Author's note: Sorry last chapter was so short & time got away from me (also I'm recovering from a bad sinus infection) so I missed a post last week. I'm getting back on track & I hope everyone has a happy new year!

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and is gracious enough to let me play with her characters and Twilight Universe. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Little White Lies

The moon was all aglow and heaven was in your eyes,
The night that you told me those little white lies.
The stars seemed to know that you didn't mean those sighs,
The night that you told me those little white lies.

I try, but there's no forgetting, when evening appears,
I sigh, but there's no regretting, in spite of my tears.
The devil was in your heart but heaven was in your eyes
The night that you told me those little white lies.

Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians

Read more at songs/view/3530822107859095485/#RDQp5EF2tJLgZxKc.99

7 a.m., Monday, January 12th 1931, The Cullen House.

Edward reluctantly made his way downstairs from his room. His hair was barely under control with the pomade Esme insisted he use. He was finishing tying his bowtie as Carlisle handed him his eyeglasses.

"You look very handsome Edward." Esme said smiling as she insisted on straightening his tie.

"Yes very dapper," Carlisle agreed, "as the young people say now a days you're the birds knees?"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Dapper is a Flapper's dad and I think you were trying to say 'Bee's Knees' it's best we stay far away from using slang." He sighed, "It doesn't suite you in particular Carlisle." Esme couldn't hold back her chuckle.

"You'll find some slang will fade away with the times, while the word dapper will retain the meaning of bold and stylish." Carlisle smirked at Edward.

"You're a head of your time gramps." Snickered Edward.

Carlisle considered the young vampire with fondness. "Are you comfortable with your cover story?"

"Sure, I'm the orphaned sickly brother of the Doctor's wife." He replied over dramatically, "a role of my dreams."

"Seriously Edward, if you play the invalid too well I will have to dose you with cod liver oil" Esme replied amused.

"Noooo! " He hammed it up as he kissed her cheek, "I'm off to school sis."

Edward said over his shoulder as he smoothly slipped on his hat and coat. "Farewell Pops." Edward said as he blurred out the door.

"Human speed!" Carlisle laughed as Edward slowed to a run heading towards the high school.

"It's so wonderful to have him home." Esme said to Carlisle as she hugged him.

"Yes, it is Love," he replied, "He seems to be adjusting better but I'm a bit worried that he is trying too hard to please us, and he is hiding some distress." Carlisle sighed.

"I know he hates himself for killing humans." Esme said sadly, "He doesn't forgive himself."

"I will talk to him Esme," he said, "I'm afraid it will take time for Edward come to self acceptance, he struggles so much with our vampire nature. He is so forgiving of others but not himself."

"We have time." Esme smiled up at her husband.

He leaned down and kissed her lips passionately.

Edward had arrived at school fifteens minutes before the first bell. His mind was assaulted with the thoughts of the other students as he entered the school. The hundreds of mental voices washed over him like a tidal wave. He had to stop a moment in the hallway to collect his composure. Edward let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding; this could prove to be a long day he noted. He was told to go to the administrative office to meet his student guide for the day.

Edward entered the office and gave a greeting to the secretary and a young girl standing next to the desk. "Good morning I'm Edward Platt, I was told to get my schedule here." He said politely.

"Oh my! He's so handsome." Thought the secretary, Edward could hear her heart flutter loudly. "Yes Dear I have your schedule right here." She smiled up at Edward like he was something to eat. The secretary's name was Miss June Noggle a woman in her thirties with bleached platinum hair she wore bright red lipstick. Her beady eyes drank Edward's form in greedily. He almost flinched at the perversity of her thoughts. Her hand grazed his arm as she gave him his schedule, "Let me know if you need anything dear." She stressed the word 'anything' while she licked her lips.

"Er, thank you?" he replied quietly and he looked at the young girl hopeful they could make a quick exit from the office and an escape from the predatory secretary.

"Hello Edward," the young lady greeted him, "my name is Mary Hogan, your student guide today."

Mary was a slender girl with wavy blonde hair that was cut in a chin length bob, the style most women were wearing. She had big hazel eyes and a dimple on the middle of her chin. Her manner was polite and friendly. He could hear her thoughts and clearly they were a glaring contrast with the secretary's thoughts. Mary was a beautiful girl and her mind and thoughts were calm and kind.

