CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

She woke up early. Extracting herself from Logan without waking him took effort, but she managed it. Gathering everything she needed in the dark however was a little more difficult. She tripped over the baseball bat and bit back a curse. She waited, but Logan didn't stir. She scooped up the bat and leaned it against Dick's surfboard rack, pioneer in sports.

Veronica dressed quickly and scrawled a hasty note for Logan. Just a few hours, I'll be back before you miss me. Love, Veronica.

As soon as she was settled behind the wheel, she used her cell to call Wallace and got his voice mail. "Hey buddy. Start thinking college sports. Now I say, go Pioneers, and you say? Call me back with your answer, it's important."

Her first stop was the Hash House for breakfast. She got the original Farm Benedict; two basted eggs with smoked bacon, tomato, spinach, roasted red pepper cream and griddled mashed potatoes on a fresh baked biscuit. Eating it in the car while trying to drive was a nonstarter, she wolfed down her sandwich in the parking lot and drove to Kinney Broadcasting. She walked in with the employees on their way to work, but there was no sign of Cara Murphy. When she arrived at her office, the receptionist was already at her desk, coffee in hand. "Is Cara in yet?"

The receptionist shook her head, "she's not coming in."

Veronica swallowed her disappointment, "sick day?"

"She took a leave of absence." A graceful lift of one shoulder, "I'm not so sure she's coming back."

"Do you know when she put in for the leave?"

She opened the day planner on her desk and flipped through the pages. Replacement for Cara was written in block letters on the Monday after Veronica came to see her, two days after the shooting. The receptionist turned back a page to the week before and there on the Friday of Veronica's actual visit was the note: Cara, leave. She thanked her and returned to the elevator.

Veronica replayed her last conversation with Cara. Are you really pregnant? Is it Logan's? No, it's just… Now Veronica wished she'd made her finish that sentence instead of being so focused on whether she knew Marjorie.

This time she traversed the roads in the opposite direction, from Reveal to the Dunns. Two cars were parked in the drive. She drove past the house and parked midway down the street and then angled the rearview mirror for a view of the Dunn's front door. Hopefully, Philip wasn't also taking a leave of absence after the death of his sister. The front door opened at precisely eight-thirty. Veronica waited for him to drive off and gave it an extra fifteen minutes, before approaching the house.

In the same instant she saw recognition dawn on Karen's face, the other woman started to close the door. Veronica wedged her foot under it and started talking, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you, but it was really important that I find Marjorie before something bad happened."

"That worked out real well."

Veronica cringed, "please, it won't take long. I need to find the person responsible for Marjorie's…" She shied away from the word murder, "…death. Just a few questions, I promise."

"You were shot too, right?" Karen's gaze softened as she glanced at Veronica's belly and the rigid set of her shoulders relaxed. "Is the baby okay?"

Instinctively, Veronica's hand cradled her stomach, "she's fine."

"A girl? Lucky you. I wanted a girl, but needless to say, five boys later, and I was done trying."

"Five?" Veronica croaked. She was panicked at the thought of one baby and this woman was raising five. Her estimation of Karen Dunn notched up a few degrees.

"I guess it would be okay if you came in," she opened the door wider and couched her invitation with the words, "for a few minutes." Karen led her past the kid debris in the hall and down a step into the living room filled with more kid detritus. "Do you have any names picked out?"

Logan did in fact make her watch Easy Rider again last night and the name popped out, "Wyatt."

"For a girl?" Veronica sighed. She supposed she was just going to have to get used to people asking that question.

"My…husband." The word, which fell so easily from her mouth when she was lying to Mr. Misanthrope, felt weird on her tongue now when it was a real possibility. "Big Easy Rider fan."

Karen made a face, but she withheld her comments. "I'm sorry for the mess," she busied herself picking up a stray sock, a soccer uniform, a windbreaker, and a pair of cleats. "Boys tend to shed as they go."

"Men too."

Karen gave her a slight laugh. She looked down at the pile of clothes she'd collected, now unsure what to do with them, and dumped them on the sofa before sitting down. "What do you want to know?"

Veronica eyed the matching sofa opposite Karen. It was a formidable, industrial strength sized couch. It has to be with five boys climbing all over it. She sat on the edge. "What can you tell me about Marjorie's friends?"

