," Edward announced, officially kick-starting the meeting between the main actors of the Olympic coven. It was held a few days after the Voldemort Squad's last wiretap. "It's been quite a while since we've all been able to meet up in one place without the authorities breathing down our necks. We should make a toast to that."

Everyone did.

"And before I forget, I want to especially thank you, Miss Hale, for taking time out of your oppressively busy schedule to attend this meeting."

"It's no problem," Rosalie said with sincerity. "I'm always happy to help. And you can simply call me Rosalie."

"I was under the impression that this meeting concerned family affairs," Tanya remarked. "Shouldn't the only people in this meeting be the members of the Cullen and Denali family? No offense, Miss Hale.

"None taken," Rosalie said with a barely masked bite.

Edward sighed. "Tanya, although Miss Hale isn't an official member of the Olympic coven, she still has a very important role in this organization."

"As important as the topic of my role in the Cullen family may be, shouldn't we discuss a more pressing matter, like, for instance, the most recent changes to leadership and Jasper's and Irina's case?"

"You're absolutely right, Rosalie." Edward then slapped a hard hand on the surface of his desk. "Let's officially get started. All you all know, this coven has gone through a transition ever since the incident during this past Memorial Day Weekend. Carlisle has unfortunately died…"

"May he rest in peace," Jasper said. "I thought he would be able to pull through."

"We all did," Carmen said.

"Tragic indeed," Edward said. "With Carlisle gone and with me leading the coven, I want to promise you all that I will do everything in my power to keep the family together. The alliance between the Cullen and Denali clans will never be severed."

"Glad to hear that," Tanya said.

"In terms of our business, nothing drastic will change. We will maintain all contracts and obligations. However, until things calm down, we will not take on any more vendors or buyers. Our focus needs to be on this investigation. Thankfully, Rosalie has been on top of the case, and with her assistance, I'm sure we will be able to get overcome this obstacle. Together. Right, Rosalie?"

"Of course."

"Great!" Edward clapped. "So, what do you have for us?"

"Well, Jasper's and Irina's trial is set for next month," Rosalie said. "The good news is that neither has been charged for murder or transport of contraband. The bullets found at the ATF raid did not belong to you, and you were not involved with the selling of said-bullets. But you are charged with conspiracy, attempted murder, and possession of a deadly weapon…"

"How time are we talking?" Edward asked. "Including Emmett."

"It depends. It could be life or less than twenty-five. It depends on the prosecutor and the judge."

"Who's prosecuting their case?"

"Carolina Barba."

"Shit."

"Rosalie, can't you find a way to get us a special prosecutor?"

"We don't exactly have the legal justification for doing so."

"She's going to be a problem," Edward said.

"An understatement," Rosalie remarked.

"Why don't we just kill her?" Tanya suggested as if it was the most obvious course of action. "She can't prosecute anyone if she's six-feet under."

No one said a word.

"Killing Carolina Barba isn't a short-term solution. Let alone a long-term one." Edward eventually concluded. "She's been subjected to threats for years. Knowing Barba, she'd probably consider any attempt on her life as a testament to her dedication to the job… It'll do us more harm than good."

"So, if not kill her, then what should we do?" Tanya asked. "We can't just sit here and let her ruin everything we've built."

"You won't have to," Rosalie said. "I know this doesn't sound like a good idea, but I'm going to need you all to trust me on this one…"

"Of course, we trust you. You haven't failed us yet."

"Thank you, Jasper." Rosalie took a deep breath. "I think it would be wise for both you and Irina to accept the charges and take the best plea deal Barba can offer. Go to prison for some years, and then live your lives."

"What?" Irina shouted.

"Rosalie, you want Jasper and Irina to turn themselves in?" Edward asked, sounding just as surprised by the suggestion as everyone else. "Just like this?"

"No!" Tanya exclaimed, noisily jumping out of her seat; she ignored her sisters' insistence to calm down. "This is bullshit! Absolute bullshit!"

"Rosalie, explain," Edward demanded.

Rosalie cleared her throat. "Turning yourself in will make both Irina and Jasper compliant," she explained. "And if I know Barba as well as I do, she can be very generous with plea bargains if you cooperate."

"She wants to put us away for forever," Irina said.

"Not with these current charges, she does," Rosalie argued. "Neither of you are being charged with capital murder. Neither of you are looking at life. If Barba wanted to, she could've found a way to slap on murder charges."

"And how would you know that?" Tanya snapped. "Did you have a conversation with the bitch or something?"

"Tanya," Carmen chided.

"No, listen—"

"She's a federal prosecutor," Rosalie said, speaking over Tanya. "It's her job to try to bring you down, and to answer your previous question: no, I didn't have a conversation with her. I didn't have to. I'm aware of her intentions and habits."

"So, even if that's the case, Rosalie, why would Barba, of all people, want to ensure that Jasper and Irina receive light sentences?" Edward wondered.

