A/n: Random 'borrowing' of a few lines from the show since I'm nowhere near as witty as the good folks of Vmars; I'm hoping that's ok. Thank you all for reading and reviewing; I get incredibly nervous while posting anything new so any feedback is greatly appreciated.

CHAPTER 6:

"No feathers? Ball gags? Whips? Chains? Or do you just carry these babies everywhere you go?"

Logan splashed cold water onto his face. He scrunched his nose before pulling the alcohol soaked shirt over his head. Hangovers and female voices were like oil and water- they never mixed, never mind well. "Feathers aren't standard issue. And the padded cuffs cost extra. Figures you would be into kinky shit like that," he remarked sardonically before using the towels in the bathroom to rub his face vigorously.

His leap to consciousness had been rapid. One minute he was lolling around, his jaw lax and his nostrils flared at her nearness and the next he was pinning her down to the mattress before slapping on handcuffs, almost as if it were routine.

Well the cuffs were routine; just not the perp. Always helped to be prepared. And the fact that he had developed a more than healthy tolerance for whiskey.

Who said addicts couldn't have good days?

"Is this really necessary?" Veronica asked, sounding bored.

He raised an eyebrow, hip cocked as he let the majority of his weight sink onto one leg. Sniffing the shirt he had been wearing, Logan grimaced before looping it around his neck. "Because you've proven yourself to be so trustworthy." Logan flipped out her wallet and snorted, "April Smith."

Veronica glared at him.

"Kudos for the April. But Smith? Some free advice- every cop within a five-mile radius knows that you don't take a Smith seriously. In fact, my colleagues make it a point to check out every Smith in the neighborhood. Just you know, make sure that he or she isn't some lying murderous little bitch."

A brief flash of pain flashed in her eyes before she changed tactics. "C'mon Logan. It's me. You know I wouldn't kill Duncan."

"Right. Like you didn't blow through that guy who broke into your house. Save it for the station. Call up one of your sleazebag friends, I'm sure you met plenty of those in school."

While some tiny part of him wanted nothing more than to believe her, a majority of him was in the consensus that she was just using him to further her agenda. Her eyes narrowed at his statement. Maybe Wallace and his shrink was right- he liked being taken advantage of by buckets of crazy. There was a lesson to be learned here, somewhere.

"He was there to kill me," she replied flatly.

Logan dragged a chair from the corner of the room and straddled it, propping his chin on the backrest. "You're really going to keep this up." He was incredulous to say the least.

"I don't know what you want me to say. They had Clarence following me for days. Weeks."

"Weidman?" Logan looked dubious.

"Yes. I mean it didn't start until I started looking into Duncan's investments here in Neptune. Not to mention, I've had a bunch of threatening notes."

"None of which you cared to share with us when we took your statement?"

"Like I said…I didn't want Duncan to…"

"Catch on. Got it. And yet he was the one buried this past week. Also, lemme guess, those notes were destroyed or left behind in your home. I don't know if anyone told you this," Logan leaned in to whisper. "You really suck at this Nancy Drew shit."

Veronica stuck her chin out, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I have an alibi."

Logan scoffed, "all ears. But just to let you know I don't even think there's an established time of death, so…"

Swallowing hard, Veronica looked at him directly, as if challenging Logan to do something about it, "I left Duncan a little before midnight. Went straight to Lilly's. Stayed there till the morning."

"Lilly?" Logan repeated. So much for their falling out. The lies never stopped. Regardless he would give Lilly a call- it wouldn't hurt. He schooled his features, trying to maintain a relatively calm facade. "You're going with me."

"Hey man," Wallace drawled, his eyes still lidded with sleep. It was like he never could catch up on the hours he lost; no matter how long he slept in. He sipped delicately on the coffee and padded over to the patio one hand raised up to shield his eyes from the morning sun.

