DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars. This story is written as a tribute only. No celebrity endorsement is implied by product placements. All real persons' names are used in the sense of "wouldn't it be cool if this person had this gig?"
A/N: Beta-ed by Kazy, Poniesforall, and Aly88. All mistakes that remain are my responsibility.
Veronica is pushed into the hard plastic chair. "Sit, and pay attention." The woman grabs Veronica's hands and forces them to her thighs. "Don't move, and LISTEN!" the woman screams in Veronica's ear. Veronica flinches, and the woman shakes her shoulder roughly; Veronica mimics the girls around her and stares straight ahead and listens to the speeches.
After an hour of rambling, interminable lectures, Veronica begins to feel sleepy from the lack of sleep the night before. She sees that the girls around her are listening with rapt attention, but Veronica's head starts to nod, and her eyes close part way. Suddenly, her neighbor pokes her, and Veronica jumps, startled, accidentally striking the girl next to her. The speaker behind the podium points at her, screaming, "YOU!"
The girls around Veronica hastily stand up and drag her to the floor; Veronica kicks and fights against the sudden onslaught, but she is quickly pinned, with a girl sitting each leg and others holding her arms outstretched to the sides. Veronica yells and fights against the restraint, and the speaker comes to her and places one hand over her mouth and pinches Veronica's nostrils so she can't breathe. Veronica's vision clouds as she hears the speaker say harshly, "ACCEPT THAT WE LOVE YOU AND KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU!"
Two months earlier...
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Non Dolce Vita
An old enemy decides to exploit the bad
news, and she gets help from a familiar
face; Logan grieves.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Carrie: Amber Heard. Madison: Amanda Noret.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER FOUR: "NON DOLCE VITA"
Tues. 1/20/09: San Francisco, CA
In a sleazy bar in San Francisco, Carrie Murray, the disgraced former Dateline reporter, notorious for her discredited exposé on Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars, serves one of her regulars his beer with a whiskey chaser before he can open his mouth to request it. "Thanks, sweetie," he says, slurring his words just the tiniest amount. Carrie leans on the counter, giving the man a good view of her cleavage as he pulls out his wallet. He rewards her with a ten dollar tip and a wink. She winks back and deposits the ten in her cleavage as her customer avidly follows its progress.
Carrie turns her back on the customer and rolls her eyes at her fellow bartender. He motions to the television screen in the corner and says, "That serial killer struck again. Some hooker in L.A." Carrie looks at the silent television and reads the closed captioning. 'Eighteen-year old Hannah Griffith grew up in Neptune, California...' Carrie sees the word 'Neptune' and grabs the television remote control, turning off muting.
The CNN news anchor is droning on about Hannah's early life as the screen shows a montage of family candid photos of ballet recitals, camping trips in the Sierra Nevada, and school portraits. Carrie listens intently. She calculates quickly, and realizes that Hannah Griffith was three years younger than Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars.
Carrie lifts the bar divider and makes her way to the back office where Frank, the bar's owner, is working on this week's payroll. She sits down in front of his desk and says, "Frank, I need a couple weeks off from work."
Frank frowns. While Carrie isn't the best bartender he's ever employed, her good looks have brought in more than a few new customers. She makes up for her inexperience behind the bar with a quick wit, and she has quickly caught on to the strategies Frank showed her for maximizing the bar's revenue which, not incidentally, have also increased her own tips. "A couple weeks? Carrie, you know I took a chance on you when I hired you. You had no experience and your resume was pretty questionable. Now you pay me back like this? I can't get along without you for two weeks."
Carrie stands up and walks behind Frank. She pulls his rolling chair backwards away from the desk and then moves in front of him. "Frank, I would really appreciate it if I could get a couple weeks off." She kneels in front of him and proceeds to convince him in the same time-honored way that she initially procured her position.
Frank is completely on board with Carrie's leave of absence before she has his zipper halfway down.
Tues. 1/20/09: Logan's house, Venice Beach, CA
Veronica had intended to return to Neptune that evening so she could attend a seminar, but Logan begs her to stay, and she agrees. She's seen Logan at his worst before, but this despair is suffused with guilt and shame, and he is completely gutted. Veronica orders dinner for the two of them from Logan's favorite restaurant, but he merely picks at his food before pushing it away.
"I really want a drink," he says abruptly. He stands up and limps over to the couch.
Veronica doesn't know how to respond.
"I know it won't help. I just keep thinking that I want a drink."
Veronica joins him on the couch, sitting turned toward him with one hand on his shoulder. "Logan, tell me about her. You've never talked about her at all," she improvises, uncertain how to help him. She tries to soothe him by caressing his arm, but it appears to have no effect.
"You don't want to hear it," he says. He remembers what Veronica said at the time: 'Toying with a sweet little girl's heart just to screw with her dad?...I get it, San Quentin isn't quite as enticing as, say, college, but damn, you've really plumbed new depths, Logan.' He flushes in embarrassment and shame at the memory.
"If it helps, I do want to hear it," she responds, becoming more certain that this will help him.
He turns to look at her in surprise, then looks away, not wanting to meet her eyes. "Veronica, she was you...Hannah was you before Lilly was murdered and you got raped, before you turned into warrior Veronica," Logan says hesitantly. "She was innocence and romance and purity, and she was naïve enough to believe in me, when all I was doing was using her."
"Logan, did you care for her at all?"
"Yes, of course I cared for her," he responds.
"Then you didn't just use her."
"Veronica, it was the most despicable thing I've ever done! Worse than bum fights, worse than setting fires. To set out to corrupt a human being in order to compel her father to withdraw his testimony..." he cries out bitterly.
"No, Logan! You didn't set out to..." she lies quickly, afraid of his anger and bile.
"I absolutely did, and you knew it at the time," he contradicts. "I was desperate. I was certain that I would go to prison if her father testified."
"So isn't he the true villain here, the man who perjured himself? And then sent his daughter away?" Veronica asks.
"He wouldn't have had to if I had kept my word to him. I promised him I would leave Hannah alone if he withdrew his testimony. But she wanted..." His voice trails off.
"Logan, she cared about you. She knew what you had intended but still saw someone worth loving. Logan, she saw what I see. You were in a fight for your life."
