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.
This section definitely not appropriate for those under 17.
In the morning, the group leader assigns chores to each girl. Veronica spends several hours scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush. Her shoulders, still sore from her period in restraints, begin to ache after just a few minutes; Veronica is berated repeatedly for slacking, and she performs her task the best she is able. In the afternoon, they are taken on a long hike followed by another insubstantial meal consisting of a peanut-butter sandwich. Veronica is too tired to complain even in her head. She eats the sandwich slowly, putting it back on the plate between bites because she is too exhausted to hold the sandwich up.
That night, Veronica is woken up about an hour after lights out. She is told to put on her shoes and to keep her mouth shut. She is led to the exercise room and told to do 200 jumping jacks. She has to stop after 117 to rest, and the guard screams at her to keep going. Finally, she weakly manages to do the last one and is allowed to return to her bed.
Two hours later, she is woken again. This time she is led to the meager library adjacent to the classroom. The counselor pulls all the books off the shelves into a big pile in the center of the room. "You'll be allowed to go back to bed when the books are back on the shelves. And I'll be checking to make sure they're in order. If they're in the wrong order, we'll start over."
Veronica thinks, WHY? WHY? I've been good. I didn't say a word today. Why is this happening? She starts to put the books on the shelves as the counselor observes her.
She finally is allowed to go back to bed and sleeps heavily for an hour before the girls are woken for breakfast. Veronica lethargically swallows the tasteless oatmeal and wishes desperately for a Joltin' Java from the Hut. After breakfast, the girls are led to the group room and listen to a long lecture about everything happening for a reason.
Veronica begins to hallucinate that she's somehow back in a classroom at Neptune High. The faces of the girls around her are replaced by those of her enemies, both old and new: Madison, Kendall, Shelly Pomroy, Ashley Banks, Carrie Bishop, Caitlin Ford, Fern Delgado; even Carrie Murray the reporter is skulking in the corner. Veronica imagines that they are secretly plotting against her and knows it has something to do with why she hasn't been allowed to sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she thinks she sees Shelly passing a note to Madison, and Veronica whirls around. "Eyes front!" the counselor shouts at her. Veronica realizes that she's dreaming, and she shakes her head to try to clear it; she tries desperately to focus on the interminable lecture.
Finally, the lecture concludes and the girls are instructed to pull the chairs into a circle. The girls, working in an eerie silence, quickly assemble the chairs and sit down. The counselor points at Veronica. "It's time for you to get honest. Bring your chair into the center of the circle." Veronica looks around and sees that everyone is looking at her. She picks up her chair and brings it to the center of the circle. She sits down and waits for her next instruction. She tries to conceal her trembling, but the counselor notices and smiles disingenuously, saying, "Don't worry, Connie. You know we love you here. You just need to accept it."
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Need for Human Contact
Mac and Rick's date; Duncan reveals his
true feelings; Logan goes into a bar;
Duncan has an adventure; a surprising
phone call.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason
Dohring. Mac: Tina Majorino. Duncan 2.0:
Chris Carmack. Katerina: Katherine Heigl.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: "THE NEED FOR HUMAN CONTACT"
Sat. 2/7/09: Neptune Stardust Diner, Neptune, CA
Mac sits in the booth at the diner and checks her watch. 6:15. Rick's never been late before. She plays with the mini-jukebox at the table, hoping to find songs to play when he gets there.
The waitress stops by the table again and asks Mac, "Are you sure you don't want a menu?"
"Uh, how about a cup of coffee while I wait for my friend," she replies, stalling.
When the coffee arrives, she realizes that caffeine was not her best option; she was already incredibly nervous, and Rick's lateness is wearing on her. She pushes the cup away and checks her watch and cellphone again. 6:30. No messages. She summons her courage and dials his number. The call goes to his voicemail.
"Hey Rick, it's Mac. I'm at the diner. It's 6:30, and I'm wondering if I screwed up on the day or something. Can you call me when you get this?"
She hangs up and begins to feel incredibly depressed. Mac thinks about coming out of the shower in the Neptune Grand that night and finding Beaver gone from the suite with all her clothes. She can still remember the feel of the shower curtain wrapped around her as she huddled in a corner of the room, embarrassed, unaccountably ashamed, and scared to death. At 6:45, she thinks, Fuck it, and gets the hell out of there.
Sat. 2/7/09: Neptune Grand Hotel, Neptune, CA
After several hours of working and with many of the boxes sorted away, Duncan offers to get dinner from room service, and Veronica accepts. He offers her a menu, and she peruses it, thinking wryly that she has this particular menu memorized after all her meals there with Duncan and Logan. For old times sake, she selects the buffalo burger special, Logan's favorite when he lived here. Duncan glances at her, then orders the veal parmigiana for himself. Jane chooses chicken fingers after frowning at the choices pictured on the children's menu for a long time.
"So you haven't heard from Logan?" Duncan asks over their dinner.
With her mouth full of buffalo burger, she mumbles, "Uh...no." She wipes some ketchup off her mouth, then, more clearly, she says, "No, I haven't heard from him. But I did find out some more about his disappearance." She tells Duncan everything she learned in Los Angeles. "I guess if I don't think of anything else, I'll have to go to Phoenix to see if I can pick up his trail."
Duncan regards her for a moment, then says spitefully, "What the hell is his problem? If I could have contacted you, I would have picked up the phone in an instant. How can you let him do this to you?"
Veronica stares at him, shocked at his vehemence.
Duncan continues, "I would never treat you this way."
"Except you did. You erased me from your life after Lilly died, and you didn't even tell me why," she replies angrily.
"How could I tell you that...how could I tell you that we were brother and sister? I didn't know what you would do, what your dad would do."
Veronica pushes her chair back and stands up. She walks out to the balcony and stares out at Neptune and the ocean far beyond.
Duncan comes out onto the balcony after her. "Veronica, I'm sorry; I just don't like to see Logan treating you this way. He's got so many problems, and you shouldn't have to deal with them." He stands behind her and tentatively rubs Veronica's shoulders. "I was...I was hoping you would wait for me. I didn't expect you to, but...Veronica, I've never stopped loving you." He circles her with his arms and kisses her neck.
She turns around quickly and pushes him away. "What are you doing?"
"Veronica, please. You deserve better than him. Don't you think...you, me and Jane could be a happy family?" he says desperately. "I can picture it. We can get a small house just outside Neptune, away from my family but close enough so you can finish at Hearst, and when you're ready, we could get married, maybe even have kids of our own." He approaches her again and moves to caress her cheek.
She flinches away from his hand, and he pulls back as if he was burned.
In a low voice she says, "I love him, Duncan. I think I always have. I can't be with you."
"Even though he put that video out there for the whole world to see, Logan Echolls 'cheating' on his girlfriend? Embarrassing you by acting like the bad boy that the paparazzi think he is?" Duncan says venomously. "I would never do that to you."
No, you just let a girl make you think you got her pregnant and fucked up our lives by running with her baby, she thinks bitterly. Then she adds, And now, my dad's life is fucked up too, trying to cover up my involvement. What the hell is Dad up to? Robbing graves and buying guns...damn you, Duncan, why didn't you listen to me and stay instead of running?
Duncan continues, "I love you so much, Veronica. I dream about you every night."
Veronica replies, "I'm sorry, Duncan. I don't love you. I do care about you; I want everything to work out for you, but I can't be with you. I'll go with you to the hearing on Monday, as your friend. I'll see you then." She walks back into the suite, grabs her laptop and purse, kisses Jane good-bye, and leaves, thinking, Clue in, Donut. I'm not that girl anymore.
Sat. 2/7/09: Somewhere in the United States
Logan parks the pickup truck and rubs his eyes, trying to clear his fatigue. It's been a long day: a four hour drive to another city, then a search for a cybercafé to email an assignment for school, then the drive back. Throughout the day, the stress of wondering whether this was a mistake has haunted him. Will Veronica somehow be able to track me through this? I'm not ready; I'm not ready to face her. But it feels good to do something as normal as submitting homework. It feels sane and positive to renew his commitment to an education through this tiny step. He's sure that UCLA will find a way to kick him out anyways, but for now he's opened a door back to a regular life.
He steps out of the truck into the street. Logan sees a gaudy bar a short distance away. When the front door is flung open, he hears a blast of raucous music, and he suddenly feels unbearably lonely. He walks towards the bar almost as if he's a puppet, being controlled by someone else. I'm just sick of the motel room. I just need...I just need...
When he gets to the bar, he hesitates. The next steps are so ingrained in him: walk in, take a seat at the bar, order "double-scotch and keep 'em coming". Even though he hasn't been in a bar in months, he feels like he's home: a sick twisted home that usually ends up in a blackout or maybe a vicious fight, but it still feels like home nonetheless.
He looks around and spies a bench at a nearby bus stop; he sits down to think about this for a minute. All these days sober...all this progress could go right out the window with just one drink. Of course, it doesn't feel like progress. Without the numbing effect of alcohol, most days he feels like one giant exposed and throbbing nerve.
He thinks about the neurologist from the hospital last fall.
