Season 1 Episode 16: Justice for a dead girl

Episode Guide: Veronica tries to be objective and Logan sees the bigger picture. Following the money leads to answers and everybody tries not to cry.

Veronica sits in her room staring at the Lilly Kane murder files on her laptop. Logan was at a party with Duncan, Meg, Wallace, Mac and Dick and she had begged off feeling sick. The sympathetic concern in Logan's voice when he asked if she wanted him to come over and watch chick flicks with her was enough to make her feel a little guilty about lying. Veronica didn't need space from Logan. No, she wished he could sit with her through this but, if she was going to be objective she needed to do this alone.

Sighing Veronica clicks the new suspect button and types in LOGAN ECHOLLS. He's first because he is the easiest: Two eyewitnesses have him in Mexico, he loved Lilly. His folder is colored blue the same way Koontz's is. It is closed and final, she never has to look at it again just has it there reminding her that Logan isn't pulling her away from rationality.

The second file is harder to create: DUNCAN KANE. He doesn't have an alibi, he doesn't have motive or anything else either. The one thing he does have is epilepsy. Veronica feels bad because she knows this is exactly why he didn't want people to know in the first place. Unfortunately, it adds up. The Kane's falsified their alibis, paid Koontz to take the fall and kicked Keith out of office when he started to ask the right questions. You don't go through all that trouble if the gardener did it. Resigned, Veronica fills in everything she researched about epilepsy. Duncan had been honest; the attacks are intense but easily quelled with medication. In fact, Duncan's attack on Logan was his first in years…Unless it wasn't. Feeling sorrow, guilt and everything else Veronica looks at a picture of the Fab 4. Taken at some random party they are showcased perfectly. Duncan has a protective arm around Veronica as he smiles a true, golden boy smile; Veronica's kissing his cheek, her eyes wide with innocence and laughter. Lilly is gazing seductively into the camera and Logan's mischievous expression translates as he pushes his lips in to Lilly's. This is ridiculous Duncan would never touch his sister.

flashback

"Out all night again I thought you four would have learned something from last time." Celeste says in exasperation. Feeling embarrassed and apologetic Veronica gazes to the floor. Ever attentive, Duncan slips his hand into hers as his mother rants.
"Neptune won state mom." Lilly says boredly. "It's like a rule you get trashed immediately after the buzzer." Logan smiles a little at that then quickly checks back at the door as they wait for the other parents to arrive.
"Lilly that is enough!" Celeste explodes causing Lilly to straighten up a bit. If you didn't know Lilly like the three of them did you wouldn't notice the hurt and discomfort flash across her face as she adjusted to face her mother head on.

"I have long since given up catering to your whims to get my attention." Logan and Veronica slink back feeling out of place as the Kanes all glare at each other. "You are a selfish, spoiled girl and frankly Lilly it 

isn't normal to act the way you do." Since when has Lilly ever been interested in being normal? "As if your own behavior isn't bad enough you start dragging Duncan…"

"Mom that's enough." Duncan says loudly from the couch. Jake looks over gratefully and Logan and Veronica exchange looks of surprise. It is a rare occurrence that Duncan takes on his mother. "It was MY idea to go to the party. Lilly wanted to go to the god-damn bonfire. I am the one drunk while Lilly is sitting in front of you stone-cold sober if you haven't noticed." Lilly had been sick the previous week and Logan's mom had been sent back to rehab. So for herself and for Logan she had uncharacteristically offered to be the DD. She had suggested the tamer bonfire so she wouldn't feel as bad about the fun that she was missing but Duncan and some other 09ers had insisted on the rowdier house party. "Lilly is the one who couldn't leave because I wanted to keep partying and she didn't want to leave me stranded. Lay off her." Surprised by the passion in his outburst, more or less fuelled by the alcohol, Celeste simply tells Logan and Veronica to go home and storms out to her chambers. Veronica quickly uses the guest bathroom and is about to head out the door when she heard the sound of Lilly's muffled sobs. Urgently she turns around about to go comfort her best friend. Duncan already is there though, stroking Lilly's hair gently as she sobbed in to his shoulder. Veronica always knew that Celeste's rampant disapproval hurt Lilly but it wasn't until she saw her crying into Duncan's arms that she knew just how much.

