Promises
Chapter 4: Escape and Hope
Lynn
Keith was right about the Camelot being such an out if the wall hole, but at least I was safe from Aaron and his grubby hands. I knew that Logan would probably take me leaving the lighter to mean I am a live and hopefully reach out to Veronica. Well that was the plan, and if not Keith knew what to do.
I sat on the bed clicking the stupid remote watching the channels go by without even thinking about what was on. This was my way if showing Logan just how much I loved him. He deserved someone better than me to look out for him. Veronica at one time was the only person, who knew how Logan was by his moods; they were so right for each other. I known Lilly Kane knew how much Logan wanted to go out with Veronica, but of course she was too selfish to let anyone be happy without her.
"Lynn, Lamb just took Logan home with him. He was in bad shape, but Veronica took care if him. Things are all set for tomorrow," Keith says as I let the tears I had been holding in flow.
"Was he hurt bad?" I question. I knew him standing up for me would cost him.
"I don't know," he says as I hear soft slamming of doors.
"Veronica's upset with me," he says like it's the end of the world.
"Thank you Keith," I say before he has a chance to hang up.
"Don't thank me just yet, you still need to get out if town," he says which I know is true. He hangs up now. I take a shower in the dirty roach infested space hoping not to get anything disease wise. I change into a long nightgown from the bag I has given to Keith ahead of time. I run a brush through my hair. I think of how things are going to get better as I fall asleep.
Keith seemed to be flustered when he showed up. He quickly checked out of the room and led me to a waiting rental car. I got in and he handed me some documents. I looked them over carefully. I would no longer be Lynn Echolls the wife of the great Aaron Echolls; I was to become Laura Lester. Of course my maiden name was Lester, but could it be that easy.
"I thought you would be less likely to blow your cover if you had name you were familiar with, I have a friend in Witness Protection that made sure nothing would lead back here," Keith says as he pulls up in front of a private airstrip.
"This is real," was all I could say before his phone rings.
"Hello, Aaron," he says. "Yes, I know. I will call to get him over there. No, I can't promise he'll be right there. I'll see what I can do," he mutters before hanging up.
"Aaron," I say.
"Yeah, he was with Veronica when I left. I took her keys to keep her from the house. She stormed out. As I was coming to get you I saw his SUV. They went to the beach," he says softly.
"This is the hardest thing I have ever done, but once it's done Logan will finally be able to get out from under him," I say as he gives me a small smile.
"I would do anything to protect Veronica, but I would have a hard time leaving her," he says as I understand what he's saying. I knew from watching him with her, they had one of those rare bonds that only happened once in a lifetime.
"Keith, you have a great relationship with Veronica, I have had a rocky one with Logan. I haven't really been a mother to him, but this is me trying to do better for him. He deserves better than me or Aaron. He deserves to be happy, and to feel loved. He really does," I say as he punches in a code before pulling through the gate.
"Yes he does. I will try to limit my strict views," he says jokingly. "You have one suitcase; inside is some clothes you packed along with the cash you had me get out of the safety deposit box. My friend provided an offshore account with your new name, and everything is set up with that identity. Lynn Echolls is dead," he says smiling as I nod. I had cut my colored my hair this morning blonde and even cut it to give me a different look. He walks me to the small single engine plane.
"It was nice working with you Laura," he says as I get on the plane headed to nowhere in particular. I got situated in my seat and put the seatbelt on. I opened up my purse and noticed a small note attached to a phone.
Laura,
Use this in case of an emergency. My number and a friends is in it. Don't use it for any other reason.
Keith
Yes, things were looking up I thought as the plane started to take off.
****LoVe*******
Veronica
Logan had me thinking twice about everything that has been going on the past few days. I am having a harder time being mad at him, now knowing what he had to endure for all too long at the hands of his father. I am just so upset thinking about how a father could do something so hurtful and horrendous to their own flesh and blood.
Logan and I have been working together on his mom's case. There have been some leads, but nothing that ever panned out. I felt sorry for him because it sucks to not know whether your mom is alive or dead, I for one know the feeling. My mom is a hard person to find. We went to meet some woman at the police station and some crazed fan at Java the Hut, but neither was worth my time or his. I truly thought if he was sure about his mom there would be some sound evidence to back it up, but so far nothing.
Right now dad and I are not really working well together; he took the case for Carrie Bishop's family to prove Mr. Rooks is the lying scum Carrie says he is. With everything on my plate I just don't know what else to do with Logan's mom right now. Nothing seems to be working on either end, and my dad seems to be off just a little bit like he is hiding something or waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Ugh! I can't believe that Carrie would be smart enough to keep a diary of the things she did with our teacher. Mr. Rook just doesn't seem like the person to sleep with a student. Yet, with Dad I know there is no fooling him. I decide to set that thought aside and make an appointment with Duncan's doctor. I needed to know what this secret illness of his was.
