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?" The institution discussed in this fic is not a real institution.
A/N: Beta-ed by Kazy and Poniesforall. All mistakes that remain are my responsibility.
When Veronica sees how upset Tara is, she hugs her, even though she knows it's against the rules. Tara stares at her wide-eyed, shaking her head 'no'.
The group leader runs to Veronica, grabs her arm, and shakes her violently. "What are you doing? You're enabling her to stay in denial. You know the rules; you don't interfere with another girl's treatment." She pulls Veronica to her feet and drags her out of the room, handing her off to another counselor. After a hurried consultation with the group leader, the counselor escorts Veronica to a room with no windows and pushes her in. The counselor gives Veronica a spiral notebook and several pens and says, "Write an essay. 100,000 words."
"On what topic?" Veronica says belligerently. "This is bull."
"Okay. 150,000 words. Do you want to go for 200? You're a whiner and a complainer, Connie, and you think the rules don't apply to you. Each time you fight us we add another month to your treatment plan. When are you going to accept that you need this?" The counselor shuts the door, locking Veronica inside.
Seven weeks earlier...
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Things Better Left Buried
Keith tells Veronica to back off; an
incident at LAX; Hannah's mother
hires Mars Investigations.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
Stephanie Denenberg: Stacy Edwards. Leo:
Max Greenfield. Sacks: Brandon Hillock.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: "THINGS BETTER LEFT BURIED"
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
At Mars Investigations the next day, Veronica is intently looking at the computer screen. First she checks Logan's dotmac account that she set up for him. As she suspected, it's been canceled; she supposes on some server, there's a trace of the 0's and 1's that represented the backup of Logan's documents, but for all intents and purposes the backups have disappeared into the void of cyberspace.
She runs a check on Logan's real estate holdings. When Aaron was killed, Logan inherited several properties that Veronica suspects were primarily used for Aaron's many assignations. It appears, as Logan had told her, that he sold all of Aaron's getaways to finance the charity called "The Bridge" that Logan created in the fall. The only property Logan held onto was a condo in Aspen that Veronica knows was an Echolls family retreat that Aaron probably did not use for his affairs. Veronica makes a note of the address in Aspen.
She sighs, then begins to work on setting up traces on all of Logan's credit cards. None appear to have been used in the last week. Veronica is so absorbed in her work that she doesn't hear her dad approach until he says, "Whatcha doin'?"
She jumps and turns to him guiltily.
He looks at the screen and says, "Veronica, honey. I'm not sure you should be doing this."
"Dad, I can't help it; I'm worried about him. He was so upset and depressed the last time we saw him."
"I know. But I think he's trying to be honorable. He genuinely feels that his presence here at this time might cause problems for you. And he's sad about Hannah. Imagine if Piz was killed, in some horrible way. It doesn't matter if you don't love him anymore; the fact that you had a connection at one time makes the tragedy more horrible. And in Logan's case, he made some decisions that affected Hannah's life, and you wouldn't care about him if he was oblivious to the pain he caused her. He's facing up to the consequences of his actions in high school."
Veronica thinks for a minute, then says, "He asked you to help, didn't he. You helped him disappear."
"No, Veronica, I didn't, and I wouldn't do that to you. But I'm pretty sure he did consider asking me for help, because he knew that I was worried about you too. Did you happen to notice that you didn't have to run a gauntlet of paparazzi this morning? Logan was right about one thing; trouble does seem to follow him."
"What if he starts drinking again?" Veronica asks.
Keith picks up the crumpled note that Veronica got in Tijuana from the desk. "Looks like Logan laid a false trail for you, and you followed it up. He's been smart enough not to use his credit cards, and he's managed to avoid reporters for several days now. My point is that he seems to be in complete control of his faculties and not sitting in a bar drinking. I know I can't stop you from pursuing him, but I wish you would trust him a little more. He'll come back when he's ready." Keith kisses the top of Veronica's head. "Veronica, what's going on with Duncan? I hope you've given up on the idea of testifying for him."
"We're going to try to convince Lizzie Manning to testify against her father. Duncan called this morning, and we're going to head over to San Diego State to talk to her." She adds in her head, Duncan thinks half a million should be enough to convince anyone to do the right thing.
"Do you have time to do some research for me today?" Keith asks.
"Maybe later when I get back from San Diego...what's up?"
"Just take a look at this file when you get a chance and run background checks on the principals." He hands her a thick file, and Veronica opens it and begins reading about a prominent local attorney. "There's some monkey business going on with this guy. The family of one of his clients asked us to investigate regarding possible fraud."
"Mr. Mars?"
Veronica and Keith turn toward the door. It's Stephanie Denenberg, Hannah's mother. She says, "Could I have a minute of your time, Mr. Mars?"
"Of course. We're...so sorry for your loss," Keith says, aware of the inadequacy of the sentiment.
Ms. Denenberg nods, keeping her gaze on Keith to avoid looking at Veronica. Keith motions toward the office, and she enters and sits down. Keith says quietly to Veronica, "Why don't you put on some coffee, honey?" and he follows Ms. Denenberg in, closing the door.
Veronica starts a pot of coffee then glances at the file Keith has given her. The attorney, Douglas Stern Jr., a partner at Simon and Stern, specializes in wills and trust and has served as the executor for several recently deceased '09'ers. She returns the file to her desk, making a mental note to work on it later. As Veronica leaves Mars Investigation, she stares at the inner office door, wondering what Hannah's mother is saying.
