Word Count- 3635
Story Title- They're Baaack
Chapter Title- And I Hope You Let it Burn(Part 2)
AN: Sorry for leaving waiting. Promise to try my best to stop that. I am working on my Science Fair project, which is due today(It's 7 AM) and apparently, my cousin did the EXACT project when he was my age, two years ago. I wish he kept the paper he wrote...
Oh, and LoNeR2008 Thanks! I love long reviews, and fitting the noys into the storyline isn't that hard sometimes. They just naturally tag along. Lol.
Chapter 6- And I Hope You Let It Burn(Part 2)
Time to Look into Mr. Moran. Better make this quick, Meg and I are going to the concert in about two weeks. A quick PryingEyez search reveals that Curly used to be a stunt coordinator and now works as a mechanic in lil ol' Neptune. A little trip, as the grieving niece should reveal something. And now for the gold digger!
I close my laptop and go back to Kendall's schedule. I look carefully for somewhere that would be easy to get into and plant a bug on her. A grin spreads across my face when I find the perfect oppurtunity. I call Cassidy and tell him to meet me at Java the Hut in a few days. That way I can spy on Kendall beforehand.
I go to bed with the resolve that I will skip my after lunch classes to spy on Kendall. Then, after school, I can stop by Curly's garage.
The Next Morning
I wake up to my alarm. I jump in the shower and get dressed. When I get out, it feels like, for just a minute, things are okay. After getting out jeans and a navy blue Blondie T-Shirt, I make some Honey Combs and milk.
Culinary ingenuis Veronica! Let's just hope it lasts while you write that history paper. Ah, morning. The only time I really have for homework. After that it's all cases and Java The Hut. Isn't the life of a junior private eye glorious? Now, to find that darned Carmen Sandeigo!
I decide to leave early, in order to avoid one of my groupies attempt to ambush me. I head outside to see that my plan may have a slight glitch.
"What is it with boys and SUVs? I mean, is everything a contest of who's is bigger?" I snip as I see Emmett leaning against his Hummer. "You are the reason for global warming you know!"
"I will have you know, we Grayson's have our cars custom made with hybrid engines!" Emmet mocked in faux outrage.
"Is that even possible in a Hummer?"
"It is if you have money."
"Finally! Someone who is rich that wealth isn't wasted on! You're a bit early aren't you?" I ask as I head into the front seat.
No use in arguing. He'd just carry me back anyways.
"Figured you'd try to escape. Mike and JB are taking his car. That way JB can make sure Mike gets to class."
"Birds and stones. Tell me, do you like to have meetings deciding who gets me and when?" I tease as we head out into the road.
"Does it matter? You doing a stake out tonight?"
"Yup. I was hoping to ditch after lunch, but this is setting me off schedule, so can you tell everyone to knock it off?"
"I'll get you JB's Saturn. The guys can come home with me, and you can take off," Emmett said opening the glove department, which had another set of keys inside.
He is unusally chatty this morning. Emmett is usually much more quiet. And JB letting me have his Saturn is no issue. Like I've said, for all intents and purposes, the Grayson Triplets are my brothers.
"So..."Emmett trailed off. "JB and this Mac chic huh?"
"How did you know?" I asked with a raise of my eyebrows.
"Sources."
"These sources wouldn't happen to involve spying on him when he IMs her would it?"
Silence.
"I love how I rub off on you people," I tease. "Making the world more cyincal, one person at a time."
"Yeah, that is exactly what we need. More people starting wars over stupid crap."
You have got to love PolySci class. The elder Grayson's are Republicans at the moment, but their children never caved in. No sir. Democratic blue all the way! (remember Jake Kane in A Trip To The Dentist Anyone?)
"When you do speak, you sure do pack a punch," I mention his usually stony silence.
We pull into the parking lot, and we walk into the school in silence.
Way to be a moodkiller Veronica.
LUNCH
Maybe I should just skip lunch itself. I mean, I can get stakeout drive thru!
I argue with myself as I head over to my locker. Though, I don't have much time to decide because Logan is right at my locker.
"I really should inform my father of my numerous stalkers," I start as I try my combonation.
"Is that damn Mark at it again? I'll handle it," Logan laughs as he kisses the top of my forehead.
"Actaully, not who I was talking about. And how would you handle it? Break some skulls?"
"No. Only a few. Besides, I just wanted to make sure you didn't weasel out of your promise. So who do you want to sit with?"
Is that supposed to be a trick question? Hmm... tough choice. Is it between the people who hated me all last year, and are only tolerating me because my father and I were right, I'm dating their King, and my best friends are rich or the lovely table that has never let me down sitting with people I actually like? How on Earth will I chose?
