Veronica lay sprawled on her bed, a book open in front of her, though she hadn't read a word. The house was too quiet, the silence suffocating. She hadn't gone to school; the thought of facing the stares, the whispers, was too much.
Keith stood in her doorway, his face etched with concern. "I made lasagne. Your favourite."
"I'm not hungry," Veronica answered, not lifting her eyes from the book.
Keith lingered, unsure. "I'll leave it out. You can heat it up later if you feel like it."
"Thanks," she replied, though food was the furthest thing from her mind.
He hesitated, then stepped closer. "You know I'm always here, right?" His voice was soft. "I know things have been... hard, with Lilly gone, and your mom leaving. And I know you didn't want to move here, but you didn't complain. I'm proud of you for that. You've been so strong."
Veronica forced a weak smile. "Thanks, Dad. I'm fine."
But they both knew she wasn't.
Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. Immediately a sense of dread pooled in her stomach. Her dad shot her a reassuring look before disappearing to answer it.
Moments later, Sheriff Lamb strode into her bedroom, a smug grin on his face. Veronica's blood turned to ice.
"Veronica Mars," Lamb said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "I'm arresting you for the murder of Lilly Kane. You have the right to remain silent…"
The rest of his words blurred into a rushing sound, like a wave crashing against her. Her vision swam, but she remained eerily calm as the handcuffs clicked around her wrists. Her mind detached, watching from a distance as Deputy Sacks stood awkwardly, while Keith shouted in protest.
Lamb leaned back in his chair, the smirk never leaving his face. "We've had two witnesses come forward today," he said, his eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction. "One was at the car wash. She says she saw you and Lilly arguing before Lilly left."
Veronica blinked, trying to recall the day. "That's not true," she said, shaking her head. "We were joking. It was stupid—about shoes. That's it. Nothing serious."
Lamb leaned forward, his voice dripping with condescension. "A shame Miss Kane's not here to tell us the truth. So it's your word against our witness."
Veronica's mind raced, trying to remember who else had been there. "And you won't tell me who it was?" she asked.
Lamb shook his head. "The second witness," he continued, "saw you running from the Kane estate around four P.M. on the day Lilly was killed."
Veronica's breath caught in her throat. "That's ridiculous! Why are they only coming forward now?"
"Good question," Cliff interjected, his voice edged with tension.
Lamb ignored him. "Two witnesses, Veronica. No alibi. Sounds bad for you." He leaned back, grinning.
Cliff shot him a glare. "The evidence is flimsy, at best. You've got nothing solid."
Lamb stood, smoothing his uniform. "You'll be in front of a judge in a few hours. Let's see what they think." He held a finger up as if ticking his points off. "Motive." A second finger raised. "No alibi." A third. "Two witnesses."
As the door closed behind Lamb, Veronica exhaled shakily. "Do you think I'll be able to go home?"
Cliff gave her a small, weary smile. "I think the odds are in your favour, Veronica. They've got circumstantial evidence and you pose no flight risk." Cliff hesitated. "But just… be prepared for anything, Vee."
Veronica nodded, though her heart was pounding. Anything could happen.
After the hearing, the tension between Veronica and the world seemed to solidify, hanging over her like a weight she couldn't shake. Keith squeezed her hand as Sacks crouched by her ankle, the cold metal of the ankle monitor snapping into place with a finality that made her stomach lurch.
"It's the best outcome we could've hoped for," Keith said softly, trying to reassure her. But his voice carried the exhaustion of a man who knew things were far from over.
Veronica kept her eyes downcast as Sacks finished securing the device. The moment he stood up, she yanked her jeans down, hiding the hated monitor. It felt like a scarlet letter branded into her skin, visible or not.
"So… I can leave now?" Veronica's words were clipped, her throat tight. The station was quiet for once, but she could still feel the eyes of the officers who doubted her. She had been lucky the restrictions hadn't been too onerous – a curfew, but otherwise she could still move around Neptune.
Sacks nodded. "Yes, your bond is paid. But you'll need a good lawyer."
Veronica knew her dad hadn't got enough to pay her bond, and had no property to secure it against. Her eyes flicked to Cliff, but she hadn't got the energy to ask.