"Gotta say. This housekeeper stuff- pretty amazing. Do you think the suits will go for a housekeeper provision on our compensation? Might actually help people like me. Better yet bring them here, just so they can see how the other side lives."

Logan scratched at the exposed skin over his shorts. There had to be a better way to do this. He had barely recognized Veronica, probably never would have had it to not been for the whiff of her perfume that floated over him as she leaned in to patch him up.

Smells and memories.

"I thought she was some chick you banged last night; was even going to talk to you about it, but seriously dude. Housekeeper is so much better. It's like things get done by magic," Wallace seemed impressed.

"So," Logan cleared his throat to garner Wallace's attention. He kept his gaze fixed beyond the pool, not quite focusing on anything in particular. After spending a good part of the early morning talking to Veronica, they were still stuck in the same rut. He knew what had to be done-he needed to bring her into the nearest precinct. Harboring a fugitive wasn't exactly the kind of thing he needed on his resume. And without a job, who knew what downward spiral he would be on.

Yet when she had desperately pled for a week, he had acquiesced without much of a fight. Fucking idiot.

And that wasn't even accounting the fact that he had brought her back into his house. While Wallace was around.

Could someone say fucking idiot all over again?

He had however reached out to Lilly, who answered her phone breathlessly. She chalked up her heavy breathing to 'working up a sweat,' an apparent euphemism that he had no intention of touching, even with a ten foot pole.

"Of course 'Ronica was over. Even called her a cab that morning."

"And you didn't think to tell me this when I was at the funeral?" What was with women and secrets? More importantly, what did it say about him? He hadn't been this off his game, ever.

"Didn't seem important. Are you in Neptune?" Lilly practically cooed into the phone. "We should definitely meet up. Don't tell me you ran into 'Ronica already. Listen, I'd love to chat, but I'm a little busy at the moment. I'll call you. Don't wait up!"

Having been dismissed Logan had looked for the best opportunity to get Veronica alone, but with Wallace around…

Wallace for his part didn't seem to recognize Veronica. It helped that he had still been sleeping while they had snuck back in without much of a plan. Apart from there was no way in hell he was letting her out of his sight.

"You plannin' on finishing that sentence, or?" Wallace looked over at his partner who barely lifted his head as he lay on the chaise.

Logan looked confused for a moment before remembering. "So yeah. I was thinking I might stick around for a little longer you know? Spend quality time with the fam." He waved his hands around as if that explained everything. He might have a harder time getting things by Wallace, but usually Aaron and Trina were self absorbed enough to not know the difference between his friends and housekeepers.

He wasn't sure what that said about any of them.

"Really?" If Wallace was surprised he tried to not show it. It had been apparent that Logan had gotten little to no sleep. He had woken up once during the night, looking for some water to alleviate his parched throat and had heard a car growl in the back. He figured the man needed some alone time given the demons that existed in the four walls, and had quietly made it back to bed, hoping there wasn't all that much trouble to get into at Neptune.

"Yeah," Logan croaked, avoiding any sort of eye contact that could potentially give him away. "I just you know have been thinking, and…umm, seems like a good time to give it a whirl. Already spoke to the Captain about it. He thinks it might be a good time for me to take off given that I was recently pulled off the Kane case."

Wallace nodded. He understood and vocalized just as much. When his partner still didn't look so convinced he reassured him, "no really. I get it. You don't have to explain it to me, man. But um, I'm still gonna need a ride. You drove us here."

"Oh yeah feel free to take mine. Shouldn't be a big deal. I'll just bum one off my family. They like to buy my love."

Wallace's lip curled and he coughed to hide the laugh he felt bloom in his chest. After the emo pretty boy act last night, he was glad to have his partner back. And as reluctant as he was to bring it up, he knew he had to, "so what about the case?"

"The case?" Logan looked at him, eyes squinting at the sun.

"You know. Veronica. Keith. Neptune. Duncan. The great soap opera? The reason for us coming here."

