A/N: I really hate that I haven't posted earlier. I hope you all enjoy this! Thanks again to my Bond. Her advice and knowledge of the Horse Arena has helped a ton. A million thanks.

Chapter 12 The Park

It had been such a long time since Veronica had gone 'undercover' that she had the strangest case of nerves.

They'd hit a dress shop and purchased a new outfit for her on the way to Santa Anita. Bunk had whipped out his credit card and picked up the entire tab, from the hat to the dress to the shoes. Women always had to be a step above men in fashion wore at all times it seemed, no matter the situation. In a way, Veronica could have been annoyed by the double standard, but hell, it wasn't everyday a girl got some pampering, so she kept her mouth shut.

They'd decided that Logan should stay in his cowboy get up and keep his head down, so Veronica wasn't technically the only one to have to be dressed up in order to go to the races. Letting Logan come into the park was a risk, and they all knew it, but he'd pretty much insisted and Veronica had faith that he would be able to keep a low profile and not be recognized.

In all of her years living in Neptune, Veronica had never been to the races. As she and Bunk made their way to through the parking lot and toward the main entrance of Santa Anita Park, Veronica studied the other race-goers around them. No one looked familiar.

She looked covertly behind her.

"He's gonna be fine, you know. Nothing's gonna happen to him," Bunk said in her ear.

She slid her eyes over to him. "I'm not worried."

"I didn't think so." Bunk gave her a crooked smile. "Besides, worry has never gotten anyone anywhere."

They paid and went through the gate.

"Now where to?" Veronica asked, feeling a bit lost as she looked around at all the different people going in all different directions. Although Logan had told them which way to go once they got inside, she wished unexpectedly that he were with them to guide her.

"Head on over to the walking ring, I guess, and take a look at the horses that are up in the next race. Get ready to place our bets." Bunk took hold of her elbow and steered her toward the gated mini-track with the other spectators. "Come on, Sweetie, let's pick us a winner!"

**Break**

Dick led Mac through the crowd and toward the walking ring, where spectators were standing against a fence, watching the racehorses being lead in a loop around a large statue of a horse. Earlier, Mac had worried about being overdressed, but now she was glad she'd decided to go with the light floral dress and ballet flats. Although the flats weren't flashy compared to other women's fancy heels, they fit in well enough; plus she was able to walk in the dirt easily. She'd initially felt silly bringing the hat along; but Dick hadn't been lying earlier when he'd told her it was perfect. Every woman around her wore one, and it was easy to see that Mac fit right in as the requisite eye candy for Dick.

Which was precisely their goal. If Mac looked as if she were Dick's date, no one would think twice about her, and she could easily watch for Sean. Mac looked about the crowd nonchalantly. She felt as if he might materialize out of nowhere beside them.

As they neared the fence, Dick said to her, "Pick your favorite horse, Mac. I'll place a bet for ya." Still holding her hand, Dick pointed to a Thoroughbred trotting by. "Word is that there's fierce competition in the next race coming up."

"I can place my own bet, thank you," Mac told him, her eyes captivated by the sleek-looking horse adorned with flashy silks that matched his jockey's. She knew nothing about horses, but she could tell that the creatures before her were quite special. There was just something horses that could be easily defined as magnificent. She leaned into Dick and murmured, "But don't you think we should go find Sean?"

"You told me to do what I always do, Mac. If you want me to act normal, this is normal." He nudged her. "Pick a horse."

He was right; they did need to act normal. She watched the horses being led around and smiled. Each really did seem to have its own distinct personality. The excitement seemed to be radiating off of them all in anticipation of their upcoming race.

"Do you normally bring women to the tracks?" she heard herself ask, but, quickly realizing how she sounded, she backpedaled by sputtering, "I mean, not that it matters to me, but we're going for normal here and if it's not normal then—"

"Mac, relax," Dick interrupted her with a big grin. "No one will think twice about you being my date. You're hot, you're here, and you're mine. End of story."

His words sent a jolt down her spine. Not looking at him, she pointed to a pretty little filly scampering by. "I like that one. What's her name?"

"Er…" Dick mumbled, squinting to get a better look and then checked his Daily Racing From. "That one's named Algorithm Strider. Fitting."

