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. No harm or insult is intended to any real-life organizations or to any participants in the meetings of these organizations. The name of the town discussed in this section is a real town, but my wild ravings have nothing to do with the real town or its inhabitants. Again, this fic is not intended for those under the age of 17.
A/N: Beta-ed by Poniesforall, Zaftig-Darling, and Kazy. Any remaining errors are my responsibility. Sorry for the delay in updating.
Last time on The Year of Living Dangerously Part II-Just the important stuff from chapters 126-130:
( for the whole overblown "previously on", see my journal.
vanessagalore•livejournal•com/112273•html )
THIS SUMMARY REFERS TO THE UPDATE POSTED 3/21/09; GO BACK AND READ THE LAST CHAPTER IF YOU MISSED IT.
[ I apologize profusely for the delay in updating. ]
Veronica tells her dad that she and Logan have been trying to talk, finally, about the night she was raped. Keith suggests that they should drop out of the case against Briar Hill, but Veronica refuses. She insists on continuing to investigate Hannah's murder.
In Rio Linda, Keith, Veronica, and Logan check in with the local sheriff, who is dubious that Hannah would have been hiding in Rio Linda. Keith notes that the sheriff is working on several methamphetamine cases. They locate the house where Hannah was living; one neighbor tells them she was using the name Meredith and reports that 'Meredith' took a bus every day around 3:30. They follow the bus route and locate a diner where Hannah was working under the name 'Meredith Grey'. The diner owner, Mel, tells them a little about Hannah's life in Rio Linda and suggests that a man was asking questions about her the night before she disappeared. The last time he saw Hannah was January 10, and he hasn't seen Katey Shaffer, the woman with whom Hannah was living, since the summer before. He had a cell phone number but no address for 'Meredith', who was working for cash, 'under the table'.
Meanwhile, Kavner and Harris, the two security guards, are separated from Keith, Veronica, and Logan by a white paneled van. They are then pulled over by a policeman and arrested on a false charge. Their car is taken, and it resumes following the Marses and Logan.
Leo questions Padraig Fitzpatrick. A hair presumed to be Kendall's was found on a car seat from the Crawford's SUV in his junkyard/chop shop. Padraig appears to be surprised when Leo informs him that Liam took a trip to the Cayman Islands in September and that Kendall's plastic surgery was apparently done by Dr. Griffith. He refuses to answer any of more questions other than reiterating that he had been under arrest at the Neptune Sheriff's Department the night of Kendall's murder.
Leo reinterviews Mrs. Griffith. After a breakin in September, Dr. Griffith was very nervous and hired a bodyguard and installed a security system. About six weeks later, he dismissed the bodyguard and appeared to relax until the beginning of January, when he again was very nervous. His wife insisted on a getaway, and they were vacationing in Cabo San Lucas when Hannah was murdered.
A man, Andrew Shekar, is arrested in the serial murder case and charged in the murders of all the victims except Hannah Griffith.
Mac's captors communicate with a man in Rio Linda, who tells them that Keith and Logan are both armed, and they are being followed by security guards. The man in Rio Linda is ordered to improvise a solution. Mac's captors kill Alan Sheffield and announce that Mac is to take two prescription pills so they can get out of there. Mac is horrified by Alan's cold-blooded murder and complies.
Wallace and Weevil approach Principal Clemmons about the unidentified young man thought to be involved with the Fitzpatricks. Clemmons remembers the face and agrees that the student was probably in an alternative education program; they search through the files at Neptune High and identify the boy as Kevin Carney. Principal Clemmons tells them that Kevin's uncle is an FBI agent.
After they leave the diner, Veronica, Keith, and Logan debate their next step. They decide to tell Mike what they've learned and interview Hannah's former landlord. They head to the landlord's house, where they are taken by two men. Keith is knocked unconscious, and Veronica's shoulder is stressed again, causing her to pass out from the pain. They are bound with duct tape and transported in a van. Veronica at first is desolate and at the point of giving up but begins to find some inner strenght, vowing to fight against their captors.
Logan manages to get the duct tape off Veronica's wrists just as the van appears to be stopping, With no time for her to free all of them, he desperately puts the duct tape back, making sure to leave it so she can get free again. Veronica will have to pretend to be 'beaten' and then somehow take advantage of an opportunity to get them all free.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
The Soul Uneasy and Confin'd From Home
Wallace and Weevil take their suspicions to
Leo; Mike follows a hunch; the van arrives.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Leo: Max Greenfield.
Mac: Tina Majorino. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
Eli: Francis Capra. Mike Fields: Michael Trucco.
Sacks: Brandon Hillock. Brian: Scott Elrod.
Frank: Stephen Dorff. Man: Peter Greene.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE: "THE SOUL UNEASY AND CONFIN'D FROM HOME"
Sat. 3/21/09 late afternoon: Neptune Sheriff's Department
Wallace strides into the sheriff's department with Weevil following close behind. "Deputy Sacks, we need to see the sheriff right away."
Sacks replies, "He's on his way back to the station. Take a seat; I expect him in about ten minutes."
Weevil says, "Not good enough."
"Excuse me?" Sacks says.
Wallace adds quickly, "We have some important information about the Fitzpatrick case. And...we haven't been able to get in touch with Veronica and her dad. They're up in Northern California, checking out a few leads, and they're not answering their phone. We're worried something happened to them."
"Maybe they're in a bad cell area," Sacks offers. "How long since you spoke to them?"
"I talked to them this morning. I don't think they're in a bad cell area. Something's wrong! They have security guards following them, and I can't get in touch with them either."
Weevil interjects, "We need to do something now."
"What do you want me to do?" Sacks asks.
"Call the Rio Linda police, put out an APB...whatever," Wallace suggests.
"Because you can't reach them by phone for..." Sacks checks his watch. "Approximately six hours? The Rio Linda Sheriff's Department is going to laugh in my face. Just have a seat, the sheriff will be back soon and you can talk to him."
They turn around and go into the hallway to wait impatiently. Weevil pulls out a pack of cigarettes and nervously taps it against his palm. Wallace asks curiously, "Since when do you smoke?"
"I quit a long time ago." Weevil looks embarrassed and puts the cigarettes away.
"So?"
Weevil scowls. "I'm stressed, okay? It started when I upset Veronica the other night. And then—" He stops short.
"What happened with you and Oswaldo last night?" Wallace presses.
"Shh," Weevil says quickly, looking around. "Let's not talk about it, okay?"
"What did you do?" Wallace whispers.
"You don't want to know," Weevil blurts. "Leave it alone."
Wallace stares at him. "It's not going to help Veronica if you get into trouble."
"I know, all right? Shut the fuck up, will you?"
Wallace pulls out his cell phone and tries Veronica again with no success. He checks the voicemail at Mars Investigations as well. There's a message from Dick, trying to get in touch with Veronica.
Leo strides into the department, ignoring the two boys seated in the waiting area.
"Sheriff," Wallace begins.
"What is it? I'm busy," Leo says distractedly.
"I'm Wallace Fennel, I work with Keith Mars. We have some information about the Fitzpatricks and—"
"Right, Wallace. I remember you. Come into my office," Leo barks as he leads the way. "Sacks, get some coffee in here."
Wallace mutters to Weevil, "Let me do the talking okay?"
"All right," Weevil agrees.
They sit down and wait while Leo writes a few notes before looking up at them. His eyes light on Weevil, who is still wearing his leather jacket, and Leo's eyebrow raise questioningly. Wallace hurries to introduce him as Eli Navarro.
Leo says thoughtfully, "Right. They call you Weevil, right? I remember arresting you a few years ago—you broke into Lilly Kane's bedroom. And for some unknown reason, Celeste Kane dropped the charges."
"She knew I didn't take anything," Weevil lies smoothly.
"Yeah, I also remember you were head of the PCHers."
"Ancient history," Weevil replies. "I work at Hearst College now."
"We caught one of the PCHers with a large quantity of heroin last night. Guy named Oswaldo Cortez. Coincidence?"
Wallace flinches slightly at this revelation, and Weevil unobtrusively kicks him in the leg. Weevil says calmly, "I don't think Oswaldo was ever in the PCHers. His cousin Hector took over for me after I left, but Oswaldo was never in the gang. And the PCHers don't sell drugs...at least we never did when I was in charge. That sounds more like the Fitzpatricks, if you ask me."
Wallace is suddenly thinking that Weevil should have just stayed in the car. Shut up, Weevil.
Leo replies, "Could be. He's lawyered up. It's kind of a coincidence; he's also the one who told me about Logan's affair with Kendall Casablancas. Lots of coincidences lately." Leo assesses Weevil for a long moment before turning his attention back to Wallace. "What is it you wanted to tell me about the Fitzpatricks?"
"You know Mr. Mars was looking for a connection between the FBI and the Fitzpatricks. Well, we found it." Wallace pushes the photo of Kevin Carney talking with Liam Fitzpatrick across Leo's desk.
"This is one of the photos that Keith gave me," Leo notes. "You found out who this kid is?"
"His name is Kevin Carney; he works as a delivery boy for the Fitzpatricks. His uncle is an FBI agent."
"Carney?" Leo frowns. He picks up a pencil and taps it on the desk. "That sounds familiar. Sacks!"
Sacks brings a cup of coffee into the office and places it on Leo's desk. "Sorry it took me so long, Sheriff."
"Never mind. Do you remember an Agent Carney from the FBI?"
Sacks thinks a minute. "Yeah, he was from the serial killer task force. The Behavioral Sciences Unit. He was interviewing people who knew Hannah Griffith back in January."
"He was working the serial killer case?" Wallace asks incredulously. "Then he would have known how to make Hannah's murder look like the Slasher did it."
"They arrested the Slasher early this morning in Los Angeles," Sacks interjects. "They didn't charge the guy with Hannah Griffith's murder though; just the other eight women. I thought it was weird when I heard the news." He heads back to the outer office and shuts the door behind him.
Leo taps a few keys on his computer. "Kevin Carney has a juvenile record." He frowns and peers at the screen. "Sentenced to nine months in a county facility for car theft when he was sixteen. It looks like he's been keeping out of trouble since then." He accesses another file and announces, "His uncle applied to be named as the boy's guardian, but his mother opposed the petition, and it was denied. Of course, he's over eighteen now, so...." He sits back heavily in his chair and stares into space, thinking hard. "I have to say...I didn't put much stock in Keith's theory. But you're right—this is a pretty big coincidence, given what we know about Griffith."
"The Fitzpatricks have been running the show in this town for too long not to have friends in high places," Weevil notes.
Wallace says anxiously, "Sheriff...Veronica, Mr. Mars, and Logan Echolls went up to Rio Linda today to try to look into Hannah's murder. And we've lost touch with them."
"Rio Linda?"
"Just outside of Sacramento," Wallace explains. "They found out that's where Hannah was living after she ran away from the school. And once Duncan's hearing was, uh," he stumbles momentarily, thinking of Leo's involvement, "Uh, resolved...they headed up there to see what they could find out for Hannah's mother. You know, Ms. Denenberg is really struggling with what happened to her daughter."
Leo frowns. "Okay...they went to Rio Linda. What are you suggesting?"
"I'm worried they stumbled onto something about Hannah's murder, or somebody intercepted them. Maybe this Agent Carney realized they were investigating up there."
Leo rubs his forehead and closes his eyes in fatigue. "When's the last time you heard from them?"
"Late this morning....I know, it's only a few hours, but given the situation..." Wallace explains.
Leo turns to his computer and types a few keystrokes before picking the phone. "May I speak to the sheriff please?...Sheriff Leo D'Amato, from Neptune in Balboa County." He plays with the pencil again while he waits. "Sheriff. We may have a situation here. I have an associate of Keith Mars here in my office; Mr. Mars is a private investigator here in—" He breaks off and scribbles a few notes as he listens. "Mr. Mars' associate claims that he hasn't been able to reach Mr. Mars for over five hours. You saw them about two o'clock?...Do you have any idea where they were heading?...I see. Sheriff, I would consider it a great personal favor if you would send a patrol car to check out that address....There's been some developments that Mr. Mars is unaware of that may put him and his, uh, colleagues in danger....Thanks, I appreciate that."
He hangs up the phone and looks at Wallace and Weevil. "They checked in with the sheriff when they got to town. The sheriff remembers the address they were asking about, and he's sending a car out."
"So we know they got to Rio Linda," Wallace muses. "What about the FBI agent? Are you going to arrest him?"
"You can't just arrest an FBI agent. I can't even bring him in for questioning."
Wallace presses, "Why didn't you mention him to the Rio Linda sheriff?"
Leo sighs. "I've got to follow protocol for this. This evidence is highly circumstantial."
"Then what the fu— I mean, what can you do?" Weevil says, catching himself.
"I can talk to his bureau chief. In the meantime, I can bring in this Kevin Carney, see what he has to say for himself."
"That's it?" Weevil asks in frustration. "They could be killing Veronica right this minute."
Hearing the actual words that he's been trying to avoid thinking slams Wallace in the gut. Attempting to keep the tremble out of his voice, Wallace says, as persuasively as he can, "Mr. Mars was pretty nervous. He hired security guards to trail them and keep an eye out for trouble, and the agency hasn't been able to reach them either. I think we should really try to—"
"You know as well as I do that they could just be in a bad cell area, and if the guards are following, then they'd be in the same bad area." Leo shrugs. "The sheriff said he would call me back after they checked out the house. I'll let you know what he says. Leave your cell number with the deputy." He stands up, indicating that the discussion is over.
"Sheriff, please," Weevil pleads loudly, trying like hell to resist punching a wall or throwing a chair. "You know the Fitzpatricks don't screw around. And if they think Veronica has solid evidence against them, they won't hesitate to take her out."
Leo's voice betrays that he is frustrated as well. "What would you have me do? I promise, I'm not blowing you off, Mr. Navarro, Mr. Fennel. I'm just as concerned as you are. I'm going to call the Los Angeles Bureau Chief right now, and I'll send a car out to pick up Kevin Carney. Thanks for bringing this evidence to my attention."