"Right," Logan shrugged. "I say we pay a visit to Weevil later. The man knows more than he's letting on. And if it isn't Veronica on the slab over at the ME's office then the delinquent is the one with the information. Besides have we heard anything from the ME or Pete about time of death?"

"On the blonde chick?"

"Uh, no," Logan said distractedly. "Duncan's. Just need to check up on something. But yeah, Weevil man. Chachi has something hidden, and I'll be damned before I let him go."

Wallace shook his head in negative. "Should be soon. Also, you're a paranoid fuck who can't let go of a grudge."

"Doubt it. You don't know these people like I do. Listen, I was wondering if you could keep an eye on April."

"As in April the housekeeper?"

"Yeah," Logan replied grimly. "She steals the silver."

It had been a terrible idea for Logan to bring her back here. He hadn't mentioned anything about a partner, or a fellow cop who so happened to be sharing their living space. Like it wasn't enough that she was going to have Logan around her 24/7.

Her heart hammered away, her brain convinced that it was only matter of time before Wallace charged in here calling her a fraud. A liar. Ripping the mask right off her face.

It couldn't be that hard, particularly in light of the last name Logan had picked over Smith. Summers. She might as well been Lady Gaga, or Bonnie de Ville. Or maybe painted Veronica Mars in bright red on her forehead.

It all amounted to the same.

Veronica stirred the batter furiously, the whisk cutting seamlessly through flour, eggs, and sugar as she heated a pan. This was definitely not the way she foresaw her morning when she followed a lead last night. Yes, I'll have the pancake combo with a side of interrogation please.

After Logan had derided her investigative skills and pretty much hijacked her 'on the run' plan, she had to rethink her strategy. It was going to be a little more demanding to get anywhere with him hanging over her shoulder, but if it was the price to be paid for extra week. She was going to take it.

On the outset, Logan while dubious of her associations with Lilly had agreed to give it a rest, at least until he checked it out. Meanwhile she was stuck playing house with him and his partner, who could probably throw her in jail at any given moment. She had expected Aaron and might have even able to handle him, despite the disturbing memories that haunted her. Being back here, in Neptune, at Logan's house it was almost like she had gone back in time.

Except she was wanted for murder.

She watched the partners interact by the pool, their casual relationship comfortable, almost normal. Jealousy streaked through her- it could have been her and Logan once upon a time. Talking about the inane, catching up on high school gossip, laughing at silly antics while trying to one up each other. Perhaps, in another life. Despite being forced into an unlikely friendship, it had been nice while it had lasted. Neither Duncan nor Lilly were up for small talk what with the former having no interest in anything whatsoever and the latter always busy with her ever burgeoning social calendar. Veronica blinked away the thoughts forcing herself to come back to the present.

She was supposed to be worrying about her future, and whether she'd be nailed to the wall for something she had nothing to do it. The whisk scratched against the bottom of the bowl and she barely noticed the pan sizzling. If only she had stayed in that car that night.

If only.

"Dude, Logan!"

"Yeah?" Logan looked curiously over the gate, catching sight of a blue Hawaiian shirt. He hesitantly let the man in.

"Man. It is you!" A large blond man laughed out loud and extended his hand for a fist bump. "Been a while man. Word on the street was you were back and I wanted to check it out myself. Wanna catch some waves and maybe some babes?" He swung his head to the side, the motion pushing his bangs out of the way and Logan was struck by a quick flash of memory.

"Dick?"

"In the flesh! So," he said edging his way in effortlessly. "So what are you doing here?" He snickered, laughing at his own joke. "Get it? Coz I meant doing doing and not doing?

Real mature.

"Nothing much. Visiting. You know, kinda missed it all, I guess?" Logan sounded insincere even to his ears. Luckily for him, Dick wasn't the most perceptive of people.

"Oh right," the smile fell of Dick's face. "I heard about Duncan, dude. Sorry about that. You guys were like bffs right?"