FLASHBACK: Dr. Crouch examines him in the hospital bed. Logan is still a little woozy from the pain meds and morose about the accident. The doctor pulls one of the monitors over to the bedside and asks Logan to take a look. "This is your CT scan. You have significant bleeding in the meninges portion of your brain. It's called a subdural hematoma; it was caused by a tear in a vein in the subdural space. It's a common result of a head injury such as the one you sustained in the car accident." Logan looks at the doctor, suddenly scared by the doctor's expression.
Dr. Crouch continues, pointing at the scan, "This area is called the parietal lobe. This hematoma has expanded along the inside of the skull, indicated by this crescent shape on the scan. The bleeding causes an increase in pressure inside your cranium. But what concerns me, Mr. Echolls, is that I'm seeing some early signs of brain atrophy. Cerebral atrophy stretches the veins that bridge the two layers of the meninges and increases the likelihood of a tear and subsequent bleed. We see this type of atrophy in the elderly and in alcoholics. You are far too young to be exhibiting this type of damage. You need to stop drinking."
Logan starts to protest, but the doctor interrupts him. "Your blood alcohol was .15 when you were brought into the emergency room." Logan doesn't think he should mention that he wasn't as drunk as usual that night. "Mr. Echolls, you need to stop drinking." The doctor puts some AA brochures on the table and leaves.
Logan looks at one of the brochures. He reads, 'Turn your will over to your Higher Power'. He thinks, 'My Higher Power just shits on me, the fucker,' and he drops the brochure back on the bedside table.
Logan makes a decision and enters the bar. After the loneliness of the motel room, the sights and sounds of the bar are overwhelming: people laughing, bartenders calling out orders, loud music playing, people moving about and jostling each other. He heads for the bar and takes a seat on a stool. The bartender notices him and comes down to serve him. "Scotch, double," Logan says in response to the bartender's query.
The bartender pours his drink and turns away. Logan just stares at the drink. Ten minutes later the bartender comes back and asks, pointing at the untouched drink, "Everything okay?"
"Yes," Logan replies. He throws a fifty on the bar and leaves.
Sat. 2/7/09: Neptune Grand Hotel, Neptune, CA
Duncan wheels the room service cart into the hallway outside the suite. Across the hall, the door opens to another suite, and a beautiful blonde woman puts a tray filled with dirty dishes outside her door. Duncan has noticed this woman several times in the hallway, and he smiles and says, "Hey."
"Hello," she replies. She nods at his dinner cart and says, "How was your dinner?"
"Okay," he responds, thinking, unfortunately, it ended a little sooner than I hoped it would.
"Would you like a glass of wine? I have half a bottle left, and...I don't like to drink alone," she says.
"Um," he stalls, considering. He looks at his neighbor, admiring her voluptuous curves and attractive face. Her red dress clings to her, showing off every detail of her corporeal perfection, and Duncan only hesitates for a moment. "Would you mind coming over here? My daughter's asleep in the next room."
"That's right, I've seen you two in the hallway. She's quite beautiful."
"She takes after her mother," Duncan replies, not for the first time noting the irony of Lilly's strong resemblance to Meg. "Her mother is, uh, deceased. Jane's mother died several years ago."
"I'm sorry. Let me get the wine. I'll be right over." She steps back into her room and emerges with a bottle of merlot. "My name is Katerina. Most people call me Katya."
"I'm Daniel," Duncan replies, thinking, ...for two more days. Then the shitstorm begins. "Let me just check on Jane quickly." He pokes his head into Jane's room and makes sure that she's sleeping quietly, then returns to the living room.
Katerina has kicked off her high heels and taken a seat on the couch; she pours two glasses of merlot. Duncan sits next to her and takes a glass. "So, Katya, what brings you to Neptune?"
"Some old business, actually; I'm collecting an old debt," Katya says vaguely. She looks down in her wine glass and raises the glass to her lips to drink.
"So you've been to Neptune before?"
"A while ago. I haven't been back for a couple years," she replies. "How about you? Are you here in Neptune for business or pleasure?"
"I'm settling some old legal problems," Duncan explains tersely. He takes a large sip of wine.
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"
"It's a difficult time, and I'm just not sure everything's going to work out," he explains. He finishes his wine and adds some more merlot to his glass. "This wine was a good choice; would you mind if I ordered another bottle?"
"That sounds perfect, Daniel," she says, smiling.
After several more glasses of merlot, Duncan is feeling quite drunk. He and Katya are enjoying each other's company, and Duncan is almost able to forget about Veronica's rejection of him. When Katya brushes her hand against his thigh, he realizes he is very aware of the proximity of this intensely sexy woman beside him. He meets her eyes, and she does not look away.
She places her wine glass on the table and says simply, "Daniel, I've been quite lonely on this trip. It's nice to talk to someone and share a glass or two of wine."
"I know. I've...I've actually been quite lonely for a long time now. Circumstances have been rather difficult, and...Well, I thought someone was waiting for me, and it turns out..." he shrugs. "I guess I'm starting over. Or at least, I'm not in a holding pattern any longer. Time to get on with my life at last."
Katya leans in to him and says, "Well, I'm glad I was here when it was time to move on." She kisses him and moves closer to him on the couch.
Duncan reaches for her, caressing her long blonde hair, and she presses her body against him. She murmurs, "I have an idea. Why don't I give you a massage? It sounds like you need to relax."
Duncan nods 'okay', and she stands up from the couch. Katya takes his hand and coaxes him into the bedroom. She leads him into the room and pushes him toward the bed. "Why don't you get undressed? I'll be right back." She disappears into the bathroom, and Duncan begins to take off his clothes. Dressed only in his shorts, he lays down on the bed. When Katerina returns, she is wearing a robe from the bathroom, and Duncan frowns. She notices and says, "What's the matter?"
"I don't know, I'm not sure. I'm just remembering something. It's nothing. Can you lock the door? I don't want Jane to come in and..."
"Of course," she says, turning the lock on the door. She drops the robe on the dresser, and Duncan swallows at the sight of her. Katya is clad in wisp-thin black lingerie that leaves little to the imagination. Her large breasts are almost spilling out of a demi-bra; Duncan can see just a hint of her dark-colored aureolas at the top edge of the bra under her trailing blonde locks, and he feels very aroused. She smiles prettily, well-aware of her effect on men, and approaches the bed. "Turn over. Just relax. Whoever she is, just forget about her tonight."
He complies; he lies face-down on the bed, adjusting his pelvis for comfort. She kneels on the bed and straddles him on his upper thighs. He feels the lacy material of her thong and the heat beneath brushing against him, and he moans quietly at the sensation.
Katya leans forward, pressing her breasts against him, and whispers into his ear, "Relax, we're going to feel good..." She leans back and puts some lotion onto her palms, rubbing her hands vigorously to warm them. She places her hands on his upper back and begins to knead Duncan's muscles.
"Oh, that feels great. Katya...where did you learn to do that?" he groans.
"Shhh, just relax."
When Duncan is completely relaxed from her ministrations, she pulls off his shorts and begins to rub his ass. Katya slips one finger between his cheeks and strokes him softly, urging him to spread his legs a little; she fondles his balls, and he moves restlessly under her. "I want to turn over, let me..." he murmurs, and she lifts up a little so he can turn underneath her straddling legs. He sits up, reaches around her, and unclasps her bra as she smiles at him. Duncan lays back down, pulling her bra down her arms, and throws it across the room. He sucks in his breath unconsciously when he sees that both her nipples are pierced with delicate gold rings.
She smiles, touching her breasts, and says, "The rings are new. Do you like them? It's okay to touch them. I love the way they make me feel." She runs her fingers through her hair, exhibiting the lushness of her breasts and the dark abundant aureolas surrounding her taut nipples. He gently places his palms on her breasts and brushes lightly against the tips of her nipples; she moans in response and writhes above him, and he cups her breasts strongly, teasing her nipples with his thumbs and forefingers, feeling the unfamiliar metal of the rings emerging from her erect nipples. He experimentally tugs gently on one of the rings, and she gasps in delight and leans toward him to kiss him. Her tongue explores his mouth, and he feels an answering thrill in his cock.
Duncan experiences a surge of erotic bravery that is completely foreign to him, and he sits up and flips Katya over onto the mattress. He kneels over her and grabs her lacy thong with his teeth as she laughs throatily; he pulls the insubstantial material down over her thighs as she lifts to help him in his task. After he clears her feet, he drops the thong on the floor and begins to kiss his way back up her legs.
"Mmm, I'm so glad I had a little wine left over tonight..." she murmurs, spreading her legs eagerly for his approaching tongue.
"I'm definitely glad you shared with me, Katya," he says, then bends to delicately trace his tongue over the perfection of her upper thighs. He peeks up at her face and sees that she is kneading her nipples and pulling at her piercings; he moans a little and kisses her nub, ostentatiously protruding from a complete brazilian waxing. Duncan caresses the startlingly smooth skin of her pussy; he licks her steadily, then begins to flick his tongue teasingly against her. He is completely titillated by the provocative faux-innocence of her hairlessness, and he wonders what other surprises she might have in store for him. Katya gasps at his attentions to her; she reaches for his head and begins to stroke his hair. She mutters incoherently and pushes her pelvis against his mouth.
