I was at a dead end. There was no police database where I could decipher what the Cullens were. If Jenks was right, then the Cullens hadn't aged for at least thirty years.

Time was running out and soon I would have to make the call on what to do about the serial killer. If one of the Cullens was connected, and it was looking more likely with every lie I uncovered, then I needed to know what I was up against.

It was crazy...but I didn't have anything else to go on.

So like some information starved rookie I turned to the internet for help. My first search was for immortal creatures. That turned up a barrage of fairy tale creatures like angels, gods, and something called fae.

I did a brief look around for 'fae' but apparently that was what the kids called fairies these days. The Cullens didn't match the description of Tinkerbell so I decided to refine my search.

I thought about what I knew about the Cullens. Immortal creatures...pale skin...changing eye color...never aging...

When I pressed enter the first ten links were nothing but academic journals from scientists trying to extend life but the fifth link was different.

Vampires.

It was absurd, but I clicked on the link and was shown some cheap blog dedicated to tracking vampires A to Z. There were descriptions of vampires through the ages--through cultures even. Ones from Africa like Ishologu, Obayifo, Ramanga, and something called a Sasabonsam. There were legends from Asia too. Polong, Algul, and Mandurugo. The European Strigoi, Shtriga, Mullo, and Abhartach.

Vampire legends from this hemisphere were bountiful. Fifollet, Skadegamutc, Windigo, and Chihuateteo. None of them were really all that similar to each other except for the common traits of drinking blood or outright eating human flesh. Other than that the myths were varied between tragic dead women, non-human creatures who lured humans to their deaths, or humans who brought it on themselves by committing some cultural crime. Most of them weren't vampires like I knew them.

However, there were some commonalities here and there that linked together. Like being the living dead, immortality, super strength and even pale skin was mentioned once or twice.

This was stupid. I closed out the internet just in time for my phone to ring. "Swan."

"Chief," It was the voice of one of the other officers.

"Yeah, I took off today Greg. Carl's in charge, you know that."

"It's important." His voice was strained and low. I could just barely hear the hint of sadness in his tone.

"What is it?"

"It's Waylon. He--he uh...well he's dead sir."

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. "Dead! How?"

"An animal got him. Whatever's out there killing campers it got Waylon."

"We put out a warning. Why didn't he stay out of the woods?"

"Wasn't in the woods. Was at the dock. He was just cleaning his boat, you know, fixing it up a bit. He had no intention of going in the woods. Anyway, Joe was the one that found him."

"Where's the body?"

"What?"

"Where's the body, Greg?"

"They sent it to the coroner's office."

"I'll call you back."

"Chief--"

I hung up and dialed the coroner. Once I got through, Dr. Kelly was put on the line. "Charlie, it's another one."

"I heard. Same as the others?"

"Yeah."

"Doc do me a favor. When you examine the body, pay special attention to the puncture marks. Tell me if they're over major arteries.

"As a matter of fact, now that you mention it it is common for the puncture marks to line up almost perfectly over quite a few arteries."

"I'll let you know if it's the same with Mr. Forge's body though I suspect it is."

That's what I thought. "I need to go but keep me posted."

"Charlie!"

"Yeah?"

"You know don't you?" Her voice shook with fear. "You know what this thing is."

"Doc...I have to go, but if I confirm my suspicions I will definitely tell you what's happening."

"I'll accept anything at this point."

"Alright."

I hung up with Doctor Kelly just in time to hear the door closing downstairs. I put my phone away and walked downstairs to greet her. "Bella, I've been meaning to talk to you—" But my breath caught in my throat when I saw her.

She stood there by the table, hunching slightly, her hair stringy and tangled. As she reached for an apple, her bony hand trembled. Her pale skin was almost translucent in the glow of our kitchen light. Her eyes were hollowed like she'd lived one thousand hard years and her slightly parted lips were dry and split like dry-rotted leather.

I ran to her with arms open to cradle her against me. "Bella! Are you sick? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, dad." She placed the apple back on the table and glowered at me from behind sunken mud colored eyes.

I placed the back of my hand to her forehead, "This isn't 'nothing', you look awful--here sit down."

As I tried to lead her to the couch she pulled out of my grip and turned hateful eyes my way. "Dad, I said I'm fine."

"Bella, you're not fine. You look like you're going into liver failure."

She tried to pull away again. "I said I'm fine, Charlie!"

"Hey! Call me 'dad'. You can't talk to me like I'm one of your little friends. I'm your father."

"Now you want to be my father? Where were you the last seventeen years?"

"Bella!" Something was wrong with her. Something beyond just the physical. "Why would you say something like that? You know I love you."

"Do you?" Her arms crossed over her chest and she tried to exert independence but the blood didn't reach her cheeks.

"You never used to talk like this. This is Cullen isn't it?"

"Edward had nothing to do with it--"

"Horseshit." I took a step toward her but she pulled back out of my reach. "You were an angel until that kid came along."

"I was nothing before he came along!"

"Don't call yourself nothing!"

"That's what I was! I was just a plain, boring, ordinary girl before Edward! He makes me special!"

"Bella, look at yourself. You used to be funny and smart and kind-hearted. Now you're distant, self-involved, and you're self esteem is in the trash! He makes you hate you."

