I shuddered.

"I don't know," Alice said.

"Helpful."

"Stop it, Edward," I whispered.

He turned on me, his face still livid, his teeth clenched together. He glared at me for half a second, and then, suddenly, he exhaled. His eyes widened and his jaw relaxed.

"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry." He looked at Alice. "Forgive me, Alice. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. That was inexcusable."

"Wow!" Emmett chuckled. "She really has you whipped."

Despite Emmett's comment, Esme smiled at the effect Bella seemed to have on Edward, though it didn't last long; she was so worried about her family.

"I understand," Alice assured him. "I'm not happy about it, either."

Edward took a deep breath. "Okay, let's look at this logically. What are the possibilities?"

Everyone seemed to thaw out at once. Alice relaxed and leaned against the back of the couch. Carlisle walked slowly toward her, his eyes far away. Esme sat on the sofa in front of Alice, curling her legs up on the seat. Only Rosalie remained unmoving, her back to us, staring out the glass wall.

"Hm," Edward said, glaring at Rosalie.

"Emmett is out there looking for the vampire," Rosalie said, looking coldly back at him. "I'm just as worried about this as you are."

"Right... sorry," Edward sighed.

Edward pulled me to the sofa and I sat next to Esme, who shifted to put her arm around me.

He held one of my hands tightly in both of his.

"Victoria?" Carlisle asked.

Edward shook his head. "No. I didn't know the scent. He might have been from the Volturi, someone I've never met. . . ."

Alice shook her head. "Aro hasn't asked anyone to look for her yet. I will see that. I'm waiting for it."

Edward's head snapped up. "You're watching for an official command."

"Which means someone could be acting on their own," Edward frowned.

"Or he could have merely suggested something like this," Jasper said.

"No... I would have seen that too," Alice said. "It doesn't matter how 'suggestive' he makes it sound to them, it would be a decision in his head... and theirs."

"You think someone's acting on their own? Why?"

"Caius's idea," Edward suggested, his face tightening again.

"Or Jane's . . . ," Alice said.

And everyone shivered at the thought of Jane having her hands on Bella.

"They both have the resources to send an unfamiliar face. . . ."

Edward scowled. "And the motivation."

"It doesn't make sense, though," Esme said. "If whoever it was meant to wait for Bella, Alice would have seen that. He - or she - had no intention of hurting Bella. Or Charlie, for that matter."

I cringed at my father's name.

"Oh, dear," Esme sighed, looking both worried and sorry that her book self had made Bella worry more.

"It's going to be fine, Bella," Esme murmured, smoothing my hair.

"But what was the point then?" Carlisle mused.

"Checking to see if I'm still human?" I guessed.

"Hmph," Edward huffed. "I wish we were so lucky for it to just be that."

"Possible," Carlisle said.

Rosalie breathed out a sigh, loud enough for me to hear. She'd unfrozen, and her face was turned expectantly toward the kitchen. Edward, on the other hand, looked discouraged.

Emmett burst through the kitchen door, Jasper right behind him.

"Long gone, hours ago,"

"Aw," Emmett bowed his head.

Emmett announced, disappointed. "The trail went East, then South, and disappeared on a side road. Had a car waiting."

"That's bad luck," Edward muttered. "If he'd gone west . . . well, it would be nice for those dogs to make themselves useful."