A few minutes later, she surprises him by pulling his head up; she smiles and says emphatically, "Roll over." He looks up at her questioningly, and she repeats herself: "Come on...roll over, I want to suck you." Duncan rolls over onto his back. Katya sits up, turns, and kneels over him, putting her pussy over his face and positioning her mouth over his cock. She lowers her mouth to him and begins to tongue him, lavishing strokes over his length; he groans, and she pauses momentarily to grind her pussy against his mouth. He devours the taste of her and her exquisite wetness, thinking my god, she's fucking my tongue...my god, my cock, what is she doing... She takes him into her mouth, and he grabs wildly at her considerable breasts. When he begins to fondle her nipples, pinching and tormenting her, she shows her gratitude by taking his straining member even further into her mouth. Katya sucks at him, drawing him ever higher into an oblivion of intense feeling as he licks her throbbing, swollen clit.
She suddenly stops and crawls down his torso; winking over her shoulder at him, she mounts him in one quick stroke, easily engorging him within her slick velvety hollows. Shit! he thinks. He says, "Katya, stop, let me get a condom." Duncan thinks desperately about the package of condoms he bought hoping Veronica would reciprocate his feelings; then he remembers his infertility and the last three years of abstinence, and he wonders why he bothered.
"It's okay," she says; Duncan knows he should protest, but he lets it go. She looks at him again over her shoulder, her head thrown back in ecstacy and her face flushed with arousal, and he realizes that this woman is temptation personified. Duncan pushes himself into a sitting position under her, and she cries out as he thrusts into her deeply and reaches around her to massage her breasts. He lays back down and tries to really fuck her; she rides him with wild abandon, her arms thrown behind her head, as he attempts to control her undulating hips. She reaches down and puts intense pressure at the base of his cock, and he thinks he's going to explode under her expert hands. He pumps into her again and again, compulsively focusing on the dizzying sight of her luxuriant, curvaceous ass and the intermittent glimpses of her sumptuous tits as she writhes over him.
Abruptly, she stops and lifts herself off him; he groans in disappointment, "Where are you going?"
She knee-walks off the bed and then saunters seductively over to a chair by the bed. "Coming, lover?" she asks wantonly as she bends over the chair and sways her ass invitingly at him.
His heart pounding, Duncan follows her; he realizes that she has picked this chair because she can see her profile in the full-length mirror. When he approaches, she says huskily, "Spank me."
"What?" he replies, incredulously.
"I'm a very bad girl; I need to be spanked," she repeats lasciviously, moving her ass side-to-side in a very inviting manor.
Duncan hesitates.
"Please," she begs. "I'll do anything for you, just do this for me..."
"Katya, we have to be quiet," he protests. "Jane is next door sleeping."
"I can be quiet. Please, Daniel."
He lightly taps her buttocks with his palm, and she whispers, "Harder. Please, Daniel, I've been very bad."
I can do this; this is sexy, he thinks, and he brings his palm down quite a bit harder.
"Oh yes, again, please," she begs.
As he begins to spank her forcefully, he sees that she is stroking herself furiously and watching his castigations in the mirror. Duncan feels a little queasy, but his cock is trembling with excitement and desire, jerking each time he strikes her. At last, she exclaims in a hoarse whisper, "Fuck me, Daniel!"
He slips into her wet depths smoothly, grabbing her ass and bruising her with his fingers. He pulls out almost all the way, then slams into her, bottoming out on his stroke. Duncan sneaks a glance at the mirror, watching their frantic coupling. He pumps his pelvis fiercely, and she bucks back against him violently, shuddering and moaning as she quivers with an intense throbbing orgasm; he thrusts into her deeply one last time and climaxes hard, feeling his cum filling her as he pulsates uncontrollably within her spasms.
Sat. 2/7/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Veronica's cell phone rings. Half-asleep, she punches the talk button and says, "Hello?"
There is no response, and she pulls the phone from her ear to look at the caller id, which reads 'out of state'. Her heart begins to pound, and she grips the phone compulsively. "Logan? Is that you?"
On the other end, Logan cradles the phone tightly against his ear but says nothing.
"Logan? Are you alright? Please...talk to me. I want you to come home," she says desperately.
Logan remains silent, closing his eyes and picturing her.
"Please..." she says again as the connection goes dead. She frantically hits 'send' twice to call the number back, but she hears, "That number is not in service. Please try your call again."
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Mad Sleuthing Skillz
Keith and Veronica meet with an attorney
suing Briar Hill; Mac and Dick team up;
Wallace searches for Shawn.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
Epstein: Scott Grimes. Dick: Ryan Hansen.
Mac: Tina Majorino. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
The Gabber: Jonathan Trent
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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: "MAD SLEUTHING SKILLZ"
Sun. 2/8/09: Downtown San Diego, CA
Keith and Veronica are in San Diego to speak to an attorney who is suing Briar Hill. Veronica is still exhausted after another sleepless night worrying about Logan. With Mac's help, she found the originating phone number of her call the night before: as she suspected, it was yet another disposable cell phone, and Veronica assumes it's probably been smashed into a million pieces by now. She tried the number several times and was told each time that the number was not in service. Veronica tries to focus; she knows this is going to be an important meeting, and she needs to pay attention.
As they enter the offices of James Epstein, Attorney-at-law, Veronica notes that the office is comparable to Cliff McCormick's shoddy digs and wonders how good this attorney could be. Epstein jumps up from behind his desk and rushes over to greet them. "Keith Mars? Hi, I'm Jim Epstein. Thanks for coming in."
"Yes, I'm Keith. This is my daughter, Veronica. We were surprised you wanted to meet on a Sunday. Aren't most of your colleagues at the country club today?" Keith comments.
"Well, I'm not like most of my colleagues. I take cases because they interest me, not because they'll make me a lot of money...hopeless personal injury cases, wrongful prosecutions, that type of case. I'm sort of the attorney of last resort for the victims of society, and that means I have to work long hours and most weekends," the attorney explains.
Veronica notices his ill-fitting cheap suit and stained tie and agrees that this particular attorney isn't in the shyster business for the money. There are stacks of manila folders, loose papers, law books, zip drives, cd-roms, and unwashed coffee cups littering the office. "No staff?" she asks, surveying the mess.
"Some students from the law school at UCSD volunteer a few hours a week, mostly to do research. But no secretary, unfortunately. I could use one..." he replies, looking around his untidy office. "So, uh, Keith...it's okay to call you Keith?" Keith nods. "Keith, I could really use your help. My clients were bankrupted by the exorbitant fees charged by Briar Hill Academy. They are now pursuing claims of wrongful imprisonment, violations of civil rights, false advertising, and psychiatric malpractice. Their daughter was at the school for three years with an undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenic disorder. The psychiatrist employed by the school never saw her, even when she was first admitted. As the girl's illness progressed, she began to have hallucinations. The school responded by restraining her, restricting her to solitary confinement, and day after day of stress positions and attack therapy." As Veronica listens, she realizes that this attorney is a lot smarter than he looks and very passionate about his work.
"Attack therapy?" Keith asks.
"The group therapy that is practiced in these schools features the counselors giving long lectures about personal responsibility. Then the counselors force each student to admit to a long laundry list of offenses that the students supposedly perpetrated in their life before they came to the school. If the students don't admit enough–if their crimes are not serious or detailed enough–they are confronted over and over again until the students make up horrific crimes to satisfy their persecutor. The students learn quickly that they must admit that they are liars, drug abusers, sex offenders, thieves, etc. in order to progress in the program. If they don't, they are told, and their parents are told, that they are resisting treatment and additional months are added onto their treatment plan."
Epstein continues, "The parents are warned ahead of time that the students will try to manipulate their parents and make up stories of abuse and neglect that are happening at the school. So if a student dares to tell their parents what is going on, the parents assume that their daughter is in denial and is doing exactly what the school warned them would happen. The parents willingly, even enthusiastically, sign their children up for longer periods, grateful that their child is at last receiving the help they so desperately need."
"And the school makes a fortune off each student," Veronica adds.
"Yes. There's no real educational expense at the school. The teachers are a joke; the rest of the staff are not highly educated and are usually very inexperienced, or are themselves products of the school or its affiliates, who have been convinced that the program is the only thing that works for troubled teens. There's no social activities, no field trips, no projects that would require expensive supplies; moreover, the teens are warehoused in bunk beds and are underfed, so there's little expense involved with the room and board of each student," Epstein explains.
"So how could this school continue to exist? Don't the authorities have a duty to investigate complaints about this type of abuse in a school setting?" Keith asks.
Epstein replies, "It's a private school. Parents are allowed to choose the education they wish for their children, as long as it meets certain state requirements, and the school does nominally provide those requirements; however, most students are considered to be 'held back' every year, so when the students don't graduate, it's not a red flag. The school is accredited by a private accrediting agency that is run by an association of this type of school–basically the fox in charge of the hen house, you might say–and as long as the school maintains its accreditation, the state tends to look the other way."
"How can this not be illegal?" Veronica interrupts. "I don't understand. If a teacher at Neptune High put handcuffs on a student, the sheriff would be there in one minute."
"In a public school, the students have the means to complain," Epstein responds. "There is no one to complain to at these schools. And Veronica, there really is nothing illegal about these schools." He rummages through the law books, finds one and opens it to a well-thumbed page. "In 1979, the Supreme Court validated parents' rights to commit their children indefinitely to institutions such as Briar Hill in Parham v. J.R. Teens can be committed without a court hearing if a neutral party, which can be an employee of the school or institution, agrees that the student needs restrictive care.(2)" He shows her the page, and Veronica reads enough to understand Epstein's point.