Wallace looks into Leo's face; there's a slight twitch below Leo's left eye, and the man is obviously tense. This is much more complicated than just a sheriff trying to run an investigation...there's an awful lot of emotion here. Aloud he says, "Thanks for listening to us, Sheriff."
Wallace and Weevil leave the office; Weevil is just barely keeping himself in check. When they get into Wallace's car, Weevil slams the door too hard, and Wallace says with aggravation, "Hey. It's my mom's car. You're not helping by slamming the door."
"Sorry. I'm just...." Weevil pounds his fist on the dashboard, and Wallace flinches at his anger. Bitterly, he comments, "You know, when it was me on the hook for murder, they hauled me out of my graduation in handcuffs and asked questions later. When it's some fucking FBI agent, everyone's worried about protocol and following the goddamn rules."
Wallace starts up the car. "I know. But Weevil, he didn't blow us off. He listened to us, and I think he's going to pursue it. ...Look it, we don't have to just sit around and wait for him to do something. Let's go to the office. I have a few ideas."
Weevil is still glowering, upset about Leo's attitude.
Wallace says forcefully, "We have to stay focused. Veronica's counting on us."
"Right," Weevil mutters.
Sat. 3/21/09 late afternoon: Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, CA
Mike Fields shows his FBI identification and goes to the head of the line at the check-in counter. He holds his breath as the agent checks over the ID; if the agent calls it in, he'll quickly discover that Mike is still on suspension. However, the agent merely glances at the ID cursorily. Mike purchases a ticket and checks an overnight bag with his disassembled weapon after filling out the necessary paperwork.
He hurries to the gate, quickly passing through security with another flash of his identification. He paces nervously and tries to call Veronica again, but like the last twenty times he has tried, there is no response. Finally, the 5:30 flight to Sacramento is called for boarding. Mike takes his seat on the plane, and, after a last check of the screen to make sure Veronica hasn't called, he shuts off his phone for the duration of the flight.
Sat. 3/21/09 early evening: Somewhere in the United States
The rear doors of the van are yanked open. While pointing a gun at them, Brian orders sharply, "The girl first. Take her down to the boat while I watch the other two." Frank nods and easily hoists her over his shoulder.
The new position puts stress on Veronica's wrist bonds, and she struggles to hold her arms together to prevent the now-flimsy duct tape binding from letting go. She grits her teeth against the pain until she realizes that crying will help her look more vulnerable. Veronica gives in to the pain, letting the tears run down her cheeks as the man carries her down a wooden boardwalk. She catches a glimpse of Brian tapping her dad's face lightly, trying to make him come around, and she tries desperately to control her panic.
She resolutely focuses on the situation: she observes her surroundings as her head bobs upside down as she is carried along the boardwalk. Definitely northern California, probably on the coast, not a lake, she thinks; too cool for southern California. She listens closely and thinks she discerns the faint sound of the ocean. She tries to figure driving times, but her sense of time is completely distorted by her panic attack in the van. Way too dark for the afternoon, Veronica decides. Early evening. 6:00, 7:00, maybe; so three or four hours from Rio Linda. She tries to picture a map of California in her head. How long was I freaking out before Logan started working on my wrist bindings? Was he really clawing at them for three hours? Got to focus...I can't let myself panic like that again. Frank adjusts her on his shoulder, and she can see a little more of their surroundings. Veronica notes a small solitary tree nestled among the rocks on the rugged shoreline with the Pacific Ocean beyond. The ocean is rough this evening, with whitecaps from a stiff breeze.
Veronica cranes her neck and to her right sees a contemporary house, with floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the ocean. Where the hell are we? She tries to look to her left, but her transporter takes a large step forward, jolting her, and she realizes they've stepped onto a private dock. A single boat, maybe 40 feet long, is tied up to the dock; Frank walks to it and steps easily onto the deck. The movement of the boat underneath them combined with her upside-down positioning makes her a little queasy. Her captor carries her to the companionway to go down below; she is jostled carelessly against the sides and helplessly moans as her shoulder makes contact with the hard surface.
Another man unfamiliar to her is already down there, seated on a banquette in the galley. "Hey. About time," he says briefly. Veronica's heart is pounding; the number of men involved in this operation and their competence is completely frightening.
Her captor, Frank, replies, "Where do you want her?"
"In the forward berth for now, with the other girl," the man replies. Upside down, Veronica watches as he unlocks a padlock securing a door and opens it for Frank.
The other girl?? Veronica forgets to breathe: a girl...oh no...it can't be....
"Where is he?" Frank asks, interrupting her panicked musing.
"Up in the pilothouse," the man answers.
"I'm going to need your help with the other two."
Frank walks into the cabin and dumps her roughly on the bed before exiting. She allows herself to moan behind the gag, but the man ignores her.
The darkened cabin is vee-shaped, with a bed taking up the majority of the space and very little light filtering in from the portholes high up on the walls. The door is shut, and the padlock is once again secured noisily. She hears the men conversing in low voices, and someone laughs.
Veronica rolls over to see who the girl is in the cabin with her. She immediately recognizes the dark hair with blue streaks. Please, it can't be...oh my god, 'Ronnie'...that's why she said that. She scuttles over on the bed, wincing against the pain, and nudges the body which is bound with duct tape as she is. Mac rolls over, her mouth gaping and her eyes closed.
Veronica tries again to wake her, and Mac protests weakly, mumbling incoherently. Her eyes flutter open, and she says faintly, "Veronica?"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Loose Ends
Wallace contacts Mike Fields; Veronica
assesses their situation.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Mike Fields: Michael
Trucco. Brian: Scott Elrod. Frank: Stephen Dorff.
Andy ('Man'): Peter Greene.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO: "LOOSE ENDS"
Sat. 3/21/09 early evening: Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, CA
When the commuter flight touches down in Sacramento, Mike Fields unbuckles his seat belt and stands up, in order to be the first one off the plane. The flight attendant frowns at him. "Sir, I need you to—"
Mike flashes his ID at her, and she nods 'okay'. He waits at the door and deplanes as soon as the door is open. He triggers the power button on his cell as he hustles through the jetway to the terminal. No calls, he thinks despondently when he looks at the screen.
After Veronica had called him and told him about the witness in the Rio Linda diner, he had begun checking into Rio Linda and had found out that the FBI had been involved in an investigation of a suspicious plane crash there in late December. One of three men killed in the crash had been a deputy from the Rio Linda Sheriff's Department. He had immediately tried to call Veronica without success, but he didn't start worrying until he didn't hear back from her for half an hour. Mike threw a few items into a bag, including his weapon, and hurried to the airport, determined to get to Rio Linda as quickly as possible, via a commuter flight to Sacramento.
More than once during the flight, Mike had thought that he would have been really happy to have been proven wrong about this hunch. The idea that Veronica actually might be pursuing someone with access to all the FBI resources had frankly terrified him.
On the flight to Sacramento, he had reviewed some files that an agent friend had forwarded to him. The FBI had suspected that the plane that crashed in late December had been carrying drugs, but it had been completely incinerated in the accident. The high temperature fire had obliterated all the evidence, and no charges were filed. Without other evidence to the contrary, the NTSB had tentatively determined that pilot error had probably caused the crash. The NTSB investigation remained open, but it had been removed from the active FBI case list since there was no evidence of a federal crime. Mike had compared the names of the FBI agents who had been assigned to the investigation and had found several who were also able to access the Slasher case files. And it had made his blood run cold.
The crash investigation placed the FBI in Rio Linda a couple weeks before Hannah Griffith was murdered. A big coincidence, if that's truly where she was living, Mike thinks. And I don't believe in coincidences.
At baggage claim, he retrieves his bag and heads for Avis. "Agent Michael Fields. I called about a priority rental on bureau business." He flashes his ID again. If I get busted for doing this, there won't be any turning back. Private sector, here I come.
"Yes, sir. We'll bring it right around for you while you sign the papers."
Mike checks his watch...about seven o'clock. Thirty minute drive to Rio Linda, he thinks as he hurriedly scribbles his signature and initials all the little boxes on the rental form. His phone rings, and he hits the 'send' button eagerly, holding the phone up to his ear with his shoulder. "Veronica?" he asks.
"No, it's Wallace Fennel."
"Wallace," Mike says in disappointment. "Have you heard from Veronica?"
"No, that's why I called you. Have you talked to her today?"
Mike sighs loudly. "Yes, but now I can't reach her."
Wallace asks excitedly, "So you know they were heading to Rio Linda?"
"Yeah. They met with me in Los Angeles yesterday. I tried to talk them out of going there, but they wouldn't listen to me."
Wallace says, "We found out they checked in with the Rio Linda sheriff at about two o'clock, but no one's seen them since then. And I haven't been able to reach her or the security guards who were supposed to be following them."
"I talked to her today around three-thirty. They found a witness, someone who saw a man who seemed to be interested in Hannah right before she disappeared. I checked into a few things and tried to call Veronica back, but I haven't been able to get a hold of her since then." The rental car pulls up; he tosses his bag in the back seat and gets in the car. He fumbles with the navigation system as he talks to Wallace, entering the address of the diner they had found in Rio Linda.
"You know the name of the witness?" Wallace presses.
"Yeah, I'm headed there right now. When I couldn't get in touch with her, I got on a plane to Sacramento. I probably jumped the gun but—" Mike hears Wallace take a deep breath and sigh, and he wonders what the hell is going on. "What is it, Wallace?"
"We think we know who the FBI agent is." Mike stops playing with the navigation and just listens. Wallace continues, "We found a connection. Agent Thomas Carney—it looks like his nephew Kevin works for the Fitzpatricks."
"Agent Carney? From the Behavioral Science unit assigned to the Slasher case?" Mike stares into space, turning this new information over in his head. He says, disbelieving, "Tom Carney's one of the most decorated agents in the bureau. Personally responsible for hundreds of busts. He transferred into the Behavioral Unit about a year ago after years of working on Organized Crime." Carney wasn't one of the agents assigned to the Rio Linda plane crash investigation, he thinks.
"So we know this agent had access to the inside information on the serial killer."
"They just arrested a suspect in the Slasher killings earlier today," Mike says, thinking aloud.
"Except they didn't charge him in Hannah's murder." Wallace reads aloud from the news report. "Listen to this: 'Acting on a tip provided by an eyewitness, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Andrew Shekar, age 36, a resident of the Altadena section of Los Angeles. Mr. Shekar has been charged with the murders of Catherine Kerr, Theresa Drummond, Lysa Dean, Evangeline Bellemer, Gloria Doyle, Elizabeth Kapp, Mary Alice McDermit, and Linda Lewellen. He remains a suspect in the murder of Hannah Griffith.'"
"'Remains a suspect'...sounds like Shekar had an unbreakable alibi for Hannah's murder, otherwise they would have charged him," Mike muses. His eyes refocus on the GPS device in the cars dash, and another thought occurs to him. "Wallace...they're in Veronica's Saturn right?"
"Yeah."
"It has On-Star." Mike hits 'enter' on the navigation panel and starts the car, pulling out into the traffic at the terminal as he keeps speaking on the phone.
Wallace asks hopefully, "Can you call the company, get them to turn on the GPS locator?"
"No...I better not." Mike clears his throat. "I'm still, um, suspended from the bureau because I was helping Veronica. What about your local sheriff? You'd have to report the car stolen and give them the owner's identification codes. Then he'll contact On-Star."
"Okay, I can do that. I'm in Keith's office; I'm sure the codes are in the files. Wait...Mike...what did you find out that you wanted to tell Veronica?"
He says grimly, "The FBI was investigating a plane crash in Rio Linda a few weeks before Hannah Griffith was found murdered in Los Angeles."
"Could Carney have been one of the agents in Rio Linda?" Wallace asks.
"Not officially," Mike admits. "But he would have know about the crash from the daily briefing sheet. There was something in the file about a discrepancy in the filed flight plan, and it sounds like drugs were involved."
Wallace notes, "And where there's drugs, there's usually Fitzpatricks."
"Exactly."
"Shit."
Mike concurs, "Yeah. Shit. I'll be in touch, Wallace. Call me if you hear anything." He terminates the call and pulls off to the side of the road. He grabs his carry-on from the back seat and assembles his weapon, grimly donning his holster and securing the gun under his arm before pulling back onto the road to Rio Linda.
Sat. 3/21/09 early evening: Somewhere in the United States
Mac finally opens her eyes and says weakly, "Veronica?"
Veronica, with her mouth gagged, can't respond, but she nods furiously. She raises her eyebrows questioningly.
"Veronica, didn't you notice that I called you Ronnie?" Mac whispers weakly.
Veronica nods, closing her eyes. She raises her eyebrows again and looks toward the doorway.
Mac says, with her voice husky from sleep and disuse, "I don't know what they want. They had someone watching you at Duncan's trial, and then they lost you. They made me call your voicemail, and then I watched them track the prepaid phone you were using. They have access to the FBI databases, Veronica. They...they killed Alan, my FBI handler. They said they would...they said they'd go after my brother Ryan if I didn't call you. They drugged me, Veronica." Her voice trembles with anxiety.
Veronica closes her eyes, realizing how scared Mac has been. How long has she been.... She tries to count back. I talked to Mac on Thursday. Two days? Have they had her for two days? Oh god...Mac.
Mac whispers intensely, "What about Logan...your dad? Do you think...do you think they might find us?"
Veronica shakes her head. They hear voices, and the boat rocks in its berth. Heavy footsteps resound from the companionway, with muttered exclamations and a few loud thumps against the bulkheads. Veronica ostentatiously closes her eyes. Mac takes the hint; she rolls over and pretends to be asleep again. Veronica tries to look panicked and upset; it's not a hard role to play, she thinks ruefully. The door opens, and Frank and the other man deposit Logan on the bed with them, bitching all the while about how heavy he is. As soon as the door is closed, he awkwardly rolls himself over and looks at Mac, who opens her eyes. Mac says quietly, "You...and Mr. Mars too?"