"No, Veronica. I was willing to sacrifice her for my life, my freedom. I am my father's son after all."
Veronica stares at him, aghast. She moves closer and folds him into her arms, murmuring, "Logan, you're not your father."
"Don't run out on me this time," he says desperately. "I can't do it without you."
This time? Veronica realizes he's trembling.
"Please don't abandon me again when I need you the most," he repeats, almost begging.
"I'm not leaving," she replies, rocking him in her arms. But she can't help thinking, Oh god, oh god, as she remembers the violent carnage that Logan left in his wake after being accused of Felix's murder.
Tues. 1/20/09: Interstate Highway #5, near Bakersfield, CA
On the way to Neptune, Carrie Murray has an idea. She pulls to the side of the road and looks up a name in her notebook. She dials the phone number. "Madison Sinclair, please?" After a brief conversation, she decides to head for USC instead to meet with Madison the next morning.
Late Tues. 1/20/09-Wed 1/21/09: Logan's house, Venice Beach, CA
For the first time since they reunited, Logan and Veronica spend the night together without making love. Veronica holds him in her arms, worrying, trying to come up with a strategy to help him. Just the day before, Logan's grand obsession had been his plans for steamy sexcapades after getting his cast removed. The past several months, even with the fallout from the accident and the shooting, have been close to idyllic; they have rediscovered each other, with the time they spent apart during their sophomore year giving them the space to forgive and, more importantly, to miss each other. She remembers her complaints that Logan was indifferent and unmotivated freshman year; this new Logan who has finally found something to be passionate about is vibrant and compelling. And yet, from the moment that this new tragedy surfaces, the old obsessive, self-hating Logan emerges, wallowing and self-destructive. She finally falls asleep in exhaustion.
She wakes some time later on her side with Logan pressed up against her back. He whispers, "Veronica?" She leans back against him sleepily, and he murmurs "Make love to me?" She hears him, and knows he means, 'Love me...do you love me? Please...love me.' He gently pushes her top leg forward, spreading her. He nudges his cock between her legs, sliding smoothly, stimulating and exciting her, even in her drowsiness, god feelssogood. She reaches down and strokes him as he presses into her more urgently, and he thrusts a little harder into her hand, exhaling a huff of pleasure into her ear. He insinuates his hand across her arm and runs the back of his fingernails gently across the sides of her breast. She matches his breaths, panting and suddenly gasping as he flicks his fingertip against her impatient nipple and cups her breast possessively. "Love you," he breathes into her ear, "Love you so much, Veronica. Want to make love to you."
He subtly changes the angle of his thrusts, seeking, striving, diffusing her moist arousal over himself. Logan urges her to roll over, and she shifts onto her hands and knees. He sighs, "Fuck, Veronica... have I told you today that you have a legendary ass?" He bends down to her and begins to kiss her ass, reaching around and between her legs to stroke her as he slowly drags his tongue along the cleft between her rounded cheeks. She sways helplessly under his touches, shivering as he fitfully hits her engorged nub.
He maneuvers himself so that he covers her back, rubbing his pelvis against hers as she moans and pushes back into him. He momentarily seems to stumble a little, and she suddenly stiffens and says, "Logan, your knee, be careful," but he merely grabs her hair, turning her head to him, and kisses her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth deeply as his cock persistently assails her. She reaches down and guides him to her entrance, angling her pussy for him, and he pushes in swiftly as he feels himself connect. She moans aloud at the ferocity of his movement and pushes back against him, urging him on, "Oh please, Logan, god, fuck me..." Logan places a palm on her back; she looks back at him and sees the arousal and the intensity and need need need in his eyes. He gently encourages her downward, and she acquiesces, leaning on her elbows, her ass in the air, spreading herself more for him, as he drives mercilessly, thoroughly. He pulls out and pauses, and she groans, "No, please don't stop," and he suddenly drives the length of himself into her; she gasps "Logan" and arches into him with the pain and oh-my-god-the-pleasure-of-it: him, inside me. She leans onto one elbow and reaches down to touch herself; he growls, "Yeah, come on, Veronica" and she shudders. "Come on, baby, yeah, come for me, fuck! Veronica," he moans, driving relentlessly into her as she bucks and trembles, stroking herself frantically.
She jolts awake suddenly to the sound of the alarm and sees that it's five a.m. Logan has finally fallen asleep beside her. She quickly turns off the alarm before it can wake him and dresses quietly, hoping he can get some much needed sleep. Veronica spends a moment watching him sleep, thinking about who needs who in this relationship. Before she leaves, she writes him a note.
Dear Logan,
I have to go to class today. Please call me when you get up. I am only a phone call away if you need to talk. I love you.
Veronica
She thinks a minute, then adds,
You're the best thing in my life.
Wed. 1/21/09: near USC, Los Angeles, CA
Madison Sinclair opens the door to her well-appointed off-campus apartment. "Come in," she almost purrs to the waiting reporter.
Carrie Murray enters the apartment, glancing around at the luxurious trappings. She reflects that Logan Echolls is not the only spoiled Neptune brat now living in Los Angeles. She sits down on the comfortable white sofa that Madison indicates and gets out her digital recorder and notepad.
"So you're doing an article on Hannah Griffith?" Madison asks. "I loved your report on Logan and Veronica, by the way. I think you're the only reporter that got it right. It's ridiculous that she got away with murder. Veronica always was a lying tramp, and Logan couldn't help but fall under her spell."
"Yes, I'm working on an article about Hannah. I was wondering if she was friends with Logan or Veronica," Carrie explains. "There doesn't seem to be much that happens in Neptune that those two aren't involved in."
"Well..." Madison stalls. She looks at Carrie, calculating.
"I'd be prepared to make you the focus of my story if you know something. As told by...with a large photo. And of course, I can offer you a large payment." Carrie crosses her fingers, knowing that she has no money to offer Madison until she sells the story.
"I wouldn't want to...profit...from Hannah's terrible tragedy," Madison muses, thinking that the money is completely beside the point. "But, the photo...I am trying to break into newscasting myself. This could be helpful."
"Absolutely. Do we have a deal?" Carrie extends her hand, and Madison shakes it, nodding.
