Baby Blues (Chapter 2) Veronica/Logan R
Title: Baby Blues
Author: glasheen25
Characters/Pairings: Veronica/Logan
Word Count: 2675
Rating: R for language
Spoilers: none
Summary: Sequel to Natural Born Killer. Still trying to recover from the aftermath of her previous case, Veronica’s life is again thrown into turmoil when she receives some unwelcome news.
The sky was still inky black when Veronica pulled herself from their bed and throwing on her robe, headed into the kitchen. Thoughts of the pregnancy weighing heavily on her mind, Veronica couldn’t sleep and saw little point in spending the next two hours tossing and turning in the bed. Better to get an early start, she knew. Work at least would provide a suitable distraction. Five minutes of being in the office and Veronica knew she would be confronted with a desk piled high with paperwork and at least half a dozen meetings with the team to attend.
Logan hadn’t slept very well either. He had even traipsed into the living room to watch something on the television at one point. Neither had broached the subject of her pregnancy though, both preferring to feign sleep and suffer quietly to oneself instead.
Reaching into the refrigerator, Veronica pulled out the makings of a salad. Rinsing the lettuce and tomatoes under the tap, Veronica was just about to start chopping an onion, when Logan wandered in from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes blearily.
“Good morning,” Veronica greeted him with an affectionate smile, her heart melting a little at his bedraggled state. “You look like you slept almost as well as me.”
“I think I managed about an hour at best.” Logan replied with a halfhearted smile, filling the kettle with water and putting it onto the stove to boil. “I had a lot on my mind, you know?”
Chopping the tomatoes and onions meticulously, Veronica didn’t reply and instead busied herself with rummaging in the cupboard for some salad dressing.
“We need to talk about this, you know, Veronica.” Logan insisted taking her hand and pulling her down to sit beside him at the table. “I know you’re scared but this is not just going to go away.”
Sighing heavily, Veronica put her hands to her head and lowered her face to the table. “I know this won’t just go away, Logan.” she replied quietly, her voice surprisingly steady. “But I don’t know what you expect me to do. Enroll in a pregnancy yoga class and buy a copy of ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ or something? We just found out the news yesterday. Can’t that just be enough for now?”
Raising her blue eyes to meet his brown ones, Veronica looked utterly despondent and Logan felt a little guilty for upsetting her after the hellish few weeks his girlfriend had just been through.
“You know, I was thinking about the pregnancy and us last night and I think it’s all going to be fine.” Logan declared in a sudden burst of optimism that even prompted a hint of a smile onto Veronica’s face.
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s just a baby, right?” Logan replied with a careless shrug, flashing a bright smile at Veronica who was staring at him in complete bemusement. “I mean, how hard can it be? We can learn about formula and diapers, all that stuff.”
“There’s more to babies than changing diapers, Logan,” Veronica replied frankly, resting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. “Our lives aren’t exactly baby-friendly. We hardly see each other as it is with work and I don’t know how a tiny baby is going to fit into all of this.”
“You’re so pessimistic, Veronica,” Logan chided her gently before pulling her close for a gentle kiss. “But I think you’re going to be proven wrong in this case. When’s our first appointment with the doctor?”
“I haven’t made one yet.” Veronica admitted guiltily, reaching for an orange from the fruit bowl in the centre of the table and starting to peel it distractedly. “I’ll do it today, though.”
“Oh, God,” she moaned suddenly, bringing her hands to her temples. “I promised my dad we’d meet him for dinner this evening. He’s booked The Steak House for eight o’ clock,” she informed Logan with a pleading smile. “Please tell me you’ll be able to come. I don’t know how I will get through my dad’s probing questions about our living arrangement, if you’re not there to back me up.”
“I’ll come for dinner once you promise not to tell him about the baby. At least not for now.” Logan added pleadingly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I don’t think I could handle Keith Mars interrogating me about how I plan to provide for his grandchild.”
“You’re in his good books at the moment.” Veronica teased, walking over to the stove to pour herself a cup of boiling water before adding some sliced lemon to it.
“I doubt I will be for long once your dad discovers that I knocked up his little girl.” Logan sighed and for once, Veronica didn’t disagree with him. Keith Mars would not be happy with the news, she knew but Veronica couldn’t allow herself to worry about that right now. Finding out she was going to be a mother in a few short months was more than enough to take in. She’d broach the news with her father when she was good and ready and as far as Veronica was concerned that was a long way off yet.
