It's nearly one in the morning when Veronica finally leaves the interrogation room, where she spent hours repeating her story and answering questions for anyone who demanded it. She passes by her father's office on her way to the main desk, and she notices the light seeping out from underneath the bottom of the door. She's glad that he's in there and not anywhere she could run into him; she's not ready to face him yet. Not while Logan is still sitting behind bars.
"Hey," she whispers to Leo, who is at Inga's desk and reading over a report. "Can I see Logan?"
Leo looks up at Veronica and then over to Keith's office, where the door is still shut. He nods solemnly; grabbing his keys to the cells, he leads her down the hallway to where her husband has been laying catatonic for almost five hours.
"He must've finally fallen asleep."
Veronica rests her head against the bars and stares pitifully at Logan's sleeping form. "Do you want me to unlock it?" Leo asks, and she shakes her head.
"Let him rest. The less he's awake for this, the better." She turns away from the cell then and Leo moves to follow her.
"Do you need a ride?"
"I drove here myself. But thanks." If she's not going to be able to talk to Logan, then she doesn't want to spend another minute at the station. She's making her way out of the building when Leo stops her again.
"Do you want one of us to go with you? Help fend off the reporters?"
"I can handle it," she mumbles, staring down at her feet.
"What are you going to do when you get home, Veronica?" he asks sadly.
She looks up at him then and shrugs. "I'm going to do what I do."
He knows exactly what she means, and he finds himself looking back at Keith's office door again. "They're closing the school for tomorrow," he informs her, his voice low. "We already got statements from all of his teachers, so I'd start with them if you don't want to risk running into your dad."
She tries to smile but she can't muster the energy. "Thanks, Leo."
He nods and watches quietly as she leaves to start her own investigation.
---------
The late hour hasn't done much to deter most of the media still hanging around her gate as she pulls up in her car. She grips the steering wheel tightly, willing herself the strength to handle them and their obnoxious inquiries.
Their once muffled cries ring loud and clear as soon as she lowers her car window. She tries not to pay any attention to them as she leans out to discreetly punch in the security code, but the repeated question of, "Do you think Logan did it?" finally sets her off.
"No," she answers firmly, tears stinging her eyes. "I know he would never hurt Keith."
"What about the jacket? And reports that his blood was found on Logan's car?" one man asks.
Veronica stares straight ahead, dazedly watching as the gate slowly opens. She wants to ignore them, but she only drives forward about a foot before slamming on the breaks, and one reporter hurriedly holds out a microphone in anticipation of a statement.
"I know Logan didn't do this," she says softly. "And I really think that Keith is out there somewhere and he's okay. And if anybody has seen him or knows anything, please, please come forward so we can bring him home." With that, she wipes at her eyes and drives through the gate, their pleas for follow-ups falling on deaf ears.
---------
Their home is empty, dark and eerily quiet. She turns on as many lights as she can, but nothing helps. She feels like a stranger there now.
So she goes to the large home office that she shares with Logan and takes a seat at the computer desk, tired but determined. Her throat is parched, her mouth like cotton, and she realizes that she hasn't had anything to eat or drink since her afternoon coffee. But she won't even consider a glass of water now. Not when she doesn't know if Keith has something to drink, wherever he is.
Focus, she scolds herself. She had already decided that her main objective is to find out more about Cathy, who she is convinced is behind this somehow, and so the first order of business is a good old-fashioned background check. Maybe her father forgot to do it in his rush to arrest Logan, she thinks bitterly. So she stares numbly at the blank computer screen while she waits for it to boot up, and within seconds her mind is wandering again.
It was just this afternoon when she was last doing background checks and allowing herself to daydream a little. She had wondered what it would be like to be pregnant again, how it would feel to actually be comfortable with herself and the baby this time around. She had thought about how adorable Keith would be with a little brother or sister, and how Logan probably wanted a little girl this time, and maybe she did, too. She had let herself feel comfortable and secure and happy and that was probably akin to kicking off the other shoe herself.
The ping from the antivirus software shakes her from her reverie. She closes that out, wondering how she's supposed to care about renewing their subscription within 30 days when she doesn't even know what tomorrow will bring.
C'mon, focus. She needs to find out everything she can about one Cathy Simpson of 473 Wilshire Lane.
