Chapter Ten
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“Iwas able to obtain a copy of the police report. There’s not much there. From what you said there was an entire file.”
“At least an inch thick.” Logan had been surprised by the details she knew.
“Then it must be her own research because I’m telling you, the police has it listed as an open-and-shut case. The fire was deemed accidental due to negligence on the owner’s part.”
“That’s bullshit, Bennett. I’ve seen what she has. If I didn’t think she was right, I would’ve never brought it to Brice for his opinion.”
“Now that I believe. Can you ask her to scan what she has and I’ll look at it?”
He wasn’t going to waste his breath asking her. The answer was going to be no. This was years of her research, and it was hard enough to pry the photos away from her. “Are you saying you can’t figure this out yourself?” Logan knew Bennett prided himself on doing what no one else could. He was top in his field.
“Good try. I like the way you think. But right now I’m busy in Tabiq. You know damn well what my top priority is.”
Logan couldn’t believe he’d forgotten. What was this woman doing to him? Until he met her, his family was always the most important thing in his life. That hadn’t changed, but somehow Cori had entered into that small group of people. He should’ve realized that when he kissed her in front of Brice. He’d been making a statement, one he hadn’t even admitted to himself.
That explained his need to help her. It wasn’t about finding the answer to an old crime that happened thirty years ago. It was about Cori needing someone to believe her. To be there for her while she did this. Maybe having Bennett look into this isn’t the way to go. Maybe I’m supposed to do this. Be by her side.
“You’re right. I’ve got this. You just find what you need for Zoey.”
“And if I need you to come to Tabiq?”
He wasn’t turning his back on his family. “Then I’ll be there. Just try to do it without me. You know my stance.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
When the call ended, Logan reached out to check on Zoey. With everything he’d learned lately, it was time for him to step back into the big-brother role and keep an eye on her while Bennett was away.
“What a surprise, Logan. Is everything okay?” Zoey asked.
They had seen each other every month at Sunday brunch, but somehow that was about it since she’d married Bennett. He’d foolishly stepped aside so they could have their privacy, when in fact, all it did was keep him away because he didn’t want to hear anything more about their mothers or their father. He hoped if he met with her now, they might be able to stay off that topic. The odds of that happening were slim.
“Everything is fine. I was just checking to see if you and Pearl wanted to ride with me to brunch.”
Zoey paused longer than normal. She was the thinker of the group. That was probably what made her a good match with Bennett. They kept each other on their toes. Logan, on the other hand, had never thought that long and hard about what someone else was thinking.
“I would’ve thought you’d be traveling with your... new friend. What’s her name?” She waited only a second before continuing. “Cordelia, right? We’re all looking forward to meeting her. Well, maybe I should say the rest of us. It seems Morgan, Shaun, and Brice have already been introduced.”
He could bang his head on the desk right now. This was exactly what he didn’t want happening. Logan hadn’t officially asked Cori to go with him. Actually, he believed he’d made it clear she wasn’t welcome, and he wasn’t attending. If Zoey knew that Morgan had already met her, she’d have already made contact and pumped Morgan for information. Bennett was right. I’m fucking this up royally.
“It’s nothing serious, Zoey, so don’t go spreading rumors.” He knew the warning was falling on deaf ears. When all the ladies in the family were together, the guys simply rolled their eyes at all the whispering and giggling. It was scary as hell because when they were through, the guys knew they were in trouble. Logan never gave it a second thought because he was never the subject matter. Until now.
“Then I guess we shouldn’t have invited her out to lunch with us today.”
“You didn’t!”
Zoey laughed. “Oh dear. I guess Morgan is right. You do have it bad. How cute is this? Logan Henderson finally has met the one.”
He’d gotten his wish; they weren’t talking about parents, but this wasn’t where he wanted the conversation to go either. With gritted teeth, he asked, “You’re joking, right?”
“Logan, do I ever joke?”
He wished she did. “I really wish you hadn’t done that.”
“Why not? It’s easier if we meet her before Sunday. Trust me, the ladies all agree. When they first came to brunch and had to meet all you guys, it was... scary. You guys can be gruff at times, and when you don’t know people, it can be... a bit too much. So we decided to meet her beforehand and introduce ourselves. This way she won’t feel outnumbered.”