Este's a friend of mine
We meet up every Tuesday night for dinner and a glass of wine
Este's been losing sleep
Her husband's acting different and it smells like infidelity
Leah POV
I'm late, I know it. I almost missed tonight completely. Sam was in a mood because he wanted steak for dinner, and I had made venison stew. He threw the bowl at me before storming out, which meant I needed to change before joining the ladies at the diner. A quick look at my old Casio watch shows I'm already ten minutes late to meet the girls as I pull my rusty 1970 Chevy Vega into the spot between Rosalie's beloved 1973 cherry red Ford Mustang and a brand new blue Volvo 244. I have a feeling I know exactly who's driving this car, as I struggle to throw my car into park. I know I should tell Sam I need to get the transmission replaced, but…
I shake my head and pull down the long sleeves of the sweater I'm wearing—an odd piece of clothing for July even in the Pacific Northwest, but a necessity for me recently. Sam seemed so caring back in high school, but over the last few years, since he became police chief and we started struggling with starting a family, he's become worse. It started with yelling and shoving, but now … well, now, I'm wearing sweaters and jeans in July.
I take one last look in the rear-view mirror and give myself a quick inspection. No facial bruises today, and the turtleneck's high enough to cover anything lower. I give myself a nod and hop out of my car, racing to join the girls at our normal booth.
"I mean, he has put on some weight since '68," I hear Bella say as she shrugs and picks up a stack of photos. "Even so, it was an experience."
"Of course it was!" Alice squeals, as I slip into the booth beside Rosalie, who gives me a friendly smile. "You saw Elvis! The King of Rock! I'm so jealous!"
"You saw Elvis?" I ask in shock. Edward told us some of his plans for their Vegas honeymoon, but he left out that one.
Bella blushes and hands the pictures over. "Yeah, Edward surprised me while we were there. He said it was to honor our first date."
I could remember how excited Bella was about their first date like it was yesterday. Like all the other girls at school, she had a crush on the new doctor's son when they moved to town in junior year. Unlike the other girls, he liked her back and asked her to the movies in Port Angeles to see Viva Las Vegas. I'm listening to the stories of their recent honeymoon—the shows they saw, the restaurants they visited, Edward's big win at the Blackjack table—while flipping through the photos.
"It's lucky you guys missed the flood," Rosalie adds, shaking her head and nudging me. "Can you imagine?"
I try to hold back my wince as I shake my head and pass back the photos. "No, it's awful. And we know awful rain!"
"They're not used to it in the desert." Bella sighs and reaches for the stack but stops and looks down at my wrist. "Leah, what's that?"
I glance down and see my sleeve has ridden up, showing off the bright red swelling of where Sam grabbed me when I put his bowl on the table. "Oh, it's nothing. Just got it caught in a door." I rush to cover it, but Rosalie stops me and takes my hand in hers delicately.
"Leah, this wasn't a door," she says sternly, going into doctor mode as she inspects my wrist. "I don't think it's broken, but it could be fractured or even sprained. How did it happen?"
I try to let out a light chuckle, but I'm sure these girls can see how nervous I am. "Really, it's nothing! You know how men can be when they don't get what they want for dinner, right?" Rosalie's the only single one of us, having left her fiancé for medical school, but I look over at Alice and Bella for commiseration.
Alice just shakes her head emphatically. "Jasper does all the cooking! Between me burning Swansons and his hours being more regular, it makes more sense."
That isn't too surprising. Alice frequently works twelve-hour shifts as an operator for 9-1-1, while Jasper sells insurance. I nod and look over at Bella. I know she's still a newlywed, but as a nurse working for her father-in-law married to a doctor finishing his medical residency, I figure she would understand the pressure of working and taking care of the house. She also cooked regularly for her widower father growing up, so I figure she gets it. Unfortunately, I'm disappointed. "Edward's just happy I cook meat after growing up with his veggie parents. Charlie was grateful I cooked at all. He was afraid I missed all the feminine graces after growing up with him."
"Leah, what happened?" Rose's calming voice and the worried look on my friends' faces make me crack, and I break down, telling them everything. The miscarriages, the abuse, and even my suspicions.
