A/N: So, I'll bet a lot of you thought I was never going to continue this. I'm sorry about the delay, and I wish I could promise that there would not be a similar display before the next chapter, but what can I say? A dissertation is a harsh mistress.
December 12, 2004
9:02pm
"Just want to let you know: I am in fact, feeling lucky," Duncan proclaimed as Veronica followed him into the game room of the Echolls' guest house.
"What's up buddy?" asked Connor Larkin as he and Duncan shook hands. "Who's the girl?" he added sotto voce with a sideways leer at Veronica.
"This is my sister Veronica," Duncan answered, gesturing to her, "Veronica, this is—"
"Connor Larkin," she finished, extending her hand with a smile that threatened to break into a giggle. "I recognize you," she added, blushing.
"It's always great to meet a fan. Maybe I can give you an autograph later." As Connor droned on, Logan, standing behind him, stuck his finger down his throat in a gagging gesture.
"What're you doing, man, bringing your little sister to a card game?" cut in Weevil. "Hey, chica, this ain't no slumber party."
"Golly, Mr. Clean, does that mean I won't get to braid your hair?" Veronica fired back. "Seriously, Weevil, we know you prefer the company of men and everything, but are you really so scared of losing to a girl?"
"Do you even know how to play poker?" Weevil asked.
"No, but it must be really hard if you play."
"You got a smart mouth, bi—"
"Guys, guys, play nice," interrupted Sean.
"I'm playing nice, believe me," answered Weevil.
"What is he doing here anyway?" Duncan whispered to Logan as everyone handed in their thousand dollars and Logan passed out the chips.
"Hey, don't worry, okay. There's no way in hell I'm letting Weevil walk out of here with our money," Logan answered.
9:47pm
"How can you play cards when you can't even get your wallet out of your pocket?" Logan demanded as he grabbed Duncan's wallet to pay the pizza delivery-boy.
"At least I take out of my wallet, unlike some cheap ass-people."
"If I didn't know better, Duncan, I'd think you were speaking ill of me."
"You so clearly don't know any better," Veronica stage-whispered.
"Dude, you get dropped off in a Town Car and you can't even chip in for beer."
"I happen to enjoy my ghetto brew affectation. Quenching."
"You enjoy being a tightwad," the Kanes answered in unison.
"Hah," Connor laughed, "You two sure you're not twins? What? What'd I say?" Everyone glared at Connor for another moment before giving up and carrying the pizza to the table.
10:14pm
"Veronica won again?" Connor asked as he returned from the bathroom.
"Well, you miss a lot when you go to the bathroom every five seconds," Logan answered.
Turning to Sean, Connor asked, "So, how much did you lose on that hand anyway?"
"One-fifty," Veronica answered.
"Tip-money for the guy who washes my Jag," Sean dismissed with a wave of his hand.
"I'm glad you tip him better than you tip delivery-boys," Veronica answered.
"Dude, you don't even have a license," Duncan replied.
"Dude, why does he need a license when he has a chauffeur?"
"Can it be considered an embarrassment of riches if I'm not embarrassed? Thoughts?"
"Sean, you should never feel ashamed of being an '09er," Veronica answered. "It's enough if we're ashamed you're an '09er."
Sean was not listening, however. "Hot chick, poolside, bikini."
"Dude, is that your mom?"
"Here's to you, Mrs. Echolls."
"You guys are pigs," Veronica spat. "Duncan, honestly, get away from there." She took Logan's hand in her own and gave a soft squeeze. When he looked up at her, she smiled. "Want to know a secret?" she whispered, leaning over to him. When he nodded, she picked up Duncan's whiskey bottle and took a slug. "Iced tea. Donut figures that if he acts drunk, everyone'll underestimate him, and it'll be easier for him to win."
Now it was Logan's turn to smile, and he whispered back, with a nod at the large pile of chips in front of Veronica, "It doesn't seem to be working."
"Well, I knew the secret."
11:02pm
Weevil glanced at the pot, and then at his own dwindling stack of chips. If he was going to call Veronica's raise, he would have to go all in. He checked his hole cards; they hadn't changed, still the king of hearts and the jack of clubs. He'd flopped the queen of diamonds, the ten of spades, and the five of spades. The nine of clubs on the turn had given him the straight. He pushed his remaining six hundred into the pot. "All in."
"Woo-hoo!" Duncan yelled.
"Ooh," Sean echoed.
Veronica flipped her hole cards up: the queen of spades and the nine of spades. Two pair. As he flipped his own cards, showing his straight, Weevil quickly calculated the odds that Veronica might still beat him on the river. Another queen or nine would give her a full house. With forty-two cards left in the deck, and only two queens and two nines remaining, he knew her chances were less than ten percent.
"Well?" Veronica said, turning to Logan. Logan flipped the card: the four of spades.
Weevil grinned, until he realized why Veronica was grinning too: she'd drawn a flush.
"I'd like my five grand now, please," Veronica said, almost too sweetly.
Logan opened the money-box, only to find it empty.
"What the—" Veronica said.
"Where's the money? Guys, where's the money?" Logan demanded.
"I'll bet I know where," said Sean, turning toward Weevil. Then everyone was looking at Weevil.
"No. No, no, no, no. You guys aren't pinning this on me."
