Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Veronica Mars.

CHAPTER TWENTYFIVE

"Gory Sorokin?" Keith asked in disbelief. "What makes you think he killed Sivya?"

Logan was pacing in agitation, like his body was trying to keep up with his racing thoughts. "That line from the DVD. 'Just lay back and enjoy it.' I heard Gory say that to-" Logan checked himself and glanced furtively at Veronica's father. He was pretty sure Keith didn't know about the nude video of his daughter that had circulated through the Hearst campus email network.

"Who did Gory say that to? When?" Keith was excited, like a hunting dog with a fresh scent.

"The school cafeteria. Last spring."

"Who was he talking to?"

Logan didn't answer. Veronica would never speak to him again if he told her dad about the video. As badly as Logan wanted to hang that bastard Gory for everything he had done, this conversation was getting too close to dangerous territory.

Unfortunately, Veronica wasn't the only PI in the family. Keith flushed deep red with anger when he correctly interpreted Logan's silence. "Gory Sorokin told Veronica to 'just lay back and enjoy it'? What the hell did he mean by that?"

"Nothing like what happened with Sivya," Logan rushed to reassure him. "Gory was collateral damage in another case Veronica solved. He was just trying to scare her."

Keith sat back and rubbed his forehead warily. "Zombies with Ebola couldn't scare that girl." He looked up at Logan. "And you're sure Gory said those exact words?"

"I was standing next to Veronica when he said it," Logan told him. Right before I kicked his ass, he almost added.

"Okay," Keith nodded. "Okay. But this catchphrase of his isn't evidence it's… coincidence. No way would a judge issue an arrest warrant based on what you've just told me, let alone convict Gory of murder. We need more before we go public."

"The hard drive," Logan said. "Gory's computer is all decked out with fancy video editing equipment. I bet that whatever is on his hard drive has something to do with the home movie he made of Sivya."

Keith dove for the safe. "Veronica keeps the techie stuff in the cabinet by the sink. See if you can find the right gadget," he instructed.

What Logan found was a huge jumble of wires and various electronics. He pulled the entire mess out and dumped it on Keith's desk. "Do you remember what it looks like?"

"When you get to be my age, you can't forget your past or remember your name." Keith shrugged apologetically.

Logan sighed and looked at the technological rats' nest. "This could take awhile. Veronica was going to make dinner at the apartment; we should have her come here. Maybe she could bring take-out."

"Wimp. I'll have you know, she gets both her good looks and her cooking skills from her mother." Keith dialed his daughter's number. No answer; Veronica's phone went straight to voicemail. "Honey, Logan and I are at the office. Can you swing by? Possibly with food more sustaining than instant macaroni? Love you."

The two men spent a frustrating twenty minutes plugging in wires and cursing technology. It was close to midnight, and they were tired and hungry. There was still no word from Veronica.

"Got it!" Logan shouted gleefully. "There are a lot of emails here. Apparently, his inbox is full but his life is empty."

Keith rushed to his side. Sure enough, Logan had managed to break into Gory's hard drive. "Start by searching for video files," Keith said. "There. That one."

Logan clicked the file Keith was pointing to. Immediately, the film documenting the last moment's of Sivya Denisovitch's life appeared onscreen. Except this version was different. This had to be the raw footage, because instead of being carefully cropped to only show Sivya, now the entire frame was visible. Including Gorya Sorokin, holding a knife to Sivya's throat as he brutally raped and killed her.

Keith copied the video file onto two DVDs. One he put in his safe, and the other he placed in his jacket pocket. He unhooked the hard drive and put it in a paper sack that had held his lunch several weeks ago. He tossed the moldy bread into a trash can. "We're taking this to the authorities. I'll call Vinnie and have him meet us at his office."

"You don't need to call. Molly Fitzpatrick was murdered tonight. I'm sure everyone's burning the midnight oil down at the Sheriff's Department, even Vinnie."

"Molly Fitzpatrick? The girl whose baby was missing?"

"Yeah. Her uncle Liam shot her. I guess you haven't seen the news. They haven't caught him yet."

Keith snorted in disdain. "I hope they get him, the creep." He held the door open for Logan. "Ready?"

Logan, however, was frozen in place. His eyes were glazed, his expression vacant. Veronica didn't answer her phone, and Liam Fitzpatrick was still free. And armed. What had Veronica said?

"He'll come for me first."

"Logan?" Keith asked. "What's wrong?"

Liam was too busy running from the law to go seeking out Veronica Mars, Logan told himself. Plus, she had made Logan promise not to tell Keith about her proximity to Molly's murder. Logan shook off his momentary panic. He was overreacting. "Nothing. Let's go."

