Err on the Side of Violence: Terribly Acronymed Detective Club Series (Book 3)

Chapter Fourteen: Joe, Sunday

"It's been a while since we all got together," Sunny said when Rachel called him on speakerphone on the way back and asked if their weekend family time wouldn't be interrupted by club business. "And anyway, the kids haven't really been introduced to Logan and Emma."

"They'll see Emma, but Logan is the reason we need to talk."  

When Rachel explained about the arrest, Sunny grew immediately interested. "Does he have a lawyer?" he asked. He worked in family law and wills and estates, but had contacts in criminal law he'd used to help them in the past.

"Yes, the Ministry assigned him one. Melinda Barber."

"I'll look her up."

"She shut down the cops by requesting a psych evaluation."

"Good call."

"I think Logan really needs one; he seems shut down, and it's not just the normal moody teen behaviour."

"I hear you. Harpreet is already in that stage and she's just entered her teens."

When they all met back at Rachel and Al's place, Emma was overjoyed to have two more kids to add to the group she'd formed with Naomi and Tosh. Harpreet and Ajit were Sunny and Tej's kids, and they sat in the living room with them while their parents sat with Rachel, Al, Joe and Lauren.

Lauren surprised them all by saying, "What happened to Joanie? Did you send her away?"

"Joanie?" Sunny asked.

Shit. Sunny was not privy to the arrangement Joe and Lauren had. This was not the venue to bring it up, either. He could tell Lauren knew she'd goofed by saying it, too, and Al and Rachel both looked uncomfortable. 

Lauren recovered, though, by saying, "Sunny, do you remember the RCMP Sergeant who talked to us on the side of Highway One when we were looking for Joe and Rachel?"

"Oh, yes! Your old classmate, and the maid of honour at your wedding." Sunny's brow furrowed. "Have you kept in touch with her?"

"Yes!" Lauren said, happy for the offered escape. "Anyway, when Logan was missing, and we didn't know he'd been arrested yet, I called her and asked if she might be able to help. She came by and drove Rachel to the Burnaby detachment to file a missing persons report, and that was when they discovered he was there, in a cell."

"I sent her home," Rachel said. "It was her day off, and I didn't want to take up any more of her time."

"It would have been nice to have a cop's eye view of the inner workings of an investigation like this," Lauren said.

"We can always call her later if we have some questions, can't we?" Sunny asked.

"Yes!" Joe said, eager to close down this conversation. "Anyway, this kitchen is crowded enough as it is."

"All right," Tej said, rubbing her hands. "I'm finally on the ground floor of an LSDC investgation!"

They all chuckled. "We never investigated a murder when we were kids, so you didn't miss much," Al said, "but I like your enthusiasm."

"It's mostly just speculation at this point, anyway," Rachel said.

"Let's go over what we know," Lauren said. "Last night Logan left your house after receiving a text from someone you thought was a friend of his, though he didn't say who it was."

"That's right," Al said, "and he never responded to any calls or texts after that. He was radio silent until we found him at the detachment today."

"So, the night and early morning is a blank," Tej said, jumping right in. "That's what we need to fill in. How can we do that?"