--
Feeling infinitely better after a long, luxurious shower and taking the time to blow dry her hair, Veronica’s spirits only rose when Burke handed her a tall container of coffee from Starbucks.
“Couldn’t have you face the office coffee on your first day back,” he smiled charitably, before taking a seat at his desk opposite her. “It’s good to have you back, Mars. How are you holding up?”
“Better, now I’ve got some caffeine flowing through the veins.” Veronica beamed, taking a grateful sip from the steaming cup.
“Things have been hectic around here, huh?” Veronica asked, noting the dark shadows smudged beneath the FBI agent’s eyes. Burke looked absolutely exhausted.
“Not really,” he replied absently, starting to leaf through a weighty file that was on his desk. “Just the usual bullshit paperwork that needs to be finished. I swear, for the past week, I’ve done nothing but fill in forms and attend bloody meetings. On the plus side, I am getting home a little earlier, so at least I’m getting the chance to put Katie to bed. For a while there, I was getting a little worried that she would start to forget who I was.”
“That’s good,” Veronica smiled, knowing how hard Burke found juggling the job with the demands of his wife and daughter.
“I still can’t believe what went down in your apartment,” Burke sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at Veronica. “You were one lucky girl to get out of there alive. Matthews was a complete psychopath.”
At the mention of Brian Matthew’s name, Veronica felt slightly sick. She still hated thinking about that day as Veronica was very aware of how close she came to death. The few hours of sleep Veronica had managed to get since the showdown at the apartment hadn’t been peaceful. Memories of Brian’s bloodied remains featured heavily in her nightmares, many of which Logan had had to wake her, screaming and crying in her sleep. Sometimes, Brian found her in the wardrobe and would press her Glock evilly to her head and Veronica would wake up shaking seconds before he managed to pull the trigger. Other times it would be Mac’s body instead of Helen Bloomberg’s that she found in The Lucky Motel.
“He was very disturbed,” Veronica agreed grimly, turning her attention to the towering pile of paperwork on the desk in the hope that Burke would get the hint.
“I just can’t get my head around the fact you knew this guy, Veronica,” Burke prattled on, oblivious to Veronica’s obvious discomfort. “Did you ever get a sense that something was off with him?”
“Can’t say I did,” Veronica replied quietly, trying desperately to end the conversation. “He always appeared to be the perfect gentleman, until the day he tried to kill me that is.”
Unit Director Marilyn Hauser storming into the room, rescued Veronica from having to make further comment.
“The Red Ribbon Killer’s back.” she uttered grimly, using a finger to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Their twelve-year-old daughter discovered the two bodies when she got home from school. The girl is in a dreadful state, poor thing.” Marilyn sighed, shaking her head sadly as looked between the pair. “I need the two of you to get over to the crime scene in Gladstone immediately and meet with the LAPD there. A Detective Grace is heading up the investigation.”
---
The Clarks lived in a modest red-brick bungalow that was fronted by a neatly tended lawn. Hanging baskets aglow with bright purples and pinks hung by the door while flowerbeds planted with delicate pink roses crept along the wall. Holding up their badges to a uniformed police officer, Burke and Veronica were allowed access to the house after he grunted his approval.
“Detective Grace is waiting for you inside,” he mumbled, not affording the FBI agents a second glance as he resumed his position on the door.
“Nice guy,” Burke smirked, as he followed Veronica down the hall, the walls plastered with photographs of a blonde-haired girl whom Veronica presumed was the Clarks only daughter, Ciara. Glancing at the pictures, it was clear to see that the girl had been adored, seemingly every moment of her life so far displayed proudly on the wall.
His dark hair tightly shaved and standing at least six-foot two, Detective Grace was an imposing figure. Shoving out his hand in greeting to the FBI agents, Veronica and Burke immediately identified themselves as Agent Mars and Agent Burke before being ushered into the Clarks bedroom, which was where the carnage had taken place.
“Jesus,” Burke swore, momentarily averting his eyes from the offending scene and shaking his head. “This never gets easier, does it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Detective Grace answered with a grim nod and Veronica could feel her stomach give an unpleasant turn as her blue eyes absorbed the bloody mess in front of her.
James and Claire Clark had both been shot in the back of the head, the papered walls awash with bright sprays of red. Their naked bodied were sprawled awkwardly over the blood-sodden bed linen, their eyes staring dully at the ceiling. Tied around Claire’s neck was the infamous red ribbon, which the deranged killer always left as his signature.