"I think he's cheating on me," I blurt out through sobs. "He says he's going hunting with some guys from the Makah rez, but he never brings back anything. He keeps comparing me to my cousin Emily, and last month I saw a payment of 145 to Zales in our checkbook. I thought it might have been for my birthday, but he forgot all about it."
"Leah, I had no idea." Bella breathes. "What are you gonna do?"
"What can I do? He's the tribe's police chief. He runs everything! I'm not even allowed to work outside of the rez. I'm lucky he lets me come to dinner once a week."
Rosalie sighs and looks across the table. "Do you mind if I talk to Leah alone for a second?"
"Sure," Bella offers and scoots out of the booth. "I'm gonna go pay at the front."
"I'll come with you," Alice adds, slipping out as well.
We watch the pair make their way toward the front before Rose turns back to me. "Leah, do you know why I left my fiancé back in New York?"
"Because you wanted to go to medical school." Everyone in town knew that about Rose, or as some of the older women called her Doctor Spinster.
"That's only part of it," she starts and takes a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. "Yes, I wanted to be a doctor. My parents wanted me to be a wealthy housewife. That's why they set me up with Royce King Junior. He was all set to take over Citibank from his father. Who else would be a better match for me?" She laughs humorlessly. "It didn't take long after our engagement for his true colors to show. The women, the drinking, the gambling, the pep pills. I tried telling my parents, but they wouldn't listen. Told me I was the problem, and I just had to learn to be a better wife and put up with it. That's when I took the ring to a pawnshop and used the money to haul ass across the country. Had to work overnights at a diner in Seattle to pay for medical school. Women like Gloria and Wilma aren't working their asses off for equality just to let assholes like Sam and Royce push us around. We need to stand up for ourselves! If you need to get out, get out! I have a spare bedroom at my house. It's yours anytime you need it."
"Thanks, Rose." I give her a small smile as Bella and Alice make their way back to the table, and we start our goodbye.
On the ride home, I mull over what Rose said. Maybe it's time to stand up for myself with Sam. I don't deserve a man who lays his hands on me and cheats on me. My resolve is steel as I park the car in the empty garage and make my way into the house, running to my bedroom. I grab one of the largest suitcases we have and start tossing in whatever clothes I can lay my hands on. I've cleared out my two drawers when I hear the telltale sound of loud boots making their way down the creaky hallway.
"Where the hell do you think you're going, bitch?" Sam slurs out, clearly intoxicated.
Turning to him, I give him the fiercest look I can muster. "I'm done with you. I'm leaving. Tonight."
"Not if I have anything to say about it."
Este wasn't there
Tuesday night at Olive Garden, at her job, or anywhere
He reports his missing wife
And I noticed when I passed his house his truck has got some brand new tires
Alice POV
When most people picture working at the dispatch desk of a police station, they picture excitement like Starsky & Hutch or Kojak. Forks is more like Mayberry. I'm lucky if I get one call during my twelve-hour shift, and it's usually the Copes complaining about teenagers on bikes. On the bright side, it gives me plenty of time to flip through Vogue patterns and decide what I'm going to make next. Fashion's my passion, but Jasper and I have a wedding to pay for. I'm earmarking a Pucci dress and lounge pants combo, hoping I can find fabric worthy of the design, when my phone rings.
"Forks Police, what's your emergency?"
"I need help," a familiar voice says over the phone. "It's my wife. I can't find her!"
I close my pattern book and sit up straight at my typewriter. "I understand your concern, sir. Can you please provide me with some details? What's your name and your wife's name?"
"Alice, it's me Sam. Leah's missing."
I have to stop my jaw from dropping at the call. Of course, how did I not realize it was him? Rose told us she'd offered Leah a place to stay, but none of us have heard from her all weekend. "Sam, I need you to remain calm. When's the last time you saw Leah?"
"On Friday, right before I left on my hunting trip." Same as us, but I don't know if he means before or after dinner. "I came home, and she was nowhere to be seen. Her car's still parked in the garage."
That strikes me as odd. She lives on the rez, out by the coast and nowhere near most of civilization. "Okay, and do you know if anyone saw her after you left?"
"I don't fucking know, Alice!" He snaps at me. "Just get one of your guys over here so I can file a report!"
Before I can speak, he's already slammed the phone down. Everything about this call feels off.
Remembering I have a job to do, I pick up my radio. "Car three, this is dispatch. We have a report of a missing person at 35 Quileute Street. Caller reports his wife hasn't been seen since Friday evening."
