Logan sat in the gallery, directly behind the defendant's table, his leg bouncing nervously. His brain switched between thoughts of Dick's case and thoughts of how to smooth things over with Veronica when he got home. So far, he couldn't come up with an answer for either.
"Mr. Echolls."
The woman's voice caught Logan by surprise and he quickly stood from his seat.
"Sandra Hopkins," she said, extending her hand to Logan.
The tall woman, with rich sepia skin, cocked her eyebrow at Logan, running a quick glance down him in that lawyer way that made him feel like he was on trial. Her dark black hair was pulled back into a large, tight bun, and when combined with her three-inch heels and grey DKNY suit, gave her a commanding presence in the room. Logan had a sudden surge of confidence knowing that Dick was not being represented by San Diego's version of Cliff McCormick.
"Thank you for calling me, Ms. Hopkins," Logan said as he shook her hand.
The lawyer gave him a tight smile and walked through the swinging door to the desk, dropping her briefcase on top.
"Well, thank you for coming. As I said on the phone, things seem to have escalated quickly with Mr. Casablancas' case and I want to make sure it is handled properly," she stated, snapping her briefcase open with her finely manicured fingers. "And since you seem to be his only 'family' he spoke of, I wanted to be sure you were consulted."
Logan gripped the low wooden wall between them. "I understand. Have they lifted the suicide watch yet?"
She shook her head, grimly, leaning back against the edge of the desk. "No. And he's become worse. Yesterday, he was talking about his own death. This morning, after I talked to you, he began rambling incoherently about someone or something that I'm not too sure made sense."
"What did he say?" asked Logan.
"He was going on about needing to see 'Beaver'," she said, crossing her arms and frowning. "At first, I thought he was on some sort of sexist tangent, but then I realized that 'Beaver' was a person or an actual animal, like a pet."
Logan closed his eyes. My name is Cassidy.
"Cassidy," Logan whispered. "His brother's nickname was 'Beaver' in High School."
"I didn't know he had a brother," Sandra replied.
"He did. Cassidy committed suicide almost 20 years ago," Logan replied, grimacing as the scene of Cassidy's death played in the background of his thoughts.
Sandra let out a deep breath. "Well, that may play in our favour. After seeing him this morning, I think that a psychiatric evaluation is in order. It'll also buy us at least 30 days to work on his case."
Logan rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about what that could really mean – 30 days of life. Logan knew all too well that California had the death penalty, and if Dick was found guilty, he wouldn't be sent to a psychiatric facility; he'd be sent to death row.
"You here to bail out your buddy, Logan?" Leo said from the aisle, his voice cutting through Logan's thoughts.
Logan adjusted his gaze, his eyes narrowing. "If I need to," he snarked.
Leo glanced around the room, which was now beginning to fill with people. "Where's Veronica?"
"Working," Logan snapped, turning towards the detective. "I'll tell her you say 'hi'."
Leo nodded, stepping closer to Logan. "You want some advice? Go back and live your life with Veronica and the kids, and walk away from Dick Casablancas." Leo stated, his voice lowered. "I wouldn't want that guy around my kids, anyway."
Logan licked his lips, his hands balling into fists at his side, readying himself for a fight. Since Logan found out that Leo and Veronica spent time together – both before the kids and after – while Logan was overseas, a simmering hostility lingered between the men. Logan remembered the sharpness in his heart when Veronica told him, with great joy, all about the times "her friend" Leo helped her with the twins, or brought them a gift, or surprised them with dinner. But Logan saw the look of longing Leo still had in his eye, every time she was around, even if Veronica wouldn't acknowledge it. A look that made Logan want to punch him blind.
"First off, my relationship with my family is none of your Goddamn business," Logan hissed, stepping closer to his rival. "Second, Dick never turned his back on me when I needed someone, and I don't plan on turning my back on him now."
For a moment, neither of them moved, standing eye-to-eye. It was Leo who finally took the first step back, his hands coming up, defensively.
"Your life, Echolls. Not mine," he said, before moving to take a seat on the prosecution's side.
"Damn straight it's my life," Logan muttered before taking his seat again.
A moment later, Dick was led into the court room by two burly guards. He was dressed in his grey suit that Logan had picked up, at Sandra's request, and it appeared that he had showered, but had not shaved. If he was on suicide watch, Logan thought, they may not have given him a razor.
Dick gave him a smirk and a two-finger salute before sitting down at the table. His lawyer immediately leaned in to talk to him privately. Dick nodded several times, his face becoming grim. He gazed around the court room, as if looking for someone, causing Logan to look around as well, hunting for whomever Dick was searching for.
Dick leaned closer to the dividing wall, placing his cuffed hands on top. "Hey Logan," he said. "Where's Beav?"
Logan's stomach churned. "He's not here, Dick."
Dick frowned. "Why? I'm his brother. That's what you're supposed to do: support your family."
Logan placed his hand on Dick's. "I'll be here for you Dick," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "Like you've been there for me."