"I like her," Mac said. She turned to him, "Which one are you gonna bet on?"

"Oh…I'm gonna let you have this one. I told ya, I'm betting on the last race. Let's go on up to the betting counter and get a ticket."

They turned to make their way into the large building that lead to the tracks and as they did so, a woman in a pretty yellow dress with a matching hat caught Mac's eye. She looked closer and realized why when the woman's blue eyes zeroed in on hers.

Veronica nodded her acknowledgement and Mac gave a very slight, startled smile back when she and Dick passed her. There was an older man with her friend; Mac felt Dick tense beside her as they brushed past the other two.

Starting down the walk, Mac whispered, "Do you know who that is with her?"

"I do," Dick answered, "And if he's involved, Logan's more worried than I thought."

**Break**

Logan entered through the Grandstand turnstile alone and checked his phone. Veronica had installed Mac's tracker app on it earlier so that he could split from her and Bunk remain in the loop. The three of them had split up earlier, and Logan had dawdled his way through the parking lot long after the other two had left him.

He already knew what bet he wanted to place, so he made his way to electronic betting station. He pulled out the credit card that Bunk had handed him, swiped it, made the necessary requests to place his bet, and waited for the ticket to spew out of the machine. Keeping his head down, Logan stuffed the ticket into his wallet and made his way to the general seating after checking his phone one last time. Most people were on the Infield milling about or in the walking ring looking at the horses and their jockeys, but Logan had no time for that. He wanted to get his place in the grandstands as quickly as possible before he had to fight for a spot to sit. It was imperative that he have a clear view of the box seats, because that's where he figured Sean would be.

Pulling the cowboy hat down lower on his head, Logan kept a steady pace to the stands. He made no eye contact as he started up the stairs, feigning interest in finding a place to sit while keeping an eye out for Sean. The beacon on his phone wasn't helping as much as he'd hoped; it didn't seem to show altitude. Maybe Mac knew the secret to get the location more precise, but Logan sure didn't. Giving up on the phone, Logan found an empty spot and sat down, carefully pulling his jacket he wore tighter into him, giving his now aching arm the support it needed and then opened the racing schedule to pretend to look at it.

***Break***

There were people everywhere. The crowd was thick. "Let's go upstairs. I want to place the bet at the Club House level betting bar," Dick said she placed a hand on the small of Mac's back and pushed her toward the stairs.

Because Dick was Club House patron, he had a box seat reserved on the mezzanine deck. It was a kind of VIP club for bidders, those who wanted to spend the extra money so that they could have room to spread out and not have to sit by complete strangers. Dick had informed her that Sean sometimes paid to have the privacy as well, but that it wasn't a given. Sometimes he'd found that it was better to be over in the Grandstands area because that was where a person could get the lowdown on which horses were favored for a race. The plan was to walk up to the Mezzanine and then head to the Grandstand while looking for Sean. But before they could do that, Dick needed to place the bet.

Dick gave her an assessing look. "Now. Tell me. How much do you want to place on Algorithm Strider?"

She returned his look. "I have…" she squint her eyes and gave him an impish grin as she dug into her clutch, "five dollars. Go to town with it. Knock yourself out." She pulled the money out and waved it at him.

He blew out a breath and shook his head. "You're killing me, Smalls." He looked as if he might refuse her money, but at the last minute, Dick suddenly pulled her into an empty spot against a wall and gave her a stern look. Gingerly, he plucked the Lincoln from her fingers. "Wait right here. I'll go place your bet and then we can work our way to my box." With a last look, he turned and headed off toward the betting counter.

"Thank you!" she called out after him. He raised a hand in acknowledgement, but didn't slow down. She turned in a circle and pulled out her phone to locate Sean.

**Break**

I'm in the nosebleeds. Grandstands, top row, Section H. No sightings. Going for a walk soon. –L

Veronica read the text again and then slipped the phone into the pocket of her dress.

The crowd in the walking circle was a claustrophobic's nightmare. Veronica, alert as ever, didn't let it bother her as she worked her way through the people.

"So, sweetie, which of the horses do you like the best?" Bunk asked loudly beside her, struggling to keep up.

Veronica turned back and looked over at the group of horses. "Oh, Dad, it's just so hard to choose! Maybe you should choose this first race."

