Chapter 13: A New Suspect

Logan drove towards the Neptune Grand, Veronica messing with the radio dial in the passenger seat.

"Will you please just pick a station?" Logan pleaded, after she changed it for the fourth time in the span of 10 minutes.

"I'm sorry. I'm very picky about my musical selections." Veronica defended herself, and Logan finally just pushed the power button, leaving them in complete silence.

"Where are we going?" Veronica finally asked, breaking the silence.

"My home away from home." Logan filled her in. Veronica took a short breath, and Logan looked at her curiously.

"There's probably something I should tell you, Logan." Veronica mumbled, nervous. She'd never had to have this conversation before. Duncan had never been alone with Veronica in a place with a bed for more than 15 minutes, hardly long enough for any suspicious activity to go on.

"What, my dear?" Logan asked, playing dumb. To be honest, he already knew what Veronica was going to say. Duncan had shared everything with Logan up until a few weeks ago, when his fling with Veronica had begun. They'd certainly been close enough for Duncan to share with his friend how far he'd made it with Miss Veronica Mars, one of the most desirable girls in their school.

"I haven't broken that pinky promise to my dad." Veronica decided to take the easy way out, making it so she didn't have to go full force and say the dreaded V-word.

"And you think just because we're going to a hotel room I'm going to force you to break that promise? Why on earth would I want you to lose that precious pinky? Or more importantly, why on earth would I want to lose my family jewels?" Logan asked, and Veronica laughed, relaxing a little. She supposed it had been rather childish of her to assume going to a hotel room meant sex, but honestly. Lilly had shared plenty with her about Logan, including the fact that he'd pressured her (okay, not so much pressured, but had willingly done it with her) and more than once. Veronica had been afraid of the expectations that came along with being Lilly Kane's successor.

When they arrived at the Grand, they climbed out of the car, giggling and holding hands, looking as though they'd been together for years rather than hours. Upon entering the Grand however, they saw someone that stopped both of them cold.

"Logan! I've missed you terribly! How have you been?" The woman came towards the two of them, smiling widely. She was older by a few years, and had chestnut colored hair, and was wearing a wide black hat.

"Trina. I thought you were in L.A., performing as "Screaming Prom Chaperon Number 4" or whatever in that crappy movie. Did they decide you were too terrible for them after all?" Logan sneered. Trina laughed lightly, letting the insult roll off her back.

"Well, I'm back in town silly! I've been here for a couple of days actually, but a friend of mine at Hearst was doing a little student film, so I stayed over there to perform." Trina explained. Veronica and Logan shot each other a look, realizing this meant Trina's alibi dissipated. She now was just as much of a suspect as before.

"Oh, I see. Well, has Mom told you?" Logan asked her, deciding to feel her out.

"Has Mom told me what? Are she and Dad getting "divorced" again? Because believe me, little brother, this is not the first time she's threatened. He'll buy her a pretty diamond something and it'll all blow over, easy as that." Trina drawled. Logan rolled his eyes, although Trina's statement was nothing but true.

"No, Trina. Dad slept with Lilly, and now she's pregnant." Logan informed her matter of factly. To Trina's credit, her mouth dropped open in shock, and she seemed 100% genuinely surprised.

"Logan, this better not be a joke. Because if it is, I will slap you right here in front of…why is she with you, holding your hand?" Trina had just noticed Veronica's presence, and she seemed just as surprised at this development as the other one.

"She's my girlfriend, Trina. That's the answer to both questions. And I would not joke about something as serious as this." Logan snapped, angry that someone else had joked about his relationship. People seemed to be having an extremely time believing that Veronica Mars had chosen him over Duncan Kane. It was too frustrating.

"Oh. Well, that's just great. Is Lilly keeping it?" Trina asked. Logan recognized the look in Trina's eyes too well, and aimed to curb her curiosity quickly.

"Yes, Trina. And don't go telling your friends at E!, because it might be this PCHer's. If it turns out to be his, and you told the press it was Aaron's you'd be s-c-r-e-w-e-d. And you know it." Logan warned her. Trina nodded, the light having faded from her eyes just slightly.

"Fine, fine. Between family, understandable. Well, you two have a nice night now." Trina said pleasantly, before wandering off towards the elevators. Logan shot Veronica a look, and Veronica shrugged, as though to say, "Let it go, it's not important." The two headed off towards the elevators themselves, lust filling their eyes as they waited to be taken up to Logan's room.

Back at the hospital room, Weevil and Duncan had both gone home, leaving Lilly on her own for the first time in hours. She rested peacefully, watching T.V. as nurses floated in and out of her room, checking on her vitals. They'd told her she'd be let out of the hospital tomorrow, the first good news she'd gotten in a while. Lilly had to make an appearance at school on Monday if she wanted to keep rumors from starting up.

Lilly looked around her room, and noticed something pale white blowing under the chair Eli had been sitting in. She looked at it curiously, before realizing it was a note. Her first thought was that it was a love letter from Eli, and she pushed the call button for the nurse eagerly.

"Honey? Are you okay? The button got pushed." The nurse walked in, checking on Lilly in her comforting Southern drawl.

"Um, I'm fine, thanks. I just saw a note under that chair, and was wondering if you could hand it to me. I think it might be a love letter from my boyfriend." Lilly explained. She always shared everything with everyone, having lost her shame at a young age.

"Oh, well isn't that just the sweetest thing. He must be so excited about this baby of yours." The nurse cried, and Lilly smiled in agreement. The nurse handed her the paper and left the room, wanting to allow Lilly some privacy. Lilly opened the note quickly, and read, her emotion turning from happiness to fear quickly.

Dear Mr. Navarro,

It has been brought to my attention you are quite possibly the father of Lilly Kane's child. For your sake, I hope this is not the case. However, it would be in your best interest, as well as Lilly's, for you to come out into the open and claim this child as your own. I suggest it to keep the integrity of the Echolls family name, as well as to keep Lilly unharmed. Lilly's reputation will only be slightly harmed from a romantic link to yourself, and your stock would greatly increase! This claim of fatherhood would not be enough to convince me to let the child be born, but it would certainly keep Lilly safe, if you catch my drift.

Sincerely Yours,

A Concerned Observer

Bile filled Lilly's throat as she read the note. She quickly tore it up, wanting to keep it from Eli's attention. It was a threat to her child again, as well as an attempt to force Eli into the spotlight, and Aaron out of it. She found herself hating the writer of this note and the other one more strongly than she hated Aaron, and she was glad she could be sure of Aaron's innocence when it came to this, as she was positive if Aaron Echolls was behind these threatening letters, she would make sure he died long before her baby did.