"Dr. Levine's office," Dr.'s receptionists says. I am standing in front of my desk.
"Hi, this is Veronica Mars," I say with my back to the door unaware of Logan entering the door or him making his way toward me. "I was wondering if I could get in to see the doctor sometime this week. End of the day would be best. I have band practice after school," I say.
"How's five o'clock?" Dr.'s receptionist replies in a soft tone.
"Five is great. Thanks," I say as I write it down on a sticky note.
"All right." She says before hanging up.
"I'm no doctor…" Logan starts as I twirl around surprised to see him here."…but I'm, uh, pretty sure Penicillin will clear that problem right up," he says looking directly at me. It made me feel like he could see through my whole façade. It was a very eerie feeling.
"Can't say I was expecting you," I half squeak out because truth be told I wasn't expecting him at all.
"Yeah, yeah, I usually avoid buildings with stained glass," he says with a little dry humor. Even though he is putting on a brave façade of his own I can see the pain and hurt in his eyes. He is just as alone as I am right now. I just hope things work in his favor because even if we aren't friends he deserves something good in his life.
"That's why you haven't come to visit," I say in my best girlie voice I can find. He gives me a small smile.
"Logan things will work out even if they don't seem like it right now," I say as I move toward him. He just stands there looking at me before walking out the door. It was odd he must have come here for a reason, but never told me what it was. I had others things right now to preoccupy me.
I went to the meeting with the doctor only to leave with more pieces to a puzzle than answers. I found out that Duncan and Abel Koontz shared a doctor. That has to mean something; it couldn't be just a coincidence. Then my crappy day got even crappier when in fact yes, my favorite teacher was sleeping with one of his students, just not the one that came forward. I mean who can you trust if you can't trust your high school teacher. While proving Carrie was lying Weevil told me about a student going around with proof of Lynn's jump. If it was true it will kill Logan.
I notice Weevil as he calls me toward him; he is accompanied by a younger student. The student looked scared out of his mind.
"Yo, V. You might want to talk to this freshman. He's the one who's been shooting his mouth off about Logan's mom," Weevil says as he pushes the boy toward me.
"Hope you don't mind telling that story one more time," I say as we head toward the Journalism room. We are in the room a few minutes before Logan enters.
"Hey. You paged?" he says with such a sarcastic voice. Sometime I wonder why someone hasn't beaten him down a notch or two yet.
He moves toward us at a table where I am currently sitting in front of a computer.
"It seems Hart here has something to show us. Spill," I say loving the idea of him trembling a little surrounded by people bigger than him or maybe it was just plain fear.
"Me and my friends were filming out by the bay. We were making this war movie, "Storm on the Beach." It's just on high def, but it's pretty cool. It's these two brothers who get sent to war and-"Hart starts but I can see Logan rolling his eyes.
"Don't care. Point." I say hoping he gets the drift.
"We were editing it together, and we noticed something.
Hart puts a disk into the computer. The sounds of machinegun fire come from the screen," he says as he starts the video.
"Over there! Move in!" says the first voice on film.
"I see him! Oh! Ugh!" says the second voice. I notice guys dressed in combat gear are playing soldiers. The Coronado Bridge is in the background in the distance where something can be seen moving.
"Did you see it?" Hart asks about the movement in the background.
"Yeah, it sucks, and?" Logan says annoyed. I would be if this was a waste of our time.
"Rewind it. Play it frame by frame." I say because I think I saw it, but was unsure of what I really saw. He does.
"There! Check out the right side of the bridge," Hart says pointing at the screen. What is appears to be a body is clearly seen falling from the bridge.
"Holy..." Weevil starts but stops when he looks toward Logan. It was clear as day a body had gone over the side of the bridge.
I could tell Logan is in shock. I close my eyes trying to think of anything but the sight of what I just saw.
"The video's time stamped 4:37 pm. Exactly the time when..." Hart begins as he looks over at Logan, nervously. "…she supposedly jumped," he finishes.
"This footage better never make it out into public consumption," I snap before anything rational can be said. I was feeling very mad right now, that Lynn would do something like this for real, and then leave things behind to give Logan false hope to allow him to think or to hope for a better future.
