Sheriff Keller leaned back in his chair. "So you're the Blossoms' PI?" He was probably handsome in his youth, in a very rugged, militaristic way. His chin jutted out at an impressive angle, and the gray of his hair was kept neatly under his sheriff's hat.
"I'm Veronica Mars, yes. I'm not here to step on your toes, Sheriff, but I would like to collaborate."
Keller raised his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not angry. Not at you anyways. This whole case has been a shit show from day one. Not to mention what happened last night… Kevin was with me, then."
He gave a general acknowledgement to his son, who rested up against another desk in the room. The kid was lean, and his face held the same strong lines and contours, albeit in a much younger state. Veronica had explained her uncover work to the sheriff but was a little uneasy knowing that another student knew her identity. Sensing Veronica's hesitation, Kevin spoke up. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I've gotten good at being discreet."
"Son, you know I support you, but this lady doesn't need to know about your sex life."
"Dad!" Kevin squeaked. "I meant because I'm the sheriff's son!"
"Oh."
Veronica suppressed a smile. It was refreshing to see a hardened, law enforcement type like Keller have such a healthy relationship with his son and his sexuality. "Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones know. They're the ones who told me you'd had some trouble last night."
Kevin's eyes lit up, and Veronica imagined that just because he could keep a secret didn't mean he didn't want to gossip about it. "So tell me what happened," she prompted.
"Not much to say," Kevin shrugged. "We were at the drive-in for the final showing. Hell, most everyone was. When we came back, the place was trashed, and all of Dad's work was just gone."
"Could someone have left during the movie and come back?"
Sheriff Keller shook his head. "The drive-in had a no reentry policy. Whoever was there at the beginning and the end was there the whole time."
Veronica pulled out her notebook and a pen. "Is there anyone you can remember specifically being there?" Ruling out as many people as possible was just as important as finding out who wasn't there.
Keller sighed. "Hermione Lodge and Fred Andrews. They seemed to be… together. Alice Cooper showed up and made some ruckus, as she usually does. Bunch of South Side Serpents, but that's nothing new. Kevin?"
"I was with Veronica Lodge and Cheryl Blossom. Jughead was working the booth. And there was this one Serpent… Joaquin. He definitely was there the whole time."
Keller raised his eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Okay," Veronica said, feeling slightly overwhelmed. "First, who are the South Side Serpents?"
"Biker gang." Keller answered. "Small time offenses for the most part. They loved that drive-in. Started showing up there more in the last six months or so."
Veronica made a note. Serpents = Riverdale PCHers. "You said Alice Cooper made a scene. Do you know what it was about?"
Keller shook his head and looked over to his son who just shrugged.
"What about Hal Cooper? The Blossoms?"
"Didn't see any of them," Keller said, standing up. "You'll have to excuse me, Ms. Mars, but I've got a few rounds to make. You've got my number if you need anything else."
"Thanks, both of you. I'll see you around school, Kev!" She gave him an exaggerated wide-mouthed grin, then tucked the notebook away and walked out of the little station.