Interrogation Specialist 5

Can We Talk?

Story So Far: Dick Casablanca's is involved in a case that Veronica Mars, FBI is investigating. She interviews Casey Gant and Logan Echolls. Knowing she has a conflict of interest working for the government, she sends Eli Navarro who works for Mars Investigations to assist Logan. Veronica is removed from Dick's case so Logan goes to her condo to ask her to help keep Dick safe in prison. She doesn't want to and makes Logan ask her for the help. When he does she is deeply disappointed and makes him leave her condo.

Eli comes and goes from LA as he works on Dick's case. He keeps in close contact with Logan and the two men develop a mutual working respect. Logan knows that Eli stays at Veronica's condo but Eli tells him that Veronica is not there and she has not been in contact with him or her father. Although Logan can see that Eli is concerned about her, he also sees that he is used to her not being in contact at times.

Keith Mars is surprised when Eli tells him that Logan Echolls hired Mars Investigations. He is even more surprised when he hears the price Eli is charging Veronica's ex boyfriend. He almost insists on lowering the rate until Eli tells him that Veronica sent him to meet with Casey Gant and Logan Echolls and she had insisted on the deal. Trusting that his daughter has her reasons for it, he lets Eli handle the meetings with Logan Echolls. Keith relaxed even further when he found out that Veronica was no longer involved in the case. Working on the same case as her but for different purposes could really pose some problems for them. With her off the case and out of the country, Mars Investigations is able to get the information Logan needs without conflicting with the FBI. When Eli told Logan that Keith's contacts with Border Patrol were an integral part of finding the absent partners in the scheme, Logan had smiled. Veronica always told him that Keith was the best PI around and it appears she was right. It is kind of ironic that his money enabled him to hire Mars Investigations who in turn helped an ex09er Dick Cassablancas.

Dick's lawyer is able to broker a deal for his client with the information Logan obtained from Mars Investigations. Dick agrees to testify against the men who got him into the investment scheme and is given time served in jail as well as a large fine. He is released from jail after a couple of months and he agrees not to leave the area until the trial is over.

Logan knows that he had to ask Veronica to use her contacts to protect Dick in prison. He would make the same decision again. Dick is his close friend. He can't bear the thought of him getting physically assaulted in prison.

He does regret that he upset Veronica though. He has always and will always care about her and he disappointed her yet again. It bothers him that she sees him as a shallow 09er waste of time. He wishes he could show her he has changed. Now he is deeply concerned that he won't see her again; that their relationship is truly over.

The bill for Eli's time is large but so worth it for Logan. Knowing Dick will end up a free man is important. If the ends justify the means, Logan knows Dick's freedom is a win but somehow it feels like a loss as well.

Dick, John and Casey are very pleased with what Mars Investigations was able to do. They all knew that Mr. Mars was a good Sheriff and he had been the one to find out who killed Lilly Kane. They were also impressed at how good an investigator Eli turned out to be. It was actually kind of funny that Mars Investigations would help Dick when Veronica Mars FBI thought he was guilty. They enjoyed the irony. Well all except Logan who felt that Veronica's career may have been tarnished by this case and his relationship with her had definitely been damaged by it.

When Logan talked to Casey he told him what he asked Veronica to do. Casey could see Logan's upset at Veronica's negative opinion of him. Logan tells Casey that Veronica told him that she works for the victims now and Dick was not a victim. She was upset about the pension funds lost, mortgages lost and how it negatively impacted so many people; the loss of income, houses, health care as well as the social impact of divorces, substance abuse, violence and suicides. He finally told Casey that she refused to help Dick and wasn't even interested in bargaining to get something she wanted for doing it. Quietly he tells him that in the end he asked her to do it for him.

Shocked at what his friend is telling him, Casey repeats, "She did it for you. Wow!"

Logan looks out the restaurant window and his voice clearly show his pain as he explains, "She told me that she wouldn't do it for Dick and that I had to ask her to do it. Once I did, she asked me to leave and then walked away." He pauses and adds, "I think she is done with me."

"I'm sorry," Casey tries and then adds, "You had to do it."

Sighing Logan agrees quietly, "I know."

No more is said but Casey understands that Logan is hurting over Veronica's opinion of him. He doesn't see any other choice for Logan and he knows that this may have been the last nail in the coffin of their relationship. He doesn't have any advice for Logan on how to repair his relationship with the woman who obviously is still in his heart. He doesn't have any advice for how to cope with the situation either.