---------
Forty minutes later and…nothing. She's exhausted every resource she has available to her and she can't find a speck of dirt on the woman. Not so much as a parking ticket on file.
She closes out of her software and double clicks on the web browser. She checks Ritchfield's site first, clicking on the sidebar link Meet Our Staff. Unfortunately they seem as lax about their website as they are with security, and she's redirected to a page informing her that the section is currently under construction. She sighs and hits the back browser to the main page, skimming over some of the information about the school. Opened in 1964…Financial aid available to those who qualify. She scrolls down and is shocked to see Jake Kane's face staring back at her. Notable Alumni.
Well, that makes sense, she thinks, remembering that both Duncan and Lilly attended Ritchfield. She met Lilly when she was an incoming freshman at Neptune and Veronica was a lowly 8th grader and the two shared a study hall. For some reason she still doesn't understand, they clicked and soon were the best of friends, always passing notes and laughing together at lunch. Duncan was still at Ritchfield then, and Veronica only really got to know him when he started at Neptune in the 9th grade. They got together at the spring dance that year, and thus started the downward spiral that was her high school experience.
Ritchfield. It makes her think that this is all her fault. Veronica was the one who insisted on that damn school, adamant that it would be a good experience for Keith and completely disregarding Logan's wishes to keep him at home for another year. At home, where he was always safe…
Cathy Simpson. Focus on Cathy Simpson. She's quickly running out of options, so she decides on a simple Google search. It's at least worth a shot.
Unfortunately the name is a common one and yields far too many hits, and the search for her name and address turn up empty. Veronica feels like she can barely keep her eyes open, and she's frustrated with herself for falling apart the one time it really counts.
The clock on the computer tells her that it's quarter to three, far too late now to call anyone from Ritchfield. But if her probe on Cathy is going to be delayed until tomorrow, she's going to have to find something else to concentrate on for now, unless she wants to risk total insanity.
She remembers her laptop still sitting on the coffee table in the living room, and the seemingly suspicious white Chevy in some of the photos. It wouldn't hurt to run a quick check on the license plate…
It takes fifteen minutes to narrow down the search, and there are only two white Chevy Malibus with California plates starting with JK74F. One, a 2008 model, belongs to an 84-year-old woman in Burney. The other newer one is registered to Travis Maloney of Irvine, and a quick internet search of the name and city leads her to his business website for private investigation.
A fellow gumshoe who lives more than 70 miles away popping up on her street the day before her son goes missing? Not something she's ready to write-off as a coincidence.
She's frustrated and exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and she doesn't know what to make of all of this. She rests her head on the desk and tries to concentrate on her breathing, promising herself that she'll only close her eyes for a minute. Just for a minute…
---------
The numbing tingle in her right forearm is what wakes her, and she lifts her head wearily as she tries to remember why she's not in bed. When everything comes screaming back at her, she wants to cry.
It's only a little after 8 a.m., and she rubs at her eyes as she tries to gather herself. Maybe she can call someone from the school now to ask them about Cathy. With Ritchfield being shut down for the day, everyone should be at home, and she has the list of contact information for all of Keith's teachers.
She reaches into the filing cabinet at her left side and searches through the stacks of paper from the school. When she finds the one she's looking for, she wonders how she ever missed that Bonnie was one of the TAs.
Bonnie might be able to help, she thinks, already reaching for the phone. Veronica had tried her best to help Bonnie when she had lost her baby, and it was through her investigating that she found out her roommate was the one responsible.
But, she remembers sadly, Bonnie was also dating Tim Foyle at that time, and Veronica was the one who helped put him behind bars for the dean's murder. What if Bonnie still held a grudge? Hell, what if Bonnie was in on it, too?
Well, then she definitely wants to talk to her. So she dials.
"Hello?" a voice picks up after the second ring.
"Bonnie? It's Veronica. Veronica Mars?" She tries her best to keep her voice steady even as her hands shake.
"Veronica! Oh goodness, have you heard anything?" Bonnie does sound genuinely concerned, but Veronica remains suspicious.
"No, nothing yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to ask you about the one secretary, Cathy. Can you tell me anything about her?"
There's a pause as Bonnie mulls over the question. "Not really. I just started there last year and I don't know her too well. But we talked sometimes and she always seemed nice."
