Logan Chapter 28

-Cora-

I have been unsuccessful so far getting in touch with Logan’s brother. Their property is locked up tight, which is almost suspicious in itself. Why does a CEO of a random company need security that good? He’s not in politics, his company isn’t controversial. He has to be hiding something. I returned home more determined than ever to figure out what it is. Logan has been ‘on sabbatical’ since he and Emory fought it out, with his bulldog assistant taking- and probably discarding- all of my messages. The same with his friends’ assistants, though the one named Derek Loup answered his own phone. That still didn’t get me anywhere, as he hung up as soon as he heard my name. I guess Emory mentioned me. Word must travel fast between them.

Texting Emory has also been useless. She doesn’t reply for hours and when she eventually does, I get one word replies that may or may not make sense. She’s clearly falling apart at the seams just when I need her. Typical Emory. My next move is to find out how the restaurant owner knows Logan, and then to try breaking into the compound to investigate why they need all that security. Nodding to myself at my new plan, I drive over to Mumbo Gumbo for a little talk.

Nanette is similarly hard to speak with until I tell her I’m a food blogger. I’m starting to sense a theme here. What is Logan hiding that his entire circle is actually a stone wall? Nanette is sweet enough, telling me all about her recipes and how she cooked with her Nana growing up. It’s all very charming. Time to ease my way over to what actually matters. “Oh, Nanette, your food sounds absolutely marvelous. I never would have thought to bring a cajun restaurant all the way up to New York. It sounds like you get some important people here, too. You must be so proud!”

Her gaze shutters, but she fakes a smile for me, anyway. “Now, now, we’re not all that yet. No celebrities or anything here, I’m afraid.”

“No? Didn’t Logan Úlfur just bring his girlfriend here the other day? He might not be a celebrity, but CEOs are important, too. And he has a friend on the Most Eligible Bachelors list. Surely he’s likely to bring his good friend to come check out your amazing food! His girlfriend is actually a friend of mine- Emory and I go way back.” That should cover the misstep I apparently made earlier, and it’s not like she can deny Emory was here when I heard it from the cow’s mouth, so to speak.

“Logan and Emory did come in, yes. I do believe I talked to them for a few minutes while they were here. I didn’t know he was some kind of big shot, though. He was very down to Earth. Just seemed like a regular guy that wanted a lot of food.” That doesn’t make sense with what Emory told me. She acted like Nanette had known Logan from childhood. Why would she lie?

“I actually did have a question that Emory was asking about. She said she had a weird reaction later to something she ate. Do you have a list of what they ordered? I figured as long as I was here, I could help her sort out what new food allergy she might…” I trailed off as Nanette grabbed a menu from her desk and handed it to me.

“They ordered everything, Cora, and it looked like they both tried all of it. Give Emory my sincerest apologies if you see her, but I’m afraid I have to wrap this up with you today. I have a meeting with my butcher. Feel free to email me with any other questions you have for your article.” It seems I’ve found out everything I can from Nanette. She’s protecting Logan just as much as his friends were. I suppose it makes sense if she’s known him all his life like Emory implied, but she would never have talked to me at all if I had led with their relationship.

If Emory had just told me that Nanette was an old lady and a gossip to boot, I could have just come here for lunch and tried to intrigue a waiter enough for them to grab her. She wouldn’t have been able to resist a friend of a friend. I’m going to have to ask Emory more questions about the background characters in her stories from now on. Looks like I just have my light breaking and entering left to do tonight before I run with the pictures of Emory’s neck. She may not forgive me for running that without permission, and it isn’t nearly a big enough story to be my big break. It can be so hard sometimes to be the smart one.