Karen's mouth twisted, "that she didn't have any. She had men and I wouldn't exactly call them friends." A loud sigh, "Marjorie is, was, a…troubled. She liked men. I don't know if that's the right word, she liked them, but she didn't like them. Does that make any sense?" Veronica nodded. "It might've helped if she picked guys with more depth than a kiddie swimming pool."

"The trouble last year with her ex? Philip gave her a gun?"

A startled expression crossed Karen's face. "I told him it was a mistake, but he's always been over indulgent with her. Truth be told, I think she viewed him and their relationship the same as with other men. What's in it for me? What can I get out of this?"

Veronica backed away from the subject before Karen started too far down the path of Marjorie's doomed relationships. "She grew up here in California?"

"Born and raised. The only time she ever left was for college."

"Go Pioneers."

Karen frowned. Not at Veronica, but like she was remembering something. "I guess you could call her Marjorie's friend, maybe her only friend. Poor girl. I was pregnant with, let's see end of 2007 right around Christmas, that would be my second son Cole."

She was hinting at us getting serious and asking me to come to Denver with her for the break and I was a dick to her…I've been using you as a distraction to get over Veronica. "Poor girl?" Veronica prompted.

Karen nodded. "Marjorie brought her here a few times. They met at Marjorie's job…"

"The Neptune Women's Clinic."

"That's right." Karen hesitated. Her expression said, if you know the story, why are you making me tell it to you?

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt you."

She picked up the thread of her story, "she was obsessed with my pregnancy, like strangely so; always asking me questions, wanting to touch my belly. It creeped me out to the point I had to ask Marjorie to stop bringing her here. That's when Marjorie confided in me that she'd just had an abortion." Your dad's death is that the reason you left Hearst? One of them. "I felt so bad, I told Marjorie to forget what I said and that her friend was welcome here any time."

"Did she come back?"

"A few times. She opened up to me about the abortion and the boyfriend. I got the feeling…" Veronica was afraid she wasn't going to continue. "He didn't know. The boyfriend? He didn't know about any of it, the baby or the abortion. She told me that point blank, but there was something about the way she told me. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it, her being friends with Marjorie and all."

"Please, whatever you can tell me, this is all very helpful."

A skeptical look, but she continued. "She seemed more disappointed in the failure of her plan. Like she got pregnant on purpose, hoping it would make the boyfriend commit to her." Sometimes I don't think he ever actually saw me. He had this way of looking through me like I wasn't even there. "I think she envisioned this scenario where she would tell him about the baby and they would get married and live happily ever after." It was so long ago and it wasn't like we were going to get married and have babies, right?

Veronica was having trouble concentrating. She kept seeing that sad, faraway expression on Parker's face. "She left for college?"

The change of topic threw Karen off and it took her a minute to readjust. "Yes. Parker, that was this girl's name, when she left to go home, Marjorie, went with her. Marjorie was always flighty like that. You're going to Denver? I'll come with you. She went to college for what maybe half a semester before she was on the phone asking Philip for plane fare to come home. Not much follow-through with…"

Veronica stood up. "Thank you. This has been…"

"Are you okay? You don't look good. Why don't you sit back down and let me get you something, water?"

"No, thank you." Veronica forced a smile, "I'm fine, really. Just tired I guess, this is my first day out and about since…" Her smile fractured. We were friends. Not her and Piz, her and Parker. Veronica thought about their positions on the beach. When Dick called her name and she moved she put Marjorie between her and the shooter. No, Veronica not the shooter, when you moved you put Marjorie between you and Parker. Parker wasn't aiming for her friend, she was aiming for you. You and the baby.

Her phone rang on the way back to the car, Wallace. She felt too exposed out in the open. The matchbooks from the kitchen, Trulucks, the Neptune Grand, Nico's Lounge, was Marjorie following her or was Parker? Veronica picked up the pace to the car and answered her phone, "hey."

"Go Pioneers? Since when are you interested in basketball?"

"Since always." Her attempt at levity didn't fool him.

"Are you okay?"

"Peachy. What do you have for me faithful sidekick?"

