While the Sinclair family happily sang carols on their way back from the their shopping Mac stared out the window at the lights of Neptune.
From her bedroom window all she could see were the garish, blunt displays that her neighborhood featured. Just once she would like to string the house in plain white or silver strands and be done with it.
This year her father was actually dressed like Santa and standing on the roof while waving to traffic.
Another horn blasted as the car passed her house.
"Ho-ho-ho." She said softly along with the distant echo of her father outside.
In the distance the radio was repeating Christmas carols, occasionally interrupted by some urgent sounding news updates.
She closed her eyes and Mac was almost asleep, teetering on the edge, only vaguely aware that somehow, she was missing something very, very important…
Lynn passed by quickly. "Get ready Meg. You're almost up!"
Meg smiled and flashed a double 'thumbs-up'.
Aaron sidled up to her. "Meg… Ummm… Was Lilly here when you got here?"
Meg smiled slyly, avoiding Aaron's gaze. "No." She said softly. "None of us bus-crash-kids saw here. She's been missing all this time."
"Hunh." Aaron commented for lack of comment.
"I have to get ready." She slipped away.
"Oh, sure." Aaron said to the empty air beside him. Veronica would know what this means… He thought. In fact… I wonder…
Aaron re-approached the monitors. "Show me Veronica Mars, right now."
Veronica coughed as she appeared on the monitor.
For a moment Aaron was confused but then he noticed that all of heaven had fallen silent. When he looked around he saw that Veronica was now on all the monitors, coughing and banging from inside some enclosed space, obviously trapped.
"Damn!" Lynn cursed out loud. "Okay everyone! Monkey-wrench!"
Weevil and Dick laughed as they fought to remain standing.
"Come on, just one drink." Eli said to the large Latino bartender.
"For you, sure." He replied. "But that… Dick will have to go somewhere else."
"How do you know his name?" Eli asked slowly.
The bartender paused and looked between them both for a minute before replying "His name's Dick?"
And Dick and Eli burst out laughing before the bartender reluctantly poured them two shots out of holiday guilt and mild embarrassment.
"Bartender burn." Dick smiled, taking the shot. "Ouch." And then he belched and they broke in to mad laughter once more.
Sheriff Lamb knocked soundly on the door and it swung open.
"Good evening Mrs. Fennel." Lamb breathed quickly. "I'd like to speak to your son Wallace, or Veronica Mars if she's here."
"Wallace!" She called out behind her. "Are they in some kind of trouble officer?"
He shook his head. "I hope not mam."
"What is it mom? Oh!" He stopped at the sight of Lamb. "What's up?"
"Have you seen Veronica Mars in the last twenty four hours?"
Wallace shook his head. "No. I had plans. Why?"
"It could be nothing… Her father's out of town and we've been unable to locate her. Do you know if she's still friendly with the Echolls boy?"
"Yeah. She is. What's this about?"
Lamb took another deep breath. "Hopefully nothing. But … The E-String Strangler escaped two days ago. Items found in his cell indicate that he's become fixated on the Mars family."
"Oh my god!" Felicia shook in fear.
Wallace flashed with rage and concern and his mother took hold of him. "I gotta go look for her!"
Lamb passes each of them a business card and shook his head. "Call us if you hear anything. You're talking about a killer here, so don't do anything stupid."
He turned and took two steps before Wallace's voice stopped him.
"Can you imagine what Keith Mars will do to you if his daughter dies on your watch?"
Lamb cast a hard glance over his shoulder and was met by an equally hard one in return. As he spun around and continued to his car he had to admit… It was a thought-provoking question.