"SHAKE THAT THANG"

A/N: Sorry about the long hiatus. I'll be continuing with the way I'm going rather than with the turn of events that's been going on in season 2. The characters may seem a little bit, and just a little, out of character. I'm still working on that, and it's a little hard considering no new episodes to watch so far. When will they air the new ones? I'll really need to get back into character! Just keep reading, and hopefully by the next future episode, I'll be right on track… and there's going to be a major surprise coming up, which is quite a doozie, keep reading!


Previously on 'Veronica Mars':

'Oh my god, Derrek is Clarence Weidman's father? Derrek Weidman? Please tell me that this man that I'm looking at right now looks oh so similar and has the exact same voice is just a coincidence! Please! I really need a coincidence right now!'

'Clarence Weidman... friend or foe? That is the question.'

Veronica turned around to find Logan just standing there, with his hand on his side. Logan took his hand away to find his palm covered in blood.

"Logan?"

Veronica ran over to Logan who was lying on the floor with a large blood stain on his shirt. She sat down beside him and checked out what had happened.

"Veronica..." Logan responded seriously.

Veronica turned around and went over to Logan.

"Yeah?" Veronica asked.

"I want you to find out who did this to me, and I want them to pay."

And that's Carla Jackie, the coolest teacher in all of Neptune High. She never actually gives us that much work, we watch movies 27/7 (not about health), and she runs the Skits and other after school activities for the Freshmen.''

"I received this." Carla handed a paper to Veronica and she read it.

"Oh my god."

"It's a threat, either I get out or my life's going to become a living hell."


'The law just isn't fair sometimes. I've learned that from experience, but there are some good advantages to having the inside scoop on what's going inside Sheriff Lamb's office. Let's say... locker checks for instance? Hell, I know who's lockers they're going to check before the principal does, and I know that this next check may be a little out there...'

Deputy Leo and Vice Principal Clemmons entered the teacher's locker room with the deputy's drug sniffing K-9. The two wandered over to Miss Carla Jackie's locker. Miss Jackie came running into the locker room and over to the two men.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Miss Jackie, we're going to need to search your locker." Clemmons stepped forward.

"Um... sure. What's this about?"

"We believe that you may be concealing drugs." Leo replied.

"Drugs? I don't have anything of that nature."

"It's just a precautionary measure." Clemmons replied as he gestured for Miss Jackie to open the locker.

Miss Jackie stepped up to the locker, and started twisting the knob to her combination. After she had finished, she lifted the latch, and stepped back. Leo opened the locker, and started to look around, moving books and papers until he found something. He looked at Clemmons, then back at the locker.

Leo reached in and pulled out a pound of Marijuana that was in a clear bag. He looked at Clemmons again.

"Carla Jackie, you're going to have to come with us." Leo said as he took out his cuffs.

"What? That's not mine! I don't even do drugs! I'm a freaking health teacher for god sakes!" Miss Jackie exclaimed as Leo turned her around.

As she was being cuffed, Veronica peeked her head around the corner, then went back out of sight. She closed her eyes and placed her head against the wall.

'Did I say out there? I meant OUT there...'

CREDITS PLAY.


Veronica swiftly walked into Clemmons office, and slammed her hand on the desk.

"Um... Veronica..." Clemmons stated.

"Okay, here's the thing. Miss Jackie is totally innocent. Those aren't her drugs!"

"You heard... I was trying to keep this under wraps."

"I want to know why you checked her locker."

"We received a tip from someone telling us that she had drugs in her possession."

"Who was this somebody?" Veronica asked.

"It was on an anonymous line."

"When?"

Clemmons looked at Veronica.

"When?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Around what time?"

"Veronica..."

"What time?"

"What are doing? We found drugs on her, that's all."

"Those aren't hers. I just know it! What time?"

"It was around four."

Veronica started for the door.

"I'll prove to you that those aren't hers. She's being set up." Veronica slammed the door as she left.


How is it that no one believes me that Miss Jackie is one hundred per cent pure innocent, and is being set up by the Neptune school board for some odd reason? Ah well, maybe it's time for a good old fashion butt whipping, and then maybe they'll listen.'

Veronica walked into the sheriff's office after school. She went straight up to Deputy Leo who was on desk call.

"Veronica. Here to enlighten me?" He joked.

"No, actually I need to speak with Carla Jackie."