Logan nods.
Mac exhales tremulously and whispers, "What the hell are we going to do?"
Veronica nods once, staring intently at Mac, and then winks broadly. She mimes breaking down crying for a few moments before suddenly stopping and giving Mac a questioning look.
"You guys have some sort of plan?" Mac says breathlessly.
Veronica nods again.
"Veronica, why are they keeping us alive?" she asks despondently. "What do they want?"
Veronica shrugs. She thinks, Loose ends. They want to know who else knows what we know. She considers for a moment. Who does know? Mike, Leo, Wallace...they all know bits and pieces. If they find Kavner and Harris' bodies, they'll contact the agency and know we hired them. The agency knows we were headed to Rio Linda, and maybe they'll call Wallace. But...we're not in Rio Linda any more. ...We stopped and got gas along the way...but we used cash...maybe someone will.... She is flooded with a sense of hopelessness and struggles to focus on the situation.
They hear loud noises, and the door opens again. Her dad is brought in the room and dumped unceremoniously on the foot of the bed. Keith has come around a bit, although he still seems groggy. He is moving his head from side to side and moaning inaudibly.
Heavy footsteps pound up the companionway. Veronica tries to count how many men are involved. Brian, Frank, the man in the galley...Frank asked 'Where is he?', so there's another one. Four men. The boat's engine starts with a roar. After a few minutes, they hear raised voices arguing on the deck right above them. Veronica strains to listen over the vibrations of the boat's engines.
"You did what?" Even from down below, the voice's fury is unmistakable and chilling.
She thinks that it's Brian responding apologetically to the angry voice. "I told you, we had to separate them from the guys who were following them. We got in front of them and blocked them until they were out of sight. Then we watched as the cops pulled them over and arrested—"
Veronica tries to concentrate. 'The guys who were following'...'arrested'...maybe they're not dead?
"You're a fucking moron. The guards saw the van?"
Brian protests, "Yeah, but they're not gonna—"
Veronica's heart leaps. 'They're not gonna'...they're alive. They're alive! They know where we were going.
"Fuck. FUCK!"
"It's not going to be a problem!" Brian insists. "It was better than leaving a couple more dead bodies around. You said to be careful not to raise an alarm."
"But they saw your fucking van, you idiot!"
Veronica listens closely and thinks she hears a scuffle and a grunt of pain.
"I'm sorry! I fucked up, all right? Geez," Brian protests loudly.
Another voice says with disgust, "What the fuck do you expect? I told you, you gotta do it yourself if you want it done right." The speaker lowers his voice, and Veronica strains to hear the inaudible words. Who the hell is that? she wonders. I think I've heard that voice before. She rapidly calculates. Shit! that makes five men.
The man who seems to be in charge says, "Frank, you and Andy get rid of the van. Take it to that chop shop down the highway and tell them it's a rush job, high priority. The license plate and every VIN number needs to be obliterated, do you understand? Pay extra if you have to. We'll have to handle them without you. I'll be in touch."
Veronica shivers. Handle us. She hears mumbling voices, and the boat shifts in the water slightly. There are loud footsteps on the wooden dock, and one of the men says, "I'll take the van, you follow in the Mercury." There is a muttered response that she can't quite make out.
"That was your last chance, Brian. Check on them. No more mistakes, you understand? Get down there and check on them."
She hears heavy steps going down the companionway. Okay...Andy must be the guy in the galley...Frank and Andy are getting rid of the van, she thinks. Brian is still on the boat, plus at least two others. Three guys. Against the four of us. She pulls against the duct tape experimentally and feels a sharp twinge in her shoulder.
The padlock scrapes against the door, and the door is opened again. Veronica sucks in a breath, hoping he won't be looking closely at her bonds. Brian enters the berth, rubbing a reddened spot on his cheek with the back of his hand. Veronica avoids looking at him. Brian reaches down and taps Keith's face lightly. "Hey, daddy. Who'd think an ugly old fart like you'd have a babe like her for a daughter?" He moves his hand to Veronica's leg and strokes her calf. Veronica jumps, startled. "Relax, baby. I ain't gonna hurt you. Well, not much." Brian runs his hand up the inside of her thigh, and she tries to pull away unsuccessfully as he laughs under his breath.
From on deck, they hear, "Brian, what the fuck are you doing now? Get up here so we can cast off." The boat's engine revs slightly.
"Catch you later, Ve-ron-i-ca," Brian chants as he leaves.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Insecurity
Kavner and Harris tell their story; one of
the captors reveals himself.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Kavner: Eric Bana. Sheriff: William Sadler.
Brian: Scott Elrod. Harris: Steve Harris.
Rio Linda Deputy #1: Ryan McPartlin.
Special guest star: ???
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE: "INSECURITY"
Sat. 3/21/09 early evening: Rio Linda Sheriff's Department, Rio Linda, CA
The deputy knocks on the open door of the sheriff's office. "Uh, Sheriff?"
"What is it?"
Nervously, the deputy explains, "Those two guys we arrested for the hit-and-run...you know, the ones with the crazy story. Uh, it turns out they're telling the truth. Their employer verifies their story. They're security guards, tailing a private detective named Keith Mars. And now this Mars seems to have disappeared."
The sheriff frowns. "Keith Mars? I just got a call from the Neptune Sheriff's Department asking about this Mars guy. He checked in with us around two o'clock. I sent a unit out to the address Mars was heading to."
"They tried to call him again just now, and Mars isn't answering. The guards claim that if they got separated, the procedure was that they would check in with the agency. Sheriff, it really looks like that anonymous tip was a setup."
"Bring them in here, I want to talk to them. See if you can raise the unit I sent out," the sheriff says tersely. "And get the Neptune Sheriff on the horn again."
"Yes, sir."
Kavner and Harris are escorted into the office. The sheriff tries to apologize, but Kavner quickly interrupts. "I'm concerned about Mr. Mars and his companions. We were following them as they were trying to locate Ms. Griffith's place of employment. They spoke to a neighbor of hers who identified the bus route, and Mr. Mars was following that route, stopping in likely establishments—restaurants, small stores, somewhere where a young girl could work for cash."
Kavner continues, "We were tailing them when a white van pulled out in between our two vehicles. The van acted as if it was looking for an address, slowing and stopping, then starting up again. Finally it turned out of our way. By that time, Mr. Mars had pulled out of sight. We were just about to check in with him when we were pulled over and arrested."
"Pretty bold maneuver," the sheriff muses. "Again, I'd like to apologize—"
"There's no time for apologies, Sheriff. We need to try to find them as soon as possible. Mr. Mars was concerned about the rumored involvement of a federal agent, and I have to say, the ease with which they disposed of us makes me believe that's possible."
"A federal agent?"
Kavner nods. "Yes, sir. We do have a bit of luck: Harris here wrote down the license of the van in his notebook, if you could get his personal effects for us."
The sheriff nods at the deputy, who goes to the property room. He explains to the two guards, "I was contacted a short while ago by Neptune Sheriff's Department. Apparently someone else is concerned about Mr. Mars: a Mr. Wallace Fennel."
"Yes, he's Mr. Mars's assistant."
"I sent a patrol car out to the address where Mr. Mars said he was heading when he checked in with us."
"I don't believe you'll find anything there. The house was empty; they talked to a few neighbors. The only one who was helpful was a Mrs. Evelyn Blake. She told Mr. Mars about the bus route."
"I'll have her brought in to see if she can add anything," the sheriff comments, making a note.
The deputy brings in two plastic bags with the items that were taken from the car during the arrest. Harris quickly finds his notebook and flips through to the last page of writing. "Here it is. California license 2WC L12."
Kavner adds, "Mr. Mars was also planning on speaking to the man who owned the house where Hannah Griffith was last living. We need to check there as well. Harris, give him the address." Harris tears out a sheet from his notebook and hands it to the sheriff.
The sheriff says to the deputy, "Call unit fourteen; have them bring in the neighbor, Evelyn Blake. Send another car out to this address to look around and put out an APB on this vehicle."
Kavner adds, "Sheriff, can one of your men take us along the bus route to see if we can retrace their steps?"
"Of course. I'll go with you personally."
The deputy pokes his head back in. "Sheriff, it's D'Amato from Neptune again."
The sheriff picks up the phone. "Yes, this is the sheriff...There have been some developments here. There are two gentlemen here in my office who were assigned to act as security for Mr. Mars and the others. They were mistakenly arrested on false charges; they were released, of course, as soon as we realized the error, and I'm speaking with them now. There's quite a bit of evidence that this was a scheme to get Mr. Mars and his companions.....Yes, I'm certain. I believe it's very likely they've been harmed. I'll be issuing a missing persons advisory as soon as I hang up....On-Star? That's a lucky break. Okay, we'll wait for them to contact us with a location. In the meantime, I'll get an emergency court order to trace their cell phone. Do you know anything about a federal agent being part of this? The security guards mentioned—...I see. Agent Thomas Carney. I'll have one of my men look into that angle....Yes, we'll be in touch." He cradles the phone.
"The agent?" Kavner queries.
"Mr. Mars' associate found some evidence implicating an agent named Thomas Carney with family ties to Neptune. Sheriff D'Amato is speaking to the bureau chief in Los Angeles. In the meantime, he's sending us a photograph to show to witnesses."
"Sheriff, I think we need to get going on that trail before it gets cold."
"I agree." They hear a quiet ding from the sheriff's computer indicating an email has arrived. He swivels around and taps a few keys; the printer whirrs into action, and a sheet of paper emerges. "Apparently this is Agent Carney," the sheriff says, passing the sheet to Kavner and Harris.
They shake their head, indicating they hadn't seen him. The sheriff grabs his jacket, and the three of them leave the office. In the main area of the station, the sheriff leaves instructions that any information from On-Star is to be pursued immediately and relayed to him. He has copies of the picture of Carney reproduced and distributes it to all the officers, explaining that the man is a potential witness or suspect in a murder. "Priority one, folks," the sheriff announces somberly as they leave the station. "Let's find these people."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Somewhere in the United States
The padlock on the door scrapes again, and Veronica unconsciously holds her breath, waiting. Brian steps into the room followed by Liam Fitzpatrick, who's holding a large gun in his hand.
I knew I recognized that voice, she thinks, her heart sinking, remembering just how psychotic this guy is. She flashes on the story her dad had finally told her about Liam killing his own brother in the desert. And she realizes: It's never felt quite so horrific to be so completely right.
Logan remembers Liam too. For just a moment, he angrily recalls what Kendall had told them about reporting back to Liam regarding their sexcapades. He imagines this prick laughing hysterically as Kendall mocked his youthful sexual efforts. But then...he completely forgets his anger and his entire body stiffens in fear, as he realizes they've been entirely too successful in discovering just what happened to Hannah. He starts to think about how many people this man is responsible for killing; resolutely he forces himself to stop obsessing and just think about getting the fuck out of there ALIVE. He closes his eyes momentarily, trying to send Veronica strength. You can do it, Veronica. Watch for your opportunity. I'll have your back...somehow. Even if I get killed in the process.
Liam looks at Keith closely, tapping him lightly on the cheek to try to rouse him. Veronica holds her breath, worrying about her dad. Why won't you wake up? What's wrong with him? Dad! Keith moans but doesn't open his eyes.
Brian says defensively, "I told you, the old guy is out cold."
Liam steps back, saying "Yeah. All right. Let's get 'em up on the deck. Cut their feet loose." Brian pulls out a knife and slices through the duct tape on Logan's ankles. Then he repeats the procedure on Veronica and Mac.
Liam says menacingly, "Mr. Echolls, you and Brian will carry Sheriff Mars up on deck. Veronica and the little computer nerd will follow. I got nothing to lose by shooting you so don't fuck around. Understand?" He glares at Logan. "I said, do you understand, rich boy?"
Logan nods. If there was ever any doubt that Liam knew who I was, it's gone now.
"Sit up and turn around," Brian orders. Logan turns and presents his wrists to Brian, who cuts the tape off his wrists.
Liam says, "Brian, take his head and go first with Echolls holding the feet. Then Mac, and little Veronica right in front of me where I can keep my eyes on her."
Veronica thinks, It's time to win that Academy Award, Veronica. Make them think they've broken you. As Brian and Logan begin to maneuver Keith out of the cabin, Logan has a momentary chance to look at her, and he winks subtly. You can do it, Veronica. You can do it.
"Let's go, Mackenzie," Liam orders sharply. Mac stumbles a little getting off the bed but manages to keep her balance.
Veronica tries to remember the way she felt in the van; she wants to be tearful and to appear completely helpless. So she recalls all the terror-filled events that had flashed before her eyes a few hours before, and she relives that brief time when she had utterly lost hope. She summons up her panic and hopelessness; then she thinks about never seeing Wallace or Weevil or Backup again, and that does it. She starts to cry, little sobbing sounds escaping from behind her taped lips. Veronica presses her arms together behind her back, and the pain helps her cry a little harder.
Her moans and tears are noticed by Liam, who shoves her hard, making her bump into Mac right in front of her. He puts his gun in her back and his mouth right by her ear. His voice rises gradually as he talks until he's screaming incoherently. "'Bout time I got my vengeance on the Mars family. I know your fucking dad had something to do with all of Kendall's money going missing. And then the conspiracy charges last fall...and now, you manage to RUIN THE BEST FUCKING MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME EVER!" He prods her hard with the gun, and it doesn't take much effort for Veronica to cry even harder. "Stop your fucking bawling already," he says with disgust.
Now Brian and Logan are carrying her dad up the companionway. Mac looks at Liam nervously, wanting to wait until they clear the top step. Liam says sharply, "Go," and Mac follows, leaving just a little space behind Logan. Liam pushes Veronica again, and she goes for it. She tumbles face first, keeping her hands tightly locked behind her back. As she falls onto the narrow steps, she feels a few more threads of the tape rip slightly. Veronica lies on the steps crying and shuddering as Liam kicks her twice in the leg.