"Well...for some reason, Logan took an interest in Hannah Griffith his senior year. Everyone knew that Veronica had dumped him for her old boyfriend Duncan at the beginning of the year," Madison begins.
Carrie nods, urging her on.
"And then–oh it was so grossthe gossip was that Logan was screwing his best friend's stepmother."
"Really?" Carrie says, taking notes.
"Logan was out of control. He was living in the Neptune Grand Hotel, no parental supervision you know. He was accused in the murder of a local gang member and was wearing an ankle monitor at the time. Of course, he was still allowed to go to school functions, and that's where he met Hannah. She was three years behind us, really too thin and not very pretty at all if you ask me, but for some reason Logan was smitten. He tried to keep the relationship quiet, but I saw them making out by the soda machine in the lunch area."
"Oh, these details are wonderful," Carrie comments. "It really makes the story sing. You'll see when you're a newscaster yourself," she adds, buttering up her source.
Madison smiles, then continues, "I heard through the grapevine that Hannah told her friends that her parents tried to split them up. Of course, everyone always let me know what was going on, because they knew that Logan and I had been friends forever, and I had been dating his best friend Dick."
"Really? You used to date Richard Casablancas, Jr.? The one who was driving in the accident last fall?" Carrie scribbles a note.
"One and the same. I can tell you stories about Dick..." Madison comments. Realizing from Carrie's lack of reaction that she is not very interested in Dick, Madison returns to telling the story of Logan and Hannah, leaning conspiratorially toward Carrie. "I heard that Hannah's father stormed into Logan's suite at the Neptune Grand and found Logan in the process of deflowering his precious daughter. Dr. Griffith shipped Hannah off to boarding school the very next day, and no one ever heard from her again."
"No one? Not even her friends?" Carrie asks.
Madison shakes her head no. "The word was that it was a very strict school. To Logan's credit, he did seem to be upset about it, at least for a few days. Then he started pursuing Veronica again."
"Hmm. So Hannah was just...a dalliance for him," Carrie comments.
"He can be very callous," Madison replies, thinking about Logan not returning her phone calls after their tryst in Aspen.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
What Tangled Webs We Weave
The complications of Vinnie's defense and
Duncan's custody battle; the FBI pursues
leads on Hannah's murder.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Cliff: Daran Norris.
Agent Morris: Lucy Lawless. Agent Carney:
Jason Isaacs.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER FIVE: "WHAT TANGLED WEBS WE WEAVE"
Wed. 1/21/09: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
"Knock, knock?" Cliff calls out as he enters Mars Investigations.
"In here," Keith answers from his inner office.
Cliff enters Keith's office and takes a seat facing Keith. "Have you had any brilliant ideas regarding Vinnie's defense?" Cliff asks.
"The only choice is for him to turn state's evidence, and he can't do that if Liam still has the evidence from the liquor store murder. I've been looking up the old newspaper reports from the robbery. It was well before my time here at the Sheriff's department. The kid's name was Matt Dannon. It seems that no one doubted that the kid whom Vinnie killed ran off with the money; he was a kid who'd been in trouble with the law before."
"You know, Keith, if you're thinking about tampering with the evidence from that crime, I can't hear it." Cliff puts his fingers in his ears and sings 'la, la, la, la'.
Keith waves his hand in front of Cliff's face, and when Cliff is listening again, continues, "Cliff, if you could concentrate on getting Vinnie a deal, I'll take care of the rest of it. Rest assured, I would never tamper with evidence in an ongoing investigation."
Cliff, noting that Keith is splitting hairs, says, "Ongoing investigation, my ass. What about the witness protection angle?"
"Vinnie said that he doesn't trust the FBI to make him disappear, but let's let them think that he's going to take advantage of their offer. I'll work on setting up a new identity for him somewhere overseas. Cliff, if Liam had evidence, where do you think he would keep it?"
"Unh, unh, unh," Cliff says, waving his finger 'no, no' in Keith's face. "I'm not telling you that Liam would probably have one of his many relatives hold evidence like that. Oops. I would never tell you that."
Veronica enters the office, calling, "Dad?"
"In here, Veronica." Keith stands up to meet his daughter halfway. He is shocked by her expression. "Honey, what's wrong?"
She hugs him and he holds her tight. "Dad, didn't you hear about the serial killer?"
"The Neptune girl who was killed? Veronica, was she a friend of yours? You never mentioned her to me."
"She was a few years behind me in school. But Dad...Logan dated her for a while. Her dad was the false witness in Felix' murder case, and Logan pursued her to get her dad to withdraw his testimony. When Logan didn't break it off after Dr. Griffith recanted, her parents sent her away to boarding school to break them up. Logan's completely devastated; he feels like her murder is his fault."
"Oh honey," Keith says.
Cliff comments, "So that's why Dr. Griffith recanted? I was certain Logan was going to go away on that charge."
Veronica wipes some tears from her eye, and sits down. "There's no way the tabloids will miss this. Someone will dig this up, and it will start all over again, just when the publicity over Harmony was starting to die down."
"Veronica, it'll be okay" Keith starts to reassure her.
"That's not all," Veronica interrupts. "Duncan's back. The Kanes' attorneys finally reached an agreement with the district attorney on the kidnapping and murder charges."
Cliff and Keith exchange a glance.
"He's going to plead guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment and be sentenced to community service. But he still has to win custody of his daughter. The Mannings have found an expert witness who will testify that Lamb's blackmail tapes were manufactured. Duncan has to provide evidence that the Mannings abused their daughter Grace."
"Veronica, you can't be thinking of testifying. They'll charge Duncan with felony breaking and entering, and you could be charged with aiding and abetting in the kidnapping," Cliff comments quickly. "I've heard about the plea arrangements down at the court house. The Mannings are gearing up for a big fight over custody, and they're not going to take this lying down."
"I know. Cliff, can you help with this? There's got to be a way to help Duncan. Can we get immunity from prosecution for testifying?"
"No," he shakes his head, "There's no benefit to the prosecutor's office. They won't be offering any kind of deal like that."
"What else can we do? We can't let the Mannings have custody of little Lilly," Veronica cries.