"You can't think of anything?" she asks desperately.
"Well," she says, thinking. "She's a widow. Her husband died of cancer last year. And I know she lives with her niece, Isabella. She's always talking about her niece."
"That's it?" Veronica presses.
"I'm sorry," she says regretfully. "I really, really wish I could help you more, but that's all I know. Casey probably knows her a lot better. Do you want her number?"
"No thanks," Veronica sighs. "I already have it."
"If there's anything I can do, anything else I might be able to help you with more, I'll do everything I can. Just call, okay?"
"I will," she promises, relaxing a little. "Thanks." She hangs up then, and she's considering calling Miss Burke when she decides to try a search for Cathy and her niece.
She types in "Cathy Simpson" + Isabella + Neptune in the search box and clicks. The very first hit is a link to a graduation announcement posted on in May. Veronica reads over it but nothing stands out, so she searches through more links. Further down the page is a link to an online obituary for Mark DeCaro, and Veronica practically breaks her finger in her rush to double click.
Mark Thomas DeCaro
03/18/2016
Mark Thomas DeCaro, 42, of 639 Harmony Road, Neptune, died Friday night at his residence.
Mark, known to many as "Marco the Magnificent", was a beloved local entertainer and magician. He is survived by his daughter, Isabella, and two sisters, Gail DeCaro of Modesto and Cathy Simpson of Neptune. He was preceded in death by his parents, Betty and Paul DeCaro, both of San Diego..
Friends will be received Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Davis Funeral Home and Crematory, 981 Mill Street, where a service will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Richard Mulligan officiating.
Burial will be in Neptune Cemetery.
Veronica feels like she can't breath as she reads over the words, and she's immediately taken back to the moment more than three years earlier when her father broke the news to her. She's not surprised that the obituary didn't mention Camille, even though everyone in Neptune knew exactly what happened.
She frantically digs into the pocket of her jeans for the business card Edwards gave her the night before If you remember anything else, or even if you just want to talk, don't hesitate to call me… and then she quickly dials his cell.
"Edwards."
"It's Veronica," she sputters, her pulse racing. She barely knows where to start, so she just blurts out the story about Camille and Mark and how she was involved, and then tells him that she found out that Cathy is his sister and raising his daughter. He listens patiently to her explanation, and when she finishes, Veronica is anxious to hear him say something, anything, about what they can do now.
"Well?" she pleads to his silence.
She can hear him slowly exhale, his breath a crackle over the phone. "Well…I guess that could be a factor."
"What do you mean? Of course it is. Why else would she lie?"
"I've been checking up on info about Cathy all night long, Veronica. I just got off the phone with an assistant director of financial aid at Boston College, that's where her niece is now, and she told me that Isabella had received a substantial aid package, but that last month her tuition, room and board…everything for the next four years was paid in full by her aunt."
Veronica closes her eyes and sighs. "You think someone paid her off."
"It looks that way, yes."
"Then why don't you bring her in?" she snaps, her patience long gone. "You know she'd crack eventually."
"Because she's gone," he bites back. "The deputy who was stationed outside of her house fell asleep and when he woke up she was gone."
She can feel her throat tightening, the frustration of this one-step-forward-two-steps-back puzzle nearly bringing her to tears. She just wants her son to come home. "So what do we do now?" she asks as she tries to keep her voice steady.
"There was a breakthrough in another case I'm working on, and I have to meet my partner in LA, so I'm on my way there now. But I'll be back later this afternoon and I'm going to take the evidence to a crime lab in San Diego to be retested."
"You need to do that today?" she sniffles. She's not sure why, but she feels better with Edwards on the case and she wants him in Neptune, working to find Keith.
"Yeah, I do." He pauses for a few seconds, hesitant with his next question. "Veronica, do you know a Miranda Kelley?"
She doesn't recognize the name. "No. Why?"
"Do you know if Logan would know her?" he presses.
"I don't know. I've never heard of her though. Why?" she asks again.
With Cathy taking off after an apparent payoff, Edwards is convinced that this is an elaborate plan orchestrated to frame Logan Echolls for his son's disappearance. But until he knows for sure that the blood on the jacket and car isn't Keith's, he won't risk raising Veronica's hopes. "It's nothing," he tells her. "I don't know how long I'll be in Los Angeles, but I shouldn't get back to Neptune any later than five. I'll have my cell with me though if you need anything else."
