Despite a restless night's sleep Veronica is up at 6:30. When she emerges from her shower she can smell the coffee brewing. Still in her bathrobe she stumbles to the kitchen of their tiny flat to find Piz pouring her a mug.

"Good morning sunshine!"

"Good morning, you're up earlier than usual."

"Needed to finish up packing...ready for the big trip to Neptune?"

"Absolutely!" she lies. She'd hardly slept at all last night lost in a fog of memories that she had long since pushed to the furthest recesses of her mind.

"Hey - Did you try and take advantage of me last night?"

Convincingly, "What are you talking about?"

"You really don't remember? That must've been one heck of a dream you were having."

"Why, what did I do?"

"Let's just say - you were 'making advances' and using very dirty words.

"Are you kidding me? I must have been talking in my sleep!" Her cheeks flush and she turns away so he can't see her. She knows exactly what he is talking about, Logan had invaded her thoughts and fantasies last night and she had tried to wake up Piz to make him proxy. He didn't respond well to her overtures so she had given up and finally fallen asleep - only to dream about Logan the rest of the night. It still had her a little off-balance this morning. As she dresses, Piz calls from the other room.

"Our flight is at 5:00 so come get me at the station no later than 2:30 so we can make it to the airport in time. Who's picking us up? Wallace?"

"Or my dad, not sure which." Veronica envisions greeting Wallace, both of them getting big papa bear hugs. Imagining her dad instead means he'll pick her up and give her a twirl then bestow a warm and manly handshake on Piz. She can't resist the third image that invades her brain - walking out of the terminal to find him leaning against his Land Rover, hands in his pockets, hair just a little messy, with Piz nowhere to be found. Shit. Stop it Veronica.

She has a brief interview with one of the smaller but well-respected firms in the city scheduled for 10:30. It goes okay but doesn't feel like a fit. She returns to the apartment to finish packing, it is only a long weekend so just a carry-on for each of them. She eats some yogurt and a banana for lunch then hails a cab for the radio station.

Piz had done well to snag a prime afternoon gig on an alternative station. He loved finding new artists and introducing them to his New York listeners. He could babble on endlessly about this group and that band. Veronica likes music well-enough but doesn't come close to matching Piz's passion. She often tunes him out when he talks about "The Biz". She arrives at the station around 2:00. The station receptionist Jenn greets her warmly.

"Hey Veronica! Excited for the big reunion?"

"That's one way to put it! Hey-can I stick our bags behind your desk for a few minutes?"

"Sure, no problem. I think he's about done. You can go on into the booth, just be quiet."

The broadcast studio sat like an island on the second floor of the building. A hallway went all the way around the booth and all of the offices lined the walls opposite. The booth had windows all the way around from about three and a half feet to the ceiling. That would've been a more interesting feature if someone along the line hadn't decided they didn't like onlookers and put curtains inside the booth over every window. She quietly pushes open the door and tiptoes in. Piz sits at the mic with his headphones on. He looks up, sees her and smiles holding up five fingers on his left hand, indicating that many more minutes.

"That's the newest from the Mowgli's. Next up...an old favorite from Neko Case."

Veronica mimes and points back over her shoulder and Piz gives her the A-okay. As she steps back into the hallway she hears her text message ping. Oh look, a text from Mac! She is glad she'll be seeing her so soon. The text reads: "Fair warning! HE called asking for your number. I think I might know why. CALL ME as soon as you're able."

Veronica stands dumb-founded. There's only one HE she could mean but why would he need her number? Her stomach tumbles and her palms start to sweat as she goes to call back Mac but before she clicks on her contact, her phone begins to ring. A number appears on her phone - no name identified but it does say San Diego. She is facing one of the studio windows, if the curtains weren't drawn she'd be staring right at Piz. All she can see though is her own faint reflection.

"Hello?" She answers, not sounding like herself at all.

"um...hello..is this Veronica? I'm trying to reach Veronica Mars..."

"This is...Veronica..."

"Veronica, hey...it's Logan...Logan Echolls."

Silence. Silence because she is speechless hearing his voice again after such a long time.

"Hello...can you hear me?"

"Um...yes...sorry...yes, I hear you. What..um..why...um...how are you?"

"Listen, I know this is out of left field but I'm kind of in a jam...I need your help Veronica..."

"I don't really do that anymore."

"I know, that's what everyone says but you're...you're my only hope...Veronica, please."

Everyone? Who does he talk to?

"What kind of jam?"

"Well, for a while now I've been involved with the lead singer of Knight Bishop Rook."

His inflection went up at the end of the sentence as if what he's saying should mean something to her.

"And they are...a band or something?"

"KNIGHT BISHOP ROOK" he says more emphatically. She knows she is supposed to be cluing into something but she is too flustered to think straight.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me? Chess right? It's a reference to chess?"

"Oh my gosh Veronica, what IS the address of the rock you're living under in New York?"

"Oh! You're still an asshole! What a relief!"

"I'm sorry Veronica. That was harsh. It just that the only person I know can help me is the only person in the world that hasn't heard anything about this. Standard Echolls karma."

