Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Veronica Mars-iverse. Or, anything from Macbeth for that matter. Happy reading!
Spoilers: Everything up to "Not Pictured" is fair game. Nothing from Season Three. Why? Do you know something?
XxXxXxX
"How do you find yourself here all the time, Veronica? I may be charming and handsome and powerful, but I just don't date high school girls," Don Lamb began, examining his fingernails as though he hadn't just asked Veronica why she'd killed Clarence Wiedman.
"First off, I am no longer in high school. Second, I have it on good authority that you do," Veronica replied cheekily. She enjoyed wiping the smirk off of the Sheriff's face. "And third, I'm only here because you insist of bringing me in every so often to do your job for you."
"What my client means to say is that she didn't kill Wiedman and she'd love to meet you for a drink when she'd older. Can we be done here? I have a ten o'clock," Cliff put in, impatiently.
Lamb waved his hand toward the door, "Fine. But, just so you know Veronica, I won't be so easy on your boyfriend."
Veronica feigned a pout and batted her eyelashes, "Don't be too jealous, Lamby Lamb. I mean, all the poor thing has over you is wealth, good looks, and, oh, what was that word Madison used?" Veronica tapped the end of her nose in mock thought, "Whatever the opposite of flaccid is. That's what Logan has over you." She turned and pushed past Cliff into the hall.
Logan was sitting on a uncomfortable-looking orange chair with an expectant smile on his face. Government funded décor obviously agreed with him. He smiled up at Veronica, "Did you get him ready for me?"
"Yeah, I think he might hit you if you play really nice." Veronica kissed him as he passed.
"Ten o'clock on the dot. I thank you for not keeping me waiting. Shall we?" Ciff asked, gesturing toward the interrogation room door. "And Veronica? 'Lamby Lamb?'" he asked before turning the knob.
Veronica shurgged. "Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"
Both men smiled at her and she took Logan's seat for the duration.
XxXxXxX
"Australia must have treated you pretty well," Keith muttered to himself as he watched Duncan step out of a room at the Sequoia Towers Motel in nearby Brenton Township. He looked tan and stronger than Keith remembered. Of course, the best frame of reference he had for his daughter's ex was the weeks just after his sister had been murdered.
Duncan glanced around before unlocking the door of a pearly grey Honda. He pulled out of the motel's lot and headed west. Most likely back towards Neptune. Keith's stomach rumbled as he put his car in gear to follow him. "I really hope he's going for a burger," he commented aloud.
Duncan was obviously unused to having people tail him, for he never tried to make any false turns or pull in anywhere. He probably didn't even notice the nondescript navy sedan behind him. "Poor kid, probably just came home to see his friends. Meg couldn't be the on the tape," Keith mused aloud. And, then, Duncan turned south.
It wasn't long before Keith watched him pull up to a low bungalow-style home and park. He got out, and without even a cursory glance, headed up the walk. Keith parked on a street around the bend from the house, easily within sight, but enough out of the way so that he wouldn't be noticed.
Duncan entered the house and Keith settled in, expecting a wait. But not five minutes had passed when Duncan exited the house, a tall brunette in tow. And the brunette was toting a baby carrier.
"What is going on?" Keith wondered aloud. He watched the woman load what was most likely a baby into the back seat, then both Duncan and the woman got into the car. As Keith was about to start his ignition to follow them, his cell phone buzzed from it's place in the cup holder.
"Hey, honey, how'd it go?" He paused as his daughter spoke. "What do you mean Logan was booked? You were only supposed to rile Lamb up enough so that he'd be agitated so Logan could get information from his easier." He paused again. "Yes, I realize you're a go-getter. Look, I'm following Duncan right now, but I'll be back at the office in about an hour, unless he's planning on driving to Tijuana." Another pause. "Love you, too." He ended the call and pulled out, watching as the Honda rounded a left a quarter mile down the road.
XxXxXxX
"How goes it, best friend?" Veronica began as she ushered Wallace into the Mars' apartment.
"Not well, by the sound of it. You only use that voice when you want something," Wallace pointed out, going straight to the refrigerator and pulling out a Chinese carton.
"I wouldn't eat that if I were you. It's as old as Backup," replied the blonde as she scratched the pit bull's ears.