"Thanks dude," Dick smiled before turning to face his lawyer again.
Logan slumped against the wooden bench, letting out a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions under control. Somehow, things just got worse.
Fear kept Logan sitting on the beach far too long. After the judge shipped Dick off for a 30-day psychiatric evaluation, Logan walked out of the court house in a daze and stumbled into a paparazzi frenzy. Nine years later, the vultures still remembered his own brush with a murder charge and lobbed questions at him as he tried to make his escape.
But the thing that shook him the most was the sight of the parents of the girls, crying, holding on to each other on the courtroom steps as they spoke to the media. They looked to be about the same age as him and Veronica.
If he and Veronica had a baby, when they were together in college, their child would be only slightly older than these girls. It was a thought that set off a wave of fear for his own children that was so strong, it nearly paralyzed him.
So Logan took off to the beach. To think. To hide. To regroup before heading back home.
Stopping for a moment at their front door, Logan took a deep breath before slipping into the house to face Veronica.
"Where were you?" Veronica called out from the kitchen the minute his foot hit the hardwood. She didn't even turn around from whatever she was doing at the stove.
"San Diego," he said, toeing off his shoes, hoping he got all the sand out first.
"Leo called hours ago," she stated. "Where were you after that?"
"I haven't been ratted on since Trina left home," Logsn snarked, looking around for signs of the kids before the inevitable argument began.
"He was concerned," Veronica said, turning away from cutting into the piping hot pan of lasagne.
Logan rolled his eyes, leaning on the edge of the counter. "Yeah. I'm sure."
Veronica put down the knife and wiped her hands on her jeans. "He told me Dick was transferred to psychiatric care."
Logan dropped his head, closing his eyes to block out the memory of Dick being dragged out of the courtroom, calling for his non-existent brother.
"It's so fucked up, Veronica," he said quietly, his voice quivering. "Even more than it was before."
Veronica came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her head into the curve of his back.
"I know," she whispered. "But we'll find out what happened. One way or another."
For a moment, they both took comfort in the syncing rhythm of their breathing.
"I thought you were mad at me," he said.
"I am," Veronica replied. "But I still love you."
Logan chuckled, turning to wrap his arms around her. "So then, you're waiting until the kids are asleep to yell at me?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure you'll regret your decision to let Jack come to the office, soon enough," Veronica replied, pulling away from him and returning to her job of plating the food. "Can you call the kids for dinner, please."
Logan furrowed his brow, walking to the bottom of the stairs. "Come and eat, guys!" he yelled to the second floor.
A thundering of feet echoed as the kids came out of their rooms and ran downstairs, with Pony following close behind.
"Why did Jack get to go to your office?!" exclaimed Linc the moment he saw Logan.
"Yeah! You're always telling us we can't go!" Lexie griped, giving her best pout face to her dad.
Logan glanced in horror at Veronica as she calmly walked with two plates of food to the table and placed them in front of the twins' chairs.
"Well, like I said before, it was your Dad's decision," Veronica stated, putting her hands on her hips. "You take it up with him."
"Just throwing me under the parenting bus, aren't you," he muttered, his eyes narrowing at Veronica.
"Yep," she said, before turning back to the stove to grab the other plates. "Jack, tell Daddy what you want to be when you grow up."
Jack looked up from his seat, his big eyes full of love. "I'm gonna be an im-besta-gator! Like you, Daddy!"
Logan squeezed his eyes shut. This was the last thing he wanted to hear. Even 'actor' he could have dealt with.
"So am I!" Lexie joined in, shaking with excitement. "Aunty Mac told Jack that Mom was just like Nancy Drew in school! I love those books at Grandpa's house! I can learn to be like her too!"
Logan opened his eyes to catch Veronica glaring at him from behind the counter.
"Why didn't you tell us you guys were so cool?" Linc added, excitedly.
Logan let out a deep sigh and slid into his chair. "We didn't tell you guys about what we did because it's not the kind of thing we want you guys to do."
"But didn't Grandpa do this stuff before you guys?" Linc asked, showing off his natural curiosity again. "He told us that used to be his business."
"Yes, but your Grandpa got hurt so badly, doing this stuff, that he still has problems," Logan said. "That's why he had to retire."
"And take care of us!" Jack stated happily.
"Yes, and help take care of you guys," Veronica said with a smile, sitting down with her plate at the table.
"So, is it dangerous for you guys?" Lexie asked, her eyes wide with interest.
Logan caught Veronica's eye as she frowned with concern.
"No Lexie," Logan said, beginning his lie. "We don't take dangerous cases anymore. Your mom mostly does her lawyer thing, and I do stuff like track down information for people. Nothing that could get us hurt."
The kids all looked at each other, as if seeing if everyone was going to believe what their Dad was telling them.
"Can Linc and I come to the office?" Lexie asked again. "Because if Jack got to it's only fair…."
"Yes Lexie, you guys can come," Veronica finally said with a sigh. "Now, this is the end of the discussion. Everyone eat before your food gets cold."