She thanks him before they disconnect, and then she lays her head back down on the desk and finally allows herself to cry.
---------
"Veronica?"
She feels a hand at her shoulder, gently shaking her, and suddenly she's awake and jumping back in her seat. "What?" she asks, looking around in confusion. "What's going on?"
Mac is standing across from her, on the other side of the desk, looking every bit as tired as Veronica. "I'm sorry. I got here as soon as I could."
When the cloud of sleep lifts and her thoughts clear, she flies out of the chair in a panic. "Oh god, what time is it?"
"Almost 11," Mac tells her gently. "Have you been sleeping here all night?"
Veronica shakes her head, her hands covering her face, and Mac moves to sit on the edge of the desk. "I've been trying to treat this like a case," Veronica says, her words muffled against her palms. She rubs at her eyes and then looks at her best friend. "I don't know what to do though," she admits with a choked voice. "It's Keith and I don't know what to do!"
"Maybe I can help," Mac says desperately. "Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't think so. I don't know."
"Did…did your dad really arrest Logan?" she asks tentatively. Veronica nods and Mac mutters something about the ridiculousness of the situation. "I should have been here," she says. "I'm sorry. The earliest flight back was this morning."
"How did you even make it past the paparazzi?" Veronica asks.
Mac shrugs. "They're already gone. Britney Spears is involved in some high-speed chase in LA and so I guess the priorities changed."
Veronica groans. While it's nice to know that she can now leave her home without a hassle, she's not sure if the media's fickleness is a good thing. Since they're not dealing with a ransom, the more attention the story has, the better it is for them and the worse off the kidnapper will be.
"Tell me what's going on," Mac asks pleadingly. "Maybe there's something there I can help you with. Anything."
So Veronica tells her all she knows, about Cathy's story and the evidence, about the arrest. She explains how she's connected to Cathy, who is now MIA, and she admits that she's at a loss right now, that there are too many balls in the air and she doesn't know what to do.
"You don't have any idea who could be behind this?" Mac entreats. "Who could hate Logan enough to want to do something like this? And who would have enough money to buy someone off so they could do it?"
"I honestly don't know. I'd say it could be a bad business deal but Logan hasn't been involved in anything big since Keith was born."
"Well, maybe it is something like that and you didn't know about it?" she speculates. "I mean, if they got this woman involved, it'd have to be a serious plan. They'd have to be keeping their eyes on you. Has anything suspicious happened lately? Have you noticed anyone hanging around?"
It's right then that Veronica realizes how grateful she is to have Mac there, someone to help her out while Logan's gone, someone to ask all the right questions while her mind is gone. "The PI," she says, quickly moving to the computer to bring up his site. "I was going through pictures from Keith's birthday party and I noticed this car in the background in a lot of photos. I tracked the plates to a PI in Irvine." She shows Mac his website.
"Maybe he's working for whoever's behind this?" she ventures, examining his page herself. "Did you call him?"
"No," Veronica answers, already grabbing for the phone. She looks over Mac's shoulder to read his contact information on the site, and finds his phone number listed right below his email. It rings four times before going to voicemail, and Veronica hangs up. "No answer."
"His email is through his web host," Mac tells her. "I bet I could hack into it in no time. Worth a shot?"
"Try it. Anything could help."
Mac digs through her bag for her password decryption software and other tools, which she carries with her like an American Express card. They sit together in silence as Mac sets everything up. "You know, there's a search party out there," Mac adds offhandedly.
Veronica had been staring off into space, her lack of proper sleep really starting to catch up with her. "What?"
"I think a lot of people saw you on the news last night and they want to help. I even saw some people from high school and Hearst out there."
Veronica stares back at Mac as she tries to process the idea of her peers ever wanting to help her with anything. "Like who?" she asks weakly.
Mac bites her lip. "Like Wallace."
Wallace. Veronica knew that he lived right outside of Neptune, but the fates had been cruel and their paths hadn't crossed since college.
"He's on your street. Said that he was going to pass out flyers, talk to your neighbors. He just wants to do something."
"He's here?" she asks, nervously fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket.