Wallace shrugged and pulled a fork from a drawer, "Chinese never goes bad, you know. It's all the salt or MSG or whatever." He shoved a forkful of brown noodles into his mouth and smiled. "Still good. So, what do you need me for?"
"Nothing big," Veronica began.
Wallace cut her off with, "See, I knew it."
She smiled sweetly at him before pressing on. "All we need to do is get into Ms. James' apartment," Veronica said, nonchalantly. She moved to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. "And, maybe spring Logan from the pokey."
"I knew he'd come into it somehow. And pokey, really," Wallace retorted, pushing the empty carton away.
"What do you think happens to you in jail?" Veronica asked, then smiled when Wallace grimaced. She turned to rummage back in the fridge. "Come on, Fennel, there's a, uh, three day old piece of raspberry pie and some, uh, rotten pears in it for you," she claimed, holding the named items out hopefully.
"Nah, I'll do it. And, then, I'll have some of those cinnamon roll croissant things from the Hut. On you."
"Fair enough."
XxXxXxX
"What are you in for?" asked a tattooed gentleman from a corner of the cell.
"Does that line come with a SAG card? Or do you just watch too many late-night movies on the Butch Channel?" Logan retorted. He'd been itching for a fight since Lamb had pushed him into the cell. And he hadn't even let Veronica back to see him. And, he knew how good he looked behind bars, too. He grinned. He'd have to remember that for later.
"What are you smiling at? I'm gonna wipe that smile off your pretty little face."
Logan fanned himself girlishly with his fingertips, "You... you really think I'm pretty?"
The burly prisoner was on him in a second, "Listen here-" he began. He dropped him when Deputy Sacks appeared at the door of the cell with Veronica and Wallace in tow. He unlatched the door and slid it open, "Echolls, come on. You're out on bail."
Veronica swatted Logan's arm away when he reached for her, "No. I won't have you two-timing me. Flirting like that with Sasquatch back there." She folded her arms and harrumphed.
"Oh, jealousy. I think I like it," Logan grinned. "Wallace, I assume I have you to thank for this?"
Wallace led them down the hall toward the front door of the police station, "Yeah. I sold Girl Scout cookies to come up with the cash."
Logan wiggled his fingers as a goodbye as they passed Don Lamb, "Bye, Lamby Lamb. It's been fun. Let's do it again soon, okay?" He looked down at Veronica, "You're right. It does roll off the tongue."
Lamb rapidly turned a violent shade of red, but made no comment.
Once they were in Veronica's car heading toward Mars Investigations, talk turned to what each had found out.
"Well, we got into Ms. James' apartment. But, we didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Of course, having never been there before, I have no basis for comparison," Wallace began.
Veronica raised a finger, "But, we did find a framed picture of Ms. James and Celeste Kane."
Wallace passed Veronica's laptop to Logan and pointed out the photograph of the picture that Veronica had taken. Mrs. Kane and Ms. James flanked a younger looking blond man. All three were smiling. There was nothing in the background save for a low yellow brick building that could be anywhere.
"And this means... what?" Logan asked, scrolling through the rest of the pictures on the display.
Veronica shrugged, "I don't know. Probably nothing. I mean, I did a check on Ms. James back when my dad was dating her," she paused when she saw Logan throw a look at her. "I regretted it, okay. Lay off. Anyway, she had nothing too outrageous. Certainly nothing that said, 'Hey, I'm the love child of Celeste Kane' or something."
"What was on her record?" Wallace asked, suddenly.
"Some credit card thing from when she was twenty-one. Nothing too weird," Veronica started.
"Did you run her credit?" came Wallace's next question.
Veronica parked in a space across from her dad's office and glanced back at her friend. "Yeah, why?"
"Was anything listed before the age of twenty-one?"
Veronica's eyes grew wide and she pulled the computer from Logan's lab. She entered the necessary information. There was no credit history before the age of twenty.
"If Ms. James went to school, wouldn't her federal aid be reported? Loans and grants?" Logan asked, catching on to Wallace's thought process.
"Yes, unless she funded her schooling without it. Even a private scholarship wouldn't have appeared anywhere except for her school's financial records," Wallace answered. At both of the other passenger's stares, he said, "Come on. My mom had this huge packet of info on college finances. She tested me on it."