The mother had spoken. The family quickly dropped the topic to discuss other parts of there day, as Logan mentally chastised himself for choosing to let the kids into their investigative world.
Later – after the dishes, the baths, and the bedtimes – Logan found Veronica in the study, files and papers spread out in front of her on their big oak desk.
Leaning against the door frame, Logan crossed his arms, frowning. "What's all this?"
"Everything pertaining to Dick's case," she said, leaning back in the soft leather executive chair. "I thought we could go through it together, so we're on the same page."
"Really?" he asked, walking towards the desk. "Did Leo tell you why Dick was sent for a psych evaluation?"
"Yes," she replied. "I know he believes that Cassidy is still alive."
Logan came over to her side of the desk, leaning against the edge. "I didn't think you'd want any part of this, once you heard."
Veronica offered her palm out to Logan and he gently placed his hand in hers.
"You were there when he jumped, too," she said quietly.
"I'm not the one Cassidy raped," he replied. "You are."
Veronica looked at their clasped hands. You're not a killer. Logan's words from that night, echoed in her brain. So, when she wouldn't shoot Cassidy, he ever so gracefully stepped off the edge of the roof, falling to his death.
"Have you and Dick ever talked about that night on the roof of the Neptune Grand?" she asked, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.
"He's never asked me. And I've never offered." Logan replied. "But he read the papers after. He knows that Cassidy was a killer."
"I'm sure that 50 percent of why he jumped was probably fear of prosecution for the bus killings," Veronica said, dropping his hand and turning her attention back to the files. "I'm sure being molested by Woody Goodman was the other 50 percent."
"What about what he did to you?" Logan said, moving slightly to catch her eye. "You don't think that played a part?"
Veronica's cold gaze lingered for a moment on Logan before turning away again.
"I don't think Cassidy was remorseful about anything he did the night of the party. And neither is Dick," she answered coldly as she began pulling papers out of file folders. "Now can we please drop it and get down to business."
Logan nodded, quietly circling around to the other side of the desk to take a seat in another chair. His mind flashed to the sight of her, passed out on the lawn chair near Shelly Pomeroy's pool, as he placed a lime slice between her teeth, holding a glass of tequila in his hand. Logan's stomach turned in disgust with himself. Some days, he was sure he would spend the rest of his life doing mental penance for his actions that night.
"Wallace gave me a good lead today that made me think that you could be right about these girls being set up," Veronica said. "They worked bussing tables at the River Styx."
"What?" Logan said, coming out of his trance. "How the hell do two teenage girls get mixed up with the Fitzpatricks?"
Veronica shrugged. "Mac is running checks on their social media accounts and texts. But I think what we need to do is find out who Dick got mixed up with to make the Fitzpatricks want to take him out in this way."
Logan leaned back in his chair, his hands running through his hair. "I can't see Dick getting in deep with drugs. He smoked a lot of pot but only did the other stuff when he partied."
Veronica pushed a file towards Logan. "This is a list of businesses that Dick invested in, with names of some of his partners. Maybe a business deal went sour?"
Logan opened the file to glance at the top page. "This isn't the kind of set-up that happens when you cheat someone out of a few dollars. If the Fitzpatricks did this, it's a major message to Dick. And maybe others."
"If he pissed them off, why didn't they just kill him?" she asked. "Why get the girls involved? Why did they have to end up dead?"
"Because the Fitzpatricks are sadistic fucks?" Logan replied, closing the file.
A heavy silence fell between the couple as they contemplated the Fitzpatrick family. Over the years, Sherriff Marcia Langdon had successfully cleaned up the Balboa Police Department. However, when it came to the criminal element in Neptune, the only thing she had succeeded in was driving it deeper underground. And the Fitzpatricks were major players in that world.
"Those poor girls," Veronica said quietly. "Why would they get involved with them?"
"Yeah. Because we were out playing tennis and attending book clubs every weekend when we were their age," Logan said, frowning. "Why did you or me or Lilly or Duncan do any of the ridiculously stupid things we did when we were that age?"
Veronica gave a small, breathy laugh. "Because. We were invincible."
Logan's jaw twitched as he nodded. "Yeah. Exactly. Until we found out we weren't."
Veronica's hands dropped to her belly, rubbing her bump protectively. "Now I get why my dad wanted to put me in a large hamster ball when I was a teenager."
Logan grinned. "I'll see what I can do about getting a couple of those for the twins in a few years, when they turn 13."
Standing, Logan walked around the desk to Veronica and offered her his hand. She took it and he gently pulled her up to stand.
"Why don't you go and take a shower," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'll go through some of this and then come to bed."
Veronica placed her hand on his chest and smiled up at him warmly. "I'm so tired, I don't have the strength to argue. Don't be long, okay?"
"Okay," he replied as he watched her leave the room.
Looking down at the papers on the desk, Logan let out a deep sigh. "Alright Dick," he muttered. "Let's see how you got yourself into this mess."