The Court ruled that an adversary hearing is not required for parents to commit a child to a mental-health facility (or in the case of wards of the court, by the state agency acting in loco parentis)...The Court found that professionals working in the separate units for minors within Georgia's psychiatric hospitals, including Central State Hospital, screened admissions adequately, and reviewed their progress regularly. Furthermore, the Court noted that parents generally act in the best interests of their children, and that juveniles are incapable of making their own decisions regarding relatively weighty or complex issues. Supporting this was the assertion that no adversary hearing is required when a minor needs surgery. It did, however, concur that there was some risk regarding parents' committing their children to psychiatric facilities, and suggested a "neutral factfinder" inquiry be undertaken at the time of admission, which would include an interview with the minor.(3)
Veronica and Keith stare at Epstein, stunned.
Sun. 2/8/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Mac comes out of the library onto the South Quad. It's an unusually warm day for February, and a significant number of comely female students are taking advantage of the sun and working on their bikini tan lines.
Dick is sitting on a stone wall appreciating the sights. When Mac spies him, she quickly tries to change direction, deciding she'd rather go the long way around back to her dorm. Dick notices and follows her. "Hey wait up!" he calls. He matches her pace and holds up his hand for an air 'high-five', saying, "Wi-five, Macarena, what's your rush?... C'mon, you can't say hi? I thought we were past this."
"I'm not in the mood today," she replies. "I'll see you around, okay?"
He sees the dark circles under her eyes and tries to make a joke. "I'm here to offer up my services as a boner donor for the Hearst edition of 'Girls Gone Wild'. You interested?"
"Please leave me alone," she answers, walking away quickly.
Dick follows. "Mac, I'm sorry. What's wrong?"
"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" she says, stopping and staring at him.
"What happened? What's wrong?" he repeats.
"If I tell you, will you go away?"
"I promise."
She sighs and says, "I had a date last night and the guy didn't show. Didn't even call." She looks up at Dick and is surprised to see the look of concern on his usually carefree face. "You remember, I told you about–"
"I remember," he says. "I know Cassidy really hurt you. I'll never forgive him for that." He looks at her, but she avoids his gaze. Dick says, "I'm sure it was a mix-up. The guy will be calling you any second explaining what happened. And if he doesn't...then forget about him, he doesn't deserve you." He tentatively reaches out and rubs her arm comfortingly.
"I just...I really liked this guy. He seemed to be the right kind of guy for me; we have a lot in common. I thought he was really nice. And then...he just blows me off." What's wrong with me? Why didn't he show? she thinks.
Dick doesn't know what to say. He thinks helplessly, Mac and I had so much fun last fall plotting to get Logan and Veronica back together, and decides to try to change the subject. He asks, "Hey, has Veronica made any progress finding Logan?"
"We think he called last night." She explains about the late night phone call from the untraceable number.
"Well that's good, right? He's reaching out to her, at least. Maybe he's thinking about coming back," he comments. "I miss him too, you know. We have a special bromance...there's no love more pure than that between a man and his broha, if you know what I mean." He sneaks a look at her for her reaction; she smiles faintly. "What if we teamed up to help Veronica? I know the dude better than anybody, and with your mad computer skills, we'll find him in no time." He thinks, Last time we did this, I got her into bed with me. "C'mon, what do you say? We'll spitball this. I bet we find him in twenty-four hours. Then Veronica can bring him home, and things can get back to normal. Logan needs his friends even if he doesn't realize it."
She hesitates, then agrees. "All right. Maybe you're right." I'm glad for the distraction, she thinks. She leads the way to a nearby bench under a shade tree, and pulls out her laptop. She checks her Wi-Fi connection and says, "Okay. What are we looking for? Tell me about Logan. What makes him happy? What does he need that he won't be able to live without?" She opens a document to take notes.
Dick thinks. "Well, of course, mostly it's Veronica that makes him happy. And then, you know, the typical guy stuff, porn, videogames, tunes..."
"Okay, we know he's not with Veronica. And I don't think he'll have any problem getting porn, videogames or music wherever he is. All he would need is an internet connection, and he'd be all set. Tell me about his typical day before he left."
"Before he got hurt, he would go surfing almost every day. He loves the ocean; you remember his beach house. When he found that place, that was all he could talk for weeks, being able to wake up and see the ocean, and seeing the sunset over the water every night."
She types "ocean" into a note. "Okay, what else?"
"Well, he's taking a pretty heavy load of classes at UCLA. He had to take some intro classes last year to make up for screwing off in high school, so now he's trying to get more of the requirements for his major completed," Dick says.
Mac frowns. "School's pretty important to him?"
Dick nods. "Yeah, you wouldn't think it, but once he found the screenwriting thing, he was totally into it. And then he was trying really hard to catch up after being in the hospital last fall. He had a few extensions on his coursework; the profs were pretty cool with him because of his dad being such a big star and all."
"So he's kinda throwing that all away now? All that hard work? Let's look at the UCLA site for the screenwriting major." She pulls up the URL and looks at the page. "Student login. Probably first initial and last name. What do you think his password is?"
"No clue. I do remember Veronica giving him a hard time for picking too easy a password. He was moaning about not being able to remember it, and she fussed at him, telling him to use a combination of a word and a number that meant something to him, so he could remember it, but would be hard for a stranger to guess."
"Okay. Tell me about any stories you remember from Logan's childhood. Pets, camp, vacations, first kiss, first uh...blowjob, etc." She glances at Dick, and he smiles back. "Favorite song, favorite book, favorite videogames. And then we're going to figure out numbers. Phone numbers, street numbers, zip codes, birthdays, anniversaries."
"What are you thinking?" Dick asks.
"I don't know; just a hunch," she replies.
Sun. 2/8/09: Downtown San Diego, CA
Veronica and Keith stare at Epstein, stunned to realize that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that parents are allowed to commit their children to these schools.
Epstein nods at them. "It's not going to be easy to successfully sue Briar Hill. The false advertising charge is probably going to be the easiest to prove in my particular case, but the penalties are not very high. But for everything else that was done to my clients' daughter?" He shrugs. "My clients signed paperwork authorizing the school to use whatever means necessary to help their daughter."
"Whatever means necessary?" Veronica echoes.
"The school's liability waiver specifically states that the school has permission to use mace, taser devices, restraints, and corporal punishment should the situation require it. The parents were told that the school rarely uses these methods, and they were coerced into signing the waiver," Epstein continues.
"Because the school refused to accept the student without the signed waiver and stressed that commitment is the parents' only option to save their chiild," Keith notes.
"Right. As far as the brutal counseling methods that were used on my clients' daughter, there's only two possible sources of testimony. The daughter herself can testify, but, due to her paranoid delusions, it will be impossible to determine exactly what happened to her. We can try to get other students to testify; however, graduates or current students are reluctant to testify since they are afraid their parents might send them back or commit them to a longer period. Even worse, most students parrot the standard line that the school's methods, while harsh, were just what they needed. In addition, all the parents and students are forced to sign a confidentiality agreement, and by testifying they open themselves to prosecution."
"They won't testify because they've been brainwashed. To survive the experience, the students make the best of it and decide that the school is a positive thing," Veronica adds. At Keith's puzzled expression, she explains, "I asked Logan's psychiatrist some questions about why a student would accept this kind of abuse."
Logan's psychiatrist? Keith wonders. Veronica's not just sitting by and waiting for him to come home after all. He sneaks another look at his daughter; she catches his knowing eye and looks away quickly. He says, "What else besides the false advertising are you looking at?"
"There is an agreement between states, the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, or ICPC, that voluntarily regulates program placements when the child is moved from one state to another. As a compact rather than a law, it's not enforceable, but certain paperwork is supposed to be filed, and that was not completed in this case.(4) The girl was taken forcibly from her parents' home in the middle of the night and transported across the country in handcuffs. She was not made aware that she would be changing schools; she was not allowed to pack her belongings or say goodbye to her friends."
"The parents must have felt awful when they found out the truth about the school and their daughter's true diagnosis," Veronica remarks.
"I think they're using their righteous anger to get through this. Their daughter is doing better now, and this has become a crusade for them," Epstein responds.
"As it is for my client as well," Keith comments. "I told you on the phone, it's a double tragedy for Ms. Denenberg, since she recently lost her daughter to a serial killer. She's completely devastated."
Veronica thinks, What about Hannah's father? Why isn't he up in arms about this? Even with the divorce, you'd think he would join forces with his wife to prosecute these bastards. She realizes Hannah's father must be the typical Briar Hill parent, who remains convinced that he had no choice except to send his daughter to the school.
"There are some options to pursue, but I don't have a strong case without a solid witness. There could be violations of mandated child abuse reporting and inadequate caloric intake. It's presumed that this student was never actually seen by a psychologist when they were admitted, but the school insists that the staff therapist did see her, and the psychologist's name appears on a report dated that day that delineates symptoms and a plan of treatment. Again, we need a credible witness," Epstein says regretfully. "I'm not sure we're going to be able to get a judgment. I really feel for these parents. This girl was put through hell, and there's not much I can do with the current laws on the books without eyewitness testimony."
Veronica looks at her dad, and, knowing her, he says, "No, Veronica. Don't even think about it."
