Undercover Angel, Part VI (3) - The New Dawn
Section 2
Undercover Angel
Part VI (3) - The New Dawn
She bit her lower lip. “When Duncan called me, he was in his last few weeks at the clinic. I didn’t know it then, but he was having a really hard time with it.”
Logan frowned. “You mean a hard time getting off the drugs?”
Her voice was low and sad, “I mean everything; getting off the drugs, dealing with the emotions the drugs had suppressed for the last two years, the physical withdrawal pains, the hallucinations, the bloating and the mood swings. It was all crashing down on him. And that was the time I chose to unload all of my crap on him.”
“You didn’t know what he was going through,” Logan tried to console her.
She nodded. “The odd thing is, it helped Duncan to hear all that from me.”
“That is odd,” Logan replied dryly. “When you ragged on me, it never made me feel better.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “Duncan was feeling alone and abandoned at the time,” she explained. “He wasn’t speaking to his parents, his friendship with you was gone, and his relationships with Meg and me were over. And worst of all, it was the first time he really processed Lilly’s death. We’ve had the last two years to come to terms with it while Duncan’s only had since June. My call gave him a purpose.”
“Purpose?” Logan snorted. “He’s the son of Jake Kane. Duncan Kane’s purpose is to become president.”
“Duncan wasn’t feeling the call of destiny while he was hallucinating and vomiting,” she said dryly. “But by getting his act together I think he thought he had a chance to make up for some of his mistakes. After that, Duncan and I spoke every single day. Every time he called me, he sounded stronger and healthier and more confident.”
He lifted his head from his hand. “You never told me you were in touch with Duncan.”
“No, I didn’t.” She sighed heavily. “I didn’t see any point in it. You were getting angrier all the time. I knew that telling you about Duncan would push you even further away.”
He sat up straight. “So you lied to me.”
“It wasn’t a lie,” she protested.
“You kept the truth from me. That was a lie,” he pointed out.
She turned her head to look at him. “Sort of like you kept the truth from me when you were sabotaging the electrical and water supply?” she shot back.
Logan closed his mouth with an audible snap and looked away.
“Anyway, the weeks passed, then Duncan was here.” She looked away again. “It was such a relief to have him around. Unlike you, he did anything I asked him to do. He even started hanging out at the Hut after he caught me crying in the storage room after another fight with you.”
Logan looked stricken. “Crying?”
Veronica ignored the interruption. “When I was with you, I felt like I was always waiting for the next big disaster. With Duncan, I felt like I could handle everything and keep it all together. He gave me confidence that we were going to get Norris’s son back and expose the church. Duncan was keeping me stable while he was going through a shit-load of problems himself. When I was around Duncan, he made me feel-"
“He made you feel what?” Logan asked urgently. “What did he make you feel?”
She looked at him. “He made me feel like my problems were as important to him as his own,” she admitted defiantly.
Logan was taken aback. “And I didn’t?”
She glared at him. “When I told you I needed to spend time with my father, you would pout and go over to the Casablancas’ and ogle Kendall. When I told you I had to go to work, you would whine about how I didn’t care enough about what you were going through and needed to support you more. And when I occasionally hung out with Wallace, you went out and burned down pools.”
Logan looked away, his mouth compressed into a tight line. “I was going through a rough time. I was in so much pain and I had been accused of murder.”
“Duncan was going through the same thing.”
Logan jerked his head back. “What? No, he wasn’t.”
“Duncan was going through the physical and mental pain of withdrawal,” she pointed out. “And he was a druggie because his parents believed that he was a murderer.”
Veronica was quiet for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. After a pause, she spoke again. “The difference between the two of you was that you did everything for revenge while Duncan did everything for atonement.”
“Atonement? What? A couple of dozen Hail Mary’s didn’t absolve him of his sins?” Logan questioned sarcastically.
Veronica ignored the jab. “By helping me, he had a chance to make up for abandoning me. By helping Meg, it was a chance to make up to her for using her to hide his feeling for me. And, by trying to get Norris’s son back, he felt that this time he could save a child from being abused.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “Maybe make amends for the abused child he couldn’t help.”
Abruptly, Logan felt tears spring into his eyes. He blinked rapidly to brush them away. “So, when Duncan started up our friendship again or asked me to move in with him, that wasn’t part of your plan?” he asked gruffly.