Logan turns around and stops dead; he knows she's acting, but it's killing him inside. He grunts as loudly as he can underneath the gag, making eye contact with Liam and trying to sear him with his glare. Brian mutters, "What the fuck?!"
Mac, completely terrified and not sure if Veronica's acting or not, doesn't know where to look and ends up closing her eyes. As the only one whose mouth is not gagged, Mac's moans are audible. Veronica knows she's close to a breaking point. Hold on, Mac, hold on.
Liam grabs Veronica's arm—thankfully, her left uninjured arm—and hauls her to her feet. He leans right into her face and says in an ominous voice, "It's time you finally learned to stop sticking your nose in other people's business, you stupid bitch. Wish I'd tattooed your face when I had the chance." Some of his spittle hits her face, and she closes her eyes. Liam spins her around and pushes her forward; she bumps into Mac, who starts climbing again. Logan turns back, his shoulders overtly heaving with the effort to control himself, and begins to move up the last few steps as well.
They emerge onto the deck. Night has fallen; it would be beautiful out here in the ocean if only.... Veronica swallows, suddenly very afraid. The shore is already disappearing from sight, and the boat is traveling fast, making a lot of wake as it progresses at top speed. The boat suddenly hits a wave wrong, and they lurch sideways. The water is black, reflecting the dark sky, and it looks cold and forbidding.
Veronica watches Mac, who seems to be in shock. She has stopped moaning, but her eyes are glazed over with fear and her body trembles involuntarily. Veronica hopes that Mac will be able to help if she needs it.
Liam barks, "Put the old guy over there." He points to seats near the railing.
Dad, Veronica thinks. Wake up. PLEASE wake up and help me. Her dad's head is lolling to the side as Logan and Brian place him on the seat. His color has improved somewhat. Dad...I can't lose you.... She watches closely and thinks she sees his eyes flutter open momentarily. Is he...maybe he's coming around. Dad, I need your help! You've got to wake up! I can't bear it if.... She tries to push the thought away and concentrates on the situation, watching and waiting for an opportunity.
Liam grabs a roll of duct tape and tosses it underhand to Brian, nodding his head toward Logan. "Tape him up again. You girls don't move a muscle." He brandishes the weapon.
Brian roughly shoves Logan. "Turn around...hands behind your back, fucker." He secures Logan's hands and then his feet.
Veronica continues to cry, her shoulders shaking and her eyes downcast. How the hell do actors do this in the movies? It's friggin' exhausting to cry. She tries to watch as Brian tapes up Logan, looking for a potential weakness she can exploit. With Liam's gun so close to her head, she doesn't dare try anything.
When Brian finishes with Logan, Liam motions with the gun that she and Mac should sit next to him. Brian tapes her ankles, pulling her feet close together. He pulls her forward, intending to check her wrists.
Suddenly, Logan throws himself off the seat and onto Brian, knocking him flat on his back on the deck.
Veronica is so startled that she stops crying, but she knows immediately that Logan is trying to distract Brian from checking her wrists. She braces herself, expecting Liam to blow his cool and put a bullet in Logan's head. Do I throw myself at him if he moves the gun? Fuck...what do I do?? As Brian tussles with Logan, whose sole advantage was surprise, she pulls her wrists slightly apart and feels another tenuous fiber come loose. But Liam doesn't move his gun, and she decides to hold off for the moment, sweating profusely as she dithers over her response. Brian easily rolls Logan over onto his back and punches him in the chin and, for good measure, in the stomach as well. Liam sighs loudly and says with disgust, "What the fuck are you doing, Brian? Get it done!!" Mac sobs quietly during the entire altercation, gasping when Brian punches Logan viciously.
Standing up, Brian pushes his long greasy brown hair back out of his eyes and glares at Logan. He mutters, "Asshole," as he hauls Logan back up onto the seat more roughly than necessary and then moves to Mac to tape her ankles. Mac sways a little, shutting her eyes and grimacing as her feet are secured. Liam appears satisfied and tucks his gun into the waist of his jeans.
It worked, Veronica thinks with relief. We've still got a chance. She's very worried about Mac, who seems at the point of a complete collapse after her ordeal. But Logan manages to discreetly press his leg against hers, and she knows that somehow he'll help her again when she makes her move.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Currents Turn Awry
The investigation continues in Rio Linda;
Kevin Carney is taken in custody; Wallace
tries desperately to help; Liam's partner
reveals himself.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Eli: Francis Capra.
Dick: Ryan Hansen. Leo: Max Greenfield.
Agent Carney: Jason Isaacs. Liam Fitzpatrick:
Rod Rowland. Sacks: Brandon Hillock. Brian:
Scott Elrod. Kevin Carney: Noel Fisher. Mike
Fields: Michael Trucco. Deputy Clark: Zadran
Wali. Cashier: Soledad St. Hilaire.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR: "CURRENTS TURN AWRY"
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Abandoned lot near the airfield, Rio Linda, CA
The deputy pulls up to a vehicle parked on the road. The Saturn VUE has had its license plates removed, but the deputy checks the VIN number through the windshield, and it matches. He dons latex gloves and tries the door, which turns out to be unlocked. He does a cursory inspection of the car, finding only several overnight bags. He triggers his radio. "Come in, Sheriff."
"Go ahead."
"I've got the victims' Saturn. It's empty."
"Dammit. Any signs of foul play?"
"Negative. I'll call the Crime Scene techs."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Apartment, Neptune, CA
Sheriff D'Amato waits, his weapon drawn, outside the door to Kevin Carney's apartment. From inside the apartment, a television is blaring the San Diego-DePaul basketball game. Leo nods at Deputy Sacks, who knocks on the door and calls out, "Neptune Sheriff's Department, open up." They strain to hear an answer over the sound of the television. When they don't hear a response, Leo nods to the super, who quickly opens the lock and gets out of the way, running full tilt down the stairway. Leo pushes the door open cautiously and calls, "Kevin Carney?" The room is empty; on the table in front of the couch are several beer bottles, including one knocked over on its side with liquid running out. D'Amato runs to the open window and looks out onto a fire escape. They hear footsteps banging on the wrought iron, and D'Amato triggers his radio and says quietly, "Coming your way, Clark."
In the alley behind the building, Deputy Clark crouches behind a dumpster. A young man rushes down the fire escape, jumping the last few feet to the ground before hustling toward the street. Recognizing their quarry, Clark steps out and points his gun. "Kevin Carney...put your hands where I can see 'em!"
Wild-eyed, Carney tries to evade Clark, who grabs his arm and throws him down to the ground. "Lace your fingers behind your head," he instructs; Carney keeps struggling as Clark tries to get his hands cuffed. Clark's radio crackles, and he responds, "I got him, Sheriff."
Carney begins to protest. "This is bullshit...I didn't do anything!"
"Then why were you running?" Clark asks. "Got any weapons on you?"
"Fuck you," Carney spits.
Leo and Sacks hustle around the corner and help Clark subdue and search Carney. They find a knife and a handgun and escort him into the cruiser. Leo tries to read Carney his rights, but Carney keeps interrupting, saying, "I want a lawyer...and I want my phone call."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Good Food Fast Diner, Rio Linda, CA
Mike Fields pulls into the parking lot of the Good Food Fast Diner. He checks his cell phone display again, hoping despite his fears for a call from Veronica. He walks into the diner, which has four or five customers eating late dinners. He shows his FBI identification to the cashier and asks, "I'm looking for Melvin Jones."
"Mel's popular tonight," she muses.
Mike looks at her quizzically, and she adds, "One of the sheriff's deputies was just here looking for him. Mel left for the night about, hmm, about half an hour ago."
"Really," Mike comments, thinking about the deputy who was killed in the recent plane crash. Why the sudden interest in Mel...are there dirty cops in Rio Linda?? It didn't sound like Veronica was planning on reporting her suspicions to the authorities here. "Were you here this afternoon? Two men and a young woman, private detectives, were here talking to Mel about one of your former employees. You knew her as Meredith Grey."
"We knew her as..." the woman repeats puzzled. "You mean...."
"That wasn't her real name," Mike explains. "Were you here this afternoon?"
"No. I just came on shift."
"So you didn't see them? I believe they were trying to find where Meredith had been living before she disappeared. Do you know her address?"
The cashier says, "No...we weren't close. Meredith really kept to herself. I tried to invite her out a couple times, and she would never join us."
Mike sighs. "I need Mel's home address, please. This is very important. I'm extremely concerned for his safety."
The cashier gulps visibly. "His safety? Mel?"
"He's an important witness in a federal case," Mike explains. "I can get his address from the federal database, but you'll save me some time, and maybe Mel won't get hurt."
The cashier looks at Mike's ID again, then, biting her lip, she writes Mel's address on an order pad. She tears off the sheet and hands it to Mike. "Take Elverta Boulevard, make a left on Ninth, and a right on Wagon Trail Road," she explains quickly.
"Did you tell the deputy Mel went home?"
She nods.
Mike asks, "Does Mel have a cell phone?"
"He never turns it on," she says, pursing her lips.
"If you get in touch with him, tell him to stay put at home until I get there. Make sure you give him my name. How long ago did he leave?"
"Half an hour ago...." She pauses. "But he was going to stop and have a quick drink at Howie's Bar."
"Did you tell that to the deputy?"
She shakes her head. Reluctantly, she says, "Mel's already got one DUI."
"What kind of car does Mel have?" Mike asks.
"It's a blue Buick. Four door. Howie's is about half a mile down Elverta Boulevard before you get to Ninth Street."
As Mike leaves, he thinks despondently, What if other agents are working with Carney? How the hell do we keep this witness safe?
Suddenly, he realizes that he is the only one who knows Mel's name. As he drives, he dials his old friend Thomas Lynley and fills him in on every detail...just in case.
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Somewhere in the United States
The boat's engines throttle down, and the boat slows in the water. To Brian, Liam says tersely, "Go see what's happening."
A few minutes later, a man walks down onto the deck as the boat gets underway again.
Agent Carney? Veronica thinks, shocked. She trades a glance with Logan, who appears equally dumbfounded. Of course. Carney knew how to copy the Slasher because he was on the serial killer task force; he knew the killer's M.O. She mentally tries to replay his interview of her back in January; he had let Agent Morris do most of the talking. It was perfect: Carney could direct the investigation so that it would appear as if Hannah was just another of the Slasher's victims. But why kill Hannah? And what's his connection to the Fitzpatricks? Carney...Carney.... Something is nagging at her, but she can't quite figure it out.
The agent is tall, with cropped brown hair, sinewy arms, and cold blue eyes. Veronica notes that he has a pistol tucked in his waistband behind his back. Liam seems to defer to him; they huddle and speak in low tones. Veronica strains to hear their conversation.
Carney mutters, "It's being taken care of. He'll be dead within the hour."
"It should have been done a long time ago," Liam responds. "Too many loose ends."
"There wouldn't have been a problem except for—" Carney nods toward Veronica.
"She's been a thorn in my side for years. And her father...well, you remember what Keith Mars did to me and my business." Liam snorts disgustedly.
Veronica's completely overwhelmed by panic. These men think nothing of killing. Hannah, Kendall, Candice's brother, Gustavio Toombs, Cormac—Liam's own brother, and god knows who else they've murdered over the years.
Carney turns slightly and sees Veronica's eyes on him. He walks to her and rips the tape off her mouth in one harsh motion. She cries out as her skin is abraded. "Veronica Mars," he says with eyes narrowed. "You've caused us a lot of trouble."
"Agent Carney," Veronica replies.
He stares at her, assessing her. "So you do remember me," he muses.
"I don't get questioned in a murder investigation all that often," she retorts, with bravery she doesn't feel.
Carney looks at her intently, his eyes harsh and unforgiving. "Funny, your file seems to say that you've been involved in quite a few murders."
"Not as a suspect," she says, her voice quivering slightly.
"Let's just kill her," Liam suggests. "I don't even like looking at her."
Carney shakes his head. "No...we need to know who else knows what they know."
"A lot of people know everything. The Rio Linda Sheriff, the Neptune Sheriff, a friend in the FBI—" She stops short. Mike's our best chance at a rescue. He knew about the witness. If Carney finds him.... Veronica keeps her voice steady. "I'm sure a lot of people are searching for us. We missed several prearranged check ins by now."
"Really," Carney replies, not bothering to keep the skepticism out of his voice. "Doesn't matter...you're far from Rio Linda now. No one will think to look for you here. And the Pacific Ocean's a big place."
He paces a little on the deck before whirling back around to her. "I want to know everything. I want to know what you've found out."
"Why should I tell you anything?" she says, her voice breaking despite her efforts.
"You and your friends can die easy or you can die hard. You can watch the three people you love the most in the world suffer excruciating pain for hours, or you can all go peacefully—drowning or a gunshot to the head. I'll even let each of you choose."
She is about to swear that she'll never make it easy for him, that she'll fight to the very end...but she remembers. Make them think they've broken you. Tell them a line of bullshit, keep them talking, give Mike time, give Wallace time to maybe find us. And watch...watch for an opening. Four of us...three of them...and they don't know I can get my hands free.
She inhales shudderingly. It's easy to let her voice tremble. She closes her eyes and thinks again about never seeing the people she loves...all the things she wants to do in her life that she'll never get to do...and her eyes fill with tears. "Please don't do this, please...you don't need to do this. You don't have to kill us," she sobs. "What do you want to know?"
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Neptune Sheriff's Department, Neptune, CA
Sheriff D'Amato pushes Kevin Carney into an interview room, telling Sacks that they'll book him later—he wants to question the suspect immediately.
Kevin says sarcastically, "You can't question me. I asked for a lawyer."
"I can question you. You just don't have to answer. But that's not very smart. You're on the hook for accessory to murder. Plus whatever you've been doing for the Fitzpatricks. You're looking at a lot of prison time...hard time, not the bullshit juvie time you've done so far. A lawyer really isn't your best option here."
"I want a lawyer," Kevin replies stubbornly.