"She's obviously holding out to offer a plea bargain," Rosalie explained. "She wants Jasper and Irina to talk. This coven isn't the only group the feds are after, not even the biggest. I know the authorities are none too happy about the Volturi's vacation to Moldova. Yes, they have Felix, but he's not considered the big fish, and without an extradition treaty, the feds can't force the Moldovan government to hand over the most hated coven."

"I thought they were in Volterra?" Carmen asked. "

"They were, but they figured Moldova is safer."

Jasper jumped in, "Boss, Rosalie has a point. Based on all of the interrogations, I gather Barba's issue isn't entirely with us. She may not be too fond of our families, but she seems gung-ho about bringing down the Volturi."

"Which is precisely why I think it's wise to cooperate with her," Rosalie stressed. "She's not stupid. She's not going to have you guys go to trial. Trial means having a jury and Barba knows the danger of discussing the details of the case in front of the general population."

Edward sucked his teeth. "So, she wants us to be rats."

"She wants to know about the Volturi and Victoria's coven," Rosalie carefully explained. "It's not ratting if you're spilling information on your enemy."

"But wouldn't turning ourselves in give Barba everything she wants?" Irina argued.

"Unless you all want to flee to a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the one we're in now," Rosalie informed everyone. "Then this is the best offer we have."

"We're not fleeing," Edward decided, leaving absolutely no room for discussion. "Okay, this is what's going to happen. We're going to see what Barba can offer and if, and only if, the deal is satisfactory, then Jasper and Irina will just have to take the plea—How does that sound, Tanya?"

"I'd rather kill her right now, but I suppose I can't find much fault in your plan," Tanya said. "Though, I do not like the thought of turning our people in."

"No one does," Edward said, and before Tanya could retort, he announced, "Meeting adjourned. We will definitely be keeping in touch. Jasper and Rosalie, if you don't mind, can you both stay behind for a few minutes?"

Once the shuffling was silenced and the office door was closed, Edward carried on, speaking to the only two other people left inside the office, "What's going on between Tanya and Irina?"

Jasper cleared his throat. "So, you've noticed as well."

"It was hard not to."

"They probably had some petty disagreement," Rosalie suggested.

"They haven't seen each other in over two weeks," Edward said. "Maybe, you're right. Maybe, it's not too serious. Sibling spats happen all the time."

"Has she told you anything?"

"She doesn't tell me much anymore," Edward said, sounding more annoyed than forlorn. "However, you both seem to be in the same boat as I am, so I assume that whatever strife between the sisters isn't significant enough to impact the court case… But I didn't ask you to stay back just to discuss the Denalis."

Jasper spoke up, "Edward, if you don't mind, what will happen when I eventually go to prison? Being that I'm your Number Two?"

Edward sighed. "We'll discuss that when the time comes," he said. "I'll still have Emmett in charge of security. Lord knows we need all the help we can get in that arena. Although the Volturi is more or less out of the picture, for the time being, we still have enemies in this city."

"Like Victoria," Jasper said.

"Like Victoria," Edward agreed. "But as I mentioned before, we'll handle her when this case is over. If you haven't noticed, we have enough issues to deal with for now… Rosalie, be honest, is there anything we can do to get Barba off our backs?"

"Unless you flee," Rosalie suggested. "But I don't think you'd want to do that. If you leave, Victoria and her allies will take Chicago. Getting that back will cost even more lives than necessary."

"She's right… Look, Irina, and I will just take the best plea. It's no big deal."

"Rosalie, what will their sentence look like?" Edward asked. "Best case scenario?"

"Less than twenty-five. If Barba likes what she hears, we may be able to get them out in less than ten."

"It's better than life," Jasper said.

"It's better than life," Rosalie agreed.

"I'll think about it," Edward decided, giving no indication of his answer. "I'll let you know by the end of the week of my decision. Be well, both of you. The coven needs you at your best."

"This shit is pure gold," Embry declared when the recording ended.

"Doesn't say much about Mike, though," Leah said.

"So? The Olympic leadership just threatened a federal prosecutor," Embry argued, looking at Jacob for some affirmation."

"I wouldn't call it a threat," Jacob said, earning a groan from the younger cop. "Edward talked Tanya off the ledge… somewhat. However, this recording wasn't a wash. It's good. They're weighing their options. They knew the authorities are onto them."

"And Edward is considering making a deal with the prosecutors," Leah said. She didn't seem much happening on that front, especially since a bull like Carolina Barba was involved. But it wasn't it a hit, so that was promising."

"The feds would be happy. Barba would be too… you know she's not accepting anything less than a prison sentence," Jacob said. "Then, with Edward being put away, we can all focus on the Volturi."

"Edward's but one man," Embry argued. "Someone can easily take his place."

That was what Leah was afraid of.