“No, it wasn’t,” she confirmed softly. “Duncan did that because he wanted to. You were his best friend since kindergarten. Losing you was almost as painful for him as losing Lilly.”
Logan looked down, again feeling the sting of tears. “This is a fascinating and heartwarming bedtime story but you still haven’t explained about Meg.” He kept his voice even by sheer willpower alone.
She was silent until he looked up at her. Then she smiled gently.
“Meg was angry when Duncan and I got back together,” she began. “We were trying to help her. Duncan had already successfully staged a disappearing act so he knew what to do and where to get the forged documents. Meg was five months along by then but not yet showing. She felt that Duncan and I were so busy being happy that we had forgotten about her.”
“She started exploring other ways to get away from her parents. She wrote a letter to her aunt in Seattle asking to live with her.” Veronica paused and took a deep breath. “After the bus crash, when Meg survived but was in a coma, I didn’t know what had happened to the baby. I kept calling the hospital, trying to get information on her condition but the hospital wouldn’t tell me anything.”
She looked down again. “Finally, a few weeks later, I went to the hospital myself, trying to get in to see Meg. I found out that Duncan was there and that he had been there every day since the accident. Mr. and Mrs. Manning were furious with him and said that seeing him brought them so much pain. Duncan couldn’t understand why they hated him so much.”
“But you did. You knew Meg was pregnant and that her parents believed that Duncan was the father,” Logan concluded.
“Right,’ she confirmed. “That’s when I started to hope that the baby had survived along with Meg. I didn’t know for sure until Meg called me.”
“Meg called you? But she was in a coma,” he protested.
Veronica nodded. “She was, for the first three days. She came out if it quickly but her parents didn’t tell anyone because they wanted to hide her pregnancy.”
“Because they were ashamed of their unwed and pregnant teenaged daughter?”
“No,” she contradicted grimly. “It was because they had a plan for Jake Kane’s grandchild.”
The hair rose up on the back of Logan’s neck. “A plan?” he repeated.
“Yes,” she confirmed flatly. “Meg came out of her coma quickly but she was weak and she was in pain. She had broken her pelvis and other bones and her lungs had collapsed in the accident. A ventilator was helping her breathe and she didn’t have contact with anyone but her family and the medical staff. Slowly she got better but she was isolated.”
“That must have been tough for her,” Logan sympathized.
“It was,’ Veronica agreed. “It wasn’t until she heard her parents yelling at us outside her room she realized we were trying to see her and we hadn’t abandoned her. By that time she had gotten friendly with one of her nurses. She let Meg use her cell phone. Meg told me that her parents were actually thrilled that she was pregnant.”
“Thrilled?” Logan frowned. “You said that Meg told you that her parents would kill her or take her off life support.”
Veronica shifted back to face him. “Meg said, when we first confirmed that she was pregnant, that her parents would be furious. The idea that her parents might take her off life support didn’t even occur to us until the night Lizzie brought Meg’s laptop to Duncan.”
Logan also turned, mirroring her position. “Why did Lizzie do that?”
“Meg had a secret laptop that she hadn’t told her parents about,” Veronica explained. “She kept it in her locker at school. The school had called the Mannings and told them about it. They were going to school the next morning to get it. Lizzie snuck into Meg’s locker and took it the night before. She wanted Duncan to remove any incriminating files.”
“And did he?”
She smiled at the memory. “No, he didn’t have the skill but, fortunately, Mac did. She copied all of Meg’s e-mails to a thumb drive and gave the drive to Duncan for safekeeping. Lizzie snuck the laptop back into Meg’s locker before her parents came to get it. Later, Duncan started printing out Meg’s e-mails and found out that she had been sending e-mail to Child Protective Services. She knew a child who was being mentally abused but she didn’t name the child.”
Logan stiffened. “Wait a minute. I remember that. We were coming out of the girls’ bathroom and Duncan came up to you with a bunch of papers in his hand. He looked freaked out. That was the day I asked you to help me with Griffith. You were a bitch about it.”
“You started it by bringing up out past,” she pointed out.