"Where's your uncle, Kevin? I called his bureau chief, and, surprise, your uncle's already in hot water. They arrested the Slasher, and your uncle had disappeared. Pretty odd behavior for someone so high up in the Serial Killer Task Force."
"He'll turn up," Kevin mutters.
"What's so important that he doesn't show up for the press conference announcing the arrest of one of the worst serial killers ever in California? Perhaps he was busy tracking down Veronica Mars? Or cleaning up another Fitzpatrick mess?" Leo suggests.
Kevin twitches slightly at the mention of the Fitzpatricks.
Leo continues harshly, "We have photographic evidence that you were working for the Fitzpatricks."
"Like, you got a picture of me punching a timecard for the micks? I don't think so," Kevin sneers.
Leo stares at Kevin silently. Finally, he says, "I'm going about this all wrong." He stands up, hauls Kevin onto his feet, and leads him to one of the cells. Kevin, completely confused, looks behind him into Leo's stony face. Leo ignores him and calls to Sacks. "Get Ciaran Fitzpatrick's lawyer on the phone. Tell him we have a cooperative witness, and we're going to file some additional charges."
Sacks nods and reaches for the phone. "Okay to tell the lawyer who the witness is?"
Kevin swallows in fear. "No...no, you can't. I'm NOT cooperating."
"Tell that to the other prisoners when we transfer you to county," Leo says, shrugging. "I'm sure they'll believe you when we put you in solitary for your own protection. Of course, accidents have been known to happen, even in solitary. It's criminal what happens in prison."
"I'll refuse!"
"Don't think you can, Kevin. You're really kind of new at this, aren't you? I don't think the Fitzpatricks are going to be very happy with you. You might get on their bad side."
"You're bluffing," Kevin blusters. "This is bullshit. I want my lawyer."
"I got a few hours before I have to give you your phone call. Paperwork, you know. In the meantime, I got a couple confidential informants who'd be happy to spread some rumors for me in Balboa County Jail." Leo walks away, leaving Kevin to stew in his cell. "Have a nice day, Kevin."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Wallace is running a background check on Thomas Carney while Weevil paces back and forth in the office. "Come on, there's got to be something I can do," Weevil pleads.
"Shh," Wallace replies distractedly, concentrating on the computer screen.
"I'm going out," Weevil announces, shrugging into his leather jacket.
Wallace looks up. "Wait...what are you doing?"
"I'm going to get a few PCHers, and we'll bust some Fitzpatricks' heads until I get some answers," Weevil replies. "Somebody's got to know something. I can't just sit here any more."
"You're not helping her," Wallace sighs and stands up to stretch. "Come on, I'll find something for you to do."
Weevil, not happy at all, sits down across the desk.
"Knock, knock." They turn skittishly; Weevil pokes his head out into the waiting room to see Dick Casablancas wandering in. "Yo, Wallace...Weeves," he says cheerfully, with a slight wave.
Weevil says impatiently, "We don't have time for bullshit tonight. What do you want, Casablancas?"
"Whoa, what's with the attitude? I was just wondering if Veronica had heard from Mac. She's supposed to beth coming home tomorrow. I'm planning a little welcome-home bash at the Pi Sig house...I'm calling it 'Witless Protection'. Ahh...you're invited, I guess."
Weevil looks about to explode, but Wallace jumps in first. "Veronica, her dad, and Logan are missing, Dick."
"Missing? I just talked to Veronica this morning."
Weevil asks curiously, "You talked to her? What'd you talk about?"
To both Wallace and Weevil's surprise, Dick looks abashed. "Um.... She, uh, had some questions about Beaver. Something was on her mind. You know she's been acting a little...weird lately. Veronica even had an opening the other night, and she totally let me slide. Pretty sure that's never happened before."
"More than a little weird," Weevil comments. He wonders about Dick's reaction: in his experience, it took a lot to shame Dick Casablancas.
Wallace, as one of the few people who knows the details of Veronica's rape, immediately makes the connection. What did Dick do? In the middle of everything that's going on, Veronica called Dick. What did Veronica ask him? Aloud, he says, "Did she sound okay when you talked to her?"
"She was pretty upset," Dick admits reluctantly. "I don't understand....What do you mean, they're missing?"
Wallace explains, "We can't get in touch with them. They're up in Rio Linda, investigating Hannah Griffith's murder. Veronica talked to her ex-boyfriend, that FBI guy, around three-thirty, and that's the last anyone's seen or heard of them." He has a thought. He walks over the computer and begins typing.
"What is it?" Weevil asks.
"I'm checking Veronica's cell phone records. Not the prepaid phone she had with her, her regular cell phone." Wallace frowns at the screen. "Just two calls. Duncan, and a Los Angeles number. Both of them are short calls, about a minute. They probably left messages. And it looks like Veronica checked her messages this morning—there's an incoming call from the prepaid they're using."
"Can you trace the other number?"
Wallace taps a few keys and shakes his head. "No, it's probably blocked. But Sheriff D'Amato might be able to trace it." He stands up. "Let's go over to Veronica's apartment...see if the messages are still on her voicemail."
"I'll go," Weevil suggests. "You stay, keep working on the background check."
"Can I help?" Dick asks. "I was wondering if you thought a call to Governor Schwarzenegger might be a good thing. My mom's married to his business manager."
Wallace and Weevil exchange a glance. Wallace replies quickly, "Do it." He gives the keys to Veronica's apartment to Weevil.
As Weevil and Dick leave Mars Investigations, Dick comments, "So you guys are like friends now? That's awesome. It's like Veronica's personal Scooby gang, except without the whole vampire thing."
"Shut the fuck up, will you?" Weevil replies, irritated.
"I know you're all like tense and stuff, but yelling at me is not—"
"Do you not fucking understand me? I'm concentrating on finding Veronica alive."
Dick falls silent. "Sorry, dude," he mutters finally. "You really think...?"
"Yeah, we really think." Weevil sighs. "Call your mom, okay? See if the governor can help. This is bad, do you get it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Bearing Witness
Carney and Liam question Veronica; Mike
looks for the witness; a break in the case;
Veronica's cell phone reveals a clue.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Eli: Francis Capra. Dick: Ryan Hansen.
Leo: Max Greenfield. Agent Carney: Jason
Isaacs. Liam Fitzpatrick: Rod Rowland. Mike
Fields: Michael Trucco. Mel: George Gerdes.
Rio Linda Deputy #2: Victor Slezak.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE: "BEARING WITNESS"
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Somewhere in the United States
"What do you want to know?" Veronica says tremulously.
"How did you find out about Rio Linda?" Carney snaps.
"There was...Hannah sent a postcard to someone who helped her when she escaped. It was postmarked 'Rio Linda'."
"And you just decided to stumble around Rio Linda until...?" Liam asks scornfully.
Why are they so pissed about Rio Linda? Veronica stares at him, frightened for real. Finally, she mumbles, "One of Hannah's friends had a relative there. It seemed like too great of a coincidence." She can't decide if she'd be putting Julie Silver in danger by telling her part of the story, so she cautiously omits it.
"Bullshit," Carney roars, turning around and screaming at her. He motions at Mac. "Your little friend here was snooping in the FBI files. She wouldn't tell me what she found."
"I didn't find anything," Mac pleads, her body trembling with fear. "I told you a hundred times. All I did was figure out who accessed the Slasher files. No one knows. You can let us go."
Veronica swallows. There's no way they're letting us go. "We didn't know you were involved. We never would have known if...." She gapes at him. "No one knows. You don't have to do this...please!" A sob escapes her lips.
"Then why was I transferred off the Mackenzie funeral? Huh?! Explain. Who knows?!" Carney thunders.
Veronica stares back, completely confused. "I don't know anything about Mac's funeral. I was undercover on the East Coast when the bombing happened."
Mac protests again, "Alan told you...for a while, he thought that maybe the bombing of my parents' house was because of the research I'd been doing into the Slasher killings. He was worried someone in the FBI was trying to make it look like a mafia hit. So he took the precaution of removing everybody who had had access to the case files from the FBI detail at my fake funeral."
Veronica is thinking furiously. Alan—Mac said that was her handler—Alan thought the bombing was because of the copycat murder. So then Alan inadvertently alerted Carney that something was up by taking him off the funeral detail. When they realized Mac was my friend, and then there was all the publicity about Briar Hill...that's why they took Mac and Alan. Shit. Carney looks at her, and she quickly stammers, "You don't need to do this. Please...you don't need to hurt us. Please let us go."
Liam says sarcastically, "You know you can't trust a word she says. Lying little bitch. You should heard the crap she told us when we caught her in the River Stix."
Carney is still thinking, staring at each of them in turn. He whirls around and goes down below, returning a few minutes later with a bottle that looks like a cleaning solution. He opens the bottle and waves it for a moment under Keith's nose; Keith's head jerks up and his eyes open.
Ammonia, Veronica guesses. Dad....
Keith looks around blearily; he appears confused. Carney rips the tape off his face, and Keith coughs a little, still affected by the ammonia. "Hello, Mr. Mars. We've never met. I'm Agent Carney."
"FBI," Keith says warily. He tries to move his arms without success. "Why have you taken us? Where are we?"
"I'm asking the questions here. You've got a lot to answer for, Mr. Mars."
"Please let the others go. They've done nothing to you. There's no need to do this." Keith tries to keep his voice rational, as if speaking to a colleague. "There's no evidence against you.
"Not any more," Carney comments, chillingly. "The diner owner—that was definitely an oversight on my part." He checks his watch. "But I believe that little problem has gone away by now."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Rio Linda, CA
Mike drives down Elverta Boulevard to Howie's Bar, a dingy neighborhood bar with a neon rendition of a martini glass in the window. There are only a few cars in the lot; none of them are a blue Buick, and Mike quickly pulls out of the lot and heads for Mel's house. He turns left on Ninth Street. As he rounds a curve in the road, he sees two cars pulled over to the side of the road. A police cruiser, with lights flashing is just behind a blue Buick LeSabre. A deputy is exiting the police car.
Mike slows his car to watch. The police officer unsnaps his holster and places his hand over the gun on his waist as he approaches the Buick. The occupant of the Buick appears to be rifling in the glove compartment.
Mike quickly parks the car and pulls out his own weapon, keeping it held low as he jumps out of the car. In his other hand, he holds his federal ID with the badge clearly displayed. He stands behind his open car door and calls out, "Officer! I'm a federal agent. Do you need assistance?"
The deputy whirls around and reflexively fires off a bullet as Mike quickly takes cover behind the car door. He leans out and fires a shot, taking cover again. He looks over the door cautiously and sees the deputy running to the Buick. The passenger door is open: apparently Mel has exited the car during the shooting and run into a nearby patch of woods. The police officer begins to run after Mel, firing his weapon at the fleeing man. Mike pursues, taking several shots. One shot hits the deputy in the shoulder, and he falls to the ground facedown, writhing in pain.
Mike runs to the officer; he steps on the man's wrist and takes the gun. Mel can still be heard, running panicked through the trees. Mike calls out, "Melvin! Melvin Jones, I'm from the FBI. I'm here to protect you. I'm a friend of the people you spoke to today, Veronica Mars, her father Keith, and Logan Echolls. Mr. Jones...let me help you. This man was going to kill you. You're safe now."
Mel stops running and begins to walk back toward Mike. He approaches tentatively, his chest heaving from exertion. Mike pulls out his identification again and shows it to him. Mel says breathlessly, "What the hell is going on?"
The deputy tries to get up from the ground, and Mike says sternly, "Don't do it. I will shoot you again if I have to." He turns to Mel and relates grimly, "Those people you talked to today are missing. I believe they've been killed or kidnapped. And I think this man wanted to kill you because you're the only eyewitness in the Hannah Griffith murder case."
Mel's eyes widen in shock. "Killed?"
Mike nods. Keeping his weapon trained on the officer, Mike directs Mel to take the officer's handcuffs off his belt and secure his hands tightly behind his back. Mike asks brusquely, "Where's the key?"
The deputy shakes his head and refuses to answer.
"If you want me to call for medical attention, you'd better cooperate." Mike tells Mel, "Search his pockets. They often keep a spare key in their wallet as well, so look there too."
Mel gingerly searches the deputy's pockets, finally coming up with two identical handcuff keys. "Why can't we just call 9-1-1?"
"What makes you think this is the only Rio Linda policeman that wants to kill you?" Satisfied that the deputy is secure, Mike examines the bullet wound. "Just a flesh wound," he remarks. "It's already stopped bleeding. You'll live...unfortunately."
"Fuck you. You're interfering with an officer performing his duty," the deputy spits. "The sheriff will eat your ass for dinner."
"I'm already on suspension; I've got nothing to lose," Mike says sarcastically. "But someone I care about is missing and probably dead because of the people you work for." I'm going to be shit-canned for sure...I've broken every rule in the book by now...but at least the witness is still alive.
Mike looks up a number in his cell and dials his former and hopefully future supervisor at the FBI. "Sir...it's Michael Fields. I have a situation." He explains the situation tersely, summarizing his decisions over the past few hours and mentioning Agent Carney as a possible suspect. He listens, pulling the phone away from his ear and wincing at his boss's angry words. "Here he is." Mike passes the phone to Mel, explaining, "This is my supervisor; he wants to talk to you."
Mel reviews the day's events and confirms that the deputy lying handcuffed in front of them had, in fact, been shooting at him. He passes the phone back to Mike.
"Yes, sir. I understand. I'll stay on the line." He waits for several minutes, pacing, then responds, "The Neptune Sheriff has already spoken to the L.A. ADIC? And the local sheriff?" Mike sighs in relief. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." He terminates the call. Mike looks up. "He's sending the nearest ranking field agent to take charge of the situation and to coordinate with local law enforcement. It looks like the Rio Linda sheriff has been working with the Neptune Sheriff's department. The sheriff is on his way here."
"But you said...."
"Too many people know what's happening now. I think you're safe, Mel." I wish I could say the same for Veronica.
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Watsonville, CA
Two Watsonville police officers are driving down Lee Road when a white van passes them going in the other direction. "What was that APB again in that possible kidnapping?" one officer muses thoughtfully.
