Chapter Twenty-Eight

"About time you two made it over here," Keith said from his seat at the kitchen counter. With him were Mac and Wallace, one of whom had just been getting up to leave.

"I've got to go to work," Wallace declared. Noting that Veronica and Logan's hands were clasped together between them, he squeezed Veronica's shoulder as he passed by and said teasingly, "Some of us don't have the luxury of working for ourselves or taking off as much time as we need."

"Bye Wallace," Mac called from her place at the table. Behind Logan and Veronica's backs, Wallace threw her a kiss. She grinned and pretended to catch it which caused Veronica to turn around to try to figure out what she'd missed.

Dropping it with a shake of her head, Veronica moved further into the small room and pulled up a stool while Logan moved to stand beside her. "So, what did we miss?"

"A lot," Keith replied bluntly. He, too, had caught the hand-holding and hoped they were all prepared for what that was likely to mean. Then he added less sharply, "We have the list of invites and RSVPs. Inga called a little bit ago and let us know that whether Lamb wants us to know it yet or not, the autopsy report and the file are ready for pick up so Cliff's over there now. Should be back within the next half hour." He paused, then asked, "What did you both find out? Or should I be afraid to ask?"

Veronica rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the blush that crept up her neck. She fanned herself with a hand and questioned, "Is it getting hot in here?" which brought a chuckle from Mac. Then she stopped and shrugged, saying, "What we found out is that we're nearly back to square one. Dick's not an issue although he did say he saw Casey come back to the party after Carrie left and that he'd seen Carrie with some guy named Cobb. Other than that, we've got nothing."

"Want me to look up that Cobb guy?" Mac asked, cracking her knuckles and saying suavely, "It wouldn't be a proper case if Q didn't get to use her mad skills."

"Go for it," Veronica acknowledged with a nod. Before she could say anything else, Logan interrupted, saying, "I had a thought I wanted to pass by you. Especially you, Mr. Mars."

Keith looked at the young man curiously and encouraged, "Go on."

"Well, when Veronica was asking about Dick, I got to wondering if someone wasn't trying to come between us for some reason," Logan began, "I couldn't think of a reason that would make sense for doing that on a personal level but then I thought, what if this whole thing isn't personal at all. What if it's business."

"Are there connections between the Casa and Dick's Club?" Keith asked, interested in where Logan was going with this.

"Possibly," Logan replied, "But I'm not sure. I was hoping that might be something that Mac could look into for us."

"For sure," Mac agreed, reaching for her computer bag that had been under the table, pulling her laptop out and setting it up on the counter in front of her. She typed in her password and brought up her specialized browser, saying with pride as Veronica peered over her shoulder, "I designed it myself. I'm awesome like that, which is why I can work from wherever."

Mac brought up one window and then another. On the first, she plugged in the information from the disk that Madison had given them and started it searching for anyone by the name of Cobb. Then, on the second, she looked at Logan and asked, "You using the program I set up for you to keep up with both?" When he nodded, she typed in another string of commands that brought up data from both the Club and the Casa, placing the info side by side. "Now we ask it to search and sort..." she said to herself as her fingers again flew across the keyboard.

"I am so analog," Keith stated, shaking his head as he watched her, eyes filled with admiration.

Veronica chuckled and said with pride, "No one's as digital as Mac."

After several minutes of digging and searching, Mac said with satisfaction, "Ok. We've got one 'Cobb' from the reunion, though that's a nickname so it seems. He also happens to be an investor for the Club. Not for the Casa, though, so I don't know if there's a real connection there or not. But then we have three companies and four celebrities who are involved in some way with both."

"Let's get that list," Keith and Veronica said at the same time. The father and daughter duo shared an affectionate stare filled with humor and amusement. Meanwhile, the other two inhabitants of the room looked on with a certain amount of jealousy, each wishing that they could engage some way in the relationship the other two maintained.

Before anyone could say anything else, Cliff entered, saying triumphantly, "Who outsmarted who now? It can never be said that Cliff McCormack was dragged down by a Lamb."

"You got the files?" Veronica asked excitedly.

He laid them on the table in front of her and glanced over Mac's shoulder, "And what do we have here? A lead I'm not yet aware of?"

"Logan had the idea to check on his investors," Keith explained, "Mac here has been working her magic and will likely solve the whole case in the time it takes the rest of us to read the file."

