Chapter Fifty-Seven

Keith had been unable to reach Weevil but he'd woken Wallace and gotten Leo out of bed. Leo was on his way down to the station to put out an APB on a petite blonde female in her mid to late twenties who looked like she could be more on the twelve to fifteen-year-old side. Wallace had stumbled around, stubbed his toe, and woken Mac up to let her know what was going on. Then he'd thrown on some clothes and hopped in his Camaro.

By the time they met up at Logan's place, Keith had received a call from Leo with some bad news. Weevil was in lock-up. Something about the wallet that had been found earlier that day. Leo and Keith had discussed the matter at length but in the end, there was nothing that either could do until the judge was available in the morning.

When Logan heard what had happened to Weevil, it nearly sent him into a panic again. He paced and ranted and looked like he was about to rip his own hair out.

Keith glanced at Wallace in concern. Wallace gave a silent shrug to show he had no idea what to do. Then finally, it was Dick who took matters into his own hands and snapped Logan out of it.

"Dude. You're making me dizzy. Stop with the pacing before I give you a purple nurple," Dick demanded.

Logan glared at Dick but he stopped, much to Keith and Wallace's surprise.

"Ok, so what do we do now?" Logan pressed, obviously still wound tight.

"We try to retrace her steps," Keith replied, "Try to figure out where she would have gone, which way she would have headed. How things headed south."

"South?" Dick echoed, "No offense, Mr. Mars, Dude, but we're in SoCal. You can't get much more south than that." Then he grinned and nodded his head like he'd had the best idea ever, "Not unless you head south of the border anyway. TJ here we come!"

Keith gave Dick a hard, blank stare. Wallace simply shook his head. Logan said sternly, "Dick, not now. The only we're headed to Mexico anytime soon is if we go there chasing Veronica."

Dick's face fell but then he shrugged and said in a carefree manner, "Whatevs. Your loss, all the way."

Shaking his head one last time at Dick, Logan turned back to Keith and asked, "How do we know which way she might have gone?"

"Well, we think of what would have been her influencing factors," Keith explained, looking in both directions up and down the beach. "What could have drawn her one way versus the other? What kind of mood was she in? Would she want crowds or solitude?"

Thinking hard, Logan said, "She was tired. Couldn't shut her mind down, though. Restless. I think she'd go toward the pier. Alone in a crowd." Slowly, he nodded, "Yeah. definitely alone in a crowd. That fit her mood." Looking down the shore, toward the pier, he murmured to himself, "Come on, V. Where are you?"

As they walked along the shore, they spread out, each looking for any kind of clue as to who might have taken Veronica or where she may have gone. They were just about to give up and head back when Wallace exclaimed from an area just ahead and to the left of them that was rife with beer bottles, seaweed, and waterlogged wood, "Hey! I think I found something."

Hurrying over to him, the other three men looked on curiously as Wallace pointed downward. There in the foliage was a small disposable needle. Keith and Logan frowned while Dick said, "Dude! How do you know that's not leftover from some lamer stoner guy?"

Logan shrugged and looked at Wallace and Keith before saying, "Hate to say it but he does have a point."

"Point or not, we need to take this in," Wallace said seriously. "It may be nothing but at least if it's something, maybe we'll have a clue what we're dealing with."

"Or who," Logan added dryly.

Keith responded by clapping Wallace on the shoulder with his big hand. "Good job, Wallace. Alright. Let's get this down to the station and figure out what we're up against."

When they arrived, they found Sacks and Leo deep in discussion. They looked up and Leo waved them over to ask, "Find anything?"

"Just this," Keith replied, directing Wallace to show them the needle he'd found.

"Hmmm…" Leo began, "We'll take a look but I promise you nothing."

"Fair enough," Keith agreed before asking intently, "Any chance I could see Weevil for a few before we skedaddle?"

A few minutes later, he was outside the infamous Neptune holding cell. At various times that cell had held Logan, Weevil, and Veronica herself. Keith almost wished he'd found his daughter there now. No such luck, he thought to himself. Then he rattled the bars and Weevil came to.

"Yo, Sheriff," Weevil greeted him as he rose and sauntered toward the bars. "How's it hangin'?"

Keith deadpanned his reply, "Short, shriveled, and always to the left. But I don't know what business that is of yours, Eli."

Wincing at the mental image, Weevil said, "You're killing me, Sheriff! After a conversation like that, do I at least get to be rid of this joint?"

"Afraid not," Keith frowned before asking, "What exactly are they holding you on? Don't tell me they found Jimmy Hoffa and connected his disappearance to you."

"Nope," Weevil replied, "Though I wonder sometimes if they'll try. They claim they got evidence I stole Sean Freidrich's wallet at the reunion. No idea how. I didn't even see the bastard while I was there."

At the name, Keith became more alert, "Any idea if he's come in to claim the wallet yet?"

"No clue," Weevil answered with a frown, "What you thinkin', Sheriff?"

"I'm thinking if Sean Freidrich wants his wallet back, he's gonna have to answer a few questions first," Keith replied, determination in his eyes.

"So I'm here till morning, then?" Weevil asked, displeasure and acceptance both clear on his face.

"Lamb isn't going to release you until he has to. If all he's got you on is the wallet, you should be out in the morning no problem. If it's more than that, have Cliff give us a call," Keith directed before adding, "Veronica's missing. You've grown on me, Eli, but I have to find my daughter."

Straightening, his voice filled with concern, Weevil exclaimed, "V's missing?! How the hell did that happen?"

"She was walking on the beach, alone, at night," Keith answered evenly, "Didn't come back."

Scowling now, Weevil growled, "Echolls didn't go with her?!"

"Let it go, Eli," Keith commanded, "From what I can gather, she was restless and wanted some time alone. He respected her wishes. He wasn't in the wrong here." The speech sounded canned, as if he'd been using it on himself as well.

"Yeah, sure, whatever, Sheriff," Eli scowled, clearly displeased.

"We'll find her," Keith assured him, "Just hang in there."

Back in the main lobby, Keith pulled Leo aside.

"Listen," he said, "Something's not sitting right here. The Navarro kid said that he didn't even see Freidrich the night of the reunion. What's going on here?"

"I don't know, Keith," Leo said with a frown, "But it's not just the wallet. Because of where the wallet was found and the other evidence they gathered from the scene yesterday, they've not only got him on petty larceny but they're holding him as an accomplice in the murder."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Keith exclaimed, "Ok, this is not good. Not good at all. How much do you want to bet it's Freidrich behind all this? He's framing Logan and Weevil and now he has my daughter."

"It's possible," Leo agreed with a nod, "But we have no proof. And we've already looked for him in the usual places."

"Then we look for him in the un-usual places," Keith said with cold determination.

"If he comes in to claim his wallet, you'll be the first to know," Leo assured.

"Appreciate that," Keith said with a nod before going back to the other men. "Gentlemen, let's go try to get some rest. We have a lot of work to do in the morning."