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: Have I told you lately about my beta readers, Kazy and Poniesforall? They are awesome friends! I'm not sure they knew what they were getting into when they agreed to this; they've put tons of time into this fic. Not only do they catch most of my mistakes, they hold my hand when I'm feeling like the fic is an epic suckfest, and they insist that I keep working to do my very best. Any errors at this point are my responsibility.
This section definitely not appropriate for those under 17.
Previously on Veronica Mars: The Year of Living Dangerously Part Two
vanessagalore•livejournal•com/37908•html
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Mile High Club
Veronica and Logan fly home.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring
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CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: "THE MILE HIGH CLUB"
Wed. 2/25/09: Brownsville, TX to San Diego, CA
When they arrive at the Brownsville airport, Veronica is surprised when Logan asks for two coach seats for their flight back to San Diego. She looks at him quizzically as they leave the counter, and he says, "I've been living among the common folk for a while now, and there's nothing wrong with coach. And it's less likely we'll be recognized." She nods in agreement, and they head for the security checkpoint. They are just in time for boarding to begin, and they join the line to enter the jetway. Veronica feels Logan's eyes upon her, and she asks nervously, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I've just...I've really missed you. I've missed seeing you all the time; you don't know how much I thought about you," he replies. She puts her arm around his waist, and he puts his arm over her shoulders.
The first leg of their trip is a short flight to Houston; the flight is crowded but uneventful, although Veronica notices that Logan becomes nervous when another passenger appears to be staring at him. He calms visibly when he realizes that the woman is merely trying to get the attention of a fellow traveling companion.
In Houston, they have to hurry to make their connection. Once on board, they take a breath and look at their boarding passes. Their seats are in the last row in the cabin. Thankfully, the flight is not sold out, and there are plenty of empty seats; they are the only two in their row. After a short wait for clearance from the tower, the plane takes off. The head flight attendant gets on the microphone and explains the emergency procedures, then says apologetically, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're sorry to inform you that we're experiencing some minor problems with our climate control thermostat. I'm afraid it might become uncomfortably cold in the cabin during our flight to San Diego. We'll be passing out blankets to any passenger who wants one."
Logan takes two blankets and solicitously spreads one over Veronica and then another over himself. He keeps looking at her, thinking about all his vicious and angry fantasies while they were apart; he just wants to erase them, to make new memories to fill up the dark recesses of his mind. He closes his eyes momentarily, vowing to make love to her every moment that she will let him. Logan remembers what Dr. Friedman told him. 'Decide to be happy...even if you have to pretend to be happy. Let the joy come into your life.'
He feels Veronica shiver beside him, and Logan opens his eyes and looks over at her. "Are you okay?" he inquires.
"Yeah, I'm just a little cold." Pulling the blanket more tightly around herself, Veronica thinks that Logan still seems very off to her; she is starting to realize just how bad it was for him while they were apart. I wish I knew how to help him...I wish it was as easy as shutting down Briar Hill Academy and finding Hannah's murderer, but I'm afraid...I'm afraid it won't be enough. She keeps remembering him weeping that morning when they were lying together. "I still can't get used to the way you look," she comments.
"I know...it scares me a little when I look in the mirror," he replies.
She smiles back at him, and for a second all he can think about is waking up to see that beautiful mouth on him that morning, brushing her hair back so he could see her cheeks hollowed out with her efforts and her eyes closed in concentration–concentrating on making him feel good. God, I just wanna...I just wanna... He breathes in deeply and adjusts himself slightly in the seat.
When the seat belt sign goes off a few moments later, he pushes up the armrest between them and, leaning over, whispers into her ear, "I know how I can warm you up." He slides his arm under the blanket and unlocks her seat belt. He begins caressing her stomach, insinuating his fingers under the waistband of her jeans.
Veronica slaps his hand and says, "Stop that! What is wrong with you?" But she is rejoicing: this is more like the Logan she knows and loves, and she grins at him.
He whispers again, "I can still smell your pussy on my mustache. I'm so horny for you right now..."
She looks at him startled, and he kisses her intensely, tonguing her so that she feels it throughout her body. She does faintly smell the scent of herself on his facial hair, and she blushes. When he releases her from the kiss, looking deeply into her eyes, she comments, "You're shaving the moment we get back."
"Unh-unh," he replies, "I'm keeping the cum-catcher. I would have grown a 'stache a long time ago if I had known...God you look hot right now," and he presses his mouth to hers again before she can breathe in to protest. Under the blanket, he forces his hand between her legs and begins to stroke her through her jeans. I want to forget...I want to forget about being angry at her. I want to make new memories...