"Come on, Mr. M," Mac grinned warmly, "I'm good but I'm not that good. I still need the likes of you and V to put the pieces together and solve the crime. No machine is able to do that."

"Some day, Kid, Someday," Keith replied whimsically and ruffled Mac's hair fondly.

Veronica was already looking through the report from the crime scene, her brow furrowed in concentration. The autopsy report lay untouched in front of Logan. He wanted to push it away because it made him nauseous but he figured the best he could do was not touch it at all.

"She was found in a dumpster by a homeless guy picking through the trash," Veronica read aloud, then gave a pained look to Logan as she said, "The dumpster is from a restaurant between your place and the Casa."

"Which means it's not far from the Club, either," Logan pointed out, holding his mask of indifference firmly in place so no one would see or know how hard this was for him.

Out of sight, Veronica's hand reached for and squeezed Logan's. He could try to hide all he wanted, but she knew he was fighting to not hold himself responsible.

He squeezed her hand gratefully in return before prompting, "What else does it say?"

Frowning, she showed him one specific line but didn't read it aloud. Glancing up at him, he sighed in frustration and said, "Well, that explains at least part of why Lamb came after me."

Keith, Cliff, and Mac all looked around at each other and Mac was finally the one to ask, "What did we miss?"

Logan and Veronica shared another look before Veronica stated,looking away from him but not releasing his hand, "Semen. Logan's. Estimated that time of intercourse was ten to twelve hours before death." She stopped and glanced at Logan again before continuing, "Then it talks about wounds. Rope burns on her wrists and ankles. Bruising around her throat and vaginal area. Report says that time frames on those things were likely two to three hours after the reunion."

"Then why pin it on Logan if the times don't match?" Mac asked with a frown.

"Because they can," Keith said, his tone jaded and certain at the same time. "It's Lamb's MO. One Lamb is like any other. If it takes too much digging to find the truth, go with the first available option that presents itself."

"So glad I was handy and accommodating," Logan grumbled sarcastically.

"We'll dig you out of this," Veronica assured him. "Mac, how are those matches coming?"

"Still working," Mac responded, "Picking out the details is always the hardest part."

"Ok, then on to the autopsy," Veronica said as she dropped the file folder on the table and picked up the other group of papers that had, so far, been untouched. Looking it over, she said, "Well, cause of death, choking. It does show a few sedatives in her system but nothing to cause a reactive airway and with the bruising on the neck, it's pretty much a no-brainer."

"Yeah, but that still doesn't tell us why or where," Mac pointed out.

"That's where your list comes in," Veronica replied.

Logan stood, turning away from the group he ran his right hand through his hair. From long ago, Veronica knew this to be a sign that he'd had enough.

"Honey, I think we - " Keith began but was cut off by his daughter shaking her head at him, saying, "Not right now, dad. Whatever it is, it can wait fifteen. Logan needs a break and so do I."

Looking between the two, Keith nodded and motioned for Mac and Cliff to follow him outside. "Let us know when you're ready for us to come back in," Keith said softly, kissing his daughter on the top of her head before giving Logan's arm a squeeze as he passed by to exit.

Veronica rose from her chair and circled her arms around Logan first from behind, then from the front. His arms automatically went around her. He clung to her and tried to steady his erratic breathing. If he didn't, he would hyperventilate and he could absolutely not allow that.

"I don't get it, Veronica," Logan said with raw pain and harsh emotion in his voice, "Why me? Why now? I'm finally doing something that's worth a damn and now this? What am I going to do if all this shit tears the Casa down? What then?"

"Then we'll build it back up," Veronica said with confidence, "Together." He looked at her doubtfully but she shook her head and cupped his face in her hands, "I don't care what it takes. I won't allow anyone to destroy you like that."

He shuddered in response, a hiccuping but otherwise silent sob escaping his lips. Holding her fiercely in his arms, his eyes closed tightly as he absorbed her strength. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" he asked in a murmured voice, almost under his breath.

"You have," Veronica said with a smile, "And I'm pretty sure I told you the same."

"You did," Logan smiled back, his voice sounding stronger as he took a deep breath before kissing her forehead and adding, "That's not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon."

"Good," Veronica said definitively and with great satisfaction, "Because after reading that report, if Carrie were here now, I'm fairly certain I'd be killing her myself and possibly you with her."

Logan laughed and then sobered, running his fingers lightly through wispy blonde tendrils of hair, "Veronica, about the report. I wore a condom. And it didn't break."