Neptune in Death,

Chapter 1

The humid air blowing from the ocean frizzed up the murderer's hair, and his stern, yet handsome face, smirked, as his hand wrapped around the blond hair of his practice target. He delighted in killing this young woman, and watched as her face turned blue. She stopped struggling, and as she died, she heard sirens. The murderer glance over his shoulder, "Shit I did not think they would get here so quickly," he muttered, using less finesse and more harried movements to clean up all traces of him on this blond young woman.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas stood over Cathy Simmons, and glared at the incompetent Sheriff Lamb. "You're late."

"Yeah well, I was getting ready for my annual fishing trip."

"Too bad. That can wait. This can't. Cathy Simmons. How'd you know her?"

"Cathy Simmons. Nope sorry name doesn't ring a bell."

"Fine, how 'bout Veronica Mars?"

"That sneaky little bitch? Yeah I know her. We're…. old friends."

"Explain," Eve commanded in a hard tone, hating his smarmy attitude, but knowing that however long this temporary transfer from NYSPD to the Balboa County's Sheriff's Department, she was going to be kicking ass soon.

"Lilly Kane… you have heard of Lilly Kane right? Well, anyway she was her best friend, as well as the girlfriend of Duncan Kane, and friend of Lilly's boyfriend Logan, and daughter of the former Sheriff Mars. She has also been a pain in my ass since Mr. Mars was recalled, and I was promoted."

"Mars… as in Mars Investigations," she said looking up from her PPC, where the information was recording, and the info on the Mars chick was researching. She recalled the name know, for no one had not heard of how the young woman had found the sex tapes of her best friend and her suspected murderer, and how the man had tried to kill her.

"Yes. Another pain in my flat ass," Lamb said, rolling his eyes, "Can I leave now?"

"You know what? No. I need you to wait here while I verify some more information on this Cathy Simmons. And I need you to contact both Veronica and her father."

"Why?"

"Because you are here, and my team is not." She sincerely prayed that Detectives Peabody and McNab were on their way from New York by now. She had, after all, told them to use one of Roarke's transpos.

"But--?" She leveled him a glare, one that he obeyed as he took out his PPC, and

connected to the Mars' home. A "Hello, Deputy Lamb," was heard from a pretty blond girl on the other end.

"Veronica Mars. I would like to speak to your father please," he said with barely contained dislike.

"Oh dear, you know, my dad's not here. He's out with Wallace's mom. Why don't you talk to me instead?" Veronica said mock flirtatiously, "After all, aren't we best buds? No? I must be thinking of someone else."

"Ha. I would like to speak to both of you together, or rather a Lieutenant Dallas would." Lamb grimaced, mostly because Dallas was female, and of a higher rank than his rank… at least now.

"Am I about to be accused of another crime?" Veronica said, and to a shadow of her friend behind her. "Wallace, why don't you go finish the movie by yourself? I need to speak to the Deputy… I mean Sheriff here, and his co-conspirator. By the way where is he?" She tried to peer behind Lamb.

"It's she, and I'm right here." Eve said, from beside Lamb, interrupting the banter, and getting to the point, "Ms. Mars, do you or your dad know a Cathy Simmons?"

"Cathy Simmons. No. Name's not ringing a bell. Hold on." She opened her laptop, making sure to keep the 'link from showing the computer. "Cathy Simmons. Nope. I would think I would know her, knowing this is Neptune, but she must be an out-of-towner. Sorry… Lieutenant Dallas, was it? I wish I knew that name, but I don't. I doubt my dad does, but if you would like to you can ask him in the morning. I have to go now; Wallace and I are trying to do the BFF thing."

"Thanks for your help, Ms. Mars. Please let your father now that I wish to speak to him, as soon as it is convenient."

"No problem. Is there any chance I can ask why you are asking me about this Cathy Simmons?"

"She's been murdered." Eve saw the look of horror on Veronica's face, before she concealed it. "How?" Veronica asked.

"Strangulation."

"I'll be right there."

"Now hold on there's no reason you need to be here, at the crime scene. You shouldn't see this."

