The Surf Leash Strangler

Chapter 5

Veronica found herself at a point where she wasn't sure what to think. She should be focusing on the case, tracking down the man that raped and killed eight women. But her mind is clouded by the past. Not only had she faced off with Madison Sinclair, but she had spoken with Dick – who seemed happier to see her than he had ever expected – and then unintentionally ran in Logan. The way he had looked at her seemed to say so much, but Veronica hadn't been able to work any of it out; she wasn't sure she really wanted to. And now, Wallace – of all people – was friends with Logan. She wasn't mad that the two of them had bonded; once, it had been something she wanted more than anything. It was all just a little much.

Once she got back to the San Diego field office, what she did do was look Logan up. Hearing from Wallace that Logan had become a navy pilot and had reached a lieutenants position had surprised her; it was amazing that he had achieved so much, and Veronica found herself wanting to know more. A lot of the information was unavailable regarding Logan's career, most of it classified – which she wasn't surprised by – but what she could see brought a smile of pride to her lips. She did scan through to see if there was anything about a partner, wife, or even kids but found no records of marriages, divorces or births. And while she would never say it out loud, she felt a little relieved.

Veronica pulled herself away from researching her ex and put herself to work. She spent the rest of her afternoon going through the security tapes from the beachside restaurant. Pierce was in his own world, compiling his research and data regarding the victims, and seemed to be making some progress. Walsh had left to speak with more relations of Shelly Pomroy – some people Veronica knew, and others she didn't – and while Veronica normally liked to question possible witnesses herself, she figured the fewer 09ers she ran into, the better.

It was around four when Veronica got to the last tape. She skipped through the day and paused when the sky got dark. Leaning in, she hoped that she would see something. All of the other cars and trucks that she had noted down weren't really noticeable, but sometimes they weren't. She had been hoping for something to stand out.

She watched as people passed the alley; cars came and went. The time on the screen reached about 3 am when a blue van pulled up. It parked in the top corner of the street, the back of the car only just sitting in the frame. Veronica slowed the tape and watched as the door opened and a man in jeans and a hoddie climbed out. The man didn't appear rushed as he moved to the back door and slid it open. Out of it, he pulled a plastic bag – that seemed heavy. Veronica frowned as she took in the long shape of the plastic; it looked like a human wrapped up in plastic. The man lifted the body over his shoulder and proceeded to walk towards the beach. While he stayed in the frame, it was hard to see exactly what was happening. Four minutes passed before the man reappeared on the video; he had the plastic in his hand, but it was folded over and empty. The man put the plastic back into his van before lighting a cigarette. And what shocked Veronica was that he didn't leave. The time on the screen read 3:09, and the man leant against the side of his van and enjoyed his cigarette. At 3:12, he climbed in his van and drove away.

Pausing the video before the van disappeared, Veronica took down what she could of the license plate before speeding up the footage. If this guy was their unsub, and he had just dumped Shelly Pomroy's body on the sand, then all she needed was for Dick to show up. At 6:02, Dick's SUV pulled into a car park right in front of the camera. He parked his car and grabbed his board off before walking towards the water, rushing back a few moments later to grab his phone.

"Gotcha."

Pierce perked up. "What?"

"I love it when I'm right." Veronica smiled at him.

"The camera picked him up?"

She nodded. "I have a possible plate, but the quality isn't great. But this guy pulled up to dog beach at 3am. He drives a blue van, worn paint."

Pierce smiled. "Well done. We should have Jimmy see what he can find when it comes to blue vans."

Veronica nodded. "I'll call him. Can you take this tape to analysis and see if they can enhance the quality. If we can get the plate, it would be easier, and any other details about the unsub."

Pierce nodded. "Sure. And once you speak to Jimmy, you can get us coffee."

Veronica squinted her eyes at him. The checky kid. "Fine." She ejected the tap and held it out to him.

"Thanks, Mars."

Pulling out her phone, Veronica called Jimmy. He didn't have an update regarding possible victims or an update on the similarities, but he did have a similar report. Veronica had him send the details of the old case and then asked him to do a search for men that fit the profile. Men in their twenties, either surfer or access to surfing equipment, that owned an older blue model van, and that smoke. It was broad, but it was a start.

While she waited for Jimmy's information to come through, she left the office to get the coffee she promised Pierce.

The coffee shop that Pierce had been told about the day before was a small hole in the wall of the field office. There were four tables with stools that lined one wall and a few tables outside, but it seemed the café was designed more towards take-away than dine-in. Veronica ordered two coffees and a muffin for each of them before taking a seat at one of the tables. She took a moment to flick open her phone and go through a few emails. The first email was from Jimmy with the old case he mentioned attached. She frowned as she read about a reported rape from seven months prior, the female victim fit the description of the other victims, but she had been lucky enough to escape with her life. Her assailant was never found.

"Can I get a large latte, please?"

The voice made Veronica's head shoot up. Standing at the counter was Logan. He was dressed in a uniform, which Veronica realised looked very good on him. What did confuse her was why he would be at this coffee shop? The naval base was further up the coast, and there had to be plenty of other places he could have gone to.

