Snake Boy

~ Chapter Twenty-Two ~

{Possible trigger warnings: mentions of death

If I miss something, I apologize and please let me know}

Logan adjusted his tie and glanced around the room. The precinct was usually busy, but he'd never sat there for so long. Detectives were going in and out, and since his dad was on patrol he'd been asked to sit outside the captain's office. Most of the officers there knew who he was, so he got some nods.

He'd never imagined feeling nervous while being where he basically grew up.

"How are you feelin' there, Fish?" Danica, Dad's captain, peeked out of her door.

"I'm feeling fine." Logan shrugged, fiddling with his friendship bracelet from Patton.

She disappeared for a moment, then leaned out again with a small metal tin. "Want a cookie?"

Logan smiled and took one from her. "Thanks. Did Liss make these?"

"You know it. They were stress baking again, sent the results to work with me so they wouldn't eat them all."

He took a bite of the cookie and nodded. "It's good. Tell them I approve."

"It'll make their day."Danica chuckled, then looked up as footsteps approached.

"Captain Hayward, I presume?"

The woman standing in front of them was shorter than Logan expected, but that wasn't to say she wasn't extremely intimidating. She was dressed in civilian clothing, but he could see an open carry belt, and there was a GPD jacket draped over her arm.

"Yes, Captain Danica Hayward. And you must be Captain Blanche?"

"Vanessa." Captain Blanche nodded, offering Danica her hand. Logan got up from his seat quietly as the two captains exchanged pleasantries.

"You must be Logan Emory then." Captain Blanche turned to him. He nodded, offering his hand as well.

"Yes ma'am."

She nodded and shook his hand. "Thank you for meeting me today, Logan."

Danica glanced over at Logan. "He's the son of one of our officers. His father is on patrol right now, but if we need him to come in I can certainly send for him."

Captain Blanche shook her head. "I doubt that will be necessary. Is there somewhere I could talk to Logan alone? Preferably not an interrogation room, it probably won't do too well for the conversation I want to have and I don't want it to seem aggressive."

Logan breathed an internal sigh of relief. That was promising, right? She didn't seem upset, but for all he knew she could just be holding it in. He suddenly wished he had Roman with him, Roman could always spot when someone was acting.

"We do have a currently vacant office that's sort of off to the side." Danica offered. "I could have someone take you over there."

Captain Blanche smiled. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

"Of course. Flick!"

Jason "Flick" Flints looked up from the report he was reading over. "What can I do for ya, Cap'n?"

"Would you show Logan and Captain Blanche of the GPD to Branson's office?" Danica asked, gesturing to the others as she spoke. Flick grinned and got up.

"'Course. I need a five minute break anyway."

Danica shook her head and motioned for him to get a move on. "We have a break room, Jason. You're aware you can use that, aren't you?"

He just got up from his desk, grabbing a coffee cup sitting off to the side. Logan picked up his jacket and followed as Flick led him and Captain Blanche to the office just around the corner from the floor. As they went to step inside, Flick clapped him on the shoulder and murmured a quiet good luck. Logan nodded gratefully.

Captain Blanche stopped next to the empty desk in the room, turning to face Logan as the door closed behind him. "Mr. Emory. You're aware that the case in question here has been a cold case for about fifteen years, correct?"

"I was vaguely aware." Logan admitted. "I didn't look too closely into the case details, I was more focused on the car crash and the circus."

"I gathered that from the information you provided us."

Logan cleared his throat. "Captain Blanche, it was not my intention to step on your toes or the toes of any of your officers. I was-"

"Logan."

He stopped, but faced her even gaze with a calm one of his own. He had nothing to apologize for, even if that was all that she wanted from him.

"I was not allowed to work on that case," Captain Blanche said. "I was young and unproven, emotional. And more importantly... well, we'll get to that. I came here to, first and foremost, thank you."

Logan blinked a few times in surprise.

"The information that you sent us allowed us to reopen the case properly, and we have two plastic surgeons that have become suspects that we are closing in on this week. By Saturday we expect to have one or both in custody."

"Oh. Well, good. Whoever did that deserves to be punished."

"They do, and they will." She nodded, crossing her arms. "I would also like to thank you on a personal note."

Logan frowned a little bit. "And why is that?"

"Melody was my sister." Captain Blanche looked away now. Even fifteen years later, Logan could see tears in her eyes at the misfortune that had befallen the young family. "I've hated not knowing who killed her for a very long time."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I've had time. It still hurts, but... nothing can be done. How is Daniel?"

Logan had to think for a second before finally asking, "sorry?"

Captain Blanche chuckled. "It wasn't hard to figure out that the young man who sent us copious amounts of information about a 'circus attraction' that had disappeared from the town he lived in would know where the boy was. Daniel is my nephew."

"Oh." He sighed and nodded. "Um, he's fine."

"Would I be able to see him? I only met Daniel-"

"Dorrian."

Captain Blanche stopped, seeming confused. Logan quickly elaborated.

"He goes by Dorrian. No one gave him a name in the circus, so I helped him pick one when I rescued him."

"I see... Dorrian, then. I only met him a few times, he was very young. I would like to talk to him."

Something twitched nervously in Logan's stomach. "I think my parents would be okay with it... is there anything specific you'd like to talk about?"

She smiled for the first time. Now Logan could see some familial similarities between her and his boyfriend.

"I'd like to ask him to come home with me."