Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the collective works of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga

This story will eventually discuss mature themes that will not be suitable for all ages. While the themes will not be explicit or graphic in nature, some readers might find them disturbing.

Murder House

The drive from home to Hell was the approximate length of the Hamilton and Come from Away soundtracks, not including traffic, and Louisa had to drive the whole way. Her sister, Dottie, was in charge of navigation, because, even though she had her driver's permit, she steadfastly refused to drive without an adult present. Their father had sent them ahead to the new house while he finished tying up loose ends in Tacoma, even though neither of the sisters knew anything about setting up a house. Privately, Louisa thought her father wanted to get her out of the city before she got into mischief, but she didn't have any evidence of such a plot. She didn't even have proof that it was her actions that spurred the decision to move to Forks, Washington, but the timing of the move and the events of the last month were too coincidental to ignore.

Dottie hummed along happily to the music, Louisa pushed her theories on the matter to the back of her mind, not wanting to spoil the younger girl's good mood. Unlike Louisa, Dottie was more than get a fresh start somewhere else. The past nine months had been hard on the whole family, but especially on Dottie.

"Where do I go next?" Louisa asked her sister. The realtor had given their father directions to her house so that they could pick up the new keys. Apparently, the house was so remote that Google Maps wouldn't be able to find it. Louisa was instantly suspicious of this — only meth dealers and murderers lived in such remote locations — but she didn't comment when their dad had given them the orders.

"Mrs Cullen says that there should be a sharp turn up here on the right," Dottie read aloud. "Her first name is Esme. Isn't that a pretty name? It sounds like a silent movie star."

Louisa gave a noncommittal sound of agreement, focusing more on the turn than the conversation. There was a disgusting amount of foliage in Forks, and with the added rain it was nearly impossible to see to any hidden driveways like the one Mrs Cullen had described.

"What do you think she looks like?" Dottie asked.

"I don't know, Dot," Louisa sighed, growing frustrated. She pulled over to the side of the road and pulled the instructions from her sister's hands. "Light brown hair, heart-shaped face, and pale? I hardly looked her up before we left."

"Louisa Collins not doing her research?" Dottie said sceptically. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

Louisa wanted to snap and say that she had been left behind in their old home. Or maybe buried with their mother and younger brother nine months ago. But she knew that it would make the bright smile slide off her sister's face and she couldn't do that to her.

"Like I said to Dad, Dottie," Louisa replied, trying to force her stiff facial muscles into a grin. "I'm done with investigating now. No more mysteries for me."

Dottie's blue eyes scrutinized her with an intensity one would not expect from a fifteen-year-old. "Right."

Louisa squirmed in her seat and pretended to focus on the directions. "Do you think we missed the turn?"

The question seemed to distract the younger sister for the moment. She took the directions back from the elder girl and tried to pull up the directions on Google Maps. Not only could she not find the house just like the realtor said, the two were also dismayed to learn that there was no cell phone coverage. If Louisa hadn't hated Forks before, she definitely did then. Without a phone, or even a real map, it took the better part of an hour trying to find the house. Louisa spent most of the time cursing out of their father and speculating that the Cullens were actually a reclusive drug cartel that supplied the Italian mafia with methamphetamine.

After they finally found the turn and made their way up their long, winding drive, they were greeted with the sight of a three-story white house, complete with a wraparound porch. It was large without being ostentatious and undoubtedly beautiful. It radiated a kind of warmth that gave off the impression that this was not just a building that people lived in, but a home. Growing up in the city, Louisa had never actually seen a house as large as the Cullen's in real life, and she had to admit that she felt a little intimidated by the sheer size of it.

"They definitely sell meth," Dottie murmured after staring at the mansion in shock.

Louisa pondered the house for another moment. "Actually, I change my answer to marijuana. Their house is way too nice for meth dealers."

Dottie turned to look at her sister, blonde eyebrows raising in interest. "I thought meth was really profitable, though?"

"And also really volatile. During the extraction of component chemicals from the reagents and during the production of the drug itself, there are several points where flammable substances are made, some of which explode when they are exposed to heat or air. There is no way a house that large would be able to contain a meth lab."

Dottie looked like she was questioning why her sister knew this, but decided to say nothing. She had learned many years ago that it was better to be able to claim ignorance when it came to affairs of her older sister. "Maybe they've got a barn somewhere we can't see?"

"I honestly doubt it. Marijuana is the best bet if they sell drugs," Louisa explained, glancing curiously at the dense treeline that surrounded the home.

"What about heroin?"

Louisa was saved from answering when the front door of the house opened and a tall, blond man in a dark blue jumper stepped out. His head tilted in confusion when he saw the silver Prius in his driveway, before giving them a tentative wave.

