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Recap: "Dr. Cullen, this is officer Grant. I'm not sure you remember but we spoke earlier."
"Yes, I remember. You're the detective working Rosalie's case. Is everything alright?" We were supposed to call him in a months time to give him an update on Rose and tell him if she'd shared anything with us, it was too early for him to be calling already.
"Not exactly. There's something we need to talk about."
Carlisle POV
My palms are sweaty as shift the phone to my other ear. I can tell by the tone of his voice that there is something seriouslywrong.
"What is it?"
"There's a couple here at the station asking about Rosalie. They say they're her parents."
I swallow past the growing lump in my throat. "Are they in custody?"
"Heck no. They're sitting on the couch in my office, asking to have their daughter back."
"Are you saying you're going to give her back to them?" I put my head in my free hand, this couldn't be happening. I promised Rose she would never be hurt again, I promised I was going to protect her.
"They said they got in a car accident around six months ago, it totalled their car...I checked. The husband even has the paperwork from the insurance company. Their daughter Rosalie suffered head trauma, which led to memory loss. Shortly after she went missing, they weren't home at the time but one of their maids was. They've been looking for her for over a month."
My mind runs over the scenario. In some sickening way it made sense. The gaps in memory that could just as easily be the result of a serious head injury then of PTSD. But that still didn't explain why she'd been found on the side of the road beat to a bloody pulp. I knew her parents were lying, the type of behaviour Rosalie displayed was the kind that could only be formed from years of abuse. Unfortunately their cover story pretty much cleared them of any possible charges, and that would mean nothing could stop them from getting Rosalie back. The fact that the police were falling for their crap story was surprising to me.
I'm filled with more anger then I've ever felt before, more anger then I thought I was ever capable of feeling. I was generally a very calm person. But even the thought of Rosalie being forced to move back in with her parents made my blood boil.
"Do I need to get in contact with my lawyer officer?" I have to fight hard to keep myself collected.
"Carlisle I understand what you're trying to do. You've done plenty for the little girl in these past weeks; but we have no evidence at all that justifies bringing her parents to court over custody of their own daughter." The detective sounds exhausted.
"Did you see what that little girl looked like when she came into the hospital? What type of parents let that happen to their daughter?" I want to shout, but I keep the same professional tone. Though the more the officer tells me the more I realize just how little control I have over what was going to happen to Rose. "If I can get Rose to admit to abuse, will they lose custody?"
"Their story matches up. They have info to back them up, even a doctors note saying Rose received medication from a severe concussion she obtained in the crash. If she suffered memory loss her word wouldn't mean much in court. Unless there is severe physical evidence of long time abuse, even then the outcome is hard to say. Her parents are the wealthy type. They've got a lot of influence behind their word. Both been threatening me with sending their friend-some big shot from the FBI-if I don't get them their daughter back soon."
I tighten my hand around the phone. Although I was sure Rosalie had been abused by her parents they had never left any scars or marks on her body. All of her most severe injuries were from whatever incident had occurred a month ago.
"I'm sorry to have to say this Carlisle but you're going to have to bring Rose into the station."
"Tonight? We can't have any more time?" I already know the answer, as licensed foster parents Esme and I knew that the kids we fostered could be taken back by their real parents at any time they were deemed 'ready.' That didn't make it any less hard. I knew we wouldn't get to keep Rosalie but we never knew we would lose her so quick. When we did I never expected it would be like this. I'd thought we'd eventually find a caring family member who she trusted more then us; by that time her parents and every other person who has ever harmed her were supposed to be locked away for abuse.
"I'm afraid so," Grant's voice is grim.
This isn't right. I had told Rosalie that no one would ever hurt her again, I thought she had escaped the cruelty of her life with her parents. Things were supposed to be getting better. I was finally starting to earn her trust, she couldn't be taken away.
"I'd like to talk to the sheriff." I was not about to let Rosalie be taken away without a fight.
"Carlisle I'm sorry, I truly am. But it's the law. Her parents are innocent until proven guilty. We will find the son of a bitch who did this to Rose. But we got nothing on her mom and dad." His voice is anxious.
"Just put the sheriff on the phone Grant." I say warily.