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: LAX, Los Angeles, CA
At Los Angeles International Airport, Jessica Simpson exits the arrivals area and waves at the waiting paparazzi. She poses prettily as the reporters take photos and ask fawning questions about her latest project. One reporter notices a familiar young man, wearing sunglasses, with a cane and a brown backpack walking toward the security check-in. He hustles toward the man and takes a photo; the man notices and begins to walk hurriedly toward the International Departures security area, leaning heavily on his cane. The young man hands his travel documents to the security personnel, and the reporter calls out, "Where are you headed, Logan?" The man ignores the reporter and passes through security. As he heads toward the gates, he looks over his shoulder, and the reporter snaps another photo.
The reporter hurries to the ticket counter and buys the cheapest ticket available; he hustles to the security area, waiting impatiently as his camera bag and shoes are x-rayed, then runs through the terminal, searching at each gate. At a KLM gate, he manages to photograph his quarry disappearing into the jetway for a flight to Amsterdam.
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: Sheriff's Dept., Neptune, CA
"Sheriff?" Deputy Sacks asks, poking his head into Leo D'Amato's office.
"What's up?" Leo answers.
"We got a report here from the San Diego Naval Base. A squadron of Hawkeye jets were running a routine training mission over Anza-Borrego Desert, and they noticed a large smoky fire yesterday. The local fire department in Ranchita said they didn't have any calls."
"Ranchita? That's an unincorporated area right?" Leo asks.
"Yes sir. That makes it under our jurisdiction," Sacks replies.
"Can you check it out tomorrow?"
"Sure thing. They noted the GPS coordinates of the sighting so it should easy to locate," Sacks says.
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
"Ms. Denenberg, tell me why you're here," Keith says gently.
"I'd like to hire you. I've recently...reconsidered...some of my actions three years ago. I was contacted by a fellow student of Hannah's who has told me some horrific stories about the Briar Hill school," Ms. Denenberg says slowly.
"Horrific?" Keith echoes.
"How much do you know about my daughter's history in Neptune?" she asks.
"My daughter Veronica has told me that Hannah was dating Logan Echolls just before she, uh, transferred to Briar Hill," Keith replies cryptically.
"And your daughter Veronica is...with Logan Echolls now, is that correct?"
"Yes. Ms. Denenberg, I'm close with Mr. Echolls as well at this time, although three years ago I was not. I think, before we go any further, I need to disclose that Logan has talked with me about his motivations regarding your daughter, but I'm not going to be able to reveal to you what he told me," Keith says.
Ms. Denenberg sighs. "Hannah herself told me that Logan originally pursued her in order to force my husband into withdrawing his testimony. At the time, I believed that my husband was telling the truth, that he had witnessed Logan on the bridge. Thomas and I had had our problems, but I did not believe at the time that he could commit perjury. Hannah was making wild accusations about her father. She said that she found cocaine in his house and had evidence that he was friends with known criminals. She found newspaper stories about the Fitzpatrick family and showed them to me, claiming that Thomas was partners with them in some crazy scheme to frame Logan. It was all too preposterous. Why would the Fitzpatricks target Logan Echolls? And why would my husband be involved?"
Keith sighs and leans back in his chair. "I'm not sure we'll ever really know the true story, Ms. Denenberg."
"Stephanie, please."
"Stephanie, at the time, I was quite convinced that Logan was guilty of killing Felix Toombs. He had a history of angry and impulsive behavior, and there was a well-known feud between him and the PCH gang. I was as surprised as anyone when the charges were dropped. Although it was not released publicly, I believe that the real witness that night on the bridge was later found, and he cleared Logan definitively," Keith explains. "I'm not excusing his behavior regarding your daughter. I think Logan would be all right with me telling you that he himself has expressed to me how much he regrets what he did."
Stephanie replies, "When my husband found out that Hannah was still seeing Logan despite having recanted his testimony, he called me and convinced me that we needed to take strong action if we wanted to preserve her future. Thomas said that we needed to get Hannah away from Logan, to a secure facility where we could make sure that someone with access to resources like Logan's could not get to her. I hated Logan on sight; he was every parent's nightmare boyfriend, and my daughter couldn't seem to get enough of him. Hannah and I had nightly screaming matches about him. We went from a very close mother-daughter relationship to a bitter feud almost overnight; I felt that I could barely recognize her, and I blamed Logan Echolls. I was worried that she would end up pregnant, or involved in some violent crime. My husband found a school in Vermont, Briar Hill Academy, that was about as far away as possible without leaving the country. He said that it had a good reputation for rehabilitating defiant children and had an excellent track record for security. I spoke to several parents who had children there, and they raved about the place. They said that Briar Hill was responsible for saving their children's lives."
Stephanie continues, "We used their transport service to take Hannah to the school. I was quite concerned when they placed handcuffs on her, but Hannah was screaming that she was going to run away, and we couldn't keep her from Logan. She said that she hated us, over and over again." Stephanie begins to shake with the effort of holding back tears. "I couldn't recognize my own daughter, and I thought the school was the best option we had. I allowed them to take her away in handcuffs, and that's the last time I saw her alive." She begins to weep, and Keith stands up from behind his desk and sits beside her on the couch, trying to comfort her.
