SweetSlayer810: Vanessa Mencken is my own creation.

Disclaimer: As above, plus the characters and settings belonging to Rob Thomas.

X X X X X

Logan seemed decidedly less businesslike than he was the last time he asked me for a favor. He seemed nervous and jittery and unLoganlike.

"I assume this has something to do with the conversation I overheard a few days ago?"

"If by 'conversation' you mean 'blackmail attempt," then yes."

I suddenly realized we were still talking through my open doorway, which was slightly ridiculous. "Come inside, okay?"

He walked in and looked around, but refrained from making a sarcastic comment on the state of my living quarters. My second surprise in two minutes. One more like that and I'd better hope Logan knows CPR. "So," I said, "Want to give me the details?"

"No," Logan said, "I don't. But I don't have anyone else I can turn to." He sighed. "Look, Veronica, here's the way it is: My dad slept around. A lot. With practically anything that walked, talked, and was a member of the opposite sex."

"He never hit on me," I said. I'd met Aaron Echolls a few times.

"He had his standards," Logan said, then immediately said, "Wait. For once, I didn't mean that as an insult. You were the one type he wouldn't have been interested in. You're smart and you'd fight back. Aaron Echolls hated to have anyone around him who could fight back. It couldn't have been anything else. Certainly the age issue wouldn't have bothered him."

"Vanessa Mencken," I said.

He nodded. "17 when they started. I don't give a crap about the reputation of the great Aaron Echolls. If all she wanted to do was trash my father's reputation I'd tell her to go to town. Hell, I'd give her the name of a tabloid and tell her to enjoy herself." He looked at me. "Our attorney's gotten about thirty people claiming that, mostly asking for money. The other half –" he pointed to a tabloid lying nearby – "Well, you know what they're doing. The only good thing about all of this is that they couldn't claim to be having his love child. He took the ultimate precaution there."

I guessed that meant vasectomy. Still -- "The ultimate precaution would have been not trying to bed anything that walked, talked, and was a member of the opposite sex."

"You might as well have tried to stop the sun from rising or Adam Sandler from making lousy movies."

"So the difference here is that he's dragging your Mom into it," Veronica said.

"Yes. She said Mom liked watching the two of them having sex. That she -- got off on it. And since arranging to have her murdered would get me in trouble, I'd like you to prove she's lying." He gave me a steely glance. "Because she is lying."

I held up my hands. "I believe you. The thing is, it's going to be awfully hard to prove otherwise. Did she give any details about when and where the alleged tawdry rendezvous took place?"

"Last summer," Logan said. "I was having a party while Mom was in London and Dad was filming his last movie. He came home for a quick break and that's when she said it started. Then, one day, Mom came home and walked in on them in flagrante and just told them to keep going." He took a deep breath. "Then, then Mom told them to do it again, and again, because she – she liked to watch." Damn. He was almost on the verge of crying. I had no idea what I'd do with a weepy Logan Echolls.

He caught himself. "Supposedly it went on like this for a couple of weeks before she got sick of it and broke it off." Then he looked directly into my eyes. "She's lying, Veronica. Prove it."

"I'll do my best," I said. I didn't even bring up payment. It would have seemed crass, at that point. Logan seemed to be in need of comforting, but I was probably one of the last people on earth who he'd want comfort from.

Well, that kind of comfort. Obviously, he's asking for another kind of comfort. That, I'm good at.

He takes both of his hands and clasps one of mine. "Thanks," he said with utter sincerity. "I feel safer already, Machiavelli."

I chuckled, then I had a thought. "Does anyone know you came over here?"

"No. Not even Mom."

"Good. Then here's how we're going to play this."

X X X X X

By the flagpole the next morning, I told Logan the deal was off and that he was on his own.

"You BITCH!" Logan yelled. Everyone in the vicinity turned to look. "I ask for help and you –"

I laughed bitterly. "What, Logan? Did you actually expect me to be nice to you? After the shit you and your crew have put me through the last year and a half?"

"Oh, no," he said, walking towards me until our faces were less than three feet apart. "God knows the great Veronica Mars never helps anyone unless it helps her. Tell me, what did those reporters you led away from my mansion ever do to you?"

"They lied about my father," I yelled right back.

"No," he said, "They didn't."

"They're not lying about yours, either. Or about your –"

He interrupted with, "One more word, Mars, and I'll –"

"You'll what?" came a voice from behind him. Weevil. I'd been so involved in my shouting match with Logan that I hadn't even seen him there.

"Back off, Paco," Logan said. "This is none of your business."

"This area," Weevil said, gesturing to the flagpole. "This IS where I do business. So unless you wanna end up taped to the flagpole, get lost."

Logan turned and looked at him. "I've been threatened by some of the best," he said. "You're not even in the running for an honorable mention."

Now it was Weevil's turn to get in Logan's face. "Go ahead, rich boy," he said. "I'm waiting for an excuse."

Logan backed off. "You're not going to get one right now," he said, and turned away and walked off.

As the crowd – disappointed that someone, probably me, wasn't being beaten senseless -- Weevil looked at me. "Don't tell me I just got involved in one of your famous schemes."

"Only the failure of one," I said. "And thanks."

"I didn't do it to help you, V," he said.

"Sure you didn't," I said. Then I put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Weevil. Your secret's safe with me."

As I walked off towards the school building, he called after me, "That's two you owe me!"

I ran into Vanessa Mencken right after first period. "I heard about what you're doing with Logan."

"How?"

"You weren't exactly quiet about it in the halls the other day," I said. "And besides, Logan asked for my help and I turned him down."

"Huh. That explains the Celebrity Deathmatch you were having this morning."

"Yes, it does. Though we had to end it before one of us got disemboweled. Unfortunately. Anyway," I said with enthusiasm and as much camaraderie as I could muster, "How can I help you get him?"

"I'm not sure –"

"Look," I said. "He tried to hire me to dig up dirt on you and prove you were lying. He got pissed when I turned him down. How long do you think it's going to be before he hires a real professional? But if I prove your story's true before he has a chance to –"

She smiled. "Gotcha." The bell rang. "Gotta go. But, Veronica, I'm a little short of cash right now --"

"Don't worry, this one's on me."

It would have had to be. I couldn't very well take her money when I was still working for Logan, now could I?