"Ah man, I was waiting for that enlighten."

"Maybe another time, how about it?"

"I don't know if I can let you in there..."

"Dinner, maybe?"

Leo smiled. "Okay. Follow me."

Veronica followed Leo into the back, where she bumped into Cliff who was just leaving.

"Cliff..." Veronica greeted.

"Hello, Miss Mars. I've just got done speaking to my client. Quite a damsel in distress, isn't she?"

"Yep." Veronica replied.

"Ah well, she says she's got nothing to hide. She's clean, and that someone placed those drugs in there to set her up. Never heard that one before. Good day." Cliff went on his way.

Veronica smiled, and entered the interrogation room where Jackie was being held. After seeing Veronica, she quickly stood up.

"Veronica!"

"Hey, Miss Jackie."

Veronica went over to her, and sat down.

"That's not mine." Miss Jackie spoke out.

"I know, and I'm going to prove to them that it's not, and that you are being set up."

"I just don't know how."

"I spoke to Clemmons, he said that an anonymous called around four yesterday afternoon telling them that you had drugs on you. If I can get a trace on that number, then I can find out whom it is."

"I swear to you, on my life that those aren't my drugs. They aren't."

"I'll find out."

Miss Jackie stopped to think.

"I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" Veronica asked.

"I want you to stay out of this. I'll get your father on this, and he can find out. I… you've done a lot for me, but I don't think that this is right for you."

"Don't worry about me."

"No, Veronica. I need you to promise me."

Veronica looked at Jackie. She shook her head, and quietly backed away for the door.

"Veronica… Veronica!"

Veronica exited the room.


'Stay out of this? Yeah, right! I am not going to let the coolest teacher in all of Neptune become fired and possible jailed because of envies in the school board. I'll find out who, but right now, I've gotta go see Wallace.'

"They're out there!" Voices came from the television set.

Wallace and Veronica were sitting on her couch watching good old reruns of 'The X-Files'.

"You know, I can see it now with all this stuff about conspiracies in the school board." Wallace started as he plunged his hand into the bowl of popcorn.

"What?" Veronica replied as she took a mouthful.

"There are conspiracies! Yeah, and Clemmons is Skinner, and the smoking man is the principal. Not only that, we've got Derrek as Krycek, and Clarence Weidman as… I guess that there are two smoking man's."

Veronica smiled.

"And who are we, Mulder and Scully?"

Wallace laughed.

"You are too enthralled with this show." Veronica got up from the couch to get some more sodas.

'Hmm… maybe this is an 'X-File'… I've got to stop watching these things.'

Veronica was on her way back to the couch when Keith came into the apartment with another person. A teenage kid, tall and with dark hair.

"So! This is whom you're cheating on Wallace's mom with?" Veronica asked.

"No silly! I'd like you to meet Max Verdetta. We met a few months back at a P.I. convention."

"Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you." Max put his arm out hoping for a shake.

"Ohh! I like having a fan club!" Veronica shook his hand.

Wallace went over to Max.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Wallace."

"Max."

Wallace whispered into Veronica's ear.

"It looks like you've just found yourself a Doggett. I'll see you later."

Wallace left the apartment.

"So, you want to be a P.I.?" Veronica asked.

"Not really, just a hobby. I was thinking more on the lines of F.B.I."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you two keep talking. How about lasagna! Fresh out of the box!" Keith asked.

"Sure thing." Max replied.

"Sounds great."

Keith went off to the refrigerator.

"So, you want to be a P.I.?" Max asked.

"No way. I just do this for a hobby as well."

"Yeah, it's kind of a bummer, especially after a while of doing it."

"What brings you to the neighborhood?" Veronica asked.

"Your father and I met at this convention, and we just got to talking. I met him today, and we had lunch."

"How old are you?"

"Funny. I was on a job when I bumped into him. I'm eighteen."

Veronica smiled dimly.

'Every week it's as though my father brings someone new home from work. I just hope that next week it won't be my math teacher.'

"So, Max, how'd you get into it?" Keith asked as he took a chunk of the lasagna.

"My father's uncle got me into it."

"Who's that?" Keith asked.

"Vinnie Van Lowe. My father hates him, and I do too… but I've learned a lot."

Keith put his head down and chuckled.

"He's said a lot about you." Max replied.

"Probably has." Keith chuckled some more.

