A/N… I'll let you get to it…

~oOo~

Chapter 7

EDWARD

"It's forty for the door," a large man stated when Garrett and I walked up to Inferno.

After spending the entire day with Bella, this shit was just pissing me off. I didn't want to be at a fucking strip club. I didn't want to do a search of Maria's locker. And the restraint I would have to use not to punch James in the face – or shoot the fucker – was going to take everything inside of me.

I hadn't been lying to her when I'd said that helping her clean would be the best part of my day. Despite how emotional the whole thing had been for her, she'd accepted my help. She'd taken my abrupt answers to personal questions and let them roll right off her, as well. Something about Isabella Swan made me want to answer those questions, but I'd held back, and I was absolutely certain she saw through my gruff replies and into something more. She said nothing about it, though. Which again, said more about her than I was willing to consider at the moment.

Garrett held up his badge. "We're here to see James Hunt. Go get him."

The big lug merely pulled out his earpiece and called for Hunt over his radio.

The music inside was erotic and thumping, with a touch of an exotic tone, and I was pretty sure I heard Snoop Dogg in it. Two girls were on stage, and almost every seat at their feet was taken up with men with money in hand and a dreamy expression on their face. Sex was a powerful lure for the lonely.

"You ever paid for a lap dance?" Garrett asked randomly from my side.

I glared at him like he was fucking crazy. "No."

"Ever had one?"

Snorting, I shook my head at how at ease he was in certain situations. "Yes."

He gaped at me. "But you didn't pay for it."

"No."

"You're not gonna elaborate, are you?"

"No."

He cracked the fuck up. "I just want to wear that face for one night. Just one. Because look at the girls around you, and you don't even fucking notice."

I gazed around at the servers in tiny shorts and even smaller tops who were staring my way. A few dancers not on stage were walking the floor, working the patrons, and they were eyeing me as well. All of them were attractive in their own right – cute, quirky, young, pretty in a makeup-and-wig kind of way.

I glared Garrett's way. "I don't need this shit, Garrett. Look fucking closer."

His brow furrowed as he broke his gaze away from me back to the women surrounding us. A closer look said way more than the surface. The server in the small shorts that passed by us was shaking, with fingernails chewed down to the nub and needle marks on her arm. The off-stage dancers were high, with dilated pupils, red noses, and lazy smiles, and one of them had bruises she was covering up along her neck with way too much makeup.

The ones on the stage were almost completely naked at this point in the song as they danced around, and while they worked their bodies to the music, one of them was favoring her right leg. Closer inspection of that leg showed marks on her knees, like she'd been held down.

I raised an eyebrow at Garrett. "These girls are used and abused left and right. But they'll also take you for every dime you've got." With that last thing said, I pointed to the two walking together, because their job at the moment was to corral men to the VIP room upstairs for one-on-one chats, which meant more money for the club, for the girls, for Hunt.

Speak of the devil, who approached us wearing a smarmy smile.

"This motherfucker," Garrett murmured. "Not a care in the fucking world."

James was about my height and in decent shape, but he was a bit older than me by about five or six years, which put him somewhere in his mid- to late thirties. Maybe pushing forty, if he was hiding it well enough. He had longer blond hair that hung in that carefree type of way, but it looked like he worked to get it to appear that way. He was wearing expensive jeans and a blue sport coat with an untucked white button-down under it. Interestingly enough, the shoes on his feet were work boots. My eyes narrowed, because the shoe prints at the crime scene had been sneakers and a work boot.

"Ah, the boys in blue," James sang, holding out his hand to shake. "What can I do for you this evening? Lap dance, drinks next door, maybe a little VIP chat with Monique over there…" He trailed off, pointing in the direction of a poor girl who was already scuttling away.

Garrett held up a folded piece of paper. "Actually, I have a warrant to search Maria Navarro's locker and your security footage. We'd also like to ask you a few questions, Hunt. So if there's somewhere we can go…"

Pure ire flashed across his face, but he covered it quickly with something much more passive, saying, "Sure, we can use my office upstairs."

Garrett was going to lead with this one. He'd ask the questions, and I was going to observe everything else. We had to tread carefully with this asshole, and the last thing that needed to happen was to piss off the man who posed as a threat to the innocent. My gut told me this guy was involved in all sorts of evil activities, but we needed proof, or at the very least, we needed him to trip up and accidentally let out some truth.

We followed James through the club toward the back door and up a set of stairs. Behind the scenes, the place was a bit chaotic, with girls getting ready or on their phones. Some were comfortable enough to walk around half-dressed, and others wore robes. All of them seemed to flinch away from James, but our presence caused curious glances.