"Don't worry about my boy, Hart," Weevil says as he puts his hand on Hart's neck and gets close, in his face. "He knows if that happens, his last movie will be a snuff film. And he'll star in it, right? Come on," he replies without giving the boy a chance to reply. Weevil throws Logan a sympathetic glance as he and Hart exit. I watch as Logan takes a few paces, eyes fixed on the screen.
"I'm sorry," I say because what do you tell someone who hoped for something to be shown evidence to dismiss it.
"Yeah, so am I," he says softly. I drop my head as Logan turns and walks slowly out of the room, stumbling as he does. My cell phone rings. I get it out of her bag and looks at the display. Maybe there is hope after all I think as I take off after Logan.
"Logan!" I call out as I look for him. Logan is in a daze as he walks in the opposite direction of me. "Logan! Logan," I say as I catch up to him, "Your mom's missing credit card was just used," I say softly bringing him back to the now as he takes a minute to believe it then regains hope that shows in his eyes.
***LoVe***
Logan
I couldn't believe the ordeal I have been through, with thinking of hope to having it striped away from me time and time again. I don't like thinking that there is any other reason for my mother to go with something this.
I had the weirdest exchange just now with Veronica, but it didn't seem to bother me as much as it could have. I knew from her body language it wasn't pity, but something along the lines of sympathy. I haven't had anyone really feel much for me, but her the last few days. It was odd because I wanted to be angry with her for knowing too much about my life, but at the same time I was the one who asked her to help me.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye walk into the pre dance set up. Duncan was talking to her, but it was Meg who caught her attention. I decided I needed a break and there was only one place I wanted to go right now. I drove past the beach and to the one spot I hated coming to because it made me feel hatred for Veronica and everything she stood for, but it was also the place where I felt closer to her.
I noticed the fresh Lilly's on Lilly's grave. I bent down and brushed some of the leaves off of the headstone before leaning against it. "You would be mad at me if you could see me right now, Lils. I have made a mess of everything. I do blame Veronica for all of it though," I laugh at how smug I was being.
"I bet you would kill me if you knew all of the things our friends did to Veronica this past year. Yet, you would be proud of our little Ronnie; she grew up and matured into this beautiful badass. Oh, my god. Lils, I'm so lost right now. My mom is probably dead, you're gone and things are worse at home. Veronica knows, but she hasn't told anyone. I keep waiting for her to ruin me, but she doesn't," I say in all earnest.
I have been so mean to her along with all the cruel things the guys and I did to her, but she has still stayed true to who she was. I had to admit I was more loving her new badass attitude than the frilly white lace Veronica that was Lilly's shadow. "I wish you were here," I say as I kiss the headstone and stand up, "I hope you found your peace," I say as I walk back toward my X-terra.
I pick up my phone to notice I had a missed call from Veronica so I dial into the voicemail, "Hey. Call me when you get this. There's been another charge on your mom's credit card…at the Sunset Regent," she says before hanging up. I let a small smile grace my face. I call her back and she tells me to meet her at this hotel. I drive there and I am getting impatient when she comes running in probably from another case.
I listen to her try to weasel information out of the hotel receptionist, but the jerk isn't about to budge one bit. I could tell Veronica was getting worked up about him being a prick. I watched as she tried to twist him around her finger, but he was smarter than she thought. In the end Veronica left to finish a case and I parked myself on the couch facing the elevator waiting for my mom to come out.
I thought about a lot of things as I sat there waiting for my mom. I thought about Veronica and waiting her in my life in some form, even if it was only a friend. I could use one person that I knew would help me in a tough situation. I thought about different ways I could murder my father without getting caught; like burning the house down with him in it, cutting his break line in the car, feeding him rat poison, the possibilities floating around in my head were endless like the hatred I felt for him.
I haven't moved from my spot on the couch. I have one leg up on the coffee table, leaning against some pillows, with another blanketing my legs.
"I'm sorry. But the lobby's reserved for hotel guests only," a man says to me, without taking my eyes off the elevators, I reaches into my pocket and pulls out a credit card.
"So book me a room, Jeeves," I snap as he takes my card. "Bring me a room service menu while you're at it," I yell as he walks away. I see Veronica entering the lobby, watching her just shake her head and sigh. She walks over to me and sits down on the coffee table I ignore her, but her sigh catches me.
"You know you can't sit here forever," she says as she pulls out her phone, "What do you say we smoke her out. I'd like to report my card lost. My name is Lynn Lester," she says softly as I glance her way slightly. It seems like an hour or two has passed as Veronica is now sitting beside me on the couch.
I hear the elevator, but don't look out of fear that all hope will be replaced with sorrow. Veronica does and pats my arm and points. I can see a woman's legs and back, she's wearing a black coat, hat and sunglasses. She heads over to reception.