"Maybe Duncan shouldn't come back," Keith says, thinking, This is exactly the wrong time for this, with Vinnie threatening to tell about Veronica's part in the kidnapping.
Veronica looks at her dad in shock. "You can't mean that. Duncan's been on the run for three years."
Keith spreads his hands and shrugs. "Veronica, it might have been the right decision at the time for Duncan to run with baby Lilly, but his actions have had far-reaching consequences, for himself and for you. I'm not going to let you do anything that will jeopardize your future. I'm hoping you learned something from that experience. I'm already concerned that the Harmony Chase shooting will have an impact on your future with the FBI, and I don't think you want to have another felony charge on your record. The FBI has already questioned you regarding the kidnapping, and you were lucky to escape charges at the time, and even more lucky that they overlooked it when you applied for your internships."
Veronica is silent, thinking about living with the consequences of her actions. Then she finally replies, "I'm not giving up. There's got to be something I can do to help Duncan."
Wed. 1/21/09: Logan's house, Venice Beach, CA
Logan hears the doorbell and a incessant pounding on his front door through the haze of his exhausted sleep. He rolls over and puts the pillow over his head, but the pounding continues. "Echolls? Open up! FBI. We need to speak to you. Logan Echolls!!" The doorbell rings again. The words 'FBI' penetrate his semiconsciousness, and he reluctantly rolls out of bed, grabbing his bathrobe. He shrugs into the bathrobe and takes his cane from next to the bed.
He walks to the door, leaning on his cane. The pounding continues, and Logan realizes that he's developing a splitting headache that's sure to get worse when he faces what's behind the door. Logan disengages the alarm system and opens the door, wincing against the bright light of the Los Angeles late morning sun.
"Late night, Mr. Echolls?" a blonde woman asks. "I'm Agent Morris, Federal Bureau of Investigation." She flips open an ID case so that Logan can see her identification. "This is my partner, Agent Carney. We'd like to speak with you about the murder of Hannah Griffith. May we come in?"
Logan recognizes Agent Morris as one of the two agents who searched the Neptune Grand Suite after the Faith Manning kidnapping and is momentarily panicked that the agents somehow know Duncan was there two days before. He takes a breath to steady himself, looking at Morris' and Carney's ID's briefly, then steps aside to allow them to enter the beach house. He follows them in to the living room and proceeds to the adjoining kitchen area as they settle in on his couch. "D'you mind if I make some coffee?"
"Do you always sleep until eleven in the morning?" Agent Carney asks.
"Only when I can't sleep until noon," Logan quips. He grinds coffee beans and adds water to the coffee maker. "I had some bad news yesterday and had some trouble getting to sleep," he adds, more seriously.
Agent Morris clears her throat. Consulting her notes, she begins to speak. "Mr. Echolls, we've been informed by Tom Griffith that you had a relationship with his daughter Hannah three years ago. He also said that you had promised to break off the relationship, but continued to see his daughter against his wishes; he stated that that was the primary reason his daughter was sent to boarding school."
"Well, I guess that's essentially correct. I tried to break it off with her, but she still wanted to see me. She was persistent, and I did care for her; so, yes, I did continue to see her against her father's wishes. Her father, by the way, is a lying cokehead, in case you didn't know." Logan gets out three coffee cups as the coffee brews.
"So you admit that you had a relationship with her? A sexual relationship?" Carney probes.
"Is that illegal now? What was it Hoover said? 'I regret to say that we of the FBI are powerless to act in cases of oral-genital intimacy, unless it has in some way obstructed interstate commerce.' I'm not seeing any interstate commerce issues at play here." Logan's sarcastic words are belied by the slight tremor in his voice.
"The FBI Behavioral Science Unit is involved as a matter of course in serial crimes," Morris says. "Let's get this out of the way. Mr. Echolls, where were you on Saturday night, January 17th?"
Logan breathes out a sigh. He brings the three coffee cups to the living room, placing them on the table in front of the couch, then returns to the kitchen for the coffeepot and a container of cream, holding them awkwardly with one hand as he leans on his cane. "I was with my girlfriend, Veronica Mars, the entire weekend." Morris looks at Carney with an 'I told you so' expression. Logan sits down, pouring himself a cup of coffee and adding cream. He motions to the agents that they should do the same, and continues speaking. "Veronica came up for the long Martin Luther King Day weekend to study. Both of us are behind in our school work due to the events of last semester. I had to write a sample screenplay treatment, and she was working on her final statistics project from last fall. On Saturday we went to hear some music. Several of my friends saw us there. In addition, our picture was taken by one of the paparazzi. I'm sure if you contact the good people at E! Online, they'd be happy to lend you a copy."
Logan sips at his coffee, then adds, "And by the way, until January 20th, I had a cast covering my entire right leg, and I could only walk with crutches. So, unless I'm mistaken about the modus operandi, I'm not sure how I could have kidnapped Hannah and slashed her throat while using crutches." As he makes this last remark, his voice strengthens, knowing that it clinches his innocence. "I'm not really sure why the FBI would be looking at a boyfriend from three years ago in this case. I don't think I have much confidence in your ability to find this serial killer."
Carney looks at Logan angrily. "We follow every lead in every case. These questions have to be answered. And after all, this is the second girlfriend of yours that was murdered"
Morris interrupts as Logan stares balefully at Carney. "Mr. Echolls, we know that your relationship with Hannah was some time ago. Have you had any contact with her since then? Were you aware that she had run away from school?"
"I heard from Hannah once, in the summer of 2006. She asked if I still felt the same way about her. I had recently got back together with my girlfriend Veronica, and I told Hannah that of course I cared about her, but Veronica was the woman I intended to spend my life with." Logan's voice drops, as he talks about spending his life with Veronica. "Hannah was upset, but she said she understood."
"How did she make contact?" Carney asks.
"She called my cell phone."
"Do you remember the date?" Morris presses.
Logan thinks a minute. "I think it was in July. I remember Veronica and I were at the beach when she called."
"We'll check your cell phone logs for that month. It sounds like she called you not long after she ran away," Morris muses.
"Why was she still in boarding school in the summer?" Logan asks. "Shouldn't she have been on summer break?"
