Exit Wounds

Chapter 3/19

"Dick, tell me about Nica." Claudia asked with a bright smile over her eggs and toast. She and Dick were seated in the living room of the hotel suite at the dining table. Dick had done the gentlemanly thing and had breakfast ordered for himself and his lady friend. He was trying to let Logan sleep, but Claudia was a talker. Logan was just a few feet away on the couch. He appeared asleep.

Dick smirked and nodded before he sipped his coffee. "Alright. She was all bubblegum and unicorns until her best friend died. Lo and I were shocked when she appeared at school all bad-ass and in need of some anger management the next school year. Sure, she went through some hard stuff after Lilly died-"

"Understatement of the century." Logan mumbled in a scratchy voice from his curled up sleeping position on the couch. He stretched his legs and placed his ankles on the armrest at the other end.

Dick rolled his eyes with a wave of his hand. "Ignore the sulking stalker." Dick knew she was Logan's favorite and least favorite topic of discussion. He had hoped with Logan seeing Veronica, Logan would have lightened up and relaxed.

Logan moved his legs to the side and set his feet on the carpeted floor. He raised his upper body to face the two at the table. Bloodshot eyes glared at his best friend.

Dick looked back to Claudia. "She solved mysteries with her dad. Some big ones, but mostly it was little ones, like stolen dogs or some shit." Dick shrugged.

"And she did this in high school?" Claudia asked as if she had no idea.

"Her dad was the sheriff, then a private eye. She handled this stuff as a way to make money. That and dating the richest kids in school." Dick scoffed. "Well, almost richest." He winked to Claudia.

"She's never come across as a gold digger." Claudia defended her friend with a little pout.

"She wasn't." Logan answered, finally getting up. He walked past the table to the bathroom.

"She wasn't obvious about it, no. But, she liked hanging out with the rich kids, then she liked picking on us." Dick shrugged, spreading cream cheese on a bagel.

"So, she was your bully?" Claudia giggled softly.

Dick thought back to how Veronica scared him and did destroy his surfboard once. "Maybe."

Logan came out of the bathroom and sat at the table next to Dick. He poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I don't see Nica as a bully. She's sweet." Claudia shoved some eggs into her mouth.

"What does she do now?" Logan asked. "For work." He added as he poured some cream into his mug.

"She's an investigator." Claudia answered with a mouthful, covering her mouth at the end of her reply.

"What type of things does she investigate?" Logan pushed gently.

"Anything really. I suppose she's a private eye. She has clients." Claudia nodded a bit as she pushed her scrambled eggs around.

"She get beat up often?" Logan's voice had some emotion to it. Dick didn't blame him. He was shocked by the pint-sized pixie being a Kung-fu master too.

"No. But, I don't see her that often. Jocelyn knows her better." Claudia shrugged in a cute way. She tilted her chin to the side as she raised her shoulder.

Logan raised a brow. "Who is Jocelyn?"

"Oh! I know this!" Dick answered, turning to grin at his friend. "That's the bride from the wedding last night."

Claudia nodded with a warm smile.

"And she's out of town on her honeymoon, I suppose?" Logan questioned.