"Hey, come on, you know better than to listen to mom when she's like that." Duncan says softly trying desperately to control his sister's tears.
"Easy for you to say Duncan you aren't her eternal black sheep." Lilly says sniffling "Apparently I'm jusnot normal."Duncan laughs a little and wipes her wet cheeks with his sleeve.
"And that's why I love you Lilly."
"Really?"
"Yeah and Mom loves you too Lil. The icicles are just so far up her ass she has trouble feeling her heart sometimes." They both laugh a little before Lilly goes back in Duncan's embrace and Veronica silently makes her way to the door. Her boyfriend is amazing.

end flashback

She hasn't realized that tears started coursing down her face as she remembers the bond between the two siblings. Trying to stop the upsurge of conflicted feelings she lies on her bed and closes her eyes. Leaving Duncan's file open is a betrayal to him but not investigating further is a betrayal to Lilly.

If one good thing had come of this realization about Duncan it was Veronica's ability to see how far people were willing to go for their children. Abel Koontz was on death row, he would never get to spend the money. Maybe there was someone else to receive a pay-out. She holds the bug Wallace found in the pencil sharpener, the bug that leads to Weidman, and clips it on the inside of her pajama top.
"Dad can you come in here for a sec." Keith appears at the door with a smile and Veronica knows she should feel bad about using him. She gets over it fast enough.
"Can you answer something for me?" Veronica gives her best concerned daughter face and Keith nods 

and sits down realizing the conversation was going to be serious. "Don't blow me off or get angry just answer me." It's at that moment Keith wishes Leanne was still around. Luckily she stuck around long enough to buy Veronica her first box of tampons and deal with her first heart-break but she isn't here as Veronica really crosses the line to being an adult. Not to mention an adult dating Logan Echolls. Keith doesn't know how to answer some of the intimate questions only a mother can answer. How do I know he's the one? What happens if I miss a day of birth control? Do you think he loves me? Somehow he has a feeling he was about to have one of those pretend-to-be-a-woman moments with his daughter.

"Why would a person confess to a crime they didn't commit?" Keith has to try not to laugh. Of course it was about Lilly's case. Veronica doesn't freak out about love and teenage girl crap. He wants to hug and kiss her right there but, seeing as she'd be horribly confused, he doesn't.
"Money, lot's of it." A contemplative look crosses Veronica's face.
"But if you aren't there to spend it…"
"Maybe someone else is getting the payout. Someone who will be around to spend it." Getting the answer she expected Veronica turns to listen to the bug. The advantage of being friends with Duncan Kane, he can bug Kane Software easier than most people can enter it.

"Rosa." The sharp voice of Clarence Weidman enters her ears. "Get me Amelia Delongpre." Oh how the mighty have fallen. A quick google check later she is calling Duncan.

"Hey Duncan"
"Lemme guess…you need a favor." He laughs and I can't help but cringe a little.
"No I have some information for you." I take a deep breath and his laughter dies. "I know who is getting the pay-out from Kane Software."
"Pins and needles Veronica."
"Abel Koontz has a daughter."
"Wow"
"Yeah." The moment hangs for a second. "So she goes to Loyola Marymount. Weidman knows I'm looking for her and if he gets to her first we lose our chance to prove your parents are paying someone to take the fall."
"Right. Of course. Put her up in our LA home."
"You have a…" I stop myself from asking a stupid question. "Of course you have a LA home…address?"
"I have a question." The heavy tone in his voice tells me that this has been weighing him down for a while. "Why Koontz?" Great Veronica, an angle totally not covered.
"I-I don't know. Why don't you do a little digging around your Dad's office and try and figure out the connection."

Veronica hangs up and is immediately asleep dreaming about the Kanes, Koontz and Logan trying to somehow fit the puzzle back together.