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: Exterior of Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Veronica gets in her Saturn parked outside of Mars Investigations. All of a sudden, the lack of sleep from her adventures in Tijuana the evening before combined with her distress about Logan's disappearance overwhelm her, and she leans her head back against the head rest, closing her eyes. The tears flow down her face unchecked.
Unnoticed by Veronica, a man in a nearby car takes a series of pictures with a telephoto lens.
Veronica mentally shakes herself, reminding herself of her dad's comment that Logan's evasive tactics implied he was doing all right. She searches for a tissue and blots her tears while the photographer continues to take photos. Despite her dad's reassurances, she decides to pursue the one angle she has left to track Logan and dials Mac on her cell phone.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
For the Sake of the Child
Ms. Denenberg speaks to Keith; Duncan asks
Lizzie to testify; Keith asks Wallace for help.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Duncan 2.0: Chris
Carmack. Lizzie Manning: Anastasia Baranova.
Stephanie Denenberg: Stacy Edwards.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: "FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILD"
Wed. 1/28/09 morning: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Keith returns to his office with a cup of coffee and a box of tissues for Ms. Denenberg. He sits beside her again on the couch; she takes a tissue and wipes her eyes. "Did you talk to Hannah after she arrived at the school?" Keith finally asks when Ms. Denenberg has calmed down.
"The school has a policy of restricting contact with the parents for the first several months. She was allowed to call us once every two weeks. When I spoke to her, she admitted that the school was helping her, and she agreed that she needed to be there," Stephanie replies. "The school diagnosed her with a sexual addiction secondary to a borderline personality disorder and drug addiction. They implied that we had gotten help for her just in time, that Hannah would certainly have run away and probably ended up in jail or worse. They claimed that she also was 'cutting' herself, and that she was exhibiting sociopathic tendencies that were manifesting as defiant behavior toward her parents. When she ran away from the school, it seemed just to prove what they were saying–that Hannah had severe emotional problems. We hired private detectives to try to track her down, including one who was recommended by the school. I regret now that I didn't come to you at that time, but by that time, the whole Cassidy Casablancas...incident...had occurred and it was rumored that your daughter was seeing Logan Echolls again..."
"Yes, I can see why you would have hesitated to hire me," Keith comments. "Did the private detectives find any leads to your daughter's whereabouts?"
"No. She completely disappeared. One of the detectives implied that she would have required a great deal of money to disappear so completely, and he investigated Mr. Echolls quite thoroughly. But he was unable to find a connection, financially or otherwise. I believe the FBI is currently looking into that as well."
"I don't think you would be here if you believed that were true. You know that my daughter is very close with Logan."
Stephanie sighs and says, "I was quite impressed with Mr. Echolls' charity in the fall. He does appear to have reformed, in quite a public way."
"Well, he intended to be an anonymous benefactor, but circumstances changed...What exactly is it that you would like me to do for you, Stephanie?"
"Mr. Mars, I was contacted a few days ago by another student from Briar Hill Academy. She had quite a tale; she claimed that the school abuses its students: locking them in isolation for days a time; forcing them to admit to imaginary crimes in group therapy; and encouraging a system of punishment administered by the long-term students against the most recent arrivals. She claimed that no student is ever cured; the school tells the parents that more intensive therapy is needed in order to prevent dire future problems, and the school continues to keep the students until the parents' resources are completely drained."
"Are you saying that it's a scam, that the school is not actually providing treatment?" Keith asks, shocked.
Stephanie nods. "The school contacted me after a few weeks and asked for permission to start more intensive, and by the way very expensive, treatments. When it was time to bring Hannah home for the summer, they convinced me that she was still at risk for self-destructive behavior. They said that Hannah still talked about running away with Logan in group therapy. I agreed to continue the residential treatment over the summer. When she ran away not long after that, it seemed to prove what they had been saying...Keith, I am convinced that the school made a bad situation far, far worse, and if this other student is correct, there are girls at the school suffering...like Hannah must have suffered." Her voice trails off, and Stephanie drops her eyes to her lap. She takes a deep breath and looks up at Keith. "Keith, I want to shut that school down. I spent a long time hating Logan Echolls, but I don't blame him anymore. I blame myself. I sent Hannah there; I ruined her life." She begins to weep again, and Keith pulls her into a hug, patting her back ineffectually.
"Stephanie, of course I'll look into the school if that's what you really want. But you can't blame yourself. It sounds like this school preys on the worries of parents. You were trying to do the right thing for your daughter. No one ever knows how to deal with a teenager."
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 afternoon: San Diego, CA
On campus at San Diego State University, Veronica, Wallace, and Duncan, carrying his daughter, walk toward the lecture hall where Lizzie is supposed to be taking a morning class.
"How do you know Lizzie's schedule?" Duncan asks.
"Miss Nosy-Pants here got Mac to break into the registrar's computer," Wallace says teasingly. He has been trying to distract Veronica all morning, but her responses have been very muted.
Veronica says matter-of-factly, "We had to get her schedule to talk to her last fall. Mac can do a hack like this in her sleep."
"Remind me not to piss you off," Duncan says to Veronica.
"You're just figuring that out now?" she replies halfheartedly.
Duncan and Wallace exchange a glance.
"Daddy, let me down!" Jane/Lilly cries.
"No, Jane. We'll be there in a minute."
"Aunt Lizzie?" Jane asks.
"Yes, Jane."