Dick and John however are impressed that Logan was able to get Veronica to help. They both congratulate Logan at his ability to get a girl to help them. They tease him that even the cold bitch Mars is putty in his hand. They are not concerned that this may be the end of Logan's relationship with her; to them it is a good thing.

When Logan is not in the room Casey points out that Logan is upset that his relationship with Veronica is over, Dick carelessly says, "That is a bonus dude. Almost worth the loss of money and jail to get rid of her." When he sees Casey's disapproval, he adds, "It's for the best. Logan meets lots of women. He will find someone better. You'll see."

John agrees, "Mars is toxic for Logan. He is better off without her."

Casey looks at the door where Logan left. He wishes things were different. He wishes that Logan didn't have to sacrifice his relationship with Veronica for his friendship with Dick. He wishes Logan wasn't hurting.

It turns out that Logan briefly sees Veronica at the trial. Logan, John and Casey are all there to support Dick. They all sit in their expensive suits, a match for Dick who is carelessly wearing a suit worth more than what most of the visitors in the gallery spend on clothes in a year or more. She sits with the tall dirty blond agent who Logan has learned has been her partner for three years. She looks poised and calm. Her partner testifies but Veronica is not called. She listens without expression to the testimony and leaves when her partner leaves. Logan watching them carefully sees there is only a professional relationship between them.

Veronica's face is a mask of professional calm when she runs into Dick, John, Casey and Logan in the hallway of the courthouse. She is waiting outside a meeting room for her partner to finish up some paperwork. Engrossed in what she is doing on her computer, she doesn't notice their approach until they stop by the bench she is sitting on. When she does look up at them, her face briefly shows surprise and then irritation before an unreadable mask slides into place. Looking back down she shuts her computer so they cannot see what she is doing.

Without any further comment she stands, picks up her computer and starts to put it in its case obviously not wanting to talk to them. Wanting to make the situation better for his best friend Casey steps closer and tries, "I wanted to thank you for your help and for sending Eli to help us."

She looks at Casey and he is taken aback by the anger in her eyes. She tells him firmly, "Don't thank me. I recommended that you be charged as an accessory. It was the DA who chose not to prosecute." Pausing she finishes stuffing her computer back into the case. She adds quietly, "I am guessing that your contacts in the DA's office got you off so you can be thankful for that."

Logan can see that Casey is taken a back at her anger. It is clear he really doesn't understand why she is mad at him.

Dick having been talked to by both Logan and Casey about his behavior says, "Veronica,"

She intones, "Mr. Cassablancas."

The four men immediately see that she is minimizing their past personal relationship, keeping things formal. Dick reluctantly starts, "I wanted to thank you for recommending Eli..."

She looks away and says crisply, "Mars Investigation is the best."

Dick exchanges a look with Logan and Casey and then continues, "And for making sure I was safe in prison."

Logan sees her swallow keeping her emotions in check. She says keeping her tone professional and not looking at Dick or any of the men, "I am still trying to figure out how to 'go fuck myself'. Perhaps you know how." She turns and walks away into a restricted area before they can talk any further to her.

John derides, '''She is still a huge bitch."

Logan watches her leave, his brown eyes deep with emotion. She did not make eye contact with him once. He can see that she is still upset with him. He can see that as far as she is concerned, their relationship is over.

In the meantime, Casey looks at Dick and questions, "You told her to go fuck herself?"

Dick defends, "My lawyer told me not to talk to her."

Shaking his head Casey says, "She is amazing for even helping you."

Dick seeing Logan's pain when Veronica walked off says, "It's for the best Logan. She's the past man."

Logan doesn't say anything to Dick but Casey sees that Logan is more upset than he is letting on. Dick and John may think it is better if Logan never sees Veronica again but Casey wonders if Logan is ever going to get over the tiny blonde. He hasn't yet.

A few weeks later the trial is over. Dick's involvement is completed and justice has been served. Veronica and her partner did not return. The courtroom was packed everyday with victims wanting to hear that the people that hurt them paid a penalty. Logan, John and Casey did not return after Dick finished his testimony.

Logan sits on his deck looking at the ocean. He thinks about how Veronica does not answer his calls and how Eli told him that Veronica won't talk about him.

