OOO

I'm outside Bella's house at exactly two minutes before eight o'clock. I'm relieved to not see the police cruiser in the driveway; the Chief must have got an early start to work this morning. I exhale thankfully. I really hadn't thought about that last night when I offered Bella a lift to school. To be honest, I have to admit at this point that I'm not really sure why I was so keen to talk to Bella. I had printed out the class list last night and I was going through it and ruling out the obvious exclusions like all the males and also the girls with short haircuts. Jasper hung about for a bit alternately making good suggestions and annoying comments until I finally got rid of him by doing some homework. I went to the facebook page to see if anyone had posted anything that might give me any clues (I'm still worried that the whole thing is going to feature on youtube at some point). Mercifully, there was nothing, but I saw that Bella was online and I just suddenly wanted to talk to her. She had made me feel so much better in Biology with her suggestion that I treat it like a detective mystery. All good detectives have an assistant don't they? Even Hercule Poirot takes up with that dimwitted Hastings for a few books, Sherlock has Holmes of course, Lord Peter Wimsey uses his brother in law the policeman and Harriet Vane and Miss Marple… bugger. I think the old lady works alone. Stuff Miss Marple. Never liked her.

I step out of the car, wondering if I should go up and knock, but at that moment Bella comes down the path. I watch her walking towards me. She's little, although she's taller than Alice she always gives the impression of being quite slight. I don't think she wears any makeup and she's got lovely big brown eyes, long dark hair and flawless pale skin. Really, she could be Snow White in a pantomime. She's wearing jeans and flat shoes but she still manages to trip a bit as she comes down the path. I'm well aware that she's not the most well coordinated person from the number of times I've watched her trip or stumble as she walks into Biology. I'm always waiting to pick her up off the floor but she recovers very well. I don't know what it is about dead flat stretches of floor but for Bella they seem to be treacherous.

I go around to open the door for her but I misjudge slightly and we get there at the same time. Our hands touch as we both reach for the door and we both draw back. "Allow me" I say, putting on that fake gallantry that I've seen Jasper do hundreds of times to get me past the awkward moment. She smiles and seats herself in the car.

I climb in the driver's seat. "Thanks for this" I tell her, wanting to thank her for letting me talk to her yesterday and making me feel better and everything. To my surprise she smiles cheekily "Yes, I'm doing you a big favour by relaxing in a warm car instead of taking a chilly walk to school. I hope you realize the sacrifice I'm making".

I hadn't ever seen this side of Bella before and it's … cute, I have to say. I hand her my list with all its big black lines through the impossibilities. "I worked on this last night."

She gives me a sharp look that I don't really understand. "So you're going on with the detective work then?" she asks. I raise my eyebrows at her and nod emphatically. "I went over this with Jasper and Alice. Alice thought she could tell me who it was immediately from a description of her clothes". "But she obviously couldn't" says Bella, looking closely at the class list. I snort. "Me describing girls' clothing. Fail. Major fail." Bella smiles at me. "I thought you were brilliant at everything" she says. From some of the other girls this would come out as nauseating flattery but from Bella it has an acid edge that I understand means she's teasing me again, although a quick glance shows her most innocent wide-eyed expression with just a tiny little smirk.

"I dare do all that may become a man. That's Shakespeare so you know, just saying it must win the argument," I tell her loftily. (We did Macbeth last year and I really got into it. Poor bastard led into a nightmare by a woman. I can relate.) She flat out laughs, but nicely, and she obviously gets it because she says "Yep. Bet Macbeth had no idea about women's clothing either. Apart from tartan maybe."

I'm smiling as I take my favourite corner a little sharply and then we're pulling into the car park. I stop the car, turn in my seat, resting my arm on the steering wheel and discover that Bella is clinging to the handle and breathing heavily "Do you always drive like that?" she asks me. What was wrong with my driving? I suppose the corner was a little sharp and I usually accelerate into the curve that comes next but I'm totally in control. "You mean do I always handle the car that well?" I correct her, using her own sincere expression. "I think I already said 'I dare do-'" "Yep, got the whole becoming a man thing" she interrupts, raising her hands, palms out in surrender. "So, did you just want to show me this?" she asks indicating the list on her lap. "Is that how I earned a free ride to school?"

Well, partly I suppose. I guess I did want to show her that I was taking her suggestion seriously but I also really want some company here. I'm not sure why. "Well, Watson, I thought I might need your help".

She doesn't miss a beat. "Really Holmes?" she asks immediately and her face actually looks brighter. I can't believe my luck that she might be willing to go along with this crazy scheme.

I nod seriously. "There are a number of names on this list unaccounted for I'm afraid. I don't mind asking Yorkie who was in the school paper office but I'm not really up for asking all of these girls what they were doing yesterday. It would be weird. I mean, more weird. I thought you might be willing to do some checking of alibis for me". I must look pleadingly pathetic because she goes straight back to being nice to me. "Of course" she says quietly. "Who do you want me to ask?"

I've got two candidates immediately. One is Angela who I know is a good friend of hers and the other is a quiet little girl called Bree who I know nothing about. I can't imagine that Bree jumped me in a dark closet but then up until yesterday I couldn't imagine any of it so I think I should stop trying to imagine it and just stick to the plan. I also can't imagine going to find Bree and asking her about her lunchtime activity.

Bella also obviously has trouble with the idea because she nods consideringly and says "Bree, hmmm" in a doubtful tone. Immediately my good mood is ruined and I slump over the wheel, close my eyes and rub my forehead. "I know how unlikely that sounds" I admit "But I have to start somewhere. You know my methods Watson" I add, trying to lighten up.

She smiles again. "Of course. Leave no stone unturned," she tells me. She hands me back my list and gathers up her bag. We step out of the car. I come around to Bella's side and hit the lock button and fall into step beside her and… Bella stops dead, looking around her like a stricken animal. What the hell? I take a quick glance around and realize that everyone is staring at us. It's like the bit in the Matrix where the guy freezes the scene. I spot Lauren standing by the steps with her mouth open, Tyler and Newton standing by Tyler's van and over to my right, that prize idiot Emmett with his arm around Rose's waist. I give him a glare and he winks and picks Rose up with one heavily muscled arm. She squeals and I think it works to briefly distract a couple of people.

I turn back to Bella to see her standing pale and motionless, eyes darting around the carpark. I have to walk a couple of steps back to her. "Bella, are you okay?" She comes out of her frozen trance. "Hmmm?" she asks. "C'mon Watson, I need your help today" I tell her. I don't want to take her arm or anything in front of everyone like this but we really need to get going. I hadn't realized how much Bella hates attention. Fortunately, she snaps out of it, gives me another of her sharp looks and stumbles forward. I hadn't planned it, but I end up walking her to her locker because it feels wrong to just leave her at the mercy of the curious onlookers. She seems fine by then and the general noise around us disguises the fact that people are still staring and pointing.

"Watson, do you think you'll have some news for me by lunchtime?" I ask. Bella is recovered enough to smile. "Do my best Holmes" she says in a terrible fake English accent and I walk off to my locker.

It never occurred to me that simply offering a girl a lift to school could be so noteworthy to anyone else. I really need to get out of this town.