"God doesn't give with both hands, boy."
"Yeah, you know, I've heard that one before. But then why am I good-looking and smart?"
"Shut your smartass mouth."
"Ok, if you say so."
"What did you find out?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I swear to God, Logan, I am going to hire someone on the outside to kill you in your sleep."
"Again with the threats over a prison telephone. You're really not making me want to help you…"
"What did you and your little girlfriend find out?"
"Well…"
Five hours earlier:
"Awesome topography skills, Aaron."
"It's cartography, darling."
"What would I do without you, sweetheart? But, actually, it's kind of both." Veronica and Logan were trying this new thing where they threw terms of endearment at each other ironically. Logan strained his eyes at the tiny print on Aaron's sloppily put together map. I mean, honestly, how hard is it to find a straight edge in prison? Veronica and Logan continued to wander farther away from her car and farther out into the desert.
"Logan, what if it's a trap?"
"Nonsense, honeydoll."
"Cut the shit, I'm serious."
"My dad doesn't want you dead, Veronica. He doesn't care if you live or die. There is no trap."
"I'm talking about for you."
"Ah well, that's just a chance we're going to have to take. Turn right at this tree and walk ten paces. Or ten miles. This fucking map is really indecipherable."
"Well, he made it in prison based on something Liam Fitzpatrick told him years ago. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe cut the map a little slack."
"Veronica." Logan's voice and demeanor had completely changed. There was no more joking around. "I think we're supposed to dig here."
"Are you sure?"
He showed her the map. "Doesn't this look like the place? Ten paces from that tree and five paces from that cactus?"
Veronica nodded and dug her shovel into the soft ground. "Are you ready for this?"
"As I'll ever be." They both started digging, not knowing how deep they had to go. They kicked up sand with their hands, their feet, their shovels… Until Logan touched something that felt specifically like bone.
"Oh shit."
Veronica's head snapped in his direction at once. Wordlessly, she helped him dig deeper until they had unearthed a skinless, handless arm. Veronica wanted to vomit but she continued to help Logan dig out the entire body. It was a female skeleton, with no defining characteristics that they could see other than the missing hand. There was no jewelry, no wallet, no clothing, no proof.
"Do you think it's her?" Veronica finally spit out.
"I, I have no idea." Logan continued to dig and to look all around for something that would prove it—something that would end it all at last. "Veronica, I don't know what to do."
888888888888888
Three days had passed. Logan had finally agreed with Veronica that he should go to the police instead of to prison to see Aaron. If Aaron ever got out, he would really want to kill Logan now.
"You sure you're not coming?"
"I can't stand to be around the sheriff if I don't have to."
"I don't know that I can stand to be around him either…"
"Just go, Logan. It'll be ok."
"If you say so, sweetheart."
And on Logan went, so he could look Lamb straight in the eye and say: "Even if he didn't pull the trigger himself, he is guilty of so many other things. He thinks I want to help exonerate him but that is not the case, I assure you. I want justice for her. I want to know who killed her—beyond a shadow of a doubt. If it's Aaron or if it's Liam or if it's someone else… I need to know and I need your help. And Veronica doesn't lie about things like rape, just so you know."