"Ah, I can see the gears turning!" Logan laughs. "Come on, we'll sit at a table near the other 09er's with only Meg and Duncan, you and me, and the Grayson Bros."
"Why not?"
We walk outside to the table with Chinese already ordered with Mike, JB, Duncan, Mac, Meg, and Emmett already there. I turn up to look at Logan, a look of pure innocence on his face.
"You planned this," I accused in a joking tone.
"What? I don't know what you're insinuating sugarpuss," Logan countered in a Little-Orphan-Annie innocent tone.
"You told them to meet at one table, and order my favorite, which Mike knows by heart, and you were going to ambush me if I wanted to sit alone!" I mock offense as we sit down.
Truth, I kind of love him for it. I would rather sit alone most days, but he really is being a sweetheart here. I guess he's trying to make up for the badass routine this summer.
We dig in and chat for a little. JB and Mac obivously flirting, Logan and I making plans for Friday night, Meg and Duncan acting all puke worthy, and Mike and Emmett discussing music.
"I have to go. JB, you know I'm stealing your car right?" I make sure to mention as I head up.
"I was informed. And have fun Ronnie," JB says as I kiss Logan goodbye and leave.
I walk to the parking lot and look around for JB's beautiful navy blue car. The insignia of normal in Neptune.
Well, normal if you're rich or at least upper middle class, which is pretty much what we don't have here in Neptune.
"You know, stealing a car is illegal, you pasty piece of trash," I hear from behind me as I click the alarm off and open the door.
I turn around and see a furious Madison Sinclair.
The Epitome of snob. She isn't even rich. Her parents just grew attached to her and didn't think it'd be smart to switch her back with her real daughter.
This summer, Madison's parents found out how smart Mac really was. Mr. Sinclair had found out after asking around at a Conference night. They had tried to make several attempts to get to know her. I think they were geniune though. They seemed to really want to know about their daughter. And after being stuck with Madison for so long, who could blame them?
"I'm borrowing it from my friend. What the hell do you want?" I snap back.
"How on Earth did a whore like you dig her claws into Logan so deep anyway? You aren't even from a wealthy family."
"Whore? I'm not the one that dated Dick Casablancas and countless others in less than a year. And as for the money crack, ask Mommy and Daddy, you were switched at birth."
With that I drove off. I checked the rearview mirror and saw Madison's face become red with anger and shock.
I know, completely wrong Veronica. But hey, her parents were trying to get to know their real daughter behind her back. And Madison grew up with money, making her a total bitch. Mac deserves it. She is so kind and sweet. She was bound to find out eventually.
I head to where I know Kendall will be. She leaves her trophy wife car and I wait a minute before following. After a little while she went into a motel with some mystery guy with a gym bag. After taking a few shots, I head to Curly's garage.
It'll take more to bag Kendall. Cassidy isn't an idiot, and they weren't in any compromising postions. A lawyer could twist it any which way. But I do have an idea.
If Curly Moran worked here, I can pretty much assume he wasn't interested in me because of my car. And I don't suppose he left a bunch of helpful clues just lying around.
A mechanic comes up to me as I look around. "Is that your car? Because we don't service those here."
"No, actually. I called earlier, Curly's niece? Maybe he mentioned me, Veronica Mars?" I ask putting on my act.
"No...but you're just in time. We're about to trash this stuff. You can take it if you want it."
"So he never...said anything about Veronica Mars?"
"Curly didn't say much as a general rule. Sorry, kid."
Not a particularly sentimental bunch here at the garage.
I look through the box. Nothing interesting. A tacky calendar, Curly with spots guy, curly with Bimbo... I pull out a framed autographed picture. From Aaron Echolls. "All these years, still on the Long Haul"
And what's this? It looks as though Curly and I have a friend in common. Maybe it's just a coincidence: an ex-con shows up with my name on his hand when I'm the key witness in his benefactor's murder trial?
My cell rings. Logan.
"Hey you," I answer, walking back to my car with the box.
"Hey, what's on your mind?" Logan asks.
"Why do you assume I have anything on my mind?"
"Like that mind ever takes a break. What is it?"
"Just...fine European automobiles," I say looking at the Lamborghinis in the garage.
"Since when have you ever thought about fine European automobiles?" he asks, shock evident in his voice.
"Ever since I became a Future Business Leader of America," I tell him like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Nice," he chuckles. "So, I will see you later? I have A FBLA meeting to go to. Nice they made it after school again isn't it?"
"Very. Bye."
"Bye, sugarpuss."
I laugh and hang up, and go to my Contacts list. I pull up Cassidy's number and head to the school.
"Hey Veronica. You get anything?" he asks right off.