Epstein looks from Keith to Veronica and asks, "What?"
"I can go undercover at the school. I've been a licensed private investigator for almost two years, and I have two years' experience at an internship for the FBI," Veronica explains to Jim. "I can certainly look like a high school student, and I know I can get the evidence you need to win your case."
Sun. 2/8/09: Liberty Cigars and Pipes, Neptune, CA
Wallace walks into the tobacco store. The smell of Cuban cigars fills the air, but Veronica told Wallace it's what's under the counter that really turns a profit for the store. She said to ask for Dan, also known as the Gabber, who not only has a supply of bongs in the back room, but can also make a decent fake id for the right price. Wallace approaches the counter and says, "Hey, is the Gabber here?"
"Who's asking?" the man answers.
"Andrew Jackson," Wallace replies, putting a twenty on the counter.
The man puts his hand on the cash and points with his thumb over his shoulder. "In the back. Black t-shirt."
Wallace walks to the back to the store and sees a thin man, mid-twenties, wearing a black 'Ghost Rider' t-shirt and jeans. "Yo, are you the Gabber?"
The man looks at him, but says nothing.
"I hear you can perform identity miracles. You know, wave your magic wand, and presto, you're a twenty-one-year-old dude from Sacramento." Wallace gets his wallet and pulls out a fifty, holding it up for the Gabber to see.
"Yeah, miracles, that's right. Hundred for a driver's license. Fifty for a Hearst ID," the Gabber replies.
"How much to remember someone else's miracle?" Wallace asks.
The Gabber looks at him, suddenly nervous. "Don't know what you're talking about man, this is just a head shop. We sell rolling papers and tobacco. Nothing illegal here."
"Relax, bro, I'm not the 5-0. I'm trying to help my girlfriend. I'm wondering if you made an ID for her brother. He's been missing for a while. His name's Shawn Blake; you might know him as the X-Man."
"Oh, yeah, the X-Man. Yeah, I made him an ID. But I can't remember much about it." The Gabber puts out his hand palm up. "It's shocking how a little weed can affect your memory."
Wallace sighs. He puts the fifty in the Gabber's hand; the Gabber shakes his head 'no', and Wallace adds another fifty.
The Gabber pockets the cash and says, "Yeah, I think it's coming back to me now. I made him an ID in the name of Chris Claremont, 1407 Graymalkin Lane, North Salem, NY."
"Wait, you remember all that? From a year ago? You remember the address on the ID," Wallace says dubiously.
"Chris Claremont is one of the writers of the X-Men comics, and that's the address of the Xavier Institute from the comic books." The Gabber grins and points to his T-shirt. "I'm a comic fan. Shawn didn't know the reference, but he didn't give a shit what I put it on the ID as long as it looked okay. I like to have a little fun with the names; it's my trademark."
"Do you remember when you made the ID for him? Nobody's seen Shawn since Dec. 15 last year," Wallace asks.
"That sounds about right. December, yeah," the Gabber replies.
Sun. 2/8/09: Downtown San Diego, CA
Veronica repeats, "I can go undercover at the school. I can get the evidence to shut the school down."
Epstein looks excited. "This is an incredible idea. We might even be able to go after some of the affiliated schools. You know, this is not the only place where this is happening. We could do some real good here. The kids in these tough love programs are getting hurt everyday, and no one's been able to prove what's really going on."
Keith says firmly, "I won't allow it."
"Dad, that's ridiculous. You know it's the only way." And I want to get into that school for my own reasons...I want to see if Hannah was killed by someone connected with the school.
Epstein has jumped up from his desk and is pacing around the office. "It's perfect. You can wear a wire, and we can document exactly what the situation is at the school."
"It's too dangerous," Keith replies. "These people are completely willing to use physical force to get what they want. I understand you've been frustrated in your lawsuit, but this is my daughter we're talking about; she could get hurt."
"But I'll be wearing a wire. You'll be monitoring me at all times. What if there was another person undercover with me? You said the staff was uneducated and inexperienced; I bet there's a lot of turnover."
Keith adds without thinking, "Half of them are ex-convicts. They don't even do the simplest background check on their employees, or if they do, they don't care what they find."
"That's perfect. You can be monitoring me, and we can have a guard on the staff, who can also testify as to what's going on," Veronica says.
Epstein says, "There have been allegations that the guards are not trained in proper restraint techniques, which have resulted in injuries to the students; a guard's testimony would certainly add to the case."
Keith remains silent, considering the idea. I'm totally horrified by everything I've discovered about these schools. I know that Veronica might be the perfect undercover operative to investigate this case, maybe the best person in the whole country. But, my god, she's my daughter; how can I think of letting her do this?
"Dad, it sounds like these schools are operating completely beyond the reach of traditional law enforcement. Mr. Epstein, you said these schools are extremely profitable. Does that mean that there are more institutions like this opening all the time?"
"Most definitely. There are new schools every year, and some are beginning to operate offshore, in places like Jamaica and Mexico, where there is even less legal supervision and consequences. A big legal case with documented evidence might even inspire Congress to change the law: to make an independent, state-supervised psychological evaluation a prerequisite before a minor is committed to a restrictive institution, and to require documentation before a minor is transported to such a school over state or national boundaries."
Veronica gives her dad a triumphant look: 'see, you know I'm right'.
Keith sighs. Part of him knows there's a chance his reckless daughter might investigate the school on her own, and he is concerned that he won't be able to prevent her from doing that. "I'm going to conditionally agree. We will have someone else undercover with you, someone with a lot of experience undercover and good self-defense skills. If, however, anything about this plan worries me, I reserve the right to take back my permission for you to do this. And I know, I can't make you do anything anymore. You're twenty-one; you're an adult. But, Veronica, I think you wouldn't go against me on this, would you?"
She shakes her head no.
"I'll speak to Ms. Denenberg. I think she would be very agreeable to financing this kind of operation."
Epstein adds, "I can probably find some other parents to join in a class-action suit who might be willing to contribute funds if I can convince them that this is likely to produce a large settlement against the school."
Keith says, "I'd like to meet with you again in a few days. I'll be doing my own research and selecting someone to go undercover as a guard. I'm thinking they should be employed at the school for some time before Veronica gets there to alleviate any suspicions. And Veronica, you're not missing school for this. We can try to plan this to happen during your spring recess–that's about a month from now. That gives us plenty of time to plan and make sure that you'll be completely safe."
--
(2) Szalavitz, Maia. Help At Any Cost. New York: Riverhead Books, 2006. p. 63.
(3) law./pages/13280/Parham-v-J-R.html.
(4) Help At Any Cost. pp. 264-265.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Innocent Suffer, The Guilty Go Free
(Part One)
Veronica and Mac have a morning full
of surprises; Keith coaches Vinnie on the
next step; Duncan prepares for his
amnesty hearing.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Vinnie Van Lowe:
Ken Marino. Duncan 2.0: Chris Carmack.
Leo: Max Greenfield. Max: Adam Rose.
Sacks: Brandon Hillock.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: "THE INNOCENT SUFFER, THE GUILTY GO FREE" (PART ONE)
Mon. 2/9/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
"Hey, sleepyhead." Veronica drops a newspaper and their mail on her desk and sets a styrofoam container and a coffee on Mac's nightstand. "You slept through the alarm. I got you some breakfast. What time did you get in last night anyways?"
Mac stretches and looks gratefully at the coffee. "Thanks. I got in about four a.m. Dick and I were–"
"Dick?" Veronica gasps. "I thought–"
Mac shakes her head impatiently. "Not like that. We were trying to crack Logan's university password."
Veronica sits down heavily on Mac's bed; Mac pushes herself into a seated position and picks up the coffee cup, taking a large sip. Veronica asks, "So? Were you successful?"
"Well, since you were so nice to bring me breakfast..." Mac grins. "We figured it out, and you're not going to believe this. Logan submitted some school work over the last few days by email. Dick said that he's pretty passionate about the screenwriting program."
"Passionate? That doesn't sound like a word Dick would use."
"That wasn't his exact word; I think Dick's stupefied at the idea that anyone would want to do school work. Anyways, Logan used two different cybercafés in two different cities: Austin and San Antonio."
"So he's in Texas?" Veronica muses.
"Well, he was. He was in Austin on Saturday and San Antonio yesterday. I suppose he could be somewhere else entirely by now. Veronica, you're not going to believe what his password is...Sugarpuss71006."
Veronica hugs Mac. "You're incredible. Now explain to me why you were working with Dick."
"He saw me coming out of the library yesterday and was trying to cheer me up."
"Looks like he succeeded."
Mac starts to get dressed and notices the newspaper on Veronica's dresser. "What's this?"
"You're not going to believe it. They dropped the racketeering charges against the Fitzpatricks and Vinnie Van Lowe; something to do with a warrant not being filed properly. Apparently, all the evidence against them was a result of an unlawful search, and the charges have been dismissed."
Mac picks up the newspaper and glances at the story about Liam. "I can't believe this. You said that Liam Fitzpatrick forced Vinnie to pursue you for Wiedman's murder in order to distract your dad from his illegal activities."
"Yeah, Vinnie acted under Liam's instructions. Now, Liam's out again, and he's going to be pissed at my dad," Veronica observes. "I'm sure Liam suspects that my dad is the anonymous source who alerted the feds to the racketeering scam."