By the time we'd reached the offices upstairs, the music from the club was a dull thump, but there was a window that overlooked the entire main area. He could see every-damn-thing from his office.

"Please, have a seat," James offered, holding out his hand at the chairs in front of his desk. "What questions do you have?"

"We wanted to talk to you about Maria Navarro. She was found dead in the park over off First Street," Garrett started, sitting down in the chair, but I opted to stay standing. "We know she worked here. We wanted to know when the last time was you personally had seen her."

"I heard about that. Terrible tragedy," he said softly, and I zeroed in on his facial expression. "She was one of my biggest stars."

There was no sadness in his eyes. His voice sounded it, but he couldn't disguise his body language. From what I'd learned about this asshole, not much ever stuck to him. He'd been accused of everything under the damn sun – from drugs to rape to assault to prostitution. Nothing ever could be proven because he rarely touched any of it himself and no one would speak out against him.

Except for Maria. I was convinced Jasper was right; Two hundred thousand dollars of missing heroin would've pissed this guy off something fierce. He'd have handled it on his own. It would've been a personal strike against him, and he would've reacted to it personally.

I gazed around his office as he gave Garrett the bullshit story about her not showing up for work, about her drug problem, and about her work there at Inferno. His office space seemed neat and tidy, with tall filing cabinets behind him. There was a large safe in the corner, and his desk had two large monitors. If I'd had to guess, one would show security cameras, and the other would be monetary information for both Inferno and Nomad's.

"There's a rumor, James, that Maria owed you a shit-ton of money," Garrett told him.

"She owed a lot of people money. That's the dangers of getting involved with illegal substances," he stated diplomatically. "I was trying to help her get back on track. We'd worked out a payment plan through her paycheck, which I'd be happy to show you."

I almost snorted out loud with that but gazed back around the room. The next thing I realized about his office was that there was no security camera in there. Even with the safe, he didn't want to be seen doing whatever he did inside this office.

"Where were you the night she died?" Garrett asked him.

I let my gaze drift back to the window overlooking the club. Despite the busy night, James's people were talking together in clusters. Mike Newton was with a few security guys – one of them the giant asshole from the door. Dancers kept giving the window I was in a surreptitious glance.

I recognized Angela Weber down there, and she wasn't paying any of it any attention. She had a tray full of sodas that she was carrying with grace throughout the tables. She dodged handsy men, other servers, and security people without much trouble. Something about her reminded me of Bella. It wasn't physical, though they were both brunette and about the same height. Maybe it was the determination to keep their nose clean, to stay away from the rest of these people. There was a part of me that wanted Angela to get out of here like Bella had.

James gave Garrett a bullshit answer about being here in his office the night Maria had died. And I'd almost promise that the security footage we were going to take would show that very thing. This asshole really knew how to cover his tracks.

What we needed was one of his people down on that floor to open up about their boss. Or maybe one of his do-boys still sitting in county. The weak link in there was Paul. He'd run at the first sign of trouble, so if he was squeezed enough, he might just spill it all.

I rubbed my face, turning toward Garrett and James, who were standing up.

"I'll show you to Maria's locker. We haven't had the heart to clean it."

I rolled my eyes at that statement coming from James, and I didn't even bother to hide it. We followed James back down to the locker room as Garrett called the Crime Scene Unit to bring a pair of bolt cutters.

I wanted to laugh at Jessica's disturbed expression by the time she and her partner showed up – a young, blonde girl I'd seen at other crime scenes. She handed me the tool, and I cut open the heavy padlock on Maria's locker.

"You stay with me," I told Jessica, "but…"

"Lauren," the other girl piped up.

"Got it. Lauren, you go with Garrett to get the security footage."

"Sure, Masen," Lauren replied.

Garrett's wry glare my way that another member of the department knew my name when I was fucking clueless made me laugh. I couldn't help it. He found way more entertainment in it than I did, but his reaction was pretty damn funny.

Once they had been led off by another member of James's security team, I faced the locker.

"What are we looking for?" Jessica asked in a whisper.

"I dunno," I replied just as softly, glancing up at James, who was chatting up some dancer in the corner. "Fucker's all over this case, but we can't prove anything. Check out his shoes. Think they'd match the footprints at the crime scene?"

Jessica narrowed her gaze. "Mm, probably a damn good match." She pulled on gloves and handed me a pair. "Okay, let's see why she had such a big-ass lock on this thing."

Smirking, I opened the locker. Inside were hanging clothes, mostly costumes for the stage. There was an old iPod and headphones on the top shelf, along with a lot of makeup and hair products. All of that made sense, given where we were and what she did.