“I can’t believe he’s back again,” Veronica murmured to no one in particular as she tried to quell her growing nausea.
Active during the summers of ’08 and ’09, The Red Ribbon Killer terrorized the city of Los Angeles, breaking into people’s houses before shooting the occupants dead. The attacks were always random and without motive and the constant coverage of the murders on the television only resulted in the people of LA being terrorized even more. The fact the killer always left a red ribbon on the bodies of his victims was kept purposely out of the media and for this reason, the LAPD were able to immediately alert the FBI that the killer had struck yet again.
“We’ll get the bastard, this time,” Detective Grace mumbled with a confidence that Veronica wasn’t certain she felt.
Nine bodies in his wake, The Red Ribbon Killer stalked the suburbs of LA fearlessly. The killer never alerted any suspicion and despite his brutal deeds, the FBI had as of yet to receive one single reporting sighting of the murderer from the public.
“Definitely.” Veronica agreed, about to elaborate on her statement, when she felt the bile rising in her throat.
Racing outside, she made it just in time, the contents of her stomach spilling onto the grass.
--
Despite it’s rather unoriginal name, The Steak House had an excellent reputation in Neptune, the restaurant famed for it’s generous portions and warm, friendly atmosphere. Tables booked out days in advance and even now on a Tuesday night, the restaurant was packed, the place alive with the clatter of tableware and the sounds of people chatting.
“How are you, honey?” her father welcomed her warmly, enclosing his daughter in a loving hug when she and Logan were shown to their table by a smiling waitress.
“Good,” Veronica smiled, taking a seat at the table and picking up the menu unenthusiastically. Truth be told, she hadn’t felt very well since the Clark crime scene earlier that day and the thoughts of having to bite into one of the ridiculously thick steaks the restaurant was famed for were making her decidedly queasy again.
“Good to see you, Logan.” Keith welcomed Logan with uncharacteristic warmness, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. “I just want to reiterate my thanks for all you did to get Veronica away from that lunatic. Not that she needed the help in the end,” he winked teasingly, glancing at his daughter proudly. “Still, you did a brave thing, Logan and I appreciate it. Just so you know.”
“It was nothing,” Logan protested a little red-faced, unused to receiving praise from Keith Mars. “And anyway as you say, my intervention was entirely unnecessary as Veronica was more than capable of protecting herself from Brian Matthews.”
Opening his menu, Keith glanced absently through the items listed before he lifted his eyes to look at Veronica. “How’s Mac holding up?”
“Good under the circumstances,” Veronica replied with a sigh. “She was getting serious hassle from the media though so she headed to China last week to begin a few months of traveling around Asia. To be honest, I don’t know if she will be back. There are just too many painful memories here for her to deal with.”
A quietness fell over the table after that and the trio spent a few minutes trying to get to grips with the lengthy menu.
“Can I get you some drinks?”
Looking up, Veronica saw an impossibly perky looking waitress smiling down at them, her notebook and pencil poised in her hand.
“We’ll have a bottle of the Shiraz,” Keith replied, gesturing to the specific wine on the list. “Is red good with the rest of you?”
A glass of red wine sounded amazingly perfect after the hellish day Veronica had put down today but even she knew that alcohol consumption was frowned upon in pregnancy.
“I’ve an early start, so I’ll have to stick to water, I’m afraid,” Veronica declined reluctantly, asking the waitress for a bottle of mineral water instead.
“The red sounds good to me, Mr. Mars.” Logan agreed, his brown eyes running enthusiastically over the various steak options on the menu.
Half an hour later and Logan and Keith were tucking happily into their fillet mignon, while Veronica unenthusiastically pushed her Caesar salad around the plate.
She wasn’t sure if her sweater was too warm or if the restaurant had suddenly turned off the air conditioning but Veronica suddenly felt as though she was going to pass out from the heat. Pulling off her sweater, she raised a hand to her forehead and could feel a thin layer of sweat beaded there.
“Are you okay, honey?” Keith asked in concern and Veronica mumbled something unconvincingly in reply.
“I heard there was a couple found murdered out in Gladstone,” Keith commented to his daughter as he took a long sip from his glass of wine. “It was all over the news on my way over here. Are the FBI involved in the case?”
Bile rising up her throat, Veronica couldn’t answer her father. Pushing out her chair, she made a dash for the bathroom.
