STRUGGLES

Disclaimer: The Cullen's, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.

The awesome and talented dowlingnana searched out my errors and corrected them. She also makes the banners for each of my stories.

And, it was the amount of force he used that caused the rug to shift and what was then found caused Emmett to freeze in stunned shock.

CHAPTER 25: MAKING PROGRESS

"Well, I'll be damned." Emmett uttered aloud as he stared down at what he had discovered under the rug that he had shifted due to the angry fling he had given it. The next moment Emmett shifted into his detective mode and made the decision of what he needed to do; he needed to call Edward, Charlie and then the police needed to be brought back out here. If he didn't follow those procedures, then he could be accused of manufacturing evidence to clear Bella.

So, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone, Emmett still couldn't believe that he had been able to find the proof needed to verify the firing of the second shot; the shot that had really been the one that had killed Frank Harrison. The police clearly didn't do their job completely by overlooking this type of evidence, but, then there was no indication at the time that would lead them to believe that a second shot had been fired.

Emmett called Edward first and quickly told him what had been found with the suggestion that Edward and Charlie needed to get the police back out to Bella's home. And, while talking with Edward, Emmett could hear the excitement in Edward's voice as he told Emmett that he would get a hold of Charlie and Capt. Jenkins. Then Edward told Emmett, "Leave the house and wait in your car until we can get there, but, before doing that take pictures of the things you've discovered without disturbing anything."

"How did you know that I have found more than what I have just told you?"

"Simple, my friend, you know my client too well to be satisfied with getting excited over one thing. There has to be more than the little, although that is pretty big in itself, that you have just mentioned. You're too thorough to take that one thing at face value without looking for more evidence." Edward explained, but, Emmett could hear the same excitement that he was feeling in Edward's voice. Both men realized that they were on to something extremely important.

"I need to get things going at this end. Be sure to do what you need to do and then get out of there as quickly as you can. I just want us to have pictures of the 'before's' in case the police mess up again." Edward explained and then hung up to make the necessary calls that he needed to do.

XXXXXX

Esme was in Bella's room quietly talking to her while holding her hand when Edward walked in. She looked up as her son was entering the room and quickly noticed the excitement that was radiating off of him. Something was going on and she wondered if he would let her know what it was?

"Mom, what are you doing here? I thought Renee or Charlie would be here with their daughter." He was quick to try to explain his surprise at finding his mother alone with his client.

"Don't worry, my dear, Renee is down getting some coffee with her husband and Charlie. They should be back shortly. But, Alice did mention to us what you had told her about feeling a slight squeeze from Bella.

"And, with that information your dad is thinking about doing some more testing to see if she is near to coming out of her coma. Everyone is taking it very serious and we're just hoping that the police don't get a hold of that information before she is fully able to give her statement about what had taken place between her and her husband."

"Mom, can you give Charlie a call? I really need for him to come up here now!" Edward asked of his mother and with a sense of urgency sounding in his voice about how quickly he needed Charlie, caused her to look a bit closer at her son before reaching for her phone to do as he requested.

Esme did step away from the bed and the patient as she placed the call, but, Edward moved closer and bent down to whisper, "Don't worry, little lady, we are now gathering the information needed to get you set free from all of your worries." And, as he said that his mother looked back in time to see her son bent down talking with Bella after which he placed a small kiss on her forehead. That action caused Bella to once more to gently squeeze Edward's hand.

The small movement of Bella's fingers was felt by Edward, but, the slight movement was observed by Esme. And, they both gasped in surprise at the same time. Edward looked down at Bella's hand that was still joined to his and then he quickly glanced up at his mother to see the look of stunned surprise upon her face. Shaking his head as if to clear his mind, he asked his mother, "Did you see that?" But, instead of answering his question, she nodded her head yes, then quietly asked, "Is that what Alice was talking about that you have mentioned to her?

But, before either person, mother or son, could say anything else or ask another question, the door suddenly swung open to admit Charlie Swan with Renee and Phil Dwyer. The three new arrivals looked at both Edward and Esme puzzlingly, wondering what the hell had happened. Esme calls Charlie telling him that her son needed to speak with him immediately, so, he, along with the other two, rush back to Bella's room fearing what could have happened to her, only to find Edward and Esme appearing to be in a semi shocked state.

"What's going on in here? Esme? Edward? What was so urgent that I was needed back up here immediately?" Charlie demanded as he continued looking between mother and son.

Esme and Edward looked at each other before they both started to answer at the same, only to stop at the same time. "Uhu, yeah, Mom, let me explain." Edward told Esme, paused a second and then began speaking, "We were both surprised when I felt Bella moving her fingers to once again squeeze my hand and Mom…", but, before Edward could continue, Esme answered, "And, I saw her fingers moving to squeeze Edward's hand."

The other three were surprised by this information. They hadn't been sure about what Alice had told them the first time of Edward saying he had felt it happening. But, to be told about a second time and it had been observed by another made the possibility of Bella coming out of her coma more real. However, as Charlie pulled his thoughts away from the news, he looked first at Esme and then toward Edward with a raised brow indicating that he knew he hadn't received a full answer to his question. After all, Esme had stated that Edward needed to talk with him immediately.