"Hm, so this is why you're failing Trig." Logan blinks up blearily to find Veronica standing up beside his bed. It seems like 3 minutes ago he took a study break and now it's morning. Oh god it's morning.
"What time is it?" He asks in a panicky voice.
"7AM." Throwing himself back on the covers Logan covers his eyes with a groan.
"I have a trig mid-term in…1 hour…and I have only studied the first 4 chapters." Having done the same thing many a time before Veronica gives him a sympathetic smile then grabs his hands to pull him off the bed.
"You better shower then." Ignoring his groans Veronica pushes him in to the bathroom and closes the door before laying on her bed and taking out her laptop. Duncan had brought up a good point. Why Koontz. She re-opens Koontz's file and googles him for the billionth time. Finding nothing of interest she shuts the web browser and walks around Logan's room. It always felt like a guest bedroom to her, impersonal and cold. A framed picture of him and his mother is the only decoration on his shelf. Oddly enough, it is an impersonal shot, one of those professional photos taken at a swanky event. A 17 year old Logan smiles crookedly for the camera while Lynn laughs, probably at something Logan said. It is hard to see the careful intimacy between mother and son in the photo but it's there none-the-less. Veronica is pretty sure Logan just kept it because Lynn was smiling.

"Wow Veronica, A file on Duncan." Her boyfriend's angry voice cuts through her thoughts. Logan is standing in a towel, which is so not fair when one wants to initiate an argument, and he is staring at her with disbelief. She hadn't intended for anyone besides herself to see those files. If her assumption was wrong the consequences would be devastating. "A file on me."
"Yeah." She says, squaring her shoulders ready for fight. There is no apology in her eyes nor does she want there to be. "I have to be objective." Logan visibly deflates and nods. To be honest, Veronica didn't think it was going to be that easy.
"Duncan's is still open." Remorse and pain runs through her because above all she really doesn't want it to be Duncan. Her lip trembles as she speaks.
"All roads lead to the Kanes." Veronica sniffs loudly and Logan's face softens when he realizes she hates this as much as he does. "I listened to the tapes Logan and the abilies are falsified. Lamb could see through the bullshit coming out of their mouths. People generally aren't comfortable with people murdering their children…It would take a lot of love to outweigh a grieving parent's need for justice." As expected, Logan's face is unreadable. A picture show of worst case scenarios is filing through Logan's head along with memories of Duncan and Lilly.

"It's clear the Kane's are paying off Koontz?"
"I'll have official documentation in a week." Veronica is uncommonly weary by the prospect of having firm proof of the Kane's involvement.
"Then we stop." Throughout the conversation Logan's voice had been tired, resigned. It was clear that he was in his own world muddling through some pretty important thoughts. The strength of his voice, therefore, surprises Veronica.
"What?" Stop? The case isn't solved. Regret for allowing Logan, and anyone else's, involvement trickles through her and she stares at Logan anger and disbelief on her face.


"If Duncan killed Lilly we need to stop right now." Veronica is too dumbstruck to do anything but watch Logan's conflicted pacing. "I am not going to send my best friend to jail."
"I'm not going to stop." Veronica manages to stammer out. It has never occurred to her the fall-out that may result from unmasking the truth. Could she be responsible for putting a dear friend and ex-boyfriend behind bars? This is the hard part about being a P.I. : you have to be able to handle the truth.

"Is this really going to make it better?" Logan says throwing his hands up with dramatic flair. "Are you really going to risk Duncan's entire future to get justice for a dead girl?" The look of shock, horror and pain that momentarily dawn Veronica's features is enough to make him want to hurl. It is reminiscent of the first brutal comment he made after Lilly's death. "Lilly wouldn't want that." Logan says but the cool glaze over Veronica's eyes tells him she's already shut him out. "Lilly loved Duncan" He is trying desperately to break through the wall she has put up but he's knows he won't be able to. Only Veronica decides when they go down and it's too little, too late now.

"A dead girl." Veronica says softly. "Is that what Lilly is to you now Logan, some corpse?" Oh yeah Lilly would have his balls if she were alive right now. Veronica blinks back tears and crosses her arms defensively. "Because Logan if I remember correctly she is the girl who used to make sure you were sober before you drove home, the girl who used to spend hours getting you the perfect fucking birthday present because she knew your parents wouldn't remember, the one who didn't touch alcohol for the whole month your mother went to rehab because she knew how hurt you were and the first gir…"

"Stop." No one gets to replay his memories of Lilly especially not after he just cut her down like he did.
"No." The tears are falling down Veronica's face but her anger is far more powerful. "Do you know how much hell she went through with Celeste because of you? She went to the mat for you every time her parents claimed you were good-for-nothing jackass. She may have dumped you but she always took you back because she fucking loved you Logan. Even if she didn't know how to do it properly, even though she hurt you, even though she fucked Weevil it was always you she loved." Veronica is shaking with tears now and all Logan wants to do is engulf her in his arms the way he did at in Barstow. Lilly's love honestly hadn't been clear to him until Veronica unleashed her bitter tirade. Memories of Lilly float around Logan's head causing an unbearable ache that seems to radiate everywhere. He takes a steadying breath and says what needed to be said.