Author: glasheen25
Characters/Pairings: Veronica/Logan
Word Count: 2675
Rating: R for language
Spoilers: none
Summary: Sequel to Natural Born Killer. Still trying to recover from the aftermath of her previous case, Veronica’s life is again thrown into turmoil when she receives some unwelcome news.
The sky was still inky black when Veronica pulled herself from their bed and throwing on her robe, headed into the kitchen. Thoughts of the pregnancy weighing heavily on her mind, Veronica couldn’t sleep and saw little point in spending the next two hours tossing and turning in the bed. Better to get an early start, she knew. Work at least would provide a suitable distraction. Five minutes of being in the office and Veronica knew she would be confronted with a desk piled high with paperwork and at least half a dozen meetings with the team to attend.
Logan hadn’t slept very well either. He had even traipsed into the living room to watch something on the television at one point. Neither had broached the subject of her pregnancy though, both preferring to feign sleep and suffer quietly to oneself instead.
Reaching into the refrigerator, Veronica pulled out the makings of a salad. Rinsing the lettuce and tomatoes under the tap, Veronica was just about to start chopping an onion, when Logan wandered in from the bedroom, rubbing his eyes blearily.
“Good morning,” Veronica greeted him with an affectionate smile, her heart melting a little at his bedraggled state. “You look like you slept almost as well as me.”
“I think I managed about an hour at best.” Logan replied with a halfhearted smile, filling the kettle with water and putting it onto the stove to boil. “I had a lot on my mind, you know?”
Chopping the tomatoes and onions meticulously, Veronica didn’t reply and instead busied herself with rummaging in the cupboard for some salad dressing.
“We need to talk about this, you know, Veronica.” Logan insisted taking her hand and pulling her down to sit beside him at the table. “I know you’re scared but this is not just going to go away.”
Sighing heavily, Veronica put her hands to her head and lowered her face to the table. “I know this won’t just go away, Logan.” she replied quietly, her voice surprisingly steady. “But I don’t know what you expect me to do. Enroll in a pregnancy yoga class and buy a copy of ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ or something? We just found out the news yesterday. Can’t that just be enough for now?”
Raising her blue eyes to meet his brown ones, Veronica looked utterly despondent and Logan felt a little guilty for upsetting her after the hellish few weeks his girlfriend had just been through.
“You know, I was thinking about the pregnancy and us last night and I think it’s all going to be fine.” Logan declared in a sudden burst of optimism that even prompted a hint of a smile onto Veronica’s face.
“What makes you think that?”
“It’s just a baby, right?” Logan replied with a careless shrug, flashing a bright smile at Veronica who was staring at him in complete bemusement. “I mean, how hard can it be? We can learn about formula and diapers, all that stuff.”
“There’s more to babies than changing diapers, Logan,” Veronica replied frankly, resting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. “Our lives aren’t exactly baby-friendly. We hardly see each other as it is with work and I don’t know how a tiny baby is going to fit into all of this.”
“You’re so pessimistic, Veronica,” Logan chided her gently before pulling her close for a gentle kiss. “But I think you’re going to be proven wrong in this case. When’s our first appointment with the doctor?”
“I haven’t made one yet.” Veronica admitted guiltily, reaching for an orange from the fruit bowl in the centre of the table and starting to peel it distractedly. “I’ll do it today, though.”
“Oh, God,” she moaned suddenly, bringing her hands to her temples. “I promised my dad we’d meet him for dinner this evening. He’s booked The Steak House for eight o’ clock,” she informed Logan with a pleading smile. “Please tell me you’ll be able to come. I don’t know how I will get through my dad’s probing questions about our living arrangement, if you’re not there to back me up.”
“I’ll come for dinner once you promise not to tell him about the baby. At least not for now.” Logan added pleadingly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I don’t think I could handle Keith Mars interrogating me about how I plan to provide for his grandchild.”
“You’re in his good books at the moment.” Veronica teased, walking over to the stove to pour herself a cup of boiling water before adding some sliced lemon to it.
“I doubt I will be for long once your dad discovers that I knocked up his little girl.” Logan sighed and for once, Veronica didn’t disagree with him. Keith Mars would not be happy with the news, she knew but Veronica couldn’t allow herself to worry about that right now. Finding out she was going to be a mother in a few short months was more than enough to take in. She’d broach the news with her father when she was good and ready and as far as Veronica was concerned that was a long way off yet.