"There's only one way to clear yourself," Veronica answered, "And as much as I don't want to see you naked…."
"No way, in your dreams," shot back Weevil.
"Nightmares, more likely, but I guess we could just call the Sheriff," Veronica replied.
"Alright, alright," submitted Weevil, as he started undressing.
"Satisfied?" Weevil asked as he pulled his underwear back on and began to dress.
"Traumatized," Veronica answered, "but still missing my five thousand. Connor? Sean?"
"What about them?" Connor asked, gesturing at Duncan and Logan.
"For that matter, what about you?" Sean added.
"You wish. Besides, I'm the one who got robbed, and I don't think it was by my brother or my best friend."
"No, no, it's okay," Duncan said, as he began pulling his shirt off.
11:17pm
"Alright," Sean said as he finished dressing. "I wish I could say it's been fun, but I'd be lying. I'm out of here."
"No you're not," Logan answered, blocking the door.
"Excuse me?" Sean asked petulantly.
"Or what?" Weevil added as he advanced on Logan.
"No one is leaving until that money is found, or I'm calling the cops," Logan retorted.
"So what?" Weevil asked. "Are we just going to stand around waiting for the thief to turn himself in?"
"Maybe."
"Guys, guys," Veronica cut in, "let's think this through for a minute, alright? We all saw Logan put the money in the box, and we've all been sitting here together all night."
"Except for Connor going to the bathroom every other hand," Logan responded.
"Why would I need to steal?" Connor answered.
"Why would anyone here need to steal?" Sean asked, "except for Weevil, obviously."
"Keep it up, white boy."
"Try it. It's still not fifteen on four tonight," cut in Logan.
"Besides," Connor cut in, "one person did leave here with cash. The pizza guy."
"How could the pizza guy have stolen the money? He never got anywhere near it," Veronica replied.
"I don't know," Connor answered. "Maybe he and the thief were working together or something."
"Wait, what about when we all went to the window?" Weevil asked. "Logan was still at the table. He could have taken it then."
"We didn't all go to the window, thank you," Veronica pointed out.
"Yeah?" Sean shot back. "You did say Logan was your best friend. Maybe the two of you were in on it together."
"You mean maybe I robbed myself?"
"Oh, did you know you were going to win?"
"I knew I'd been the chip-leader since the third hand, and that I was a better poker player than any of you."
"This is all very interesting," Logan said, "except not. We're going to search this room, top to bottom."
11:51pm
"Well, well, well," said Veronica as she lifted a wide-mouthed green beer bottle. "What have we here?"
As every eye turned toward him, Sean turned pale. "It was just a prank, I swear. No harm, no foul, right?"
"Except for the part about you not being harmed," Weevil answered while cracking his knuckles.
December 13, 2004
12:02am
"So, uh, Veronica," Logan began as they walked toward the Echolls' driveway, where Duncan was sitting shotgun in his G500, still feigning drunkenness, "did you mean it when you said I was your best friend?"
"What? Yes, I mean, I know Duncan's your best friend, but—"
"Why don't we just call it a tie," Logan interrupted, his voice cracking slightly.
"Thanks," Veronica answered with a downcast smile.
"Well, uh, good night, I guess."
"Good night, Logan."
December 20, 2004
10:16pm
Veronica ran her fingers across some of the books in the Echolls' study when she heard the door open, the sounds of Lynn Echolls' Christmas party wafting in, and turned to see Logan enter.
"Veronica, why'd you leave the party?" he asked.
"It's nothing," she lied, turning back to the books.
"Sure, I believe that," he answered, coming up to stand directly behind her. "Seriously, what is it?"
Veronica took a deep breath and let it out. "Really, it's nothing. I mean, I should be used to it, I guess."
"What?"
She turned to face him. He was standing less than a foot away now. "I was just walking through the party when I overheard some people talking: 'isn't that Jake Kane?' 'His whole family, actually.' 'Is the girl his daughter? Didn't I read she was murdered or something?' 'His legitimate daughter was killed. Some disgruntled ex-employee of his. That's his bastard.'"
"Veronica, we're going to go back out there right now, and you're going to point out who said that, okay?"
"Logan, no, it's okay. Besides, it's true, isn't it? I am a bastard."
"I always liked the term Lilly used better."
"Ah, yes," Veronica smiled up at him. "I'm his natural daughter."
"You're very natural," Logan agreed. Then they were kissing.
"What are we doing?" Veronica asked.
"No idea."
"We need to talk about this," Veronica decided, after they had kissed again.
"I know, I kn—"
"Maybe we should just keep it to ourselves for a while and see what happens."
"Meet in mop closets? Pass each other secret notes in the hallway? Come on, let's go back to the party."
10:30pm
"—llow the Santas outside, I have a special surprise for you," they heard Logan's mother announcing as they returned to the party.
"You don't even care, do you?" one of the waitresses shouted at Logan's father.
"I'm sorry?"
"Sleep with me, you say you love me."
"Lynn, I don't know who this person is, I swear," turning back to the waitress, he continued, "I don't know you."
Logan and Veronica looked on as the waitress stabbed Logan's father. Before she could stab him again, Keith Mars bolted out of the crowd and tackled the waitress.
"Somebody call an ambulance!" Lynn Echolls screamed.
To be continued….