“They were good memories,” he said quietly. She stiffened so he hurriedly added, “About CPS, Meg was talking about Grace, wasn’t she?”
She studied him for a moment then slumped back. “Yes, it was Grace,” she confirmed. “It was terrible, Logan. They were forcing her to write pages and pages of religious quotes. She had piles of composition books in her closet filled with it. And they locked her in this tiny little room in the back of her closet.” Veronica shuddered. “It was cold and dark and horrible.”
“Shit,” Logan whispered in horror.
“They caught us,” she admitted.
“What? Who caught you? When?” Logan asked in confusion.
“That’s what Duncan and I were doing the night of the ‘poetry reading’. We broke into the Mannings’ house and found Grace, all alone, locked in that little room.” Her voice shook. “Mr. Manning snuck up on us and called Lamb.”
“Lamb? You and Duncan were arrested for B and E?” Logan asked blankly.
“Lamb cuffed us and took us out to the squad car, but he let us go.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “For once the moron did the right thing. But it was still so awful. And Duncan-” She stopped abruptly.
“And Duncan did what?” Logan prepared himself to listen to another Saint Duncan story.
“Duncan knew it would trigger my insomnia,” she said softly. “He called me that night and didn’t hang up the phone. I talked to him occasionally but mostly it was that he was there and listening to me. He stayed on the phone with me all night long.”
Logan just stared at her. Talking. That’s what he hadn’t done for Veronica. Sure, his antics with the 09ers made things worse, but if only he and Veronica had talked more. Or, he admitted honestly, if he had listened more when she talked to him, things would have been so different between them. He would have stopped after the first stupid stunt if he had understood then how it had pushed Veronica away from him.
Veronica swallowed heavily and continued her story, unaware of his enlightenment. “After I found out how happy Meg’s parents were about her pregnancy, and how they were abusing Grace by forcing her to follow the dictates of the church, I knew we had to get more information on Grace.”
It took him a moment to focus on their present situation “What did you find out?” he asked gruffly.
“It took some digging, but Mac found out that Grace’s birth mother was a twenty-two year old former intern for a senator who, rumor has it, is being groomed by his party to be their candidate for president in 2010.” She looked grim.
“Think about it, Logan,” she urged, “This senator is being groomed to be a future president. Duncan is being groomed to be a future president. And they both now have illegitimate children that they’re not supposed to know about. It’s the sort of thing the church might mention during an inopportune moment, say the eve of their presidential campaigns.”
“Or that the church would be willing to keep quiet, for the right inducement,” Logan added softly.
Veronica nodded. “Imagine how powerful the New Dawn Church would become if it owned two of our presidents, the most powerful men in the world. And both of the pawns that the church used to get that power were named Manning. Think of what that would do to Mr. and Mrs. Manning’s position in the church. Now do you understand why it was so important to get Grace and Lilly away from Meg’s parents?” she concluded grimly.
“Lilly? No, Veronica, you mean Faith,” Logan corrected gently. “Lilly’s gone.”
Veronica smiled and shook her head. “No, I mean Lilly. Faith is what Meg’s parents named the baby, Meg named her Lilly.”
“Why would she name her baby after Duncan’s sister if Duncan’s not the father?” He narrowed his eyes skeptically.
Veronica continued to look smug. “It doesn’t stand for Lillian, like our Lilly, but Lilith.”
Logan looked puzzled.
“Some believe that Lilith was the first wife of Adam but she was cast out of Eden because she refused to accept that Adam ruled over her.” Veronica elaborated. “Meg was a little upset with her parents’ religious beliefs when she named her baby.”
Logan thought about that for a moment. “So, once you knew that Meg was still pregnant and that her parents had plans for the baby, you and Duncan set up your charade. You pretended to be shocked but supportive that your boyfriend had fathered a child,” Logan recounted. “Then he broke up with you publicly so you’d be in the clear when he ran with Faith, I mean, Lilly.”
Veronica nodded approvingly. “Right. Meg was insistent that we get her baby away as soon as possible. Her parents were pressuring her to put the baby up for adoption with the church. She knew they wanted Lilly badly and what they were doing to Grace. The only problem we had was convincing Duncan.”
Logan frowned. “Duncan? I thought he wanted to help?”
