Logan entered the sheriff's office wearing Keith's flannel shirt and too-short khakis.

"Stylin'," Leo greeted him, trying to lighten the mood.

Logan smiled a little. "You wish you could look this good, Mumbles." Leo smiled back.

"We'll get you over to your hotel room after Sheriff Lamb talks to you for a few minutes, ok? You won't be wearing Keith Mars' hand-me-downs much longer. C'mon, right this way." Leo directed him towards Lamb's office.

"Thanks, Leo."

"My undying pleasure." Leo winked at Logan and closed the door behind him.

"Logan," Lamb boomed. "Take a seat."

Logan sat uneasily. He didn't know the sheriff very well but he knew Veronica didn't really like him. Keith seemed ok with him though, so Veronica was probably hiding something from her dad… Shit, from all of them.

"I've already got Duncan's and Lilly's statements so this'll be pretty quick, don't worry." Logan nodded. Lamb noted that, unlike the rich Kane kids, Logan didn't ask for a lawyer. Logan had been in this situation before too and always just sat there anxiously. When he was fourteen and they picked him up for boosting a car, Logan had sat on his hands and looked at the ground. His only words were begging them not to call his dad. But, of course, they had to. And when Aaron had to come down to pick up his kid, he acted scandalized. He also acted enraged, but that part probably wasn't an act. In Aaron's twisted mind Logan had screwed up by getting caught, not by attempting to steal a car. Lamb shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

"Could you describe your father's recent mood."

Logan hesitated but only briefly. He decided to speak the truth. "Um, he was pretty happy 'cause he had come into some money. He was acting arrogant. But he was also a little on edge at times. He was angry, but he's always angry."

"Did he make any threats to you or around you? Specifically, to Lilly Kane?"

"Well, he threatened to kill me the other day but that's not so new." Logan laughed a little.

Lamb looked shocked, for the first time that Logan had ever seen. "I mean," Logan continued, trying to make it sound less serious than it was for whatever reason. "He would get really mad sometimes and threaten to kill me or whatever. Obviously, he never actually went through with it. I took some tapes of his and he gave me this." Logan cleared his throat and pointed to his swollen black eye. "As far as Lilly is concerned, I knew he had taken... a special liking to her, I guess you could say. I thought he might hurt her someday, maybe, I don't know… I kind of warned Duncan about it."

Lamb grimaced and nodded like he already knew that. Logan wanted desperately to know everything that Duncan had said, but they hadn't spoken to each other since all the shit went down. Logan could imagine what Lilly had said: heavy on flirting, light on intel. (But it was there if you knew where to look for it.)

"We've recovered the tapes, Logan. Looks like your dad is helping us put the Fitzpatricks away."

Logan's mouth fell to the floor. "Are you cutting him a deal?" Didn't they know that his father was a dangerous man-a man who would beat and abuse those closest to him, never mind those he didn't "care" about.

"No, well, we would have certainly considered it but… Kid, I hate to be the one to tell you this but forensics got the results back on the severed hand your father was keeping as a souvenir." Lamb sneered the word souvenir like he was saying the word cunt.

"My mom?" was about all Logan could choke out.

"All signs point to yes."

"So you guys think he killed her? He told Lilly he killed her."

"I know and I do. We're just going to have get the lawyers to prove it in court. But I'm sorry, son."

"Yeah, well," Logan was about two seconds away from sobbing or exploding from holding it all in. "Don't be sorry for me. I never thought I'd see her again anyway. Be sorry for her. Even when she was there she wasn't really there but she didn't deserve this… She was a good person surrounded by bad things."

Logan sighed and looked at the floor. He shifted his weight and sat on his hands. He felt like such a kid. He wasn't even seventeen yet and he had lost almost everything that mattered in the world. "Sheriff, what would you do if you were me?" Logan said suddenly. "Where do I go from here?" Still trying not to sob.

Lamb paused and decided if he should go there or not. And he did. "I've been you, Logan. I have. I swear. My father was a mean sonuvabitch who beat my mother 'til nothing mattered to her anymore. I had to start over on my own, make my own life. Find something you like and do it, you know? Go to college. Take care of yourself. Hang out with Veronica Mars. She's a pain in my ass but-in some ways-she's a good kid."

"She's strong."

"I know. Even in the face of defeat." Was that regret in his voice?

Logan looked at Lamb quizzically but the sheriff said no more.

"All I'm saying Logan is don't give up just because your old man's a bastard. You have your entire life ahead of you. Figure out what you want."

"Thanks. I mean it."

Lamb shooed Logan off with a wave of his hand. "Go on, Echolls, we're done here. Get back to school why don't ya? I'll see that when your father gets out of the hospital no judge grants him bail."

Logan headed out, quietly wiping his eyes as he went. Was this really a new beginning? Him and Veronica against the world? If she'd have him... First thing first, he had to talk to Duncan. The guy had been avoiding him and it was time to have a real conversation.

Logan knocked on the front door to the Kane mansion for the first time in what felt like forever. The housekeeper answered.

"Hi, Mrs. Salazar-is Duncan at home?"

With one look from the housekeeper, Logan knew that she knew everything. Shit, who didn't? Kane software heir shoots best friend's dad to save sister's life in an armed standoff involving the cops? People were going crazy for that shit and they didn't even know the half of it.

A few minutes later, Duncan warily descended the stairs, keeping his eyes anywhere but on Logan's face. Duncan was wearing sweatpants, a Padres t-shirt, and mismatched socks. He didn't look like himself. He looked restless and exhausted at the same time.

"Hey, man. Duncan please look at me." Duncan looked up at Logan's command, but he did so slowly-almost as if he were expecting a punch to the face. Logan's calm demeanor and friendly expression confused Duncan and caught him off guard.

"You don't hate me?"

"He killed my mom. You should have shot him in the fucking head."