"California plates, 2WC L12."
"That's the van. Hit the hammer."
His partner activates the siren, and they make a U-turn. The van slows down momentarily before taking off at high speed. The police officers pursue and call for backup.
Unnoticed by the police, a car following the van turns onto a side street and drives away.
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Sunset Cliffs Apartments, Neptune, CA
In the Mars apartment, Weevil heads straight for Veronica's bedroom. He finds her cell in the charger and brings it out to the living room.
Dick asks, "Do you know Veronica's code?"
Weevil muses, "I'm pretty sure she preprogrammed it into the speed dial. I've watched her get her messages enough times. She just hits '1'. You know how she is..." He snaps his fingers twice. "She's got people to see, things to do; she can't waste time entering PIN numbers."
He hits '1', and the prompt says, "Please enter your password—" and the phone begins dialing five digits. "You have two saved voice messages. To listen to your messages, press one."
Weevil's eyes glaze over as Duncan begins to talk about his daughter Lilly. He hits '9' to save the message. The next message begins to play.
'Hey, Ronnie. Give me a call at 323-555-7839, that's my new cell. I can't wait to hang out in Neptune tomorrow night.'
Weevil hits '1' to rewind and listens again. "It's Mac," he tells Dick. "But it's weird...."
"What?"
"You listen." He hands the phone to Dick.
Dick listens to the message twice. "Yeah, it's Mac. But...no way...she doesn't call Veronica 'Ronnie'. She always gave me shit for doing that, said that Veronica hated it."
"Do you think she could be making a joke?" Weevil asks.
"Let's call the number, see if Mac's there," Dick suggests. He dials the number and gets a recording: 'The number you have reached, area code 323, 555-7839 is not in service'.
Weevil is thoughtful. Finally, he says, "Let's take it to the sheriff."
"Sheriff Looney Tunes, are you kidding? He was trying to arrest Logan for killing Kendall," Dick says incredulously.
"Yeah, but he's helping us now, and we can't trace this number. Something's really wrong," Weevil says, slapping the phone in his palm.
"What are you talking about? What's going on?"
"We think an FBI agent killed Hannah Griffith, and Mac was in FBI custody. Figure it out," Weevil replies.
"What the hell are you talking about? An FBI agent killed Hannah?!"
Weevil nods. "Yeah, that's what Veronica thinks. You're sure Mac would never call her Ronnie, right?"
"Never," he says, emphatically. "Not like that."
"I think Mac was trying to warn Veronica," Weevil says.
"Wait...you mean?"
"I think Mac's in trouble too."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Somewhere in the United States
Veronica watches as Carney keeps checking his phone, obviously expecting a call. Liam asks, "Nothing?" and Carney replies, "Not yet." The boat keeps driving through the water, heading further from shore every minute. The stars are incredibly bright tonight, mocking her with their ethereal beauty, and she feels defenseless and vulnerable.
Veronica's entire consciousness is consumed by her hatred for Carney. As much as she loathes Liam Fitzpatrick, Carney is even more fearsome: intelligent as well as evil. She tries to comfort herself by thinking about Mike doggedly pursuing every lead in Rio Linda, trying to discover what happened to her. Her eyes blur with tears as she imagines Wallace begging Leo to help investigate her disappearance.
Carney walks over. He squats down and stares at her face. "Let's start at the beginning, Veronica. You've been quite diligent in your efforts against us."
She exhales softly. "It wasn't against you. I just...I was trying to clear Logan of suspicion in Hannah's murder. The press was saying horrible things about him."
"Quite the little detective, aren't you?"
She doesn't know how to respond.
Carney stands. He prods, "What made you think there was somebody from the FBI involved?"
Hesitantly, she explains. Got to keep him talking. Got to think. "I got copies of the case files. I didn't see anything at first except...."
"What?"
"Hannah hadn't been using drugs, but she tested positive for heroin. And she didn't have a record for solicitation. And...I couldn't imagine that she had become a prostitute and a drug addict. So I thought...maybe it was a copycat killer."
He snaps his fingers in her face, making her jump. "Answer my question...why an FBI agent? And you seemed awfully sure this wasn't the Slasher. Why?"
"When I looked at the dates...the real Slasher only killed on Saturdays with a full moon. It wasn't a full moon the night Hannah was killed." With Carney staring at her angrily, she looks away and mumbles, "But Hannah had the mark carved on her torso. So the killer knew that the victims had been marked by the Slasher. Hannah's murderer had to have had inside information."
"Fuck, a full moon," Carney comments bitterly. "Fucking psychopaths and their crazy obsessions. Who else knows about this full moon business?" When she doesn't answer right away, he repeats angrily, "WHO KNOWS?!"
"A lot of people," she whispers. "I've known for weeks. But...a lot of people accessed the files who could have known the killer's M.O. And they could have gossiped about it. You don't need to do this! No one knows it's you. I didn't know it was you until...." She stumbles on the words. "Until you took us. You don't need to do this."
"You're not that stupid," he says chillingly. "Of course we need to do this. I want a list...everyone who knows."
Keith interrupts, "Are you really going to kill everyone Veronica told? And everyone they told? When does it stop?"
"Shut the fuck up, I'm trying to think," Carney yells. "Who did you tell, Veronica?"
Veronica tries to stall, staring at him nervously as she tries to think what to say to him.
Liam snorts. "She needs some motivation." He walks over to Logan and rips off the tape on his mouth. "I think this guy screaming might make her a little more cooperative. Stupid fuck," he says contemptuously, and he punches Logan hard in the nose.
Logan is rocked by the blow; his nose streams bright red blood, and he shakes his head trying to clear it so he can breathe. "Ah!!...Shit!...why the fuck do you hate me so much anyways?" Logan asks bitterly, his voice ragged and strained. He takes a snuffling breath and says rashly, "Why the hell did you set me up for Felix's murder? Why didn't you just let the case die? No one would have ever cared about a Mexican gang member killed in a knife fight, and the sheriff wasn't looking into it. What did I ever do to you anyways?"
"Not you...your bastard father."
"Aaron?" Veronica can't help asking. "What did Aaron do to you?"
Liam sneers, "About twenty-five years ago, I delivered some drugs to a wild party up the PCH...it was just after he filmed 'The Long Haul': Echolls was throwing a party, with all sorts of Hollywood types and a couple young girls—fourteen years old, sweet young things. One of them had really nice tits, a cute ass, and a heavy buzz on even before I got there. I remember the dirty fuck had her on his lap; he was holding a joint to her lips and teaching her how to inhale...with his hand halfway up her skirt. I guess Echolls forced her to have sex with him later that night. The next day, the girl accused him of rape."
Veronica glances at Logan. He's shell-shocked: even knowing intimately and explicitly just how evil Aaron was, the details still have the capacity to rock him to his core.
Liam whoops at Logan's dumbfounded expression. "You didn't think Lilly Kane was the first young girl he fucked, did you? I thought I was gonna bust a gut laughing when he finally got nailed for that one." He throws his head back and sniggers at Logan, enjoying the boy's fury. Finally, he continues, "So...when this girl started crying rape the next day, Echolls immediately tried to blame me...he said the girl was drunk, and he claimed he saw me take her into a bedroom. I had a record, only bullshit stuff, but it didn't matter...he was the big star, and I was the low-life mick drug dealer with a couple misdemeanor convictions. He must have paid off the girl, because she changed her story and said it was me. Five years in Chino because that cocksucker couldn't keep his dick in his pants." He laughs harshly. "Yeah, your dad was a hell of an actor."
Logan says intensely, "Don't you know I hate him too?"
"I don't give a fuck! I swore I'd make him pay, someday. Then you were stupid enough to be on the Coronado that night when Thumper took out Felix...." Liam shrugs. "I really enjoyed watching you squirm that year. My girl Kendall gave me all the details...while she was making you think you were God's gift to women. Hah!" Liam shakes his head incredulously. "As if you could satisfy a woman like Kendall."
Veronica says bitterly, "Your girl Kendall? You mean the girl you murdered. Nice way to treat a girl...but I guess murder's what you should expect if you get involved with the Fitzpatricks."
"I didn't kill Kendall," Liam replies. "I don't know who did, but they did me a huge favor."
Logan says, "Bullshit."
"Nope...didn't kill her. Wish I had...I really wanted to kick her ass after that crap she pulled on me with the Phoenix Land Trust. Stupid bitch, didn't know when she had it good," he muses. "Yeah...somebody did me a big favor killing Kendall. Why do you think we killed Hannah Griffith?"
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Bound and Determined
Wallace stumbles on a clue; the conspiracy
starts to fall apart; Liam and Carney confront
Veronica; Kevin Carney makes a deal.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Wallace: Percy Daggs III. Eli: Francis Capra.
Leo: Max Greenfield. Dick: Ryan Hansen.
Agent Carney: Jason Isaacs. Liam Fitzpatrick:
Rod Rowland. Cliff: Daran Norris. Mike Fields:
Michael Trucco. Sacks: Brandon Hillock. Kevin
Carney: Noel Fisher. Sheriff: William Sadler.
Rio Linda Deputy #1: Ryan McPartlin. Frank:
Stephen Dorff. Mel: George Gerdes.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX: "BOUND AND DETERMINED"
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA
Wallace tries to ignore the panic he feels as each minute goes by without word from Veronica. He keeps looking at his cell and willing it to ring before tearing his attention back to the computer screen. Using all the tricks that Veronica has shown him in the past, he's obtained Carney's social security number and run a credit check. The report from Experian is pristine: too pristine, Wallace thinks. Nobody has a flawless credit report these days. Carney's finances reflect a high-level bureau level employee with slightly above average, but not ostentatious, spending. He has a very normal mortgage on a modest home in Los Angeles and has cosigned a car loan for his nephew. All his payments are made on time, for the exact amount owed.
The only blot on Carney's record is a lawsuit from ten years ago, settled in Carney's favor. Wallace looks up the case; it's apparently a personal injury claim filed against Carney, dismissed with prejudice against the party who filed it. Wallace notes the name of the attorney of record for the case and, almost by habit, runs the lawyer's name through several databases. He frowns: the attorney went to the same college as Carney, Santa Clara University near San Jose. It takes some work, but he discovers that both Carney and the attorney were in the same fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and graduated one year apart. Wallace calls a friend of Keith's at AT he explains the situation, and Keith's friend emails him Carney's telephone records. There are numerous phone calls to the attorney's San Francisco office.
Wishing that Veronica was there to help him, Wallace tries to research the attorney, wondering about a possible connection with Carney. The attorney is listed as a statutory agent for several offshore corporations whose principal stockholders are obscured. A search on the filings prepared by the attorney reveals that he seems to be a specialist in real estate trusts and holding corporations. Real estate trusts with hidden corporate officers, based in foreign countries, Wallace thinks. Perfect place to stash the proceeds of money laundering.
Wallace keeps digging, and after an hour of hard work, comes up with a list of assets owned by the corporations, including extensive real estate holdings in California. He prints out a list of the properties and heads over to the sheriff's department.
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Watsonville, CA
Frank nervously places a call. There's no answer, and he leaves a message. "Yo, it's me. Andy's been intercepted by our friends in blue. And there's a fucking Amber Alert for these people. What the fuck did you get me involved in? I'm out of it."
He terminates the call and throws the phone off the next overpass. Several miles ahead, he passes another roadway sign proclaiming 'Amber Alert', and he grimly speeds up, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and Thomas Carney.
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Sheriff's Department, Rio Linda, CA
Everyone is talking at once, and the Rio Linda Sheriff's Department is buzzing with activity. The sheriff is trying to get Mike and Mel's story, but they are constantly interrupted. The deputy walks into the sheriff's office and announces, "They've located the van, in Watsonville. And someone with connections called the Governor, and he's employing the Amber Alert system." He puts a stack of photos on the sheriff's desk and walks out.
The sheriff exhales. "That's a lot of juice. Mr. Jones, we have some photos for you to look at. Have you ever seen any of these people?"
Mel Jones looks at all the photos carefully. "Yeah, this guy," he says, pointing at the picture of Thomas Carney. "He came in my diner last January. He was asking questions about Meredith...you know, that girl those people said was really...what was the name again?"
"Hannah Griffith," Mike supplies helpfully.
"Right, Hannah. Yeah, this is definitely the guy."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Somewhere in the United States
Liam says scornfully, "Yeah...somebody did me a big favor killing Kendall. Why do you think we killed Hannah Griffith?"
"I don't understand," Veronica says, genuinely confused.
"Yeah, I needed Kendall dead. We had a bank account together in the Caymans: all the money we took from Casablancas...fucking millions, and I couldn't get it out. It was her stupid idea—a way to make sure we didn't screw each other over. It needed both of our signatures to get the money...or else a death certificate. So that money's been sitting there since she disappeared in the desert."
Once Liam begins talking, he seems unable to stop. "Last September one of my spies down in the Caymans told me a blonde woman was nosing around at the bank, trying to figure out how to get into that account. Yeah, a blonde bitch with big tits and an attitude...I knew it was fucking Kendall right away and figured that asshole Griffith did the work on her. Griffith was acting all squirrelly after I got back from the desert—real uptight, avoiding me. I thought it was 'cause he was nervous about the money laundering."
"But why did you kill Hannah?" Veronica asks, puzzled.
"I told Griffith I'd kill his family one by one if he didn't give me a picture of Kendall's new face. He tried to bullshit me for a couple months...I think he was afraid I would kill him anyway after I got a hold of Kendall's new face. Griffith told me he'd go to the feds with our money-laundering scheme if I didn't leave him alone. So...when Tom here stumbled on Hannah in Rio Linda, we upped the ante, showed him we meant it. The little fucker gave me Kendall's picture the next day...and he stopped talking about going to the feds."
"But you didn't kill Kendall. Of course not," Veronica says sarcastically. "So how did you stumble on Hannah?"
Carney says angrily, "Stop telling her this shit."