Logan and Veronica exchanged a look and Veronica went back to Ms. James' information. She had attended the University of California at San Diego as an undergraduate.
"If we can get her file, we can see who might have signed the checks to fund her education," Veronica ventured, looking at her passengers. Logan and Wallace nodded, and she made to turn the key in the ignition. Before she could, her father popped his head in the window.
"You are not going to believe what I found today."
Veronica looked up at Keith, expectantly. He wore a goofy "I did so well today" expression that reminded her of Backup when he managed to kill a bird and bring it into the kitchen. "Spill," she demanded.
He turned and motioned for them to follow. Veronica looked back at her friends, "Come on, we can't leave him alone when he's like this. The last time he had that expression, he bought me a waterbed. I don't want him rooting through old Santa letters and remembering that I never got a Ponch doll or a Bedazzler."
"A waterbed, huh?" Logan pondered, tapping his finger to his lips.
Wallace shook his head and pushed past the both of them towards the office.
"What's up with your friend? He got the blues?" Logan asked.
"I said it before and I meant it, 'Ew.' Stop using that expression around me," she shuddered in exaggerated disgust.
Keith pushed a photograph into Veronica's hands as soon as she came through the door. "Way to play it cool, Mars," she remarked as she looked down at the picture. The frame had captured Duncan, Rebecca James, and a mystery blonde holding a child.
Logan pointed at the blonde whose face was turned away from the camera, "You think that could be Meg?" The girl's hair was cut short, but that didn't mean anything.
Keith grinned and shoved another photo on top of the one in Veronica's hand. This one clearly showed the blonde girl. She was smiling down at the baby swaddled close to her. It was Lizzie Manning.
XxXxXxX
Later that night, Logan and Veronica were parked outside a nondescript yellow brick building alone. Wallace had gone home (complaining that he'd never gotten his free dessert) and Keith had another case to follow up on (apparently, the hooker who had clawed her way to the top, as it were, had jumped bail).
Logan toyed with Veronica's fingertips as she tried desperately to figure out how best to break into UCSD's registrar at eleven p.m. Finally, she pulled her hand from his grasp.
"I'm not going to bring you anymore if your going to be counterproductive," she sniped, more sharply than she had intended.
Logan didn't even bother to look wounded. He just grinned and nodded out the window. A woman in a violently violet pantsuit was striding toward the double glass doors that Veronica had spent the last twenty minutes staring at.
"I accept all forms of payment," Logan stated.
She rolled her eyes at him, but her smile told him that she didn't mean it. She pressed on, "Can you run interference for me?"
"Sure. What do you have in mind?"
A few minutes later, Logan had engaged the departing pantsuit with some story about how he'd locked his keys in his girlfriend's car and that he'd lost his cell and he couldn't reach his roommate and... and so on. And Veronica had caught the door before it had swung shut.
The office of the registrar reminded Veronica of the Mr. Clemmon's office. It was all falsely cheerful signs serving a poor camouflage for bureaucratic paper pushing.
She picked her way past a bulletin board pinned with shots of the UCSD Triton men's basketball at a charity event. "Oh, please, the Tritons?" she whispered to herself. Directly next to the board was a sign labeled 'Alumni Records'. Bingo.
The lock was easy to spring. Obviously, old student records weren't a matter of national security. Or, even local security. Veronica hadn't noticed one camera since entering the registrar's office.
She located a filing cabinet for the year that Ms. James should have matriculated. No file for a Rebecca James or for a Rebecca Kane. Veronica tried the files for four years later. Still, no luck. Yet, Veronica knew she had graduated from UCSD.
Then, when she turned toward the door, she spotted a cardboard box placed haphazardly atop a cabinet close to a door. It was marked, 'Recent audits: refile before spring term '07.'
Veronica quirked her eyebrows and crossed her fingers. She rifled through the files quickly. Only one Rebecca was present. Rebecca James, née Rebecca Manning.
XxXxXxX
As Veronica drove back to the Mars residence, Logan rifled through the file that his girlfriend had produced from beneath her jacket triumphantly.
"So, we have a connection. Apparently, Stewart Manning has a much younger half-sister," Veronica chirped, merrily.
"Yes, but no connection to Celeste Kane," Logan answered.
