Chapter VI

Edward Cullen

An Hour Later

It was midnight by the time I pulled Angela's body out of the pit and into a sack. I had enjoyed watching her die, but was unsure what to do with the body.

I noticed that only Angela's head wasn't badly burnt.

After ten minutes of deliberating with myself about the body, I had came to a final decision. I will decapitate Angela's head.

I took out the axe from my shed and chopped off Angela's head.

It didn't leave a bloody mess as I thought it would.

I placed the head in a small box and taped it up. I will deliver it to Angela's family around the same time as I get rid of the body. I stuck a label on top of the box and wrote Angela's name on it. After that, I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Dear Reverend James Weber," I wrote. "I suggest you pray for great strength before you look into this box. As you're well aware, your darling daughter Angela isn't such an angel as you hoped for. She isn't as charitable as her sisters Eastherline and Hellena, and always wanted more money to buy unnecessary stuff, and both you and I know, that it's a sin. As you know, sinful people who don't repent before they die, go to Hell. I'm pleased to inform you that your daughter had died with justice and had a little taste of Hell before dying. Enjoy your prezzie!"

I taped it below the label and chuckled evilly.

Reverend Weber will have a lovely surprise indeed.

There had been some talk of him having a bad heart and will die once he has a deep shock, and I wonder if that's true.

I placed Angela's headless body back into the sack and picked up the box.

I changed into another set of black clothes and made sure my hair is fully red and my contacts clean and blue. I pulled out the map.

I had decided to place the body at the Forks Church and Angela's head at the doorstep of her house. I'm looking forward to seeing Reverend Weber's face expression. I'll get rid of the body first and then I'll put the head at Angela's doorstep.

I left my house and ran silently to Forks Church.

It was still dark and there was no one about.

I opened the gate to the main entrance of the church. I went through the main door and noticed a priest snoring loudly on a nearby pew.

So Angela wasn't the only one who has a religious family, but committed sin. I'm glad that this lazy, useless priest was sleeping and snoring loudly. That way I could dump the body to the place I want it to be and leave without being seen.

I took the body out of the sack and placed it against a chair on the small stage in front of the pews, and picked up the sack.

I glanced at the body and left.

There was a little light by the time I left Forks Church for Angela's house. I know that the Webers attend service early in the morning (around six) and they probably wake up around five or five thirty, since it's quite some travelling to the church, and it takes time to change and I guess that they'll go to church with the whole family.

I made sure no one was around when I snuck up to the Webers' house.

I quickly dropped the box at the doorstep and darted into the trees near the house. I pulled out my binoculars and placed it next to me.

There'll be some time until the Webers wake up, so I pulled out my iPad and began playing on it. I was so engaged with playing Lep's World that I lost track of time. After a while, I realised that it was almost five and cars were turning up at the Webers' driveway.

I stood up and stretched.

I had been lying on my stomach for hours without realising it. I was glad the Webers lived near woods where I can hide from view to watch what'll happen. I've been looking forward to this moment in ages! I wanted to see the light fade from Reverend Weber's eyes once he sees what happens to his sinner daughter. I want him to know.

People came out from the cars and went to the house.

I noticed that Bishop Weber was one of them.

It strikes me odd that Bishop Weber would come to Forks just for morning Mass in Forks Church to have it with his uncle's family.

Who would do that?

It didn't really matter to me at the current time, since any moment, Reverend Weber would come out of his house to greet his relatives (probably routinely), find the box, read the note, perhaps pray for a couple of seconds, open it, and die of a heart attack.

As I expected, Reverend Weber greeted his nephew and his family and found the box. He picked it up, shook it and saw the note on top…

Police Chief Charlie Swan

I got woken up at five in the morning by an urgent phone call from my deputy at FCWPS (Forks County, Washington Police Station).

I hated being woken up that early in the morning (I do morning and afternoon shift), especially if I was extremely busy the day before. My deputy and other officers knew that I would be in a crabby mood if I get woken up in the morning and they only would ring me if it's an emergency or a very serious matter. Today is also my day off.