"Don't tell me what to do, dickhead. It's not like she's going to be able to tell anyone." Liam leans into Logan's face. "You know, one thing about Kendall...she was really good at fucking with your head. I bet you didn't know which way was up after she screwed you into the ground. She had a lot of talent in the bedroom." He breathes in, obviously remembering.
Suddenly Liam laughs brusquely. "Yeah, I hated your fucking father, Echolls. I was hoping you'd get your soft white ass tapped in prison the way mine was." He slaps Logan's cheek lightly with a sick smile on his face. "Pretty boy," he jeers. "Think the joint would have been tough on you. I was looking forward to telling your daddy how I fucked you over. Too bad he got himself killed."
"Go fuck yourself!" Logan whispers intensely. Suddenly he leans forward and bites Liam on the wrist hard, drawing blood, and falling off the seat in the process. Liam shakes his arm, trying to get Logan to let go. He pushes against Logan's head, screaming in pain. Logan kicks hard with his bound ankles and manages to topple Liam to the deck. Carney steps in and tries to separate them.
Veronica lets out a startled cry, "Logan, no!" But as Logan fights against Liam, she pulls her wrists apart, with her shoulder screaming in protest, and she unobtrusively starts to pick at the duct tape on her ankles. She watches closely, making sure that Carney's not looking in her direction.
Out of the corner of his eye, Keith notices what she's doing and immediately kicks out with his legs, knocking Carney flat to the deck. "Fucking asshole!" Carney yells. He struggles with Keith, and the four men tussle on the deck for several minutes before Carney grabs his gun and jams it into Keith's temple. Logan headbutts Liam one final time before Keith says in a stressed voice, "Logan, stop. Logan...stop, now."
During the fight, Veronica frantically gets the tape on her ankles loose; it's almost all the way off, and she's desperately trying to decide what to do next when Carney pulls his gun on her dad, and the fighting suddenly stops. She quickly pats it back into place and resumes her position with her hands behind her back just before Liam pushes Logan onto the seat next to her.
Liam is shaking his bleeding wrist. "You fucker! YOU FUCKER! You're going to pay for that." With his uninjured arm, he grabs Logan's hair and bends his head viciously back, spitting into his face, "I'm going to cut your cock off and shove it down your throat before I feed you to the sharks, motherfucker."
Veronica is completely petrified that they'll notice that the duct tape around her ankles isn't quite the same; she didn't have time to look at it when she had to abandon her task. She shakes with terror, completely frightened that all their lives depend solely on her. Her legs are trembling with the stress, and the tears run down her cheeks again...I can't do this, I'm not strong enough. Please don't look at the tape.
Suddenly Veronica realizes, horrified, that the piece of tape that had been on her wrists has fallen to the deck near Mac's feet. She looks toward Mac, trying to get her attention subtly, but Mac is oblivious. She tries to send the message: move your foot, put your foot on it, hide it.... Mac is keening and rocking back and forth in distress. Veronica's panic level is rising exponentially...think...think. She tries to press her leg against Mac's to no avail. Veronica doesn't dare speak for fear of attracting Carney's or Liam's attention. It's obvious now...there's no turning back. She needs to make her move soon.
Liam, holding his bleeding wrist tight against his torso, stomps down below into the galley, muttering to himself. Carney stares at her face thoughtfully, and she gazes back, frozen in terror. Keep focused on his eyes...keep him looking up. He taps the barrel of his gun on the palm of his other hand, almost playfully. Mac is now weeping heartrendingly beside her, and Logan is twitching and shaking. The blood running from Logan's nose and from a deep cut over his eye forces him to breathe through his mouth, and the sound of his agitated breathing and Mac's sobs fills Veronica's ears, ramping up her anxiety even more.
I don't want to die. Please...not yet. Please, I don't want to die.
Carney puts the barrel of his gun under her chin, pushing her jaw upward and her head back. He says calmly, "You're going to tell me everything I want to know. If you hold back, I'll make sure that they suffer while you watch and listen...and then, before I kill you, I'm going to turn you over to Brian. He's been begging me to let him play with you. You see, Veronica...there's no way I'm going to prison. And you're going to help me stay free."
Liam emerges from the companionway with a large band-aid plastered on his arm. He glowers at Logan, who glares back, unrepentant.
Carney glances at Liam and says, "I think you're right...Miss Mars does need a little more motivation. I've decided to give her a demonstration of our seriousness." He turns back and begins pointing to Keith, Logan, and Mac in turn, "Eeny, meeney, miney...moe," ending up on Keith again. "Yeah. The old guy. I don't trust him anyways."
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Neptune Sheriff's Department, Neptune, CA
This time, Wallace is shown into Sheriff D'Amato's office quickly. Leo, on the phone, motions to the chair opposite the desk. "Yes, sir. If I need anything, I'll be sure to call. And I'll apprise you of any developments." He hangs up and looks at Wallace. "Any idea how the governor came to be involved? He's authorized using the Amber Alert system to try to find them."
Wallace says, "Dick Casablancas...Logan and Veronica's friend? His mom's married to Schwartzenegger's business manager. He offered to contact the governor." He pushes the paper he's holding across the desk to Leo.
Leo looks at the list of properties briefly before asking, "What am I looking at?"
"These are all properties held by offshore corporations and holding companies with the same statutory officer. I think he's Carney's lawyer. So..." Wallace shrugs.
"So maybe these are really Carney's properties?"
"Maybe," Wallace replies. "When I looked at Carney's credit report, it looked a little too perfect. This lawyer went to college with Carney, and—" He breaks off speaking.
"What?"
"Carney calls him pretty often," Wallace adds reluctantly.
"How did you— Never mind, I don't want to know. I can get a warrant for the phone records myself," Leo muses. "It's good, maybe it'll be proof that Carney is involved with the money laundering, if we can trace how the money got into these accounts. But I don't think it will help us find Veronica and the others."
"Don't you think these properties should be checked out? Maybe he's kidnapped them and—"
Leo is shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I think you need to prepare yourself that they might already be dead."
Wallace is silent for a moment. Finally he says insistently, "You've got to try."
"All right," Leo replies reluctantly.
Sacks pokes his head in. "Sheriff, I've got Rio Linda on the line for you. And Kevin Carney's lawyer is here."
"Sacks, put Carney in interview two." Leo picks up the phone and listens. "You found Veronica's car....Really." He scribbles some notes. "That's...that's interesting. I have Mr. Mars' assistant here in my office. He's found some real estate that he suspects belongs to Agent Carney....No, none of the properties are in Rio Linda or Sacramento. Let's see...one's in Lake Tahoe, Mount Shasta, Rockport, Monterey." He pushes his chair backward and looks at a wall map of California as he talks. "Watsonville, you said? Anything in the van?...Okay, ask them to call me when they're done processing the vehicle. I'll pursue these addresses on my end. I'll be in touch."
Leo hangs up and turns to Wallace. "Veronica's car was found abandoned in Rio Linda, with no sign of them. No sign of foul play either, though."
He sighs and continues, "Before the security guards got arrested, they noticed a van that might have been trying to intercept them. And police have located that vehicle in Watsonville, California. One guy, driving the van, with no one else inside, and nothing in it. The driver's not talking, but they found a blonde hair in the back. They're processing the van now for other evidence."
"Watsonville?"
Leo scoots backward to the wall map and beckons for Wallace. They look at the map. Rio Linda is just to the left of Sacramento, in the central northern part of the state. Watsonville is on the coast, just below San Jose. Wallace stabs at the map. "Monterey's not far from Watsonville. See?"
Leo calculates driving times as he ponders the map. "We last heard from them around 3:30 in Rio Linda, right? You said Veronica called Agent Fields at that time."
Wallace nods.
"If they were taken around 4:00..." Leo exhales thoughtfully. "If they pushed it, they could get to Monterey by 8:00, or 8:30, and then...up to Watsonville...that'd be about an hour north of Monterey."
"Why Watsonville?" Wallace muses.
"I don't know. The van was picked up around 10:00. So it's possible." He calls the local police in Monterey and ask them to check around the property there.
As he hangs up, the intercom buzzes, and Sacks announces, "Sheriff, Eli Navarro and Dick Casablancas are here. They're insisting on talking to you...something about Veronica's voicemail."
A few seconds later, Sacks brings Weevil and Dick into Leo's office; Wallace nods a greeting.
Leo says drily, "You've got some serious connections, Casablancas. The governor?" He shakes his head.
"I just hope it helps Veronica and Logan," Dick replies, with uncharacteristic solemnity.
Wallace glances at him, wondering again what the hell was going on between him and Veronica.
"You said you had something for me?" Leo says abruptly.
Weevil puts Veronica's phone on the desk. "Veronica got two calls on her cell phone in the last twenty-four hours. One was from Duncan Kane and the other from Cindy Mackenzie...you know...."
"Right, Mac, the one in witness protection...the funeral. So? They're friends, it's not surprising that she'd call Veronica."
"Mac doesn't sound right," Weevil explains. "We think she was trying to send Veronica a message by calling her 'Ronnie'. It looks like Veronica listened to both messages—there's an incoming call from the prepaid cell she was using up in Rio Linda. Check it yourself...it's speed dial '1', her PIN is already programmed in. It's the second message."
Leo picks up the phone and listens to the voicemail. He listens carefully twice before hanging up. "What time did she check in to get her messages?"
Wallace says, "Around twelve o'clock according to her phone records. Let me hear the message." He takes the phone and listens to the message. He shakes his head and hands the phone back to Leo, saying, "Something's definitely up."
Weevil says, "We tried to call the number on the message, and it just says that it's not in service. It's an L.A. number. See for yourself, it's on the outgoing calls list."
Leo hits the menu key and 'send' and listens to the automated message before hanging up.
Dick butts in, "I talked to Veronica around twelve o'clock. She called me asking—" He hesitates, "She was asking about something to do with my little brother...something that she just realized." His eyes flick to Wallace momentarily. He explains to Leo, "You know, Cassidy?"
Leo nods.
Dick continues, "Veronica was pretty upset. If Mac was trying to send her a message, she might have been too freaked out to catch it."
Wallace suggests, "You know, you could probably get in touch with Mac through the U.S. Marshals and see what's going on. Maybe Veronica did talk to her. It's worth checking out."
Leo thinks for a minute. "All right. Thanks for coming in. If you find anything else, let me know right away."
As Wallace, Weevil, and Dick leave, Sacks tells Leo, "Carney and his lawyer are ready in interview two."
Before Leo can even sit down, Kevin Carney blusters, "How long are you going to keep me here? What are the charges?"
Cliff McCormack says to Leo, "They're so cute when they're young, aren't they?" He turns to Kevin. "Mr. Carney, I've explained to you several times that you should avail yourself of the right to remain silent."
Leo says abruptly, "Counselor, we found eight ounces of methamphetamine in your client's apartment, so it looks like he's going to be a guest of the county. And, as I told him, I've been making sure that everyone knows how cooperative he's been."
"This is bullshit!" Kevin yells furiously. "You're going to get me killed." He turns to Cliff and asks, "Can he do this? Can he lie to everyone and say that I ratted?"
Cliff replies, "I can't control what the sheriff does. Unfortunately, he can say whatever he wants, as long as it's not actually slander. And I don't think calling you cooperative rises to the level of slander."
"This is your last chance to tell me what I need to know, Mr. Carney." Leo stands up to leave. "Maybe you'll be lucky, and your bail bondsman will be faster than the Fitzpatricks."
"Wait," Kevin says.
Leo turns and stares at Kevin without speaking. Kevin whispers in Cliff's ear. Cliff shrugs and says, "See what they're offering."
Kevin announces, "I want to make a deal."
Leo looks skeptical. "What have you got to make a deal?"
"I talked to Uncle Tom last night."
"And?" Leo presses. "Do you know where he is now?"
"Unh-unh. I want a deal in writing. I want the meth charges and the bullshit accessory charges dropped."
Leo puts a piece of paper in front of Cliff. Cilff reads the document quickly and says shrewdly, "You're very prepared, Sheriff."
"I was hoping your client would see the light."
Kevin asks, "What? What is it?"
Cliff explains, "This agreement gives you immunity on the methamphetamine possession, and any charges for intent to sell, resisting arrest, and accessory to murder, provided that the information you give the sheriff is true to the best of your knowledge."
"It expires in five minutes," Leo adds. "Take it or leave it."
"Whose murder are we talking about here?" Cliff asks, reading the document again. He looks up, startled. "Veronica...Keith...Logan Echolls? Sheriff, what's going on?"
"They've been kidnapped and are presumed to be in danger. Kevin, you've got four minutes to decide."
Cliff seems upset and struggles to maintain his composure. "Mr. Carney, the deal appears to be in order," he manages. He glances at Leo, who puts a pen in front of Kevin suggestively.
Kevin looks at Cliff uncertainly. Cliff nods, and Kevin signs the paperwork.
"Where's your uncle, Kevin?" Leo asks.
"I heard him say something about getting the boat ready. He keeps a boat at the house in Monterey. That's all I know."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Lex Talionis
Showdown.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason Dohring.
Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Agent Carney: Jason Isaacs. Liam Fitzpatrick:
Rod Rowland. Brian: Scott Elrod.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN: "LEX TALIONIS"
Sat. 3/21/09 evening: Pacific Ocean, near Monterey, CA
Carney points at Keith, Logan, and Mac in turn, saying, "Eeny, meeney, miney...moe," and ending up on Keith again. "Yeah. The old guy. I don't trust him anyways." Carney motions with his head, and he and Liam drag Keith by his upper arms to the side of the boat.
Keith struggles, saying as calmly as possible, "Don't do this. Please don't do this." He tries to resist with his bound feet, dragging them on the deck to no avail.
"Shut the fuck up," Liam growls. "Should have taken you out years ago."
Carney yells up to the pilothouse, "Shut down the engines, Brian." A few seconds later, the engines throttle down to an idle. They push Keith up to the rail, and Carney says, "Say bye-bye to your lovely daughter."