After Logan gave Eli the check for his services, the former gang leader politely thanked him for the business. Eli said formally, "Now our business is complete…" He turned and punched Dick hard in the face knocking him to the ground. He said angrily, "That is for what you did to V at the 09er party." He straightened his suit and walked out the door without any further conversation.

Logan smirked a little as Dick got up. He said, "Mrs. H. will get you some ice for your face."

Casey could see that Logan actually admired Eli for that punch. It is clear that the former gang leader wasn't worried that the four rich men would retaliate or fight back.

Truthfully Logan can see the changes in his former enemy. He is a businessman now, works hard and is truly the kind of investigator that belongs at Mars Investigation. Logan can't find it in his heart to be upset at the punch Eli gave Dick. The former biker is Veronica's friend and is angry at how Dick treated Veronica back then.

Logan finds that he really wants to talk to Veronica. He is bothered that she hates him now. On the surface, his life has not changed by his re-connection such as it is with Veronica. He still writes, runs his foundation and parties with his friends. If his heart was not in the parties and single lifestyle before, it is even more pronounced now.

Casey, worried about his friend, asks Logan if he is going to contact Veronica. Sadly Logan admits, "She isn't answering my calls or returning any of my messages."

Frowning Casey suggests, "Well then I guess you better find a way to make sure she can't ignore you."

The tall young man looks at his friend in surprise and question. Casey elaborates, "Make her deal with you. Use some of the legendary persuasive techniques you are known for." Lightening his tone he adds, "Or are they just exaggerations by the press?"

Logan thinks about what Casey is suggesting and hesitates. Casey anticipating Logan's concerns points out, "You are hurting that she thinks badly about you. Talking to her might help but at the very least, it won't make any difference. What do you have to lose?"

Frowning as he thinks about the question, Logan finally answers, "Nothing really I guess." He thinks about what his friend is telling him. If he wants to talk to Veronica, he is going to have to make the first move. He thinks for a while about what her reaction may be and decides that Casey is right. Even if she is mad or refuses to talk to him, he is really no worse off.

With renewed determination, Logan decides to find Veronica and talk to her. This time he is going to talk to her about them; not Dick. He hopes he doesn't have to become a stalker to get to talk to her.

His chance comes a few weeks later when he sees her walking out of the coffee shop near her condo. Logan googled coffee shops near her condo and there were only three. He got his security team to watch all three early on weekday mornings and then again on Saturday and Sunday morning knowing that with her love of coffee, she would be by before she headed out to start her day. He told the security guys to be careful and rotate the men assigned to look for her. She is an FBI agent and he doesn't want her to know he is trying to find out where he can meet her to talk to her.

He gets out of his car and walks up the sidewalk towards her. He gets her attention, "Veronica."

She looks at him and her face closes off. She steps aside to let him into the coffee shop. Logan merely steps with her staying in front of her.

Obviously frustrated she looks at him. He looks at her letting her see he is being open and serious, "I need to talk to you."

Shrugging off his request, she dismisses with a wave of her hand not holding her coffee, "I don't see the point," and tries to walk around him only to be frustrated when he steps in her way again.

Quietly he leans his head closer looking at her with his soft brown eyes, "Please Ronnie, let's talk for a minute."

Veronica frowns and answers firmly, "I'll all out of favors for you Logan."

"Ronnie," he says his voice disapproving, "I don't want a favor. I think you know that."

She briefly closes her eyes and then opens them and looks at him. She tells him, "We really don't have anything left to say."

He disagrees, "I think we do." He adds firmly, "You aren't working today. I will only take a few minutes of your time."

Frowning at his persistence, she finally concedes that she will have to listen to what he has to say. She waves her hand over towards some outdoor chairs. A little petulantly she sits on one side of the table and waits for him to sit across from her. Once he has settled she asks impatiently, "What is it you need to say Logan?"

Logan sits down after she is seated and looks closely at her. She looks beautiful today with her hair braided back around her face and minimal make up. She is wearing tight black jeans with a light maroon blouse. He starts by telling her that he is really sorry that he asked her to help Dick. He tries to explain that Dick stood by him when no one else did and now he has Dick's back. He says, "I don't approve of everything he does." He finishes with , "I think you would do the same thing for Eli."

"You don't approve of everything he does," she repeats incredulously. She pauses and then asks, "Do you understand how little he valued me to carry my almost unconscious body into a room and encourage his brother to rape me?"