As Logan had predicted, the Sheriff's Department was bustling with activity. Reporters crowded the reception desk, but Keith waived to Inga and she buzzed him and Logan past the low gate separating the hoards from the inner office. Logan made straight for Deputy Leo D'Amato.

"Any news on Liam Fitzpatrick? Do you have him yet?"

"Border crossings are shut down into Tijuana, and state patrol has road blocks on the PCH. Airport security is checking all passengers. But so far nothing; there's no sign of him."

Logan felt another wave of anxiety.

"Is Vinnie in his office?" Keith asked Leo.

"Yeah, I think so."

Keith entered the Sheriff's private office without knocking, Logan trailing behind. "I don't know, can't you block off the harbor or something?" Vinnie shouted into his phone. "You're the Coast Guard! So guard the God damned coast!" He slammed the phone into the receiver.

"I come bearing gifts," Keith said by way of greeting.

Vinnie eyed the paper sack Keith carried. "That better be pastrami on wheat or Liam Fitzpatrick's head."

"Sorry. Fresh out of both. But it pains me to say that this will boost your popularity with the good citizens of Neptune." Keith pulled out the DVD incriminating Gory Sorokin of murder. Vinnie reached for the disc, but Keith kept it at arm's length. "Hold on, Sheriff. First I want your promise that Veronica won't face any charges for her part in finding this evidence for you."

Vinnie threw his head back and laughed. "I knew it! She did steal something from my crime scene."

"So how about it? Which would you rather have, Veronica in jail or a killer?"

"C'mon Keith, like I'd put V in jail. You guys are like family! Weirdo cousins that nobody invites to Thanksgiving, but still family."

Keith rolled his eyes and handed over the DVD. They watched Sivya's murder while Keith filled in the details of his investigation. Finally, Vinnie leaned back in his chair and whistled. "Yikes. That's awful."

"I know. I still can't believe someone could do that to another human being."

Vinnie shook his head sadly. "No, I mean it's awful that I'm gonna have to arrest Lev Sorokin's nephew. He gave big bucks to my election campaign. Sachs!" he called. The harried deputy stuck his head in the door.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Gear up, and grab Jensen and Sully. We're going to Hearst College."

"Liam Fitzpatrick is at Hearst?" Sachs asked.

"Nah, I just feel like showing off my keg stand. If I make it over a minute, you owe me a beer." Sachs looked confused but nodded obediently and hustled to do as he was bidden. Vinnie grinned at Keith as he strapped on his own utility belt. "It must be two for the price of one day down at Mars Investigations. Business slow, Keith?"

Keith just stared at the sheriff blankly, but Logan shifted uncomfortably and crossed his arms. The defensive gesture caught Vinnie's eye. "Uh-oh," he cackled. "Have little Veronica and her boy-toy been sneaking around behind daddy's back?"

"Vinnie, do I even want to know what you're talking about?" Keith asked.

"Probably not. Veronica is my star witness in Molly Fitzpatrick's murder. V was standing next to her when Liam's car rolls up it's hasta la vista, blondie."

Keith turned to Logan and let out a strangled yell. "Liam Fitzpatrick shot at Veronica?"

Logan started to answer, but his cell phone interrupted him. The call came from his own suite at the Neptune Grand. "Ronnie?" He answered eagerly. Love-sick schmuck, he told himself. See, there was nothing to worry about.

"Dude, do we have any honey? Or whipped cream?"

"Dick?" Logan's heart sank. Where was Veronica?

"I'm kind of in a hurry, Bro. I could make do with peanut butter."

"Is Veronica there? I need to talk to her."

"I thought she was with you. She got a phone call, then took off. Good thing, too; your girlfriend is a total downer. Can you believe she turned down a-"

"Where did she go?" Logan interrupted.

"Man, I don't know. She said something about a party by a lake. Like at somebody's cabin. It sounded too rustic for me. If I want to be outdoorsy, I'll go get drunk on a patio."

Logan closed his eyes and cursed inwardly. Gory's party. Veronica wasn't being chased by a murderer, she was chasing one herself. And Logan had no idea how to find her. "I've got to go," he told Dick.

"Dude, what about the peanut butter- ?" Dick pleaded, but Logan hung up.

"Cancel the keg stand competition," Logan told Vinnie. "Gory Sorokin's not at Hearst. He's partying at his dad's cabin tonight. Veronica went after him."

Keith jumped to his feet. "By herself? Where's the cabin?" he asked ferociously. Clearly, he was a little upset that his daughter was tailing a brutal killer with a penchant for young blond women.

"I don't know. It's by a lake somewhere," Logan said miserably. He was furious with himself, and with Veronica. Why hadn't she told him she was going after Gory? Didn't she agree to let Logan protect her?