As Veronica starts to speak she sees the door of the studio start to open.

"Listen, I've got to go. We arrive tonight, I'll think about it and call you tomorrow."

Logan is silent on the other end of the phone. Did he notice the use of the word "we"? Did he care? She knew absolutely nothing about him but what did he know of her?

"Yeah, okay, please call me as soon as you can."

Piz is walking toward her, motioning toward his office, meaning he just needs to grab his stuff. "Are you okay? You look a little like you've seen a ghost. Who were you talking to?"

"Oh...just Mac." She's not sure why she is lying to him. "Hey, have you ever heard of a group called Knight Bishop Rook?"

"Oh my gosh! Isn't that crazy news? It just came over the wire a couple of hours ago! I wanted to call you right away but I couldn't during my set? Did you know her?"

"What? What are you talking about? What is going on?"

Piz looks at her quizzically.

"Um...the lead singer of Knight Bishop Rook was found dead this morning...her name is Carrie Bishop...she went to your high school...she's been linked with Logan for more than a year..." Veronica's eyes were like saucers and she grew visibly paler "...do you really not know any of this? How is that possible?" He is clearly annoyed with her.

She returns the annoyance, "I don't know, Mr. 'I know everything about music', how did you not ever mention to me that a girl I went to high school with is a famous singer that just happens to be dating my ex?"

They continue down the hallway, into reception, grab their bags without ever even glancing at poor Jenn, who is confused by their icy interaction.

"Gee Veronica...maybe because A) you don't give a rat's ass about music or my job and TWO - everybody knows to never say the L word around you, it's practically a fucking commandment. Thou shalt not speak the name of Echolls!"

Veronica feels wounded.

"Oh my gosh...that's who you were talking to when I came out of the studio isn't it? You were talking to Logan?" His demeanor instantly changes, he seems suddenly compassionate as they step out onto the sidewalk and he hails a cab.

She can't speak while they wait for the cab, put their bags in the trunk, and climb in.

"Why did you lie to me and tell me you were talking to Mac?" He asked her quietly as the taxi pulled away from the curb.

"I ...I'm sorry. I don't know why...I was just so surprised to hear from him and so confused by what he was telling me? Knight Bishop Rook? That's the name of the band? That's just ...wrong...it's sickening. I mean, is Susan part of the band? Surely Mr. Rooks isn't. I'm just. I'm very confused..." she looked away from him out the window to the city passing them by. She knows she should explain more to him but she needed to understand it more clearly herself first.

"So, why was Logan calling you? It must have something to do with her death?"

Veronica's stomach drops. Oh my god, not again. "If I had to guess...some pain-in-the-ass busybody has probably implicated him in the death of his girlfriend." A tear rolls down her cheek. She remembers being that pain-the-ass busybody herself and how devastated he was when she accused him of killing Lily (amongst other things). He knows that she won't believe he had anything to do with Carrie's death and it is probably this unique perspective that makes her his choice to exonerate him.

There is precious little conversation with Piz once they arrive at JFK. In 9 months this was really the first argument they'd had. And it was over Logan. Whom she hadn't seen, talked to or spoken of in over 7 years.

Once through security and heading to their gate, she wanders into a newsstand store, looking for something to occupy her mind and an excuse to avoid more talking. Maybe something girly with fashion and makeup advice or something foodie with great recipes to consider. Her eye catches the cover of Entertainment Weekly. 3 hours ago it would've meant nothing to her and even now, if the words "Bishop, Pawn or Queen?" hadn't been in bold print, she never would've recognized the rocker chick to be Carrie Bishop. Obviously this was a feature published earlier this week, before her untimely demise. She picks up the magazine and pages through to the article. She doesn't think she has the energy to read the story, especially because she knows pieces like this are often devoid of much fact. There are pictures though. Carrie as a toddler, Carrie as a teenager (yes, that person she recognized) Carrie in flamboyant costumes flanked by her band mates (not Susan or Mr Rooks), Carrie on the red carpet at the AMA's on the arm of a very handsome, grinning Logan. That caption read: "Bishop with millionaire philanthropist boyfriend Logan Echolls (son of slain Oscar-winning actor Aaron Echolls).

Veronica felt angry (slain oscar-winner? How about murdering, child-abusing, statutory lunatic?). More than that though she was sad. As a means of self-preservation she had shut down all news of Logan and believed that to be the right choice. But now she regretted not knowing the man he'd become. Philanthropist? What kind of philanthropy? Carrie? Does, or did, he love her? Were they happy together? They look like it in that picture. Were they planning a future? Veronica shook her head, she had to stop thinking about him. She finally closes the magazine and adds one of those word search books, a bottle of water and some life-savers. She reaches the gate as they announce pre-boarding; she and Piz exchange a look but still no words. Settled into their seats she tucks the EW magazine into her purse – she will read the article later - and starts a foliage-themed word search, "tulip", "frond", "herbaceous". She leans her head onto Piz's shoulder, asleep before the plane even takes off.