Bunk gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I kind of wanted you to pick one. But we better get up there, the race is about to start."

They walked through the group of people and then down the long walkway that led from the walking ring to the grandstands, all the while keeping their eye out for anyone they might recognize.

***Break**

Mac was frustrated. The beacon was showing that Sean was in the park, but she had no idea exactly where. When I get to work tomorrow, we're working on this issue, Mac vowed. Knowing the coordinates, but not whether Sean's in the basement or the top floor is unacceptable. She typed in some code to no avail and became even more irritated with the lack of more precise information.

Dick interrupted her efforts when he returned from the bidding counter. He handed Mac a ticket. "Here." She looked at it blankly. He gave her an odd look and pressed, "That shows that you bid on Algorithm Strider for the next race."

She took the paper and without a glance stuffed it into her clutch. Dick then handed her a schedule that had the breakdown of each horse, which she took and tucked under her arm.

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Did you figure out where he is?" Dick asked, pointing to the phone in her hand.

She rolled her eyes. "No. But I do know what my team needs to focus on now. Precise location."

"Bummer. Well, let's go see if my old-fashioned eye-sight gets us further than your geek-squad creeper-stalking." He pointed a thumb in that the direction the crowd was moving. "The race starts in ten minutes; we better hustle so we can watch."

"Wow, you know," Mac commented, "We're really not here for the race; does it really matter if we watch it?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "It's hard to not take it all seriously when money is at stake."

"It was only five dollars!" Mac laughed as they rounded the stairs that led up into the mezzanine. "I think you can relax."

"It may be 'only five dollars' to the cause for you, Mackster," Dick said as he let her go ahead of him, "But every bet has the potential of a high return."

"Says the man who once spent ten dollars per 09er girl's purity test result in order to find out which one was the loosest in high school. How did that investment go for ya?"

"Oh, shit."

Dick's tone stopped her playful banter and Mac looked back at him, concerned. "What?"

"Uh...nothing…Just put on your best date face," he muttered, not looking at her. Louder, in a false, friendly tone, he called out, "Seannie, my man! You came out for the races today, too? Good to see you!"

Horrified, Mac swiveled around to where Dick was looking to see Sean Friedrich pushing his way past the other spectators to reach them. She plastered a smile on her face as Dick wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him possessively.

They stood in the middle of an aisle and people were pushing their way around them. Mac felt as if she were standing in a spotlight and that everyone could see how awkward she felt. This was not what she had thought would happen at all. She'd assumed that Sean wouldn't take any notice of them, and even if he did, he would give Dick maybe a simple acknowledgement like a wave or a nod.

Sean had a very intent look on his face as he drew nearer and she could tell that this wouldn't be a casual meeting at all. He was tall, just as Mac remembered, but his features were gaunt from obvious drug use; his teeth were disgusting. In the bright light it was noticeable, and she wondered fleetingly why someone with money would allow their teeth to rot. The night before at the reunion, she hadn't talked to him or even gotten near enough to actually note any of this. Now that he stood before her, she realized that the past ten years had not been kind to him. It was obvious he'd lived a rough life.

"Dick," Sean all but sneeered, his eyelids barely open as he appraised them both, "Who's this?"

The hair on the back of Mac's neck stood up straight when Sean's eyes penetrated hers. He positively creeped her out. She forced a smile on her lips and leaned into Dick, putting both of her arms around him, effectively closing herself off from Sean and giving the control over to Dick. Dick, in response, ran his hand up her bare arm, causing a lightning bolt to jolt through her. She was surprised to realize that his nearness made her feel safer.

"My lady-friend here is Cindy; don't you remember her from Neptune High? We ran into each other last night, man, and I couldn't get enough of her!" Dick looked down at her adoringly. "She agreed to let me show her a good time at the tracks today."

Sean grunted. "Hmmm…you're right to bring her up here. You two should sit with me in my box for a while, and we can shoot the shit. Unless…is Logan here with you, too?"

Dick was still looking down at Mac when Sean asked that, and his eyes widened so quickly that Mac would have missed it if she hadn't been looking straight at him. Recovering quickly, Dick glanced over at Sean and shrugged. "No, man, Logan went back to the base Friday night." He laughed. "At least, that's what he told me. Sometimes I just gotta let him fly, dude."

