MeteorOnAMoonlessNight: Ex Delicto Chapter 9

Everything is changing for Bella...

If I thought my life was going to go back to normal once I got Edward Cullen out of prison, I was sorely mistaken. He had plans with his mother to go shopping for clothes as soon as he'd finished with the paperwork at the courthouse, so I didn't have very much time to talk to him. I filed what I needed to, and then when I got back to the office I was handed another case. I knew that I should be grateful, and I was, because they were looking at making me a partner. I had to show that I could multitask two big cases at one time.

But Jesus take the wheel, if I got stuck with one more embezzlement case I was going to lose it. I hated numbers, had struggled to keep up in my pre-req math classes. Seriously, Jasper had to tutor me just so I could pass.

Despite my heavy case load, I headed over to the university to finish my paperwork with them. Leah had interviewed Lauren Mallory and wanted to continue the aspect of finding the real rapist. It was good practice for her, even though the statute had run out for prosecuting him if she found him. She told me she thought she knew who it was, but she was nervous to talk about it over the phone.

"So, I had Lauren list everyone she could remember having been at the party that night. She wrote down a handful of names, and look who popped up."

Leah showed me the list. I met her eyes over the notepad. "Are you serious?" I breathed.

She nodded, the same look of incredulity on her face that must've been on mine. "And I don't think there's shit I can do about it. It was ten years ago, and I had to look it up. The law on the statute is really confusing, but it has to be within ten years after the report was filed. It's been ten years and eight months. I mean, we missed our fucking window by only a few months, B."

"There's no real evidence, though. It wouldn't have mattered." I frowned, growing frustrated at the very law that I loved.

"Oh, wait until you see what Liam has," she whispered, like it was a secret.

"What does Liam have?" I asked, confused. I didn't know he was still looking into this too.

Liam loped over to us as I waved him over. "Hey, Bella. What's up?"

"Leah says you have some new evidence on the Mallory case," I said in a lowered voice.

"Oh! Yeah, the lab got back to me. I'd asked them to rerun the rape kit, because it seemed like everything was done incorrectly at the time of the crime."

"And?" I asked impatiently.

"And, there was a specimen included by the hospital, never unsealed or tested," he answered somewhat proudly.

My jaw literally hung open at this revelation.

"They tested it, and it came back as someone that's in the system, but not as a criminal. It was entered in the system as an elimination process back about five years ago, when there was a claim that a city police officer was committing serial murder. It was proven that it was not one of them, but the samples are still sitting there."

"So, it belongs to a police officer?" I confirmed.

"A detective," he agreed.

"Let me guess. Newton?"

When he nodded, I instructed the both of them not to tell anybody what they'd found. I asked for the files, and tucked them in my briefcase. I needed my dad for this one.

~E~D~

Charlie was not unused to me barging into his office with nothing more than a perfunctory knock. I rarely remembered to call his assistant ahead of time, but she always let me go back if he wasn't with anybody.

I slapped the folder on his desk after storming in. "There has to be something we can charge this fucker with."

He kept writing, not even glancing up. "It's good to see you too, Isabella."

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life, Dad. The students proved who really committed the crime that Edward spent ten years paying for."

"Hasn't the statute expired?" he asked, finally looking up.

"That's why I need you to look at this and see what you can charge him with. Obstruction, unlawful imprisonment, jaywalking for all I give a shit. He can't keep walking around pretending to be one of the good guys," I seethed.

His caterpillar eyebrows pulled together. "What does that mean?"

"He's a detective, Dad. He's one of yours."

Charlie sat back in his chair, hands steepled in his lap. "You have my full attention."

"He was fresh out of the police academy when he did this. Rohypnol was found in the girl's system, and traces of it were in the DNA sample that came from the can of beer Edward was drinking. He was the officer that took the girls' statements, and he 'mishandled' the specimens. He's been promoted for the past ten years while Edward rotted in prison in his place!"

He studied my flushed face, then looked down at the paperwork on his desk. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "There's been a black sedan parked just down the street from your apartment since you received that threatening letter. Every time Emmett goes downstairs to get the tag, the car takes off."

For the second time in one day, my jaw dropped. "When was anyone going to tell me?"

"I just did," he said mildly. When I opened my mouth to protest, he cut me off. "You need to stop looking into this. Keep it to yourself, tell your student helpers to do the same." I fumed while he drummed his fingers. "This one's mine, Isabella, you're right about that. I'm going to fix this."

"It's not your fault, you know that. You were, what, a lieutenant? And not his sup, so don't take on the guilt. Just find a way to put him behind bars."

He hummed, his non-committal obvious. "I'm increasing your detail, and I do not want you to argue. Emmett will keep the evening and overnight watch, but I'm going to hand pick someone to escort you to and from work. If you have court, I expect a phone call, same if you go to lunch or so much as step out for a cup of coffee. I'm betting he knows we're closing in on this information he thought he'd buried."

I sighed. "I'm going to tell the others to pretend they never found this info. I need to keep them safe, they're still just kids."

"You're my kid, so you come first. Not a step, Bella Marie. I'm serious." His tone was severe, reminding me of my childhood.

"I understand, Dad, even without the stern voice."

His lips twitched, making his mustache dance. "I'm glad we agree on something."

I moved toward him, leaning down and throwing my arms around his neck. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, Pumpkin. Tell Emmett I said hi, and to have his ass and his wife's at my house on Sunday."

"I will. Though, I'm not sure how well that will go, since I'm stealing her husband for the foreseeable future."

"Now, I love my daughter-in-law, but she can keep her opinion to herself. Your safety comes above her cuddle needs. It won't be forever."

"Ah, you be sure to tell her that next time you see her."

"Not me," he protested.

"I'll tell her Cuddle Bear, he can pass it on."

His eyes narrowed on me. "You wouldn't sell out your old man, would you?"