"He's so pale, I heard he was recovering from an illness." She thought as looked at Edward sympathetically, "I hope he is well."

"It's nice to meet you, Mary." Edward with a cautious smile, "Maybe we should get to class." He replied as he held the door open for her.

"We have the same homeroom," she started, "I'll walk you to your first class and meet you outside to take you to the next." She explained.

"We have third period Trigonometry." Mary continued "And you have music while I have gym."

"This is very kind of you Mary," Edward replied, "I'm a very quick study so I'll know my way around tomorrow and I promise not to be any trouble."

"Edward this is no trouble at all." She smiled at him. "If you like you can join me and my friends at lunch."

Edward felt awkward, and he wasn't used to feeling awkward around humans, he didn't want to be rude and turn down her invitation so he accepted but his plans were to keep a distance and if possible an invisible presence.

On entering the homeroom and hearing the inner dialogues of his classmates he realized an invisible presence was not possible. He felt the reactions from the female students a bit overwhelming and almost as embarrassing to listen to as the deviant ramblings of Miss Noggle. Most of the male students reacted with surly thoughts and jealous glares. Edward handed his schedule to the teacher who pointed to a desk at the back of the room. He was able to avoid any feet suddenly stuck out in the isle and dodge spitballs with his vampire reflexes as he walked towards his seat.

The rest of the morning went along similarly with stares, whispers and a few friendly faces. Mary was true to her word and met him after his classes to walk him to the next. Third period Trigonometry was a bit tedious he was familiar with the material and his vampire memory was superior to a photographic memory. He could here in the thoughts of most of the students in the class that the teacher was pushing new material to quickly and most of them were struggling with the latest problems. He told Mary he would meet her in the cafeteria after he finished his music lessons, the school gym converted to a cafeteria and auditorium so Edward did not want Mary to have to make an extra trip.

He entered the music room, most of the students were finding their places in the orchestra as Edward walked up to the teacher and handed him his pass.

"Good morning sir, I'm Edward Platt." He introduced himself.

The teacher looked up at Edward with a dour expression. Mr. Ellis Michaels was a short, middle-aged pear shaped man with frizzy salt and pepper hair. Black horned rimmed glasses covered his dull blue eyes that his lenses magnified to huge proportions. He smelled of musty books and mothballs. Mr. Michaels cleared his throat, "So Youngman, where am I going to place a new student this late in the school year?" he retorted sternly to Edward's greeting.

"I play some piano and would like to study the violin or clarinet." Edward suggested.

"Can you read music and keep time?" Michaels asked gruffly.

Edward shook his head in affirmative.

"Go in the back to the percussion section, we'll see if you can play the triangle." He huffed, " if you can keep up I may let you audition for another instrument."

"I don't know what they expect me to do with him in the middle of the school year." He continued to mutter under his breath. "But I know what I would like to do with him." Mr. Michaels thought as he leered at Edward's retreating form.

Edward flinched at the teacher's verbal and mental comments. He made his way to the back of the orchestra as quickly as he could to get away from the distasteful man. He sat down next to the drummer and recognized as Harry Shaw the boy from the principal's office. The orchestra started playing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" or tried extremely hard to play "Ode to Joy" but there was no joy in it. Painfully the band played on it was a slow process. Edward could tell some of the students individually could play adequately but they were having a hard time following the teacher's instructions and had difficulty playing as a group. He couldn't blame them for the in-cohesiveness, Mr. Michaels made all of them nervous and on edge with his stormy manner. He and Harry kept time well enough and struck there instruments at the proper moments not that there was much else to do. The orchestra finally finished the last composition followed by a lot of curt criticisms to specific students.

"Platt!" Michaels bellowed across the room. "Come here and show the class if you can do any better on the piano."

Edward slowly made his way over to the piano, he had no desire to play for this pompous windbag on the out of tune instrument. He was at a conundrum, should he play just mediocre hiding his ability from overbearing man or put him in his place.

Edward chose instead to play something that would surely anger the narrow-minded sop. Several months ago he had the pleasure of hearing the jazz pianist Earl Hines play. Edward chose the piece "I Ain't Got Nobody" and played it with gusto.