Sean stared at him for a moment, as if scrutinizing Dick's answer. Just as Mac was getting nervous that he wasn't buying Dick's story, Sean suddenly smiled a smarmy smile. "Well, that's good Logan's serving the country. Isn't he the noble one?" He gestured for them to follow him. "I'm over this way."

Dick looked down at Mac and shrugged. When Sean turned away from them, Dick said to her under his breath, "I'm a bloodhound, baby, I could sniff him out every time."

He slid his hand into hers and squeezed it reassuringly. She squeezed back in answer and together they followed Sean.

The mezzanine deck wasn't as packed with people as the lower levels, but it was still full. They passed every box seat on the row until Sean finally stopped abruptly at the end and motioned them into the last box. When she and Dick entered it, Mac realized there was already a man seated inside.

"Have a seat, lovebirds," Sean offered, pointing to the back two chairs. "Maybe later we can head up to the Chandelier Room. There's a chef in from Italy. Supposed to be ah-mazing."

They sat and the man already sitting turned to look at them as they did so. Sean noticed right away and said, "This is Manny, Manny, this is Dick and…" he looked at Mac and she inwardly rolled her eyes. "Uh…"

Good thing she had been hoping Sean wouldn't recognize her. "Cindy," she supplied, giving the man a small finger wave. Her fingers stopped mid-wave when she realized that she recognized him.

It was Manny Rose.

***Break***

Logan spotted Sean not long after he'd sat down. The seat he'd found was on the top row of the bottom of Section H, which afforded him a clear view of the box seats in Section G. For the past ten minutes, he'd been trying to figure out whom was sitting next to Sean, but the mystery man never turned in Logan's direction. Then, just moments ago, he'd just watched in fascinated dismay as Sean had approached Dick and Mac halfway up the Mezzanine. And then he observed with equal alarm, his friends following Sean over to his box seats, just below and to the right of where Logan was sitting. Obviously, the couple had been invited to sit next to Sean and hadn't known how to get out of the invitation.

But maybe it could work in their favor.

Sean's guest turned to greet the other two. Logan was ready with his phone, and he quickly snapped a picture and sent it off to Veronica.

**Break**

Mac had to fight to keep her eyes from widening in shock. In an effort to conceal her shock, she sat down in the hard plastic chair and stared out onto the track and let her mind race. She wondered if Dick had any idea who Manny was or if he'd ever met him before. Most likely not, since Sean had just introduced them as if they were meeting for the first time.

She stole a glance over at both Manny and Sean. The article she'd tagged for Veronica from Keith's inbox flashed through her mind. When she'd tagged the email, she'd briefly looked over it even though all she'd been asked to do was note the last few things Keith had opened. She remembered the main point of the article was that Manny Rose had gotten out of his sentence in exchange for handing over information. She wished now that she'd paid more attention to what it had said.

Discreetly, she pulled her phone out and sent a text.

**Break**

Veronica's burner phone pinged in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out. There were two texts, one from Logan and one from Mac.

Logan's had a picture attached. She swiped it open to reveal a grainy picture of a dark haired man with the caption, Familiar?

Not really, she thought but attempted to enlarge the picture. Unfortunately, that only served to make it more grainy and impossible to inspect. She swiped out of Logan's texting thread and opened Mac's.

Manny Rose with SF –Mac

Quickly, Veronica swiped back to the picture and looked closer. To Logan, she text:

Where are you?

Top row, bottom Section H. You? –Logan

Betting counter and then to the grandstands. –Veronica

I spy with my little eye an open row of seats. –Logan

Veronica smirked and quipped back:

No delay, we're on our way, so cool your cowboy feet.

She popped the phone into her clutch as she and Bunk moved away from the betting counter. They each pocketed their betting tickets and made their way to the stands.

"The best seats are apparently in Section H," Veronica told Bunk, motioning toward the entrance that led to Sections H and J. "We can see everything we need to from there."

"I'm sure glad we got some good advice, honey." Bunk placed his hand at the small of Veronica's back as they walked. "I wouldn't know which way to go."

They started up the stairs, and just as Logan had promised, there some open seats about half way up. After scooting past four or so people, they settled into the seats and then looked around.