Mac folds the newspaper over and looks at the second story below the fold. Her hands shake, and she cries, "No!"
"What is it?" Veronica asks, looking over her shoulder at the paper. She reads the headline, 'Youth killed in apparent burglary'.
"That's Mordroc. His real name is Rick Picket," Mac stammers. "He was killed...that's why...that's why he wasn't there on Saturday."
"Wait, Mordroc...the computer hacker you told me about? This is the guy?"
"Yes, he was trying to track the flirt-bot program. He thought it was Russian mafia."
"You didn't tell me that," Veronica says, distressed. 'Russian mafia'. Holy fuck. Gory. "Mac, what if Gory's behind this? We need to go to the sheriff's department and tell them what you know."
Mac looks stunned, then nods at Veronica. She starts to get dressed quickly. Mac suddenly notices a small package on Veronica's desk addressed to Cynthia McKenzie and stops dead. "Veronica, what's this?"
"It was in with our mail," Veronica replies, glancing at the package.
"I'm not expecting any packages," Mac says. Something in her voice makes Veronica look back at the package. The box is covered in brown wrapping paper and well-sealed with clear tape. Mac notes, "They spelled my name wrong." Veronica and Mac exchange a worried glance.
Veronica grabs Mac's arm and says, "Let's get out of here." They leave the room quickly, shutting the door cautiously. Veronica pulls the nearest fire alarm, and they hurriedly exit the building. Outside, as the dorm residents begin to emerge, Veronica calls 911 and alerts the authorities that there might be a bomb in her dorm room. She's thankful that new emergency protocols for responding to bomb threats were instituted after the debacle two years ago during the serial rapes.
Mac has a sudden thought and asks to borrow Veronica's phone. She calls Max.
Max answers, "Yo."
"Max, did you get a package today?" Mac asks nervously. "Or an unusual letter?"
"Yeah, I got a package. I was just going to open it. Did you send me something?"
Mac says quickly, "Max, get out of your apartment. Is there a fire alarm?"
"No, what are you talking about? Come on, is this another one of your jokes?" he says laughing.
"MAX, GET OUT OF THERE NOW! WE THINK IT'S A BOMB! GO!" Mac yells.
"Okay, okay. I'm leaving–"
Mac hears a loud sound and then the phone goes dead.
"What?" Veronica asks.
Mac looks horror-stricken. "I think a bomb went off." She hits the end button, then dials 911 again. Seeing Mac's hands shaking compulsively, Veronica takes the phone from her and reports their suspicions to the operator. When she hangs up the phone, she hugs Mac and says, "They're on their way. I'm sure he'll be okay."
"He said he was leaving," Mac whispers.
Mon. 2/9/09: Neptune Sheriff's Department, Neptune, CA
Keith approaches Vinnie's jail cell. "Vinnie, we have to talk. Have you heard..."
"Yeah, I heard. They're dropping all the charges against the Fitzpatricks and me. Something about 'fruits of the poisonous tree'; they can't use any of the evidence collected against us since the original warrant was written incorrectly. I never understood any of that legal mumbo-jumbo," Vinnie replies.
"Something's fishy about this. I don't understand why this is happening at this late date."
"The fix is in. I told you, Liam has connections," Vinnie says despondently. "And he's not afraid to use them."
"You're going to need to get out of town immediately. Without any supporting evidence, I doubt the feds are going to keep their agreement with you to put you in witness protection. It's your word against Liam's at this point. I had most of your new identity set up already. I have a few more things to take care of; here's what's going to happen. I got you a car, a gray 2002 Camry sedan; I'm going to park it on Radford Street, halfway down the block. The key will be hidden under the driver's side rear wheelwell. I'll have a new identity for you and some cash in the glove compartment. I suggest when you're released, you get across the border into Mexico and make yourself scarce as quickly as possible. Don't contact me; don't contact your mother or your ex-wives."
Vinnie nods nervously. "Keith, thanks for doing this–"
Keith interrupts, "And Vinnie, if you ever cause a problem for me, my daughter, or Duncan Kane ever again, I just want you to know that I have the bullet, the gun, and the license plates from Dannon's car stashed in a safe location. If I have to, I'll take you down. I'll suffer the consequences if necessary to protect my daughter. Stay the hell away from Neptune if you know what's good for you."
Before Vinnie can say a word, Keith hustles out of the sheriff's department as an alarm begins to sound. Keith recognizes the alarm as an alert for the bomb squad; he wonders what the hell's going on in Neptune today. As he leaves, he sees the tactical squad mobilizing; Leo barks orders at the deputies, and the officers don bulletproof vests and helmets. For just a moment, Keith has an intense longing for the relative clarity of his old job as sheriff–when he seemed to have such a clear vision of right and wrong that he was willing to stake his life on it on a daily basis. As the officers leave the building, he reminds himself that he can't afford this sentimentality anymore, and he drives away, hoping to put the Vinnie Van Lowe matter to bed permanently.
Mon. 2/9/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA
Deputy Sacks walks over to Veronica and Mac. "The bomb squad got the bomb out of your room, and we've cleared the area."
"What about Max? Have you heard anything?" Mac asks anxiously.
"I talked to the paramedics; they said it's just cuts and bruises, and he'll be fine. It's a good thing you thought to call him and warn him. Sheriff Leo wants you guys to come in and give a statement.
"I have to finish getting dressed and get my bag," Mac replies.
"Okay. I'll wait for you here," Sacks says.
Veronica and Mac go back up to their room. All the girls in their dorm are milling around, gossipping excitedly. Several point at Mac and Veronica and whisper. Veronica says to Mac, "Welcome to my world."
Mac smiles wanly.
In their room, while Mac gets dressed, Veronica looks through her mail. One letter has a return address from the Federal Bureau of Investigations in Quantico. She quickly rips the envelope open.
'Dear Ms. Mars,
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's internship program is a very selective program. Every year, we are forced to turn away very qualified candidates due to the number of applications. After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a position in our internship program.
Each of our applicants was reviewed carefully and on an individual basis, and many factors were taken into account. We are aware that this decision may be disappointing to you, but we encourage you to pursue other internship opportunities and wish you every success.'
You bastards, Veronica thinks. A form letter after two years in the program. This is because of the Harmony shooting. Can this day get any better?
"What's the matter?" Mac asks, noticing Veronica's expression.
Veronica shakes herself and says, "It's not important. I'll tell you later. We have to focus on the bomb right now."
Mon. 2/9/09: Neptune Grand Hotel, Neptune, CA
Duncan dresses carefully for his hearing. He selects his best Armani suit that was specially pressed for the occasion and what he thinks of as his lucky tie. Jane watches as he struggles to tie a Windsor knot with his shaking hands. Finally, he manages to knot the tie, and he turns to his daughter. He forces a smile and keeps his voice calm, "What do think, Jane?"
"You look nice, Daddy," she says. Jane is wearing her favorite outfit, a purple corduroy jumper with a flowered shirt, and her hair is pulled back into a ponytail.
"Thanks, Jane. We have a few minutes before we have to go. What would you like to do? We could color together, or play with Mr. Boogles." What I really want to do is scoop you up in my arms, run for the border, and never look back, he thinks.
"Tell me the story again." Jane walks over to Duncan and says, "Uppy, daddy."
Duncan obliges, picking Jane up and holding her in his arms. He reminds himself to keep his voice reassuring and not to let Jane hear the panic he's feeling. "Once upon a time, there was a princess and her daddy. There was a mean man trying to scare the princess, and the princess and her daddy had to run away. They wandered all over the world. The princess and her daddy had to be very careful not to tell anyone who they really were, so the mean man couldn't find them." Duncan bounces Jane up and down as he walks around the room. "Finally, the princess's subjects asked her to come back and be their princess again. The subjects said they would make sure the mean man would never hurt the princess. It was very scary, because all the lackeys were asking the princess questions that she didn't understand, and they wouldn't let the princess see her daddy. But the princess was very, very brave and answered all the questions; finally she got to see her daddy again, and everybody lived happily ever after. All the princess' loyal subjects loved her and called her by her real name."
"Daddy, when do I get to know my real name?" Jane asks eagerly. "Please tell me. Please, Daddy!"
Well, it depends. If I win custody, you're Lilly. If the Mannings somehow...No! It's not possible. Please...please don't let them take my daughter away from me. Duncan whispers in her ear, "Jane, your real name is...Lilly. You're named after your Aunt Lilly. Even if they call you another name, I want you to always remember that name. You are Lilly–my princess Lilly. I love you, princess." He kisses her cheek and strokes her hair lightly.
Lilly hugs him and whispers back, "I love you, Daddy."
Mon. 2/9/09: Sheriff's Department, Neptune, CA
"So Rick was trying to trace the source of this malicious computer program?" Leo says.
"Yes, it's called a flirt-bot program. I helped him trace some of the servers that were used to anonymize its origins. He said some of his fellow Cult of the Dead Cow hackers were also working on the problem. They might be in danger too. They were going to try to gather evidence and take it to the FBI," Mac explains.
"Do you know any of the other names in this Dead Cow group?" Leo asks, taking notes.
"No, they all use aliases, since most of their hacking activities are not strictly legal. If you have Rick's computer, I can try to look at his recent contacts for you."
