Veronica browed through the pictures she had taken of Kendall Casablanca's during her three days of surveillance that Cassidy Casablanca's, her step son had hired Veronica to collect. It appeared that Kendall Casablanca's wasn't the 25 year old former Laker girl she had claimed to be. She was in fact a 29 year old former prostitute ex-con called Priscilla Banks, who had assumed the identity of a dead girl from her high school. She was also much more than the High Society Spandex to Cashmere Socialite that appeared to be. Logan had told her that Cassidy had informed Dick that he was safe, he was with one of their teachers talking to some gentlemen from the FCC

Veronica had looked into who the Bag Guy was whom she kept meeting at hotels, he was a local assessor for the real estate business, and the footage from the camera she had hidden in Kendall's replacement ipod showed that she was not having an affair with him.. no the only naked photos she had seen of her had been the ones that she had destroyed of her and Logan. Nowhere did it seem that she had any direct contact with the Fitzpatrick's… she would have to get Mac to hack into her phone records. Looking at the photos of the various properties had given Veronica an idea.. she had searched already for property in Kendall Casablanca's name, there were very few. Mostly just a few cars and a storage locker down by the marina at Neptune Plaza, but that wasn't unusual, a lot of wealthy 09ers owned storage facilities down there, and it was actually shared by Dick and Beaver for their surfing equipment, so she doubted there was much nefarious going on in there. But it did get her thinking about the REAL Kendall… Priscilla Banks.

A property search showed that there were three local property's open in her name.

The River Styxx bar, a salon called Cupids Bow in a really seedy part of Neptune frequented by hookers and strippers, and residential property in Neptune 080603.

The Fitzpatrick's frequented the River Styxx, Veronica knew that much from her father's, Keith Mars' days as Sheriff; he had put about 5 of the Fitzpatrick's brothers behind bars.

Google maps revealed that the Cupids Bow salon was located near The Rusty Knot; somehow that coincidence didn't surprise her. Logan didn't want her going anywhere near that part of town by herself… truly the idea of infiltrating a strip club potentially run by the Fitzpatrick's didn't appeal to her. She usually loved going undercover for her Private Investigatory work… but this was so much bigger.

She had promised. She just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there she had to find… She needed more information, and she couldn't exactly get that from where she sat curled up at her desk in her bedroom with Backup snuggled against her feet.

She didn't want to ask her father that meant she would have to admit to her dad about the dead guy on the beach, about Aaron Echolls and then he would really put her inside a giant hamster bubble like he kept jokingly threatening. A revelation like that could be the final straw, and he might even move them out of Neptune after all.

Perhaps Leo D'amato could help her fill in the blanks with some of the more non-legal side of things, their break up had been awkward last year and he had been a little frosty since he had arrested Logan, but she was sure with the correct pizza toppings she could win him over long enough to find out more about The Rusty Knot and the Fitzpatricks. She could even ask him more about the security situation in the Evidence at lock up where the Lilly Kane/Aaron Echolls sex tapes were being held. That was a loose end she really wanted to tighten up.

"Honey… Gumbo! Come and feast like a Princess" he smiled as the aroma of the food drifted into her bedroom. She closed over her computer and smiled, welcome for the distraction from all the mayhem and murder. This was one of her favourites.

"Coming dad" she replied, a guilty knot starting to form in her stomach. It didn't feel natural keeping secrets from him. Tonight it was just the two of them.

"So… Wallace tells me that you broke up with Duncan?" he asked carefully as he passed her a fresh piece of buttered bread, these relationship talks with her dad were always a little awkward, but she appreciated that he tried.

"Yes… Meg Manning is pregnant…" she revealed and watched his face widen in sympathy and surprise. She didn't have to keep him in the dark about everything, and this was as good an excuse as any.

"Oh honey… I am so sorry to hear that.. are you ok?" he enquired. She knew he thought this was why she had 'spent the night at Mac's' but finally this was a question she could answer truthfully.

"About the break up yes… about Meg and the Pregnancy… no. I just feel so guilty… the bus crash…" she said tearing up a little. She and Meg had been close before the whole mess during the summer before Aaron Echolls arrest.

"Veronica… it's called survivors guilt, but it's not your fault what happened to those kids" he affirmed and she nodded silently. But it was… in more ways than her father could ever understand.

"I just really hope we get the people who did this" she swore.

"We will" Keith Mars promised, regarding his daughter. She was stronger than any person despite her young age ever had the right to be. He flickered his gaze over to the television for a moment, it was on mute but the headline caught his eye right away. He seemed a little shocked and Veronica turned to see the news as her father lifted the remote to turn on the volume.

"CEO of Casablanca's Enterprises Inc. Richard H Casablanca's and his wife have been found murdered at his home… high school Teacher Mr Stanley Nelson Pope has also been found dead at the property after allegedly breaking into the household and shooting them both dead while they were in the guest house of their home before being shot and killed himself by their son, Cassidy Casablanca's who had been returning home at the time… more on this story as it unfolds"

Mr Stanley Nelson Pope… her Future Business Leaders of America club leader. She had just been in his class yesterday…

Veronica dropped her fork in shock, suddenly she had no appetite.

What the hell had been in those pictures?