"All right, there's the building," Veronica says, pointing at the large lecture hall. "Dun–I mean, Daniel, you and Jane wait on the bench by the tree until I signal you. Wallace, you intercept Lizzie, then I will come from behind to make sure to make sure she doesn't run away."
The double doors at the entrance to the hall suddenly open and a multitude of students hurry out of the building. Wallace scans the faces until he recognizes Lizzie. He quickly walks to her and says, "Lizzie? Can you hold up a minute?"
"What? Wait a second, aren't you that friend of Veronica's that got taped to the flag pole?" Lizzie asks.
"That's what you remember from high school? You don't remember me playing varsity basketball, or tackling Lucky?" Wallace asks in disbelief.
"Get away from me. I don't have to talk to you," she replies. She turns and runs right into Veronica standing behind her.
"You're right; you don't have to talk to us, but I promise we'll make your life hell if you don't. I'm not in the mood for games today," Veronica says. "Lizzie, you know I told you the truth last fall."
Lizzie stares at her in silence.
"It wasn't me that was blackmailing your family, it was Sheriff Lamb," Veronica adds.
"Doesn't matter, Dad says you're the one that told Lamb..." Lizzie's voice trails off.
"Will you listen to yourself? It's my fault because I exposed your dad's abuse to a man who should have stopped it, but instead began to blackmail your family?"
Lizzie just glares. Veronica nods at Duncan, who walks over slowly, holding Jane/Lilly by the hand.
"What the hell is this?" Lizzie exclaims. "I'm out of here." She turns to leave, but Wallace grabs her arm, forcing her to stop.
"Lizzie, we thought you might like to meet your niece," Veronica explains.
Duncan says warily, "Uh, Lizzie, this is Jane. We, uh, changed her name because of the f-e-d-e-r-a-l a-g-e-n-t-s." He raises his eyebrows at Lizzie.
"Duncan?" Lizzie gasps. "I...never would have recognized you."
"Actually, I'm going by the name Daniel now," Duncan explains.
"Daddy! She knows your secret name! Is she playing the game too?" Jane whispers excitedly, looking up at Duncan and tugging on his hand.
Duncan says, "Yes, Jane. This is your Aunt Lizzie."
"Aunt Lizzie? You're my mommy's sister! Do you want to see my dolly?" Jane asks.
Despite herself, Lizzie kneels and looks at Jane. "She looks like..."
"She looks like Grace. It's remarkable," Veronica says.
"Guess how old I am?" Jane says, then cups her hand around Lizzie's ear and whispers, "I'm three now!" She grabs Lizzie's hand and says with glee, "Aunt Lizzie! Let's go to the playground. Daddy is always busy now and never has time to play."
"I'm sorry, Jane. I promise; we'll have lots of time to play soon," Duncan says apologetically. "Lizzie, I'm taking a big chance showing you my new face. Will you at least listen to me?"
Lizzie stands up, dropping Jane's hand. Jane tugs on Lizzie's pant leg and reaches again for Lizzie's hand. Lizzie reluctantly acquiesces to Jane's demands, saying to Veronica, "God, you're a manipulative bitch. Did you coach her to do that?"
Duncan interjects, "No, Lizzie. Jane is just a happy kid, who deserves more than a life on the run."
"I don't know what you want from me. My dad is determined to get custody. He's lining up experts on epileptic seizures and psychiatrists who will testify that your fleeing the country is a sign of a sociopathic mental illness," Lizzie protests.
Duncan says slowly, "Lizzie, I'm prepared to offer you a chance to have a life of your own, without having to follow your father's insane rules. I remember what he did to you when I was dating Meg. I know you wanted to go to college on the east coast, and Veronica told me that you were admitted to Georgetown. I bet they would take you as a transfer student, if only you had the financial resources to take advantage of it."
Lizzie remains silent as Duncan removes an envelope from his breast pocket. He pulls out a check and hands it her.
"50,000?" Lizzie gasps.
"That's ten percent of what I'm prepared to offer you if you will testify against your father at the custody hearing. That's enough to pay for college and quite a few wild parties besides. Enough for a year abroad. Everything you want could be yours. All I'm asking for is the truth. I don't want you to lie," Duncan says somberly. "Lizzie, I gave up my life for Jane. Won't you please help me to keep her away from your parents?"
Lizzie looks from Duncan to Veronica to Wallace and hesitates.
Jane looks up at her and says, "What's 'bitch', Aunt Lizzie?"
Lizzie flushes and drops Jane's hand. "I'll think about it." She shoves the check back at Duncan, who holds up his hands.
"Lizzie, you can keep the check for talking to us today," he explains. "Call Veronica with your answer as soon as you can." He picks up Jane in his arms. Duncan, Veronica, and Wallace walk away, with Jane waving good-bye from Duncan's arms. Lizzie stares thoughtfully at the check in her hands.
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 afternoon: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Keith remains lost in thought long after Stephanie Denenberg leaves the office. Her intense guilt was no less debilitating than Logan's. The serial killer's actions was having an intense effect on all the people who knew Hannah. Keith understands Ms. Denenberg's compulsion to shut down the Briar Hill school all too well; it reminds him of his single-minded, obsessed pursuit of Lilly Kane's murderer. He begins to make some notes on the case, deciding to begin by running background checks on the school's founder and employees and by investigating the licensing procedure for private schools in Vermont.