"Yeah," Mac answers with a soft smile. "And this is going to take me a little while, so if you want to take a walk, stretch a little…"
Veronica smiles back at her with sad eyes before she turns to leave.
Outside, the media seems to be gone, but their ritzy neighborhood isn't as empty as it normally would be at this time of day. There's a woman across the street instructing a small group on where they should go, and there's also a man talking to one of her neighbors as he holds a stack of flyers in his arm. Veronica opens the security gate and slips through so she can get a better look at him. It'd been years since she saw him in person, and it feels like forever since she spoke to him briefly as he poked his head outside of his classroom door, but she still recognizes Charlie Stone. She doesn't approach him because she's not sure what she would say, so she walks along the sidewalk and looks for Wallace.
She stops suddenly when she finally spots him about three sprawling mansions down. He's walking back from the McHale house, apparently turned away at the gate, when he notices her too.
"Hey," she manages, quickening her pace to catch up with him, and he meets her halfway with a serious face she's afraid she can no longer read. He's dressed in a collared shirt and khakis, with his hair cut very short. Veronica looks him over and feebly thinks about how he looks like an adult now. It's been ten years since we talked. He is an adult now.
"Hey." He watches her with concerned eyes, like he's expecting her to break at any moment and crumble into a thousand tiny pieces all over the cement. Maybe she will.
"Mac said you were out here with a bunch of people to help look for Keith."
Wallace nods, reaching into his back pocket for one of the folded flyers that are being passed around. He hands it to Veronica and she looks down to see a picture of Keith smiling shyly in front of the school; it's one of the many photos she took only the day before, and it has been buzzing all over the AP wire since she released it last night.
"I know that everyone's probably seen this on the news and everything, but I didn't know what else to do. We're trying to talk to people, see if anyone saw anything and asking them to keep their eyes open. We just wanted to do something."
She nods, her head down. "Thank you."
"How are you holding up?" he asks, ducking to look her in the eye.
She tries to wave off the question with a shrug. She doesn't want to cry again, doesn't know where she could find the strength to cry again. "Wallace," she says quietly, "about what happened with us…I'm so, so sorry."
"No," he says with a tight voice. "You don't have to do that right now. It was a long time ago, we were both young. I didn't handle it right either."
She shakes her head, overwhelmed. "You were the best friend I ever had," she tells him, the tears falling freely now. She wipes them away, embarrassed, and tries to smile. "And I don't even know what's going on with you now. How are you? How's Natalie?"
He smiles back at her in understanding. "We're real good. Chris will be ten in January, and we have Sasha now, too. She just turned five in June."
She wishes she could feel genuine happiness right now, because nobody is more deserving than Wallace, but she can only manage to stand there awkwardly. He knows she wants to say something but is at a loss for words, so he does what he wanted to do since the second he saw her and pulls her into a strong hug.
Veronica sags against him, the damn breaking now as she weeps, her hot tears slick against his neck as he runs a soothing hand up and down her back. He holds her tightly and lets her cry. "Maybe we can all get together after you get Keith back, okay?" he whispers against her hair. "Sasha would like a new friend."
"I'd really love that," she hiccups, pulling back from him in a bid to compose herself.
"Veronica? Veronica!"
She hears her name being screamed from some direction and turns to see Mac running toward her. "Veronica!" she pants as she nears, "you have to see this. Hurry."
--------
Keith Mars has been up all night and it shows. It shows on his face, with his afternoon stubble and the dark circles under his lifeless eyes. It shows in his walk, his tired muscles fighting him with each step as his back curves in pain. And it shows in his demeanor, in the way he can't quite meet anyone's eyes or gather enough patience to listen to their thoughts or answer their questions.
He stays behind closed doors for most of the time, and Sacks and Leo and the other officers who have been pulling double duty know not to bother him. He's been in a particularly foul mood with his deputies since Carl had to sheepishly admit his mistake that cost them the only real lead they had, and after that breaking point the entire station is waiting to see what he'll do next.
So everyone watches with bated breath when he finally emerges from his office and heads straight down the hall to the line of jail cells, where there is only one person behind any of the bars.
Logan is on his back, his knees raised, feet flat on the bare mattress, and his head covered by his arm draped across his face. He's been like this for hours.
"Logan?" he calls somberly, the keys for the cell in his hand. Logan flinches at the sound of Keith's voice, probably expecting Leo or Sacks, who were both taking turns checking in on him on an annoyingly regular schedule.
