Author's note: Thanks for reassuring me. I do appreciate the feedback, and I'm glad Veronica's opinions didn't bother any of y'all too badly.

Disclaimer: Rob Thomas created Veronica Mars and all the characters therein. All I did was twist one of them a little.

X X X X X

Logan and I cleaned up the poolhouse. It took me a while to convince Logan to leave the other two tapes behind, but ultimately I got my way. He took a blank one and put a label on in a passable imitation of his father's handwriting, then stuck it into the gap in the drawer.

Clever boy. (You can see one of the reasons I like him.)

It took me even longer to convince him that we had to take the tape of the two of us having sex.

"But if he finds out, he'll know we know about his little do-it-yourself porn studio," he said.

"So we'll put in a blank tape and turn off the recorder," I said. "Let him think that he forgot to reset it, or that there was a short in the system. He'll be more likely to think that than that someone's figured him out. I know the kind of person he is." I am the kind of person he is, except I'm smarter. "He doesn't think anyone will ever be able to figure him out or take him down. We need to prove him wrong."

We got another blank tape, stuck it in the video recorder, and turned it off.

"At least," Logan said. "He won't be pulling his video voyeur routine on us. I couldn't stand that. That that bastard might see you naked – might find out about us –"

"Logan, sweetie," I said gently. "Your father's not stupid. I'm sure he already knows we're having sex. I'm also fairly sure he doesn't care, as long as you don't embarrass him." He reacted exactly the way I wanted him to. "We could have sex in every room in this house, including his bedroom, and all he'd want to be sure of is that none of the paparazzi caught on."

I could feel him getting angrier at his father. Good. While he finished straightening up the bedroom, removing the evidence that we'd been there, I went out to the other room, slid the tape from under my arm into my bag, and waited for him.

When he came out, we went out next to the pool and sat down.

"I'm not sure we'll be able to find that tape," I said after a few minutes of silence. "I mean, it was my Dad doing the looking. And he's good at what he does."

"I'm sure he is," Logan said. "But he doesn't know everywhere to look." He stood up abruptly and walked back into the poolhouse, leaving me scrambling to follow him.

I knew where he was going, though.

He went into the bedroom and started unscrewing the vent plate.

"You learned that from Lilly," I said.

"Lilly learned that from me," he said as he took a key from inside the vent. "The key to Daddy Dearest's liquor cabinet," he said.

"Oh," I said, as though I were just coming to the realization. "You think Lilly might have hidden the tape up there."

"It has to be there," he said, replacing the key and putting the vent plate back on.

"You're absolutely right. And I don't think Dad ever thought to look in there."

"So you're going to go tell him?" he said as we walked back outside.

For a clever boy, he could occasionally be dense. "Of course not – not until we get a chance to look in there ourselves. Think about it. What would the Sheriff need that you and I don't?"

He nodded his head. "A search warrant."

"Yup. And Dad's not exactly high up on the list of the Kanes' most favorite people right about now. He had Jakey thrown in jail and thinks Duncan killed his sister. The only way he'd get into that house is with a warrant. You and I don't need to worry about that."

"Celeste isn't going to be throwing any ticker-tape parades for our appearance, either," he reminded me. We went into the house. I had no idea where Logan was leading me. I kind of doubted he'd be up for sex now. I was, of course, but his anger at his father probably wasn't doing much for his mood.

"No," I said. "But Duncan will. We're two of the few people around here who have stuck by him – who believe in his innocence."

"You and I dating does kind of throw him," he said. He walked straight through the house and out to his bright yellow XTerra. We stopped and continued our conversation while leaning against the side of the SUV.

"True. But he's still talking to us, at least. We could simply drop by one day to cheer him up. Preferably when Celeste is out of town somewhere." Or stuffed in a dumpster.

No, I'm not planning to kill her. What do you think I am, a psychopath?

"I think we should go over right now." He went around the vehicle and started to open the door.

Okay, I had to derail this idea quickly. I needed to come up with an excuse for why I should look through the room myself.

Fortunately, my excuse for why we shouldn't head over there right now was easy, quick, and convenient. And it had the added bonus of being true.

"We can't," I said. "Much as I'd like to. Celeste is home right now."

"How do you know?"

"I heard Duncan talking about it at school. Some kind of charity dinner. Just because Jakey's rotting away in that minimum security prison and the Kanes' image has sunk like a rock doesn't mean she's still not plugging away."

"We could always try to sneak in in the crowd."

I shook my head. "Too risky. If Celeste sees us she'll have us thrown out bodily. She hasn't yet actually forbidden Duncan to have us come over there. We don't want to give her any excuse."

"Then what do I do now? I mean, the next time I see my father I'm going to want to strangle him."

"Resist the temptation," I said. "You had to have inherited some of his acting skills. God knows Trina didn't." Then I said, "And don't tell your mother, either. We have to keep this a secret."

He looked reluctant. "Come on, Logan," I said. "It's the only way to make sure we get justice for Lilly." Somehow I didn't crack up laughing when I said that line.

And that did it. "Okay, Veronica," he said. "We'll play it your way for the moment. But I want to get into Lilly's vent as soon as I can."

"I understand," I said. "And thanks."

Now all I had to do was beat him there.