The stewardess comes by and asks if they need anything. Logan smiles at her and says, "We're doing just fine," continuing to caress Veronica's crotch. When the stewardess leaves, he whispers into Veronica's ear, "It's a good thing I have this blanket over me. I have an incredible boner right now."
"Logan!" she whispers back. "We're in public, stop this!" Still, she wriggles a little in the seat, giving him better access.
He puts his mouth right on her ear and says, "You know you love it. I bet your panties are soaked through right now." His mustache tickles her ear, and she can't help but think of him smelling her on his facial hair. "Hmmm, let's see what we have here," he comments, and he pops the button on her jeans and quietly draws her zipper down.
She gasps a little when he puts his fingers under the waistband of her panties, and he whispers, "Shhh, you don't want the whole plane to know I'm making you come. You know you're just as hot for me as I am for you." She struggles to keep quiet as he fondles her curls, dipping lower and lower, teasing her with his finger. He presses down further and swipes his finger across her damp slit. "I was right, sopping wet," he comments, and pulls his finger out from between her legs and out from under the blanket. She turns to look at him, and he puts his finger in his mouth and sucks her juices off, staring into her eyes.
Veronica thinks she's going to scream if he doesn't put his hand back on her pussy. "Logan?" she asks.
"Yes, m'dear?" he replies.
She says, "Please, put your hand back."
"Oh really, Veronica? What is it exactly that you want me to do?" She blushes again, and he chuckles. "C'mon, Veronica, what do you want?"
She twists her head and whispers into his ear, "Touch my pussy please." He bends his head and begins to kiss her neck as he puts his hand back under the blanket. He rests his hand on her pussy, but doesn't move it. She looks at him furiously, and he shrugs, saying, "You're going to have to be more specific, sugarpuss."
He tilts his head, giving her easier access to whisper in his ear, and finally she comes up with, "Rub your fingers on my...on me."
"On what? I'm confused," he says teasingly, as he pats her pussy gently under the blanket.
"You asshat," she says intensely into his ear. "Stroke my clit, goddammit."
"I thought you'd never ask," he says smugly, and begins to flick his finger over her nub as he bites her neck. She closes her eyes, trying desperately to keep quiet, while he caresses her firmly underneath the blankets. He whispers, "I'm pretending my mouth is on you. You're sitting on my face, and I'm licking you, getting your cum all over my face. Tasting you, god, you taste so good. You're riding me like a cowgirl, screaming and carrying on while you gush all over me. Mmmm, I'm tonguing you so hard right now." He presses his fingers into her more firmly, and she jolts against his hand, then with an effort keeps her body still under his hand's ministrations. "That's my girl, you're going to come for me, you want to scream my name, mmmm, I'm licking you, baby, licking you, fucking you with my tongue," He begins to lap at her earlobe; she moans just a little, so that only he hears her, and presses her pelvis into his hand. He looks around to see if they have attracted any attention, but everyone seems to be oblivious. Logan reaches his other arm around her and, underneath the blanket, pushes her jeans and panties down to give himself better access.
"God," she whispers, "You are a fucking pervert."
"Damn straight," he whispers back, then plunges his fingers into her and begins to fuck her pussy, keeping the pressure of his thumb on her clit.
She closes her eyes again with the effort of remaining quiet and begins to tremble and quake, insanely thrilled that someone might notice what they're doing in the rear of the plane. "Kiss me so I don't scream," she gasps, and he obliges, swallowing the sounds of her release for her.
She begins to calm down a little, and Logan looks around again, and notices the restrooms adjacent to their row. "Inocupado, baby, let's go," he whispers, motioning with his head.
"What?"
"You know, the Mile High Club, let's do it. Come on..."
She hesitates, then nods, saying, "All right. You go first."
He stands up, edging out from the aisle, keeping his erection obscured by facing the back of the plane, and enters the restroom. A minute later, Veronica, her face still flushed, pulls up her panties and jeans, throws off the blanket, and follows him.
He throws her against the doorway, bruising her mouth with a savage kiss as he throws the lock to the "Occupied" position. Logan grinds his body against her, and she gasps at the feel of his erection. His tongue fills her mouth as he unbuttons and unzips her jeans again. She kicks off her sandals, then he grabs her ass and pulls her over to the sink, lifting her up onto the counter and removing her jeans and panties in one smooth motion. Logan spreads her legs wide as the jeans hit the floor with a soft thump, and he positions himself between her legs, kissing her throat and pushing her shirt and bra up. She reaches for his belt, hurrying to undo it. She fumbles, and he chuckles at her distress, helping her to get it undone with one hand while keeping the other firmly ensconced on her breast. Panting in her excitement, she pushes his jeans down.