Right. Because people were bffs past the atrocity that was high school.Logan's face grew tight. "Yeah."

"Hey," Dick leaned in, his hands in his pockets. "I heard that Ronnie's the one that did him in. You remember her? Blonde, tiny, with that tight…" Dick bit his lip putting his palms in front of him in an obscene gesture.

"Yeah," Logan grunted.

"I mean I know you kinda had a thing for her back then, but when you left, I figured it was ok…" Dick trailed off.

"What, no!" Logan looked on in disgust. Why did everyone think he had something for Veronica? They had been reluctant friends, thrown together only because they dated the Kanes.

"Anyhoo, the Beav and Madison were at the funeral. Said it was a total blast. Wanted me to go, but pfftt, I was like out of it in Vegas."

"I bet." This was turning to be a one-way street with Dick spewing verbal vomit. "Wait. Beav?"

"You remember Beav. Beaver to my Dick? My Brother?" Dick continued seeing the confusion on Logan's face. "My brother Cassidy?"

"Oh yeah," Logan scratched his chin recalling the slight boy with the sad eyes. The less abrasive version of Dick. The Butters to Dick's Cartman.

"Uh huh," Dick nodded warming up to the topic. "Anyway, yeah he married Madison."

"As in Madison Sinclair, your ex girlfriend? Also the schoolbitch?" Small towns.

Dick continued unfazed by the dig, "oh yeah." He blew a raspberry. "She dumped me and took up with Beav once he turned out to be this real estate genius. Owns like half of Neptune and pretty much the entire social scene. I mean it was him and Duncan that started up 'Foams up.'" Dick seemed to lose track of the conversation. "Dude. The chicks there…barely legal."

Fuck. Logan was suddenly very interested. "Duncan and Cassidy owned a bar together?"

"Yeah," Duncan looked at Logan like he had grown a new head. "Where have you been man? Like I said, pretty much all of Neptune belongs to those two."

Well that explained why Veronica was out there, scoping the joint. The little bitch. He had his entire life out on the line for her, and she was still holding out on him.

"Anyway, we should catch some waves man."

Logan nodded and smiled. It seemed like the only thing necessary now that he had gotten what he wanted.

"FYI. The chick next door to you. Super bangable. Not in the traditional way and the Beav once dated her in high school and she was like this total nerd. All gothed out with dyed hair. Not sure why he dumped her though, coz she was like totally his type."

"That's nice, Dick," Logan said indulgently. This conversation was turning out to be a lot longer than he expected. With the wheels turning in his head he couldn't quite pay attention to the ridiculous things in Dick's head.

Wow, he had a shitty group of friends back in high school. For a second, Dick seemed an unpleasant reminder of how Logan might have turned out had he continued to stay in Neptune.

"So yeah, she works at Kane Software now. I mean she was like this total nerd but when she cut her hair, man, woof! I bet Beaver is all up in knots over why he dumped her! You can totally tell that she's a real freak in bed."

Logan wasn't sure he heard right. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

"You know," Dick mumbled his head moving from side to side, "she cut her hair and.."

"No before that," Logan's voice rose several notches.

"Chill out man. Geez. Yeah she works for Kane software."

"She does?"

"Yeah. I think I've mentioned this like a couple times now. Anyway, she's like an 7 now, but with a boob job, a definite 8- maybe even 9."

Loagn shook his head. He needed to focus and he needed Dick to focus but with the way the man was rambling it seemed a near impossible task.

"Dick."

"Like I even offered to pay for it, but you should have seen the look on her face. Why are women so offended when you point out the obvious? It's like…"

"Dick!" Logan very nearly shouted.

"What?"

"Could you introduce me to your friend?"

Dick seemed at a loss for a few moments but recovered rather admirably. He licked at chapped lips and looked up at Logan unsure as to where all this was going, "not sure if she'll want to …but yeah…since you asked. Okay."