“He did,” Veronica assured Logan. “He had found out that Meg was pregnant by reading a letter from her aunt that Meg had hidden. That was the night we broke into the Manning house. Duncan was shocked to say the least.”
She paused to think about. “Actually, ‘furious’ is a better word. The next few days were pretty tense between us.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing happened,” she said wryly. “Anytime I mentioned Meg’s name he would just freeze up on me.”
“Even during sex?” What had made that pop out of his mouth?
Veronica gave him a disgusted look. “We didn’t talk about Meg during sex. Just how twisted is your relationship with Kendall, anyway?”
He opened his mouth to reply but she put up her hand.
“No, don’t tell me,” she ordered.
“I was going to apologize,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said that, it’s none of my business. But why was Duncan so upset if it wasn’t his baby anyway?”
Veronica paused for a moment then smiled wryly. “He was upset with me because I knew about Meg’s pregnancy but kept that from him. And I think he was upset to find out that Meg was using him while he was using her.”
“How?”
“Well, Duncan was using Meg to hide his feeling for me and the effects of the drugs. He knew the Meg was the one 09er girl in school who wouldn’t pressure him for sex. And Meg, as we know, was seeing somebody.”
“Did you ever find out who the guy was?”
“No, but he has to be someone who lives nearby.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We interviewed everyone Meg babysat for before we found out it was Grace that Meg was e-mailing CPS about. I was at the Fullers house sitting for Edwin when you confessed that you saw the guy on the bridge and it wasn’t Griffith,” she reminded him.
Logan nodded. “Okay, I can place the Fullers now.”
“Well, Mrs. Fuller mentioned that she almost had to let Meg go because of her boyfriend. I guess she caught them making out when Meg was supposed to be watching of Edwin.”
Logan grinned. “Good for Meg. I didn’t know she had it in her.”
Veronica shook her head. “Anyway, Mrs. Fuller described him as ‘that boyfriend of hers’. This was over the summer, after Duncan broke up with her. And since Meg is a nice girl, and she was sure of the baby’s father, I think it was the same guy she was seeing in the spring.”
“Okay,” Logan agreed. “That makes sense. But why was Duncan so against helping her when he found out she was pregnant? He was using her as a beard while she was doing the same.”
“No,” she denied, “he was still willing to help. He was even willing to pretend to be the father. We knew the Mannings would take good care of Meg as long as they believed that she was the goose that was about to lay the golden egg.”
She paused again and sighed heavily. “But he was reluctant to risk his entire future by taking Lilly across the border. He was afraid we wouldn’t be able to clear him of the kidnapping charges when this was all over.”
“So how did you convince him?”
“After we had another one of our staged disagreements about Meg’s pregnancy, I snuck him in to see Meg. Duncan was all about diplomacy and trying to get her parents to see reason.” She shook her head at the memory. “It wasn’t until Meg described some of the church’s teachings that Duncan came around. After convincing Duncan, Meg made me promise to take care of her baby if anything happened to her. That’s when I realized Meg’s life might be in danger.”
“How did you save Meg?” Logan questioned.
“Meg was at Neptune Memorial because of how severe her injuries were,” Veronica explained. “That meant that Lilly’s birth was documented. Meg was listed as the mother and the father was unknown. The baby could only be put up for adoption if Meg signed the adoption papers. She refused.”
“Good for her,” Logan interjected.
“Yes,” Veronica agreed softly, “Good for her. But bad for her was that the only other way Lilly could be put up for adoption was if Meg died. Then her parents, as next of kin, would have legal custody of the baby.”
“Are you saying that her parents tried to kill her?” Logan demanded.
“No, they wanted to pressure her into signing the adoption papers. But we don’t know what would have happened to Meg afterwards.” Veronica shuddered. “Her parents made arrangements to have her immediately moved to the church’s birth center where she could be isolated and forced into signing the paperwork. The church even sent their private ambulance to get Meg.”
Logan chuckled. “Let me see if I can figure out how Veronica Mars pulled this one off. You set up a roadblock, overpowered the ambulance driver and stole Meg out of the back?”
She grinned. “Close. We mocked up a squad car and Leo pulled the ambulance over for a busted taillight. The church’s ambulance was over half an hour late getting to the hospital. By that time, our fake church ambulance, driven by Norris, was already on its way to take Meg to a convalescence home. Meg was too weak to make the trip to Cuba. We had to give her time to get her strength back.”
