Sleeping Dogs

Prologue

Caroline Talltree-Young loved her father in spite of all of his faults. He wasn't good with commitment, the woman he was married to when she was born was not her mother. He wasn't particularly good at sharing his feelings, which ruined his relationship with his mistress/her mother. Although she lived with him, he never held resentment and wouldn't allow her to either. She saw her mother and half-sister Emily fairly often and, although not traditional by any means, their relationships were healthy, albeit a little distant.

He instilled a realistic and pragmatic attitude in Caroline at a young age to prepare her for the future and the harsh realities of the world as they knew it. Or at least, that's how he saw it. His logical and analytical aptitude passed on to her and they both found themselves needing explanations for everything. Even for death. And because of this thirst for answers, she had compiled a list of facts in the matter.

Caroline was sure of three things. First, that her father lived a clean lifestyle. He never smoked or drank and he always ate healthy. He was in shape and could take on any physical challenge that came his way.

Second, that he was praised by his doctors for being as healthy as a horse and he was always given a fresh bill of health at his regular doctor appointments. He had no previous family history of illnesses or diseases and he never got sick.

And third, that her father was too young and too healthy to have simply died from a heart attack.

They wouldn't let her see his body. He was on a hiking trip and she couldn't go with him this time. They told her he suffered a heart attack and was found by the river by a ranger but she couldn't see him. She didn't need to confirm the body, he had his wallet on him and his DNA matched.

Her aunt came and picked her up from the home Caroline and her father shared. "It doesn't add up," she insisted.

"You're looking for answers that aren't there," Aunt Sue responded. She is a nurse, sometimes these things happen, she's seen it.

But Aunt Sue didn't see her father. The ranger didn't have answers either, none he was willing to share. When she first questions him, he was white and scared. He had taken a picture of the scene. You couldn't tell it was her father. The second time she questioned him he told her he didn't know what she was talking about. Someone was lying.

Aunt Sue sat with her for two days in Caroline's home. She said she was bargaining, in denial. Some things didn't have easy solutions. Sometimes it was better to just let sleeping dogs lie.

Caroline sat silent in the car the entire drive from the Makah Reservation to Forks, Washington. Aunt Sue had moved out of La Push to live with the police chief, Charlie Swan after his daughter moved out to live with her husband, Edward Cullen. Caroline had never met her or her husband's, but Emily had mentioned her the same way she told Caroline about all the people she disliked. Kindly but curtly.

When Caroline stood out of the car in front of the modest home, Charlie Swan gave her a nod but offered her no words of encouragement or sorrow. She smiled at him and he smiled back and she knew they were going to be okay.

She didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to ask. He helped her to her room when Sue left for a shift and left her alone all night.

Tomorrow Bella would come and visit. Caroline had allowed herself to grieve what she was sure her father would agree was a respectable amount.

"Life goes on," Richard Talltree said after burying his dog when she was seven. "We have to remember that. We must take the time we need to heal. To answer our questions and accept them. But," he cupped her chin softly, "then we have to move on. Tomorrow the sun will rise and we'll have chocolate chip pancakes and you'll go to school if you found your answer."

"And if I haven't," Caroline sniffed, rubbing the tears from her eyes but he stopped her. She was allowed to cry, he had said.

"Then we'll try again the next day."

Tonight she would grieve and tomorrow the sun would rise and she would rise with it.