"You can poke my sore spots about Lilly as much as you want Veronica the fact is she would not want Duncan sitting in a goddamn cell living with the fact he very accidently killed his sister." Veronica gets her tears under control and she speaks confidently if not tearfully.
"I need to know the truth and if you can't accept that, this isn't going to work" Logan suddenly knows what it was like for Veronica when they demanded she choose between her father and her friends. He's already lost her. Even if he says that he can accept it, which he's not sure he can, Veronica will never get pass his casual mention of Lilly. He's not even sure if that's something he can get past.
"I guess this is the end of our tryst then." Logan knows he's driving the knife in deeper by calling their 

relationship a tryst. As if she didn't hold him together as his mother died to him twice and as if she didn't reluctantly accept his money for her mother's rehab. At this point Logan is so numb that he can't even feel the pain of the situation. Between Veronica's recounting the ways Lilly had, in her own sex-crazed manner, loved him and her definite end of the relationship it felt like the surge of grief that had surfaced when he first heard of Lilly's death came over him again. Veronica was out of the door before he had a chance to throw a biting comment her way. Later, when Logan walks down to breakfast, he finds a check paying him back for her mother's rehab. He almost wants to cash it just to see her reaction. Obviously, he won't.

Veronica doesn't cry until after she leaves mansion. She shed enough tears over Logan Echolls to fill the fucking River Nile and she'll be damned if she lets him have anymore. Her reaction is simple, textbook and very Logan-like. She punches a wall. As her knuckles swell and she bites back tears caused by something other than Logan she feels really stupid because now not only is she dumped, angry and depressed but her hand hurts. It feels like September again, the time when she first decided she was going to hold her head high through the mud-slinging and walk out with no visible scars just a dirty exterior. She feels this way because she is covering her tear tracks with foundation, a block away from school in the mirror of her Le Baron and she really hates that she's let him do this to her again. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. The funny thing is Veronica knows she isn't going to be the one to make a tear in the careful fabric of their relationship. It is still salvageable at this point. Couples fight and even though Veronica is irrational she is not unreasonable and she didn't expect her love life to be goddamn Romeo and Juliette. Actually considering both characters die because of a bitter feud over nothing maybe it does suit her. Veronica doesn't doubt it will be over though, the moment they are forced to interact again. Both of them are too stubborn, too hot-tempered and too mad to rationally discuss their arguments. One of them will undoubtedly deliver a verbal jab too hard and the other will be forced, by sheer survival instinct, to retaliate. As she drives into the parking lot Veronica makes her decision: she will not be a stomping ground if Logan strikes she'll strike back twice as hard but she's not going to be the one to strike first. She never is and she kind of hates him for that.

Logan doesn't cry at all. He is so conflicted he doesn't know if he is more angry or sad and all he has really learned in high school is that love is powerful but it isn't the most powerful emotion. Veronica taught him this when she told him Lynn loved him. There was something bigger than her love for him (Logan never considered it was her love for herself). It was the same for Lilly. Veronica was correct in saying that Lilly loved him. Sex, even with Lilly Kane, is not that good if you simply have lukewarm feelings. Again, there was something bigger than her love for him (Logan momentarily considered it was her love for herself but he didn't want to think about that just now). He doesn't punch a wall because he knows Veronica won't be there this time to clean up his mess and he vaguely thinks that if he applied the same principle to the rest of his life he might be ok. No love is not always as strong as anger. Logan stops considering this when he realizes he has been putting love and Veronica in the same sentence for the past 30 minutes without giving it a second thought. Logan parks a few blocks from school, thinks mean thoughts and enforces the concrete defenses he is going to need when he and Veronica start firing at each other. He perfected this routine at the beginning of his war on Mars. Initially it was because he needed to gather up every ounce of toughness in him to not feel bad when he made her cry. 