"Parade? Rain?" she huffed, "Look, the picture was probably just a coincidence. I mean, Mrs. Kane is a philanthropist," Logan snorted at the term, but Veronica barreled on, "And, she probably gave money to the Neptune School District for something on some occasion. It makes sense that she met Ms. James."
"I thought you'd be the last person to discount evidence, Slylock," Logan prodded with a grin.
"Sherlock, honey bear," came Veronica's corrective reproof.
"No, Slylock. The fox detective from the comics. Come on, Veronica, there was a compliment in there for you."
"You're comparing me with a member of the canine family? Gee, thanks. I'll make a note in my diary."
"Just put it next to all the other Logan addenda."
Veronica smirked and they rode in silence for a mile or two. The bright lights of the boardwalk appeared on the horizon. The Ferris wheel always reminded Veronica of Lilly because it was the one thing that scared her. Well, that and being without some boy to string along. She smiled a sincere smile at the memories of Lilly that flitted through her mind, finally unchecked by thoughts of murder.
Logan broke into Veronica's reverie sharply. "Did you bring your laptop?"
Veronica nodded and poked a thumb toward the back seat where her bag was laying. Logan reached for it.
"My diary is of the hardbound paper variety, but it was a nice try," Veronica began as Logan sprung the lid open.
"No, those pictures from Ms. James. I want to see them again," he answered, scrolling through various picture files until he opened the correct one.
"Why? Something strike you?"
Logan smiled, "Stricken indeed, Miss Mars. Pull over for a sec."
The blonde detective complied and Logan turned the display to her. He'd opened a picture Veronica had taken of Ms. James closet.
"Unless this is the moment you're going to confess that you like women's clothes, I'm lost," Veronica said, splaying her hands to indicate surrender.
Logan pointed out a strip of four black and white photographs taped to the full length mirror inside one closet door. It was the sort of photographs people have taken when they go to the boardwalk. It was too hard to tell who was in the pictures, so Veronica zoomed in. It was Ms. James and a blond guy. A young guy. And, they were vacationing in Lip-Lock Land. When Veronica zoomed back out, she noticed a pennant hanging above the closet door. It was for California State University. And, hanging on the handle of the partition doors that gaped on the closet was a blue and white letter jacket. It bore the letters PH.
"I thought I remembered the pennant being somewhere other than UCSD. And, then I remembered the strip of pictures," Logan gloated.
Veronica clicked back through the pictures until she saw the picture of the Ms. James with Celeste Kane and the unknown blond boy.
"I think that either the apartment has been a little crowded lately, or Ms. James doesn't live there at all," Veronica concluded.
"So, when do I get my badge? Your dad carries one, right?" Logan asked, eager to have sniffed out a clue.
"Hold it there, Scruff, you can't go all big-head on me now. I've got to call my dad and tell him that the woman he slept with yesterday apparently has a thing for younger men." She picked her cell phone up and eyed it warily. "I'm not looking forward to it."
"Scruff? As in McGruff the Crime Dog's nephew? I'm insulted. Scooby-Doo is the way more badass crime solving canine," Logan murmured, settling back into the seat as Veronica broke the news.
XxXxXxX
"Well, the good news is that at least he's over eighteen," Veronica tried, as Keith paced back and forth in a repetitive pattern from the front door to the hall entrance. It was beginning to make Logan and Veronica sort of sleepy.
"I just can't... arrgh! Logan, don't you have somewhere to be?" Keith urged.
Logan popped up as though coming out of a trance, "Er, yeah, Mr. Mars. Home, shower, bed. Always thinking of others, huh?" He pointed a finger at Veronica's dad, hoping that he sounded disdainful enough to make him not look like a pussy, but hadn't gone so over the top as to have earned his face another meeting with the living room wall.
Veronica stood, pulling her boyfriend up with her. Apparently, Logan had been successful, as Veronica seemed worried that the latter would happen, but Keith had already gone back to pacing.
She led Logan outside and with a cursory glance around at the parking lot for any ex-boyfriends, she pushed her current against the wall and picked up where they'd left off last night.
"What was that for?" Logan asked, hurriedly adding, "Not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it."