"What is it?" I grumbled. "Clearwater! This better be good. If you're bored and planning to tell me another story about your family-"

"Sir, it's not," interrupted Deputy Chief Harry Clearwater. "I've received a call from Bishop Weber stating that his brother Reverend Weber died suddenly of a heart attack three minutes ago at the doorstep of his house-"

"Why did he call the police if it's a heart attack?"

"We all know that Reverend Weber had a weak heart and he had the determination and strength to live on, but the only-"

"Look, Clearwater. You're wasting my sleeping time! What is it?"

"Before Reverend Weber died, he received a box at the doorstep and he died looking at whatever was delivered to him. Bishop Weber looked at it and he told me that he almost had a heart attack! Their daughter had gone missing a couple of days ago-"

"Yeah, I remember that. Angela, wasn't it?"

"Yes sir. In the box delivered to Reverend Weber was Angela's head."

"Bring yourself and the team to the Webers' house. Bring a coffee machine with you if you have too. I'll meet you there."

I turned off my mobile and jumped out of bed.

Murders often don't happen in Forks, especially ones with killers returning the heads of his victims back to their families.

I changed quickly into my work clothes and grabbed my credentials and placed it into my pocket. If I'm quick, I might eat some breakfast.

"Dad, what's going on?"

I turned around and saw my eighteen year old daughter, Isabella standing at the door of my room, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey Bella," I said, smiling at her. "Did I wake you up?"

"Kind of," answered Bella. "Were you shouting at Deputy Chief Clearwater again?"

"Shouting isn't the type of word I would use. He just woke me up at a bad time. I was planning to spend all day with you today, Bells, but I have a case to work on and it's really important. Do you think you can manage by yourself today?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I might go to the cinemas and shopping after that with Angela. I haven't spent a lot of time with her. She had always wanted me to go shopping with her so she could find formal dresses to match my skins tone. Apparently after all my time in Phoenix with mum, I finally improved a little and my skin is a tinge bit darker than the last time I came here! Do you remember what her number is? I lost some of my contacts in Phoenix."

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but Angela's dead. And her father Reverend Weber died of a heart attack after finding her head."

"Her head? How did she die?"

"I don't know. I'm going to check it out right now."

"I'm coming with you."

"Bells sweetie, I know that Angela's your good friend, but I can't let you wander on crime scenes not knowing what you're doing. Even that I'm Chief of Forks Police Station, I don't want to see you crying with her family. Angela's family might take it as an offense for you crying with them. Besides, I don't think you can stand the sight of blood."

"Please! I can stand the sight of blood! Or, I hope I can. Angela's my friend. I know her family. I might be of help! I can comfort them!"

I smiled indulgently.

Last time Bella came with me to a crime scene, it ended quite badly.

Or maybe it was just a bad crime scene.

Anyway, at that time, Bella was only eleven and her mum (my ex-wife Renee) dropped her off at the crime scene as an emergency, since she was really busy or something. I had just gotten out of the police car and went to see the crime scene when Bella raced into my arms. I (foolishly) allowed her to come with me as I entered the house. The body was hanging from the chandelier, disembowelled and blood still dripping from his open chest.

On the table beside him was a line of jars, each containing the organs and guts that were taken out of the dead body in front of us.

Bella screamed in fright and knocked over the jars. They all broke and cracked and the organs and liquid spilt onto the ground (an organ splattered onto her foot). The other officers and detectives backed away from us, disgusted.

It was quite disgusting and repulsive, but there was no need for them to be chickens and wusses. Bella screamed again and ran out the door crying.

The after effect was worse.

Renee left me a call saying that I'll have to take care of Bella for a week, since she's going with her new husband Phil Dwyer, for a tour of America, and she also mentioned that since I haven't spent a lot of time with Bella, it would be a good idea.