By the time September rolled around it was because he knew he had to sharpen his weapons because every day was a fight with her then and though she'd inevitably win some battles there was no way in hell he was going to let her win the war. He swaggers out of the Xterra as though a tiny blonde girl didn't just stomp all over his heart like he was a human version of Dance Dance Revolution. His biggest worry is finding out who is going to punch first and exactly how hard said punch is going to be. That's a lie, his biggest worry is the fact that he knows he isn't going to hurt Veronica anymore than he already has and that means he is going to have to take her verbal daggers and not retaliate with his own.

It takes Duncan 3 seconds to see something is wrong with Veronica. Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes and she's wearing cover-up without having a blemish.
"Any word on Amelia?" Duncan has thought a lot about why the Kane's could be covering up the murder. He knows all three of them are innocent but who does that leave? Black-mail, possibly but with CW around the situation would have been taken care of.
"I'm visiting her today." Usually when Veronica talks about her cases, especially Lilly's, she gets excited and passionate. Right now she just looks pissed off.
"Right, well I think I know why they picked Koontz." Although there is some female rage bubble that Duncan doesn't dare penetrate looming over her, this catches her attention.
"And…"
"My Dad has his medical file locked in a safe within a safe." The shock of finding that file had shocked Duncan so badly he couldn't even read it until hours later. "Koontz has stomach cancer, he's dying." Veronica jaw drops and Duncan knows what she's thinking: If you are going to die anyways might as well get 3 million out of it for your daughter. The bells rings and Duncan leaves Veronica to work out the significance.

Veronica is ambushed in the bathroom by Sabrina Fuller who squeals for her help like a bratty child. Someone has been accosting the valedictorian-to-be and her marks are beginning to suffer. Had this unfortunate situation occurred yesterday Veronica would have begged off stating she has too much work and not nearly enough desperation. Unfortunately, that was before she signed away her college fund to pay Logan him back for her mother's rehab. Reluctantly, Veronica agrees and Sabrina slaps 400 into her hand. Let the distraction's commence.

Duncan comes with Veronica to pick up Amelia. Logan's words ring in her head throughout the day. To be honest, he has a point. What will she do if it turns out Duncan did kill Lilly? The hardened P.I inside of her tells her that she'd have to turn him in: clear her father, clear herself…and ruin Duncan. The marshmallow in her says there is no way she could ruin him that completely.

"So…did you and Logan have a fight?" Duncan's innocent question brings her back to reality as they cruise down the freeway back to Neptune from picking up the pretty red-head.
"We broke up." Veronica replies in a tone that implies that is the end of the conversation. Luckily Logan seems to be on par with the whole avoidance-is-key thing. For the first time in a while he ventured back to the 09er table while Veronica sat with Wallace. The rest of the school had, of course, picked up on the tension as the fight was even more exciting with the details being kept so secret. The most readily 

believed rumor was that Logan caught Veronica giving Duncan head behind the Wal-mart. Needless to say, she wasn't getting very affectionate looks.

Things are made worse when she comes home to find her father angry with her. Apparently, Weidman had payed Keith a surprise visit looking for Amelia. Veronica wondered, vaguely, if she should call Duncan and see if he was serious about the emancipation thing. She settled, instead, for discussing with father why he believed the Kane's were somehow involved in the murder. With a sympathetic look and a heavy sigh, Keith drops the bomb. A load of laundry had been put on before Keith's arrival, the contents: a soccer uniform. Veronica feels her face pale and her stomach swirl as she nods blankly and head to her room. An envelope labeled Veronica Mars is on her dresser. Recognizing Logan's jerky writing she opens the envelope with nervous anticipation. Her ripped check is the only content.

Logan has a physics exam tomorrow which means he should be studying. Instead he is acting like a pre-teen girl sitting in front of the TV with a pint of ice cream. To be fair, he does have a flask of whiskey in his other hand and it's an action movie playing. Veronica is beyond pissed at him and he's been acting so weird around Duncan that he finally just took to avoiding both of them. Did Duncan kill Lilly? The question has been swirling around in his head ever since he heard of his epilepsy but it wasn't until now that he was actually forced to think about what would happen if Duncan was a killer.