"Well, if you'll excuse me." Veronica got up from the table.

"Okay, honey."

"It was nice meeting you." Veronica told Max.

"The pleasure's mine." Max smiled.

Veronica went into her room, and grabbed her cell phone.

"Yeah, Wallace, it's me. Wanna do a little snooping?"


Veronica arrived at Neptune High with Wallace a little later that night. The two got into the school, and made their way to administration.

"Okay, the anonymous calls are supposed to come from Communications. If we can find the number, then we're gold." Veronica said to Wallace as they trailed through the halls.

Veronica took out her spare set of keys, and tried to unlock the door.

"Damn it… they must have switched the locks." Veronica whispered.

"What?"

"They knew about us sneaking in here. So now…"

"What are we going to do?" Wallace asked.

"How about opening the door?"

Veronica and Wallace looked to see Max walking up to them.

"What are you doing here?" Veronica asked.

"Thought you may need some help."

Max took out a lock pick device, and went over to the lock.

"Who are you?" Veronica asked.

"Your guardian angel." Max unlocked the door.

Veronica and Wallace looked at each other in confusion, and followed Max into the room.

"Mr. Mars gave me the scoop, though you may have come down here to get Communications."

"Maybe I'm wrong, maybe he's Deep Throat!" Wallace replied.

"Yeah, we were."

"I don't think you need to bother. They don't log down the phone call, I've learned that from experience."

"Maybe we can find some sort of log. I know that from experience." Veronica replied.

"These people aren't that smart, they're more lazy."

"If I can find out records of the calls that came in, I can get the number."

"It's pretty much useless."

"There's always a log."


Veronica sat on the floor after going through every computer and file.

"Maybe there isn't always a log." Veronica responded.

Wallace looked at Max.

"You don't happen to work for the F.B.I., do you?" Wallace asked.

"I want to, if that answers your question."

"Well, I'll just call the sheriff's office, get a log from them." Veronica got up.

"Don't worry." Max pulled out a piece of note paper. "While you were looking, I was able to get one of the deputies down there to get me the record. Twenty-five calls were made between the times of three fifty-five to four forty-five." Max handed the note to Veronica.

"Are you sure you don't work for the F.B.I.?" Wallace asked.

"No." Max smiled.

"Well…" Veronica started.

"Recognize any?" Max asked.

"Not really. I'll have to go through them all…"

"If you want, I can do that for you." Max replied.

"Well, that's generous of you."

"Least I could do. Maybe you could snoop around for more info. Maybe on who would want to do this to her."

"That's a long list." Veronica replied.

"We've better get to work." Max took the paper, and left the room.

'Strange… freaky… that about describes the average guy here in Neptune, but not like this… he's more than weird, he's spooky…'


Veronica walked down the hallway of Neptune High the next morning, where she was intercepted by Dick Dick Casablancas.

"If it isn't…"

"Save it." Veronica butted in immediately.

"You're not wearing any pointy toed shoes today!" Dick replied.

"Oh trust me, I don't need them."

Logan came over.

"Leave her alone, man."

'And so comes the cavalry, how nice! I'll give Logan a point here though. He's been a lot nicer to me ever since his near non-fatal stab.'

"Okay, your royal highness." Dick backed away.

"You okay?" Logan asked.

"Yeah."

"Any leads?"

"Not so far."

"Listen, I know it was him. That god damned Weevil. All I need you to do is to find proof of it!"

"I'll see what I can dig up."

"Just get him. He's gonna be executed for this."

Veronica left Logan, and headed for Clemmon's office.


"Veronica." Clemmons greeted when she stormed into his office.

"I need to know more. There had to be something else. Even, you know it. You saw what had happened with those teachers who had tried to set Miss Jackie up before."

"Veronica… there is nothing more to it. As much as I would like to…"

"Believe me? I am telling you, there is something not right about all of this."

"I can't tell you anything else because I have nothing. If you want to question someone, question the teachers who were involved with the set up of the play the last time. They came back two days before the phone call."

Veronica's eyes widened.

"They did?"

"Yeah."

Veronica ran out of the room.


'Why is it that I really hate teachers? The answer, I think if you weren't dropped on your head as a child will know the answer to that.'

"Mr. Adams!" Veronica was seated at his desk when he had come in.

He became startled and dropped some coffee down his shirt.