Keith decides that he also needs to get the perspective of Hannah's teachers. Stephanie seemed uncertain that her daughter actually had the mental problems that Briar Hill Academy reported; surely the Neptune school psychologist would have noticed the extreme symptoms relayed by the Vermont staff. He leaves a message for Rebecca James, asking for an appointment next week.
He has a sobering thought; Keith reluctantly concedes he might need Veronica's help on this case to talk with Hannah's school friends. He grimaces and decides to try to keep her out of this case as much as possible. There's no way in hell I'll allow her to investigate a serial killer. He has another thought, realizing that Logan would be an invaluable asset in this case. He sighs, knowing that Logan truly needs to be away from the media frenzy.
Wallace knocks on the door frame and Keith is jarred from his thoughts. "Yo. What's happening? Vee said Hannah's mother was here."
Keith hesitates, then says, "Yes. I'm going to be investigating the school where Hannah Griffith was sent. I'd like you and Veronica to stay away from this case, though. I don't want to have to worry about either of you accidentally stumbling on something that will draw the attention of this Slasher person."
Wallace shrugs and replies, "Of course. You're the boss. You tell Veronica, though."
Keith nods. "I do have something else for you to work on today. I need you to do some research on how to detect items hidden underground." Keith adds to himself, I can't let Wallace know too much about this. He can't be involved in a murder coverup.
"How about a metal detector?" Wallace asks.
"What I'm going to be looking for is unlikely to be metallic or radioactive, so a metal detector or a Geiger counter are useless. Is there anyone you could talk to in the engineering department who might have some ideas?" Keith replies.
I just happen to know a grad student who might have some expertise with this, Wallace thinks. Aloud, he says, "I'll check it out. Can you give me any more details? What depth are we talking? If it's not metallic, what is the composition?"
"Less than 10 feet, I'd say. Probably wood or plastic, something like that," Keith says evasively.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Guise Gone Wild
Logan hides his tracks; Wallace and Candice
on a date; Keith meets with Vinnie.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Vinnie Van Lowe:
Ken Marino. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
Candice Pauling: Toy Connor.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: "GUISE GONE WILD"
Wed. 1/28/09 afternoon: Somewhere in the United States
Logan sits in his car outside a Walmart. He looks at the new ID he procured that morning in a rather sketchy part of town. Not as good as Veronica's ID's, but it'll do the job. He waits for a likely candidate for his next task to pass by. Finally, a young Mexican boy, around twelve years old, walks by. Logan steps out of the car and approaches him.
"Do you want to make some money?" Logan asks.
The boy looks at him suspiciously. Logan holds up two folded hundred dollar bills, and the boy reaches for them. "Not so fast," Logan says, pulling the money out of reach.
"What do I have to do?" the boy says, looking around.
"Go in the Walmart, buy me some clothes. Western style, OK? Here's a list, with all the sizes. And also two disposable cell phones." He hands the kid the money. "And don't just take off. If you come back with everything on the list, I'll give you five hundred dollars." The boy looks at Logan solemnly, then nods his agreement.
Thirty minutes later, the kid finds Logan waiting in the car and hands him the purchases. Logan tries on the cowboy hat he asked for and grimaces at his reflection in the rearview mirror. "Thanks," he says, handing the boy the agreed upon amount. The boy walks away, counting the bills.
Logan starts the car and parks near a post office. He opens the cell phone packages, cursing the hard plastic wrapping, and programs a number into each phone. He then goes into the post office, purchases an express mail envelope, and sends one of the cell phones. He hesitates over the return address on the mailing label, then writes, 'Thurs. 4:00pm'. He encloses a note that says, "Call speed-dial 2 when you get this."
He drives to a section of town which has numerous used car lots. Logan puts on one of the Western shirts, the cowboy hat, and the boots that the boy bought for him and packs the rest of his items in the backpack. He crumples the Kenny Chesney poster that the boy bought him, shoves into the backpack, and puts his cane in the poster's cardboard container to disguise it.
Logan checks to make sure he's taken everything, then carefully wipes anywhere he might touched in the last two days, including the rearview mirror and the seat shift lever. For once I'm glad Veronica made me watch all those CSI episodes while she nitpicked every detail. He leaves the key in the ignition and exits the car, leaving the door unlocked and carefully smearing the door handle. He dons his sunglasses and walks a short distance to the most run-down used car lot. He ignores the pain in his leg from walking without the assistance of the cane and willfully forces his body not to limp as he enters the sales office.
"I'm interested in purchasing that pickup truck," Logan says, sitting down and pointing with his thumb at a ten-year-old tan Ford F-150 outside the window. "And I'm hoping you can do me a little favor with the paperwork. I'm willing to pay extra if we can get this done quickly. Cash, of course."
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 evening: Neptune, CA
Wallace and Candice are having lattes at Java the Hut after seeing the movie, 'The Secret Life of Bees'. "Everyone raves about Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah, but Sophie Okonedo was amazing," Wallace says.
"She was great in 'Hotel Rwanda', too," Candice says. "That movie was very powerful. I think it influenced my decision to go into the Peace Corps."
"Tell me more about your time in Mali. For my internship with the Invisible Children Project, I worked in Gulu as support staff for the Schools for Schools project. I helped to coordinate the Teacher Exchange program," Wallace comments. "I still volunteer at the San Diego offices of Invisible Children when I have a chance."