"Dispatch, this is car three," Deputy Emmett McCarty replies through the tinny box. "That's down on the rez. We don't have jurisdiction to investigate."
"The call came from the tribe's police chief. I'm assuming they're giving permission."
"Copy that. I'm en route now. Estimated time is fifteen minutes."
"Copy arrival time. Be advised the caller was aggressive and agitated. Please proceed with caution and update me once you're on scene."
"Copy, dispatch. Over and out." The ever-present hiss disappears as Emmett and I both turn off our radios, leaving me to my thoughts.
Something was off about Sam. He was more ... aggressive than he was upset. Although, knowing how he treats his wife, I shouldn't be surprised. He seemed more focused on reporting her missing than finding her. And most important of all—what happened to Leah?
Thankfully, I get Bella and Rosalie on the phone once I get home from my overnight shift, and they agree to meet up at Bella and Edward's house once they're off work the next day.
"We can't jump to conclusions," Bella states once I get through the call. "Maybe she really ran off and decided Forks was too close. For all we know, she's safe in Canada right now."
"But without her car?" I ask. "How would she get through the middle of nowhere on foot?"
"That car was a piece of shit!" Rosalie scoffs. "It would have just slowed her down."
"Seth could have driven her to Port A. There are buses and the ferry," Bella adds.
I shake my head. "Seth was the only officer on call this weekend. Jared and Paul were on the hunting trip with Sam, and Jacob had a stomach bug. There's no way he could make the three-hour return trip with no one realizing."
"What about Sue?" Rose suggests.
"Emmett said she had no clue what happened. He also said she seemed more worried than Sam."
"She could have been covering for Leah." Bella shrugs as the oven timer goes off. She jumps up from the kitchen table and heads to the oven, pulling out a roast chicken. "Edward and my dad are going to be here soon. Did you want to join us for dinner?"
"No, thanks," I decline. "I should get home and spend some time with Jas before my shift tonight."
"I'll never turn down dinner with Burt Reynolds." Rose snickers.
"Please don't lust after my dad," Bella whines. "I've gone this long without a stepmom."
Rose and I are laughing as we hear the front door open. "Hey, what's so funny?" Edward asks as he joins us in the kitchen, giving Bella a kiss on the forehead, with her father, Charlie, close behind.
"They're just torturing me," she answers with a pout.
"Hey, Chief. Any luck on the rez?" I ask, turning to Charlie.
"None." He groans, taking a seat at the table. "Sam's boys seem resistant to letting us investigate."
"But he's the one who called!" I spit out. "Isn't that suspicious?"
I'm shocked when Charlie just shrugs. "He wanted to make sure there was a report filed with a force he doesn't run, but he only wants his guys looking into it. He trusts them more than mine, I guess," he replies in a huff. "If they get stuck, I'll offer to step in, but I have to let Sam handle it for now. Different circumstances, but I have an idea how he's feeling right now. Not good to push." I don't miss the sad look he shoots in Bella's direction as she cuts the chicken while Edward grabs plates.
I'm not surprised Charlie's being sympathetic. Everyone knows the story of Bella's mom, Renee, dying while in labor. He almost lost his wife and daughter that day when Renee hemorrhaged during childbirth. However, I firmly believe his sympathy is misplaced, but only time will tell.
Over the next few weeks, there doesn't seem to be any movement. We've had multiple calls from Sue asking Charlie to step in, while they've blocked him every time he's reached out to Sam. It's just more and more proof he's responsible, at least in my eyes. I've talked to Charlie and a few of the deputies, but none of them are voicing an opinion.
"Alicat? I'm home!" Jasper announces as he gets in from the office on one of my nights off.
"Great! Dinner's almost ready!"
"You cooked?" he asks, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.
I just roll my eyes. "I grabbed burgers from the diner, just serving them now." I look up at him as he lets out a sigh. "You don't need to be so relieved. I'm not that bad."
"Alice, you're a woman of many talents, but none of them are culinary," he deadpans, earning a light smack on the arm. He just laughs at me and heads to the fridge. "What are you drinking?"
"Just a lemonade, please!" He nods at me and pours me a glass before popping open a bottle of Lone Star and joining me at the table. "So, how was work?"
