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Chapter Eleven
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Logan had known he wasn’t going to have a restful sleep last night. Not with worrying about Cori. He’d gotten some feedback from his sister about the lunch. They all loved Cori. That wasn’t a surprise. She was highly intelligent, knew how to hold her own in the company of strangers, and genuinely sweet. But when she wouldn’t chat on the phone or see him afterward, he was concerned they’d questioned her more than either had let on. He knew what those ladies could be like. It probably was an inquisition instead of a lunch with laughter.
He needed to find a way to see her soon. Unfortunately, she’d denied his request for dinner. Why was she avoiding him? Was it something he’d said or done? Most likely. I’m a jerk. Just wish I knew what it was so I can fix it.
However, the list of potential issues seemed endless. He knew he wasn’t easy to get along with. That’s why he chose to be alone. That didn’t mean he didn’t find her company more than appealing. It just meant she got the short end of the deal.
He thought about just showing up at her apartment. It wouldn’t be the first time. If he continued doing that, he might be pushing his luck. She’d already said no. Pushing himself on a woman wasn’t him. He’d respect her wish today. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t find something she couldn’t refuse to entice her for an outing tomorrow.
He’d need to step up his research on the fire. Bennett was out of commission as leader on this; he’d have to look to his other resources. He’d never needed anyone in this manner. Usually, it was his brothers who required such assistance. He wasn’t sure where to begin outside of flying to California himself and talking with the police department. It seemed like the most logical thing to do.
Right now he wished he was more like Brice or Dean. One loo at those two and people got out of their way. He was a surgeon. The only time anyone was afraid of him was when he approached them with a scalpel. Since he wasn’t performing brain surgery on them, he probably wasn’t going to have much luck.
His phone rang, and it was Brice. He wasn’t ready to speak to him. “What can I do for you?”
“Actually, I think it’s you who needs me this time,” Brice said sarcastically.
He wasn’t about to admit it even if he did. “And what makes you think that?”
“Those pictures weren’t from any game. I don’t know what’s going on, but I figure that girl of yours is in some sort of trouble. Care to tell me what it is or should I go figure that out for myself?”
Logan should’ve known it was too good to be true. Although Brice didn’t let on at the time, he’d given information in such detail that he must’ve known they were real. “She believes her grandfather was murdered and the police state it was an accident.”
“What you showed me proves the fire wasn’t an accident. How was he killed?”
“She said the fire was out of control, and he stayed trying to put it out. If the fire was covered up, what else was?” Logan didn’t mention his concern to Cori. It must be difficult enough thinking someone was only out to burn the place down. Something in Logan said this cover-up went much deeper.
“You think he was killed and then the fire was set? I mean, there are other ways to dispose of a body.”
He was sure there were countless ways, but this person or group wanted to take everything from him. This wasn’t a simple act of robbery or vandalism. This was based on hatred. Logan needed to find out who Joe Sparks’s enemies were. Then he’d know what type of people they were dealing with. “I think this was personal. If I’m right, this cover-up is bigger than any of us think.”
“What are you going to do?” Brice asked.
“I’m going to go talk to the police and see what they remember of the case.”
“Hasn’t it been thirty years? I’m sure they’re all retired by now.”
Brice had a point, but one thing he’d learned from his father, greed never retires, it always chases more money. If they were still alive, he’d lure them out. It was just a matter of how much it would cost him. Whatever it is, I’ll find the truth for her. He only hoped it wasn’t too painful once it was revealed.
“I think it’s time I throw the Henderson name around and see if it stirs anything up. If not, I’ll let you know if I need your help.” Logan didn’t want any. If he took it, he’d lose control of what happened with the results. Right now he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he would share them with Cori. Sometimes the truth was best buried.
He had his jet fueled and ready to take off. Surprisingly, he was able to move a few surgeries around without too much hassle, given he would only be away one day. Although he wanted to tell Cori where he was going, he knew she’d insist on tagging along. If anyone thought he was helping her, that might jeopardize them both. The only way this was going to work was for him to go alone. Good thing that’s how I prefer it.
That had been irrefutable before he met Cori. An eight-hour flight would normally be spent reviewing case files, catching up on medical reading, and occasionally, catching up on sleep. This time he wished he could have someone with him. Cori. Her companionship sure would spice up the travel. But this wasn’t about what he wanted. It was all about Cori and what she needed. The last thing she needed was him hitting on her right now. And if they were alone that long, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep his hands off her. Each time they kissed, it became more difficult to distance himself. She smelled sweet, and her lips tasted even better. He could only imagine what it would be like if he sampled all she had to offer.
Logan felt his pants tighten. Great. That’s the last thing I need on this flight.
Cori was pushingher luck right now. Her search engine was filled with questionable material, most not easy to read, but when it came to Tabiq, well, that material was incredibly hard to read. What she thought had been a bad situation actually was a horrendous one. It was a country that had been poor but loving. And about forty-five years ago something drastically changed. It was as though a switch flipped, and evil walked in.
None of that made any sense because there hadn’t been a change in political power. So the influence had to come from outside of Tabiq. What could’ve happened to cause such a change?
As she continued, she found something very interesting. Alex’s wife was from Tabiq. Marrying someone from another country wasn’t so strange, but it didn’t explain why Shaun was there. He surely wasn’t looking for a wife because Morgan would wring his neck. So why should he be there? It wasn’t as though he had anything to offer the country. He wasn’t a scientist or a doctor. Something wasn’t adding up.
Maybe the answer lies with Ziva.If she’d known about her connection yesterday, she’d have slid in some questions about her home. She’d known from Ziva’s accent that she wasn’t born in the US, but that hadn’t fazed her then. Now she knew she had to speak to her again. Since they’d just met yesterday, it’d be odd for her to call out of the blue. She needed a different way in.
Cori hated to do it, but Morgan was the perfect link. Grabbing her phone, she dialed her number.