"I'd like to do that as well...Mali is such a beautiful country, but it's the third poorest country in the world. The culture shock when I returned home..." Candice shrugs expressively. "The droughts in Mali over the past ten years have wreaked havoc on the economy, and the Peace Corps mission focused on improving safe water supplies. I worked for a project that dug new wells in remote villages. Because of my engineering background, I was responsible for implementing a solar-powered battery system that operated the pumps in the wells. Other volunteers worked on literacy programs and training villagers to maintain our systems, so that the wells could continue to function long after we left. It was fantastic; I got to see so many remote areas of the country and met wonderful people."
Wallace presses her for details, truly interested in her experiences overseas. He tells her about his work in Uganda and his travels around the African continent after his internship ended. Candice also tells him about her award-winning senior project in hydraulics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
"It sounds like you could have gone to any graduate school in the country. Why did you pick Hearst? We're not exactly the caliber of M.I.T. or Stanford," Wallace asks curiously.
"The scholarship combined with a teaching assistantship put Hearst over the top for me," Candice says.
Wallace wonders; he's been looking at graduate schools recently, and he's pretty sure that summa cum laude at Georgia Tech would guarantee close to a free ride anywhere Candice wanted to go. Perhaps I've been working at Mars Investigations too long; I see a mystery everywhere. He remembers what Keith asked him to research, and he asks Candice, "What do you know about detecting objects underground? Is that something you have any experience in?"
"Why do you ask?" she replies.
Wallace explains about his job at Mars Investigations. He tells Candice the condensed version of Veronica's past mysteries, including a brief summary of his own investigation into the anonymous letters last fall.
"It was an old girlfriend of your boss? And she hated Veronica enough to frame her for murder?" Candice says incredulously.
"She was off her rocker. Veronica was definitely on her game that day though; she saved her dad and Logan Echolls from that whack job."
Candice regards Wallace for a minute, then says, "So the underground detection is for a case?"
"I guess. Keith didn't give me all the details." I know he's protecting me from something, as usual. "He said what he's looking for would be less than 10 feet underground and not metallic or radioactive. He won't tell me exactly what he's looking for, but he said maybe wood or plastic."
"Well, the easiest way to detect an object underground would be with ground-penetrating radar. You transmit electromagnetic radiation into the ground, and then the reflected signal is detected and interpreted. If you knew the exact composition of the item you're looking for, software could be written to analyze the data to pinpoint probable locations. GPR is used to detect utility lines by power companies and sewer installers, and by archaeologists to detect underground excavation sites. I bet there's a local company that does scans for contractors before they dig at a new construction site," Candice explains.
Wallace hears the word 'archaeologist' and instantly makes the connection that Keith is probably looking for a body buried somewhere; he barely hears the rest of Candice's explanation. He realizes she has stopped speaking and quickly comments, "That's great; that's exactly what he needs, I bet."
- • -
Wed. 1/28/09 evening: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Veronica returns to her dorm room from a night of studying at the library. She finds a printout on her pillow with a note from Mac.
V-
Finally got the info you wanted. These are all the pickups made by Checker Cab at the beach near Logan's from Sunday 1/25 to Tuesday 1/27. Hope it helps.
Mac
Veronica begins to work her way through the list.
- • -
Thurs. 1/29/09 morning: Lompoc State Penitentiary, Lompoc, CA
In the interview room at Lompoc State Penitentiary, Keith presses Vinnie for the specific details he needs. "Vinnie, when Liam showed you the gun evidence, what did it look like? You said the gun was in a plastic bag? Was it a food storage bag? Gallon size?"
Vinnie looks at Keith incredulously. "How can this be important? We're not freezing a meat loaf here, you know."
"Vinnie, just answer the question. A regular plastic bag, or a freezer one? With the yellow and blue make green closure or a white zipper? Here, look at these pictures and tell me which one is closest." Keith shows Vinnie a contact sheet of photos. Each picture shows the gun that El Cajon Gun Exchange located for him in a different type of readily available plastic bag.
Vinnie frowns, then looks up at Keith. "I think I understand what you're doing now. That's Keith Mars, always thinking," he says, tapping the side of his head. "It looked like this one." He points at the photo of a Ziploc freezer bag. "But more crumpled, like it's been shoved under something, or jammed into a small space.
"Tell me again about the shooting. You're sure that the bullet did not go through the kid, there's definitely a bullet in the remains?"
"Yes, it lodged in his chest. I checked for an exit wound when I was trying to see if he was alive."
"What about the cartridge casing?"
Vinnie thinks a moment. "It was in the bag with the gun."
"You're positive?" Keith asks.
"Yes, I'm sure of it."
Keith puts the photo sheet back in his briefcase. "It's going to go down in a few days...the next time Cliff comes to see you to discuss your case. You said that the guard who's Liam's snitch is named Gallagher?" Vinnie nods. "All right, I'll have to get the work schedule and make sure he's on duty. Vinnie, I've set up an identity for you as well. I've prepared a package with your new ID, a plane ticket, and all the details. It'll be waiting for you in the vehicle, assuming the rest of the plan goes as scheduled."
"You're a standup guy, Keith. I always said that once Keith Mars was bought, he stayed bought," Vinnie jokes.
Keith grabs Vinnie's collar. "Listen, asshole. I'm not enjoying this, and I'm not doing this as a favor for you. When my daughter asked for your help with Duncan Kane, a decent man would have told her 'no' and come to me with your concerns for her safety. Instead you helped her with her naïve plan, and then you used what you knew to blackmail me into helping you get off on a murder charge. You dragged me into the scum where you live, Vinnie, and if I run into you again when this is all over, I might just take my own revenge on you."