"His computer and all his peripheral devices were stolen in the burglary. We'll have to try to trace his contacts through his internet service provider. And he suspected that this was Russian mafia? What evidence did he have? Did he share any of that information with you?" Leo queries.
"No. I really don't know much about it. I was concentrating on preventing the program from installing itself on my website and helping my friends keep it off their computers."
Leo thinks for a minute, then says, "I think you should stay right here until the FBI can speak with you, Ms. MacKenzie. That bomb was a very professional device, and apparently they were very serious about wanting to hurt you."
Mac looks very scared.
Veronica's phone begins to buzz. She answers the call, hoping it's her father returning her calls.
Duncan says nervously, "Veronica, where the hell are you? You said you'd meet me at the courthouse for the hearing. Please, my parents are driving me crazy. I need somebody sane to help me get through this."
Shit! I can't believe I almost forgot about Duncan. "Duncan, I'm sorry. There was...an accident. Mac was almost killed. She's all right, but we're at the sheriff's department." She checks her watch; it's 1:30, a half-hour after she said she'd meet up with Duncan before the 2:00 hearing. "I'm not far away. I'll meet you at the courthouse in ten minutes." She hangs up and turns to Mac. "I have to go. It's, you know...the hearing."
Mac nods. She draws Veronica aside and whispers, "What about Gory? Should we tell about Gory? You could be prosecuted for stealing that hard drive. And your dad...for covering it up."
"Let me work on that. Just...tell them everything else. Maybe you can say that we heard a rumor that Gory was connected. That's certainly true," Veronica says.
Mac nods again. "Veronica, be careful. If it was Gory..."
"I know." I'm going to have to tell my dad the whole story about Jake Kane's hard drive, she thinks. As Veronica leaves, she dials her father's cell again, but gets no response.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Innocent Suffer, The Guilty Go Free
(Part Two)
Wallace locates Shawn; Duncan makes a
statement to the press; Leo works the
arson case; Logan reacts to Duncan's
press conference.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Leo: Max Greenfield.Duncan 2.0: Chris Carmack.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Celeste Kane: Lisa
Thornhill. Jake Kane: Kyle Secor. Katerina:
Katherine Heigl.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: "THE INNOCENT SUFFER, THE GUILTY GO FREE" (PART TWO)
Mon. 2/9/09: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Wallace cradles the phone and holds his head in his hands. He's been prepared for the probability that Candice's brother was dead, but still the phone conversation with the police department in Glacier, Washington has upset him. They had a John Doe from last year, with an obviously forged ID in the name of Chris Claremont. The cause of death was a gunshot to the head, and the body was found in the nearby national forest by several hikers.
The fax machine rings, and Wallace waits for the promised photo from the Glacier Police Department. The face on the fax is distorted by death and violence, but Wallace notes grimly that it's a match for the photo Candice provided him. He picks up the phone to call her, but he realizes that he needs to deliver this bad news in person and hangs up. He shuts down the computer and packs up to leave the office, thinking all the while how to tell her and wishing there was a way to make this easier for her.
Mon. 2/9/09: Balboa County Courthouse, Neptune, CA
After a lengthy hearing, Duncan emerges from the courthouse onto the steps where multitudes of reporters have gathered. He holds onto Veronica's hand as if it's a lifeline. His parents follow closely along with Duncan's legal team. The reporters begin to shout questions; Duncan holds up his hand and says, "I'm going to read a prepared statement."
The reporters quiet down. The only sounds are the clicks and whirrs of recording devices and cameras.
Duncan begins to speak nervously. "My name is Duncan Kane. Three years ago, I left Neptune with my daughter. My daughter's mother asked me to do this to ensure the safety of our daughter. Today, I signed an agreement that gives me amnesty in the matter of this kidnapping, and I surrendered custody of my daughter to Child Protective Services. Although I believed that my daughter was my biological daughter at the time I left Neptune, it has been proven that she is not my daughter. DNA tests show a strong probability that my daughter was in fact fathered by her mother's father, Stewart Manning. We believe that DNA tests will confirm that abuse was going on in the Manning household. I intend to try for permanent custody of my daughter, and I will devote my life to getting her back and adopting her. I ask that you respect my family's privacy in this difficult time."
Duncan's attorney takes his place and says firmly, "There will be no questions at this time."
Duncan turns to Veronica and hugs her, his shoulders shaking, obviously weeping. The videocameras focus on the two hugging. The reporters call out questions despite the attorney's pronouncement. "Why did Meg lie to you?" "Tell us about your plastic surgeries!" "How are you going to get custody of your daughter?" "Did you know about the incest?"
Duncan holds onto Veronica as they press through the crowd, followed closely by Jake and Celeste and Duncan's attorneys. When they reach the waiting limo, Duncan, Veronica, Jake, and Celeste get in; the attorneys tell Duncan to try not to worry–everything will be all right–and they send the limo on its way.
In the limo, there is a deathly silence. Celeste stares grimly out the window at the throngs of reporters; Jake grasps his son's hand firmly and gives it a shake. Veronica knows the Kanes well enough that she decides not to say a word. The limo drops Jake and Celeste at their Pemberton estate mansion and turns back toward downtown and the Neptune Grand Hotel. After Jake and Celeste get out of the limo, Duncan smiles weakly at Veronica; she takes his hand and says, "Try not to worry." He doesn't reply and turns to look out the window.
At the Neptune Grand, hotel security holds off the hordes of reporters while Duncan and Veronica exit the limo. They hurry to the elevators and make it up to Duncan's room without any confrontations with reporters. As Duncan slips his keycard into the lock on his room, the door across the hallway opens. "Daniel?" a blonde woman asks.
Veronica remembers seeing this woman before in the hotel lobby, and she asks, "Have we met? You seem familiar."
"I don't believe so. I'm Katerina Beversdorf; I've made Daniel's acquaintance recently." Katya strides over to Duncan and kisses him on the cheek. "Are you all right? I saw you on the news. I wish you had told me more about your legal problems. I guess...I guess I should call you Duncan now."
Veronica frowns at this interloper.
Duncan says, "Thanks for being there today, Veronica."
He looks at Katerina, and Veronica realizes this woman has been comforting Duncan. How do you feel about this, Veronica? Duncan has someone else to cling to now. That was fast. Finally, Veronica breaks the uncomfortable silence, saying, "Well, I guess I'll be in touch, Duncan. Call me if you need anything." She turns around quickly and leaves. As she waits for the elevator, she sneaks a peek behind her and sees Duncan and Katerina disappearing into his suite. Veronica pulls out her phone and tries to reach her dad one more time, but the call goes to voicemail again. What the hell are you up to, Dad?
Mon. 2/9/09: Somewhere in the United States
After finishing his shift at the soup kitchen, Logan decides he's willing to risk a meal in a restaurant. He hasn't gotten a second look since he's been in this town, and the prospect of another tuna sandwich in the room is just too depressing tonight. He enters a greasy spoon that appears to be a favorite of the local residents. Despite his altered appearance, he still feels prominently conspicuous as he waits to be seated.
Logan scans the menu and decides to go with the diner's strengths: a deluxe cheeseburger and fries. He notices a television screen running the latest news headlines from CNN, and, despite himself, he begins to watch the news of the world. Logan has polished off his cheeseburger and most of his fries when he sees a lurid graphic on the television screen: 'Kane Heir in Custody Battle'. Logan forgets to eat as he watches Duncan, holding Veronica's hand, giving a statement to the press. Incest? Oh my god. Poor Meg. Then he sees Duncan hugging Veronica; he feels as if his world has cracked in two, and he knows he has only himself to blame.
"Sir?"
Logan realizes the waitress has been trying to get his attention.
"Sir, can I get you anything else? Some dessert?"
His lips seem to be unable to form words. He croaks out, "No thanks." He throws a twenty on the table, saying, "Keep the change," and he gets the hell out of the diner. The waitress stares at him as he hurries out; she looks down at her large tip and shrugs.
Mon. 2/9/09: Neptune Sheriff's Department
Leo sits down wearily behind his desk. Will this day never end? The day began with the revelations of the Fitzpatricks' charges being dismissed and then progressed to the attempted bombings. After taking Cindy MacKenzie's statement, he called the FBI, which took her into protective custody. The agent-in-charge mentioned that their Computer Fraud Division was interested in seeing what she could remember of Picket's hacks to trace the flirt-bot and were hoping to learn what tricks the Cult members were using to try to disable the program. Then the Family Court judge contacted him and asked him to arrest Stewart Manning on charges of child abuse. When Leo picked him up, Manning was verbally abusive and adamant that he was innocent and would sue everyone involved for false arrest and slander. At one point, Leo told Manning to shut his foul mouth or Leo would arrange a transfer to the general population at the county jail, where a suspected child abuser might not survive his incarceration.
Now that he finally has a respite from the excitement, Leo shuffles through the deep pile of papers on his desk. A few pages down, he finds that SpyGear has complied with the court order to provide the names of purchasers of the Bug Detector. There are a few purchases in Orange County by the security department of a defense contractor, but the only purchase in Balboa County was made by Mars Investigations a year and a half ago. Leo puts the paper back down on his desk, thinking about his previous observation that the arson seemed to be a professional job.