"Apparently, she was a recalcitrant participant in the school's therapy programs, and the school recommended that she remain at the school over the summer for more intensive work," Carney explains.
"Recalcitrant? I'll bet. What a crock. Hannah was a sweet girl. She didn't have any emotional problems, never drank or took drugs, never was in trouble any day of her life," Logan insists.
"Perhaps you never really knew her. Her records at the school indicate she was in trouble almost constantly from the day she got there," Morris says, consulting her notes. "She was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder, with a tendency to sexual addiction. She was engaging in 'cutting' and other self-destructive behaviors."
"That's absolutely impossible," Logan says vehemently. He looks at the agents, hesitating, then plunges ahead. "Hannah and I...we made out, a lot...I saw her entire body. She definitely was not a cutter."
"Perhaps she was depressed that her father broke you two up," Morris suggests.
"I don't believe it."
"She did become a prostitute, Mr. Echolls. I think it's fair to say that you don't really have any idea what Hannah became after she left Neptune," Carney states. "We'd like to get your statement in writing. We're going to take a trip down to the LAPD. Of course, we'll be looking at your phone records to see if we can determine where she was calling from when she contacted you."
"I don't understand how all this is relevant to the serial murder investigation anyway," Logan protests.
"The profilers working on the case always want to know every fact available about the victims," Morris says. "You never know what piece of information might break the case. Get dressed, Mr. Echolls."
"I need to call my attorney first. I'd like him to meet us at the police station."
"Your choice, Mr. Echolls. You're not under arrest," Carney says.
"You'll excuse me if I don't want to take a chance in that regard," Logan comments bitterly.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Tabloid Reality
Veronica back at Hearst; Carrie aims
for the money shot; Mac checks out the
Pi Sig's problem.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Wallace: Percy
Daggs III. Carrie: Amber Heard. Mac:
Tina Majorino. Dick: Ryan Hansen.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER SIX: "TABLOID REALITY"
Wed. 1/21/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
In the Neptune food court, Veronica checks her messages, frowning at Mac's text explaining about the possible case for the Pi Sig fraternity, then chuckling when she reads 'offered to pay Pi Sig rate'. She texts back, 'ask for triple'. She surfs to a news web site on her laptop in order to catch up on the latest online newspaper reports on Hannah Griffith's murder while eating her lunch.
'The body of Hannah Griffith, 18, was discovered late Sunday night in an alley on Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles. The area is known to police to be a popular spot for prostitutes soliciting clients. Ms. Griffith's body was concealed behind a dumpster, but police stated that, as in all of the other murders attributed to the Saturday Night Slasher, the murder is believed to have been committed elsewhere, and the body was placed in this location afterwards. No weapon was found at the scene of the crime.
'The Los Angeles County Coroner's office has stated that the cause of death was a knife wound to the neck. "It appears that the victim's wounds are similar to the wounds of the previous victims of the so-called Saturday Night Slasher," said Scott Carson, a spokesman for the coroner's office. "Preliminary toxicology reports indicate that a large quantity of heroin was ingested not long before the victim's death."
'A spokesman for the FBI Behavioral Science Unit also confirms that certain elements of the crime are similar to those of the previous victims of the Saturday Night Slasher.
'The Los Angeles Police Department reports that Ms. Griffith did not have a police record, and they have not been able to locate the victim's place of residence. They are asking anyone with knowledge of Hannah Griffith's recent whereabouts and activities to call 1-800-555-TIPS.
'Hannah Griffith resided in Neptune, California with her parents, Dr. Thomas Griffith, and Ms. Stephanie Denenberg, until three years ago, when her parents arranged for her transfer to the Briar Hill Academy in Manchester, Vermont. Hannah Griffith left the school against her parents' wishes in June of 2006. Ms. Griffith's whereabouts from 2006 to present are not known. Anyone with any information is asked to call the hotline number listed above. A memorial service for Ms. Griffith will be held in Neptune on Saturday, January 24 at 2:00pm.'
Veronica dials Logan's cell, and is surprised to have the call go directly to voicemail. She smiles at the chipper tone of his outgoing greeting, but then frowns, realizing that he hasn't changed it from two days ago when his mood was considerably brighter and more hopeful. 'Hello, you've reached Logan Echolls with today's inspirational message. "What matters the false directions in life if a few fervent and luminous hours give meaning to a lifetime. Emile Zola." Leave a message after the beep.'
"Hey Logan, just called to say I'm thinking of you and wondering how you're doing. Call me later. Love you." She terminates the call, refusing to think about the irony of Logan referring to the 'false directions in life'.
Wallace joins her at the table. He sees the online newspaper article about Hannah Griffith and says, "You heard?"
She nods.
Wallace exclaims, "I can't believe another one of Logan's girlfriends was murdered...as if he didn't have enough issues."
"There's going to be another shitstorm when that comes out," she comments.
"Maybe it won't be so bad," Wallace says hopefully.
"Not a chance in hell...what's going on with you? How was the honor society dinner?" she replies, trying to change the topic.
"Funny you should ask. I was hoping you could do me a favor."
"Wallace..." she says warningly.
"We're still BFF, last I checked, and I need you to do your girly-girl detective thang." Wallace leans in and hands her a slip of paper. "You're going into the office today right? Can you check out this woman for me? I met her at the dinner, she's...well, I need an in with her, and I don't want to be the one looking her up on PryingEyez."
"Oh my god, are you in wuv?? That's so sweet. And you want me to check her out for you so you don't feel like a perv." Veronica says teasingly.
"Don't mock the love, Vee. I'm just afraid she's a little out of my league."
"No such thing, Fennel. All right, let me see what I can come up with."
Wed. 1/21/09: Venice Beach / Los Angeles, CA
After leaving Madison's apartment, Carrie Murphy drives to Logan's Venice beach house. She hasn't made up her mind whether she intends merely to spy on him or if she's going to ring his doorbell and try to get him to react to her planned story. She sits in her car just watching for a few moments. The front door opens, and Logan, escorted by a man and a woman in dark clothes, leaves the house. When the woman turns slightly, Carrie reads the letters FBI on the back of her jacket. She gasps and grabs her camera. She adjusts the zoom and rapidly takes a series of shots of Logan walking with the agents and then being helped into the backseat of the agents' car.
