vanished and his lips went pale。
〃Because you didn't ask！〃 Max yelled back； panicked。
There was another pause while J collected himself。
Beautiful and pale？J asked； a tiny bit calmer。
〃I said that； didn't I？〃
Beautiful and pale？ What did this man know about vampires？ Was he one of us himself？ I wasn't
prepared for
that kind of confrontation。 I gritted my teeth。 What had Alice gotten me into？
Max waited for a minute through another volley of shouted insults and instructions and then glanced at
me with eyes that were almost frightened。 〃But you only meet downtown clients on Thursdays—okay；
okay！ On it。'7He slid his phone shut。
〃He wants to see me？〃 I asked brightly。
Max glowered。 〃You could have told me you were a priority client；7
〃I didn't know I was。〃
〃I thought you might be a cop；〃 he admitted。 〃I mean； you don't look like a cop。 But you act kind of
weird； beautiful。〃
I shrugged。
〃Drug cartel？〃 he guessed。
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〃Who； me？〃 I asked。
〃Yeah。 Or your boyfriend or whatever。〃
〃Nope； sorry。 I'm not really a fan of drugs； and neither is my husband。 Just say no and all that。〃
Max cussed under his breath。 〃Married。 Can't catch a break。〃
I smiled。
〃Mafia？〃
〃Nope。〃
〃Diamondsmuggling？〃
〃Please！ Is that the kind of people you usually deal with； Max？ Maybe you need a new job。〃
I had to admit； I was enjoying myself a little。 I hadn't interacted with humans much besides Charlie and
Sue。 It was entertaining to watch him flounder。 I was also pleased at how easy it was not to kill him。
〃You've got to be involved in something big。 And bad；〃 he mused。
〃It's not really like that。〃
〃That's what they all say。 But who else needs papers？ Or can afford to pay J's prices for them； I should
say。 None of my business； anyway；〃 he said； and then muttered the word married again。
He gave me an entirely new address with basic directions； and then watched me drive away with
suspicious； regretful eyes。
At this point； I was ready for almost anything—some kind of James Bond villain's hightech lair seemed
appropriate。 So I thought Max must have given me the wrong address as a test。 Or maybe the lair was
subterranean； underneath this very monplace strip mall nestled up against a wooded hill in a nice
family neighborhood。
I pulled into an open spot and looked up at a tastefully subtle sign that read JASON SCOTT；
ATTORNEY AT LAW。
The office inside was beige with celery green accents； inoffensive and unremarkable。 There was no scent
of vampire here； and that helped me relax。 Nothing but unfamiliar human。 A fish tank was set into the
wall； and a blandly
pretty blond receptionist sat behind the desk。
〃Hello；〃 she greeted me。 〃How can I help you？〃
〃I'm here to see Mr。 Scott。〃
〃Do you have an appointment？〃
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〃Not exactly。〃
She smirked a little。 〃It could be a while； then。 Why don't you have a seat while I—〃
April！a man's demanding voice squawked from the phone on her desk。 I'm expecting a Ms。 Cullen
shortly。
I smiled and pointed to myself。
Send her in immediately。 Do you understand？ I don't care what it's interrupting。
I could hear something else in his voice besides impatience。 Stress。 Nerves。
〃She's just arrived；〃 April said as soon as she could speak。
What？ Send her in！ What are you waiting for？
〃Right away； Mr。 Scott！〃 She got to her feet； fluttering her hands as she led the way down a short
hallway； offering me coffee or tea or anything else I might have wanted。
〃Here you are；〃 she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office； plete with heavy
wooden desk and vanity wall。
〃Close the door behind you；〃 a raspy tenor voice ordered。
I examined the man behind the desk while April made a hasty retreat。 He was short and balding；
probably around fiftyfive； with a paunch。 He wore a red silk tie with a blueandwhitestriped shirt； and
his navy blazer hung over the back of his chair。 He was also trembling； blanched to a sickly paste color；
with sweat beading on his forehead； I imagined an ulcer churning away under the spare tire。
J recovered himself and rose unsteadily from his chair。 He reached his hand across the desk。
〃Ms。 Cullen。 What an absolute delight。〃
I crossed to him and shook his hand quickly once。 He cringed slightly at my cold skin but did not seem
particularly surprised by it。
