Chapter Nineteen

Sam

He closed his eyes and the pen moved rapidly over the paper, in seconds a detailed drawing of the scene lay before him. He opened his eyes and looked at me,

"Well?"

Looking at his drawing I brought mine over to lay beside it.

"Look"

He did, his eyes flickering so fast it was almost as if they never moved.

"You got her hands twisted."

"No I didn't, you did. You saw what you expected to see, Bella's body, ring on the third finger of the left hand."

"That's where it was"

"No, her hands weren't twisted, you just thought they were. Either Bella moved her ring or that body wasn't her. If that's the case, whoever staged the fire was sloppy, they put Bella's ring on the wrong hand of the body they brought with them."

"You think someone staged the fire, killed Charlie and took Bella leaving another body to be found?"

"Well I'm not an expert Jasper but I don't think there's any way Bella would have taken off her ring and put it on the wrong hand."

He was right of course and I cursed myself for not seeing it, he continued, looking at me keenly,

"The question is...who would take Bella and why? Do you have any ideas?"

I thought about that but apart from Maria and it wasn't her style, I had no idea.

"Come on Jasper, think, we need something to work with. I'll send the pack to look for her scent. If we can find out who or where they took her it'll be a start".

Jasper

I was about to answer when Billy and Harry walked in with one of the pack hard on their heels and they didn't like what they saw.

"What the hell is he doing here Sam? This is breaking the Treaty."

Harry's voice was full of anger but Sam just folded his arms and looked at the three men.

"For a start this is my home and who I choose to invite in is my concern. Paul, now you've stirred things up suggest you get back to looking for Bella"

The young man scowled then stalked out.

Sam

Well, I knew this was coming and I was ready for them.

"Harry, Billy, I invited Jasper here, he needed a refuge and as Bella's fiancé I decided he was welcome in my home. Before you start on the Treaty and not having a Cullen on the Reservation I need to tell you something. Bella wasn't in the house when it was torched, that body isn't hers. I don't know about Charlie but we're pretty certain about her."

They looked at me, disbelief on their faces.

Harry

"We'd only left them about two hours before the fire. The Fire Crew say it was probably embers from the barbecue blown onto the wooden clap-board that started the blaze. Who would have known what was happening and have access to a dead body to replace Bella? It doesn't make any sense Sam."

"He's right even so"

Jasper stood up,

"It wasn't Bella"

"Oh why?"

"Because her ring was on the wrong hand"

"Maybe she took it off to shower and put it back wrong."

"Has Sue ever taken her engagement ring off let alone put it on the other hand Harry?"

I waited for the response which was a slow shake of the head.

"No. So what did happen and where is Bella now?"

Sam

"We don't know but I've sent the pack out looking for her trail"

"And if they find its vampires?"

Billy looked at Jasper as he asked this.

"Then I'll find them and get her back"

"I think we should help Harry. Bella and Charlie were more or less family. He can't do it alone."

They looked at me long and hard before Harry nodded curtly.

"OK but I don't want the Tribe left unguarded, this might be a ploy to draw the pack away."

"No its too elaborate, there's more at stake here. I'll leave any of the pack who object and just take four with me."

"Just why are you so keen to help him?"

Billy's voice was bitter.

"Because we look after our own and Bella was ours, despite her choices, she chose Jasper and that makes him family of kind too. I'm not arguing about this Harry, Billy, as leader of the pack this is my decision."

Jasper

I had no idea what Sam's real motives were but with Bella missing I'd take any help that was offered. As the two Elders went out one of the younger wolves padded in, turning to look at me before reporting to his Leader. Once he had delivered it he ran back out and Sam came to my side,

"I know we're enemies and you're probably trying to work out my angle but I wouldn't bother, Bella and Charlie mattered to us and I want his, or their, murderer brought to justice, be that human, wolf, or vampire."

"Fair enough. Do you have any leads yet?"

"The pack found a trail of vampire scent a few hundred yards from the Swan House. They're waiting for you, see if you recognize any of them. The others are spreading out to see if there are any more further out. It's not much but it is a start. If you have any back up of your own you might want to contact them now. Especially if vampires are involved."

I nodded and took out my cell phone as I followed Sam to the scent trail the wolves had found.

Peter

I had a bad feeling ever since they left but Char made light of it.

"You just hate that there's no fighting. They'll be back in a few days and The Major is quite capable of looking after Bella."

Emmett agreed with her but Rose was more concerned, she spoke to me about it,

"Do you really think they are headed into trouble?"

"All I know is that my Radar's been going wild since they left. There's shit coming from somewhere and Bella is the most vulnerable of our group. I don't like this one fucking bit."

It frustrated me that I knew there was danger but couldn't pinpoint it. I got a feeling we needed to be moving and this time I overrode the others objections.

"We'll leave for Forks now. If I'm wrong great, but if I'm not we are going to be needed real soon."

We took Emmett's truck and the four of us set off for Forks Washington. I tried The Majors cell phone but it was switched off so when mine rang he was the last person I expected to hear.

"Peter I need your help, Bella's disappeared."

"Already en route. Where are you?"

"On the Reservation."

"Where? What the fuck are you doing there?"

"Sam worked it out. I'll explain when you get here."

"I'm not setting foot in Dogsville Major, not even for you"

"Meet me at the Cullen house and Peter"

"Yeah?"

"Hurry"

I hit the steering wheel in frustration,

"I fucking knew it. We should have gone with them. Now Bella's gone"

"Any idea where or why?"

"No Rose I'm not a fucking clairvoyant. As soon as we get there he'll fill us in."

"Why are the wolves involved?"

"No idea but if their furry little noses can help I'm happy to use them."

I gunned the engine and the scenery whipped past the windows in a blur.

Jasper

I felt better knowing Peter and the others were on their way, Sam was being very helpful but I wasn't sure I trusted him or the rest of the pack. We reached a spot about a quarter of a mile from Charlie's house to find two smaller wolves prowling. I could smell the vampires over the wolf stench but I didn't recognize any of them. Sam looked at me and I shook my head, he sighed frustrated then one of the wolves phased back to communicate with him.

"Seth says there's another scent, much fainter, as if they tried to mask it, just a few hundred feet further on.

I followed the younger wolf testing the air as I went, then I caught it, the faintest hint of a scent but one I recognized and I closed my eyes, unable to believe who was behind Bella's abduction. What I couldn't begin to understand was why the Volturi would be interested in a human girl. And if they were, why such an elaborate scheme? Were they trying to deceive me? If so why? Why was Bella so important they would stage her death, if not to fool me?

"It's the Volturi Sam, or at least one of them and I don't think Alec would be working alone, he's a loyal servant of Aro."