Carrie follows the car as it proceeds to downtown Los Angeles. At a stoplight, she rummages in her camera bag and locates a telephoto zoom lens, realizing it might be necessary for the shot she's hoping to get. Her suspicions are confirmed when the agents' car pulls into the LAPD parking lot. She quickly parks at a meter within one hundred feet of the main entrance. Carrie can't believe her luck when she manages to get a clear telephoto shot of Logan Echolls being escorted into LAPD headquarters by two FBI agents.
Wed. 1/21/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Mac looks through the peephole of her dorm room door at Dick Casablancas and sighs. Through the door, she calls out, "Dick, I told you. I don't know what I was thinking. We have nothing in common except our friendship with Logan and Veronica, and that's just not enough to have a relationship." Or even a friendship, she adds in her head.
"I know, I fucked up bad. I got drunk and kissed that girl at the Delta Tau party," he replies morosely. "Wish you'd give me another chance. You know we had fun together. C'mon, Mac, let me in."
Ignoring his pleas, she says, "What do you want? I'm trying to study here; you know, that's why we're here at college."
"Speak for yourself; I'm here for the parties," he can't help joking.
"Dick, please. Find some sorority girl to harass, willya?"
"Okay, but a sorority girl is not going to be able to help the frat with our computers. Did you talk to Veronica? Please, Mac, will you help us? The brothers told me they would kick me out of the frat if I couldn't get you guys to look into this."
"Will you promise to leave me alone if we help you with this?" she says hopefully.
"I promise."
She opens the door. Dick wisely refrains from speaking and hands her a laptop computer. She sighs and takes it from him. Mac puts it on the desk and opens it; when she recognizes the web site, she exclaims scornfully, "A porn site? I'm not going to help you guys download porn. Besides, what do you even need porn for? I heard you were back to sleeping your way through the freshman class and posting your ratings on Facebook."
"It's research." At her withering expression, he continues, "Hey, even the reverse cowgirl was new at one point. People are inventive." Dick points at the screen. "Check out the chat program."
On-screen, a window shows the last few lines of an online instant-messaging conversation.
ANYA35: is anyone there
DICKSTER: hey baby
ANYA35: are you looking for fun
DICKSTER: always
ANYA35: come to my website babesluvchat•com i want to meet you
DICKSTER: tell me more
ANYA35: live girls chatting online
ANYA35: r u still there dickster
ANYA35: i want to meet you
Mac regards Dick quizzically. "So?"
"That's not the first time it's happened. And ever since the first time, my computer's been acting crazy."
Mac looks at the screen and says, "Is babesluvchat a site you've seen before?"
"No, I've never heard of it. But when I asked Chip Diller about it, he said that he's gotten these chat invites all over the place recently. Sometimes they direct you to a site with downloads, and sometimes it's one of these chat sites."
Suddenly worried, Mac types in the URL for the website YourCheatingHeart•com that she and Veronica had created in the fall for cyberdaters to check out their potential matches. She is shocked to see a chat screen pop up on their site as well despite the security icon that is displayed in the corner.
LARA77: hi there
As Dick, Mac types:
DICKSTER: hi yourself
LARA77: are you looking for love
DICKSTER: of course what do you look like
LARA77: i'm blonde eighteen years old
Dick looks at Mac and says, "Maybe I should be doing the typing."
Mac shrugs, and says, "Go ahead. Just let me read it before you hit enter."
Dick takes Mac's seat at the desk and types:
DICKSTER: how big are your boobs
Mac sighs, but shrugs "ok" when Dick looks to her for permission to hit enter.
LARA77: substantial
DICKSTER: can i see them
LARA77: come to my website superhotgirls•com
Mac says, "Wait!" as Dick starts typing. He holds the delete key down, erasing what he was typing, and waits for Mac to instruct him. Finally she says, "Type, 'what does it cost? I don't have a credit card'." Dick looks at her, then types her request.
DICKSTER: what does it cost i don't have a credit card
The pop-up box disappears. Dick says, "What happened?"
"I think it's a scam. Let me see," Mac replies, motioning Dick to let her sit at the keyboard. She types furiously, and Dick watches as she scrolls through command line codes. At one point, she mutters, "What the hell?", and suddenly the screen fills with a weird graphic typed over and over.
((. . .))
.x x.
(' ')
"What the hell is that?" Dick asks.
"It's the logo for the Cult of the Dead Cow. They're a bunch of hackers who find the weaknesses in computer programs and then publish them on the internet. They wrote a program called 'Back Orifice' that allows any user to operate another user's computer as long as Microsoft Windows is installed on the target computer."
"So they're evil computer hackers?" Dick says, slightly confused.
"Not really. They're more like activists. They have an agenda, but it's usually not for their own financial gain. That's what doesn't make sense," Mac replies. "Dick, did you go to one of these web sites and click on anything?"
"Of course!" he says. "Free porn, how could I resist?"
"I'm pretty sure you inadvertently downloaded a malware program." At Dick's continued look of confusion, she explains. "When you clicked on something, it downloaded files into your computer, probably to try to get any financial information you might have stored on your hard drive. When I tried to get information on this messaging program, it triggered a command in the program that overwrote your hard drive."
"Shit, is my laptop wiped out?" Dick says, panicking.
"You still have the automatic backup program installed that I put on there, right?" Mac asks. Dick nods, and she takes pity on him, "All right, I'll help you. I should be able to restore everything. And you took all your financial information off like I told you?" He nods again. "Okay, I want to take this hard drive to an expert. I need to find out what's going on on our site; the way that I programmed it, there shouldn't be any way for this chat program to initiate itself. You'll have to buy a new hard drive for your laptop." At his expression, she continues, "Don't worry, I'll write down the specs for you. I'll help you get everything restored. Dick, I'm pretty sure this isn't directed at the frat house."
"So then why did everyone start having problems?"
"Because you're all downloading porn, apparently. I can check all the computers at the house and either try to get rid of the malware or help you guys set up new hard drives with better virus protection. For a rather substantial fee, of course."