"I think that's our cue, Dottie," Louisa said before unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the car door. Dottie scramble out after her older sister and latched onto her sleeve, trailing behind her.

"May I help you?" The man asked, his voice a smooth baritone with a hint of an accent to it. Up close Louisa could see that he was unbelievably handsome; Dottie seemed to notice as well because she dug her fingers into Louisa's arm to the point that it was becoming painful.

Louisa tried to ignore the biting of her sister's nails through her sweater and gave him a small grin. "My name is Louisa Collins, and this is my sister Dorothy. Does a Mrs Esme Cullen live here?"

The man's eyes lit up in understanding and waved for the girls to follow him into the house. Louisa made sure that Dottie wiped her feet on the welcome mat, not wanting to dirty the pristine entryway. She was unsurprised to see the interior was just as stunning as the exterior; the wood floors were polished within an inch of their lives, the couch's accent pillows tilted at precisely forty-five degrees, and not a speck of dust in sight, give Louisa serious Martha Stewart vibes. The sound of music caught her attention the moment she crossed the threshold, and she glanced to the left where a dais with a grand piano sat. A bronze haired teenager was playing the instrument and nodded to them as they entered, but didn't move to greet them further.

"My son, Edward," the blond man explained, extending a hand towards Louisa. "I am Carlisle, Esme's husband."

Lucky woman, she thought briefly, nodding in greeting to Edward before taking Mr Cullen's offered hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," Louisa said. Cold hands, well-trimmed nails, lack of hair on the back of his hand. Why didn't he introduce himself as Dr Cullen?

Her pondering was interrupted by the arrival of a woman who could only be Esme. She was as finely dressed as her husband and her light brown hair styled in elegant waves. When she smiled, she gave off a motherly aura that put even Dottie at ease. She stuck out her hand for Louisa to take and her handshake was surprisingly firm for someone who was left-handed. Makes sense. She would have to greet a lot of people as a realtor.

"I must say," Mrs Cullen said when she handed the elder sister the keys to their new house. "I was surprised that someone was interested in the property. It's been abandoned for a while."

"Are there not many people moving to Forks?" Dottie asked, finally finding her voice. Louisa could understand that— she hardly wanted to live there either. The one good thing about the move was that Dad had tasked her with choosing the house they would move into. Of course, there was a reason Louisa has specifically chosen the property that she did, and it didn't have anything to do with a nice view or the number of bedrooms.

She tried to subtly shake her head, but Mrs Cullen must have missed the cue. "Oh, did your sister not mention the house's history to you?"

Dottie shot the girl in question a look that was a mix of confusion and irritation. "No, she didn't."

Louisa could hardly redirect the conversation at this point. "I must have forgotten to mention it, you know, with how busy we've been and all." She tried to give her sister an appeasing smile, which Dottie saw right through with a dead stare. "There was a murder in it, about 20 years ago. Never solved. Interesting, right?"

Dottie's glare intensified. "Fascinating. I'm shocked you managed to keep it quiet for this long," she said in a flat voice. "I'm sure Dad will be happy."

Louisa gave an uncomfortable-looking Dr and Mrs Cullen a small smile. "Thanks for the keys. We should probably get going."

Mrs Cullen nodded and showed them to the door. "Call me if you have any concerns about the house." They exchanged pleasantries for a moment more before Louisa allowed Dottie to drag her towards the car.

"You're impossible!" Dottie shouted in a shrill voice the moment the car doors banged closed. "You promised Dad that you were done with solving crimes!"

"To be fair," Louisa replied, turning over the engine and throwing the car into reverse. "I made the promise after we bought the house."

This statement did little to appease her. "Promise me, Lou," she pleaded. "No more sleuthing."

"Dot, you are acting like something dangerous is going to happen if I investigated it," she said, turning back onto the winding driveway to the main road. "Forks is totally safe."

"Promise me."

Louisa sighed. As tempting as an unsolved mystery was, she knew her investigations usually upset her little sister. "Yeah, Dot. I promise. No more snooping around."

Dottie watched the rain that was beginning to fall for a moment. "So, a murder house, huh?" she paused, waiting for her sister to respond. When she didn't, she continued on. "It's not haunted, is it?"

"I doubt it."

"That's not very reassuring, Lou!"

Louisa cracked a grin at her sister's antics. "I am reluctant to make promises I can't keep."

Dottie was more than happy to express her displeasure in loud noises, all the way into town.

"'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."-J.R.R Tolkien

A/N: This story just kind of popped into my head one day and I couldn't get the idea off my mind. I'll make a few changes to cannon for the sake of my narrative, but hopefully, you won't mind too much. Let me know what you think.