Defensive at her probing question, he starts to tell her, "He didn't think Cassidy would actually do it..."

Frustrated that he is making excuses for Dick's behavior, she interrupts, "It's not just that! Other 09ers bothered me when they saw me but they left it at that. I was a target for Dick. He took great pleasure in tormenting me every day." Not waiting for his response she carries on, "Of course when he found out that my father was right, he never apologized and he never stopped harassing me."

Logan seeing her upset starts to talk only to be silenced when she slaps her hand on the table. She spits out, "The kicker is in college he was angry with me because I didn't stop his murdering, psychotic brother who raped me, killed a bus load of innocent student and then a plane load of people and of course, planned to kill me by throwing my body off the roof and making it look like a suicide..." She pauses to take a breath and finishes, "He is upset that I didn't stop his brother from jumping off the fucking roof when you saved me."

Logan is stunned silent. He can't think of a thing to say so he sits staring at her.

The obviously upset young woman closes her eyes and slowly lets a long breath out trying to calm herself down. After a few seconds she opens her eyes and looks at Logan, "Now Dick has graduated to swindling others." She puts up her hand and stops what Logan was going to say. She looks him in the eye and says, "He knew the deal was shady. He is a business major. He knew that he and the other investors were making a butt load of money from somewhere but he didn't give a thought to the thousands of people who would be losing money." She hisses, "He knew Logan."

Logan starts to disagree when she just talks over him continuing, "He is as morally corrupt as his father and as psychotic as his dead brother." He looks at her and sees she is wound up now. He is hearing what she is truly thinking and feeling. She says, "And how dare you compare Eli to Dick? Eli was poor with very few options. Sure he was the leader of a gang and he was full of hate and made a lot of wrong choices. But he left the gang, graduated high school and got a job. He has given money to his grandmother every month to help her raise his cousins. He is married and is a good friend, cousin, grandson, father and husband."

She finishes, "So it's supposed to be OK to ask me to help Dick because," she makes finger quotes, "you don't approve of everything he does?"

She gets up and says, "You can tell yourself that Dick was just a patsy and that he is your friend so it is OK to help him..." She waves her arms and continues, "No one is surprised that because of wealth and contacts, Dick got a sweet deal but know this Logan; This time he has really hurt a lot of innocent people including children."

Her parting shot before she walks off is, "The sad thing is Dick won't have any trouble sleeping at night after what he has done but those of us who had to witness the fall out, do."

An hour later Casey is sitting on his expensive couch across from his best friend who arrived to see him obviously upset. He looks at Logan who is sitting with his head in his hands and he comments, "Wow! She really unloaded on you!"

Logan is quiet for a few minutes. He finally says, "There was some truth to what she said."

Casey asks, "What do you mean?"

Logan tells Casey how once Veronica began to list all the things that Dick did, he did sound psychotic. He says, "The comparison to Cassidy and his father made me think."

"Dick is not like them," he immediately defends.

Logan nods and agrees, "I know but I can see why she thinks he is." He sighs and puts his head back on the couch. He asks tiredly, "If Dick didn't have money, he would be in jail. The group he got involved with hurt a lot of people." Logan looks back up at the ceiling and tells Casey how Veronica can't look past all the people he hurt. He says, "I think she has a point."

Casey points out, "She can be upset with Dick and the system for making a deal with him but we didn't know what he was involved in. We are just supporting him now because he is our friend."

"I know," Logan explains, "Do you remember how the victims filled the gallery every day of the trial? I read that during the penalty phase, there was a lottery to choose fifty victims to speak to the judge because it would take too long to let all of them speak." He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly finishing, "The fact is our friend helped destroy a lot of people's lives."

Frustrated at the whole situation Casey points out, "I can see what you mean Logan but the law dealt with Dick. He made his deal with the DA. He paid his fine and testified."

His friend sighs and says, "I get it. I can see Veronica's point that we all helped Dick but no one cares about the victims."

Unsure why Logan is worried about that Casey checks, "There has always been a different set of rules for the wealthy. I guess we are just used to that."

Logan nods his head in agreement but Veronica's accusation that Dick hurt thousands of people including children really resonated with him. He shares, "When Big Dick went to jail, I didn't think about all the people who were hurt by what he did. It was just easier to not think about them." He runs his hand through his hair and finishes, "Veronica doesn't have that luxury. She had to listen to their stories."

