The picture is far too big to look at kid.
Your eyes won't open wide enough
And you are constantly surrounded by
That swirling stream of what is and what was.
---The Big Picture, Bright Eyes
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"I've got a secret. A big one." Veronica heard Lilly say. Her voice was faded, almost as if she was in a different world and Veronica struggled to hold on to the voice.
"Veronica...you okay?" Lilly asked beginning to sound closer now, "Veronica…"
"Yeah?" Veronica asked quickly feeling a jolt go through her body.
"Where were you?"
"What do you mean?" Veronica pulled on the bottom of her shirt trying to act like nothing had happened.
"You were on a different planet."
"Sorry, I zoned out. "
"Are you on drugs? Actually more importantly, are you on drugs and not sharing?"
"Girls. I don't want to tell you again, get to work." One of the pep squad instructors yelled.
"Later." Lilly smiled as she went to work on another car.
"Ms. Johnson," Veronica exclaimed, "I have to go to the bathroom."
"It can wait."
"No." She said holding up her hand, "It's an emergency. You know…a girl emergency."
"Hurry up."
"Thank you!" Veronica exclaimed hurrying over to where everyone's stuff was and quickly grabbed her purse before rushing to the bathroom.
She pulled her phone from its spot in the purse and quickly dialed Logan's cell.
"This is Logan with today's inspirational message: A sex symbol becomes a thing. I hate being a thing. ---Marilyn Monroe" His voice message said before quickly beeping.
"Logan it's Veronica. Listen I know you're in town. Now I need you to do something for me. You need to pick me up in about an hour and take me someplace. Please? It's an emergency. Bye."
Veronica hit end when she was suddenly surprised by the phone ringing.
"Hello?" she asked with her voice shaking.
"Veronica?" Logan asked, "Are you okay?"
"Oh my god Logan." Veronica cried, "I need your help."
"What's wrong?"
"I know who killed her." She whispered
"What?" Logan asked, knowing exactly what she meant
"Veronica Mars I was sent to check on you!" Lilly called walking into the bathroom.
"Be at the car wash in one hour." Veronica whispered before hanging up.
"Who were you calling? Drug dealer? Are you going to share your stash with me? That's so sweet." Lilly joked as Veronica slid her phone back into the purse.
"Ha, ha." Veronica faked a laugh as she headed out the door, "It was just a friend."
"With benefits?" Lilly asked following.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."
Less than an hour later Veronica stood talking to various pep squad girls while the last few cars from the car wash drove away.
Suddenly Logan's car pulled up in the parking lot.
"Hey." He said leaning out the driver's side window.
"Hey." Veronica said walking up to the car, feeling nervous at the sight of him.
"You ready to go?"
"You bet."
"Good. I just need you to do one thing first." Logan reached in the glove compartment and pulled out a letter with Lilly's name written across the front.
'This is the infamous letter.' Veronica thought as she took a hold of it
"I'll give it to Lilly right now."
"Thanks." He smiled.
Veronica headed back towards the girls she was talking to.
"Does anyone know where Lilly went?" She asked one
"I think she already left."
"How long has she been gone?"
"Ten minutes maybe." Another one said.
"Shit." Veronica cursed under her breath as she ran back to the car.
"What's wrong?"
"She's gone." She explained as she got into the car and shut the door with extreme force.
"Dammit!" Logan exclaimed as he pealed out
"Shit." Veronica cursed again as she pushed Lilly's number on her speed dial
"What's the fasted way to get to the Kane house from here?" Logan asked as he turned a corner
"Let me think for a minute!" Veronica shouted as Lilly's phone kept ringing.
"Lilly doesn't have a minute!"
"You're house." Veronica said pushing end, "We're going to your house."
"My house?" Logan asked confused, "Why would the killer be at my house? Unless..."
Veronica took a deep breath and looked at her Ex, "Logan I'll explain everything, okay?"
Logan turned north and began heading towards his house.
"Happy?" He asked, "Now tell me what's going on."