He raises his head to look at his father-in-law, and Keith can see how afraid he is. "There's no news," he's quick to reassure him, and Logan falls back against the mattress, relieved that there's still hope but always aching with worry.
Keith unlocks the cell and shuts it behind him. He wishes that he could say he never doubted Logan's innocence but that would be a lie. Although their relationship had defrosted significantly over the years, Keith could never fully forget their history or Logan's history, and there was a moment, at least for a second, when he wondered if Logan might have done it. He hates himself for it now, hates that such a miniscule amount of doubt kept him from reassuring his daughter when she needed it the most, but what was done is done.
He's still not sure what he plans on saying to Logan, and now the two are crowded together in an 8x8 room and a confrontation is inevitable. "I want you to know that I had to do this," he begins, figuring this explanation was as good as any. "If I didn't treat this like I would any other case, then Jenkins would have my badge. And I couldn't let him do that with Keith gone."
"I just want him to be okay," Logan says, once again covering his face. "That's all I care about right now."
Keith nods, turning to leave. "I'll let you know if we hear anything." He looks back at him one more time and sees the way Logan's body quietly shakes as he tries to muffle his cries. Pretending not to have noticed, Keith locks the cell and walks back to his office.
--------
"You have to see these emails," Mac explains as they rush back into the house. "I didn't read through all of them, but they definitely mean something."
She turns the laptop around and hands it to Veronica. "This is the earliest one I could find, from February."
To: Travis Maloney
From: Dick Casablancas
Subject: Re: Zoo Photos
don't know, man. he talks aboutt him all the time anyway so whatever. i can try and get more pics later.
Dick,
If you asked for more pictures from the zoo, do you think Logan would be suspicious? My client wants more but discretion is paramount.
Thanks,
Travis
Mac waits for Veronica to finish reading it over and then she takes back the computer to scroll to another message. "Dick emailed him a few weeks later. It's just an attachment with photos of Keith. There are a couple of them like that. But here's one from late July, when Dick mentions Ritchfield."
To: Travis Maloney
From: Dick Casablancas
Subject: Re: Keith Echolls
logan was pissed at me for taking off but i talked ot him last week. he said he was going to start school soon cause of veronica. richfield, i guess, but hes not to happy about it.
Dick,
You haven't called. Talked to Logan lately? I'd really appreciate any updates on Keith.
Thanks again,
Travis
Veronica's blunt fingernails dig into her palms as she reads over everything. She'll kill him. Honest to god, she'll kill him.
"And this is the last one," Mac tells her. "It mentions you."
To: Travis Maloney
From: Dick Casablancas
Subject: Re: Birthday Party
so logan can think i want something to beat off to? get them yourself.
Dick,
I would really, really appreciate it if you could get some photos of Veronica with Keith or just Veronica this time. I'll up the payment by half.
Thanks,
Travis
"I'm gonna go," Veronica announces, jumping from the couch and grabbing her purse and keys. Her tears are dry now and an old but very welcome feeling has returned to the pit of her stomach. She's pissed and quite eager to come face-to-face with one of her least favorite people. "Can you stay here and read through all of the rest and call me if there's anything there?"
"Where are you going?" Mac asks anxiously.
"Oh, I'm just going to go kill Dick. I won't be long," she says, her foot already out the door.
---------
Dick was back at the Neptune Grand, where Logan had tracked him down shortly after he'd discovered that Dick had disappeared from LA. It sickens Veronica to remember how worried and upset Logan had been when he didn't know what had happened to his oldest friend. How the hell could Dick do this to them? It's a low blow even by his standards.
She marches straight through the lobby and to the elevator, where she punches the button for the penthouse. Apparently it is nothing but the best for Mr. Casablancas. She idly wonders what he did with the money he made from exploiting her now missing son.
When she's finally at the door to his suite, she pounds against the wood with the side of her fist, knocking relentlessly until he finally answers. She doesn't even wait for the door to fully open before she's pushing past him to enter the room.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" she growls, spinning to face him.
There's no real humor behind his bloodshot eyes, but he still smiles at her stupidly. "Is this like the game I play with Logan? Okay, I'll bite. I'm Dick Casablancas, and I'm an alcoholic."
