A/N: I'm not sure how good this chapter has turned out, because I'm writing it on christmas day, when I'm ill and feeling really rotten. But I hope it lives up to expectations, as always I own nothing but the plot, and I would really appreciate your reviews.
After school, Veronica drives over to her dad's office. Keith Mars, former Sheriff, is now a private investigator and runs a company called Mars Investigations. His only employees are himself and Veronica, but they like it just being the two of them. Veronica jokes that theirs is the first true family business, as no outsiders are employed.
"Mars Investigations, how may I help you?" Veronica is sitting behind the desk in what they like to call the foyer, which in reality is one of only two rooms that they rent for office space, speaking on the phone to a prospective client.
As she chats to the client, and notes down their details and the package they want, someone enters the office and sits down on the scruffy couch. Veronic glances up, and sees that it's the king of Neptune High himself; Logan Echolls. He seems uncomfortable in his surrounding, a rare sight to see in the boy whose confidence and ego are larger than his movie star father's. Veronica can't help forcing him to squirm for several minutes longer, as she takes another call and files something away. Finally, when she can stall no more, she turns her attention to her former friend.
"What can I do for you, Logan?" She asks, loving the feeling of having power, even if its only a small amount of power, over him.
He glances up at her briefly, before fixing his eyes on the stained glass behind her. She feels slightly hurt that he can't even bring himself to look at her, but reminds herself that she doesn't care.
"I need to hire your dad, Mars." This taciturn Logan is not one she is familiar, or comfortable, with. Normally he has a million things to say, but now that they are alone together he seems to be lost for words.
"Logan Echolls wants to hire Keith Mars, former Sheriff, the least respected PI in the 09er district?" She can't help but show her surprise. Although her dad had been respected as Sheriff, his part in the accusation of Jake Kane had lost him the loyalty of all the richest people in town. New comers, and those from the poorer districts trusted him with their lives, but those who were allies and friends to the Kanes had cut Keith Mars out of their hearts forever. Much like she had been cut out at school, Veronica muses.
"I need to hire someone that no one will suspect has been hired by me. I can't have anyone getting wind of this." He explains, briefly.
"What's the case?" Her curiousity gets the better of her, and even as she asks, she knows it's unprofessional. But Logan's always been able to make her speak her mind, even if he doesn't know he has the skill.
"That's none of your business, Mars. I want to make an appointment with your dad, you know, the guy that actually solves the cases." He snaps.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I do work of my own!" She's getting indignant now, and realises that she can't let Logan see the effects his words are having on her. "Fine. He'll be back in about 45 minutes, so he'll be able to squeeze you in at 5.40."
"Right. I'll be back then." Without another word, or a backward glance, Logan strides out of the office, leaving Veronica to ponder what on earth he wants her father to investigate.
When Veronica walks into school the next day she sees Wallace waiting for her outside her locker. She could get used to having a friend to walk to class with again. They chat about random stuff – where Wallace used to go to school, whether he's nervous about his basketball tryout – but are interupted by Logan as he walks purposefully towards them.
"Mars. Your dad told me he was too busy to take my case personally, so he's handing it over to you." He makes to walk off after he's dropped this bombshell, but Veronica grabs him by the arm, and forces him to walk beside her.
"What? My dad wants me to take your case?" She is almost certain that he's just saying this to throw her off, but a beep from her phone announces a text from her father telling her the same thing. "Shit."
"Why the sudden change of heart, Mars? Yesterday you wanted to know what my case was about more than anything." He mocks her, and people begin to notice that Neptune's self proclaimed King is walking the halls with the lowest of all peasants.
"Yesterday I also wanted to try brussel sprouts again, but how things have changed." She says, airily.
"Why the hell would you want to try brussel sprouts, Mars, you've hated them ever since that time at Duncan's." He laughs, before remembering that they aren't friends, and fond memories are no longer allowed to be shared.
"Exactly. It was a moment of uncharacteristic stupidity, much like my showing curiousity about your case. Today, I want nothing to do with either those greens or you." She explains. Wallace is watching the two of them exchange barbs, impressed at Logan's confidence in the face of the angry blonde that he has already learned not to cross.
"I will pay you two grand if you solve it for me." He knows that money is her weak point now that she and her father are struggling to get by on his measly PI salary.
"I'm going to need that in writing, Echolls." She hasn't agreed yet, but Logan knows that she will do it, and he answers in the affirmative before stutting towards his friends, confident in the knowledge that his questions will finally be answered.
"Dude, what were you doing talking to the skank?" Dick Casablancas, notorious playboy and surfer and one of Logan's best friends, asks.
"Just the usual, I said she was a lowlife, she said I was scum, blah blah blah." He replies, laughing with his buddies. Duncan tries to chuckle along with them, but he can tell that there was more to the conversation than Logan is letting on, and he's beginning to feel jealous of the dynamic that's been struck up between his best friend and his ex. He gets even more jealous when Veronica approaches the group of 09ers and instead of sparing him a glance, which she normally does and which always gives him the power to get through the day because he thinks its her way of showing she doesn't hate him, she makes straight for Logan.
"Lunchtime, meet me in the journalism room to start work, Echolls." She says as she breezes by him. He opens his mouth to make a joke, probably about her having a 'job' to do on him, but she cuts him off. "At least wait until I'm gone before you start telling your lackeys that I'm going to service you later." Her voice drips with disdain as she leaves the little group speechless.
Logan saunters into the journalism room late, but Veronica isn't surprised. As keen as she know's he will be to discuss his case, and to have over an hour of uninterupted snarking, she knows that he won't want to seem too eager, and he's probably been shooting his mouth off about doing dirty things to her, or something. When she asks if this is the case, however, she is pleasantly surprised.
"Actually, Mars, I was just handing in a few pieces of homework. Trust me, I want as few people as possible to know about this meeting."
"I guess I kinda ruined that earlier, huh?" She says it regretfully, but she grins mischeiviously to show that she really doesn't care. "What is so important that you had to come to the least respected PI and his daughter in the whole of upper-class Neptune?"
"It's about my dad. I think he's having an affair. At least one." Logan is uncomfortable about telling his worst enemy this, but she honestly doesn't care.
"Logan, anyone can tell you that your father is having at least three affairs." She replies, acidly. There's always been something she disliked about Aaron Echolls, even when she was regularly spending time at his house with her friends. He flirted with her and Lilly shamelessly, and pretended not to notice the look of hurt in his wife's eyes when she caught him.
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to remind me, Mars. I need actual evidence, not your word against Aaron's. Pictures, conversations, honey traps, whatever it takes." Once again, Logan is studiously looking anywhere but at Veronica. He hates showing his family's weakness like this, but if he manages to prove that Aaron is unfaithful then his mother can divorce him and still get the full benefit of the pre-nup.
"Wow, cool it, Echolls. I'll do it, as long as I get the money at the end." Veronica chuckles at how quickly she's going to knock out the case. "Easiest 2 grand I'll ever make."
Seeing, out of the corner of his eye, just how smug and pleased with herself Veronica looks, Logan can't bring himself to point out that his father is sneaky, and it might be trickier than she thinks. He just loves to see her happy, and although he is shocked at realising this, he also discovers that he isn't ashamed of feeling that way.
Neither of them realise just how dangerous the case is going to be.