Chapter Nine
Billy
Charlie stalked off, furious with both of us, and Carlisle crouched to be eye to eye with me.
"I think perhaps we need to bring Charlie in on the secret"
"No, no way. Unless you think Leeches are responsible for what's happened."
He shook his head
"Wouldn't your boys have found our trail, that is what they were looking for isn't it?"
I nodded grudgingly.
"He's going to bring in Tracker Dogs and that could cause problems for you and for us."
He was right, the Tracker Dogs would go crazy around the wolf boys and Charlie might think they had something to do with Bella's disappearance. After all it was Quileute land and only Jake was at the party.
"You think telling him will help?"
"I don't think we have much choice whether it helps or not."
"Maybe. Let me talk to Harry and Sam before you go doing anything."
He nodded and got up,
"We'll wait to hear from you Billy."
Carlisle
Emmett and I walked back to the others waiting at the truck,
"You think the Quileutes had anything to do with Bella's disappearance?"
"No. If they did we would have caught their scent in the same way they were looking for ours. Anyway Charlie is their friend and they see Bella as family"
"Who could have known Bella would be at the party?"
"Anyone who knew the school she went to, that doesn't help us much."
"Well then what would Bella have that someone might want or what could they use her to get?"
"I'm ahead of you Rose, Bella doesn't have anything as far as we know but does her Father or Mother?"
"Not her mother I think. Charlie? Well has he been involved in any high profile arrests? "
"Again not that we know of besides who could manage to make Bella disappear just like that."
I was watching as we spoke and saw a frown crease Edwards face,
"If you know anything son, now would be a good time to tell me"
He shook his head hesitatingly
"I need to talk to Alice, maybe she knows something"
I remembered the conversation I'd had with Alice. She knew something was going to happen but said the alternative was worse. What had she seen? I slipped my cell phone out and called her number.
Alice
I knew the call was coming although I still hadn't decided what I was going to tell Carlisle. He was the one who'd told me to leave things work their own way out and now they had. Now he wanted to know what I'd seen and I couldn't tell him without making things even worse so I turned my phone off and got in my car. I would drive East for a while and find somewhere to hide, let fate take care of things for a while at least. I decided to head for Iowa, I had an old friend there who would be pleased to see me, at least I hoped unless he'd found himself a mate, then it could be awkward, I looked at the future keeping to my own and with satisfaction I saw him welcoming me. I decided then and there that I wasn't going to look for anyone else's future any longer, it carried too heavy a burden of responsibility especially since we'd become involved with Bella Swan.
Carlisle
While I waited to hear from Billy my thoughts turned to Jasper, he would have been an asset with this problem going on. I had tried to trace him but so far with no success, he had walked out into the night and been swallowed by it. Tracing a nomad was difficult and tracing one with his skills and diet even more problematic. I never for one moment believed he would go back to feeding on humans, that was the one gift I had been able to give him, a peaceful way of surviving for an Empath. I would miss Jaspers quiet presence, he spoke little but what he said was always worth hearing and he had imparted a calmness to our lives that was very restful. I noticed Alice had become more hyperactive since he left, he had been a pressure valve for her excess energy, in all he had been a good influence on all of us and would be missed by the whole family.
Billy
I'd called a meeting of the Elders to discuss Carlisle's suggestion and they were all crammed into my tiny kitchen, Harry and Sue Clearwater, Sam Uley, Jake, Old Quil, and me.
"You say Cullen wants to tell Chief Swan about us and them?"
"Yes Harry"
"Why? What's in it for him?"
"I think he knows that if Charlie calls in the Tracker Dogs there is likely to be a confrontation with the wolf pack".
"They can stay away from the dogs and how does that affect him anyway?"
"Can they? Maybe the dogs will track them instead"
"We aren't afraid of a few Tracker Dogs"
"We know that Sam, but the Tracker Dogs could cause the police to start looking at us too closely"
As always we all listened when old Quil spoke,
"Chief Swan has lost his Daughter and will stop at nothing to find her. If neither we nor the Cullens are responsible then who is? The wolves couldn't find a trail and neither could the Cullens. So both sides were covered. To stop Chief Swan calling in others who might look too closely at us and the Cullens we may have to tell him our secret."
"So Quil, you think we should talk to Charlie?"
"I think we should talk to Carlisle Cullen first."
"Why? You think he's involved in some way?"
"No, but he's a wise man. I respect his judgement even if he is our enemy."
It was decided to ask Carlisle for a meeting on the Reservation for the following day, he could bring two others with him and we promised them safe conduct.
"Its wrong"
Quil looked at Sam,
"You are young, your blood is up Sam but sometime it is better to talk to your enemy than fight him. I learned this wisdom over the years but you do not have to attend the meeting if you feel so strongly, it is your choice. If you do, then you listen and let the Elders talk, that's the way it is done."
Sam looked at him, trying to stare Quil down but the old man sat impassively and waited until Sam looked away first,
"Very well but the pack will continue to patrol"
"Of course. A wise Man always covers his back."