Jessica carefully bagged up all of those things, along with a Common Ground thermal coffee mug, which made me shake my head. At the bottom of the locker were a few pairs of heels and some of those athletic slides.

"Masen," Jessica whispered, kneeling down to the floor. She was pulling out a metal container in the very back about the size of a shoebox.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Is it unlocked?"

"It's one of those cheap ones you get for a kid," she answered, popping open the latch. "It comes with a key, but they're easy enough to break into. See?"

"Careful," I said, because as soon as the lid was lifted, I saw the syringes, the spoon, and the rubber tourniquet. There were a few hundred-dollar bills rolled up in the corner, a few empty baggies and, strangely enough, a thumb drive.

That last thing caused Jessica and me to freeze. "Now what'choo think is on that?" she asked rhetorically.

"Don't know. Just bag that whole box, okay?"

"Oh, like yesterday," she said, and it was already in the evidence bag and sealed before she stood back up. She met my gaze. "I've got a friend in the lab who specializes in computers. I'll have him look first thing, okay?"

"Thanks," I told her, reaching for the evidence bags she'd collected to help her carry them out to the van.

James met us at the door of the locker room, smiling down at Jessica, which set me on fucking edge. "James," he introduced himself, holding out a hand she neither wanted to shake, nor could she, since her hands were full. "Come see me when the public servant money isn't enough for you. I could…"

Jessica busted out laughing. "Yeah…no."

He looked like he was about to say some nasty shit to her, and I stepped into his sightline. "We'll be in touch, Hunt," I stated firmly. "Don't leave town just in case we have more questions."

He sneered at me but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Which was a shame because I was really hoping he'd try me. He was a pig of a human being, and I wanted nothing more than to bury my fist into his face.

Out in the hallway, we ran into Lauren and Garrett, but he was on his phone, locking gazes with me.

"Is he dead?" he asked over the line.

"Oh hell," Jessica breathed next to me, but Lauren stepped forward.

"Paul Lahote was attacked in KCC earlier today. He bled out in the infirmary," she whispered to the two of us, but her eyes drifted behind me.

I didn't need to look; I knew James was trying his best to eavesdrop.

Garrett got off the phone, pocketing it quickly. "We gotta go," he stated, leading us out of Inferno. Once we were at the CSU van, he faced all of us. "Paul was attacked in the shower earlier. Shanking. And Jacob Black and Laurent Brunelle just posted bail."

"Fuck," I hissed, raking a hand through my hair. "I want another patrol car on Common Ground."

"You don't think they'd be that fucking stupid," Garrett asked with a raised brow. "Seriously?"

"I think this visit made James Hunt very fucking nervous," I stated, leaning on my words carefully, and both Jessica and Lauren nodded in agreement. "I think he's not quite sure what we'll find because he doesn't know where Maria stashed his drugs. I'm also pretty sure she'd been working against him for longer than we think."

Garrett studied my face, nodding once. "We need to get over to County. And we're not leaving this parking lot until you two are in this van and on your way."

"Got it, Garrett," Jessica said, setting all her evidence bags into the back of the van, including the things I was carrying. "Let's roll, Lauren." She met my gaze. "As soon as I know something, I'll call you."

"Thank you."

Once the girls were pulling out, Garrett looked to me in question.

"Inside a metal box in that locker was a thumb drive. She's going to look into it ASAP. I have a feeling Maria had some deep, dark shit on Hunt."

"God, I hope so, because he's a slimy bastard, and just talking to him made me want a shower."

"No shit." I grinned, walking to my truck. "Now, County. I want to know how that hit went down."

~oOo~

BELLA

"Holy shit," Alice breathed, looking toward the doorway of Common Ground. "He looks rode hard and hung up wet." She paused for a second. "Which sounds like a good time with him."

I snorted, turning toward the bell ringing over the door. Edward was walking in, and she was right, he looked absolutely ragged. And I didn't want to notice just how his hand raking through his hair or that five o'clock shadow made him ridiculously attractive. However, those tired green eyes met mine, and I could see it had been an awful night for him.

He didn't even bother finding a place to sit. He came to our table, where I was making sure Alice ate more than just pancakes for breakfast. She needed protein and fruit and milk. He pulled out a chair and sat down. And I almost kicked Alice for her soft smile. She'd hated Jake, and at one time she'd hated Edward, but she couldn't deny how attractive he was, nor could she stop assuming I liked him.

"Morning?" I offered sarcastically to him. "Are you just getting in?"

He sighed, nodding a little. "I need to let you know we've added another patrol car to the area."

Straight to business, then.

"Okay," I replied slowly, my brow furrowing, because I knew he had more news.