"Going commando?" she comments when she realizes he's not wearing his usual boxers.
"The better to fuck you, little girl," he replies. "Besides, I didn't know you were going to track me down today; I needed to do laundry."
She laughs and grabs his cock in her hand, pulling his ass toward her with her other hand. "So Mr. Big Talker, let's see what you got. C'mon, fuck me already, if you can handle it," she snarks, stroking his cock roughly.
"Oh you are definitely gonna get it," he replies, pushing forward to enter her. Just then, the plane hits a pocket of turbulence and dips to the left. Veronica giggles as his cock totally misses her entrance when Logan loses his balance. Logan grabs her tightly and, repositioning himself, thrusts in to his full extent, and Veronica throws her head back, panting and moaning.
She wraps her legs around him, trying to pull him in, and he begins to fuck her intensely, pounding and clutching her to him. They hear a "ding" over the loudspeaker, and Veronica says, "Shit! Hurry!" He speeds up, and she buries her face in his chest, muffling her cries of passion with his body. They hear over the loudspeaker, "The captain has turned on the seat belt sign. Please return to your seat and fasten your seat belts." Logan thrusts as she hitches herself desperately against him. "God, Logan," she pants; she frantically begins to touch her clit, trying to keep her hand in place while Logan pumps violently in her, swaying as the plane dips twice.
There's a knocking on the door, and the stewardess says, "Excuse me, you need to return to your seat. Right now. Are you all right in there?"
"Just...just one second, I'll be...right out," Veronica gasps out, as she begins to tremble. Logan smirks and thrusts several times more, ejaculating as she grabs onto him, desperately shaking and panting.
The flight attendant knocks again, "You have to return to your seat."
"Okay! I'm coming now!" Veronica replies tremulously, as she bucks one last time against Logan.
Logan pulls out, planting a quick kiss on her; she hops down from the sink, bends down to the floor, and pulls on her underwear and jeans. He stands behind the door as she leaves. Veronica says to the flight attendant, "Sorry about that, something I ate I guess." The attendant says, "Yeah, right; your friend too, please," and Veronica blushes a deep red as Logan emerges from the restroom. A couple passengers turn to stare as the two retake their seats in the last row.
When they are seated, the flight attendant checks that they have secured their seat belts and finally leaves, giving them a sour glance. "Stay in your seats, please," she instructs them.
Logan laughs and tickles Veronica; with a flaming red face, she hisses at him, "I'm going to kill you."
He kisses her cheek and whispers back happily, "Love you too, Veronica Mars." New memory...mission accomplished. I'm never going to forget this.
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
A Desperate Plan
Veronica, Logan and Keith discuss
Veronica's plan.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason
Dohring. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
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CHAPTER FORTY: "A DESPERATE PLAN"
Wed. 2/25/09 evening: San Diego to Neptune, CA
After their escapades in the rear of the plane, both Logan and Veronica fall asleep, exhausted from the emotionality of their reunion. Veronica starts awake when the flight attendant touches her to tell her to put up her seat back for landing. Logan stirs next to her, then looks over to her with a sheepish grin.
They make their way to Veronica's Saturn, and Veronica drives them back to Neptune. "You're going to stay at the apartment, right?" she asks, glancing at Logan.
"For now," he answers. "Since I'm back, I might as well start going to classes again. I want to see if I can salvage the semester."
"But you'll stay through the weekend?" Veronica insists.
"Yes, sugarpuss."
"Good. Logan, I..."
"What?"
"I didn't realize until you left...It wasn't until you left that I realized how much I need you," Veronica says.
Logan thinks, That's the second time in two days that she admitted she needs me. He reaches across to caress her arm, and she steals a glance at him, smiling wanly.
"What are the charges against your dad?" he asks.
"Second-degree arson, since the building was unoccupied, but with an enhancement for the use of an accelerant. First-degree criminal mischief. They set a bail of 250,000 dollars. Cliff said we were lucky they gave him bail at all, since he would be more skilled at creating a new identity and fleeing the country than most defendants. The judge was an old friend of Dad's," she concludes.
"So what are you planning to do?"