“But why did her parents say she was dead?” Logan asked. “Why didn’t they go to the cops and report that she was missing?”
“There was a good chance that they would lose Lilly if the cops got involved,” Veronica pointed out. “For the good of the church, they had to let Meg go. One of the doctors the church owns signed Meg’s death certificate. With Meg legally dead, her parents now had custody of Lilly.”
“But Meg could show up any time in the next six months and reclaim her baby,” Logan protested.
“You saw what Meg looked like. She’s not in any condition to fight her parents, let alone a wealthy and powerful group like the New Dawn Church.” Veronica looked furious. “The church was pretty confident. What could one tiny blond do against them?”
Logan reached out and gently twirled a lock of her long blond hair between his fingers. “I think they seriously underestimated a certain tiny blond.”
Veronica looked at him for moment then pulled her hair free. “Anyway, it was the baby they wanted. And they had what they wanted.”
“But not for long, did they?” he grinned, admiration clear in his voice.
Reluctantly, she grinned back. “Not long at all. Once we were sure Meg was safe and well hidden, we got Lilly and Duncan took her to Cuba.”
“Why Cuba?”
“It’s close and Cuba doesn’t have diplomatic ties with the US.”
Another puzzle piece slid into place for him. “That’s what Cassidy was talking about when he said ‘they’ couldn’t be extradited to the US. He was talking to Meg, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “Cassidy called Meg as soon as I was arrested again. He wanted to reassure her that we were still on track. Meg’s still very weak but, once Kendall’s flipped us, we knew we had to speed up our timetable.”
“Kendall?” He straightened. “Kendall was the witness Lamb was talking about? What does she know?”
“Not much, but I think she suspects that the Phoenix Land Trust isn’t as solvent as she hoped. I think she’s trying to build a cushion for herself, giving information to the cops and the FBI, to cultivate some friends in high places.” Veronica shrugged. “We knew she was going to turn on us sooner or later. We were lucky to get as much time as we did,” she finished frostily.
The mention of Kendall’s name cooled the warmth that had started to rebuild between them. Veronica got up from the sofa and walked over to the window. She pulled aside the shade and looked out. Logan sighed and buried his face in his hands. It was always one step forward and two steps back with Veronica.
“It’s daybreak,” she announced. “Let’s see what’s going on in the world.” She picked up the TV remote and started changing stations.
“Veronica,” he began but she held up her hand.
“It’s starting,” she announced.
Logan turned to watch the news program. Veronica turned up the volume.
“…the bodies have not yet been identified,” the announcer was saying. “However, witnesses on the scene report that one of the men had a long scar on his abdomen and is believed to be Danny Boyd. Boyd is a member of the Fitzpatrick family, who are rumored to be deeply involved in the criminal element in Neptune. It is suspected, but not confirmed, that the other body is that of Liam Fitzpatrick, leader of the Fitzpatrick clan. In other news…”
Veronica turned down the volume. Logan came to stand next to her
“Oh my God,” he whispered. “Did your dad do that?”
She gasped. “Of course not,” she snapped.
“Then how did you do it?”
She looked troubled. “I did the same thing I did the last time I was threatened by a vicious gang.”
Logan’s stomach clenched. “The last time?” he repeated. “That thing on the pool table with Liam Fitzpatrick wasn’t your first run-in?”
She shrugged. “No, it wasn’t. But the Fitzpatricks are a lot more dangerous than the 09ers,” she said pointedly. She turned back to the TV. “And the El Mano cartel is a lot more deadly than the PCHers.”
His stomach clenched again. That ulcer was getting closer and closer every day. And it was going to be partly self-induced. Him and that damn crowbar. She was never going to let it go. And her making deals with a fucking drug cartel.
“Are you out of your mind?” he demanded. “What the hell are you doing getting mixed up with a drug cartel?” he nearly yelled.
Backup, who had been relaxing on the rug, came alert. He barked sharply. Veronica turned to him.
“Backup, chill,” she ordered.
The pit bull looked balefully at Logan then reluctantly put his head back down.