Veronica smiled, half wicked, half sweet, "Well, you know I love the sweet Logan who whispers cute things in my ear and all that... but sometimes, I do get a thrill out of the badass snarky side of you. You know, as long as it doesn't land either of us in jail. Or you on my dad's bad side." Veronica paused to consider and added, "Which would be worse, by the way."
Logan grinned and walked his fingers down vee-necked collar of her top. Just as he grazed the more sensitive flesh hidden there, Keith called for her. He pulled his hands back, as though he'd laid them on a hot stove.
"Coming, dad!" she replied. Veronica laughed and reached up to kiss Logan on the nose, "Well, maybe we can play good cop - bad cop another time when my dad isn't within screaming distance. Be careful going home."
Logan bent to kiss the top of her head and turned toward his car, leaving Veronica to face her dad alone.
XxXxXxX
"So, what you're saying is that Ms. James is related to Meg and therefore, to Duncan through the baby. And, that Ms. James has been sleeping with a Pan High kid," Wallace reiterated over a plateful of chocolate croissants (the Hut was out of the cinnamon). "I don't know which is worse."
"Yeah, I know. Ew. And my poor dad," Veronica agreed, shaking her head. "But, you live and you learn."
"And then, if you're Duncan, you get Luvs," Logan added, dropping down into an unoccupied seat next to his girlfriend.
"You watch too much TV," Wallace commented, offering a pastry. Logan took him up on the offer and bit into one.
"You're certainly in a better mood today," Logan pointed out.
Wallace grinned and nodded in a rather cocksure manner. Veronica filled her boyfriend in, "Our Wallace has a date tonight."
"It's not with Ms. James, is it?" Logan asked, actually looking a little worried.
Wallace laughed. "No. It's a real date. Not of the Mission Veronica ilk, for a change. But," Wallace paused, looking at his watch, "Time flies. I've got to get going so I can look fly."
"Fly? I don't think that's a hep word anymore, daddy-o," Veronica replied, helping herself to the abandoned plate of croissants, "Ya dig?" Wallace just grinned and made for the door.
Veronica looked back at Logan, "So, what is our plan of action for today?"
He leaned back and stretched as if considering, "Well, I don't know. Don't be so sure I've cleared my schedule."
Veronica poked him in the stomach, "Well, I haven't cleared mine for you. I just figured you'd like to tag along."
She stood and took the empty plate back to the counter and gave it to the waitress on duty. "You need anything more before I go?" she asked.
The waitress shook her head to the negative and Veronica handed her receipts to her boss and said goodbye before collecting her bag and her boyfriend and heading to the LeBaron.
Logan snared her arm once they were outside and pulled her toward the Xterra. He had two surfboards on the roof.
"What's the big idea?" Veronica asked as he opened the passenger side door and took her bag, waiting for her to get in. He grinned.
"Well, I have it on good authority that Mike Loman surfs on Long Beach on Wednesdays," he proclaimed, his grin never changing. "You can thank me later," he added as he closed the door on her question.
"And, Mike Loman would be?" Veronica asked, once Logan had taken his seat.
"Class of 2001. Salutatorian of Pan High. Lettered in varsity track. Loves include surfing, Keats, and his lab Sarg. Currently, a supersenior at The Beach," Logan answered, unable to keep the pride from his voice.
Veronica rewarded him with a pat on the head, "My, you were a busy little bee today. Keeping the both of us out jail made you wake up before two, hmm?"
Logan beamed, "Yep. I got up at the crack of one and Googled Pan High. I am just the best boyfriend. Ever. And, I'm smart. And sensitive. And, insanely sexy. And..." when he would have continued, Veronica silenced him with her own lips.
"Good job, babe," Veronica said, buckling her seat belt.
"More than just good. We get to go to the beach for research. I am amazing," he replied, closing his eyes and puckering her lips. When no kiss was forthcoming, he opened his eyes to find Veronica missing. He glanced around, and saw her, smiling at him from the backseat.
He nearly broke the steering wheel jumping backwards to get to her.
When they'd recovered from the hot and heavy lip locking, Veronica had to stop Logan, reminding him that they had their names to clear and talking to Mike was important.
As Logan reluctantly extricated himself from her, he smiled once more. He reached into the back of the SUV and produced a shopping back. He presented it to Veronica as he climbed back into the front seat.
