Chapter 3

What little of the town Bella saw was fast asleep as Bella slowed down following Jenna's instructions to go through it and get to the police station. The station itself was a long, single story building with a couple cruisers parked out front. Remembering her father's cautionary words on how to part at a police station, once she had parked in a regular spot and then was told it was reserved for cruisers and nearly got her car towed away, so now she pulled in a random spot.

"Come in with me?"

Jenna's voice was small again and she was clutching Barkley in her arms as if she was a child with a favorite toy. Bella nodded and they got out of the car. Seeing that Jenna wasn't inclined to go inside, Bella took a deep breath and started walking, Jenna following behind guided by their clasped hands.

Behind a desk in the entrance hall sat a rather plump woman with her eyes closed and chin sitting on her hands, fast asleep. Seeing the light coming from the only closed space in the back the two decided to not wake the receptionist but walked towards the light instead. Seeing Jenna freeze again Bella raised a hand to knock at the frame of the open door but Barkley chose that moment to say his piece and began barking instead.

"Quiet"

Bella scolded the dog only to receive a wet tongue on the nose. She sighed resigned and then the door threshold was filled by a woman with short blond hair, blue eyes and a cop uniform. Her eyes were wet and she put her hand on Jenna's arm as soon as she saw them.

Bella tuned the pleasantries and condolences out and bit her lip to not cry out in pain as Jenna's grip tightened on her hand. She tuned back in when cop lady started talking about identification of the bodies.

"You mean there's a chance it's not Gray and Miranda?"

Jenna was suddenly hopeful and Bella hated the cop for bringing her hopes up just to dash them.

"It's part of the process, I'm afraid. We do know it was them and Miranda's, I'm sorry"
"I know Liz. I just thought... for a moment that..."
"It's okay honey."

Bella said softly squeezing her friend's hand. Jenna closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out.

"Let's just get it over with. Do Jeremy and Elena know?"

The cop lady, sheriff, Bella thought, the rank insignia was the same as her father's, shook her head.

"Elena is with Bonnie and Caroline at my ex in-law's lake house for the weekend. My ex is bringing them back tomorrow, how about wait till then to tell them?"

Jenna nodded and licked her lips, taking a deep breath and standing just a little straighter. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of Liz's desk, her fingers reached to straighten the placket with the name Sheriff Forbes, and watched as the older woman opened a file and handed her two photographs, the dog still firmly held in her arms. Bella, standing just behind Jenna looked at the photographs too. On the bright side the people in them looked as if they were sleeping. On the less bright side, in the full body shots, there was something that made Bella reach out for them. Jenna handed them and confirmed for Liz that it was her sister and brother in law before mumbling that she felt sick and making a run for the car, Barkley barking loudly at being jostled at the sudden move.

Bella watched them leave before turning to Liz.

"Excuse me sheriff but what are those shadows on the bodies?"

The sherrif's blue eyes widened with more than a bit of panic in them and then she blinked.

"Are you a relative Miss?"

Bella shook her head.

"Jenna is my best friend, sheriff. I'd hate for her to deal with this thinking it was nothing more than a terrible accident if it was."

Bella thought that she should have been nicer to the woman but she was tired and the shadows reminded her all too much of a series of deaths back in her father's hometown when she was living with him back in high school.

"You're right. It wasn't entirely an accident. Those shadows are slashes from an animal attack. I think they went off the road because of it and... And drowned."

A sad half smile graced Bella's lips.

"An animal attack... That's what my father said when he had to cover up deaths caused by vampires. It seems like things aren't entirely different on this end of the US."

She kept her voice light and when Liz's blue eyes met her own dark ones, she nodded lightly conveying that she'd keep the secret.

"Good night sheriff"

Sheriff Forbes nodded her own goodnight and Bella walked out of the police station. Jenna was kneeling next to the car, wiping her lips, her eyes wet.

"Hey"
"Can we go home now?"
"Jen, I love you, but I'm not driving 3 hours back to Jacksonville."

The two friends chuckled and Jenna, impulsively, hugged her.

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without you Bell. Come on. Let's go to Miranda's place and get some sleep. We'll tackle tomorrow when it comes"

Jenna sniffled.

"It's already here. It'll be dawn in a couple of hours"
"Shhh"

It wasn't until the creamy blue car got out of the ring road and to the main street that Bella realized the car missed an occupant.

"Hey, what did you do with my mother's dog?"