The guard knocks on the window and says, "Hey! No touching!"
Keith releases Vinnie and says, "Sorry."
Vinnie stands up and leaves the room, saying, "We're done anyways." He looks back at Keith nervously.
Keith closes his briefcase and leaves the interview room with the guard. As he walks toward the exit, he feels someone staring at him–not an unusual feeling in a place like this. He turns around as casually as possible and sees a blond prisoner unknown to Keith looking at him intently. Keith asks the guard quietly, "Who's the guy?"
"Oh that's Ivan. Well, that's what we call him. Russian mob guy, in on a weapons charge. I think his name is Sorokin. Gorya or something like that. Guy's a real psycho," the guard comments.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Dream Is Man's
Duncan pursues custody; Wallace and Candice on
a study break; Keith reconsiders his actions;
The Instigator reports on Logan's whereabouts.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Wallace: Percy
Daggs III. Duncan 2.0: Chris Carmack.
Dick: Ryan Hansen. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Candice Pauling: Toy Connor.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: "THE DREAM IS MAN'S"
Thurs. 1/29/09 afternoon: San Diego, CA
Duncan shakes hands with his attorneys and takes a seat in their office. The senior partner shuts the door and sits down, offering Duncan a glass of water. Duncan refuses, impatient for the meeting to begin. "You talked to Lizzie? Did she agree to testify?" he asks.
"Yes. We set up the trust fund as you specified. There will be no paper trail to the Kane family. The fund goes into effect upon the date you receive custody of Faith Manning, also known as Lilly Kane." The lawyer pauses, then continues, "We have an appointment to go over her testimony later today; but she did summarize what she has witnessed, and I think we can safely say that Stewart and Rose will not be granted custody. Lizzie can testify as to the veracity of the videotaped evidence that we have. There's just a few other formalities to take care of. We'll sign the documents accepting the prosecutor's deal on child endangerment a week from Monday; you'll surrender yourself and Lilly, then we'll ask to proceed to the custody hearing as soon as possible. Hopefully, once Stewart Manning realizes that Lizzie is going to testify against him, he'll withdraw his petition for custody."
"That's great," Duncan replies.
- • -
Thurs. 1/29/09 evening: Neptune, CA
Wallace knocks on the door of Candice's off campus apartment. "Ready for your study break?" he asks.
She smiles and says, "Just give me a minute," and walks into the bathroom.
Wallace looks around the room and sees Candice's laptop. He calls out to her, "Hey, do you mind if I check some scores on your computer?"
"Sure, go ahead," she answers from the bathroom.
Wallace looks up the results of the UNLV game, then checks the stats on one of the players from that team. He hits the back button on the browser, intending to read about the Wyoming game, but accidentally triggers the drop down menu on the back button. He's surprised to see several stories about Mars Investigations from the local Neptune newspaper listed on the menu. Quickly checking to see if the bathroom door is still shut, he checks the browser history and sees that Candice has been reading stories about Keith Mars and his detective agency all evening. Wallace hears the water shut off in the bathroom, and he closes the history window and surfs back to the ESPN College Basketball page.
For the next hour, as Wallace and Candice eat pizza and chat about their classes, Wallace wonders why Candice was reading up on Mars Investigations.
- • -
Thurs. 1/29/09 evening: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Mac's cell phone rings; she sighs when she reads 'Casablancas, R.' on the caller ID, but hits send. "I'm working on it, Dick. I should have your computers up and running by tomorrow or the next day. You guys will be ogling Jenna Jameson's boobs before you know it."
"Not why I'm calling. Is Veronica with you? There's a story in 'The Instigator'," Dick replies.
"Crap. Another story about Logan?" Mac says.
Veronica looks at her sharply. Mac says, "It's Dick. A story in 'The Instigator'," and hands the phone to Veronica.
"Dick?" she asks.
"Veronica, there's a photo and article about Logan. It's online too, hangs up the phone and looks up the site. There are two blurred pictures of Logan at Los Angeles International Airport, and the article states that he boarded a flight for Amsterdam. There is also a picture of Veronica crying in her car outside Mars Investigations, with the caption, 'Veronica Mars Detects A Problem in Her Relationship with Bad-Boy Logan'.
- • -
Thurs. 1/29/09 evening: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Keith walks into his office at Mars Investigations and sits down heavily in his chair. He sighs and massages what's left of his hairline in a feeble attempt to release the tension of the day.
I suppose in the grand scheme of things helping Vincent Van Lowe get away with an accidental murder isn't so bad if it means Liam Fitzpatrick goes away for a very long time. But I feel dirty, discouraged. This is the second time I've had to tamper with evidence to keep my daughter safe from the consequences of her crusades. What has happened to my ideals? What happened to the man who allowed himself to be forced out of office rather than cave to the pressures of a corrupt town? But I can't lose her. I would not survive without her. He remembers the devastation from the fall, when Veronica was in custody, with an impossibly large amount set for bail. I would go to the prison for her; I would do what it takes to ensure her freedom. A crisis of conscience pales in comparison to the thought of her behind bars again. He thinks about the moment of Veronica's birth: when he became a father and everything changed for him; when he was filled with an all-consuming love for this tiny, difficult baby.