"Doesn't seem to matter. I saw my dead best friend remember? Aaron almost killed me. So don't tell me what I should or shouldn't see."

"Meet me at the Sheriff's department." Eve commanded, wincing a little at her hard tone, after all she needn't give the poor girl too much grief, at least not until she knows more.

"When?" Veronica asked, already reaching for her car keys, and motioning for Wallace to stay put.

"Twenty minutes." Don Lamb said from beside the body of the young blond woman. Eve turned off the PPC, and turned to him. "Tell me all that you know about Veronica Mars."

"Like I said pain in the ass. Blond, as you saw for yourself, and a smart aleck as you will soon learn."

"Pain in the ass how?"

"Oh jeez. Look, I don't know much. She and her dad are close, and she had a rough time over the last few years, you know her best friend being murdered and being ostracized, and then almost being killed herself, by Lilly Kane's murderer, Aaron Echolls. Duncan Kane and her conspired to kidnap Faith Manning, something which the feds tried to interfere in and they learned their lesson. While I don't condone it, there is more to that story, which I will get back to you on. Also she likes to imagine herself as Nancy Drew."

"Nancy- who?" Eve said, confused, because she never read the series featuring the teen girl detective.

"Nancy Drew. It's a series of books where the heroine- Nancy- is an amateur detective," said a voice from behind. Eve spun around, startled, then relaxed at the sight of the tiny blond from the communicator. "Lieutenant Dallas, I presume?"

"Got it in one. How'd you get her so fast?"

"Used my super speed… oh wait that's Superman, not Nancy Drew. I drove my Le Baron, at the legal limits of course." The sheriff rolled his eyes at her answer.

"Right and I think I'll have one of the deputies…" he trailed off at the look in Eve's eyes, which promised retribution if he continued with that line of thought. "Actually, I need to be going now."

"Off to your anal—oops, I mean annual fishing trip?" Veronica asked, smirking.

"Absolutely, you see the Lieutenant here, has been asked to take my place for a few weeks. At the mayor's request." He said, not a little bitterly, but glad for the time off to relax. Veronica snorted, and then looked at Eve a little more closely. "Aren't you Roarke's wife?"

"Who's Roarke?" Lamb asked, hating to be out of the loop.

"Only one of the richest men on the planet." Veronica said laughing a little, that she actually knew this and Lamb didn't.

"Actually, I am the richest," said a smooth Irish lilt from behind them. Veronica whirled around, and had to keep her mouth from dropping open at the sight of the sexiest man she had ever seen. Eve saw this and smirked a little at the little blonde's astonishment.

"Roarke, I hope you didn't come alone." Eve said, looking for Peabody and McNab.

"No, I did not, Eve darling, but I thought they should be brought up to date elsewhere, and not at the crime scene." Roarke said, smiling a little when Eve winced at the Eve darling part. Veronica looked back and forth between them, and Lamb pulled his constipated face at the mushiness of it all. Eve nodded and said, "We need a place to stay, Veronica. Do you know where we can stay?"

"Yep, The Neptune Grand is good, has penthouse, and if you end up staying longer, my friends Cassidy Casablancas and Mac started up the Phoenix Land Trust, and I am sure they can find you a nice place to rent or buy." Veronica saw Roarke shaking his head, and turned to him, "Why are you shaking your head?"

"I bought a few shares of your friends company. I should have realized that Kendall Casablancas wouldn't be running it."

"She does run it; actually, she is CEO, but it's Cassidy's business because he used his trust fund to start it, and well, it's a long story, but Kendall is the 'face' of the business because Cassidy is not old enough to meet with investors, etc."

"Cassidy is her step-son?"

"Yes. He has an older brother named, Dick." Veronica winced, and said, "I just hope you never have to meet Dick." Eve noticed the wince and said, "Why?"

"Believe me when I say he lives up to his name. Shall I show you where the Neptune Grand is?" Veronica wanted to get home and make some calls, one to her dad, and another to Logan to warn him to watch it around the hotel.

"No, we need to get to the Sheriff's department." Eve said, and saw Veronica head to her Le Baron, saying, "Follow me."