"Vee," he managed to communicate an entire sentiment in the one stretched out syllable: I know something's wrong. You don't have to make jokes, you can talk to me. This was why he was her best friend. When she didn't offer a response, he gave an audible sigh. "The Pioneers are the men's basketball team at the University of Denver and since I know you have no interest in basketball since ever, what gives?"

"Marjorie Dunn was wearing a Go Pioneers sweatshirt in one of the pictures at her apartment."

"Marjorie Dunn?"

"Man, we really have not been spending enough time together. I'll fill you in later, okay?" Veronica put the top up on the car. "I'll have my people call your people and we'll do lunch."

"Be careful Veronica."

"Careful's my middle name." She disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the seat. Get it in gear Veronica; a moving target is better than a sitting one. She started the car and drove. A few times she'd suspected Parker was the one Piz was seeing; her casual attitude about their contact when a stack of emails told a different story. The, are you seeing anyone? I was and now I'm not, conversation and her staying with Piz's parents for the funeral, but each time there was a reasonable explanation for it.

Piz, another man in Parker's life that didn't truly see her because he was too busy being focused on Veronica. She could just imagine Parker's reaction if Piz finally met up with her and told her even half the things he'd been writing in those unfortunate emails. You don't have to imagine her reaction, you know her reaction, she killed him.

Parker knew her. She knew that once she killed Piz, whether she framed Veronica or not, Veronica would investigate. Her planning was meticulous. Hand Lamb enough evidence to pin the crime on Veronica and give Veronica enough evidence to believe Marjorie was the guilty party. Then misdirect Veronica to Sacks.

Usually in a frame up the way to make it stick would be to kill the person being framed. Veronica could see the final move. Parker would kill Veronica and then Marjorie making their deaths look like a murder suicide, but something went wrong. It could be Marjorie disappearing, or Dick's presence at the house, but Veronica suspected it was neither. What fell apart was Parker herself. When she saw the newspapers and learned Veronica was pregnant, she went off the deep end.

Cara Murphy put it together. When Veronica first met her, she really didn't know who Piz was seeing. Until she saw Marjorie with Parker? Did one of the two of them confess to her? Or did she see Parker's reaction to the news that Veronica was going to have Logan's baby?

Veronica turned the car around and headed south. When Mac mentioned the small mortgage on a condo in San Diego, Veronica paid no attention to it. It wasn't odd for Cara to own a condo, but it wasn't the condo itself, it was the location. Reveal's offices here were temporary. They were headquartered up near San Francisco. It still wasn't strange for Cara to own real estate down here, but Veronica was hoping it was an investment property. She was hoping it was not a place she lived, but a place she would go to hide out.

Her phone rang and Veronica hit the hands free button, "hello?"

"Veronica it's Jimmy Kincaid. I'm sorry I'm late, things here got a little crazy this morning." A crazy morning? Me too, Jimmy, me too. "The name of the company that hired me was Cap-à-pie." The way he pronounced it, kappa pie, made it sound like a Greek fraternity. "Their offices are in La Jolla. Do you want the address?"

"No Jimmy, I've got it, but thanks." The phone beeped, signaling another incoming call.

"Anytime and if you ever need any audio/visual equipment…"

"I know who to call." Veronica hung up and hit the button again, "hello?" Whoever was trying to reach her was gone.

She pulled on to the side of the freeway and waited ten minutes. If anyone was following her they would either have to pull in behind her or continue driving past her. She waited for a break in traffic and pulled out. To be on the safe side she took the next exit and coasted down the ramp, her eyes on the rearview mirror. No one followed her from the freeway. She took a lazy, circuitous route through the streets and doubled back. She pulled over one more time and watched the cars. Veronica found her phone and checked the missed calls, Dick Casablancas. Guess you didn't make it home before he missed you. She dialed the office.

"Mars Investigations."

"I need two things. First, can you give me the address for Cara Murphy's condo in San Diego and second, I need everything you can find on a company called Cap-à-pie." She used the correction pronunciation, ka-puh-pee and then spelled it for Mac. "They're located in La Jolla."

"Got it. Uh, Logan just called here looking for you. He tried you on your cell, but you weren't picking up. FYI, he does not sound happy."

Veronica sighed, "I'll call him right now." She programmed the address for Cara Murphy into the GPS as Mac read it to her. "Thanks, Mac." Veronica stared at the phone.

