It's a Saturday, and she's going to interview Duncan Kane with Logan. She contemplates her outfit in the mirror, what do you wear when you're about the meet the heir to the Kane legacy? She decides to go with a striped t-shirt and jeans. There's no point in being shallow when she's already met Logan Echolls, Aaron Echolls son, and eaten ice cream like a pig in front of him on top of that.
She does make sure to brush her hair though, because even she's not that uncaring about her appearance. Mac is still asleep when Logan knocks on the door, and Veronica manages to slip from the room without waking her up. She's kind of annoyed at the other girl for her comments about Logan and doesn't really want to get in it with anyone today.
However when she steps out, it's Piz standing before her door, not Logan.
"Oh, hi," she says, frowning.
"Expecting someone else?" Piz asks, raising one eyebrow.
"Actually, yes," Veronica smiles, but Piz doesn't return it. "Since you want me to tell you about every single detail of my life, I'm going out with Logan Echolls today. It's for his case."
"You're not sleeping with him, are you?"
"Well I have seemed to walk in upon an interesting conversation," Logan says from behind them, and Veronica turns around gratefully.
"To answer your question, no," she tells her best friend, "And we have an appointment to get to."
"Where?" Piz leans against the wall, and Veronica scowls at him.
"You don't need to know," she decides, "C'mon Logan." She grabs his arm and pulls him after her.
"What's the rush Ronnie?" he asks her as they reach his car.
"Don't call me that."
"Oh, but Ronnie is such an awesome name. It's butch, just like you."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Veronica says, rubbing her forehead as Logan unlocks his car. "Sorry about Piz, he's been acting really weird about this case lately."
"I probably should have warned you about that," Logan fidgets for a moment, the car door unlocked but he's not getting in. "Most people think I'm crazy for looking into this."
"I don't think your crazy."
Logan looks surprised at her revelation, and Veronica can feel her cheeks burning as she turns away. She doesn't know what's come over her to say that, usually she isn't so open with people she's only known for a couple days.
"Well it's nice to know someone still thinks I'm sane," Logan says, probably meaning for it to sound like a joke, but it just sounds sad.
"I'll let you know if I decide to put you in a padded cell," Veronica assures him, and he hops into the car as well, revving up the engine and setting off towards Duncan Kane's house.
Veronica has done a little research on the boy before she and Logan set off, and knows that Duncan Kane has a girlfriend, and a small daughter named Lily. It's really the only thing she can glean from google, which is peculiar because usually big names like his have lots of info.
Duncan lives apart from his parents, in a large house by the beach. It's all glass and beautiful weathered wood, looking like your typical rich boy house. It really is lovely though, and Veronica can't help but gape a little bit as Logan pulls up.
"I'm going to stay in the car," Logan says.
"I thought you wanted to come with me."
"I do, but Duncan isn't my biggest fan anymore. Call me," when she looks confused he elaborates, "Keep your phone on, if you're calling me I can hear what you two are talking about."
Veronica nods, suddenly understanding. She dials Logan's number, and slips the phone into her bag. "Be back in a few," she says, rather nervous. It's the first time she's actually interrogated anyone since the incident last year.
She knocks on the door loudly, pretending she can't feel Logan's eyes on her back.
A pretty blonde woman opens the door, with kind brown eyes and a polite smile as she sees Veronica standing at her door. "What can I help you with?"
"I was hoping to talk to Duncan Kane," Veronica says, "I'm doing an article about the Lily Kane murder." The woman's face pulls down, and a frown replaces her polite smile.
"I don't know—"
"Please?" Veronica begs, pouting slightly. "Without it, I have to streak naked down the beach. It's a stupid bet my journalist friends set up, because they didn't think you would help me."
The woman automatically looks sympathetic, and beckons Veronica to enter the house. "My name is Meg."
"Veronica."
"Duncan!" Meg calls, "I've got someone here asking questions about your sister!"
"I thought I told you I didn't want to answer any questions about my sister," says a hard voice from behind them, and Veronica whirls around, her hand going to her phone in her bag. Duncan Kane is a pretty boy, that's for sure, with his big blue eyes and clean-cut face.
"If I don't do it, I'm in so much trouble," Veronica says, adding a touch of whining to her voice. Duncan's face grows angrier, and Veronica reminds herself that Logan is just outside is listening. He wouldn't let anything happen.
"Duncan," Meg pleads softly, and Duncan sighs.
"Fine," he bites out, "But don't expect to get much from me." Veronica nods, wondering why Logan didn't mention that Lily's brother was hostile.
"Thank you so much," Veronica plucks her notebook out of her bag and flips a couple pages in.
"What do you want to know?" Duncan asks, and Meg murmurs something about getting drinks and disappears. Veronica wishes she wouldn't go; she doesn't exactly to feel safe with this man.
"Where were you at the time of Lily's murder?" Veronica starts, deciding that she may as well get the facts straight. She didn't need to know with Logan, she was almost positive of his innocence, but she really needed to know for Duncan.
"At soccer practice," Duncan says, bored already. She knows he's probably been asked these questions a billion times before, but she needed to hear them herself, see if there was some hole—the hole that Logan saw. "At least that's what they tell me."
"That's what who tells you?" Veronica's brow furrows, and Duncan shrugs.