There's a pause before he answers; "Dr. Cullen I would really appreciate it if you could bring Rosalie into the station. Preferably sooner rather then later." I wasn't sure what it was, but there was definitely something off about the way the detective was talking. I had pegged the tone of Grants voice as exhaustion earlier in the conversation-too shocked at the information he was telling me to pay too close attention-but now that I thought back I realized it sounded a lot more like fear.
"I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's going on."
"They're going to your house. You better run Carlisle, because they're coming and they're going to-"
Bang.
He never gets to finish his sentence.
"Grant?" I don't let go of the phone but stand up and begin pulling my jacket on. A sense of dread fills me.
"This could have been so much easier" The voice is clear, as though the person is standing next to me, it is male.
The person hangs up.
I pull out my phone as I sprint to the parking garage. A couple nurses call out to me as I run, but I ignore them all. Pick up, pick up, please Esme pick up.
I sprint down the stairs, taking them two at a time. A lady yells after me as I push past her and out the glass doors of the hospital. I can apologize later, right now all that matters is my families safety. The parking garage is across the street from the hospital and I dash in front of traffic, dodging cars as I sprint towards it. Esme still isn't answering. I fumble with the keys to my car and drop them onto the pavement twice. My hands can't stop shaking.
You have nothing to worry about, I try and reassure myself. Esme could have decided to take Rosalie out, they could be playing outside or in the basement and not hear the phone ringing.
Esme will be safe at home with Rosalie and we will both laugh at how much I over reacted and then everything will be fine.
When I pull up on the driveway I know I am horribly wrong.
Esme POV - 20 minutes earlier
Rosalie looks at my horrible drawing of Dora the Explorer as if it's the most precious thing she's ever seen.
"It's for me?" She asks; setting down her green crayon to closer inspect the picture.
"Yes. I know you like watching Dora with Alice, so I thought maybe you'd like a picture of her. It didn't turn out so good, maybe we better look for a Dora poster from the store instead. You're a much better artist then me." I say, looking at the detailed picture she has drawn of the view out the living room window.
She shrugs, looking at her own artwork with distaste. "I like yours, can we please hang it up on the wall in my room?"
"Of course." I respond.
Besides the incident this morning we'd been casualty free. I was thankful that Rosalie had been fairly distracted with the activities we were doing and hadn't dwelled on the missing family members yet today. Carlisle and I had been expecting a full blown melt down. Given how attached she seemed to us I was shocked at how mild her reaction had been, I guessed she was used to having people leave her.
I notice her plastic cup-I did the dishes-is low on juice and I get the orange juice from the kitchen and top it up. Rosalie thanks me, being extra careful when she grabs her cup and takes a sip off the top of it. Since Alice only had a half day in kindergarten we would be picking her up soon, so Rosalie and I had both reluctantly changed out of our pjs. I couldn't help but smile at Rosalie's rolled up sleeves, she definitely took her artwork seriously.
Before I get the chance to sit back down I hear the doorbell ring.
"I'll be right back sweetheart." I reassure the little girl, running a gentle hand through her hair as I walk toward the foyer.
I open the door a small amount and smile at the young man in a fancy suit standing outside the door. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"You're Esme Cullen, right?" The man asks, a polite smile on his face.
"Yes, are you looking for my husband?" I ask. We often had visitors who worked with Carlisle, or who's aunts cousin husband twice removed had been his patient once and they wanted to see the 'miracle man' who cured them.
Carlisle always blushed when the latter stopped by, but I thought it was sweet. We were a pretty lucky family and were well known due to Carlisle's status at the hospital even in a city like Seattle.
"Oh no. There's someone else I'm here for"
Getting a eerie feeling and attempt to slam the door shut, but his foot in the door restrains me from doing so. He takes a threatening step forward. I notice a knife clutched in his right hand.
"Rosalie Run!" I shout, as the man punches me square in the face and I fall backwards, smashing my head on the thin rug that did little to mask the ache I felt from the hardwood floors beneath. I attempt to stand up but one of the mans polished shoes smashes into the side of my head, and everything fades to black.
Oh man, I have about three different versions of this chapter. I decided to post this one but ehhh I don't know guys...! To clear things up (it'll probably be explained in the story within the next couple chapters too) the person who killed Grant is Royce's friend from the movie theatre, and Royce is the person who payed a little visit to the Cullen household. Have a nice day!