Hi! This is a short one, between visits at my house and few problems with my other story I didn't have the time to write more. The next chapter will be bigger.

It was getting dark, and still there was no clue of the whereabouts of Carmen. The police, with the help of a team of volunteers and a few residents, were combing the town looking for her. They checked the train station in case she tried to take a train, but no one had seen her in there.

Meanwhile vicary Webber and Dr. Whitlock were with Bella and Jane, getting down the bag the girls was on the tree, giving directions to Jasper, vicary Webber was holding the ladder for him.

"To the left, a bit more... there, it's just right up. Yes!"

Jasper came down, carefully placing the bag on the grass. He proceeded to dust his clothes when he noticed the anxious looks Bella and Jane were giving him. Robert Webber smiled.

"I think we all want to know what's inside the bag."

The girls nodded. Jasper took the bag and untangled the knot. Inside were the missing glasses.

xxx

The search for Carmen was supposed to resume at eight, but a peasant came running to the station at seven-thirty. He found a bulge drifting in the lake. Seth dived in, and with a few struggles, he brought the bulge to the shore. It was carmen.

Aro was pacing in the minuscule office at the station. He was so mad at himself. That woman looked out for him many times. Of course she would be the one with information, she was too nosy. And he made a rookie mistake, he didn't listen to the person looking out for him. No matter how annoying they are.

The door opened. This time Jasper came quickly with the results.

"I can only give you an estimate of the time of death, she was in the cold water the whole night! My guess is this happened after noon, and before ten at night."

Aro exhaled. Again almost everybody could had done it.

"She drowned. Someone hit her in the head and held her head underwater. She shows faint signs of struggle. My theory is that they hit her in the head, making her fall. She has her knees scrapped. Then they pushed her head underwater."

"So this is the job of a man."

Jasper hesitated.

"carmen was a very weak woman, I gave her a tonic. So I think a healthy woman could had forced her."

Aro nodded. This was getting worst. No way to discard a suspect.

Jasper took his hat. "Well, if you don't need me anymore, I have to go for the results of the analysis of the glasses."

Aro waved his farewell.

Jasper left the office with a big weight on his shoulders. He couldn't stop thinking that somehow his dishonest and immoral behavior brought this tragedy to town. He felt that everyone around him was dying. He was so glad to had found vicary only man he could trust. He was helping him to deal with his guilt complex. Who would had thought that a doctor, a man of science, ended relying in his faith to deal with his troubles?

Jasper noticed Alice coming his way.

He couldn't believe how he fell for her act of a lonely sweet girl, with a tyrant father and immoral step-mother. If only he knew of what she was capable... Yes, he felt bad for the way she lost her father, but he won't bebefriending her anymore. Thank God they stopped before anything more happened. Just some kisses. She was free to marry the man of her choice. Just not him.

"Jasper wait! Stop avoiding me!"

"Good morning Alice. As you can see, I'm busy. I have a train to catch."

"Why are you doing this?"

Jasper stopped and turned to her. How can she say that like nothing happened? His eyes were full of hatred toward her.

"We have nothing to talk about Miss Cullen." He spat. "Now if you excuse me, I have a train to catch."

Alice watched him leave. All her life, she acted aware of the things she was doing. The spiteful things she did just because she could, the very few good things she had done. She knew what she was doing. But this was the first time in her life that she really didn't know what she did wrong.