A/N… Apparently, EVERYONE is on Team Sid. ;) I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 5

EDWARD

"So you think this whole thing is all connected?" Garrett asked as I drove us from the station to the county jail.

"I don't know. If that robbery comes back connected to Inferno, then hell yes, it's connected." I shook my head at that thought. "But Jesus Christ, what are the chances that it wouldn't be?"

"A fucking million to one. I mean, your last case in Narcotics was this asshole we're about to question, who just happens to be the fuck buddy to our current case. His sister – and I mean this in the best of ways – his fucking hot sister is now your landlady and neighbor."

I snorted, but he wasn't wrong – about any of it.

"And now, his baby momma was robbed."

"You don't know that shit. Don't even mention it to Whitlock when you step in there," I warned him. I'd promised Bella I'd keep that quiet.

"Yeah, yeah. I won't. But if it's all connected, then that sweet coffee shop girl is in the middle of it all."

"Fuck," I sighed, lightly rubbing the cut above my eye. It was healing just fine, but it might just leave a scar after all. Not that I gave a shit.

"Does she still hate you?'

I chuckled, shaking my head. "No. But I think her dad has a lot to do with that part."

I didn't mention much more. Garrett didn't need to know that she'd cleaned my busted face or that she seemed to understand the frustration that was anything to do with Inferno or that Maria's murder was probably a silver lining to her brother's situation.

"He's retired cop, right?"

"Yeah. Shot in the line of duty."

"You like her."

Frowning, I shrugged with indifference, and I could feel his stare, but I focused on parking at the jail. I wasn't sure what to do with how I felt about Bella. I was attracted to her beyond comprehension, because she was gorgeous and smart, and she made me feel awkward and tongue-tied. She seemed to be the one person in this entire cesspool of a case who was trying their damnedest to be more, be better. She was their port in the storm, a safe place. She neither judged them, nor shunned them. She seemed like she was just trying to help. But I wondered if helping was going to put her into a situation where it hurt her.

We'd already called down to have Whitlock put into an interrogation room, so when we walked through the door, Charlotte smiled, jerking a thumb back toward the hall. After checking weapons and navigating the sally-port doors, I studied Whitlock through the window.

He was fidgety, but his face was clearer, not so sallow. He wasn't yelling or violent, either, which was a good sign. I hoped the rehab program was working for him.

"Me or you?" Garrett asked.

"Me." I opened the door and shut it behind me.

Whitlock's face turned from nervous to angry, but he caught himself. "I guess I should thank you for…" He waved a hand around.

"Maybe. Although, I don't think I did it for you. I did it for your sister."

His face scrunched up in confusion. "Bella? She hates your ass."

Grinning, I shrugged. "We've most recently come to an understanding, Jasper, but I'm not here about Bella. She did send me to ask you some questions."

He flinched. "Maria."

"Yeah."

He frowned down at the table, picking at his fingernails. "She was…the fucking devil."

Smirking, I waved him to go on.

"You know, you remember all your firsts – first kiss, first time having sex, first beer. All that shit. I wasn't a stranger to weed or coke before her, but fuck, I wish I could go back in time and jab that first needle into her neck." He glanced up at me when I hummed in agreement. "I was never the same. I loved her and hated her all at one time. Just when I'd start to get it together, she'd pull my ass back in, dangling that shit in my face like fucking carrot to a rabbit."

He went quiet for a minute, but he met my gaze. "I know that fucker, Pauly, is in here in the other dorm. Did he do it?"

"He wasn't alone," I told him. "The reason why I'm here is…why? Why would Pauly and whoever else was with him kill Maria? What purpose would it serve? And who would be with him?"

"Besides the fact that she uses more than she sells?"

"Still, that's not enough to kill her. From what I hear, Hunt takes it back in other ways."

Whitlock wrinkled his nose. "True. He'd turn out anyone for revenge or get-back."

My brow wrinkled at that because he seemed to be saying that from experience.

"Who, Jasper?"

His nostrils flared as he shook his head. "I can't. They'll kill me."

There was a knock on the door, and Garrett popped his head in, waving me to him.

"Prints came back on your robbery. Matched up to a Laurent Brunelle and an unknown set," he whispered, shaking his head. "This shit is all tied together, Edward. They're picking up Laurent as we speak."

"Fuck," I said through a weary sigh, glancing back at Jasper. "You've got a problem, Whitlock, so you'd better tell me what you know."

"The fuck you talkin' about?"

"Who would want Maria dead, Jasper?" I asked him slowly, like he was a child. "Don't fuck with me, either, because she's dead, your girlfriend's sister's house was robbed, and those prints just came back to your buddy, Laurent. He'll be in here with you before lights-out. So stop fucking protecting these assholes, because your girl just moved in with your sister. Dare to take a guess as to who's fucking next?"

He paled so quickly I thought he'd pass the fuck out. All the color was just gone.

"Jesus, Jasper, what the fuck is going on?"

He shook his head slowly, and then he glanced around like the whole fucking world was eavesdropping. Truly, I thought he'd get sick right there at the table, because sweat was beading on his forehead, his hands were shaky, and he still hadn't gotten his color back.