"I want to talk with Dad about the investigation into the disappearance of Lilly Kane sex tapes. And then, I want the two of us to talk with Leo and threaten to take what we know about the tapes to the press. I don't think he would survive a recall election."
"So would Deputy Sacks be in charge if Leo was recalled?" Logan jokes.
"Ooh, scary thought." She looks over at Logan again. "Dad's not going to like this plan. He's never spoken a word to me about the arson; he won't discuss it, just says, 'No, Veronica, leave it alone.' Cliff said he refused to make a statement when he was arrested."
"Let me see if I understand this. Vinnie has the goods on you–you helping Duncan flee the country three years ago. So Vinnie blackmails your dad into doing something; we're not sure what. Then we blackmail Leo into dropping the charges against your dad, because we know he took a payoff from my dad to steal the videotapes. It's a fucking circle-jerk."
Veronica smiles wryly, "It's the Neptune specialty."
Privately, Logan muses, Circle-jerk doesn't even cover it. It's goddamn Dante's Inferno. Maybe Neptune should adopt a new slogan, 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' He scoffs aloud at his satirical whimsy, and Veronica glances at him. He says, "I hope this works."
"I know. I've been trying not to think about the retribution Dad would face in prison from all the crooks he's put away." Her voice trembles a little, and Logan realizes just how scared she is.
Wed. 2/25/09 evening: Sunset Cliffs Apartment, Neptune, CA
When Veronica and Logan enter the apartment, Keith stands up and strides over to Logan. He starts to shake Logan's hand but changes his mind, enveloping Logan in a bear hug. Keith says, "Logan, it's good to have you home."
Logan is visibly shaken by Keith's greeting. "Keith, I..." Home. This is home.
"But don't do it again, okay? You really upset Veronica." Keith claps Logan on the back and asks, "Hey, did they feed you guys on the plane?"
Veronica says, "I could eat."
Logan stifles a laugh. Veronica glares at him.
Keith pulls a tray of lasagna from the oven. "From Mama Leone's, Veronica's favorite restaurant."
The three of them stuff themselves. Logan finds the situation to be slightly surreal after his time away. Veronica puts a second helping of lasagna on his plate when he finishes and gives him a stern look. He sighs a little and digs in. She smiles, grabbing his knee under the table.
Veronica and Keith keep up the small talk throughout dinner. Logan feels more like an audience than a participant, never volunteering unless he is addressed directly. A stranger in a strange land, he thinks. No one's talking about Keith's preliminary hearing on Friday, he realizes. No one wants to think about it.
When there is a lull in the conversation, Logan finally asks another question that's been on his mind. "What's going on with Duncan?"
Veronica glances at him and says, "He's going through the custody process. First, they had a dependency hearing that made Lilly a dependent of the court and placed her in a temporary foster home. Then there will be a hearing where the interested parties will present their case plans for Lilly. They let Duncan see Lilly for an hour every day, a supervised visitation. Now that bastard Stewart Manning is trying to assert his rights as the biological parent. He's out on bail waiting for his trial on incest charges, and the creep is petitioning the court for visitation rights. Cliff says he doesn't have a chance in hell; there's case law that prohibits a child born as a result of sexual assault from being reunited with the perpetrator of the assault. Mrs. Manning has also filed for custody as the grandparent, but at least she's divorcing Stewart," Veronica concludes bitterly.
"So it's for sure then? Meg's baby was fathered by Stewart Manning?"
Keith nods. "It's a tragedy."
"But...why did Meg say that Duncan was the father?" asks Logan, bewildered.
Veronica says, "We think she was trying to protect her mother. The state may still file charges against Mrs. Manning or try to take the other girls away from her."
"I wish Meg had trusted you. If she had, maybe the whole mess could have been avoided," Logan comments.
"Meg was desperate, and I ruined her plan. I understand now why she was so bitter toward me when I got back together with Duncan," Veronica explains. She notes that Logan almost winces when she talks about her relationship with Duncan, and she rubs his knee under the table, trying to reassure him. She decides to change the subject.
"Dad, I wanted to ask you about something."
"Sure honey, what's up?" Keith notes Veronica's grim expression and adds, "Veronica, I told you, I don't want you to get involved–"
Veronica interrupts him. "Dad, could you tell me again, what happened when you interviewed Leo about the missing Aaron Echolls videotapes?"
"What?" Keith frowns. I wasn't expecting this. I was expecting a lecture about fighting to the end and trying every tactic to get off. I'm glad she got Logan to come back; at least she won't be alone after I plead guilty.