Today is even worse. Wallace is at the play-offs, Veronica has to spend the whole day with Sabrina, meet with Vinnie Van Lowe and see Celeste and Jake Kane. It's like all her least favorite people rolled in to one. Hamilton Cho, the guy who took over Sabrina's lead when the pranks started, was in the clear as was Caz Truman, Sabrina's obnoxious ex-boyfriend. A K-car however led back to Vinnie Van Lowe and although he had yet to say anything incriminating on the bug Veronica planted, she was sure he would eventually spill the beans. That still leaves the hurdle of the academic achievers dinner. Although Veronica has been back since Lilly's murder she hasn't been anywhere near the pool and she knows she has to view the scene of the crime. Scenarios of both Jake and Celeste murdering Lilly flash through her mind as they explain the scholarship they are offering in Lilly's memory. Lilly would be so pissed if she knew something academic was their way of honoring her.

As everyone mingled Veronica went out to the backyard. The pool stretched in front of her looking eerie as the moonlight shone off of it. Celeste no longer had ashtrays and the patio furniture was different. Veronica never understood why Celeste kept an ashtray there. None of the Kane's smoke and it was rare that anyone other than their children or their children's friends used the pool.

flashback
"Common dorkus the water isn't cold." Lilly demands as she floats in the pool on a floating air mattress that matches Logan's. Veronica shakes head no and adjusts her position on top of Duncan so she can easily bury her head into his neck. Duncan smiles and lazily lets his hands trail up and down her spine as he soaks in the sun.
"Look at the lovebirds." Logan says mockingly shooting water at the lethargic couple from between his teeth. They have one more week until sophomore year begins and Lilly and Logan seem determined to spend every moment of it swimming, drinking or both. The four had always been close but spending the 

whole summer together had taken them to a new level of intimacy. Logan's mother had checked herself into rehab causing Logan to spend the first week of summer petulantly holed up in his room. Lilly proclaimed to Duncan and Veronica that she was not going to spend another friggin instant being a third wheel and one of them better help her drag Logan's pathetic ass out of bed or she was going to make it her mission to make their summer as miserable as hers. So the three friends staged an intervention. Duncan dragged Logan surfing until he finally wanted to go on his own accord, Veronica forced food that wasn't cereal down his throat and forced him to help her paint her room. Lilly, well, Lilly helped take care of Logan's nightlife and that's enough said about that. Finally, Logan gave in, kind-of sort of talked about his feelings (not that he'd admit it) and promptly made up for lost time. The whole experience had pulled them together as four friends instead of two couples who double dated constantly.
Logan splashes Veronica again and she squeals and tries to jump off Duncan but he holds her in place as a shield laughing at her distress. Seeing his distraction, Lilly jumps out of the pool and pours a cup full of cold pool water of his head.
"Jesus Lilly." Duncan says as she giggles and hops back into the pool. "You stay in there or your head is going to meet this ashtray." Duncan says mock-threateningly reaches for the ashtray as Veronica, Logan and Lilly all are in stitches laughing.
"Big words Duncan." Lilly says sticking her tongue out as she treads water. Duncan raises the ashtray and the next thing Lilly knows a water balloon is breaking on her head, thrown from Duncan's other hand. All four of them laugh as Duncan puts the ashtray back, pulls another water balloon out of the pocket of his swim trunks and throws it at his giggling sister.

end flashback

"So who are you avoiding?" Duncan's voice comes from behind her.
"You've met your mother right?" She says in response as they sit on the pool loungers. A hollow laugh comes from Duncan.
"Can I ask you something?" Duncan asks disturbing the relative calm. Taking a deep breath Veronica nods.
"You're fight with Logan, was it about me?" He asks the question like it is something he really doesn't want to be asking. It is amazing that all three friendships remain intact after the year they've had and Veronica doesn't want to ruin hers with Duncan by lying to him. Unfortunately, she knows she has to.
"No." Duncan sighs and Veronica knows he knows she's lying.
"Because before Lilly died…she uh…she walked in on Aaron abusing Logan." Duncan says with a mix between anger at Aaron and nervousness at breaching the topic. Half-way through September Lilly had walked into the Kane Mansion announcing to Duncan, with a mixture of pride and disgust, that Aaron Echolls had hit on her. Lilly had gotten over it quickly but the creepiness of the situation was never lost on Duncan who never let Lilly, or Veronica for that matter, swim in the Echolls pool without him or Logan around. He hated Aaron since that day. The hate intensified 10-fold when Lilly told him about the abuse. "Anyways Aaron was saying…he was comparing me and Logan. Things weren't looking so good for Logan" Veronica grimaces, suddenly understanding Logan's disbelief at her choosing him over Duncan. "Lilly swore to make him pay and it was never discussed again but I just thought you should 

know. I mean he's acting weird around me too and that's the only explanation I can think of." Veronica nods knowing well the reason Logan is acting bizarre around Duncan. He thinks that Duncan killed Lilly too. "Anyways let's go inside. I won't let my mom bite." Duncan says with a smile helping her off the lounger.