For four days, Bella had consecutive nightmares on the crime scene, and was traumatised badly. She rang up Renee and told her what happened.

Renee was furious.

"You have three more days of proving that you can take care of Bella," she threatened. "If I come to collect her and find that she's still traumatised, I'll sue you for child negligence and you'll be penniless and jobless in a matter of minutes!"

I didn't know whether she was being dramatic or serious, but either way, I couldn't risk it. It'll be humiliation to lose my position as Police Chief.

For two days, I tried to bring Bella back to her old self, but I was unsuccessful. I had even prepared myself to be sued of child negligence when my best friend Inspector Billy Black, came along for a visit with his son, Jacob Black.

I was still grateful to Jacob for what he did to Bella.

Jacob was the one who saved me from suing and a loss of job. He somehow brought Bella away from her traumas and nightmares in one go.

I was so happy that Bella's back to her bubby self that I promoted Billy to Deputy Chief without hesitation and gave Jacob a free scholarship to be a Forks Officer in the future. When Renee came to pick up Bella at the end of the week, I was confident that I won't get sued. Renee seemed a little disappointed when she saw Bella in her bubbly self.

I guess she really wanted to sue me for what I'm worth. Some ex-wife she is. I confidently handed Bella

over to Renee. I even had a smile on my face.

"Please!" begged Bella, bringing me back to the present. "I know what you're thinking. Last time I went to a crime scene I was only eleven! Now I'm eighteen! I dissect in biology at school! I can handle the sight of a dead person!"

"Even if it's your friend?" I inquired.

"I think so."

"Well, if you do find the crime scene too much for you to handle, then compose yourself in a dignified manner and leave. Angela's parents and family might find you a nuisance if you do what you did last time you went to a crime scene."

"Okay!"

"Then get dressed. If we're quick, then we can get a spot of breakfast before we go to the crime scene in fifteen minutes."

Bella bounded off to her room.

I had never seen her so enthusiastic about going to a crime scene before. Especially the one where her friend has been found dead on.

Bella and Angela had never been close…

A certain thought struck me.

Could Bella have killed Angela?

I dismissed the thought at once and laughed softly to myself.

I had been a cop for too long, and now suspecting people have become a second nature to me and I just suspected my own daughter for murder!

Bella and I arrived at the Webers' house in ten minutes. We had skipped breakfast, but each drank a cup of coffee to keep us awake.

Bishop Weber was waiting for us at the door.

"Hey," I said, approaching him. "Where's the rest of your family? My deputy said that your whole family came here today."

"Yes, we did," said Bishop Weber, shaking my hand. "Except I sent them off to church. They can't miss out Mass because Uncle James had a heart attack and we discovered Angela's head in a box. I know it sounds cruel, but the rest of the family can pray for them in church. I would join them, but I can't leave the house like this."

"Don't you attend Mass too?"

"I already did. I attend it at three in the morning everyday. In case of an emergency. I know you may think I'm a suspect because of this."

"It'll depend. I'll need to send the head to the morgue, but I can't do much to find out how she died without the body."

"But didn't she die of decapitation?"

"Not necessarily. She might've been dismembered to death. After we find the body, then we can actually start working on the case. Your uncle died of a heart attack? I need you to tell me everything you know about him. Is your grandfather alive?"

"No…he died a couple of years ago. Is there a reason you need him for?"

"I need to see someone who looked after James Weber when he was younger so I can have a few people's views on him."

"Well, there's my grandmother. She's still alive. I'm sure she can tell you stuff about my uncle that I didn't even know about. She's at church right now with the rest of my family. While we wait for them, I'm sure I can tell you what I know about Uncle James."

Ring, ring.

Bishop Weber picked up his phone.

"Arthur?" he said, surprised and a little concerned. "What's going on? You know that it's an offense to ring people during Mass. If you want a career in church, you should know about this. They won't want another Bishop or Reverend that rings people during Mass or any other church service. I know that you're in Forks Church right now and you want to be a member of the Sequim Church, but churchmen discuss future church members with neighbouring churches!"