"Well, I'm fine, thanks for asking. Cassidy, I got her in a motel room with some guy, but no pictures of them in compromising positions, and I'm guessing that is what you're looking for?"
"Yeah. You know how big time lawyers twist things."
"Yup. Ok, well, I'll add 100 dollars to your bill."
"For what?" he asks curious.
"Expenses," I say and hang up, pulling into the parking lot.
With my luck, Emmett is in the weight room, waiting on Mike and JB. Which means I can give Cassidy the iPod shuffle he has to download Kendall's music on.
I walk into the hall, trying to walk past the FBLA room quietly, when Logan and Dick exit the room, fighting. JB comes out, pulling Logan off Dick, while Duncan trys to hold Dick back. They're led to the nurses office when Cassidy and Mike spot me.
"What the hell happened?" I ask.
Sure, Dick doesn't really approve of me, but I thought Logan had made it clear to Dick to lay off. Then again, Dick is well...Dick.
"He made some asshat insult about you, Logan lunged at him, and well your here for the rest," Mike explained through a clenched jaw.
"Alrighty then. Cassidy, think you can download Kendall's music onto this?" I ask him, handing him the shuffle.
"Yeah, sure. I better make sure my brother's okay," he says, rushing off.
"How did the stake out go?" Mike asks, leaning against the wall.
"Good. I came to return JB's car. Emmett still around, and I guess FBLA is ending early, so I'll get JB or Logan to drive me home," I reply, feeling slightly drained.
"Yeah, okay. See ya, V."
"See ya Mike."
I walk away to the nurse, in time to see Dick and Cassidy going to the Principal's office. I head inside, to see JB and Duncan sitting around Logan, as the nurse puts antispetic on his knuckles.
"Hey," JB greets, and Duncan mearly nods.
I hold up his keys and jingle them. "Are you going to give me a ride back, or are you sticking me with this Kung Fu Cat?"
"He deserved it," Logan and JB said in unison. I raise my eyeborws and the two look at each other with surprised glances.
"Oookay. Well, Logan, are you going to give me a ride home or is Mr. Grayson going to be driving Miss Daisy?"
"I'll do it," Logan offers, getting up to leave to the Principal's office. I say goodbye to the guys as they leave and join Logan.
After about twenty minutes, he comes out and drives me home. I get changed for my Java The Hut shift, feed Backup, and get into my LeBaron and leave. About an hour into my shift, Cassidy comes by and gives me the shuffle, and I show him the pictures I have.
"Damn, that's cold, she's doing it on one of my dad's own properties. This isn't enough. They could be doing anything behind that door," He says.
"I know. We already covered that. Remember?" I remind him.
"I'm serious, okay? There's no clause in the prenup against her swapping gym-bags with some cheeseball."
I examine the pictures closer.
I didn't even notice that. Some Private Eye I am.
NEXT DAY
Kendall Casablancas is one of the most energetic trophy wives I've ever seen. Not standing still, but this is probably the best chance I'm going to get.
I walk up to Kendall on her treadmill, and make an excuse to borrow her iPod. After a second, I make a switch. After making a seriously disgusting comment about her ass, I walk away. I trail her back to the same crappy motel.
You gotta admire a girl who sticks to her schedule. Lunch...bag switch...followed by illicit sex at one of her husband's numerous hotels.
I pull out my cell and call Cassidy. I get his voicemail.
"Hey, Beaver, it's Veronic-- Sorry, Cassidy. It worked. Steal it back and meet me before closing tonight. See ya."
I feel a little weird, and I take a picture of the motel.
Wait, Sandpiper?
I pull out Big Dicks REIT brochure and see the big shiny hotel picture. That picture is what Mr. Casablancas is trying to pull off as the Sandpiper.
I don't know what's going on with this hotel, but it's pretty clear someone, somehow, is getting screwed.
Kendall's supposed lover comes out and I follow him. It's pretty boring, but it pays for college, so it has to be done.
Kendall's special someone went straight from the motel to the bank, Kendall's gym bag in hand. Next stop, a strange one, the county courthouse.
I follow him in and pull the "that guy hit my car!" act to find that this guy is the city assessor. Something in my mind clicks and I head back to the school to see Mr. Pope. It may be a long shot that he'll still be in school, but he is a teacher.
"What can you tell me about real estate fraud?" I ask right off the bat.
"Well, provided your interest is purely academic, uh, there's really not a lot to say. Which is not to say it doesn't exist. But, ah, it's pretty hard to fleece people since generally they don't buy property sight unseen," he explains, caught off gaurd.
He goes to sit at his desk.
"Except in the case of a REIT."