"Miss Mars…"

"Glad to see that you're finally back." Veronica smiled.

"What do you want?"

"Only two days back, and already you're trying to figure out a way by getting rid of Miss Jackie!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know, planting the drugs."

"Miss Mars…"

"It's a great plan though…"

"I'm not here to try to get rid of Miss Jackie. I'm here collecting my things. I was transferred two days ago."

Veronica looked at the empty shelves.

"And as a goodbye present you didn't decide to get rid of Miss Jackie?"

"I did what I did for my students to win the skit competition. It's in our best nature."

"Well… I'll still be keeping an eye out on you, Roger!"

Veronica got up from the desk, and started for the door.

"Sorry about the shirt."

Veronica left the room.


'One down, another to go.'

Veronica entered Mrs. Goldblum's room where she was seated at her desk.

"Hey Tracy!"

Goldblum looked up from her desk.

"Veronica…"

"Been planting drugs lately?" Veronica opened.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, trying to get rid of Miss Jackie."

Goldblum stood up.

"I don't know what you're getting at here, but I'd never try to get rid of her."

"You sure? You seemed so sure last time!"

"Please leave."

"Then you have nothing to hide?" Veronica asked.

"Of course I have nothing to hide!"

"Okay then, I'll be seeing you around."

Goldblum stood as still as possible as Veronica left the room. After she had left, Goldblum picked up the phone.

"We've got a problem. She's onto us."

'I just love the smell of false truth's in the morning!'


As Veronica walked down the hallway, her cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"I got the results of the phone traces." Max started.

"How did you get this number?" Veronica asked.

"Your father gave it to me."

"Oh…"

"They were just regular phone numbers, except for one. I thought you may be curious about."

"Well… I have some suspects right now."

"I think you'll want to take this one."

"What is it?"

"An extension… coming directly from Neptune High. From the administration office."

"Go on…" Veronica walked toward the administration office.

"An extension 1013. I don't know which office though."

Veronica stopped at the office doors, and looked up at a large plaque on the wall that had all the names and extensions of all the administration.

"I think I know."

Veronica pinpointed the extension 1013 over to Lucy Patterson, the principal of Neptune High.

'Well, this just keeps getting better and better.'


"Anything new going on, Miss Patterson?" Veronica greeted as she walked into her office.

"Miss Mars."

"Drugged anyone up lately?"

"What?"

"You know, Miss Jackie and that whole locker thing."

"What happened to Miss Jackie was a great loss, but she was a threat. If one teacher possessed Marijuana, then a whole bunch would. And soon it'd be a rapidly growing number of both teachers and students with Marijuana."

"And you knew about it beforehand, that she possessed the drugs?"

"What?"

"You called saying that she possessed the drugs."

"I did not."

"It says it right in the phone log."

"We don't have a phone log."

"Yes you do. I got it from the sheriff's office. At four fifteen, you called and told them that she was the one that had the drugs. Your extension is in the log."

"I wasn't even here at that time."

Veronica looked.

"I never even knew until Clemmons told me this morning."

"I have proof."

"You have nothing."

"I know it was you, and your gang. Trying to rid of Jackie. I know it."

"I'd never do anything of the matter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend."

"I'll get proof."

"I'd never do anything of the matter."

"And the shutting down of her step club and skit cooperation was not part of your diabolical plan?"

"She is a risk. Did you know that before she became a teacher here that she had a record for drug related matters? Because she did, if you want to investigate something then investigate that. She was a wild card that needed to be controlled, and when she couldn't commit to it, we needed to let her go. Now, good bye."

Veronica scoffed in disbelief, and stormed out.


As Veronica walked down the hall, she bumped into Weevil.

"Well, well… stabbed any one lately?" Veronica asked.

"Very cute."

"You know, they've got a pool going on whether it was you or not."

"And what did you put down?"

"I wasn't that interested."

"I didn't stab Logan. You know it. I'm not that stupid to do such a thing."

"Then who did?"

"I'm not that sure, but I know none of my guys would have."

"You sure about that?"

"I keep them under my control these days. No more Felix's are running the show."

"You hope that."

Veronica walked off.


Jackie was sitting in interrogation when Veronica walked in.

"Veronica…"

"I've been going around and I think that I have found…"

"I told you to stay out of this."

"And I told you that I'd find proof."

"My trial's next week. My lawyer said that with inconclusive evidence, that there's a chance that I'd get off."