"Just tell me exactly what happened when you investigated the theft of the Aaron Echolls sex tapes...from the very beginning," Veronica repeats.
Keith looks at her quizzically but complies.
FLASHBACK: In Woody Goodman's office, Woody says, "Keith. I got a call from Sheriff Lamb right before lunch. The Aaron Echolls/Lilly Kane sex tapes have been stolen from the evidence room."
Surprised, Keith asks, "All of them?"
Woody nods, and Keith presses him, "Original and copies?"
Woody replies, "From separate safes, no less."
"Is there a sign of a break-in or...?"
Woody says, "No. This pretty much has to be an inside deal. Only an employee would have that kind of access."
Keith comments, "This is gonna put a huge dent in the prosecution's case."
Veronica interrupts Keith's story. "So at first, you assumed that the tapes had been stolen to damage the prosecution's case against Aaron?"
Keith says, "Of course. Maybe it comes from being sheriff, but I immediately assumed that the tapes were stolen to try to keep them out of evidence."
"So what changed your mind?" Veronica asks.
FLASHBACK: Keith is interviewing Leo about the theft of the videotapes. Leo says, "I'm not gonna insult your intelligence, Keith. Don is a fine politician but as a lawman and administrator? Security around here's a joke."
Keith comments, "That's odd. He told me security here was quite impressive."
Leo says wryly, "He thinks so. He locks himself out pretty often." They chuckle together, and Leo continues, "Listen. Someone must have figured what those tapes would be worth on the open market and..."
Keith looks heavenward before grunting.
Leo asks, "What?"
Keith explains, "No, it's nothing, I'm an idiot. I've been so hung up on Aaron Echolls and all this evidence tampering, I never stopped to think what those tapes are worth."
"Good celebrity porn is scarce these days," Leo says.
Veronica says, "Wait. First, Leo blamed the theft on poor security in the department, then–"
Logan interrupts, "He plants the idea that the tabloids were behind the theft."
Keith looks from Veronica to Logan and back. "What are you talking about?"
"We think Leo was paid by my dad to steal the tapes," Logan explains.
Keith gapes as Veronica continues, "He figured it would be no big deal to get away with it with Lamb in charge, but when Woody brought you in, Leo realized you were too smart and he'd have to come up with a new plan. He made sure you thought it was someone who intended to sell the tapes to a tabloid. When he got the email from Logan, he figured it was a way to milk a little more Echolls money and obscure the investigation. Logan made it clear in his email that he was going to destroy the tapes, so Leo would still get his payoff from Aaron. Leo's story about his sister was a convenient excuse that he knew would make you go easy on him."
"I don't understand what you're talking about. Why are you so sure that Leo stole the evidence for Aaron?" Keith glances at Logan, knowing that the mere mention of Aaron hurts him.
Logan states, "There would be no reason to steal both tapes if they wanted to sell them to a tabloid. Why not just steal one copy? Why go to all the trouble of breaking into two safes and taking twice as many chances to obtain the tapes? The tabloids could duplicate the tapes if they needed multiple copies."
Keith is stunned. He wipes his brow and says, "I can't believe it. You're right, it's the only theory that makes sense. Leo put one over on me." He looks from Logan to Veronica and adds, "What are you planning?"
Veronica and Logan stay silent.
Keith says angrily, "What are you planning? I don't want you to get involved in this."
"Just like you won't tell me why you set fire to that building!" Veronica replies heatedly.
"Veronica, I want you to stay out of it!" Keith says sternly.
"No," Logan says firmly. "We're helping you. It's why I came back. If necessary, I'll reveal that Leo sold me the tapes, and we'll present our theory. It would destroy Leo's career. If you think they hounded you out of office after Lilly's murder, it's nothing compared to what they'll do if the press finds out Leo made sure that Aaron Echolls would go free."
Resigned, Keith says, "I can't change your mind, can I?"
"No, Dad. We know the arson had something to do with Vinnie. You did it to save me because I was foolish enough to help Duncan flee the country with Lilly. There's no way in hell that we're going to let you go to prison for it," Veronica states, in a tone that says she'll brook no further discussion.
Keith sighs and goes to hug his daughter.
"I love you, Dad," she murmurs. "I know this will work."
Wed. 2/27/09 very late: Sunset Cliffs Apartments, Neptune, CA
Veronica wakes up with a start when she hears a quiet noise from the living room. Logan is still sleeping heavily beside her. She gets out of bed and soundlessly opens the bedroom door; she sees Keith in the kitchen and sighs with relief.