--
Feeling infinitely better after a long, luxurious shower and taking the time to blow dry her hair, Veronica’s spirits only rose when Burke handed her a tall container of coffee from Starbucks.
“Couldn’t have you face the office coffee on your first day back,” he smiled charitably, before taking a seat at his desk opposite her. “It’s good to have you back, Mars. How are you holding up?”
“Better, now I’ve got some caffeine flowing through the veins.” Veronica beamed, taking a grateful sip from the steaming cup.
“Things have been hectic around here, huh?” Veronica asked, noting the dark shadows smudged beneath the FBI agent’s eyes. Burke looked absolutely exhausted.
“Not really,” he replied absently, starting to leaf through a weighty file that was on his desk. “Just the usual bullshit paperwork that needs to be finished. I swear, for the past week, I’ve done nothing but fill in forms and attend bloody meetings. On the plus side, I am getting home a little earlier, so at least I’m getting the chance to put Katie to bed. For a while there, I was getting a little worried that she would start to forget who I was.”
“That’s good,” Veronica smiled, knowing how hard Burke found juggling the job with the demands of his wife and daughter.
“I still can’t believe what went down in your apartment,” Burke sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at Veronica. “You were one lucky girl to get out of there alive. Matthews was a complete psychopath.”
At the mention of Brian Matthew’s name, Veronica felt slightly sick. She still hated thinking about that day as Veronica was very aware of how close she came to death. The few hours of sleep Veronica had managed to get since the showdown at the apartment hadn’t been peaceful. Memories of Brian’s bloodied remains featured heavily in her nightmares, many of which Logan had had to wake her, screaming and crying in her sleep. Sometimes, Brian found her in the wardrobe and would press her Glock evilly to her head and Veronica would wake up shaking seconds before he managed to pull the trigger. Other times it would be Mac’s body instead of Helen Bloomberg’s that she found in The Lucky Motel.
“He was very disturbed,” Veronica agreed grimly, turning her attention to the towering pile of paperwork on the desk in the hope that Burke would get the hint.
“I just can’t get my head around the fact you knew this guy, Veronica,” Burke prattled on, oblivious to Veronica’s obvious discomfort. “Did you ever get a sense that something was off with him?”
“Can’t say I did,” Veronica replied quietly, trying desperately to end the conversation. “He always appeared to be the perfect gentleman, until the day he tried to kill me that is.”
Unit Director Marilyn Hauser storming into the room, rescued Veronica from having to make further comment.
“The Red Ribbon Killer’s back.” she uttered grimly, using a finger to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Their twelve-year-old daughter discovered the two bodies when she got home from school. The girl is in a dreadful state, poor thing.” Marilyn sighed, shaking her head sadly as looked between the pair. “I need the two of you to get over to the crime scene in Gladstone immediately and meet with the LAPD there. A Detective Grace is heading up the investigation.”
---
The Clarks lived in a modest red-brick bungalow that was fronted by a neatly tended lawn. Hanging baskets aglow with bright purples and pinks hung by the door while flowerbeds planted with delicate pink roses crept along the wall. Holding up their badges to a uniformed police officer, Burke and Veronica were allowed access to the house after he grunted his approval.
“Detective Grace is waiting for you inside,” he mumbled, not affording the FBI agents a second glance as he resumed his position on the door.
“Nice guy,” Burke smirked, as he followed Veronica down the hall, the walls plastered with photographs of a blonde-haired girl whom Veronica presumed was the Clarks only daughter, Ciara. Glancing at the pictures, it was clear to see that the girl had been adored, seemingly every moment of her life so far displayed proudly on the wall.
His dark hair tightly shaved and standing at least six-foot two, Detective Grace was an imposing figure. Shoving out his hand in greeting to the FBI agents, Veronica and Burke immediately identified themselves as Agent Mars and Agent Burke before being ushered into the Clarks bedroom, which was where the carnage had taken place.
“Jesus,” Burke swore, momentarily averting his eyes from the offending scene and shaking his head. “This never gets easier, does it?”
“I’m afraid not,” Detective Grace answered with a grim nod and Veronica could feel her stomach give an unpleasant turn as her blue eyes absorbed the bloody mess in front of her.
James and Claire Clark had both been shot in the back of the head, the papered walls awash with bright sprays of red. Their naked bodied were sprawled awkwardly over the blood-sodden bed linen, their eyes staring dully at the ceiling. Tied around Claire’s neck was the infamous red ribbon, which the deranged killer always left as his signature.