Veronica was caught staring at Logan when he turned around. He slid his wallet back into his pocket and paused when he saw her. Unlike their first run-in, his face lit up with a smile. The look twisted her stomach, butterflies started to dance, and she felt slightly flushed. Veronica wanted to yell at herself to pull it together; she was reacting like a teenager with her first crush.

Logan didn't hesitate to move towards her. He said, "Twice in one day; I must have made an impression this morning." The all too familiar smirk was on his face, his eyes sparkling with humour.

Veronica couldn't hold back her smile, but her butterflies seemed to only grow. "I don't know if I would say you left an impression. Not much was said."

Logan shrugged and sighed. He said, "Well, it's hard to say much when you ran off so quickly."

Veronica felt her stomach drop. She had run off, scared about facing him again after so long. It shouldn't be that difficult; after all, it had been eight years, and neither of them had tried to make contact. Why couldn't she just treat him like any other person?

"Sorry about that," she said, "this case is keeping me busy."

He nodded, running his tongue across his lips. "So busy that you had time for a coffee break?"

Veronica had to stop herself from staring. She still remembered how his lips felt against hers; they were always soft, and no matter what part of her they touched, small jolts of electricity would pulse through her. Veronica cleared her throat, squeezing her thighs together as only her thoughts about how he had used to touch her made her body react. She said, "Everyone needs coffee, especially Federal Agents. Besides, I had some small success, so I deserved a treat."

Logan's eyes dropped, and he glanced at her clenching thighs; his eyes darkened slightly, and his smile softened. "I was surprised when Wallace told me that you joined the academy."

"Really? Why?"

"You weren't exactly a stickler for the rules."

"Neither were you."

Logan chuckled.

Veronica continued, "And look, here you are. A decorated navy pilot, and a Lieutenant at that."

"Wallace, keep you updated, did he?"

Veronica realised what she had said too late. She knew a little more about him than she should for a couple that separated over nine years prior. Most exes didn't do a database search to find out what they have done with their lives because they care.

Logan squinted his eyes as he took in her silence. "Did you check up on me?"

Veronica's cheeks turned red, and she bit down on her lip. She had, but only a few hours ago. "I was curious after I spoke to Wallace." The embarrassment was a little overwhelming.

"Couldn't stop thinking about me?" Logan smirked. "I find it hard to stop thinking about me too."

Veronica rolled her eyes but shook her head and laughed. In many ways, it seemed Logan had changed, but that sense of humour was still there.

"Coffees for Veronica?" The barista called out.

Veronica pushed herself off her seat and walked over to collect the coffees before turning back to Logan. "I better get back."

He nodded. "Of course."

They looked at one another, an awkward silence forming as Veronica wondered what she should do. Just talking to him felt good; it was different from talking to other people. Even after eight years, she felt a strange sense of peace just standing by him, even with every other part of her freaking out. She wondered if it was wrong for her to want him to ask her to stay. He wasn't her boyfriend anymore; they weren't anything.

She cleared her throat when she realised they had been staring for too long. She brushed her hair to one side and took a step towards the door. "It was good to see you, Logan."

He nodded. "You too, Veronica."

Veronica couldn't help herself from glancing back at him once she had stepped outside. His eyes were still on her as she looked back, and her heart jumped, knowing he was looking. Shaking her head, she walked back towards the building's main doors.

It seemed that no matter how many times Veronica had told herself that Logan was her past, he wasn't going to stay there. Not in her heart, anyway.

Driving back towards Neptune later that evening, Veronica wasn't looking forward to going into the 09er. She hoped that since it was early, she would only have to deal with would be Dick. She could show him the photos of the other victims and then leave. Pierce had been the one to accompany her this time; Walsh was back at the office finishing off another case that she had managed to wrap up and promised once she was done, she would be free to focus on their case together.

The last few hours of the afternoon Veronica had spent going over the case that Jimmy had located. Last November, a young woman in her early twenties met a guy at a bar. According to the report, she thought he was cute and talked to him for a little while before going their separate ways. After separating from her friends, she was grabbed and dragged into this guy's van, where he raped her. The woman stated that she was able to escape the man when he moved off her to dig around in his van for something; she took his distraction as a chance to kick him and stumble out of the van. The man had apparently tried to grab her, but she managed to run out of the alley they were parked in and into the arms of an older couple. Other witnesses claimed they saw the blue van drive off, but nothing had ever been found that led to the rapist being arrested.

Veronica felt confident that the rapist could be the same man they were after now. It could explain their unsubs build up. He was worried about his victims escaping the first few times, and while he found ways to enjoy himself, he was more focused on keeping them tied up. The report also came with a detailed sketch, and it states that a rape kit was done. She intended to reach out to the victim in the morning; hopefully, she would be willing to talk to them.

Pierce let out a low whistle when they pulled up outside the 09er. There were red velvet ropes set up, two security guards standing on either side of the door. And a few expensive-looking cars parked out the front.