"Exhausting!" He groans, swallowing his first bite. "I had Sam Uley there all day fighting with Sue and Seth Clearwater!"
My ears perk up at this news. "Why? What happened?"
He pops a fry in his mouth and sighs. "So, Sam was trying to make a claim for Leah's life insurance. She's been gone for three weeks, so he assumes … you know." He clears his throat before continuing. "Anyway, he didn't realize Leah had come in months ago and changed the beneficiary to split between him, Sue, and Seth. So … that was it. Then, he tried closing her policy for the surrender value, but only Leah can do that. It was a mess. I had to lock the front door just to keep other people from coming into the office and seeing it."
"Don't you think it's a little weird that his wife went missing three weeks ago, and he assumes she's dead and just wants her insurance payout?"
"Yeah!" He snorts. "If something happened to you, I'd be turning over every stone on both sides of the Mississippi lookin' for you, darlin'. But what can I do? Other than block him from getting the payout as long as possible."
What indeed?
Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was fifteen
And I've cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene
Bella POV
"Do you think I made enough?" I ask, looking at the foil casserole containers on my counter.
"Love, if you made anything else, there wouldn't be any food left in Forks for the rest of us," Edward assured me.
"I just want to make sure Sue and Seth are taken care of. You know how much Seth eats."
"I know. He has a hollow leg." He rubs my back soothingly. "Trust me, you're doing enough to take care of them. But you need to take care of yourself. I know how important Leah is to you, too."
I've been off since we found out my lifelong best friend was missing. Right, missing. After what she told us about Sam and seeing his behavior since, I'm thinking Alice may be onto something. I'd love to believe Leah's happy and safe in Canada or down in Mexico, but I know better. Even if she couldn't call, she would get in touch with me. She's always been like the sister I never had. She's the person I go to first for anything. Hell, if it weren't for Edward asking my dad for his blessing to propose, she would have known before either of our families when we got engaged!
My Edward, the man I've been in love with for a decade. As I watch him carry the trays out to his Volvo 164, I can't imagine what Leah's been suffering through. Edward has been nothing but kind and caring ever since I met him, even more so since we got married. We should be basking in our newlywed life right now, not dealing with the distress Sam's brought down on us.
We spend the ride to La Push listening to Elton John on the 8-track player Edward had happily added when he was purchasing one for my car as well. As down and serious as I've been recently, I can't help but laugh as I watch him sing along with "Bennie and the Jets." It reminds me of high school and college date nights, cruising around in his old Chevy Corvair.
"Well, those are ostentatious!" Edward says with distaste, looking down the road past Sue's house as pull onto her street.
"What is?" I look around, trying to see what he's talking about, but everything looks normal.
"Sam's truck." He points at the familiar old red pickup truck. I remember that truck—my dad bought it for me in high school, and I sold it to Sam before heading to Seattle for college with Edward. "Look at the wheels. They've got to be a few inches bigger, and you didn't have hub caps. Now he's got chrome ones installed. When did he add those?"
"Probably in the last few weeks," I mutter while Edward climbs out of the car to open my door.
"Seems like a waste to add those to the old thing. No offense," he adds quickly.
"None taken. That truck was closing in on a decade when I drove it!" I try to laugh but can't help checking out the wheels.
"So, you noticed them?" Seth asks, shocking me as he pops up beside us.
"Yeah, pointless and ostentatious." Edward shakes his head as Seth takes some containers from him, and we follow him into the small white house. "I wonder if they're American." He rolls his eyes sarcastically. Sam had constantly made snide remarks about Edward and his family driving European cars, like it made them snobs. It was no secret in town that my in-laws were wealthy, but they never held it over anyone and constantly gave back. They also made sure Edward knew the value of hard work, even if guys like Sam and his deputies didn't believe it. Well, other than Seth, who judged no one without getting to know them.
"Well, a new truck would have been too noticeable." Seth snorts. "He can't let anyone know he's spending my sister's money."
"I thought Jasper was still refusing to close out the policy," I reply, placing the bag of fresh bread on the kitchen table.
"He is," Sue informs us, leaning in to give Edward and me each a kiss on the cheek in greeting. "But he still has all her hard-earned money she put in their joint account."
"Joke's on him—most of it was in her personal account that only Mom has access to," Seth states proudly, putting containers in the fridge. "He hasn't been able to spend that on Emily."