"Quite the day, huh, honey?" Bunk commented.

The sky was blue, the wind was calm, and it was a beautiful day at the tracks. If she weren't working a case, Veronica could kind of see the appeal of the whole Santa Anita experience. The crowd tittered anxiously and people craned their necks in anticipation when the announcer came on, his voice echoing throughout the park. She could have easily been swept up in the excitement of it all if only she could relax.

Ignoring the booming voice over the speakers, Veronica casually turned her body toward Bunk and swept her eyes up to the top row, nonchalantly looking for Logan. Her dark sunglasses hid her eyes and the wide-brimmed hat concealed her face well enough that she felt bold in her search. No one paid her any mind anyway, and she found whom she sought quickly.

Logan sat on the top row of the bottom part of their section, just as he'd said. She followed the direction of his gaze and saw exactly what held his attention: the box seats in the section beside them. And in the closest one was Sean, with Mac and Dick. And Manny Rose.

She swiveled herself around and pointed out to the track, "Looks like things could get exciting."

"Do you think we'll win our bet?" Bunk asked, giving her a look that meant he knew full well what she meant by 'things'. "Those horses look like anyone of them could win."

"I don't know." She leaned in and informed him, "Our friends got a box seat…and are, uh…sitting together."

Bunk rested his elbows on his knees and nodded, looking down onto the field. "Speaking of those two…they sure looked like they were having a great time. Laughing and carrying on. Are they really together?"

The question caught Veronica off-guard. Without thinking, she replied dumbly, "Mac and Dick?" A laugh bubbled up out of her throat. Bunk was quite the matchmaker. "Not in a million years."

***Break***

Even though Mac was on high alert, Dick's excited energy was contagious. It was obvious that he truly enjoyed the races and knew a lot about them. She kept her ears open to anything Sean was saying to Manny, but she realized rather quickly that the two men didn't talk much.

"This race coming up is a sprint—real short and sweet. It'll be tight. Your little filly should do nicely," Dick told her. "We're close to the finish line; see it right over there?" He pointed, and she dutifully looked. "Algorithm Strider will be break maiden of her race."

"Break maiden?"

"Just a name for a horse when it wins for the first time."

"You're just lording your knowledge now," she told him with an eye roll. "Popping one's cherry on the race track shouldn't have a name."

He hooted with laughter. "Well, right now she is considered a maiden."

"Seriously, who comes up with this terminology? Only a man has to have a name for something's first time." He laughed uproariously and she grinned back at him. "Tell me some more."

"The lady likes sexual innuendo. I like it." Dick's grin widened and he promptly obeyed.

**Break**

The race had finally begun. Even though Logan normally loved the races, today he barely heard when the bell rang out and the horses skyrocketed out the gates. His attention was captivated by other things: one being the group to the right of him and the other being the pretty blonde a few rows below him. Every turn of her head would catch him, and he had to purposefully keep himself from staring at her.

Cowboy clothing sure didn't breathe. That's all he knew for sure. His feet were on fire and the jacket was stifling; he figured he was pulling off the look, but, God, his shoulder ached. He squirmed in his seat, trying vainly to get more comfortable.

What a whiner he'd become.

Instead of watching the horses run along the backstretch, Logan typed a text:

I see you found me. Where to next?

Oh, I'm disappointed. No rhyme time? –Veronica

When he read that, Logan grinned and shot back:

What's lost's been found, do we stick around?

Better, butter –Veronica

I guess we're swinging from the Chandelier? –Veronica

Logan stared at that for a moment and then realization dawned. The Chandelier Room was an exclusive area within Santa Anita an area that he'd been inside only a handful of times.

You know you can't just go in there, don't you? –Logan

But I'm with B plus I'm special –Veronica

You may look damn hot in that number but I still don't think they'll be swayed, sorry –Logan

When she got that text, Veronica twisted in her seat and shot him an unabashed glare.