"Sorry, honey," he says softly, "Did I wake you? I couldn't sleep."
Veronica walks over to him and puts her arm around his waist. "Hot chocolate?" she asks, noticing the saucepan filled with milk.
He nods. "Want one?"
"Yes." He adds some milk to the pan and takes another mug from the rack.
"I don't know why I'm so jumpy," she comments.
The milk begins to bubble gently, and Keith removes the pan from the stove and pours the milk into two mugs. In silence, they stir hot chocolate mix into their mugs and walk over to the kitchen island to sit down.
"I'm glad you're up, Veronica," he says, avoiding her eyes, "There's something I needed to talk to you about. I really wish you weren't doing this with Leo, trying to–"
She interrupts, "Dad, I'm not going to let you go to prison. It's all my fault anyways; I know that Vinnie's been blackmailing you into doing something for him. If I hadn't helped Duncan–"
"Shh," he quiets her. "That was so long ago. You were just a kid, and you made a mistake."
Both fall silent, remembering their confrontation from three years ago.
FLASHBACK: Veronica runs into her room, stopping short when she sees Keith at her desk. He can't bear to look at her; with his voice shaking, he says, "If they take you away...if you're sent to prison..."
She replies emotionally, "You read the letters, though, right? From Meg to Child Protection Services? They're about her parents."
Keith angrily says, "It's not just YOUR life you're gambling with, Veronica. I would not survive without you. You understand what you've done?"
Veronica approaches him, but he refuses to look at her. She says, "We had to do it."
"I know you think you did."
"We DID!"
He finally turns to her and says bitterly, "YOU PLAYED ME, VERONICA!" She freezes under his angry stare, realizing that she has lost something, that her relationship with her father has changed forever. He turns his head again, unable to look at her.
She says defensively, with a tremor in her voice, "We had to."
Quietly, with an unfamiliar coldness, he responds, "I love you. I'll always love you. But I don't know how I'll ever trust you again."
Veronica looks at her father across the counter and says brokenly, "Daddy, I'm so sorry. I wish...I wish..."
He takes her hand and rubs it, replying, "Ssh, it's going to be okay."
"No, it's not. Whatever Vinnie made you do...it's changed you. I've never seen you drink as much as you've been drinking lately. I know you think you're protecting me, but...If this doesn't work tomorrow with Leo, I want you to tell the truth, whatever it is, and I'll deal with it...Cliff will help us, I know he will–"
Keith interrupts her babbling. "Veronica. You can't go to prison. I'll be all right. It would just be a few years. I want you to listen to me."
"Dad, no–" The tears begin to stream down her face, and she tries to blot them without success.
"Veronica, listen to me." He waits a moment to make sure she's paying attention. "If I go to prison, I want you to give up this apartment and move in with Logan. I know he'll take care of you. You can transfer to UCLA. There's enough money for you to finish school if you transfer there–it's not as expensive as Hearst. And I don't want you to spend your college money on an appeal for me. We're going to do this my way."
"Dad, why won't you tell me the truth about Vinnie, what he's making you do?"
"No! This ends here. I'll survive, if you survive. Will you promise me?" He stares at her; when she drops her head to avoid his gaze, he touches her chin and lifts her head so that she has to look at him. "Promise me, Veronica."
Reluctantly, she says, "I promise." This has to work tomorrow. I'm going to make it work.
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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Shades of Noir
Duncan is suspicious of Katya; Wallace
and Candice at her brother's funeral;
Logan and Veronica confront Leo.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason
Dohring. Leo: Max Greenfield. Wallace:
Percy Daggs III. Duncan 2.0: Chris
Carmack. Candice Pauling: Toy
Connor. Katya: Katherine Heigl.
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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: "SHADES OF NOIR"
Thurs. 2/26/09 morning: Neptune Grand Hotel, Neptune, CA
When Duncan wakes up, the bed is empty beside him. He walks sleepily out to the living room to find Katya drinking coffee and reading the paper. He sits down next to her and kisses her on the cheek. "You're up early," he comments.
"I woke up, and I couldn't get back to sleep," she explains.
Duncan looks at the paper and sees that Katya is reading a news item about Keith Mars' preliminary hearing on arson charges. He asks, "Do you know Keith Mars? That was his daughter with me after my press conference. I'm...I was very close to her in the past," he finishes lamely.
