按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Here you are；〃 she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office； complete 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 fifty…five； with a paunch。 He wore a red silk tie with a blue…and…white…striped 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 sister…in…law； actually。〃
He pursed his lips； as if he were grasping for meanings just as desperately as I was。
Page 374
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； www。processtext。com/abclit。html
〃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 come 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。
Page 375
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； www。processtext。com/abclit。html
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？〃
〃Twenty…seven 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 of the family。〃
〃Forgive me；〃 he mumbled； and the pen began scratching again。 〃How soon will you need the
documents？〃
〃Can I get them in a week？〃
〃That's a rush order。 It will cost twice as—but forgive me。 I forgot with whom I was speaking。〃
Clearly； he knew Jasper。
〃Just give me a number。〃
Page 376
Generatedby ABC Amber LIT Converter； www。processtext。com/abclit。html
He seemed hesitant to say it aloud； though I was sure； having dealt with Jasper； he must have known that
price wasn't really an object。 Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts that existed all over
the world with the Cullens' various names on them； there was enough cash stashed all over the house to
keep a small country afloat for a decade； it reminded me of the way there were always a hundred
fishhooks in the back of any drawer at Charlie's house。 I doubted anyone would even notice the small
stack I'd removed in preparation for today。
J wrote the price down on the bottom of the legal pad。
I nodded calmly。 I had more than that with me。 I unclasped my bag again and counted out the right
amount—I had it all paper…clipped into five…thousand…dollar increments； so it took no time at all。
〃There。〃
〃Ah； Bella； you don't really have to give me the entire sum now。 It's customary for you to save half to
ens