"True, but there's still multiple safeguards in place. Uh, a local assessor, for instance, makes sure that all properties are sold for fair market value."
"So even if you bribed the assessor, you'd have to find a really unsuspecting buyer?
He thinks for a moment before answering. "Well, I suppose you could borrow against an inflated property, to buy more property, and then inflate its value, and so forth and so on."
"Like building a house of cards?"
"Yup, I suppose it might work...until somebody sneezes."
"Sell your Casablancas stock."
"What?"
"Mr Casablancas is artificially driving up his company's value."
"Ho-how do you---" he's pretty dumbstruck.
I put the picturess from the Sandpiper on his desk, along with the sandpiper in the brochure. "Because I have seen the fabulous Sandpiper Hotel...and there's nothing fabulous about it...and it's not worth nearly sixty-million dollars."
"This has to be a mistake," He denies.
"It's not a mistake. I've checked. This isn't the only one."
I'm pretty used to this, but Mr. Pope is a nice guy. He doesn't deserve this.
I tell him to dump his stock, or sell it to someone else, but he refuses. He says that he'd just be letting down some other sucker.
I walk away to my car, and drive home to change. On the way, I call the police and inform them of said fraud.
Guess I should take out a tissue for this sneeze, because it's going to be a messy one.
Later...
Java the Hut has to have karoke night doesn't it. Poor unfourtante souls.
I walk to the back and sit next to Cassidy with my laptop open.
"Ta-da! Nice work with the camera, by the way. I couldn't even find the lens," he compliments as he hands me the shuffle.
"That's the idea. This might take a little while," I tell him, pulling up the pictures.
"Two thousand pictures," he says awed.
"One every fifteen seconds."
We go through pictures, mostly of Kendall and Mr. Montana, our assessor, signing papers.
"What are they doing?"
"There's something I need to tell you about your dad, Cassidy," I try to break it to him.
How do I break this to you, kid? You hired me to protect your old man from a gold-digging wife and I wind up proving that they're both gold-digging Casablancas Enterprises investors for millions. I get the distinct feeling that "sorry" won't cut it.
He keeps looking at the pictures. "Yeah? Whoa wait, Veronica, you have got to see this."
I look at the picture and my jaw drops. It's a picture of Kendall in the mirror, unbuttoning her blouse, and in the reflection, Madison Sinclair is sitting on the edge of the bed, in a lacy bra and panties.
"Holy crap," I whisper in disbelief.
"This is just, whoa. Uh, I have to go," Cassidy says taking the iPod.
"Wait, Cassidy," I call after him. He turns back.
This is too good to pass up.
"Is this confedential, or can I full out mock Madison? Because this is like-" I begin but he cuts me off.
"Have a field day. I hate her too," he grins before leaving.
FRIDAY
"Okay, so what juicey gossip did you wait until now to tell me?" Logan asks as he pulls me down on his bed, Easy Rider playing on his plasma screen.
"You will never believe who Big Dick's trophy wife is doing the deed with," I tease him, walking up and pausing the movie.
"Are you even allowed to tell me?"
"I have Cassidy's permission, just don't go all grapevine on me."
"Alright, I'll bite, who?"
I walk out into the hall to get some popcorn. "Madison Sinclair."
I hear him laughing behind me, and I walk down the hall and see a movie poster that catches my eye.
I must have walked down this hall a hundred times during my summer with Logan. What was it Aaron wrote to Curly on that picture? "All these years, still on the long haul"? "The Long Haul." That's not some kind of macho expression, it's a movie. The 1982 thriller that introduced a young action star named Aaron Echolls, featuring a signature stunt where a truck is sent veering over a bridge, a stunt supervised and performed by David "Curly" Moran.
I pause. Suddenly it all clicks.
"You know, this would be an interesting thing to put in the family album," he jokes as he walks up next to me. I guess he sees the look on my face, because he lifts my chin up so that I'm looking right at him. "What's the matter?"
"It was me," I tell him, tears filling me eyes.
"What? What was you Veronica?"
"The bus crash. It was meant for me. They all died because of me."
He pulls me into a hug, whispering that it wasn't my fault.
Oh, but it was. Aaron must of hired him to take me out, so I couldn't testify. He didn't care that his son might have been on the bus. He knew that both Duncan and I were on it. It had to be him. And it means it's all my fault.
Hey guys. I hope you liked this. I wanted to do something different. My beta rocks, and I am currently writing the next chapter.
My science fair project is due soon, like 5th Period TODAY so I need to keep this short.
Review! Magic Pie says it'll make me feel better when I totally FAIL this project because my printer was out of ink. And when you have a happy writer, you have nice chapters!
HAPPY FRIDAY