"I don't know him personally," Katya says smoothly. "Of course I remember the news coverage of your sister's murder and the trial of Aaron Echolls. Neptune has had more than its share of scandals...You must have loved Lilly very much; you named your daughter after her."
Duncan closes his eyes for a moment. "Lilly was...so full of life. She was an intense person; to call her a free spirit doesn't even do her justice. When I found out that I was going to be a father," he glances at Katya, "When I thought I was the father of Meg's baby, I wanted to do something so that my sister could live on."
Katya replies, "She's still your daughter, Duncan. Biology is only part of it; you've raised her."
Duncan nods and changes the topic. "Any more of that coffee?"
Katya says, "There's still half a pot. I'm going to jump in the shower." She caresses Duncan's cheek and goes in the bathroom.
Duncan watches her leave the room. When he hears the shower start, he goes to Katya's purse and begins to dig through it. The lawyers said that I needed to run a background check on Katerina; I can't take the chance that she's got something in her past that Mrs. Manning could bring up to oppose my custody petition. The senior partner said that all of my associates would need to be vetted to prevent any surprises later on. He finds Katerina's driver's license and passport and copies down all the information, intending to ask Veronica to run a background check. Duncan picks up the paper, looks at the story on Keith Mars' preliminary hearing the next day, and sighs. It doesn't look good for Keith. I hope he has something up his sleeve to exonerate himself. Poor Veronica, she must be worried sick.
Thurs. 2/26/09 morning: First Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA
Wallace tries to listen as the friends and family of Shawn Blake eulogize him at his memorial service, but his mind keeps wandering. He thinks about the trip he and Candice made to the small town east of Seattle where Shawn's body was discovered. After Candice officially identified the body from a photo, they arranged for the remains to be shipped back to Atlanta. Wallace queried the detective in charge of the case as to the progress of the investigation. The detective told Wallace that in recent years the national forest just outside of Glacier had become a popular route for methamphetamine smuggling from Canada, and he thought it was possible that Shawn was involved in moving drugs. Wallace asked if any drugs were found on Shawn; the detective shook his head 'no'. Candice was given a bag containing Shawn's effects: a wallet emptied of cash and credit cards; a watch; and a Blackberry device. The detective said they were unable to unlock the Blackberry without a password. Wallace had the distinct impression that the detective was happy to dispose of the case and would not spend any more time on it.
Candice stands up to speak; Wallace squeezes her hand in support, and she looks at him gratefully before walking to the front of the church. Candice tells several stories about Shawn's childhood. Her voice is for the most part strong and steady; however, at times she pauses and gathers herself to continue. Over the past two weeks, as Wallace has helped her with her difficult tasks, she has broken down into tears more than once.
Candice sits back down next to Wallace, and the pastor begins to speak from the lectern. Wallace wishes desperately that he could do more for her; the password-protected Blackberry is the best lead he has to try identify Shawn's murderers. He's already done some research online and found out that three wrong guesses for the password will automatically trigger a complete deletion of the information on the device; Wallace assumes the detective has tried at least once. Two tries left. I wish Mac was around; she'd know how to hack into the Blackberry. Wallace decides to ask his faculty advisor, Professor Winkler, if he knew how to get in touch with his old grad student, Leon, the cryptography expert that Veronica busted in the Magneta-corp student ID scam. Wallace had heard that all the kids involved had gotten off easy, with substantial fines going a long way towards keeping their permanent records clean.
Not for the first time, Wallace wishes Keith could help him with the investigation into Shawn's murder. Since Keith's arrest, Wallace has been reluctant to bother him with anything else. He went with Veronica to bail Keith out; Keith refused to talk with them about the charges and told them not to interfere. Wallace discussed Keith's secretive activities with Veronica, but they were unable to determine exactly why Keith would have burned a car and a shed in Ranchita, and Keith sternly insisted that they needed to leave it alone. Tomorrow's the preliminary hearing; Veronica said she had a plan, but I don't know...it doesn't look good. I don't know what Veronica will do if Keith is convicted. He makes a mental note to call her tonight to wish them good luck at the hearing.
The entire congregation stands, and Wallace joins them, trying to sing along with the hymn. Candice looks at him, and he puts his arm around her waist, whispering in her ear, "We're going to get through this." She leans against him, and he hugs her tightly.
Thurs. 2/26/09: Neptune Sheriff's Department, Neptune, CA
Sheriff Leo D'Amato escorts Logan and Veronica into his office and sits behind his desk.
Without preamble, Logan says, "We know you were hired by my dad to steal the Lilly Kane videotapes."