"I can't remember anything from those three days. Doctor's say it's from the shock. So I can't really answer anything about her murder if that's what you are so interested in."
Veronica scribbles down can't remember in her notebook, and looks up at Duncan again. "And who told you that you had been at soccer practice?"
"My Mother," Duncan frowns, "What exactly is this article your writing about? They have figured out who murdered her."
"I know," Veronica says soothingly, "I just want to get all the facts."
"I bring snacks!" Meg says brightly from behind them, carrying in a plate of cookies. A small girl, maybe one or one and a half, totters in on unsteady legs behind.
"Is that your daughter?" Veronica asks quietly.
"Yes, Lily," Duncan nods, "Do you have any other questions?"
"Did Lily tell you about seeing anyone at the time of her murder?"
"Like dating wise?" Duncan's nose crinkled, "No. She was my sister, we didn't really talk about those things."
"Of course," Veronica smiles, "Silly me."
"Are you working for Logan Echolls?" Duncan suddenly asks, probably realizing that Veronica isn't writing down every word he's saying, just the important factors in the case.
"Who's that?" Veronica asks, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
"My best—well he used to be my best friend. He was Lily's boyfriend. He thinks something else happened, but Abel Koontz confessed. Logan's just lost it a little if you get what I mean."
"Well I think I've gotten the information I need," Veronica says, snapping her notebook shut and shoving it in her bag. She's starting to get really sick of people calling Logan crazy. It brings back to many unhappy memories of her own problems, and she doesn't think anyone should go through someone that they used to love calling them out like that.
She makes sure to grab two cookies before she leaves the house.
.
.
.
"You know," Logan says, wiping the cookie crumbs off his face, "I would totally get it if you didn't want to work with me anymore."
"Why wouldn't I?" Veronica asks, she's taken over driving for right now. It occupies her mind, and she doesn't trust herself to think right now.
"Because you may be labeled as 'crazy' to," Logan shrugs, and Veronica shakes her head.
"I'm afraid that label was stuck on me in my sophomore year of high school after I went looking for my Mom," she admits, "So no, I don't really mind being called crazy. Part of the job I suppose."
She pulls over to the side of the road, and rests her head against the steering wheel for a moment. "Just tell me something."
"Anything."
"Why does everyone think you're crazy for this? I mean, usually your friends at least believe in you." She doesn't realize how it sounds until Logan sucks in a breath, she opens her mouth to correct herself, but Logan cuts her off.
"Because I keep hiring people to find out who killed her. And I was doing my own investigation alone until…"
"Until?"
"Until someone found out, and decided that I deserved to get punched for it. I wasn't getting anywhere anyways, and so I decided that if I hired someone to figure it out, that person wouldn't link it back to me again."
"Am I in danger?" she asks honestly, and Logan looks at her, something lost in his brown eyes.
"I can't explain how I know this, but the only person who would potentially get in danger for investigating this is me," when she looks doubtful, he adds, "Trust me Veronica. You're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"I would've still kept investigating even if you said I was," Veronica admits, "Because you're right, there's something wrong about this case."
"Is it the thing Duncan said? About not remembering anything?" Logan asks, "He said that to the cops too apparently, it's why they kept him on a tight leash until Abel Koontz was arrested."
Veronica stares out the window for a moment, "It's definitely fishy," she says, "But there's not any evidence pointing towards him either. For right now, I'll just put him on the suspect list."
"Who is on the suspect list?"
"Well…everyone that was in Neptune that day. Except for you," Veronica says, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. "We just need to find something that narrows it down. What did you say Lily's possible boyfriend's name was?"
"Eli Navarro. Runs the local bike gang. Goes by Weevil," Logan looks fierce suddenly, "But Ronnie they're not a crowd you want to get messed up in. Weevil's dangerous."
"All the more reason to interview him my dear."
It's a couple more minutes of silence before Logan breaks it. "Ah. So were you just pretending to be the wolf in Little Red Riding hood for my benefit, or were you calling me dear?"
She would punch him in the arm, but she's driving.
"So where can we find Weevil?" she asks, keeping her eyes on the road. She hears Logan sigh.
"Can't you let me interrogate him?" he asks.
"No," she shakes her head, "In fact, now that you've told me about how you got punished last time by whoever, for investigating this—and somehow I'm out of danger, I don't know if I should even have you on board with this."
"I'm afraid that isn't optional," Logan says calmly.
"Lo—"
"Don't even try Veronica. Not changing my mind."
She doesn't tell him that she's secretly pleased that he's insistent on coming with her, because Piz as he likes to phrase it 'is a lover, not a fighter' and while sometimes she needs the lover, she can't help but think that may be why they're having problems right now. She's a fighter, but she could always use a partner in crime.
"So you're going to be my partner in crime?" she voices her thoughts, but instead makes it sound more like a joke.
"Of course," he says, and she wonders if he's pretending to be joking too.
"So Weevil's phone number?"
"So desperate to get into the biker's pants?"
"You are terrible Logan Echolls. Just terrible."
He laughs, that same surprised pretty laugh. "I have his number," he says, "I'll call him and set up a meet."
"Do I even want to know how you've got the head biker's name on your phone?"
"Probably not."
"Well, for a partner in crime, so far you're doing fantastic."
"Why thank you, Ms. Mars," he says, and takes out his phone to dial Weevil's number.