Leo picks up the phone and dials the registrar at Hearst College. "Yes, this is Sheriff D'Amato. I'm checking on the whereabouts of two students. Can you check your attendance records for me?...I see, most professors do not submit attendance records. Can you check the class schedules then, and I'll speak to the professors directly? The names are Veronica Mars and Wallace Fennel, and the date in question is Tuesday, January 27...Yes, I'll hold." After a short pause, Leo says, "You have their schedules?...The professors' names and phone numbers, please...Thank you, you've been very helpful." Leo calls several professors, who all confirm that Veronica and Wallace were in class that day.
Leo sighs heavily. He had been quite certain that neither Veronica nor Wallace Fennel were involved in this arson. Neither seems to have the experience to carry out such an operation, although Leo ruefully reflects that nothing Veronica does would surprise him anymore. He picks up the phone and dials Keith Mars. "Keith, it's Leo. Something's come up, and I need to speak to you about it. Can you come in to the department?...Yes, as soon as possible. I'd like to clear this up immediately." Leo hangs up the phone, hoping that Keith Mars has an ironclad alibi for January 27.
Late Mon. 2/9/09: Somewhere in the United States
Logan tosses and turns for hours, picturing Duncan and Veronica working together to get custody of little Lilly and falling into each other's arms in need and loneliness. He remembers their intricate plotting to get Duncan and his daughter out of the country safely, and Logan imagines that now they are obsessing together over every possible strategy to win the custody battle. The bitter memories from senior year assail him: Veronica and Duncan in the suite, cuddling and laughing together; seeing Veronica seemingly around every corner at school, wishing he could get away from her, yet still hopelessly wanting her to pay attention to him; desperately asking Veronica for help when he found out about Griffith testifying against him; and Veronica's self-righteous disapproval of his actions with Hannah. Logan finally falls asleep in exhaustion and begins to dream.
He carries Hannah from the couch into his bedroom at the Neptune Grand. She looks at him adoringly, trustingly, and he kisses her forehead and places her gently on the bed. He removes her tight jeans, already half off from their session on the couch, keeping his eyes on her face. Logan joins Hannah on the bed, and she whispers, "I can't believe I'm here with you, Logan. I've never done this...I don't know what to do."
Logan reassures her quietly, "You don't need to know anything; just relax, tell me what feels good." He kisses her shoulder, her neck, then pulls back and removes her camisole and stares at her.
Hannah looks a little nervous and says, "What's the matter?"
"Just looking at you; you're beautiful." He bends to her and kisses her lightly between her breasts, gently moving toward her right nipple; his lips brush against her nipple, and she jumps a little with the shock. "Shhh," he soothes, licking smoothly around her pink tip, letting her get used to the new intensity before he cautiously takes her into his mouth, sucking delicately as she arches slightly against him.
A small gasp escapes from her lips, and he returns his lips to her neck, nuzzling and murmuring nonsense syllables to reassure her. She trembles a little, and he strokes her hair, calming her. Logan shifts a little and kisses her mouth, insinuating his tongue as he palms her breast lightly, then more firmly. She sighs and presses against him, and he kisses down her neck to her breast again, beginning to tease her nipple with his tongue. Hannah reaches for his head and begins to stroke his hair.
"Oh my god, this is going to take forever," a voice says, jolting Logan upright. "I forgot how tedious it is to seduce a virgin."
Logan looks around in shock to see Veronica sitting, her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest, in a chair on the other side of the room. She taps her watch, saying, "I don't have all night, you know; I have cheating husbands to photograph over at the Camelot." She points over her shoulder with her thumb toward the window.
"Veronica, what the hell?" he says, still dazed at her sudden appearance.
"I know you need my approval, but this is ridiculous," Veronica sighs. She stands up and walks toward the bed. "Move over. Maybe a demonstration will help."
Logan thinks that Veronica is going to kiss him, but she sheds her clothes and lays down between him and Hannah. Veronica turns to Hannah and begins kissing her intensely. Veronica mutters, "This is how he kisses me, you silly girl." Hannah looks frightened and is too stunned to push Veronica away. Veronica looks over her shoulder and says, "While I'm helping you out here, do you think you could make yourself useful and stroke my pussy?" She grabs Logan's hand, pulls it around her, and puts it between her legs. Veronica whispers to Hannah, "You'll like it when he does it to you," and begins to kiss her again, teasing Hannah's breast with her fingers. Hannah begins to relax; she kisses Veronica back, stroking her hair and sighing little exhalations of pleasure.
Logan helplessly begins to caress Veronica, watching, becoming unbearably excited by the scene playing out in front of him. Veronica moves against his hand, murmuring, "That's it." Veronica trails her hand down Hannah's torso and begins to play with her curls, saying, "Just relax, baby, I'll help you so Logan can take care of you." Veronica slips two fingers between Hannah's legs and strokes back and forth, kissing Hannah again. Veronica whispers, "Your pussy feels so good; you're so wet, Hannah." She turns her head toward Logan and winks at him, mouthing, "She's ready for you."
Logan groans, "No, Veronica, I want you to stop this. Get out of here."
"I hear your mouth saying no, but your cock is saying yes," Veronica retorts, rubbing her ass against him.
His traitorous cock aches with the need to fuck someone in this bed; he thrusts back against her, and she laughs, meanly. "You'll never be over me, Logan."
"Why, Veronica? Do you hate me that much?" he cries helplessly.
"Oh, Logan, don't be such a girl. You know I'm with Duncan now; you need to move on, too." She kisses Hannah one last time and struggles out from between the two of them. "I guess I'll have to take care of myself while you guys get this over with. Come on, Logan," she snaps her fingers at him, "I don't have all night." When he just looks at her, she walks over to his side of the bed and physically maneuvers him so that he ends up between Hannah's legs.
"Veronica, I don't know how to do this..." Hannah whispers.
"Oh for chrissake," Veronica says, exasperated. "Grab his cock, guide it into you." Hannah complies, looking shyly into Logan's eyes.
Logan tries to pull away from Hannah, crying, "No! Stop this!"
Veronica holds him firmly in place, then slaps him on the ass, urging him, "Fuck her, Logan! Come on, let's see if you can fuck me out of your system. How many girls do you have to fuck before you can forget about me?" She plays with her breast and begins to touch herself, watching Logan as he helplessly begins to thrust into Hannah. "There's nothing quite like corrupting a young girl, is there, Logan? It's quite a talent you have; you might even say it's the Echolls family specialty. But Logan?...you've really plumbed new depths this time."
Logan shakes awake, panting, his stiff erection poking through his shorts. For a moment he can't decide which is worse, Veronica's cruel manipulations in the dream or his arousal from the image of her kissing and fondling Hannah. He breathes in and out as if he has just finished a long sprint, rage and sex and grief all mixed together incoherently. He turns on the light, gets out of bed, and looks at his reflection in the mirror. The memory of Veronica holding Duncan's hand at the televised press conference keeps playing over and over in his mind: it was his worst fear realized, and he knows his own actions probably made it inevitable. Is she really with Duncan now? Of course she is; she knows how repulsive, how guilty I am. The self-disgust that confronts him overwhelms him, and he turns away, pulling at his hair, massaging, tearing, pummeling his scalp, willing the nightmare images to disappear. The room seems devoid of air to breathe, and he blindly puts on a pair of sweat pants and flip-flops, grabs his cane, and stumbles out of his room toward the nearby beach.
His knee is aching, but he pushes himself to walk faster than he should, to get to the water's edge as quickly as possible. He gets to the beach and stops short, his chest heaving with exertion and agitation. "Fuck it!" he screams. "Fuck it all to hell, I can't do it." He throws the cane away and begins to wade into the water; his sweats become waterlogged, and he thinks, Good, that'll speed things up. The surf is rough tonight, and the wind is bitter, unusually so, and Logan sardonically reflects that hypothermia will probably kill him before he drowns. As he reaches deeper water, a wave knocks him off his feet, and he goes underwater unexpectedly. He bobs up above the surface, spluttering, and wonders when this will become peaceful: I prefer a quiet demise, thank you very much. He tries to will himself to stay under, to let a rip current find him and take him away. Logan stays under the water until his lungs feel like they are going to explode, then his body betrays his commitment, fighting for the surface and the necessity of oxygen. "Damn it to hell!" he swears aloud. He decides to just think of Veronica, try to be calm and let the wind and the waves do their job. I'm sorry, he thinks. I should have left you alone; you deserved better than me, sugarpuss.
"You are such a jackass," her voice rings in his ears. He shakes his head to clear the voice. No, Veronica. Go away. "All I know is that I love you, and I've never doubted that you loved me too." Veronica, you're wrong. You shouldn't love me. Go away and let me do this. "You're the best thing in my life. I'm not with Duncan. Come back to me. I love you, Logan." Why? Why would you love me? Please go away, Veronica. "No, I won't allow you to do this! Logan, I love you, I need you, get out of the water NOW!"
He claws his way to the surface and begins to struggle back to shallow water. When he brushes against an underwater rock, he tries to stand but his leg collapses underneath him, and he falls hard against the rock. Grimacing with this new pain, he pushes himself up a little more cautiously and staggers onto the beach. He lays on the sand, shivering, until he realizes that if he's not going to do this, he needs to get warm. He sits up and looks around for his cane; finally spying it a short distance away, he scuttles over to it and pushes himself up to a standing position, and drags himself back to his motel room.