"I love you, Veronica," Keith says, choking back tears. He looks behind him and tries to smile at her. "I'm so proud of you. Logan, take care of her."
Her dad is silhouetted against the dark night sky, with nothing beyond but the sea. No...no...please, don't let this be the last time I see him...I don't want to see this in my mind's eye every time I think of him. For a second, she closes her eyes, ridiculously trying to avoid this, trying to make it go away by refusing to look at it. And she is overwhelmed by self-doubt, certain that there is no way she will be able to save them. It's just not possible...how can I possibly...Dad...I'm so sorry. Please...somebody...come and help us...please help me....
I have to do it now. Now.
"Dad," Veronica breathes. She tries again to placate Carney and force a delay. "Please, Agent Carney, I'll tell you what you want to know. Please don't do this! Please don't hurt my dad." They ignore her, and she looks around the boat desperately. I need a weapon...something...they're so much stronger than me. Two of them...I need help. Behind her back, she clasps and unclasps her hands, trying to decide how to make a move...when to make a move. Beside her, Mac is sobbing loudly, completely out of control.
Liam and Carney push Keith over the rail into the water. They hear a loud splash, and Liam starts laughing. He points down to the water, nudging Carney, who nods approvingly.
No...Dad...No!....
Veronica pictures her dad, trying to keep his head above water with his wrists bound behind his back. They hear the sound of Keith's frenzied movements in the water. She feels completely nauseated, realizing that he can't possibly last long in the cold water with his recent head injury and bound limbs.
No one's coming to help. It's now or never. Now. Now.
About ten feet away, she sees a red fire extinguisher mounted to the bulkhead just past the companionway. She stares at it, trying to calculate if she can get to it and then use it as a weapon without being intercepted.
Liam takes his gun from his waistband and aims it at the water. "A little target practice, what do you think?" They hear three loud bangs as he squeezes the trigger, and the splashing sounds stop. Liam peers into the darkness, trying to locate Keith in the water. He fires wildly into the waves. "There he is...fuck! Missed him." Carney watches, enjoying the show.
Veronica bends over and releases her ankles from the duct tape. She sprints soundlessly to the fire extinguisher. She pulls on it sharply with her left hand, and the quick-release mechanism opens, freeing the device. Without hesitation, she takes five quick steps to a spot just behind Liam, lining up her right side with his back. Veronica swings the extinguisher as hard as she can from her left to the right, aiming the device for Liam's head. As her right arm reaches its full extension, her shoulder displaces again with an agonizing flash of pain, but the fire extinguisher makes contact with Liam's head with a sickening thud. She loses her grip on the extinguisher, and it clatters to the deck with a loud bang as Liam crumples, with his gun flying over the side. Liam lies on the deck, his body slack and unmoving.
Carney turns toward her in surprise, and she viciously kicks him in the crotch. Before he can recover, she throws her entire body weight against him and knocks him off-balance. She kicks his leg out from under him, and he hits the deck. Carney's head bounces brutally on the teak wood with a resounding smack. Using the heel of her left palm, she strikes him as hard as she can in the nose. Carney tries to get the gun that is tucked behind his back in his waistline, but suddenly Logan is there, wavering on his bound feet. Logan throws his own weight on top of the agent, and Veronica scrambles for the gun.
She manages to get it loose from his belt but loses it underneath him. The three of them roll around, with Carney cursing loudly and trying to inflict as much damage as possible. Carney gets the advantage and rolls her under him, with Logan clumsily trying to maneuver himself and using his body to try to knock against Carney. Carney bears down, putting his full weight and pressure on her damaged shoulder, and she screams. With a superhuman effort, Logan throws himself into Carney and pushes him off her...directly into the path of Mac's kicking legs. Mac connects with Carney's face, and he finally stops moving.
Veronica scuttles to the gun and takes it in her left hand. She crawls over to Carney and places the barrel under his chin, exactly as he had done to her a short while before. "Don't fucking move...I have no reason to keep you alive," she whispers intensely, gasping for breath. "Hands where I can see 'em."
Logan rolls to her, pushing himself with his feet. "Your dad," he pants. They listen, hoping to hear splashes from the water.
Veronica violently shoves the gun upward into Carney's neck and hisses, "Do you have a knife?" Carney stares back coldly, and she strikes him on the cheek with the butt of the gun. "A knife!" she repeats with hostility.
"Left front pocket," he finally replies, his fury barely concealed.
It kills her to use her right hand to dig in his pocket, with every nerve ending screaming in agony and the pain shooting from her shoulder throughout the length of her arm. She keeps the gun pressed firmly under his jaw and doesn't break eye contact with Carney while she fumbles for the knife. Finally it's in her hand. She uses her teeth to grasp the blade and open the penknife. Logan extends his hands to her, and she holds the blade steady while Logan moves his wrists until the tape separates. He takes the knife from her; she relinquishes it gladly and presses her throbbing arm against her side. Logan saws through the tape on his ankles and then goes to Mac and releases her. He walks over to Liam and kneels, checking his pulse. He shakes his head, and Veronica realizes she just doesn't care that Liam's dead.
Logan comes back to her and motions with his head toward the pilothouse. "Brian," he whispers. He rubs at his bloodied face without much effect.
She nods. "Try...Dad...please," she says incoherently, her eyes blurring over, hoping that the lack of sounds from the water doesn't mean what she's sure it means.
He nods. He kicks off his shoes and strips to his shorts as quickly as possible.
Mac whispers, "I think I saw some more duct tape down below."
Veronica nods, and Mac quickly and silently goes down the companionway. Logan slips over the side of the boat into the water, meeting Veronica's eyes momentarily before he disappears from her view. Mac returns with a roll of duct tape; she tears off a strip and puts it over Carney's mouth. He glares at her with hatred.
Veronica orders, "On your face, hands behind your back." Carney stares back balefully, and she says bitterly, "Oh, fuck this," and moves to pull the trigger. He breathes out and rolls over, putting his hands behind his back. Veronica mutters, "Tight, Mac."
Mac wraps the duct tape around his wrists, yanking his arms together as tightly as possible, and using far more tape than absolutely necessary. Veronica checks the result and nods. Mac tapes his ankles thoroughly as well. Veronica watches, thinking hard, with her eyes narrowed in concentration. As menacingly as she can, she whispers, "Bring your ankles to your wrists. Do it!!" She motions to Mac that she should secure Carney's ankles to his wrists, hogtying him. The agent looks significantly uncomfortable, and Veronica smiles in satisfaction. She kneels to the deck and quickly but thoroughly searches him, finding no other weapons. She takes his cell phone and puts it in her pocket.
Veronica whispers, "Help Logan. I'm going to get Brian."
Mac peers over the side of the boat as Veronica walks around the boat stealthily to the steps leading to the pilothouse. Mac strains her eyes and sees Logan diving underneath the water. He stays under for a minute before emerging to try again.
Veronica tiptoes around the corner and stops, listening intently. She holds the gun so tightly that her knuckles begin to ache; she consciously reminds herself to relax and focuses on her breathing. She counts to twenty-five, and still she hears nothing. She peers around the corner, but she can't see Brian. As quietly as she can, she places her foot on the first step and begins to climb. On the top step, she is suddenly able to see Brian's shoulder. She stops and holds her breath. She listens intently for movement and thinks she hears a faint sound. She closes her eyes momentarily to gather her courage before she rounds the corner into the pilothouse.
Brian is sitting down beside the steering console, obliviously reading FHM Magazine. He looks up, startled, and she points the gun at him and says, struggling to keep her voice steady, "Don't move. I've already killed Liam, and I'll kill you too if I have to."
He keeps his eyes on her and stays silent. She instructs him, "Put your hands up. Stand up slowly and walk down to the deck."
"What about—"
"Shut up," she replies.
On deck, Mac divides her attention between watching Logan diving and checking on Carney. She keeps glancing over at Liam, who is still and unmoving. She catches herself shaking and wills herself to be calm, but her body is uncooperative and trembles uncontrollably.
Brian walks around the corner, his hands held up in front of him. Veronica is right behind, with the gun pointed at his back. Veronica asks quietly, "My dad?" and Mac shakes her head. Mac grabs the duct tape and tapes up Brian as they had with Carney, hogtying him as well. Veronica cautiously searches him for weapons, finding only another knife. Before they tape his mouth, she asks, "Are there any other guns?"
He refuses to answer and spits at her. "Fuck you, bitch."
Veronica presses, "What was the plan? Where are we headed?" but Brian stays silent.
Mac goes back to the side of the boat and looks for Logan again. Logan emerges from underwater again...but this time he is supporting Keith's head above the water. He cries weakly, "Mac..." and goes underwater again.
"Veronica! He's got your dad!" Mac cries.
Veronica rushes to the side. Logan struggles to the surface, obviously having a hard time keeping Keith above the waterline. She looks around for a rope or a life preserver. "Dammit!" she swears loudly. She runs to the bow and finds a long line. Tucking the gun into the waistband of her pants, she fumbles with the knot, cursing her ineptitude. Veronica finally frees the rope and runs back to the stern.
Logan sees her tying the line to one of the stanchions. Veronica hands the rope to Mac, saying, "You do it. I can't throw it left-handed." Mac is about to try to toss the rope to him when Veronica hears him yell, "Stop!" His next words are garbled by the wind and the waves. Veronica looks at Mac helplessly. "What did he say?"
Logan yells again, and Mac and Veronica strain to hear his words. Mac turns to Veronica and says, "Loop, I think he's saying tie a loop." Demonstrating, Mac yells to Logan, "You want us to make a loop?" Logan nods; he and Keith disappear beneath the waves again momentarily before reemerging.
Mac struggles with the rope, trying to make a knot. Veronica takes the line from her and ties a loop with a two-foot diameter. She holds it up to show Logan. He nods and motions with his head, and Veronica passes the rope to Mac again. Mac throws the rope, but it falls far short. She pulls it back in quickly. Veronica suddenly realizes the problem and says, "Use the weight of the rope: gather up more of it, and then throw it." Mac coils the line messily and throws it again. It lands in the waves about five feet from Logan, and he swims toward it, managing to grasp it. He pulls the loop over his head and under his and Keith's shoulders.
It's obvious that Logan is close to exhaustion; he closes his eyes for a second. He yells weakly, "Pull!"
Veronica looks at Mac. "You've got to do most of the work, Mac. I can't use my right arm at all now." Her right arm is hanging limply by her side; she thinks that she would have passed out by now without all the adrenaline coursing through her system.
Mac pulls hard, but she too is weakened. Veronica realizes she may not have even eaten for two days, and Mac makes little progress against the forceful waves. She grabs Mac around the waist with her left arm, and the two of them strain and struggle to pull in the line. Finally they draw Logan and Keith beside the boat.
Logan slips the loop from under his arms and ties an additional length of line around Keith's torso before attempting to get out of the water. With Mac's help, he finally heaves himself up and out of the water. Gasping for breath and shivering with cold, he and the girls maneuver Keith out of the water and onto the deck.
"Dad...Dad!" Veronica exclaims worriedly. "Is he breathing? Logan, did he get shot?"
Logan, still out of breath, shakes his head. "Don't think so. Mac, go below and get us all the blankets you can find. Veronica...you need to do mouth-to-mouth...I'll do compressions."
They lay Keith flat on the deck and take their positions. Veronica tilts Keith's head back and breathes in two slow breaths. Logan positions his hands on Keith's chest and chants quietly, "And one, and two..."
Mac reappears with blankets. When Logan takes a break from the compressions so Veronica can breathe for Keith, he arranges the blankets on top of Keith. He starts pumping up and down again on Keith's chest, and Veronica says, "Logan...you're shivering."
"I can do it," Mac offers. "You have to get warm, Logan."
On the next break for the rescue breaths, Logan helps Mac get in position and watches her until she gets the hang of doing compressions. When he's satisfied, he grabs his clothes and gets dressed. Logan says, "I'm going to call for help."
He goes up to the pilothouse and turns the VHF radio to channel sixteen. "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday." Glancing at the metal identification plaque on the steering console and the GPS, he continues, "This is the vessel Busted Flush. I repeat, Mayday. Our position is 26.58 Latitude by 122.65 Longitude. We need immediate assistance for a medical emergency. We have one dead, one unconscious; we need police and medevac. Seven people on board. Mayday." There is no response, and Logan repeats the message.
"Come in, Busted Flush. This is the Coast Guard, we read you, medical emergency. Can you give me your name and the names of the passengers?"
"Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars, Keith Mars, Cindy Mackenzie, Thomas Carney, Liam Fitzpatrick, and Brian...I don't know his last name. This is a police matter, I repeat, we require law enforcement assistance."
There is a sudden silence, and Logan panics. He triggers the radio button again, "Do you read me? This is Logan Echolls on the vessel Busted Flush. Mayday."
"We read you. The Coast Guard is in your area. They've been searching for you. Is the ship's captain injured? Is your vessel underway?"
"The captain is not able to operate the vessel. I'm an experienced sailor and the vessel is operable, but I am not familiar with the area."
"Set your course as follows, and the cutter Matagorda will intercept you." Logan follows the instructions and engages the engines.
Down on the deck, Keith takes a gasping breath and pukes up a large quantity of seawater, with most of it going onto Veronica. Veronica begins to cry in relief. Keith's eyes flutter open and close again. She tucks the blanket tightly around him and checks his pulse. "Weak, but steady. He's so cold," she reports to Mac in a quavering voice. She counts his respirations, still worried. The boat begins to move, and Veronica says, "Go see what's happening, Mac."
"You did it, Veronica," Mac says quietly. "I don't know how you did it. I can't believe how brave you are."
The Coast Guard meets up with them a half-hour later. The paramedics determine that Keith is in stable condition and transport him to the Coast Guard cutter. When they are all finally safe on the Coast Guard vessel, Veronica collapses into Logan's arms and refuses to speak. The paramedics attempt to examine her, but she shakes her head. She buries her face into Logan's shoulder as he gently rocks her and murmurs, "It's over, it's over."
lex talionis-An eye for an eye; Retribution