"Emily?" Edward asks, confused. "Your cousin?"
"Don't call her that." Seth sneers. "She stopped being anything to me when she started banging my sister's husband."
"Seth! Language!" Sue scolds and turns to Edward. "But yes, my darling niece moved here with Sam a couple of weeks ago. The nerve of him to bring her into the home he shared with my daughter."
"That's awful! I'm so sorry, Sue." I rub her arm consolingly, not sure what to say.
"Forget about it, sweetheart." She pats my hand and gives me a watery smile. "It looks like you brought the entire grocery store with you!"
"It's just a little something." I giggle with a blush at the compliment. "I wanted to make sure you two were eating properly."
We spend the rest of the afternoon with Sue and Seth before heading out to dinner with my dad at the lodge, the pair of them declining his invite to join us. We make them promise to come for dinner soon before climbing back into the Volvo and heading home.
"Do you need to stop at home before we meet your dad?" Edward asks, stopped at the intersection.
"No, I'm go—" I'm interrupted by a horn honking behind us, belonging to the familiar red truck.
"Yeah, I'm turning. Fuck you, too!" Edward flips him the bird before turning left as they hurriedly turn right. "Sorry, love. You didn't need to see that."
"I grew up with a single dad around these guys. It takes a lot more than a curse word and gesture to offend me." I chuckle and pop in the Let It Be 8-track for the trip back home.
Later that evening, I wait until we're settled in at the Elks' Lodge with our prime rib dinners and drinks before telling my dad about our time at La Push. He sighs and cuts into his meal. "I understand your suspicion, Bells, but there isn't anything I can do. Sam and his boys aren't letting mine investigate anything."
"But what about the insurance stuff? Or that his wife's been missing less than a month and he's moved that hussy in???" I challenge, ignoring my plate and wine.
"I agree with you, but it's circumstantial. If I try to call in the Feds, they'll just say he's moving on—man has needs, all that jazz." He puts down his knife and fork before placing his calloused hand on mine and looks me in the eye compassionately. "I know how much this whole Leah thing is hurting, but there's nothing I can do right now. Now, if there was something to prove he did something, I would call DC right away. I promise."
"I call BS on that whole men have needs thing." Edward scoffs. "If something happened to Bella, I'd be way too worried to even think about another woman."
"Look who you're talking to, boy." My dad snorts. "It's been almost twenty-nine years and I still love Renee with all my heart." He looks at me with the same smile he always gives me when someone mentions my mom before patting my hand and clearing his throat. "Tell me about the rest of your time. How are Sue and Seth holding up?"
We continue to catch up over dinner and cheesecake before my dad and Edward both try to cover the check—my dad winning—and head home feeling somewhat defeated.
It's not until the following Friday that I update Alice and Rose with everything that's happened. Thankfully, we meet for wine at Rosalie's cottage instead of our normal booth at the diner because it doesn't take long for us to become heated.
"I knew he was up to something like this!" Alice growls, pacing back and forth.
"And his fucking deputies helping him cover up this shit? Do none of them have a conscience?" Rosalie adds, throwing back a glass of Merlot.
"I get it. I'm mad as hell too!" I say, trying to refocus them. "But what can we do? How can we help Leah?"
Alice stops pacing and drops onto the couch beside me with a defeated sigh. "Short of calling the FBI ourselves and bugging them until they show up? I don't know."
Rose is quiet, running her finger over the rim of her glass. "Well…" she finally starts. "If the authorities won't get justice for Leah, it may fall to us. What do you say?"
Yeah, definitely good we're alone for this talk.
Good thing Este's sister's gonna swear she was with me ("She was with me dude")
Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy
Rosalie POV
"Good morning, Doctor Hale," Edward greets me as he joins me at triage for the beginning of rounds. "I hear you're stealing my wife for the weekend."
"Doctor Cullen." I nod with a smirk. "It seems only fair. You're taking her father and Jasper fishing up in British Columbia, aren't you?"
"That I am." He laughs. "Charlie claims it's the best time to catch salmon before the weather gets cold. What are you gals going to get up to?"
"Who knows?" I reply casually. "We may drive out to Port A for dinner and a movie. Maybe up to Seattle for some shopping? The world's our oyster."