“I can’t believe he’s back again,” Veronica murmured to no one in particular as she tried to quell her growing nausea.
Active during the summers of ’08 and ’09, The Red Ribbon Killer terrorized the city of Los Angeles, breaking into people’s houses before shooting the occupants dead. The attacks were always random and without motive and the constant coverage of the murders on the television only resulted in the people of LA being terrorized even more. The fact the killer always left a red ribbon on the bodies of his victims was kept purposely out of the media and for this reason, the LAPD were able to immediately alert the FBI that the killer had struck yet again.
“We’ll get the bastard, this time,” Detective Grace mumbled with a confidence that Veronica wasn’t certain she felt.
Nine bodies in his wake, The Red Ribbon Killer stalked the suburbs of LA fearlessly. The killer never alerted any suspicion and despite his brutal deeds, the FBI had as of yet to receive one single reporting sighting of the murderer from the public.
“Definitely.” Veronica agreed, about to elaborate on her statement, when she felt the bile rising in her throat.
Racing outside, she made it just in time, the contents of her stomach spilling onto the grass.
--
Despite it’s rather unoriginal name, The Steak House had an excellent reputation in Neptune, the restaurant famed for it’s generous portions and warm, friendly atmosphere. Tables booked out days in advance and even now on a Tuesday night, the restaurant was packed, the place alive with the clatter of tableware and the sounds of people chatting.
“How are you, honey?” her father welcomed her warmly, enclosing his daughter in a loving hug when she and Logan were shown to their table by a smiling waitress.
“Good,” Veronica smiled, taking a seat at the table and picking up the menu unenthusiastically. Truth be told, she hadn’t felt very well since the Clark crime scene earlier that day and the thoughts of having to bite into one of the ridiculously thick steaks the restaurant was famed for were making her decidedly queasy again.
“Good to see you, Logan.” Keith welcomed Logan with uncharacteristic warmness, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. “I just want to reiterate my thanks for all you did to get Veronica away from that lunatic. Not that she needed the help in the end,” he winked teasingly, glancing at his daughter proudly. “Still, you did a brave thing, Logan and I appreciate it. Just so you know.”
“It was nothing,” Logan protested a little red-faced, unused to receiving praise from Keith Mars. “And anyway as you say, my intervention was entirely unnecessary as Veronica was more than capable of protecting herself from Brian Matthews.”
Opening his menu, Keith glanced absently through the items listed before he lifted his eyes to look at Veronica. “How’s Mac holding up?”
“Good under the circumstances,” Veronica replied with a sigh. “She was getting serious hassle from the media though so she headed to China last week to begin a few months of traveling around Asia. To be honest, I don’t know if she will be back. There are just too many painful memories here for her to deal with.”
A quietness fell over the table after that and the trio spent a few minutes trying to get to grips with the lengthy menu.
“Can I get you some drinks?”
Looking up, Veronica saw an impossibly perky looking waitress smiling down at them, her notebook and pencil poised in her hand.
“We’ll have a bottle of the Shiraz,” Keith replied, gesturing to the specific wine on the list. “Is red good with the rest of you?”
A glass of red wine sounded amazingly perfect after the hellish day Veronica had put down today but even she knew that alcohol consumption was frowned upon in pregnancy.
“I’ve an early start, so I’ll have to stick to water, I’m afraid,” Veronica declined reluctantly, asking the waitress for a bottle of mineral water instead.
“The red sounds good to me, Mr. Mars.” Logan agreed, his brown eyes running enthusiastically over the various steak options on the menu.
Half an hour later and Logan and Keith were tucking happily into their fillet mignon, while Veronica unenthusiastically pushed her Caesar salad around the plate.
She wasn’t sure if her sweater was too warm or if the restaurant had suddenly turned off the air conditioning but Veronica suddenly felt as though she was going to pass out from the heat. Pulling off her sweater, she raised a hand to her forehead and could feel a thin layer of sweat beaded there.
“Are you okay, honey?” Keith asked in concern and Veronica mumbled something unconvincingly in reply.
“I heard there was a couple found murdered out in Gladstone,” Keith commented to his daughter as he took a long sip from his glass of wine. “It was all over the news on my way over here. Are the FBI involved in the case?”
Bile rising up her throat, Veronica couldn’t answer her father. Pushing out her chair, she made a dash for the bathroom.