I took a seat in front of him, studying his demeanor. "What did you do, Jasper?"

"It… It wasn't my idea," he barely said aloud, shaking his head again. "I didn't… It was her. Maria was sick of James's shit. She… She wanted one big score so we could get away from him. We were using his connections. And then you…"

Smiling ruefully, I said, "And I busted you. Yeah, okay. So what happened?"

"You didn't get even a fraction of what we had," he hissed at me. "We'd… Maria hid most of drugs."

I raked a hand through my hair, because those two decided to screw over James Hunt with his own drugs. They did the buy for him, but they squirreled away a portion – a rather significant portion, if Maria was dead because of it.

"Where?"

"I don't know! I was in here. She would've shifted gears once I was arrested. Hell, I'm surprised she didn't move to fucking Mexico or some shit," he rattled off nervously.

"Was that the plan?" I asked him, suddenly feeling incredibly sorry for Alice Brandon in this fucked-up scenario. And I agreed with Bella – Jasper should be slapped with reality of his upcoming fatherhood. "You'd have just left everyone behind? Charlie, Bella, Alice?"

Finally, guilt and shame crossed his face. "I… I would've… I didn't…"

"You didn't think because you were too fucking wasted."

He sneered my way, but he at least nodded once in agreement. "If Maria did anything, she'd have kept that shit and hid it. Or sold it and hid the money. She didn't trust anyone. Not even me."

"To who?"

"The Italian fuckers who run shit across town."

"Aro Volturi?"

"Yeah, him. He would've paid big money for that much pure uncut heroin," Jasper muttered. "And he despises James, so he would've made that deal with a fucking smile on his creepy face."

I flashed a grin because Aro was a creepy fucker – pale, thin, dabbled in all sorts of illegal activities. He ran Volterra Construction, but that was simply the face.

"Who would've killed her, Jasper?"

"James." He nodded vehemently. "Yeah, that shit… He'd have done that shit himself."

"Has he done it before?"

"Pfft, yeah."

"Who?"

He looked up at me. "Look into a missing girl. Bree Tanner. Ask Bella about her." He went quiet for a minute, but then panic started to crawl over him. "You… You need to protect my family."

I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes on him. I wanted to tell him there was more at stake here, but I kept that to myself.

"I'm going to give you a piece of advice, Jasper," I started softly and slowly, and he met my gaze. "You'd better clean yourself up, get your shit straight. Your sister has been cleaning up your fucking messes for far too long."

Wincing, he nodded. "I know. She's…amazing."

I snorted and then let out a long sigh. "I just recently moved in above Common Ground. I didn't know it was connected to you. It was Charlie I talked to."

Jasper grinned. "Yeah, Bells likes it that way. She puts him up as the face of that place. And he'd have picked a cop over anyone else."

I nodded. "So it would seem. If they think she's protecting you, then they'll come for her."

"He'll send his security first."

I stood up, tapping the table. "Okay. We'll look into James." Before I walked away, I asked him, "Where do I start looking for this shit you stole, Jasper? Because apparently, I've gotta beat James to it."

Jasper's brow furrowed as he shook his head slowly. "She wouldn't be obvious. No place we stayed or…or…"

"Or got high."

"Right. So not her mom's or the motel off the highway."

"Her car was clean. So was her room at her mom's apartment. What about Inferno?" I offered.

"Hell, no. That's the last place she'd put it, and I'd bet she knew he was coming for her after I got busted," he explained, frowning. "Fuck, it could be anywhere. That's if she didn't sell it."

"How much did you take?"

"Two kilos."

"Christ, Jasper," I sighed, shaking my head that, depending on its purity, they'd stolen close to two hundred thousand dollars' worth of heroin from James. And if they'd sold to Volturi at half of what it was worth, they could've left Seattle. "Lie low in here. And get your shit together, Whitlock."

He grimaced but nodded. "Tell Bella… Tell her I'm sorry."

Exiting the room, my eyes met Garrett's as he held up his phone. "We gotta talk to Cold Case. Bree Tanner has been missing for four years."

Nodding once, I added, "And I want a patrol car around Common Ground just in case."

"Yeah, that's done. I already called that in," he said, patting my shoulder. "C'mon, we'll pull the Tanner case file."

~oOo~

BELLA

"This is the last of it," I said, setting the last box of Alice's things down in my dad's spare room.

It had been a few days since she'd shown up at Common Ground in tears. She'd taken a couple of days to pack.

She spread the pile of clothes on hangers across the bed, gazing around the room. Her expression was weary and sad. Packing her up from her sister's place had been emotional for her. Cynthia had looked heartbroken and a little pissed off.

However, Dad was the opposite. He was happy to have Alice, especially if it not only kept her safe, but also allowed him a chance to be around for this baby. He still wanted a boy. And he was urging her to tell Jasper every damn day, but she wasn't ready. I told him to let it alone. Alice had her reasons. If I had to guess, I was sure she was waiting on how his rehab went. Or maybe Maria's death had something to do with it.