Casey thinks about what his friend is saying as he finishes his beer. Veronica's anger makes more sense now. He has to admit that he is relieved when Logan changes the subject to their plans for the weekend. It is uncomfortable to talk about all the victims and think about what they are going through. It is easier if he doesn't think about all the people there in the gallery. It's easier if he doesn't think about how Dick made a lot of money and only had to pay back part of it. He avoids the newscasts and avoids reading stories about the trial, the scam or the victims.

What he does know is that Veronica and Logan are clearly on opposite sides of the issue. There doesn't seem to be a way for Logan and Veronica to meet in the middle right now. He just has to hope that time will either help their relationship or help Logan accept what has happened.

Wallace walks with Veronica out of the club. It has been a great night. He had a nice dinner with his best friend and then they met Mac and a few of her coworkers at the club. It was good to see Veronica cut loose and have fun. She works too hard and he sometimes worries about her emotional state seeing all the negative situations at work. During dinner he had talked with her about trying to find more balance between work and a personal life. Although she didn't say much, he could tell that she heard his concerns. Of course she was mum about her feelings about seeing Logan Echolls again although with a few drinks in her she did over share at how handsome and sexy he looked. Now on the way home he was sorry that he was leaving LA again. This time he would be gone six months. V understood how important running these jobs overseas were to his career but he would really miss her. She wraps her arms around him as they walk to his car and she says, "You know I love you, right?"

He smiles down at her and answers, "I love you too V." Wrapping his arm around her, he supports her as they walk through the parking lot. Heels and a drunk petite woman are not the safest combination. He will get her safely to bed and then head home to his apartment. He has a lot of packing to do tomorrow.

A week later Logan's agent calls him and without fanfare blurts out, "Your script for Joel Montgomery's movie has been accepted. They called me today."

Logan is stunned. He knew that the producers liked his script but he is a relative unknown only having been an assistant on rewrites during filming. To actually have his script accepted means that he will be named in the movie credits. It means a lot of hard work in the next few weeks during negotiations with potential actors and then months of rewrites during filming. This is a real opportunity to learn and to advance his career. He is proud and excited. He listens as his agent talks about the meeting he scheduled the following week and the contract they are offering him.

After Logan has called Casey, Dick and John to tell them his news, they make plans for a night out to celebrate. He looks out his bedroom window at the view before he goes to shower. Over the years he has had a few days that have given him reason to celebrate; his graduation from college, his first job working on a screenplay, the day his foundation came into being and the first fundraiser he had for the foundation. Each of those days his friends were there but a small part of Logan wanted to share it with Veronica. She was across the country and they were not close anymore but his thoughts still went to her; always to her.

Now things are different. Veronica is living in LA. She could be a part of his life now. She could come to the Foundation and see his work there. She could come to the fundraisers and share in his dream of helping abused women and children. She could read his scripts, his stories and see how much the art of writing means to him. He values her opinion and he trusts her even after this time apart.

Although still relatively young, Logan has a lot of experience with the opposite sex. He is not looking for a woman to date and have sex with. He has this dream of finding his soul mate. He is not going to settle for a warm body that doesn't make him happy and he can't make her happy. That just seems like a recipe for pain in the future when they part.

The truth is he put his heart into this screenplay because he understood the story. He understood the main character. He understood the truth under the facade; the pain, the loneliness, the self hatred and the fear. He understood the main character's emotions and how his deep and true love for the female character in the story drove his actions. He understood the underlying meaning behind each conversation the two main characters had.

He understood because he loved Veronica Mars. Their story did not parallel the story of the main character and his love interest but the underlying devotion, need, want and love was the same. A true love story is rare and he understands a true love story. So in the script, he poured out his feelings, good and bad, for this love. It had been a release and a revelation writing the script. He released a lot of the pain he had over the past and he came to truly see that his love for Veronica wasn't going to go away.

Now having written the screenplay, he sees that if he is going to be alone like the character in the book, destined to have shallow relationships and be around people who truly didn't care about him, he wants to know that there isn't any other choice for him. He wants to really know that a relationship with the woman who holds his heart is not possible.

He needs to see Veronica again. He has to talk to her and open up his heart to her. He has to see if there is any hope for them. If he doesn't give his heart that chance, he will be like the main character in the screenplay; looking back on his life and wondering, regretting and wishing. He doesn't want that.

He needs to know.