Disclaimer: Don't own Veronica Mars. Rob Thomas does. Don't own any of the characters from the 'in death' series either. Nora Roberts/ J.D. Robb does.
Chapter 4:
Later that day: after 3 pm
Veronica hopped into her Le Baron three minutes after three thirty. Peabody looked up from the ELLE girl magazine she was reading in the passenger seat, "What took so long?"
"My guidance counselor wanted to see me make some effort into padding my college applications by rejoining pep squad. I joined FBLA, what more doe she want from me?"
"You seem less pep?"
"Cute- Wallace said the same thing to me last year."
"Yeah," Peabody smirked, "He told me." She laughed as Veronica winced.
"Wallace dies," Veronica muttered, as she started the car, driving them out of the student parking lot, "So how was following me around?"
"Interesting- especially watching you demand respect. Hardly anyone likes you but they all respect you."
"Nonsense. Everyone loves me."
Peabody snorted at that having watching Veronica in action this morning had been eye opening, "Learn anything good?"
"Yeah- wash behind your ears- the 09ers try to give others wet willies," Veronica smirked as she switched to the right lane, glancing at the rearview mirror. A gray car was still behind her and had been since they left the high school.. Three blocks later the car was still on them. (VMVO) Great just what I needed. A car chase. She switched lanes once more- the car following switched with them, "Peabody, we have a gray car following us- it has tinted windows. The muddied license plate is what caught my attention. That car is so clean I could eat my breakfast off of it."
Peabody nodded and told Veronica,. "Turn left, then turn right, then double back." Veronica turned left, and then right, following Peabody directions by doubling back. She understood once they hit the freeway entrance, and she went on to the next exit, which was conveniently near her home. She looked at Peabody, who said, "Dallas had me study all the exits and entrances around this town in case something happened and I had to get you out of the city. Meanwhile, we passed the car and I glanced back at the back plate, the first letter was A and the last three digits are M12 so hopefully that will be enough to do a search for the owner." They finally drove into the apartment complex where Eve was standing tapping her foot, in impatience. "Uh-oh, I hate that look," Peabody winced, "'It means- Young woman you're in trouble.' Although she doesn't actually say that," Peabody shuddered as Veronica laughed. They got out of the car and walked toward Dallas who crossed her arms in front of her lanky frame. Veronica waved to McNabb as she walked into her apartment and into her room, closing her door on Eve's face. She clicked the lock into place and sat at her desk as she turned on her laptop. She found the program to run the partial plate, typing in the necessary digits. She heard knocking at her door and responded by shouting, "I need my privacy right now, please!"
"And I need to talk to you about Lilly." Veronica heard through the door. Veronica pressed her hands to her eyes for a moment and sighed. Standing up she turned her laptop around, and walked to the door, and unlocked it.
"What about Lilly?" Veronica asked once she had the door opened.
"I've been over her unofficial autopsy and it seems that she was strangled a little first- "
"Wait- no she was killed with blunt force trauma…. Dad told me so. It's in his files."
"I got in contact with my ME who talked to Neptune's coroner, and he faxed over a copy of his preliminary findings. According to the report there were some pre-mortem bruises around the neck, in the shape of the fingers.
"Lilly was killed by Aaron Echolls, "Veronica protested a little slackjawed that her dad hadn't shared the unofficial autopsy with her. "I know it," she repeated. "Aaron killed my best friend, and now you're trying to say that there's a chance someone strangled her, then used something to hit her."
"No. Someone killed Lilly, and then that same someone killed the girl from the other night. A petite blonde, much like Lilly, and much like yourself." Dallas said, watching Veronica's eyes glaze over in tears. Eve looked away- she liked Veronica, and it was hard to see her in pain. She drew in a breath and looked back. Now for the tough questions- "Did Lilly have any enemies?"
"Richest girl in school have enemies? That's like asking if you have any enemies.
"Damn, that means more suspects than I care for. List the first five," Dallas grabbed her PPC and listened while Veronica told her Madison Sinclair, Pam, Kimmy, Beaver, and Dick Casablancas.
"Why Madison Sinclair?" Peabody asked, mostly because having met the girl only told her that Madison was a bitch and a half.
"Lilly beat her out for homecoming queen three times in a row, excluded her from our group sometimes. Lilly was my best friend, but sometimes she acted unkindly to the other 09ers, including Pam and Kimmy- those were supposed to be her friends. Lilly always pitted Beaver and Dick against each other- worse than their own father. I think she treated me nicer than even her own boyfriend." Veronica said, then taking in the look on their faces, "But they did not kill her. Kimmy and Pam would more likely kill me before killing a fellow 09er. Logan's dad did it, I know it in my gut and now he's escaped. He escaped the day before the murder- he could have killed Cathy Simmons."
"Okay. But I will still look into the others' alibis for Lilly's murder and for last night's murder… see if there was any connection between any of them and to Lilly."
"Actually… when I went to the Kane's the night Echolls attacked me, I actually found four tapes. The fourth tape had that girl in it." She grabbed the unlabeled cassette from her desk- I have been sitting on it since the sex tapes were erased and stolen. I figured I'd hand it in anonymously- with a note saying it was found by the house where I was attacked."
"Thus allowing it for the court. When were you going to turn it in?"
"A couple of days before the trial started."
"What's on the tape?"
"Lilly and the other girl, Aaron in it a little bit later. I am not sure when the video was made though. I did not want any one else to see it," Veronica said, "in case someone tried to steal this one too. I didn't want either side to get a hold of it, because-"
"All right, I understand," Eve said, and she pocketed the tape. They stood there for a few seconds in silence, and then Veronica asked, "Can I take a look at the report when you get it?"
Eve looked around Veronica's room then sighed and nodded. Veronica had been more than helpful to her in the past couple of days. She left the room, and Veronica watched her leave.
"Oh and it's McNab's turn to guard you tonight. He'll be right outside your front door when you need him," Dallas said briefly turning back before leaving the apartment.
"Great, I've got a stake out tonight," she pulled out her camera and downloaded the previous night's photos, "Still haven't caught this guy cheating," she muttered.
"Talking to yourself again," Wallace entered the room and stood next to Veronica, "Who's the guy standing guard at the front door."
"Ian McNabb," Veronica said, not sparing a glance for her best friend, and she pulled the camera free of the pictbridge.
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"Popcorn?" Wallace asked from the backseat of Veronica's Le Baron.
(VMVO) This is why I don't take people with me when I go on stakeout. "No thanks Wallace. Are you sure you don't want to go home?"
"I'm fine. I've got my coffee, and my snacks. My math book and my notes."
"You'd probably have more luck doing your homework at home," she reminded Wallace, once more.
"Yeah, but you might need a witness."
"You mean a guard dog and I've got two already- McNabb, and Back-up."
"McNabb took Back-up for a walk," Wallace reminded her.
"Yeah cause four's a crowd," Veronica said, growing a bit irritated- the client's husband had yet to come out of the Camelot's room 8 and she had yet to finish her own homework. She yawned. (VMVO) Looks like no sleep tonight again.
"I've leave when McNabb gets back," Wallace said, deciding on the spot.
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That's all I got for now guys.