Lilly swore to make Aaron pay? There is a lot about Lilly Kane most people don't know. Her fierce loyalty, probably her only trait similar to her brother's, was one of them. Veronica knew that if Lilly decided she wanted to make Aaron pay she would. Then again, she died soon after finding out, while she was caught up in the drama of dumping Logan and ostracizing Yolanda. Not to mention making Aaron pay wouldn't be easy. Chances are she never got around to it. Aaron is lucky; her revenge would have been elegantly cruel and completely destructive.

"Girl, you should hear what people are saying about you." I look up at Wallace from my locker and squeeze my eyes shut. Logan has started. "According to Madison Sinclair you were screwing both Duncan and Logan for their money and you constantly flip-flop between the two of them. Oh and did I mention you are cultivating a crafty plan to steal Meg from Duncan.
"Madison Sinclair talked to you?" I say with a little elbow jab. "Wait a sec MEG from Duncan. Not the other way around?" Wallace just grins and Veronica rolls her eyes.

Logan zones out as Mrs. Dent drones on and on about some stupid assignment. Between Duncan probably being a murderer and Veronica dumping him he has more important things on his mind than the cafeteria being renovated.
"Veronica you'll go with Logan to take the pictures." Veronica's blonde head shots up and a look of pure horror crosses her face. Everyone knows they had a nasty break-up, hell Mrs. Dent probably even knows it. There is an awkward moment as everyone pauses to see their reaction and Mrs. Dent looks slightly conspiratorial. Veronica then gives a short nod and goes back to her notebook. Never one to turn down a challenge Veronica thrusts her head up and walks over to Logan determinedly.

"I'll do the photos on my own time." She says without preamble. Her gaze never falters from his and he can't see any sadness or resignation, just loathing.
"Considering the story has to be written by tomorrow the only time you're going to have is now." Logan says tersely. He almost wants her to tear up or look nervous, anything to show she is not completely over him. She doesn't respond but grabs her camera out of her bag and walks to the cafeteria. Logan hesitates a second than jogs a view steps to catch up.

"So I was wondering when you were planning on telling Duncan, or anyone else for that matter that I am psychotic or at least unhealthily suspicious." Logan watches as she quickly shoots the only decent looking part of the cafeteria and snaps a picture of two of smiling cooks. Obviously Logan has considered telling Duncan but a little part of him needs for Veronica to figure this out.

"Well I was trying to figure out a way to work it in to the conversation and I just couldn't figure it out for the life of me." Logan says sardonically "I have it down to two options ok you tell me what sounds 

better: "Hey DK so I was thinking about that time you tried to kill me…you wouldn't have happened to have succeeded with Lilly" Veronica is about to cut him off but Logan silences her with his finger. "Or: Hey DK, you know Veronica little to pull theories out of her ass? Well this time she thinks you killed Lilly…thoughts." Not surprisingly the humor is wasted on Veronica who just turns around and glares at him.
"How about Hey Duncan have you visited that dead girl we used to know? I hear something's hinky with her case." Logan realizes the full-impact of having Lilly being brought up casually and just gives a humorless laugh and head shake. A thin layer of tears is building up over her eyes and he is this close to saying Hey Mars how's your mother? He thinks it's at least something they are above that now.

"Hey Duncan." Veronica says into her phone a glaze of faux-cheerfulness covering the sob that really to come up. "Great the documents are there?...Perfect!...Ok." It isn't hard to miss the pained close of Veronica's eyes as she shuts the phone and bites her lip. Some sees this as an end to a battle, Logan sees it as an opportunity to drive his point home.
"So Mars are you planning on testifying against him?" One of Logan's talent's is knowing how to get a reaction from Veronica or anyone really. "Will you visit him in lock-up? Sit by Lilly's grave and tell her how her brother is in jail but hey at least the right person is doing time?" Logan steps forward and drops his voice lower and more serious. "Do you know what happens to guys like him in prison?"