"That's her," I say as I get up from the couch, "Mom," I say rushing toward the woman. She turns around and removes her sunglasses. It's not my mom; no it's someone worse than Aaron right now for parading around using my mom's credit card.
"Oh, hey, Logan," Trina says as I reach her with the most disgust as I can show on my face. Veronica is now behind me, but only slightly as if she doesn't want to be a part of this family conversation where I rip my dearly bitch of a sister something new for using my mom as an escape goat for her pleasure.
"Did you just call me Mom? You okay, brother?" Trina states as a matter of fact, "You know Mom's gone, right?"
"Wow. Yeah I know she's gone and you're supposed to be in Australia. Why the hell are you here?" I snap a little more harshly than was needed but I was livid.
"Yeah, well that didn't work out. Veronica, hey!" she says as if she is just now noticing Veronica behind me.
"Hello, Trina," Veronica says very uncomfortably as if she was wishing she were anywhere but here with us right now. I actually was thinking the same thing.
"I've been kinda outta the loop lately. Are you two-" she is rambling on getting on my last viable nerve.
"Stop! You shut up. You're wearing Mom's clothes, you're wearing Mom's hat," I say mad.
"She was your mom, my step-mom. The lady who liked to parade though the house in a string bikini, whenever I had a boy over," she replies right back at me. I hated her with every fiber in my body right now. Ugh!
"Dad could've used you there. He always depends on you, why weren't you there," I question her trying to get her to admit to what her issue was.
"So now you're worried about Dad's welfare. Isn't he the big bad wolf? Cigarette burns and broken noses. Oh, the stories you used to tell," she sneers at me looking toward Veronica to see if she was listening. I glance in her direction as well and she has a look that if it could kill Trina would be dead. I smirk at that concept.
"Wow, we should get together and do this more often," I snap as I watch her bob her head slightly knowing that her words struck a hard cord with me.
"Yeah, well, you're in luck. I'm heading home now. I guess some accountant finally cancelled Mom's cards," she snaps.
"But if you're coming home, who will play Dead Hooker Two on CSI this week? How will you get your attention fix?" I leer at her, yes snarky remarks and snappy retorts is how we roll.
"Maybe I can be the ring girl at one of your bum fights," she jabs at me once again. I flinch slightly because I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me as I am reminded of the 12 lashes I got for that and the 6 punches to the stomach. I slightly see Veronica steeping forward closer to me as if to intervene. She grabs onto me placing herself between Trina and me.
"You know what? Shall we get going, Logan?" she says softly trying to coax me to calm down. I am just so intent on figuring out a way to hurt Trina. Trina is saying something to Veronica, but Veronica is keeping her eyes directly on me. I allow Veronica to pull me away from Trina, but the reality of the situation begins to hit home as I begin to shake. Veronica stops walking I fall into her causing her to stand firm as I sink to the floor with the last hope of my mother being alive vanishing. It was true, she had killed herself because of Aaron and his harsh way of life. Veronica is trying to sooth me, but it just brings everything crashing down even more.
I hate the idea of losing it in front of her, but I am thankful that she was the one to witness this breakdown and not some person who wouldn't understand my pain and sorrow. She helps me up as she begins to lead the way once again. This time I don't stop her from doing so. When we get into the parking lot she reaches into my pocket and takes my keys from me.
"I can drive home," I mutter. She gives me a small smile.
"I don't doubt you can, but I want you in one piece. I don't think a bottle of your friend is going to help you tonight," she says softly as I give a chuckle. If Veronica wasn't aware of everything I would hate to say at least she knew me well enough to know what I would do.
"Will you at least help with my misery and let me cop a feel?" I smirk at her slightly becoming all too aware of the space between us is dangerously close.
"Awe, there's the Psychotic Jackass I have been waiting for all night to come out," she says a little too sarcastically for my liking, but it wasn't in a mean why though. I know the words were rough, but for some reason I let it go. There was something else I saw in her eyes as she said them to me. I saw love, not pity, but love. I wasn't sure what lay in my future, but if Veronica wasn't a part of it in some way that would hurt more than the worst beating Aaron could ever give me.
Because right now Veronica was the only hope I had for the future. She probably didn't know it or wouldn't want to know it, but her being here with me right now is keeping me from doing something stupid, something that could or would get me killed. I bet Lilly is laughing at me right now as I slowly realize my life this last year was hell because I pushed the only person who really understood me away. I just realized I was madly in love with Veronica Mars, and she was going to be my saving grace even if she didn't know it.