"What about this Cult of the Dead Cow? Are you sure it's not Nish and her psycho Amazons?" Dick asks.
"I doubt that Nish would use such a convoluted scheme to bring you guys down. Her style is newspaper exposés and Take-Back-the-Night rallies. But I want to find out more about the Cult of the Dead Cow. I'm sure my computer expert friend can help. In the meantime, I'll have to shut down the YourCheatingHeart website until I can figure out how to upgrade our security," Mac muses. She pulls out her cell phone and sends Veronica a text message explaining what she's doing and why. Then she sends another text to Max, asking to meet with him, '911'.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Peccavi, Mea Culpa
Logan and his shrink; Keith plants
some bugs; Veronica worries.
Logan: Jason Dohring. Dr. Friedman:
Lorraine Bracco. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
Veronica: Kristen Bell.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER SEVEN: "PECCAVI, MEA CULPA"
Wed. 1/21/09: Los Angeles, CA
Logan sits in the waiting room at his psychiatrist's office, his head down, staring at his feet. He fumbles nervously with his cane, occasionally checking the time on his cellphone, which shows '5 missed calls' on the display. When the door opens, he looks up anxiously.
"Logan? Did we have an appointment?" Dr. Friedman says. She notes the dark circles under his eyes and walks over to him. "Are you all right?"
"Not really. Your service said you had an available time now; is it okay to talk?" he says hesitantly.
"Let me just finish up with my patient." She returns to her treatment room, shutting the door; Logan hears murmuring voices. A middle-aged woman exits the inner office and leaves, avoiding Logan's eyes. Dr. Friedman calls out that Logan can come in now.
He stands up, and, leaning on his cane for more than physical support, enters her treatment room and takes his usual seat. Now that he is here, he is uncertain how to begin. Logan meets Dr. Friedman's eyes, then drops his gaze to the floor as he ruffles his hair.
"I see you got your cast off. I'm sure that's a significant improvement in your life," she starts, innocuously.
He huffs a quietly sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, my life is really improving."
"Did something happen? Is Veronica all right?" Dr. Friedman presses.
"The latest victim of the Saturday Night Slasher is, I mean was, an old girlfriend of mine. From high school," he finally says.
Dr. Friedman sucks in her breath. Inwardly cursing her inadvertent reaction, she says, "What was her name? Can you tell me a little about her?"
"Hannah," he says quietly. "She was..." His voice trails off; he has no idea where to begin.
"Start at the beginning, Logan."
He tells her the whole sordid tale, from targeting her at the carnival to the vicious scene at the Neptune Grand when her father drags her away, half-dressed, still protesting her love for Logan.
FLASHBACK: Logan is kissing Hannah's stomach below her pink undershirt as she caresses his head and arms. He looks at her, and she smiles. He unbuttons her jeans and kisses her below the waist. Dr. Tom Griffith and a Neptune Grand employee burst into the suite. Griffith yells, "Hannah!...Get dressed!" To Logan, he says, "I told you to stay away from her. You're lucky I don't kill you."
Logan confronts Griffith, saying, "Don't speak to her like that...There's nothing you can do that'll stop me from seeing her."
Griffith gets in Logan's face and spits out, "You want to bet?" He grabs Hannah and drags her out of Logan's room.
Logan quotes the recent news reports. "So I'm the 'bad element' that her dad was getting her away from when he sent her to that boarding school. I'm the 'corrupter of innocents' that set her on her path to destruction." This last phrase is a direct quote from the televised Gracie Jane interview that he couldn't help hearing as he sat at LAPD headquarters waiting for his statement to be typed. He continues, "The FBI told me she was cutting herself at the boarding school. What I did to her...she must have...I ruined her life."
"Tell me again why you pursued her," Dr. Friedman asks.
"Her father gave false testimony that he witnessed me stab Felix Toombs. When Veronica investigated him for me, I noticed that he had a daughter at Neptune High. So I thought I would, you know, play to my strengths," he snorts derisively. "Exploit my bad boy reputation for all it was worth. She was a few years younger than me and had never even had a date before. All I had to do was turn on the Echolls charm, and she came running, begging for me to corrupt her."
"This was to pressure her father to retract his testimony?"
"Fucking lying cokehead," Logan says bitterly.
"And you say that Hannah was willing to continue to date you even though you told her the truth about why you originally went out with her?"
Logan nods.
Dr. Friedman continues, "Did you ever do anything to Hannah against her will? For instance, did you pressure her to have sex with you?"
"Of course not. She suggested it. It's a talent I have; the girls just seem to line up and throw themselves at me, even if they know better." His sarcastic tone is vicious, shocking Dr. Friedman with its intensity.
She remains quiet, looking at Logan with concern.
Finally, he can't stand the silence, and yells, "Say something! Tell me I'm a fucking degenerate, or that you can't stand to be in the room with me. Fucking say something!"
She responds quietly, "Logan, you told Hannah why you had pursued her. And she forgave you."
He pushes himself up out of his chair violently, leaning on his cane and pacing around the room. "Goddammit, that's the same shit that Veronica said. I know that's not how she feels either. Why can't you just tell me that I don't deserve to live? That I'm responsible for Hannah becoming a hooker? That I caused her death?"
"Do you truly feel that you don't deserve to live, Logan?" Dr. Friedman says quickly. "Haven't you been working hard to make your life better? You've been happy lately. You have a healthy relationship with Veronica for the first time ever. I've seen her with you. She cares about you deeply."
Logan continues to pace angrily around the room. "I don't deserve her. Every woman that I love gets hurt eventually just because they're around me. Lilly got killed BY MY FATHER! Why do you think he first noticed her? Because I brought her around the house. Veronica was raped because of me and my great GHB plan. And now, Hannah is killed because I couldn't keep my promise to her father to stay away." He throws himself back down in the chair, wincing when he lands awkwardly on his right leg. "Do you know what Veronica said to me at the time? 'You've really plumbed new depths, Logan.' I keep hearing her say it, over and over. I can't even stand to look at her, knowing what she thinks of me."
"Is it possible that Veronica said that at least partially out of jealousy?"
He doesn't respond.