"I am in the wrong line of work," said Pierce.

Veronica smirked. "Most of the people around here don't work, Pierce. These people live off trust funds."

Climbing out of the car, the two of them walked over to the front door. Veronica pulled out her badge and showed it to the security guards. "Special Agent Mars, Special Agent Pierce. Mr Casablancas is expecting us."

The man on the right nodded and pushed the door open for them. Inside the club was nice. There was a long bar, plenty of space for sitting and standing. A large dance floor, and it seemed there was even some private booths near the back.

"Ronnie, welcome." Dick appeared behind the bar. He had a drink in one hand and was holding a folder in the other. "You didn't bring your pretty friend."

Veronica sighed as he referred to Walsh. "No, she had paperwork to do. This is Special Agent Pierce."

Dick nodded. "Hey, dude."

Pierce nodded. "Mr Casablancas."

Veronica walked over to the bar and placed down the folder with the victims' pictures inside. "Just take a look, no rush."

Dick smiled. "Too easy, Ronnie."

Laying out the photos, Dick's smiling face darkened. He scared over each of them and stopped when he looked at the last photo Veronica put down. Just in case, Veronica put down the picture of the woman from Jimmy's found report. Samantha Whitmore. Dick pointed at Samantha. "I've seen her before."

Veronica asked, "When?"

"She used to come here every week. We hooked up a few times." Dick then moved to point at victim number three, Rebecca Coleman. "And her, she came here once with another girlfriend. She was a bit of a prude." He took a sip of his drink, then said, "But I don't know the others. Besides Shelly."

Veronica nodded. "Great, thanks."

Dick placed down his empty glass. "Of course. Shelly could be a bitch, but she didn't deserve that. Let me know if there's anything else you want to know."

"Thanks, Dick. I will."

He offered her a warm smile before moving along the bar towards a STAFF ONLY door.

Veronica collected the pictures and turned back to Pierce. He said, "Were you thinking that our unsub was using a club as his hunting ground?"

"Yeah, kind of. It seems odd the pattern of where these girls went missing. Some were out for the night. Some during the day."

They moved towards the front door and back to the car. As they climbed in, Pierce said, "Maybe we should compare the different locations and find out what they have in common. I can do it in the morning."

Veronica nodded. "Sounds good. I'm going to talk to Samantha Whitmore tomorrow and see if she can add anything."

"Do you think she will want to talk?" he asked.

Veronica leant her head back against the car seat. "I hope so. The only thing is that the report isn't very well done."

Pierce frowned. "Yeah, I had a look. It's sloppy work."

"The Sheriff's department in Neptune isn't exactly known for being by the book. Even when I grew up here, they were always corrupt and being paid off by the rich."

"Makes you wonder what kind of world we live in when even those who are supposed to uphold the law twist it to their advantage."

"Not a fair one, that's for sure."

Veronica had stopped with Pierce to pick up dinner on their way back to the hotel. Both had decided pizza was the way to go. Veronica set herself up on her bed with her pizza and some wine and was pleasantly surprised to find the Big Lebowski playing. She sat eating pizza with damp hair, saying the lines and was licking sauce off her fingers when her phone buzzed.

The screen lit up with Logan's name.

LE: I am hoping you never changed your number.

Veronica bit down on her lip and picked up her phone. She hadn't. She was surprised that it seemed that he hadn't either.

VM: Nope. Still me.

LE: I thought I was going to have to ask Wallace for your number.

LE: Would it have upset you if he had?

Her first thought is that she wouldn't know. She still didn't really know.

VM: No.

VM: Why did you want to message me?

Veronica had no idea what would be going through Logan's mind. Did he really just want to catch up after so long? The idea of them just being friends seemed odd, but since she couldn't picture them ever dating again, would it be so bad for them to try.

LE: I was hoping you would have dinner with me.

There is was. But dinner? Veronica had heard girls say plenty of times that dinner was a real date; breakfast and lunch were not. Sitting in a restaurant with Logan, sharing wine seemed like a terrible idea. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had no idea what would come out.

VM: How about coffee?

LE: Will you have time for more coffee?

VM: I'm sure I can find the time.

LE: How about tomorrow. Same place as today. 9?

She could say no. She tried to tell herself that there was no reason for her to see him again, but she knew it wasn't true. For eight years, she had wondered about him, and on occasion, dreamed about him. Logan seemed to get his closure eight years ago, and maybe it was time she found her own.

VM: If nothing comes up, I will see you there.

LE: Great. Sweet dreams.

Locking her phone and placing it on the bedside table, Veronica felt her butterflies return. She looked down at her half-eaten pizza and found herself not knowing if she could eat anymore. Coming to Neptune wasn't meant to be for her to bump into everyone she once knew. Reaching for the bottle of wine, Veronica filled up her glass before taking a large sip. Things could never be simple.

I would love to hear what you think. Even if it's as simple as a 'can't wait', all feedback is appreciated.

See you soon with the next chapter.