"He's better than me, dad. In every possible way." she wrapped her arms around her shoulders, desolate and desperate. "I'm lucky he loves me at all."

"Love? You've known this asshole for a couple of months. You have no idea what real love is."

"Like you can talk! Mom walked out on you and you haven't even looked at anyone since. You just want me to be isolated and lonely like you are! You just want me to be some emotionally stifled mountain hermit just like you--well guess what, I'm not you. Edward--his entire family, is better than you could ever dream of being!"

"I don't have time for this. Just go to your room. You're grounded."

She screamed at me, "I hate it here! God, I want out!"

"If you want to go back to live with your mother that's fine. I'll get you a plane ticket to Florida in a couple of days."

"No." She shook her head. ""Just let me go, Charlie. It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"

"And what about Edward? I thought you liked him?"

"I do like him — that's the problem. I can't do this anymore!"

"Then don't see him! Don't call him, don't talk to him."

"I can't do that, Charlie."

"Why?"

"Because he's everywhere." Her voice grew shaky. "I see him at school. I see him around town. He was in Port Angeles, you know?"

"When you went shopping with your friends?"

"Yeah. He showed up. Convinced them to let him take me to dinner alone, to drive me home. I see him in my dreams. I can hear him calling to me, even right now."

Her eyes glazed over and she looked right through me. "Bella, you need to stay away from the Cullens."

But she just shook her head. "There is no escape, dad. I can't live without him anymore. He's everything to me."

"You have to fight it, Bella."

"I can't. The Cullens aren't human. There...something else."

"I know."

Tears pooled in her eyes and slid down her pale cheeks. "I don't know what to do."

I wrapped my arms around her and held her shaking body still. "Just go upstairs and rest. I'll be the one dealing with the Cullens from here on out.."

I watched her drag herself up the stairs and disappear into the second floor.

Bella would need a doctor--a real one and fast. But the hospital was Carlisle's domain. And the school was Edwards. The only thing that surprised me was that they hadn't had Emmett join the police force to further extend their disgusting reach. They had to be stopped.

If the Cullens were some kind of blood sucking immortal creatures then it was them who were responsible for all of the murders--no question about it. But vampires weren't real, and every part of me knew that to be the absolute truth.

Except for one insignificant thought that nagged at my brain...

How did Bella survive the car accident?

By all accounts Edward Cullen had pushed her out of the way, but there hadn't been a scratch on him, and the dent in the Chevy was shallow compared to what happened to Tyler's van. What if Edward stepped in between Bella and the van? I'd thought that it didn't hit anyone because no one was hurt but if the Cullens really are vampires then...

Maybe it was his impenetrable body that had made that dent.

But why? Why save Bella? What would bloodthirsty creatures of the undead want with my daughter? Why protect some kid they didn't know?

I walked back upstairs and knocked on Bella's bedroom door. "Bella, it's dad. Can I come in?"

I didn't hear a sound from the other side of the door so I opened it slowly. She was lying there on her bed as still as a corpse. I rushed over to her but breathed a sigh of relief when I realized she was alive only in a deep sleep.

I watched her. Her hands were folded carefully over her stomach and her dark was sprawled around her face and shoulders like a funeral shroud. When my hand touched her forehead she didn't respond. Her skin was clammy and fevered.

As I moved her hair from around her face and neck I saw two puncture wounds nestled at the base of her neck. A gasp caught in my throat and I steadied myself by sitting on the edge of the bed. I held my head in my hands as I willed myself to calm down. This was really happening.

I got on the internet and looked up ways to kill a vampire. After fifteen minutes of searching I found a dubious website that boasted of various ways to harm something called Cold Ones. Let's see...

"To kill a vampire, one must first understand that they are indeed killable and that it is possible for a human to do. Next you must understand their strengths and weaknesses. Vampires possess speeds about three to five times faster than a human depending on the vampire. As such, in a face off never take your eyes off of your kill. Vampires are also much stronger than humans, including the amount of force they are able to take before they can be damaged. It is therefore unwise to try to engage a vampire with bare hands as human fists will not do much damage. Instead, weapons are recommended. Weapons that can hurt vampires include ordinary bullets or any other high powered blows, but be warned that they will only stun the creature. To kill, a wooden stake to the heart, decapitation, and fire will do the trick. Holy water is unpredictable. In practice it has only been able to temporarily maim vampires and the potentness depends on whoever has blessed the water and their level of power. Use with caution.

They also seem to have the ability to mind control their victims by biting them.

As for the sunlight issue, the creatures are immune. However the rays from the sun seem to make their skin glow making them easier to tell apart from ordinary humans."

I rubbed my eyes against the glare from the screen before closing them. This was crazy no doubt about that. But even though my brain was telling me to run, my gut was busy thinking about loading my pistol and paying a visit to Doctor Cullen.

And what exactly would I say when I got there? Doctor Cullen are you a vampire? Better question, are you and your vampire family the ones eating and killing the humans around here?

I'd sound like a fool making those kinds of statements out loud.

But I didn't see any other choice so I loaded my gun, checked on Bella, and dug through my camping gear and pulled out one of the military grade wooden tent stakes.

My God, I hope the internet is right about this.