"If she did leave ten minutes ago like Sami said that means that Lilly hasn't found the tapes yet. So if we can get there before she does we can take the tapes..." Veronica said walking through the plan out loud
"Veronica what are you talking about?"
"Lilly's been having an affair with your dad Logan. And he's been taping them. She took the tapes and that's why he killed her."
"What?"
"You heard me."
Logan sped up to to make the light before it turned read and then turned to Veronica.
"Lilly and my dad?"
"Yeah."
"My dad is..." Logan couldn't allow himself to finish the sentence.
"Yeah he is."
"Just when I thought life couldn't get anymore screwed up. " Logan whispered as he ran a stop sign, "I'm going to kill that fucking son of a bitch."
"I know."
About a block away from the house Veronica spotted a speeding car exactly like Lilly's driving heading the other way.
"Oh my god that was Lilly!" Veronica exclaimed, "Turn here, turn here!"
"Believe it or not I'm not good at U-Turns!" Logan said stepped on the gas, making the turn, barely missing hitting a car.
"Follow her!" Veronica yelled over the car horn.
"So what's your plan now? She can't go home."
"Just listen." Veronica told him as she took her phone out and hit Lilly's number on the speed dial.
"Aaron, I don't want to hear it!" Lilly exclaimed answering the phone.
"Lilly it's me."
"Veronica?"
"Turn around."
Lilly quickly turned around and Veronica waved at her.
"Are you in Logan's car?"
"Yeah."
"What are the two of you---?"
"Lilly! Let's focus okay?" Veronica snapped, annoyed at her friends short attention span, "Now you do not want to go to your house, okay?"
"Why?"
"Because that's the first place that statutory rapist son of a bitch will look for you!" Logan yelled.
"Logan!" Veronica exclaimed turning to her ex, "Now is not the time, okay?"
Veronica ran her hand through her hair for a moment before saying, "Okay Lil, listen up. Do you still have the tapes?"
"Yeah." Lilly whispered.
"I've got a plan." Veronica told her before turning to Logan, "Can you drive and talk on the phone at the same time?"
"Yeah."
"Good here." Veronica handed Logan her phone and then stuck her hand in his pocket trying to find his phone.
"Whoa hands!" Logan exclaimed as he turned a corner.
"What is going on there?" Veronica could hear Lilly say.
"I'm not really sure." Logan told her.
"Got it!" Veronica exclaimed pulling Logan's phone out. "Now be quiet."
"What are you---?" Logan asked.
"Shh!" Veronica instructed as she dialed 411.
"Hello, information." The voice on the other end said.
"Can I be connected to the Camelot motel? "
"One moment. "
"Give me a name!" Veronica exclaimed as the phone was ringing.
"What?" Logan asked.
"Give me a name."
"Karen--" Logan began but was cut off by Veronica putting a finger up to his lips.
"Yes hi. This is Karen---" Veronica paused for a moment trying to come up with a believable Alias, "Sawyer. I'm going to need a hotel room for a couple of hours."
"Single or double? "
"Single. "
"Will you be paying for it in cash or credit?" The clerk asked.
"Cash. Always cash."
"You can get your key at the front desk and pay before you leave."
"Thank you." Veronica said before hanging up. "Phone."
"Here." Logan said handing her the phone.
"Thanks." Veronica said giving him a slight smile, "You still there Lilly?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I got you a room at the Camelot. It's under the name Karen Sawyer. Call me when you get the room number, okay?"
"Karen Sawyer. Call you when I get the room. Got it. How will I be paying?"
"Lilly if you leave this friendship with any piece of information let it be this: Cash. Always pay in cash."
"How am I going to pay in cash? I don't have any and daddy took away my ATM card."
"Logan."
"There's a bank about a block away. I'll get some." Logan said nodding his head.
"We'll meet you there."
"Okay." Lilly said. Veronica was close to hanging up but stopped when she heard Lilly say her name, "How did you know where I'd be?"
"Lilly it's too complicated. I'll explain everything in good time"
"Okay. I'll talk to you soon."
"Okay."
Veronica hung up the phone and leaned back in the seat, resting her head on the headrest.
"It's going to be okay." Logan said rubbing her hand assuringly.