Keith reaches for his bottom desk drawer and removes the bottle of Scotch and a shot glass he keeps there. He pours a drink for himself, laughing a little at the private dick cliché, but needing the comfort tonight. He muses about the story Stephanie Denenberg told him about the Briar Hill Academy. If any part of her story is true, he wants to confront Tom Griffith and punish him for his failings as a father. How could a father ever think that sending his daughter away is the solution? He finishes the drink and pours another, allowing himself to wallow in his moral despair for a little while longer.
- • -
Thurs. 1/29/09 evening: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
After accomplishing almost nothing in three hours of working on her criminology project, Veronica finally pushes her work aside and goes to bed. She lies awake for hours, obsessing about the news story on The Instigator. Amsterdam? Why Amsterdam? Of all the places Logan could go, why Amsterdam? She thinks about Amsterdam's unsavory reputation. Drugs? Legal prostitution? She tries not to consider that Logan might be on some hedonistic pilgrimage, although a tiny voice inside her nags at her, Tijuana, Veronica...Amsterdam is just a prettier, more legal Tijuana. She shudders at the thought of Logan window-shopping for a suitable hooker on a street in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam...to her knowledge, he has no friends or relatives there. She racks her brains, trying to remember a conversation about Amsterdam, or Europe, anything that might give her a clue. She remembers Duncan talking about traveling around Italy the night they made love for the first time, but Logan has never expressed an interest in Europe. It's always surfing with Logan; there's something about the water for him. Finally she realizes that Amsterdam is a hub airport; of course the flight was to Amsterdam–from there he can go anywhere in Europe, to any beautiful Mediterranean beach. And if he rents a car or goes on a train, there'll be no way to track him, she thinks hopelessly. She laughs mirthlessly, I'm still thinking of tracking a man who's made it pretty clear he doesn't want to be around me.
She thinks about the conversation she had with Logan at the high school when Duncan ran away to Cuba junior year. All my boyfriends run away eventually–I don't know why I'm so surprised when they do it over and over again, she thinks sardonically. Logan found her at her locker that day and said, "Hey...so, uh, what do you think?"
She remembers gently snarking back, "Like...in general, or is there a specific arena in which you'd like my opinion?" She wanted to add, Are we ever going to talk about the kiss at the Camelot?
Logan replies, "Do you think maybe I should just cool off, maybe hole up in some hotel room, dye my hair, and file my fingerprints off?"
Veronica answers, "Honestly, I have no idea. Why do you want to run away, anyways? It was just a kiss." She looks in her locker and to her surprise sees a unicorn music box. When she opens it, she finds a note that says, 'Veronica, I have to leave for a while. I'll be back for you soon. Love always, Logan.' Shoving the music box back in her locker, she says aloud, "What the hell, Logan?" Veronica slams the door shut, intending to press him for his reasons for running away. The bell rings, but suddenly the halls are deserted. She walks toward her classroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the back of Logan's head as he walks around the corner just ahead, his overshirt flapping as he hurries to his own class.
"Logan? Stop, I want to talk to you," she calls out. She hurries after him, but when she turns the corner, he has disappeared. She runs down the hallway, trying to catch him. She pushes open the door of the girls' bathroom, searching the green-and-blue tiled room for him, flinging open each stall door in turn. Veronica runs frantically out of the bathroom, saying, "Logan? Where are you?"
She comes to a junction in the hallway. She turns right, then left, and sees a door closing at the end of the hallway. She hurries to the classroom and pushes open the door. It's the health classroom, and Kendall Casablancas is standing in front of the class. Kendall says, "Ms. Mars, you're late. Take your seat, please. Today's topic is mastering missionary." She points a ruler at a large graphic drawing of a man and woman copulating on the blackboard. Dick Casablancas pumps his fist in the air and whoops with delight. Madison Sinclair titters and says, "How do you spell chlamydia again, Veronica?" Veronica says shakily, "I'm not in this class..." and runs out of the room.
She frantically rushes down the hallway, peering in each class window by raising up on her tiptoes. There is no sign of Logan anywhere. Suddenly she hears a quiet voice behind her saying, "Veronica?"
Veronica spins around and sees Hannah Griffith standing the middle of the hallway. She's wearing a tan turtleneck, just slightly too large; the sleeves extend past her wrists. and the material bunches around her chin. Hannah says, "Help me, Veronica," as she pulls down the neck of her sweater to reveal a large bloody horizontal gash across her neck. Veronica gasps and runs toward Hannah, who flees down the hallway. Veronica pursues her, her heart beating, shouting, "Wait, Hannah, tell me what happened!"
The hallway begins to subtly change; the lockers and classroom doors disappear and turn into pockmarked concrete. As she follows Hannah, Veronica suddenly bursts into blazing sunlight, and she sees Logan ahead of her, standing on the edge of a concrete platform, empty space below, with his arms outstretched to his sides. Veronica screams, "Logan, no!" but Logan falls forward, soundlessly, unhesitating and purposeful. She runs to the edge and falls to her knees, sobbing. Hannah approaches behind her, silently, reproachfully, and Veronica turns to her. "Why, Hannah?" she says.
"I couldn't stay away," Hannah says solemnly. She walks to the edge of the platform and steps off, following Logan over the edge. Veronica screams...
and sits upright in bed. Mac is shaking her, saying, "Veronica, you're having a bad dream, wake up, wake up..."
A/N: The chapter title "The Dream Is Man's" is a puzzle. A virtual cookie to the first person who figures it out!!