You've forgotten how I work, dear. –Veronica

Endearing nicknames now? Well, I haven't forgotten you're a Bobcat. Be careful –Logan

***Break***

"Smooth Sis is away well…but Golden Playgirl immediately pulls ahead, with Lucky Star falling back. Algorithm Strider is pushing in on the inside, edged out by Promise Of Spring. Then we come back to Golden Playgirl...Golden Playgirl still in the lead. Algorithm Strider has taken a strong hold, now…pushing hard from the inside. Forest Mist is now in the rear. Stuck in the middle are Jungle Storm and Smooth Sis, our early leader. And it's Golden Playgirl…Golden Playgirl setting a fast pace in the lead. In the second spot is Algorithm Strider followed by Promise of Spring. On the outside of Promise of Spring is Lucky Star."

The roar of the crowd was deafening as the horses rounded the last stretch and made their way to the finish line. Mac stood up along with everybody else to watch, a strange adrenaline pumping through her blood as the announcer's voice became more excited and rushed as the horses neared to the finish. She popped on her tippy-toes to try and see over Sean, just now realizing that she was too short and he was too tall to see over.

"Do you want me to put ya on my shoulders?" Dick asked over the roaring crowd. "You know I would."

"Just watch the race, perv!" She rejoined, elbowing him hard in the ribs when he reached out as if to lift her up. "I'm used to making my way in the world on my own two feet."

She ignored him when he answered glibly, "But you might enjoy it more in my arms."

The horses were neck and neck. Mac couldn't see the filly she'd liked so well in the midst of the horses, they all looked so similar.

"Here we go, approaching the last pole… Algorithm Strider is pushing in on our leader for the win. It's Algorithm Strider and Golden Playgirl neck-in-neck in the last stretch. Promise of Spring is pushing hard from the outside. Smooth Sis, making a valiant effort on the right, stuck in fourth. They come for home… Algorithm Strider pulls ahead…now a neck ahead…and it's Algorithm Strider. Algorithm Strider will win it!"

In a flash, the race was over, and people were settling back down in their seats. The announcer came on and the big screen flashed the winners' names.

"In first place, we have a break maiden, ladies and gentlemen. This is Algorithm Strider's first win of her first season. I see a great future for this filly. Algorithm Strider of Matrix Slider, ridden by Gary Stevens, owned by the Hicks Family Trust. Amazing win. As they make their way to the Winner's Circle…"

Mac looked closely at the image of the horse and jockey on the big screen. "That horse…doesn't look right to me, Dick. That's not the one that I pointed out to you."

Barely glancing to where Mac was pointing to the screen, Dick shrugged. "Eh, you probably just aren't remembering what she looked like."

"Dick! Of course I remember which one I picked! And that is not her!" She hit his arm. "I can't believe you!"

"What?" He looked at her with a smirk. "Tell me you wouldn't have bet on Algorithm Strider just based on her name? That filly you liked so much, there was no way she'd have ever have won. It was like Algorithm Strider was born for you to bet on. I just…helped you along."

"You're impossible!" Mac replied, unable to contain her laugh. He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. "How much did I just win?"

"Oh…you just made a pretty good sum. Do you trust me?"

She gave a look of incredulity. "Not really! You just buffaloed me into betting on a horse I'd never seen."

"Pshaw! You'll get over it. Did you even look at the betting ticket I handed you?"

"Erm…no…"she said, guiltily pulling it out of her purse.

"Well, I parlayed the bet. We got another couple races to go until we know how you did."

She looked closely at the betting ticket and sincerely wished she understood what she was looking at. "What have you done to me?"

"Just relax and let the Dickster handle the fun, I've got skills, baby."

**Break**

Logan watched the group of four in the box next to him as they stood up and made their out of the box in the direction of the Chandelier Room.

Below him, Veronica and Bunk stood up together and pushed their way through the row of people and out onto the aisle, then slowly made their way down the stairway.

He didn't want to sit here and watch while the races switched out, so he too stood up and checked his phone at the same time. The money was moving across the Section H just as Sean was. So, down the stairs Logan went, keeping a steady distance from Veronica and Bunk.

Veronica seemed to think she was going to have no problem getting into the Chandelier Room. Experience told Logan that it was easier said than done. They hadn't paid or entered through the Club House entrance, and therefore getting admittance to that side of the park was going to be tricky. Veronica was nothing if she not cocky. She'd always been that way, bulldozing her way through situations as if she belonged. And hell wouldn't have it if she were denied what she wanted.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope everyone has a great New Year! Reviews are always welcome!