Hopefully that sounds realistic enough. When Edward and Jasper told the others their plans, we decided it was the perfect time to put ours into action. And with the chief joining them, it means Emmett won't be showing up for a visit. Not that he usually shows up when I haven't invited him. I should probably call him tonight. I could use some tension release before we head to the reservation.
"Good morning, Edward," Jessica coos as she sidles up to the desk.
"Nurse Stanley, it's Doctor Cullen," I correct her sternly. "This is a hospital and Doctor Cullen is a married man. Show some decorum. I need you to check on Mrs. Goff in three. It's time for her pills."
"Yes, Doctor Hale." She sulks before storming off.
I roll my eyes at her departure. "I don't know how you put up with her."
"I've been dealing with Nurse Stanley since high school. I've learned to ignore her half the time." He chuckles and closes his file. "I need to check on Mr. Sawyer before I discharge him. Have a good day, Rose." He gives me a playful crooked smile at his rule breaking before heading off.
"You too." I smile and shake my head before going back to my charting. Out of the corner of my eye, I'm also monitoring the drug closet—the key to our plan. I just need an opportunity to get what I need.
It takes a few hours, but thankfully the perfect chance comes in the form of Austin Marks and his helmet-free motorcycle riding.
"The head and neck trauma are too severe. We'll need to intubate him and place him in a medically induced coma," I say quickly and turn to Jessica. "Nurse Stanley, I need an airway kit and eighty milligrams of propofol," I murmur.
"Ummmm, Doctor Hale … isn't that high?" She stutters.
"One of us graduated medical school at the top of her class, and the other barely scraped a passing grade at Peninsula College. Who do you think knows better?" I snap, causing her to scurry off. Normally, I don't believe in treating my nurses poorly, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, the number of times we've been patient with her, it was bound to happen one day. "Doctor Steele, what are the patient's vitals?"
My intern for the day rambles off the stats while Jessica hurries back into the room with everything in hand. Once she places the supplies on the table, I have my chance. "Nurse Stanley, what is this?" I ask, picking up a vial.
"I-it's propofol, just like you asked. Eighty milligrams." She stutters.
"Tell me, Nurse Stanley, did our patient insult you somehow? Because that's the only reason for a lethal dose like this!" I scold, causing her to cower. "Help Doctor Steele intubate. I need to bring this vial back to storage." I scoop up the vial from the table and stalk out of the room and back to the storage room. However, instead of placing the propofol back on the shelf, I grab a couple of syringes instead. Step one complete.
Later that night, I'm sitting in my living room; wine in hand, Marvin on the record player, and Emmett beside me on the couch. "I'm so glad we could do this tonight." I purr as I finger the buttons on his shirt. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."
"I know, baby," he murmurs. "I feel awful for leaving you all weekend. But with Chuck out of town…"
"I get it, don't worry." I smile up at him. "Besides, I have plans with the girls."
"Speaking of the girls, when are you gonna tell them about us?" he asks.
I sigh and sit up. "It's not that simple, Em. I'm happy with how things are. As soon as we tell people, we'll get everyone in our business, asking when we're getting married. You know how it is."
"Are you embarrassed by me? Or do you just not want to get married?" he challenges, hurt.
"It's neither of those!" I state firmly. "I just hate everyone having an opinion on my life. My parents were enough for one lifetime. And everyone will say we better hurry because I'm basically an old woman by now." I sit back and cross my arms before taking a sip of my wine.
"I'm not trying to pressure you, Rosie." He shifts himself to be closer to me, wrapping an arm on the back of the couch behind me. "I just want to make sure we're moving forward."
"We are. I just want to do it in our time."
"We can move at any speed we want." He inches forward and places kisses on my neck. "We can go slow. Or fast. Or slow THEN fast."
I can't help the grin that breaks on my face at his flirty ministrations. "Now you're talking."
The next night couldn't be more different as we assemble at Alice's house once Jasper and Edward have started their trip across the border.
"Are you sure we should take your car?" Alice asks nervously, looking at my red Mustang in the driveway. "It's a bit out of place on the rez."
"Year, but your car's a two-seater, and they've seen Bella's Volvo," I explain. "Mine is the only one that'll fit the three of us, has a big enough trunk, and they're not familiar with."
"I knew I should have asked Jas for his truck," she grumbles.