Logan. He was going to blame himself, for Piz's murder, for her getting shot. He was going to take the responsibility for Parker going crazy. Her heart broke. She didn't want there to be any secrets between the two of them. Secrets were not a foundation for a good relationship, but she really wanted to keep this from him. It wasn't his fault he didn't love Parker, just like it wasn't her fault she didn't love Piz.

She called Dick's house. His, "hey," was subdued.

"Hey, you. I thought I'd be home before you woke up."

"Um, Parker stopped by to see you."

The panic was instant. "Parker? Is she there now?" Silence. "Logan?"

"I love you Veronica." It sounded so final. She started driving before he finished saying her name.

"Logan? Logan?" She glanced at the phone; the call ended message mocked her. She wasn't far, ten minutes max. Please let that be enough time. Now she knew why Parker wasn't following her. She didn't have to. She knew exactly where to go.

The news update alert sounded on her phone; the alert from the baby monitor. Veronica held up the phone; one eye on the road and the other on the screen. Logan was backing up into the kitchen, arms out. No, no, no, please God, not Logan. Veronica saw the gun first and then Parker. "…can't have children now."

"I'm sorry Parker, I didn't know." Logan backed up further into the kitchen, leading Parker in a strange dance.

"Does it matter? Even if you did know, would it have changed anything? No, you still would have loved her, wanted to be with her, wished I was her."

Lie to her Logan, please lie to her. "You're right; I would've still loved Veronica."

"I hate you Logan Echolls, hate you."

"Did you hate Piz too?" He took a step closer to her, closer to the gun. No unnecessary risks, Logan. He was going to do something crazy; she could see it on his face. It was the same look he had when he took on Gory in the cafeteria. Veronica had to get to him, save him.

"Don't come any closer Logan or I will shoot you."

He shrugged, "so do it already. I'm sure you're busy, you know, things to do, places to be, people to kill."

"I'm waiting for Veronica," the color leeched from his face, "and this time I won't miss."

It was the wrong thing to say. He took another step toward her and froze. His eyes darted toward the camera and quickly back to Parker. Veronica knew exactly why he stopped, the baby. Logan Echolls finally had something he wanted to live for. She pushed down harder on the gas pedal. Veronica was going too fast to watch the phone. She put it down, but she could hear them. The hands free synched with the app and the tense silence from the kitchen filled the car's sound system. "Why did you do it Parker?" He asked the question softly. "I'm not worth any of this." Yes, keep her talking, buy time. I'm coming Logan.

"So full of yourself. It's not you, it's her. She doesn't really care who she hurts does she? Assumed I was a whore and let Mercer rape me. Walked away from you because boo-hoo you slept with Madison when you weren't even together. Left Piz in college without any real explanation and then went and broke his heart again. We could've been happy."

Veronica wasn't sure if she was talking about her and Piz or her and Logan. She wasn't even sure if Parker knew anymore.

"Veronica isn't like that Parker." No don't defend me; you're only going to make her mad.

"And now she's pregnant," she spit the word at him. "It's not fair. She doesn't deserve to be happy with you. She doesn't deserve any of this."

Veronica slowed down as she approached the house. She didn't want Parker to hear her coming. She didn't have a plan. She glanced at her phone. They were in the middle of the kitchen and Parker's back was to the entrance. If she went in through the front door, Parker would definitely hear her.

Veronica called her dad; she cut him off before he could say anything. "It's Parker and she's at Dick's house with a gun. Come quickly. I love you." Veronica couldn't wait for him, but in case the next few minutes went horribly wrong, she needed a backup.

Veronica got out of the car and left the door open. She took off her shoes and circled around the house to the back, staying low beneath the line of the windows. At the door, she checked to make sure Parker's back was still to her. Silently she opened it just enough to slip through. The baseball bat for the baby was right where she left it by Dick's surfboards. Veronica gripped it with both hands and inched toward the kitchen.

"I'm going to let her watch you die first. Let it really sink in that it's her fault, that your death is her fault."

When she was close enough to guarantee contact, Veronica raised the bat and brought it down on Parker's head. Pain exploded through her shoulder. The gun skittered across the floor and Logan rushed at Parker, tackling her to the floor.