"Logan, you are not responsible for Hannah's death. You are possibly responsible for her going to boarding school, which was almost three years ago. In those three years, she had contact with perhaps thousands of people who influenced the course of her life. Do you truly claim responsibility for every event that happens to every person you have had contact with throughout their lifetime?"
Logan exhales sharply, but does not answer.
"Have you thought about hurting yourself, Logan?"
He nods 'yes'.
"Have you thought about how you would do it?" She watches him closely, hoping that he will say no. Dr. Friedman is immensely relieved when Logan shakes his head 'no' without looking at her. "What is stopping you from hurting yourself, Logan?"
He shrugs, then says, almost inaudibly, "It would hurt Veronica. I can't do that to her."
Wed. 1/21/09: St. Mary's Church, Neptune, CA
Keith waits in his car outside St. Mary's. He has gone over the possibilities in his head compulsively since his meeting with Vinnie in Lompoc. Although Vinnie swore that the shooting was an accident, Keith knows that there is no escaping his culpability. He imagines the grief and worry of the boy's family, who thought he had committed a crime and disappeared forever, to live god knows what kind of life on the run. Keith can't conceive of not knowing where Veronica is, of not being able to pick up the phone and talk to her. He is certain that Vinnie will carry out his threats and testify that Veronica was involved in the Manning baby kidnapping if Keith doesn't help him; he can't see a solution except to do as Vinnie wishes. He finally decides that he can't bring the boy back to life, but he can spare his own child from prosecution for a crime that was in essence a selfless act of charity for another child.
The bells ring signaling the start of the 5:00 p.m. mass. The service appears to be sparsely attended but Keith decides to wait another ten minutes for latecomers. While he waits, he pulls on a pair of latex gloves and removes his gun from the glove compartment, placing it in his shoulder holster under his jacket. A short middle-aged woman exits the priest's residence. Keith observes her through his camera's telephoto lens and confirms that she is Mrs. O'Grady, Father Patrick Fitzpatrick's cleaning lady. She pulls the door shut behind her, checking to see that it is locked. At 5:15, Keith exits his car and quickly walks to the back of the priest's residence. Holding the screen door with his shoulder, he picks the relatively simple lock on the rear door and enters the residence. He makes his way through the house, searching for an office.
Keith enters Father Patrick's office. Spying a computer, he turns it on. While he waits for it to boot up, he looks around the office for suitable locations for the video and audio transmitters he has brought with him. The miniature video camera, hidden in a compact disc jewel case, is easy to hide among Father Patrick's collection of The Three Tenors and Frank Sinatra cd's. He puts one audio transmitter behind a large decorative cross high on the wall behind the desk, hoping that the diminutive Mrs. O'Grady will be lax about dusting up there. Keith pries open the cordless handset for the telephone and hides another among the electronic components.
He replaces the phone and looks at the computer monitor. A login screen confronts him. He frowns and tries a couple obvious passwords with no success. Keith notes the wireless keyboard and mouse and remembers that Mac told him that these devices were relatively susceptible to hacking via a Bluetooth connection. He comments to himself that this humble parish priest has a surprisingly expensive computer system. Checking his watch, he then takes a cursory look at the papers on the desk. There is a substantial amount of correspondence between Father Patrick and his lawyers. Of all the people indicted in the recent racketeering scandal, Father Patrick was the only conspirator who was released on bail, due to his lack of a criminal record and his upstanding reputation. No criminal activities that we know of, Keith thinks. He turns off the computer, reminding himself to call Mac about the wireless keyboard, and double-checks that his surveillance devices are not visible and that he has left no trace of his intrusion.
He returns to his car and drives to a diner for dinner, killing time before returning later that night to place several more transmitters in the church itself, including one in the confessional booth.
Wed. 1/21/09: Logan's house, Venice Beach, CA
Logan checks the screen on his cell phone and realizes that Veronica is not going to give up. He hits the talk button, saying, "Hey."
"Logan, I've been so worried. Where have you been all day?" she says quickly. "Are you okay?"
"The FBI questioned me about Hannah. I had to give a statement about the time she called me a couple years ago," he says quietly.
"A statement? Are they..." she says hesitantly.
"No, they don't think I did it. I told him we were photographed by one of the paparazzi on the night Hannah was killed, and I pointed out that I still had a cast on my leg at the time. They seemed to be satisfied, but they'll probably want to talk to you anyway. It's that same FBI agent, the woman who investigated Duncan when he kidnapped baby Lilly."
Veronica sucks in her breath. She remembers that Agent Morris was pretty smart.
Logan continues, "They're trying to identify the phone number Hannah was calling from. I don't know what that has to do with her murder."
"They're probably trying to create a profile in case the killer isn't selecting his victims at random."
"I thought...I thought this guy was just picking prostitutes," Logan queries.
"From what I read today, he's what the FBI calls an organized killer. He kills the woman, then stages the crime scene later, so he can control the evidence and forensics. Sometimes organized killers have a convoluted reasoning that determines the identity of their victims and other aspects of the crime," she explains. "The profiler takes all the information about all the victims and tries to predict the characteristics of a likely killer. A disorganized killer doesn't have the mental capacity to have a complicated process where he picks a victim, and he usually can't keep it together to control the crime scene the way that the Saturday Night Slasher does."
"That's just great, he's organized. Where did you learn this stuff? Is that what you did at your internship?" he says morosely.
"No, we learned about this in my Intro to Criminology class freshman year and also in my Abnormal Psych class. Logan, the fact that the killer is organized makes it more likely he'll be caught. A truly random killer is far more frightening because there's no underlying pattern to be discovered."
"I'm sorry, I'm not finding that very comforting."
"Logan...are you all right? Do you want me to come stay with you? I can skip class tomorrow–"
"No. Veronica, I kind of need some time alone right now. I know I'm not...responsible for what happened...but I'm pretty upset. I just need...I don't know what I need but I think it's something I need to go through by myself."
What happened to 'please don't leave me'? What has changed? she thinks. She says aloud, "If you're sure...I'll come up if you change your mind."
"I'm coming to Neptune for the memorial service on Saturday. Will you go with me?" Logan asks.
"Of course. I love you, Logan." She ends the call, thinking, I'm not sure going to the funeral is a great idea.