"What? What are you talking about? I thought you were here to talk about Keith Mars' bail arrangements," Leo says strongly, although a quiver in his voice betrays him. He leans back a little in his chair, affecting a calm demeanor.
"We know you were hired by my dad to steal the Lilly Kane videotapes."
Leo purses his lips and says, "Now, look here, Echolls, you might be able to prove that I sold you the tapes, but you're completely off-base, saying that I stole them for your father. The guy's a murderer; why would I want to help get him off?"
"Money. It's always money," Logan answers. "And you knew Lamb would be too stupid to figure out who took them. But then...when Woody Goodman hired Keith, you panicked. You knew Keith would be able to trace the money, and he would be relentless, after what Aaron did to him and Veronica."
Veronica adds, "So you suggested to my dad that the tapes were stolen to be sold to a tabloid, and he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. He thought you were a good detective, and he let that blind him to the truth."
Leo laughs hollowly. "Veronica, you know I always liked you, but this theory's ridiculous. I stole the tapes in order to sell them to 'The Instigator'. Your bad boy here is talking nonsense."
Logan explains, "There's no reason to steal both copies of the tapes if you just wanted to sell them to a tabloid. One tape would have been worth the same as two. In fact, why even steal them? Just make a copy, return the tape to the evidence room; no one would know they were ever gone. Nope, the only reason to steal all the copies was to destroy the evidence against Aaron.
Trying to deflect, Leo says, "I'm betting this arson had something to do with Vinnie Van Lowe and the Fitzpatricks. Since when is your dad mixed up with the micks, Veronica?"
Veronica says heatedly, "Dad's not mixed up with anybody, and we're talking about you, what you did, and I'm betting the residents of Neptune would be interested to hear our theory."
Leo says, "You don't really know what your dad is capable of, do you, Veronica? In fact, you don't really have any idea what anybody's capable of."
Veronica replies curtly, "I'm pretty sure I'm not capable of setting a murderer free."
"So what are we talking about here?" Leo asks, resigned.
Veronica says, "Most of the evidence against my dad is circumstantial. The only solid evidence is the bug detector that you found at the scene. Maybe Harmony Chase stole the signal detector in the break-in last fall, and you didn't notice it on the police report until just now. Or maybe it gets lost in the evidence room, since we all know that's already happened a couple times when you've been in charge." Leo glares at Veronica as she continues, "Or you'll just discover that other people in Balboa County also own signal detectors. If the device isn't part of the evidence against my dad, it would be mighty hard to prove that he committed arson. And what's the motive? What possible reason could Keith Mars have to burn a car on a property all the way across the county? I think the district attorney could be persuaded to drop the charges. You made a mistake, Leo. And you're going to tell the DA that you're certain that Keith Mars is innocent."
Leo says sarcastically, "Let me tell you something, Veronica. I really dig your work here. Playing one side against the other, in bed with everybody, just fabulous stuff. What else do I have to do for you and Mr. Risky Business?"
"Nobody forced you to take Aaron Echolls' money to steal the tapes, Leo. And you have my word that it ends here," Veronica replies.
After a pause, Leo says, "I'll change the reports from the break-in last fall." He makes airquotes with his fingers and continues, "I can't believe I didn't notice before now that the bug detector was listed as stolen on the evidence report. I'm sure the district attorney will be relieved to hear that the venerable Keith Mars couldn't possibly be the owner of the evidence we found at the scene, and the charges will be dropped immediately."
Logan states flatly, "Make sure that they are. I'm pretty sure a pretty boy-law enforcement type such as yourself wouldn't thrive in prison if you were convicted of evidence tampering. I bet you'd make a beautiful bride for a white supremacist; you just need to let those curly locks grow a bit."
Leo flushes and retorts, "You'd know, Echolls. You're not exactly lily-pure, are you? You've got some things to answer for. Lilly Kane, Hannah Griffith, not to mention the bum-fights and the riots over swimming pool fires. Oh yeah, don't forget about bashing a cop car with a baseball bat."
At the word 'lily', Logan jumps up, glaring at Leo. Veronica grabs his arm, saying, "No, Logan! We got what we came for. Let's go."
As they leave the sheriff's office, Logan angrily shakes Veronica's hand off his arm. She says, "Logan, we knew. We knew he pulled the wool over everyone's eyes." Especially mine. Dammit, how could I have been so blind?
"Christ, does everyone have to be corrupt in this town? What is it, something in the water?" Logan replies bitterly.