Instead she changed the subject. "What about school?" She looked up at her dad, who gave her a worried look.
"We'll talk at home," Keith said gently, steering her out of the station. The cool evening air hit her face as they stepped outside, but instead of offering relief, it reminded her of how exposed she was. Even in the familiar embrace of Neptune, nothing felt safe anymore.
"I'll dig up old files, see if there's anything that can help us," Keith said as they reached the car. "We'll build a case so strong, they won't know what hit them."
Veronica forced a smile, but her heart wasn't in it. "Yeah, sure." The faux brightness in her voice grated on her ears.
Logan was spiralling. The door slammed behind him, the echo ricocheting through the empty house as he stormed into his bedroom. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms.
His gaze locked on the photo on his shelf - the four of them on the night of homecoming, frozen in a moment of teenage bliss. He picked it up, feeling the weight of it in his hand. The silver frame was cold, but what bothered him more was the smile on Veronica's face.
He grabbed the picture, feeling the cold, lifeless weight of it in his hand. The girl he'd once thought could do no wrong - sweet, innocent Veronica. The one who'd had Lilly's back through thick and thin. The one who had been the heart of their group, the peacemaker. But now… Madison's vicious words echoed in his mind, twisting everything he thought he knew.
Madison claimed she had seen Veronica and Lilly arguing the day Lilly died. She swore up and down it was the truth, dripping poison into every ear that would listen. When he'd furiously confronted Madison, cornering her and demanding the truth, she hadn't flinched. She swore on her parents' lives that she'd seen it all. Logan had been nearby that day, at the car wash, watching Lilly and Veronica from across the street, but too far away to hear their words. Was Madison right?
And his dad, while an asshole, had no reason to lie about seeing Veronica running from the Kane estate that day.
Whatever evidence the police had, it was enough for Veronica to be arrested and Logan could no longer hold on to his disbelief.
His anger deepened as he thought back to her other betrayals. First, Veronica had whispered in Lilly's ear about him kissing Yolanda, tearing the two of them apart. Had Logan been with Lilly that day, he could have protected her. But the icing on the cake came when she refused to stand with the Kanes. She could have proclaimed Jake Kane's innocence. She had grown up with Lilly and Duncan, and she knew Jake would never have laid a finger on either of them.
Unless… unless Veronica had something to hide. A way of pointing the finger away from herself.
With a frustrated roar, Logan hurled the frame against the wall. The glass shattered, sharp shards glinting on the floor. He tore the photo in two, his hands shaking.
How could anyone have hurt Lilly? The girl who had planned a surprise trip to Magic Mountain for his thirteenth birthday. The one who was soft but wild, an enigma wrapped in contradictions. Beautiful, but broken in ways only those closest to her could see. And now she was gone, and Veronica had torn apart the world they once shared, leaving only emptiness behind.
Logan collapsed onto his bed, his body shaking with sobs. Betrayal, fury, and confusion twisted inside him, threatening to tear him apart. He buried his face in his hands, letting the pain wash over him.
Veronica's resolve wavered as she stood in front of her closet the next morning, staring at rows of clothes that all seemed wrong. Pastels felt too innocent, too deliberate. Red and black screamed defiance. After what felt like hours, she settled on a striped turtleneck, hoping the neutral colours would help her fade into the background.
At the breakfast table, her dad eyed her warily. "You sure about this?"
She nodded firmly. "I have to go. If I don't, it'll look like I'm guilty."
"I just don't want you to—"
"I'm going," she interrupted, her voice sharp. "I need to face this."
"Do you want me to drive you?" he asked, worry shining from his brown eyes.
Veronica walked over to Keith and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. "I'll be fine," she promised.
The ride to school felt like the longest of her life. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white. Panic threatened to bubble over as she parked and stepped out, forcing herself to walk. Whispering voices trailed after her like ghosts. Her skin prickled as she felt every pair of eyes in the lot shift to her.
The first blow came from Madison. Veronica heard the sharp intake of breath before the words hit her.
"You've got some nerve showing up here," Madison spat. "After what you did to Lilly."