The other students in the classroom came alive listening to his playing while Mr. Michaels stood their gawping. Edward was almost finished the song when Mr. Michaels sputtered, "Stop, stop, stop!" he yelled, "we do not play the honky-tonk music here, this is not a speak easy!" He fumed, "Where ever did you 'learn' THAT?"

"Chicago." Edward answered curtly.

"Well, this is a high school not the slums of Chicago," the teacher sneered, "You claimed you could read music, play what is on the sheet in front of you."

Beethoven's 'Fleur de Lise' sat in front of him. Edward frowned sadly; it had been one of his mother's favorites, one of the first compositions she taught him. He didn't want to perform it for this bug-eyed twerp but he didn't have the heart to butcher it either. He played blocking out all of the thoughts and images around him getting lost in the music. He thought of his mother and her delicate fingers as they played for him when he was a child. When Edward finished you could have heard a pin drop, Mr. Michaels stood there stunned looking like a fish. "You're right sir, " Edward said tonelessly, "I think I'll stick with the triangle." The lunch bell rang and Edward was the first out of the room.

11 a.m., Monday, January 12th 1931. The Clearfield Police Station.

Detectives Dupper and Haus where leading John Rennie the reporter from "The Clearfield Progress" to lieutenant Shaw's office for questioning.

Shaw was seated behind his desk reviewing medical reports from the crime scene.

"Mr. Rennie," Shaw greeted him sternly, "we need to discuss your article on the Clearfield Ripper."

Dupper pushed Mr. Rennie to sit down in the seat in front of Shaw's desk. Haus stood ominously over the nervous reporter. Van entered the office closing the door quietly behind him. He carried a desk lamp under his arm and proceeded to plug the lamp into an electrical outlet. Van placed the lamp on Shaw's desk than angle it to flash into Rennie's face.

"Van what the hell are you doing?" Shaw asked confused by his officer's behavior.

"I've seen this done in the movies for interrogating suspects lieutenant." Van replied.

Dupper rolled his eyes, while Haus coughed trying to cover up his laughter. Shaw turned red then purple before he yelled "OUT!" at Van to get the lamp out of his office.

"Mr. Rennie," Shaw continued, "am I correct in the understanding that you have obtained a copy of the medical examiner's report on the murder victims?"

Rennie replied. "That's correct."

"Who gave you that copy?" Dupper asked.

Rennie looked from one officer to the other. He cleared his throat and finally after two minutes of silence he answered. "I couldn't reveal my source even if I wanted to," he continued, "We received these letters after the press conference along with the report." Rennie handed Shaw several letters. "There no return address and the letters are signed 'the Clearfield Ripper'."

"Rennie this is an important piece of evidence when were you going to show us?" Shaw asked sternly.

"Lieutenant, those letters are property of the newspaper." Rennie answered.

"Not anymore, they are confiscated for evidence and if you neglect to turn over any other letters in the future I will have you arrested for obstruction in an investigation." Shaw threatened, "Do I make myself clear."

"Yes." Rennie gulped.

Shaw read over the first letter. It was handwritten in a scrawl of black ink.

The penmanship was sloppy but readable. He read the letter out loud to the room.

"Mr. Rennie,

I find it necessary to write to you about the most beautiful murders that have been discovered. I have enclosed all of the information describing my procedures in detail. I wish my creations to be recorded correctly and I cannot trust the police or medical examiners to process the facts correctly. Soon I will have more to show you.

Perhaps if you are good I will share a liver or heart with you.

The Clearfield Ripper"

"Haus take these for finger printing." Shaw ordered as he handed the letters off.

The letters weren't postmarked and most likely were hand delivered to the newspaper. "Here's the thing Rennie, you going to print edited versions of these letters." Shaw began, "If this lunatic is so proud of his 'workmanship' we'll distort some of the facts hoping it will draw him out into the open."

Rennie's eyes widened with realization, "B-but he could get mad at me!"

"You wanted a scoop, what better way than to use your correspondence to set a trap." Shaw continued, "Just think of all the papers you'll sell."

"Shaw, I have a wife and kid to worry about." He replied his voice starting to sound panicked.

"I will assign a police detail on you and your family." Shaw's response was reassuring, "We'll make sure you and your family remain safe."