"I hope so."
Ten minutes later Logan and Veronica stood in front of an ATM as Logan got money from his dad's bank account.
"This feel's like a dream." Veronica whispered crossing her arms.
"It really does." Logan agreed as more money came out, "Veronica? Can I ask you something?"
"I can't tell you how we got here." She told him, already knowing what he was going to ask, "I wouldn't know where to start. Just know that everything will work out."
"Can I ask you something else?"
"I found the surveillance system the night of your party. I thought it was yours. That's why I left. Then when I was looking for your letter in Lilly's room I found the tapes. Duncan and I saw them and that's when I knew your dad was the killer."
"Oh." Logan said trying to understand everything as he took the rest of the money and put it in his wallet
"Let's go see Lilly, okay."
"Okay."
Logan and Veronica made their way to room six and knocked assertively.
"It's us." Veronica told her
"Open up." Logan commanded praying that she was okay.
After a minute Lilly opened the door slightly before letting them in. Veronica noticed that Lilly had changed out of her uniform and was now wearing a light pink terrycloth robe.
"I thought you were never going to get here." Lilly said for the first time in the past hour feeling like she could breath.
"We're here now." Veronica said pulling her friend closer, "We're here now."
Veronica and Lilly took a seat at the head of the bed, while Logan sat at the foot.
"What are we going to do?" Lilly whispered.
"Call Veronica's dad, tell him everything, and get that son of a bitch---"
"Logan stop!" Veronica whispered, "Let's all just take a moment."
"Take a moment?"
"Logan." Veronica took a hold of his hand, "We just need a moment to catch our breath. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good." Veronica sighed.
"But what are we going to do Veronica? When we're all done taking this moment?"
"I think we should do, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, exactly what Logan said. Go see my dad, tell him everything."
"Veronica can't we just sell the tapes to Access Hollywood and forget about it?"
"Lilly we need to put him away. It'll be okay."
"Are you sure?"
"You bet."
"Okay. Let's do it."
Twenty minutes later Logan and Veronica sat cross-legged on the floor of the sheriff's department playing crazy eights with a deck of cards Logan had in his glove compartment while Lilly talked with Veronica's father.
"So I think that we should talk about the Purple Pokadotted Elephant in the room that neither of us wants to talk about." Logan said as he put down a 4 of diamonds.
"Later. Right now we just need to focus on getting your dad behind bars."
"Okay, but we do need to talk about it."
"And we will. Eventually."
Veronica put down an Ace of diamonds and turned her attention towards the door where Duncan, Jake and Celeste Kane were all standing.
"Hi.." Veronica said standing up.
"Mr. Kane, Mrs. Kane." Logan said standing up as well, "Hey Duncan."
"Hey." Duncan said walking over to them, "What's going on?"
"We really shouldn't--" Veronica said while at the same time Logan piped in with,
"Lilly should be the one--"
"It's bad isn't it?" Duncan asked
"It could be worse." Veronica whispered
"Lilly could be dead." Logan whispered back.
Keith's Secretary Inga came out and looked very sympathetic at Jake and Celeste, "Mr. And Mrs. Kane could you come in please?"
Inga held the door open and then looked at Logan and Veronica, "Veronica your father's sorry but he's not going to be able to make dinner tonight."
"That's alright. Under the circumstances I would be surprised if he could."
"I could call your mother if you would like."
"Don't bother." Logan said placing his hand on Veronica's back, "I'll take her."
"Alright. I'll let your father know Veronica."
"Thanks Inga."
Logan and Veronica picked up the cards and began to make their way outside, sliding past Duncan whose eyes, they thought, were glued on the door that his parents had gone through.
"Veronica stop for a second." Logan whispered as they got to the doors, "Just stop."
"What?" She asked wanting to go home to her bed so she could start the rest of her life.
"It's over." He said pulling her close to his chest. She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks and he kissed her forehead gently before whispering into her ear, "its over."
Logan kissed her tenderly on the cheek and from his spot on the other side of the room Duncan closed his eyes and turned around, unable to allow himself to see anymore.
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