"Paul Lahote was assaulted and killed in County yesterday," he stated but held up a hand when we both had questions. "You need to know that they tried to get to Jasper too."

Both of us gasped.

"He's fine. He was lucky because he'd gotten into a scuffle in the cafeteria, so they were able to break it up."

"Who? Who did it?" I asked, but I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Jake and Laurent started the fight with Jasper. No one saw who attacked Paul," he told us. "What you need to concern yourself with now is that those two bonded out."

"No one saw… Which means, you've got a guard in there who works for James," I surmised with narrowed eyes.

He nodded, his nose wrinkling in a way that shouldn't be sexy, but it was, no matter how badly I didn't want to admit it. Because admitting it wouldn't change the fact that Edward exuded a do not touch type of vibe. No touching, no personal information, no sharing. Nothing. He barely gave away anything.

"You might be right. I did see Jasper," he admitted, raking a hand through his hair again. "You might want to talk to him the next time he calls you. Both of you." He held up his hand again when Alice and I both started to argue. "Ladies, the reason there was a fight with Jake and Laurent was…they told him about Alice's pregnancy."

"Oh, fuck," I barely breathed aloud, glancing over to Alice, who'd gone white as a sheet.

"You said something," she accused him immediately and rather hotly.

"Alice, he wouldn't have done that. But you can't hide it," I explained and defended all at the same time.

Edward was a great many things, but I'd be willing to bet my life that he was trustworthy. He didn't come across as someone who'd gossip, not when the subject matter could put someone in danger. Even I understood that James could use Alice's condition against Jasper – county jail or not.

"I wasn't ready for him to know," she whispered, tears welling up in her blue eyes.

"I understand that you had your reasons, Alice, but he has the right to know," Edward stated way gentler than I was expecting from him since she'd all but called him a liar.

"I know," she said through a sniffle. "He's just… I don't know how he'll take it, because if he… I'll be alone in it if he decides to never fucking grow up."

"I sincerely doubt you'll be alone," he argued, pointing my way, which made me smirk a little.

"Which is what Dad and I have told her. Repeatedly." I raised an eyebrow her way, and she finally nodded, but I knew she was now completely terrified to talk to my brother, which needed to happen sooner rather than later.

Edward looked between us like he was deciding on whether or not to say something. He took a deep breath, stating, "I need the two of you – and Charlie – to be extremely careful." He pushed two business cards toward us. "Make sure you're watching your surroundings, locking doors, and try not to go anywhere at night alone."

I took his card. Edward A. Masen Jr. Seattle Police Department. His cell phone was the primary number, and then the main police station was on there as well.

Idiotically enough, my brain seemed to only latch on to the fact that he was a junior. Which meant there was a senior. And then I realized that the senior wasn't around anymore. My curiosity skyrocketed, but knowing that was a touchy subject, I went something more benign.

"What's the A stand for?"

He looked confused, which was rather adorable when his brow furrowed. "Anthony."

Smiling that I at least got that answer, I tucked his card into my jeans pocket. "Okay, Edward Anthony. Tell me the criminals are taking a break long enough for you to eat something and then sleep." I pointed toward the kitchen.

A dark expression crossed his face. "You don't have to take care of me, you know. I'm not one of your many responsibilities."

There was something harsh in those words, something he wasn't saying. It was a pushing me away of sorts, to keep me at arm's length. It happened just about every damn time I ever asked him anything personal. Apparently, middle names were a fucking trigger.

"Don't be an ass, Edward. I know you've been working all night. What the fuck do you want to eat?"

He flinched, glaring at Alice's sniffly giggle. "Um… I…" He finally met my gaze, looking rather apologetic. "Just… Surprise me."

Rolling my eyes, I got up from the table and looked to Alice. "You'd better request a video chat with Jasper today. You can't hide from it."

Alice got up from the booth to go to my office to use my computer. She'd request it under my name, and we'd both be there.

I met Edward's gaze. "I get that you're a private person, Edward. I get that you've been up all night and probably seen shit that would scare me. I offer you food because you're in my restaurant. I concern myself with you because I remember what it was like when my dad was up all night with a case or car accident. I'm not trying to be nosy. I was trying to get to know you since your world and my world seemed to have rammed together at full speed. But I'll stop."

"Bella, wait…"

I stopped, turning to glance at him over my shoulder. "Pay Carmen when you're finished."

~oOo~

A/N… A do not touch type of vibe. Oh, Edward…

If anyone is curious, the song playing at Inferno was "Buttons" by Pussycat Dolls Ft. Snoop Dogg, because…it kinda exudes stripper feels.

Anyway… Because When Angels Fall isn't updating for the next week or so, I'll post an extra chapter of this some time next week. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)