"I didn't do anything," Veronica retorted, keeping her voice even, but her heart skipped a beat.
"Everyone loved Lilly, and you were just the charity case," Madison sneered, stepping closer. "Did that kill you, Veronica?"
"Well, it killed Lilly," Sean interjected from the crowd, his voice smug. The words sliced through Veronica like a knife. She pushed past Madison, ignoring the exaggerated stumble that followed. But inside, her heart shattered, the weight of their hatred bearing down on her. There wasn't a single friendly face in the crowds she walked past, all staring at her with venom. The whispers rose into one loud voice, questioning how she had dared to come to school, saying she deserved all she got.
She spotted Logan up ahead, and a fleeting glimmer of hope stirred within her. He had always been her ally, her partner in crime - surely, he wouldn't believe these lies. She knew he was mad at her, but this was Logan. The guy who shared her passion for South Park and mixing flavours of ice-cream that Lilly and Duncan found disgusting. He'd spent an entire summer teaching her to surf, and had been one of her closest friends since she was twelve years old. There was no way he'd think she was capable of anything like that, right?
But when he turned towards her, his eyes were cold, dark with hatred. The air rushed out of her lungs, and she barely managed to dive into a nearby classroom before the tears began to fall.
Her breath came in short gasps as she pressed a hand to her mouth, desperately trying to keep herself together.
"You okay?" A soft voice pulled her from the edge. Veronica blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit computer lab. A girl sat in the corner, her hair streaked with a bright strip of green.
Veronica shook her head, the tears falling faster now. She slumped into an empty chair.
"Do you want some water?" the girl asked, rummaging through her bag.
"No… I just… I'll be okay," Veronica muttered, burying her face in her hands.
For a moment, silence hung between them, the quiet hum of the computers the only sound.
"I think you're brave," the girl said suddenly.
Veronica looked up, her tear-streaked face full of surprise. "You… know who I am?"
"Everyone knows who you are," the girl replied, her tone dry. "But not everyone believes the rumours."
"Thanks," Veronica whispered, blinking back the last of her tears. For the first time that day, she felt something like hope.
"What's your name?" she asked as she stood to leave.
"Mac," the girl said with a faint smile.
Veronica returned the smile. At least someone in this mess saw her as something more than a monster. "Nice to meet you, Mac," she said softly before she headed to the door ready to face Mrs Murphy's English class.
The tension at the 09ers' lunch table was palpable, even though Logan sat in silence, his usual snark and sharp comebacks replaced by a cold, hollow stare. Duncan sat beside him, equally quiet, the space between them heavy with unsaid words. Normally, Logan would have prodded Duncan about Veronica—pushed him to say something, anything, about his ex-girlfriend now at the centre of their group's collective disgust. But today, Logan didn't have the energy. His rage was simmering just beneath the surface, leaving him exhausted.
Madison's voice, commanding as always, cut through the quiet, dragging Logan back into the conversation he wanted no part of. "I just can't believe her," Madison said, her tone loud enough to ensure everyone within earshot knew her opinion. "What is this school thinking, allowing a murderer in our classes?"
"Alleged," Meg interrupted softly. "She's innocent until proven guilty."
Madison rolled her eyes, her lips curling into a sneer. "Are you seriously doubting Aaron Echolls? Right in front of Logan? God, Meg, why are you even defending her? She turned her back on you, too."
Meg's shoulders slumped, and she fell silent, poking listlessly at her pasta salad. Logan glanced her way briefly before turning back to his untouched food. He didn't have it in him to care about Meg's moral dilemmas.
"I'll be letting my mom know," Sabrina Fuller chimed in, her voice full of self-righteous indignation. She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder with a practised flick. "Proven guilty or not, Veronica Mars doesn't belong here. My mom won't stand for it."
Logan's jaw clenched, an idea forming in his mind, dark and sharp. He glanced around the table at his so-called friends. "Maybe we should make it clear she's not welcome here," he said, his voice low but deliberate. The group murmured in agreement, nodding along. He could feel their shared hatred swirling like a storm, feeding off each other's venom. Their minds were already ticking, ready to act.