Chapter Forty

Luke was pacing back and forth in his apartment. It was 10:00pm and Veronica hadn't called him yet. Why hadn't she called him? He sighed and knew that it wasn't likely that she would call him till morning but he couldn't think of anything to do that would distract him until he could force himself to sleep. Hell, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep, he thought to himself.

An idea struck him and he grabbed his jacket before heading out the door. If he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he might as well go get wasted. Or at least he could go try to find a chick to make out with at the club.

Less than five minutes after he arrived, he caught sight of her and sighed in relief. She was dancing like an idiot with Logan and her friends. In fact, she looked so ridiculous that he couldn't help but laugh out loud and shake his head in spite of the edgy nerves and butterflies in his stomach.

Making his way toward her, Luke reached out and grabbed Veronica's upper right arm from behind her. Veronica startled in protest and Logan's reaction was instantaneous. Before he could duck or move out of the way, Luke found himself staggering back after being the recipient of a fierce right cross.

Not responding to the hit whatsoever, Luke looked at Veronica out of one good eye and one narrowed to a slit as it quickly began to swell and calmly but urgently said, "I need to talk to you."

Grumbling impatiently, Veronica seemed to quickly mull things over while her friend - was his name Waldo? - ranted about how they could never seem to catch a break. Finally, Veronica glanced up at Logan, clearly having made some sort of decision that she appeared to be communicating to him non-verbally. "Fine," she said firmly, "but Logan's coming with me."

Luke shrugged and said, "Whatever. This concerns him, too."

Now the pair were both alert, looking at each other again as if they had some strange unspoken language between them. They nodded and Veronica said, "We can use the office. Follow him," she motioned with her head toward Logan and Luke nodded in agreement.

Logan took Veronica's hand and led her through the crows while Luke followed as closely behind as he was able. As soon as they reached the office and the door was closed behind them, Veronica cut to the chase and demanded, "Ok, so spill. What's this about and why can't it wait until morning?"

Glancing nervously between them, Luke was no longer sure he should be doing this. He hesitated long enough that Logan stepped up and said with annoyance, "Dude. We don't have all day."

Haltingly, Luke began by saying, "I think I might have been one of the last people to see Carrie alive."

Logan and Veronica's eyes darted to each other's, both wide with surprise. Clearly this was nowhere near what either of them might have expected.

"What do you know?" Veronica pressed, arms crossed impatiently over her chest.

"I know a lot," Luke admitted before saying, "But I think I may need to request immunity before I give any more answers."

Logan had him hauled up by the front of his shirt and pinned to the wall threateningly before Luke even knew what had happened. "What. Do. You. Know?" he asked menacingly through clenched teeth.

Nervously, Luke turned pleading eyes on Veronica and said, "I want to help but I don't want to be implicated. No way would I last in the big house."

"Let him go, Logan," Veronica ordered, a look of disgust on her face. As soon as Luke's heels touched the floor where his toes were already planted, Veronica asked him coldly, "If you know so much, why shouldn't I call Sheriff Lamb right now and have you arrested as an accessory to murder?"

"Because you know Lamb doesn't give a damn," Luke said as he straightened his shirt. "I'll agree to sit down and talk with you both, with a lawyer present, and tell you everything that I know. All you have to do is make sure that lawyer has the ability to keep me out of prison if any info I provide gets Logan off or leads to the real killer."

Clearly measuring him up, her eyes narrowed at him in thought, Veronica finally asked, "And if it doesn't?"

"Then you haven't gained anything or lost anything," Luke supplied.

"Alright. I'll have Cliff meet us in the morning. My dad's place. I'll make sure you have the address," she said before asking thoughtfully, "Didn't my dad tell me he saw you at Avi Kaufman's office?"

As if remembering that himself, Logan stiffened and gave Luke a hard stare.

"Yeah," Luke admitted, "I'm one of his underlings."

"We'll discuss that with you tomorrow as well," Veronica said firmly.

"Whatever you say," Luke shrugged, much calmer now than he had been before. "Like I said. I want to help. I just want to make sure it's not going to come back to bite me."

"Oh, it'll bite you," Veronica assured, "If we find out that you were in on whatever this is. It'll bite you for sure."