"While your in such a state of dishabille, you may as well redress in this," he said. "Go ahead. I promise I'll look."
"Just drive," she said as she resignedly withdrew a skimpy pink bikini from the bag. "You'd better have matching swim wear."
Twenty minutes later, they parked at the crowded beach. It seemed unlikely that finding Mike Loman would be easy, but like Logan said, at least they were at the beach.
"I've never surfed before," Veronica admitted as they walked toward the water.
"And I don't expect you to. I just want to see you paddle out into the water in the hot little number you're wearing so these guys can ogle you and feel jealous that I get to dry you off."
"That's a little pathetic. Is Mike really here or is this just juvenile fantasy of which I have reluctantly partaken of?"
"Both. Now, let's paddle out. We're more likely to find him amongst the surfing set on boards, right?" Logan justified with a innocent smile.
Veronica reluctantly followed.
About six waves minutes later and several near misses with the barely-there bikini top, Veronica went back to shore leaving Logan alone to scout the seafaring set. And, Lady Luck paid a visit.
Mike Loman stood above her as she slathered sunscreen on her shoulders. Fair skin did not make a California native happy.
"Hey, you're new here, huh?" the blond man asked. Veronica, as gross as it really was, could see what Ms. James saw in him. He was practically an ad for life in Southern California, all shaggy salt-sea blond hair, bronzed abdominal muscles, and a pearly white grin.
"You can tell?" Veronica asked, innocently, leaning back against the sand.
"Well," he laughed, tilting his head toward the ocean, "You don't see many serious surfers in bikinis like that."
Veronica ducked her head, hoping for sexily abashed and coming out on top. Mike continued, "I belong to a surf club. Maybe I could give you some pointers?"
Veronica nodded and gave her best sorority pledge smile. She gestured to the empty patch of sand next to her and he took it. She scanned the ocean for Logan, hoping he'd either still be looking or know enough to stay away.
After he talked for a few minutes about balance and footing, Veronica grinned and interrupted, hoping for sexily dumb and coming out, once more, ahead, "You're, like, really cute. You must have, like, a ton of girlfriends."
It was Mike's turn to look abashed and he looked down at the sand. "Well, I was seeing this one girl, but I don't know. Things aren't, you know, well.." he trailed off and looked out at the ocean.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I totally get it, my last boyfriend," Veronica inserted a noncommittal sound, "You know. Kind of dumb, you know. Not like you. You seem smart."
"Thanks," he answered with a grin.
"So, what was she like? You know, your girlfriend?"
He shrugged, "She's cool. A little older, you know. So, what are you doing tonight? Some of my brothers that stayed for the summer are having a party."
She saw Logan approaching and smiled up at him, "I'd love to but I have my little brother here with me. He's from back east and I can't leave him on his first night in California."
"Oh, it's cool. Bring him, if you want. We're at the O-T-Pi house," he gave Veronica one more winning smile and stood to leave. "I, uh, hope to see you." He nodded at Logan as he passed him.
Logan took the seat next to Veronica with his eyebrows raised, "Little brother? Really? I am so the older brother."
"You heard? Good. We're going to a frat party tonight," Veronica smiled.
Logan leaned in to kiss her but she backed away, "Uh uh uh, little bro. That's illegal in this state."
"Well, let's got to Tijuana, then. Nothing is illegal there," he replied, looking out into the ocean.
Veronica smiled and stood, "And, nothing is illegal in that car of yours, either." She walked on ahead, making sure to strut ever so slightly behind the guise of her board.
XxXxXxX
Duncan had watched as Logan Echolls drove away with Veronica. He hadn't dared to follow them because he knew that they knew he was in Neptune. And, he didn't want to risk driving too far away from the baby. Just in case she needed him.
And it was now past eleven o'clock at night, and there was no sign of them. He was never going to get Veronica alone at this rate. Of course, he thought, maybe she didn't want to see him.
It was certainly a possibility. He had asked a lot of her.
He continued to watch.
XxXxXxX
Author's Note: Anything resembling a trademark also does not belong to me (i.e. Girl Scouts, UCSD, CSULB, Slylock Fox, McGruff, Honda, Nissan, Crysler) and I don't get paid to talk about them.
And, thanks to all who reviewed! I hope to get more! (( shameless beg / plead ))