〃Mr。 Jenks。 Or do you prefer Scott？〃
He winced again。 〃Whatever you wish； of course。〃
〃How about you call me Bella； and HI call you J？〃
〃Like old friends；〃 he agreed； mopping a silk handkerchief across his forehead。 He gestured for me to
have a seat and took his own。 〃I must ask； am I finally meeting Mr。 Jasper's lovely wife？〃
I weighed that for a second。 So this man knew Jasper； not Alice。 Knew him； and seemed afraid of him；
too。 〃His sisterinlaw； actually。〃
He pursed his lips； as if he were grasping for meanings just as desperately as I was。
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〃I trust Mr。 Jasper is in good health？〃 he asked carefully。
〃I'm sure he is in excellent health。 He's on an extended vacation at the moment。〃
This seemed to clear up some of J's confusion。 He nodded to himself and templed his fingers。 〃Just so。
You should have e to the main office。 My assistants there would have put you straight through to me
—no need to go through less hospitable channels。〃
I just nodded。 I wasn't sure why Alice had given me the ghetto address。
〃Ah； well； you're here now。 What can I do for you？〃
Tapers；〃 I said； trying to make my voice sound like I knew what I was talking about。
〃Certainly；〃 J agreed at once。 〃Are we talking birth certificates； death certificates； drivers' licenses；
passports； social security cards。。。 ？〃
I took a deep breath and smiled。 I owed Max big time。
And then my smile faded。 Alice had sent me here for a reason； and I was sure it was to protect
Renesmee。 Her last gift to me。 The one thing she would know I needed。
The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running。 And the only reason Renesmee
would be running was if we had lost。
If Edward and I were running with her； she wouldn't need these documents right away。 I was sure IDs
were something Edward knew how to get his hands on or make himself； and I was sure he knew ways to
escape without them。 We could run with her for thousands of miles。 We could swim with her across an
ocean。
If we were around to save her。
And all the secrecy to keep this out of Edward's head。 Because there was a good chance that everything
he knew； Aro would know。 If we lost； Aro would certainly get the information he craved before he
destroyed Edward。
It was as I had suspected。 We couldn't win。 But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we
lost； giving Renesmee the chance to run。
My still heart felt like a boulder in my chest—a crushing weight。 All my hope faded like fog in the
sunshine。 My eyes pricked。
Who would I put this on？ Charlie？ But he was so defenselessly human。 And how would I get Renesmee
to him？ He was not going to be anywhere close to that fight。 So that left one person。 There really had
never been anyone else。
I'd thought this through so quickly that J didn't notice my pause。
〃Two birth certificates； two passports； one driver's license；〃 I said in a low； strained tone。
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If he noticed the change in my expression； he pretended otherwise。
〃The names？〃
〃Jacob。。。 Wolfe。 And。。。 Vanessa Wolfe。〃 Nessie seemed like an okay nickname for Vanessa。 Jacob
would get a kick out of the Wolfe thing。
His pen scratched swiftly across a legal pad。 〃Middle names？〃
〃Just put something generic in。〃
〃If you prefer。 Ages？〃
〃Twentyseven for the man； five for the girl。〃 Jacob could pull it off。 He was a beast。 And at the rate
Renesmee was growing； I'd better estimate high。 He could be her stepfather。。。。
〃I'll need pictures if you prefer finished documents；〃 J said； interrupting my thoughts。 〃Mr。 Jasper usually
liked to finish them himself。〃
Well； that explained why J didn't know what Alice looked like。
〃Hold on；〃 I said。
This was luck。 I had several family pictures shoved in my wallet； and the perfect one—Jacob holding
Renesmee on the front porch steps—was only a month old。 Alice had given it to me just a few days
before。。。 Oh。 Maybe there wasn't that much luck involved after all。 Alice knew I had this picture。 Maybe
she'd even had some dim flash that I would need it before she gave it to me。
〃Here you go。〃
J examined the picture for a moment。 〃Your daughter is very like you。〃
I tensed。 〃She's more like her father。〃
〃Who is not this man。〃 He touched Jacob's face。
My eyes narrowed； and new sweat beads popped out on J's shiny head。
〃No。 That is a very close friend o