He paused for a moment and a frown appeared on his face.

"Right," he said quietly. "Sorry about earlier. I see what you mean by an emergency. Chief Swan's here with me right now. I'll let him know."

"What?" I said, alert.

"They found a body," Bishop Weber told me. "A body without a head. Arthur thinks it's Angela, but it's been badly burnt. The body's in Forks Church. The security guards are holding the Priest in custody, but they're waiting for further instruction."

"Burnt?"

"Yeah. Why? Is it Angela?"

"That's what I'm interested in. Bishop Weber, this is my daughter Bella and this is Deputy Chief Harry Clearwater. I want you to tell them everything about your uncle that you know. I'll be going to Forks Church to view the body."

"Can you do me a favour?"

"What?"

"If the body's Angela, can you let me know?"

"Of course. Bella, can you come with me for a sec?"

I led Bella to our car.

"Let Clearwater do all the talking," I told her. "He knows what to ask. Your job is to calm him and comfort him. Got it?"

Bella nodded.

I went into the car and drove off to Forks Church.

The Press had already arrived at the church and were crowding around it, shouting and wanting information. I always hated the Press.

They're so nosy.

The security guards came towards me once I got out of my car.

"Chief Swan," spoke one.

"How did the Press find out?" I asked. "I'm sure that you had the foresight to try and keep this matter a secret at the most. And there's a lot of them as well. There seems to be more of the Press here than in other crime scenes."

"We tried to keep it discreet, but the people attending Mass weren't cooperating very well. When they saw the body, they all had their phones out."

"Does Bishop Weber know?"

"No…why?"

"Doesn't matter. He hates people breaking all the rules of the church. Who found the body? Did you discover anything?"

"We have the Priest in custody."

"For what? Does he have motive killing that person?"

"He was the one that was on duty last night from eleven to this morning. Apparently these priests take turns for the night shifts. We also moved the people to the property next to the church. You know, so the crime scene won't get contaminated much. It kind of already it when the people all went in, but that's only the garden area."

"Right. I'll question him a little later. I would like to see the body first. It wouldn't be much of a problem, but judging by the media people…"

"We can go another way?" suggested the other security guard.

I followed them through the back door and into the church.

"Where did you put the Priest?" I said curiously. "You said in custody, but where? He won't be with the others would he?"

"No," said the first security guard, locking the door behind us. "He's in our office. We locked him in. He confessed in sleeping in his shift."

"Is this the body?" I said, glancing at a bundle of bones and thin skin clinging on it. "Or what's remaining

of it? In my entire career as a Police Chief and Police Officer, I had never seen a body like this before. I never got involved in a murder either. Especially an organised murder. I had been only involved in disorganised cases before."

"Yeah, that's the body. None of us touched it."

"Good. I'll need to move it to the morgue until further instruction. I want you two to go back to the people and tell the Webers that they can go home. Once they leave, tell the rest of the people to write down their name, number and house address."

"What happens if they don't write it?"

"Then they can't go home. You'll have the right to hold them for as long as you want until they write down what's needed of them."

"And you?"

"I'll be ringing up my colleagues."

"And the body?"

"It'll be on its way to the morgue. The quicker it goes to the morgue for Medical Examiners to check it out and give me a report, the quicker this case can hopefully be solved. I'm hoping that it'll be just the one body, not a whole stream of bodies."

"What are you thinking? That there's a serial killer on the loose?"

That was exactly what I was thinking of.

"Hopefully not," I answered. "I'm hoping that the jealous boyfriend killed her out of rage, not a serial killer who murdered her randomly."

"Which one do you think is more likely?" said the second security guard, glancing at the window where the Press people were lurking.

"I don't know," I said thoughtfully. "It'll all depend…"

I had decided to bring Bella in a little earlier than I orginally planned, but at least she's now in the story! Please review!