"But then he'd get suspicious," Bella adds. "Why do we need a pickup truck to go shopping and see a movie when they're carrying all the fishing junk?"
"Okay, you have a point," she concedes. "So, we take Rose's car to the rez. Seth already promised to have him called out to a disturbance on Second Beach."
"That's where he'll see the boat sitting on the beach," Bella chimes in. "Seth's promised he'll haul it out there for us. We just need to grab the keys and make sure it's back on the beach within an hour of the call coming in."
"And you're sure you're okay with driving the boat?" Alice asks.
"You think Charlie Swan wouldn't teach his only child to drive a boat, even if she is a girl?" She scoffs. "Trust me, I'm good."
"Anyway, once he's on the boat, I'll stick him with this." I hold up the vial of propofol. "He'll be out within seconds. We'll get the boat into the water. While Bella's driving us out, Alice and I will make sure he's wrapped up securely."
"I have the cinder blocks in the garage. We just need to load those, along with the garbage bags and duct tape into the trunk." Alice gestures back, and we all nod in agreement.
"There's a ton at stake, ladies. No room for error. Got it?"
"Got it," they agree simultaneously, and we head to the garage to prepare.
The ride to the rez is quiet as we all contemplate the part we need to play. After a quick stop at the Clearwater house where Seth hands the boat keys off to Bella before getting on his motorcycle to head to the police department, we drive out to Second Beach, choosing to park my beautiful car in some of the brush across the street from the trailhead. Once we've covered our faces in ski masks and we're sure no one's around, we make the twenty-minute hike down to the beach.
After a weekend of building an alibi in Seattle, I return back to my cottage on Sunday night with bags of new clothes and many time-stamped receipts—a perfect cover for our whereabouts. I've dropped off the girls at their homes and have finished loading my bags into my house when there's an unexpected knock at the door. I close my closet and pad my way to the front door, surprised by who I see in the window. "Em, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be busy all weekend."
"I'm actually here on official business." He sighs. "We received a report late Friday night that Sam Uley has gone missing from the rez."
"Oh goodness, first Leah and now Sam? That's unbelievable!" I exclaim appropriately, playing my role properly. "What do you think happened?"
"That's why I'm here. Jacob—Deputy Black—said he saw a car matching yours at the Clearwaters." He looks apologetic, but it's clear where he's going with this. "Can you tell me where you were this weekend?"
"Am I being accused of something?" I challenge. "I'm a well-respected doctor in this town. What are you trying to say?"
"You're also known to be close to Leah Uley, along with Isabella Cullen and Alice Brandon." He lets out another sigh of regret. "Deputy Mark and Officer Crowley are picking them up now. I need to bring you in as well."
"In that case, I need to call my lawyer." I stick my chin up defiantly.
"You're not being charged with anything, but you can call down at the station."
"Well, if I'm not being charged, then I'm driving myself." Before he could argue, I grab my keys from the hook and push past him.
"Fine, but I'll be following. No side trip." He shakes his head and climbs into his own cruiser. I spend the drive trying not to freak out. Everything went off flawlessly, except for my stupid car. Maybe we should have rented one from Port A or something. We all have a lot at stake. This could ruin Alice and Bella's relationships, not to mention my career. Hopefully, there's nothing else to tie us to Sam's disappearance. When I arrive all too quickly, Alice and Bella are already sitting on a bench in the waiting room.
"I already told you, if you're not charging me with anything, I'm not moving until my husband and my lawyer get here," Bella maintains, arms crossed.
"Bella, come on," Deputy Mark urges. "Be reasonable."
"It's Mrs. Cullen," she snaps. "Don't act all friendly when you're accusing me of … I can't even say."
"Ladies, we just want to make this easy for everyone," Emmett claims as he joins us. "No one's accusing you of anything. We just want to get the facts straight."
"I grew up with Chief Swan. I know all the cop tricks he taught you guys." She laughs humorlessly.
"I already told you we were in Seattle this weekend," Alice chimes in. "We stayed at the Sheraton and had appointments with several bridal salons, looking for bridesmaid dresses."
"We checked with the Sheraton," Officer Crowley pipes in. "They said you didn't check in until eleven-forty at night. Deputy Black said he saw the vehicle before seven when he was heading out on his shift."
