"Ready?" Logan stared at the bathroom door.

"Not yet!" Veronica sounded frustrated. "It is OUR reunion. The class of 2006. Neptune High. Everyone we once knew will be there and they're probably expecting that we hit it big."

"We did hit it big..."

"Indeed, and I just wanna highlight that by NOT looking like a poodle" She opened the door and sighed.

"Djee, I never expected you, the great Veronica Mars, to be so nervous." Logan returned to reading the tabloids which featured again numerous speculations about an upcoming marriage between him and Veronica.

After graduating, they had chosen a complete different life path than they could have ever imagined.
Logan had become the host of a popular late night talkshow. Each week he amused numerous people by chatting to musicians, actors, writers and other people that mattered to pop-culture at the time.
Reviews and critiques had been overwhelming and since Logan took over the (metaphorical) steering-wheel the rates of the show had gone through the roof.
He enjoyed being an ass to whimsey socialites and was pleased with the fact that he got paid to outsmart people onscreen.
Veronica on the other hand had become a crime novelist. Joining the FBI or becoming a P.I. had been the most obvious choice, but somehow, as years flew by, she decided she was tired of the suspense and locked her childhood dreams away. And wrote books about them instead.
Due to the fact that she actually knew where she was writing about, her books became immediate bestsellers. Veronica was happy with what she was doing and secretly hoped she could inspire a lot of young people to write themselves or start a career in law-enforcement. Plus, the money was great too.

"I'm not nervous" said Veronica when she walked out the bathroom.

Logan looked up from his fine piece of literature. His mouth fell open.

"Who is this girl and what have you done to Veronica?"

She winked. "I know"

"Wow. Do we have to go?" He reached out to kiss her.

"Afraid so" she laughed. "Don't you think it's over the top?" She twirled around.

"We will be noticed" He looked at her, her stripy fifties dress and the smirky look on her face.

"Yea. C'mon let's go get them. I promise to change back into my normal self as soon as we return from the probably most torturing night of the century"

Logan stood up and took her by the hand. "Let's roll"

This year's reunion wasn't held on school property, but had place at the Neptune Grande, which was very convenient for Logan and Veronica, because they were staying in -you'll never guess- Logan's old suite.
At 7 pm they went downstairs, ready to timetravel to the past.

"Wonder if everyone made it" said Logan when they walked out of the elevator.

Veronica nodded. She wasn't looking forward to see everyone. She knew she was going to be attacked with questions about her and Logan.
They hooked up again about a year ago. Logan's show was already a big hit and Veronica's PR-man had scheduled for her to be on the show without her knowing.
Of course she knew that Logan was a talkshow host, but she only found out that she was going to be in it on the day itself. At first she didn't want to go, because they hadn't actually been friends for a while. But she realized that she had to bury the grudges of a time long gone and decided that this was a good opportunity to do that.
It had been Logan's plan all along. He wanted her to be on the show. He had specifically asked the channel to have her come over. He knew that this would be the only chance he'd get to trick her into speaking with him again.
After the first year at Hearst, Logan had transferred to another college, because he couldn't stand being around his old friends anymore. He couldn't stand seeing Veronica and Piz becoming closer and closer.
Veronica had constantly tried to make contact, but he never answered the phone.
He didn't want to tear open the old wounds of a past long gone.
He almost caved in when the news that the couple broke up reached his ears. The news was brought to him by Dick, who heard it from Mac. Logan was double surprised. So, they broke up? And why were Mac and Dick talking to each other like that?
That night, the night that he heard the news, he stood by the phone asking himself why he just couldn't call her. He was scared of what her reaction would be. So he never called.

Veronica opened the door to the room where the reunion was held. It was already filled with old, familiar faces and she immediately started scanning the room for her few old friends.

"Do you see Wallace?" she asked Logan.

"Not right away..." He looked around.

"Veronica!"

When she heard her name, she turned around. To her surprise Mac was standing behind her. "Mac!"

"So happy to see you guys. Worst. Party. Ever." said Mac in her typical voice.

"Looks like it..."

"Sadly for you it's not a LAN party" they heard a familiar voice.

"Well, well. DIck Casablancas..." said Veronica while she hold on to Logan. "Trying to spoil our fun party?"

"No, Mars. I'm here with a date."

"And who's the 'lucky' one?" asked Veronica sarcastically.

Mac started grinning. Dick started grinning.

"Oh. Where did that come from?"

"Well. Mars, I changed and she l-u-v-es the new me"

"It took a lot more" said Mac.

Dick kissed her and asked if she had seen his wallet.

"Check the car, you might have left it there..." she replied.

"Ok, hang on I'll be right back" Dick and Logan walked outside, they probably had a few things to talk about.

Veronica felt as if she needed a drink or five. She took Mac by the arm and led her to the bar.

"Really, Dick?"

"It's barely weirder than you giving up being a P.I..."

"But you're in love?" Veronica ignored Mac's remark

"Yeah, it started all after Dick returned from the summer-trip he spent with his father."

"We we're still in college then..." Veronica looked confused.

"It did not happen right away, it took a few years"

"Weird that I didn't notice anything..."

"It was mostly e-mail. But to my defense he turned out to have more depth than anyone could imagine..." Mac smiled.

And then everything suddenly went fast.
They heard a gunshot. People started yelling.

"What was that?" Veronica asked, she and Mac ran outside, like everyone else in the hall.

To their horror they saw someone did get shot.

"Dick!" Mac yelled. She ran to the body of her boyfriend. Logan sat next to him, sobbing away. Too shocked to call 911. Someone else did that rapidly.

Dick was still alive, but he was losing a lot of blood.

He uttered a few last words : "I know who did this"

"Who? Who?" Mac screamed while she held his hand.

Dick passed out.

"Noooo!"

The ambulance finally arrived and took him away.
Everyone was shocked about what just happened. Especially Logan, who was covered in blood.

Veronica tried to calm him, but to no avail. "He's gonna be alright" was all she said, and she really hoped Dick would make it.

----

After a sleepless night for both her and Logan, she decided to talk to Logan about it.

"Can you recall anything you've seen?"

"I just remember getting to his car and then suddenly someone yelled his name and shot him"

"Was it a man's or a woman's voice?"

"Couldn't really hear, it sounded modified."

Veronica sighed. "But you haven't seen anyone in particular?"

"Not really, I heard tires screeching though..."

Veronica rushed off without saying another word.
Logan found her outside taking pictures of the acceleration marks on the parking.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking about investigating the case"

"Why?"

"Look, as weird as this may sound, Dick was someone who I spent lots of time with, mostly unpleasant moments, but still he did not deserve this. Plus, do you really think the Sheriff will solve this?"

Logan shook his head. Van Lowe was not known for his effectiveness.

"Do you think your dad will help?"

"Obviously"

Problem is that I don't know where to start. The description Logan gave me barely counted as a description and the tiremarks were only helpful if I would have a suspect. Also, the list of people that could have wanted to kill Dick is pretty long.

Veronica's cellphone went off. "Mac, any news? Good news?"

"They're keeping him in a coma. No one knows if he'll make it" she cried.

"I'm going to solve this, Mac. Hang in there"