Alice hated her. Even now that she was gone, Alice hoped the fires of hell were licking over every inch of Maria. That probably had more to do with not telling Jasper about his baby than anything. Alice was bitter over cheating and drugs and whatever else had occurred between the two of them.

There was a part of me that didn't blame her for that, because cheating was just low. I didn't give a damn about the why or if it was drugs or whatever. And that was probably why I had vowed to let her tell him when she was ready.

They hadn't caught anyone from the robbery. Edward had told us that a set of prints had come back, but the guy they'd belonged to had disappeared. He hadn't told us much more than that, and he was busy. I'd hardly seen him. He'd leave before dawn and come home well after dark.

Walking to the window, I looked out over the street. Dad's apartment was also the apartment office, so he was on the first floor. It was well past sunset, and the street was quiet. I didn't see Edward's big silver truck, but there was a patrol car parallel parked across the way, and I wondered if that was his doing.

Turning back to Alice, I asked, "What's he craving today?"

She grinned. "Pizza."

"Fair enough. Order it." I tossed a few bills her way as she pulled out her phone. "Get Dad that supreme he likes."

"Okay."

"I'm going up to 4B to call an end to Mr. DIY's day."

She snorted but waved me away. "Say hello to 3B on your way."

Laughing, I flipped her off. "He's not home."

"That's a shame. At least he's pretty to look at," she teased, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Mmm, that's very true," I muttered to myself as I left Dad's apartment and took the stairs up the four flights to the open door of 4B.

He had his phone playing a baseball game propped up on the windowsill. He was painting in long strokes with the roller.

"Call it a day, Bob the Builder."

Dad shot a grin over his shoulder. "Did you cook?"

"No, I've been moving your new roomie in," I snarked back. "Who just happens to be ordering pizza as we speak."

"How's she doing?"

"Well, her hormones are causing me whiplash."

He barked a laugh. "Your mother just about took my head off with a skillet when she was pregnant with you. I can sympathize."

I let out a giggle. "What did you do?"

"I forgot the hot sauce for her tacos."

"Oh, damn. An offense punishable by death. Got it. Duly noted."

As he finished the last wall of the living room, I helped him clean and pack things up, rinsing out paintbrushes and rollers. Bringing him here had been the best idea for us both.

He'd been miserable in Forks after he'd been forced to retire, and I needed his help with this place. And he was good at it. He screened applicants, handled all the maintenance, and he didn't mind small security issues – like nasty customers at Common Ground or assholes up to no good sneaking around. Charlie Swan was still licensed to carry. The only thing he couldn't do anymore was chase anyone – or fight. The bullet he'd taken had shattered his knee.

By the end of a long day, he'd limp just like he was right then. We shut off the lights of 4B, locking the door behind us as he held on to my shoulder to start down the four flights of steps. I tried not to think of Edward as we passed by the third-floor apartments, but it was impossible.

At the top of the stairs leading down to the second floor, I turned to Dad. "Go on. I need to feed Sid. I'll be there in a few."

"Ten four, kiddo," he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze before letting go so he could grab the handrail.

I pulled out my keys as I made my way down the hallway to my door. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled when I noticed my door was open. Sid stepped out from the shadows to rub against my legs, and his purr almost sounded ragged.

"The hell?" I mumbled, kneeling down to scoop him up.

Backing away from my door slowly and silently when I heard muffled sounds from inside, I held Sid close. Once I reached the end of the short hallway, movement caught my eye. Edward was ascending the stairs, and he was right there. He'd scared the ever-loving shit out of me.

"Shhit…" It came out as a hiss, and Edward was completely amused until he saw that I wasn't laughing.

"What's wrong?"

"Fuck," I breathed, pointing toward my door. "My… My door's open. Sid was…"

I sort of gestured up and down the hallway, but I'm certain he knew what I meant, because pure fury fell over that handsome face of his as he tugged Sid and me aside, whispering, "Get to your dad's."

His face was fierce and dark as he eyed me and then Sid, finally focusing on my apartment as he reached for his gun in its holster. Something sounded like it broke from inside my place, and Edward tipped his chin for me to go.

Nodding vehemently, I started for the stairs, but I couldn't help myself. The way he was moving – sure-footed and silent, stealthily and without hesitation – was captivating. And rather frightening, honestly. It really was impossible not to watch him.

Edward was moving slowly, silently down the hall, pointing his weapon in front of him. Just before he reached the door, two figures rushed out of my place. Edward reacted instantly, and he didn't even use his gun. His hand gripped a fistful of someone's shirt and slammed them so hard against the wall that they immediately fell into a heap at his feet. That was with one hand. The other was steadily pointing that 9mm of his straight at the second person.

"Don't move, asshole. I have every right to shoot your ass, Laurent," Edward warned.

When I heard the name, my eyes narrowed on the person still groaning in pain at Edward's feet.

Jacob fucking Black.

~oOo~

A/N… Yeah, cliffie. I had to cut it here, because the next part ran long. And we now know what James and his goons are looking for.

See you guys next week, or Sunday, if you're reading When Angels Fall. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)