Each one of Logan's words is like a little knife and she knows they are meant to be. She just scowls and leaves before the tears start cascading down her face. There is no denying Logan has a point. Duncan is rich, white and pretty, he won't even have to drop the soap. Her mini-meltdown ends quickly and she runs to her car to get the phony patent documents. In her rearview mirror she sees Logan looking down at her with a disappointed sneer.

Duncan notices her red-rimmed eyes before anything else. Ever since the epilepsy scandal Veronica has a kind of sadness in her eyes he can't quite place. At first he thought the fight between her and Logan had to do with her flocking to Duncan's side so quickly after the fit. Wallace had privately told them that he was the unwitting cause of their first fight and the timing made it obvious he was also the cause of their second. Lilly told him the things Aaron had been yelling at Logan and the words had stuck with Duncan over the years: "You see how proud Jake is of Duncan?" smack "I will never get to feel that way" smack "Because you have always been a worthless mistake." insert multiple smacks here!. Ever since that day Duncan wondered what to do. Planning is what he does best. So Duncan researched his options, reading up on foster care (Logan would probably be abused their anyways), emancipation (Too young). He vaguely considered getting Weidman to blackmail Aaron in to leaving Logan alone but he knew if Logan found out things would never be the same. So nothing happened because while Duncan is a marvelous planner Logan has always be the one to execute. There was nothing Duncan could do so he instead became simply treated Logan exactly the same way he always had plus the third eye he had. He quickly gave Logan excuses to not go surfing when his blackened eyes told Duncan he would need it, convinced his parents to not call the Echolls after a view drunken excursions and never slapped Logan on the back if he had done something remotely stupid in the past week. Veronica's eyes told him that this fight was about more than Logan's inferiority complex and he instantly felt the urge to protect her. Old habits die hard.


"Hey." Duncan says gently, walking to greet her at the car. "What's wrong?" Veronica's eyes water as she looks at him. This should be easier: get the answers, loose that knawing feeling of grief eating away at her stomach lining. At this moment she knows it won't be that simple and that's something she has never considered before, her last bit of naivety being shattered. Knowing who killed Lilly won't bring her back and neither will tearing them down. She'll keep looking because she still believes the truth will bring some peace. It won't be absolute though, because if it's Duncan she'll lose him and most likely Logan, if it's not she's probably lost Logan anyways. Veronica allows Duncan to hold her head to his shoulder and she thinks it's ironic because she's may be about to convict him from murder and he's nursing her mixed feelings. At that thought she pulls away.

"Thanks." She says awkwardly wiping her tears.
"Want to talk about it?" Haha that would be an amazing conversation. She just gives him a look. "I didn't think so."He wipes a tear away with his thumb and for a moment they think how paternal this all is. Veronica isn't melting at his touch and Duncan isn't longing to kiss her trembling lips. They walk in to the house to talk to Amelia only to find Clarence looking at the phony documents.

"Duncan?" Clarence doesn't get confused. 10+ years of being in the Navy will teach you to prepare for anything but this…this is just messed up.
"Clarence Weidman why am I not surprised." It's even more messed up that he is calm about this.
"Where is Amelia?" The tiny, intrepid Veronica breaks in to their thoughts and shakes Clarence back to holding a front.
"Gone." Both Duncan and Veronica looks horrified.
"You took her." Duncan spits out. Clarence wonders for a moment if his parents bothered to fill him in on exactly what happened the night of Lilly's murder.
"She left on her own accord." Clarence says boredly but he has to admit this situation is…interesting. He assumed Veronica had a key from her year of dating Duncan and figured she decided to hide Amelia in the last place anyone would look. Having a Kane directly involved in uncovering the big Kane secret is a little…unsettling.
"Where did she go?"
"Where would you go if you had your own Swiss Bank account?" Clarence briefly narrows his eyes at Veronica "She was exceptionally displeased with you Miss Mars, for neglecting to mention her father's failing health. Amelia just settled her agreement with Kane Software. Thank you for bringing Amelia to Neptune Miss Mars." He is about to add and Mr. Kane but thinks that might be a little cheeky.
"You know." Duncan says. "You know who killed her."If Clarence Weidman could be backed into a wall this would be the moment. Since he can't both men are standing nose to nose as Veronica watches the scene.
"Go home Mr. Kane. And may I suggest you don't look into this further. There could be…consequences."

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