Of course, Mitch thought, that makes perfect sense. It probably is the truth. How obvious.

However, there was one other issue that gnawed at Mitch.

“Just one last question, Logan. After he told you he was going to kill Rachel, why didn’t you do anything, like go to a neighbor’s house and call the cops? You might have been able to save their lives.”

“Don’t you think I wish I did? Don’t you think I’ve thought about that a million times? Not a day goes by that I don’t think about it and wish I’d done something different.” Mitch obviously had struck a nerve, and Logan looked away and wiped his eyes.

“Hey, I’m sorry, Logan. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I was only—”

“Danny was my friend, too, ya know!” His face had gone totally flush and a vein popped on his forehead. “I saw him almost every day for eight years, and we had lotsa good times. Everybody liked him down at Steve’s and he was always pretty cool with me, even though he was my boss.”

He threw down his cigarette butt and stomped on it. “So, why didn’t I run to the neighbor’s house and start banging on doors? I don’t know! I guess the only answer is that I was scared, and so I copped out and told myself he wouldn’t really do anything to Rachel.”

That’s the simple truth, Mitch thought. Now that he was looking Logan in the eye and could see him for who he was, he felt a bit guilty for browbeating the guy. He was simply a scared kid caught up in the drug world who was just another victim in this whole sordid series of events.

Mitch had learned a few more details, but really nothing more than what he already knew: Danny did what he did, for whatever selfish motives, and followed through on an incredibly stupid and deadly plan. There would never be a plausible explanation for his behavior.

Mitch thanked Logan and offered him a twenty-dollar bill. “Not necessary,” Logan muttered. Mitch shook his hand, and then headed to the Pearl district of downtown Portland to the work site, where he was scheduled to meet with his team and the lovely Jennifer. He felt like a fool for wasting all this time, money, and anger on someone who was just another fellow traveler, and a much less fortunate one at that. There was something about recognizing the common thread of humanity in Logan Vonda that made him feel ashamed of himself, and he started to awaken to how far off the beam he had gone.

And then there was that other matter. How silly he had been to engage in even a mild flirtation, when he had an amazing wife like Carolyn at home who loved him and desperately needed him.