"It's a three-and-a-half hour drive, and we stopped for dinner on the way down," Bella replies with a look of challenge.
"And where did you stop for dinner?"
"Sequim," we all answer simultaneously.
"If you could give us a name, we could check with them." Officer Crowley flips open his notebook. Ugh, even a notebook opening is obnoxious at this point.
"I don't remember the name. I didn't think we'd be getting the third degree when we got home." I scoff. "It was somewhere near the one-oh-one."
"And that's all you're getting until our representation gets here," Bella interjects. She's putting on a great air of pride and annoyance, but it's easy to see the fear in her eyes. She just married the love of her life. Shit, how could I drag her into this? And Alice, who's still planning her wedding? I can't regret what happened to Sam, but I regret ruining my best friends' lives.
"Bella!" Edward announces as he storms into the police station, followed closely by Jasper, Chief Swan, Edward's father Carlisle, and an older man in a suit I don't recognize.
"Who's this?" Crowley asks, pointing rudely at the stranger.
"Garrett Miller, top defense attorney in the state of Washington." He holds out his hand to the on-duty officers, but only Emmett accepts it.
"And my college roommate," Carlisle adds. "He'll be representing the girls if you plan on moving any further."
"We would have been here sooner, but I asked to make a stop at my office," Jasper pops in, pulling a folder out of his briefcase. "Life insurance for Samuel Levy Uley. If you look at page six, you'll see he updated the beneficiary last week to Emily Patricia Young. Both parties have signed this document, and it's been notarized. This entitles Ms. Young to a payout of sixty-five thousand dollars upon his death. A sizeable amount for a young lady, wouldn't you say?"
The three on-duty officers flip through the paperwork before looking up at their boss in his flannel shirt and jeans. "It's another lead to follow," he tells them with a shrug.
"And we will," Emmett assures him with a nod to the pair who immediately scatter. "But that doesn't explain why the girls were at the Clearwaters."
"Yes, but their alibi can," Edward answers, which seems to signal someone from outside to enter.
"They came by, looking for my mom," Seth answers, his arm around his mother. "They thought she might enjoy the getaway to Seattle to get her mind off everything for a weekend."
"They didn't know I had already left for Portland with my sister," Sue adds. "But these girls were doing nothing other than trying to comfort a grieving mother." She gives the three of us a smile before turning on Emmett. "Which is more than I can say for you! Why is it that my daughter goes missing for WEEKS and everyone writes it off to her being flighty, something no one has EVER said about my Leah, but Sam, who's known to run off hunting, goes missing one weekend and suddenly you bring out the calvary? You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Mrs. Clearwater, I understand where you're coming from, but—"
"Save it!" she shouts. "You clearly prioritize the life of my deadbeat son-in-law over my loving innocent daughter. And then you bring these girls into it when all they did was try to cheer me up. Now, why don't you go be a good little cop and go look at my gold-digging, home wrecking niece and leave these three alone?"
"Unless there's anything else," Garrett pipes up. "My clients will be leaving now."
"Uh, sure," Emmett stammers, clearly embarrassed by Sue's dressing down. "You're all free to go. We'll contact you if there are any further questions."
"Here's my number." Garrett whips out a card and hands it to Emmett. "I'll need at least three hours to get here if you plan to speak to them."
Emmett nods in understanding and shoves the card into his notebook before bidding us goodbye with a nod. I don't miss the look toward me is more sad and apologetic than any of the others, and I know what he's trying to say. He was just doing his job, but it'll take some time to recover from this.
They think she did it but they just can't prove it
She thinks I did it but she just can't prove it
Sue POV
Once we're outside of the police station, I take a deep breath and look up to the sky, trying to hold back my tears as my darling son, Seth, wraps his arm around my shoulders. I hope wherever Leah is, she's able to find peace today.
"Sue!" Bella calls out as the three girls jog over to me. "We just wanted to say thank you. For coming down today. I know it can't be easy."
I brush her off quickly. "It was the easiest thing in the world. Seth told me about your visit on Friday night, and I had to show my appreciation for everything you girls did. Everything." I give them a pointed look and receive understanding nods from all three before we share a hug and a goodbye before separating and looking forward to what the future may hold. For them, for me, and for the memory of my sweet Leah.
No, no body, no crime
I wasn't letting up until the day he
Died.