"Charlie, I need to talk with you privately." Was all that Edward said as he looked at Charlie and quickly glanced around at everyone else that was in the room; each one carrying a questioning look, wanting to know also what was happening. But, before anyone of them could voice their question, Charlie nodded and walked to the door waiting for Edward to catch up with him.

Both men stepped out into the hallway and Edward quickly filled Charlie in about what Emmett had found and where. With that information Charlie wasted no time calling Capt. Jenkins to tell him about the discovery. After finishing the call, he turned to Edward and asked, "What are we waiting for? Time to go and see what all Emmett has for us."

Both men stepped back into the room and before either of the two could be questioned by the others, Charlie simply told them, "Some new evidence may have been found to help clear up all of this shit that is affecting Bella. Edward and I are going to check it out.

"Ask no questions now since we don't have all of the answers, but, once we find out everything we can then we'll let the rest of you know." And, with that said, Charlie, along with Edward, left while the others stood staring at the spot where Charlie and Edward had been. It seemed that it was taking some time before everything Charlie had told them would catch up with them.

As Charlie and Edward were on their way to Frank and Bella's home to meet up with Emmett, Charlie took the time to call Jenkins once again, so Charlie could be made aware of the arrangements Jenkins had made and to make sure that Jenkins was meeting them there along with the investigative team. Jenkins was eager to comply with Charlie's request because of the information he had already started gathering about Det. Asher and he wanted to bring Charlie up to date concerning it.

But, to follow police procedure, Det. Asher had to be informed of any new evidence being discovered since he was the lead agent investigating the Harrison case. However, as Capt. Jenkins made the call he was informed that Det. Asher was out on another call that was somehow tied to his existing case. The Captain asked for further information and was told that it had to do with a woman named Alma Johnson and it was explained how this woman tied into the case concerning the Harrison murder case.

So, without further ado, Capt. Jenkins calls the Captain of Detectives and has a quiet word with the man. And, the results of that conversation he has with the Captain, another detective is assigned to meet Capt. Jenkins at the designated location immediately.

XXXXXX

Det. Asher was at the house of Alma Johnson who was found dead in her car. A neighbor had been passing by the house and heard the car engine running while the garage door was still down. After trying to get an answer at the front door to check on Alma, the neighbor tried to raise the garage door, but, it wouldn't budge. That was when a call was placed to 911 and that brought about a call to the police after the fire department had arrived, managed to break through the locked door to the garage and found the body in the running car.

At this point, it was assumed that she had committed suicide, but, some evidence was present to suggest that it had been murder. Det. Asher was at a crossroads; he didn't really know if he should be investigating this case since he had had a relationship with Alma in the past and they had at one time been married.

He wanted to stay on the case, but, chances were that if anyone found out about his past ties to the victim then he would be pulled off it and the Harrison case as well. Asher did know that his ex had been related to the Harrisons in some way, but, never was told how. He was never introduced to any of the family except to Frank Harrison on one occasion. And, at that one time he didn't like the man, there was just something about him that was off putting, and his presence seemed to cause Alma to withdraw within herself; she became extremely quiet when ordinarily she was fun loving and very outgoing.

XXXXXX

Edward and Charlie arrived outside of the Harrison house and met Emmett; as he was showing them the pictures he had taken, he also spent the time telling them how he discovered everything. It was as Emmett finished filling them in that the police arrived at the same time as Capt. Jenkins. The captain walked over to talk with Charlie, Edward and was introduced to Emmett who filled Jenkins in on what he had found, but, assured the man that he had disturbed nothing.

As the crime team got ready to enter the home to examine once again the interior, Jenkins called over the lead detective and had him listen while Emmett ran over the information once again. As Emmett finished speaking, the detective asked, "You're sure you disturbed nothing?"

"Absolutely. Everything has been left as I found it, but, it's the discovery in the master bedroom that is the most important. And, the reason I'm saying that can be explained better by looking at the coroner's report."

So, with that said, the detective explained that he hadn't been given a chance to look over the file concerning this case, but, he would definitely be doing that as soon as he got back to the precinct. "Although, the information will probably be given over to Asher since this is his case."

"I wouldn't count on that." Was all that Jenkins told the young detective.

It was after the detective had left the group of four that Jenkins took the time to bring Charlie and his group up to date about the information he had discovered concerning Det. Asher. "He was at one time married to Alma Johnson." And, that information grabbed everyone's attention.

"Damn, my friend, that means that he is going to have to disqualify himself from the Harrison case and anything else that might be remotely associated with the main case. Cause it could be argued that it creates a conflict of interest." Charlie remarked aloud to no one in particular.

A/N: Are we now beginning to see why Det. Asher is so careless with the handling of the case against Bella? Is it finally explained why he wants to get the case closed so quickly? Also, how effective will the discoveries that Emmett made be towards helping Bella?

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