"There are at least a dozen lakes around Neptune!" Keith shouted.

"Calm down, Kujo," Vinnie ordered. "I can find your missing mini-Mars with a wave of my magic wand."

"Keep your wand to yourself. How do you know where she is?"

Vinnie typed something into his computer, then wiggled his fingers mystically over the keyboard. The image loaded, and Vinnie gestured for them to look. "Voila! And like magic, there's Veronica," he said proudly. A GPS dot blinked on his monitor. "Neat trick, huh?"

"A real magic trick would be you disappearing forever," Logan said snidely. "You bugged her?"

Vinnie punched his shoulder. "Lighten up, kid. Veronica stole evidence from a crime scene. I was just going to steal it back. Or use it against her later. I hadn't decided yet."

"Where is she going?" Keith wondered. They watched as Veronica's dot moved further east, up into the mountains.

"Lake Morena," Logan decided. He and Keith dashed out of Vinnie's office.

Vinnie grabbed his jacket from the back of his desk chair. "Wait! Wait for the people with badges! And guns!" he called after them.

*********

The Sorokins' cabin was perfect for a party. Outside, the lake sparkled in the moonlight. An old wooden dock held a sleek speedboat. It looked fast, and fun, but it sat unused tonight. The dock itself was situated ideally for cannon balls and skinny dipping. Music blared inside the cabin, but there were no neighbors to complain about the noise. Thud, thud, thud, thud went the deep bass. Veronica's heart pounded nearly as loudly.

She moaned softly in terror and pain as she ran for her life, through a long corridor. Her leg bled profusely; she took her hand away just long enough to throw open a door. It didn't lead outside as she had hoped, but Veronica was out of options. She hurried into the darkness and nearly tumbled down a flight of steps.

The cellar, she thought. Maybe there was a door or a window she could escape from. She limped down the stairs, her heavy bag bumping painfully against her wounded leg. Veronica didn't have time for pain. She had to escape. Get to the car. If she could make it outside, her Saturn was parked at the end of the access road leading to the cabin. Heavy footsteps chased after her.

"Veronica?" Gory Sorokin called. "Come on, Veronica. Don't be like that. It's a party. Let's have a little fun."

Get to the car, get to the car, Veronica chanted to herself. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she ran on.

***********

Keith's sedan whined in protest, straining to summit the mountainous roads at the speeds Keith demanded. A hairpin turn sent the car up on two wheels. Logan's uninjured right hand clutched his armrest, his knuckles white, but he didn't comment on their excessive velocity. He studied the portable GPS unit perched on the dash.

"Take a left," he told Keith. The car fishtailed on loose gravel, briefly losing momentum. Keith struggled to regain control, but within seconds they were whipping past the dark trees again at deadly speeds. The blue blinking dot that was their only link to Veronica was close. Very close.

Logan spotted a petite figure racing through the forest. "There!" he shouted. "I see her!"

In the dim moonlight, Keith and Logan could barely see Veronica's shining blond hair as she ran towards the silver Saturn partially hidden behind some low shrubs. They were still fifty yards away when she dove into the SUV. Keith slammed on the brakes. He didn't bother to park, he simply left the car in the middle of the road, engine running.

Logan tumbled out and ran after the older man. Veronica was just twenty yards from him, but she felt a million miles away. Logan heard the Saturn's engine sputter, but it didn't turn over. He put on an extra burst of speed and caught up to Keith. "Veronica!" he called in relief. Ten yards.

The heat and flames reached them before the sound of the explosion. The force of the blast threw both Logan and Keith bodily into the air, depositing them roughly on the hard ground.

Logan lay dazed on the forest floor. He couldn't remember why he was here, or what was happening. Was that a siren? It sounded a long way off, like Dick had left the TV on again. Logan turned his head to the right and saw Veronica's dad unconscious next to him. He was facedown, his head bleeding. Logan blinked and looked to his left. Flames danced up the sleeve of his jacket. Logan was mesmerized. His jacket was on fire. He felt strangely relaxed. He was on fire. There had been an explosion. He was on fire!

Logan bolted upright, but instantly dropped to his knees as a wave of vertigo and nausea overtook him. He struggled out of his jacket, still ablaze, while retching in the pine needles.

Nearby, Keith groaned and stirred slightly. Flames were inching up his pant leg. Logan crawled to the former sheriff's side and beat the fire out with his hands.

Vinnie and his deputies rushed towards them. Logan could see their patrol cars parked on the highway, the red and blue lights casting crazy shadows on the tree trunks. Sachs ran up with a portable extinguisher, but was forced to retreat. The blaze was an inferno, the silver SUV completely obscured by flames and smoke. Logan sat with his knees curled to his chest. Veronica's car was gone. Veronica was gone.