"You're going to tell me everything you know or I swear I'll cut off every appendage from your body, starting with your shortest and favorite."
She's only inches away, pointing at him angrily, and Dick laughs as he pretends to nip at her index finger with his teeth. "Mm, I love it when you get rough."
And that's my breaking point, she thinks, reaching out with her open palm to grab his balls, which she twists roughly with a flick of her wrist. Dick buckles before her, a strangled cry of pain and surprise the only sound he can manage.
"What the fuck Veronica?" he whimpers a moment later.
"Just be thankful I no longer carry a taser."
He tries to stand but falls back to his knees. "Tell me about Travis Maloney," Veronica demands, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"Who?" he cries, clutching at his groin.
Veronica crouches down so she can look him straight in the eye. "Do I really look like someone you want to piss off right now?" she asks, her jaw clenched. He shakes his head like a scared little boy, so she repeats her question.
"He's some guy I talk to on the phone sometimes. He asks me about Keith and gives me money. I don't know who he is."
"Who's he working for? Did he ever give you a name?"
"I don't know," Dick groans as he slowly rises to his feet. "He doesn't tell me stuff."
"Did you help him take Keith?" she asks him, her voice shaking with anger.
His brow furrows in confusion. "What? Keith's gone?"
"Not sober enough to turn on the TV? He's been missing since yesterday. They arrested Logan for it."
His face falls. "What?"
Veronica rolls her eyes, turning away from him. She doesn't have time for this. If he really doesn't know anything, then her only hope is going to Maloney herself and forcing the information from him. She pulls her bag over her shoulder and heads for the door, and her hand is on the knob when she decides to confront Dick, if only for her husband's sake. "How could you do this to Logan?" she asks, her back still turned.
She can hear him sigh. "I don't know," he finally answers, numbly. "He was always asking me about Keith and for pictures. I figured he was just a perv or something. Isn't it better that he just looks at the pictures?"
Veronica grimaces, the urge to reach out and throttle him nearly overwhelming her. She stares up at the ceiling for a moment as she tries to calm down. "You have no idea what you've done," she says, finally looking back at him as she thinks of all of the times Dick's stupidity and carelessness hurt her or others. "You just don't get it," she mutters on her way out. "You never did."
---------
"Any luck?" Mac asks hopefully as Veronica enters the house. Veronica shakes her head and so she sighs in disappointment, returning to her task of reading through all of the PI's emails. "I haven't found anything else yet," she informs her. "But there's still a lot to read through."
"I'll be in the den," Veronica says, dropping her bag onto a nearby chair.
She takes her seat at the desk and rests her head in her hands as she thinks. It'd be over an hour long drive to Irvine, and she knows she shouldn't go alone. Dick she can handle, but this is uncharted territory and she doesn't know what to expect, so muscle is imperative. But her muscle is locked up in the county jail and where does that leave her?
She sighs and reaches for the phone. There's only one other person she knows who will do whatever it takes.
He picks up after the first ring. "V?"
"So my memory is a little fuzzy, but I think you owe me one now…"
-------
Mac's continued search comes up empty, and Veronica thanks her for all she has done and then tells her that she can go now because she really needs to take a nap. Her friend protests as she's led to the door, insisting that Veronica shouldn't be alone now. "At least let me wait with you until the FBI guy gets here," Mac pleads.
Veronica feels terribly guilty for lying to her, but she knows Mac wouldn't let her go after Maloney herself. With Logan gone right now, Mac is like his mouthpiece, and she wouldn't risk Veronica putting herself in any danger. And if she knew Veronica was meeting Weevil in two hours…
"I really need to be alone now," Veronica insists. "I'm just going to sleep and wait for Edwards."
"Do you promise to call me if you need anything?"
Veronica reaches out to hug her. "I promise."
Mac leaves, albeit reluctantly, and Veronica returns to the den. She's packing up her laptop and copies of the emails in a larger messenger bag when she hears the vibrating buzz of a cell phone. Her phone is in her pocket, and so she looks around in confusion. Logan's cell is on a powermat on the nearby file cabinet, and Veronica grabs it. There's no name on the main screen, just a number that Veronica recognizes as a mobile extension. "Hello?" she answers, wondering who could possibly be calling Logan right now.
"Mommy?"