"Has my father found anything?"

"No…"

"I think the principal is the one. I'll keep looking…"

"Please, don't bother. There's nothing."

"I don't believe that's true."

Veronica walked out of the room.


'After a hard day's night, I'm glad there's a place where everybody doesn't know my name.'

Veronica walked into her apartment to find Keith and Max talking.

"Just in time!" Keith greeted.

"Hey, dad."

"Hi." Max greeted.

"Any news on the case?" Veronica asked.

"It's a dud, but I spoke to the judge, there's a large chance that she'll get off. There's no hard evidence that it's hers. He's gotten to thinking of that after you rocked the boat." Keith replied.

"I believe there is. If I can find a recording."

"The administration doesn't record their calls." Max told Veronica.

"Those records of the numbers has got to have some value." Veronica replied.

"I don't know." Keith replied.

"They must. The principal's extension is on there. She must have made the call."

"It won't do that good."

"But it could help lean the jury about going with not guilty." Veronica argued.

"It could…" Keith replied.

"The papers are at my house." Max replied.

"Let's go get them."


Max and Veronica drove up to a busy street that was full of fire trucks and police units. The two got out of the car and noticed his apartment building.

"My apartment!" Max yelled as he ran to the yellow tape.

"Personnel only." The guard held him back.

"That's my apartment!" Max turned to Veronica. "The papers are in there! God damn it!"

"The sheriff's office should still have them on the computer."


Veronica and Max entered the office where Leo was on duty.

"Here to enlighten me this time?" Leo asked.

"We need the files that I came and picked up the other night." Max replied.

"Sorry Max, but that time was a favor."

"We need them, it's important." Veronica added.

"I don't know." Leo replied.

"Dinner and a movie." Veronica added.

"Three fifty to four fifty?" Leo asked.

"Yeah." Max answered.

Leo turned to the computer and punched in the keys to bring up the records. After he brought it up, he scratched is head.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"They're not in here. They're aren't any records."

"What? That's impossible." Max replied.

Leo tried it again.

"No, no records."

Veronica and Max looked at one another.

"They're covering it up." Veronica said.

"I can't believe it. All this because of one person?" Max asked.

"Yeah…" Veronica replied.


'Miss Jackie must have really pissed someone off for them to be doing this to her. Every piece of evidence on her's being erased.'

Veronica sat at her laptop, and entered in Jackie's name in the P.I. record search. She pressed enter, and waited. Veronica was astonished when 'no records found' came up. She redid the search to find nothing.

'I guess there is no word for how strange this all is, no word at all…'


"Your honor, there is no presumable evidence that links my client to the possession of these drugs." Cliff stated to the judge when they were in court the next week.

"That should not matter, there was drugs in her possession."

"Okay, let's take a recess and we'll return when the jury has made their decision."

Cliff looked at Jackie.

"There's still hope." He whispered to her.

She looked at him, and nodded quietly.


The rustling of the court made the judge smack his gavel when the jury came back out.

"Order… order!" The judge smacked his gavel. "After consulting the jury, and looking over the evidence, we find the defendant not guilty due to inconclusive evidence."

"Your honor, there were drugs in her…" The lawyer of the accuser yelled.

"There is no inconclusive evidence to prove her guilty."

A small commotion started to ruffle in the background.

"This case is closed." The judge smacked his gavel.

Veronica smiled, and looked at Keith, and Max.


Veronica entered Jackie's classroom the next day.

"Well…" Veronica started.

"Thank you…"

"I guess it wasn't enough. They declined your reinstatement?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, they said that they couldn't take a chance with me." Miss Jackie started placing her things into a cardboard box.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, you said it. They wanted me out of Neptune High, and they did it. And soon enough I'll be out of Neptune all together. That's what they wanted."

"But you can fight this. It's not over."

"They've won, Veronica. And they'll keep winning, until they are stopped. And I believe that that's where you come in. I believe that you will stop them, sooner or later."

Jackie placed the rest of her things into the box, picked it up, and walked for the door leaving Veronica standing behind.

'I guess she's right, sometimes you can't win, but sometimes you can. And I will win, I'll bring these people to justice, and it will be served. I just don't know when… or how…


NEXT TIME: Veronica follows around the principal and the superintendent to prove Jackie's innocence, but leads to an ending that will leave Veronica breathless...