Logan took a deep breath and fought to be calm. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he apologized, willing his voice not to crack. “But you are now on a drug cartel’s radar. You see how dangerous they are.”
She sighed with annoyance. “It’s not like I went to their doorstep and invited myself in for tea. Mac simply sent them an anonymous e-mail with some of the discrepancies between the raw drugs the cartel was smuggling in for the Fitzpatricks and what the cartel saw back as profit from the sales.”
Forget the ulcer. This girl was going to put him in an early grave. She had just shaved ten years off of his life. If he had known about some of the stuff she was doing, he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. He was amazed that Duncan hadn’t gone grey from worrying about some of her insane risks. No wonder Keith was bald. It was from the stress of being Veronica Mars’ father.
He took another deep breath. “And how did you find out about the discrepancies?”
“My dad did that,” she explained. “He’s been investigating, too. We didn’t combine out information until last week when I was re-arrested.”
That information made him feel a little better. At least Keith Mars was trained to take risks. He looked over to the TV and his eyes widened.
“Turn up the volume,” he ordered urgently.
Veronica turned to the TV and raised the volume.
“…they last saw their daughters last night when they went to bed,” the announcer said. “This family has already seen more than their fair share of tragedy. Prior to this recent disappearance, the Mannings’ oldest daughter passed away during childbirth. Her baby survived but was kidnapped shortly after her birth. It is suspected that the baby was abducted by her biological father. She has not yet been recovered. As for this most recent development, authorities have not yet classified the situation as an abduction. However, if you have seen these two girls or have any information that may aid the local authorities, please call…”
Logan took the remote from her and turned down the volume. “They’re showing Lizzie and Grace’s photos. Someone might recognize them.”
“Don’t worry,” Veronica reassured him. “Lizzie is already with her aunt. Leo will give Meg and Grace temporary hair color changes before they get to the airport. And they are using different ID’s than they used to get across the border. They’ll be fine.”
The tightness in his gut eased a little. He tried to organize his thoughts as he sat down on the sofa. He opened one of the water bottles and chugged it down.
“Okay,” he finally spoke. “How does the Phoenix Land Trust fit into this?”
“It’s how we’re bringing down the church and everyone associated with it,” she responded.
“I don’t get it.”
She came over and picked up the other water bottle. “The New Dawn church owns a lot of judges and lawyers. Even if we go public with all the evidence we’ve gathered on their illegal adoptions and their child abusive beliefs, they could still beat the rap with all the powerful people they own.”
She twisted off the bottle top and took a quick sip. “But if, in addition to the child abuse and baby stealing charges, they were also found to be bilking Balboa County for hundreds of millions of dollars and that money disappeared, they wouldn’t have the resources to fight and those children will be removed from their care and the church will collapse.”
Logan could only stare at her. “I’m almost afraid to ask how you set this one up.”
She sat down beside him. “Two hours before the collapse of Casablancas Enterprises, the church leaders received a communication from Dick Sr. He explained that the SEC was getting too close to their real estate scheme and that he needed to go underground for a while.”
She paused for another sip. “He assured the leaders that he had everything under control and that they would hear from his wife, Mrs. Kendall Casablancas, as soon as it was safe for them to resume. In a show of good faith, Dick Sr. had transferred fifteen million dollars into the church’s private accounts.”
“Fifteen million dollars?” Logan repeated. “Where did you get that kind of money?”
“From Duncan,” she replied easily. “That’s why he became emancipated. He didn’t need to be able to sign legal documents. His parents were only a few hours away. He did it break the trust his parents set up for him and turn over the twenty-five million dollars in the trust.”
“So you asked him and Duncan gave you fifteen million dollars? Just like that?”
Veronica looked him straight in the eye. “Yes,” she said simply.
“Do you still have Duncan’s money?” he questioned.
She shook her head. “No, we returned his money, with interest, once the church invested all their money into the Phoenix Land Trust. Then Mac hid all of Duncan’s money in a wire maze so the FBI couldn’t find it and freeze it.”
“What’s a wire maze?”
“The money is moved around by wire transfers. It’s then routed through dozens of banks and countries creating a maze.”
He thought about that as he finished his water. “Okay, I get that. So how is this trust going to bring down the church?”
She smiled, looking proud of herself. “Woody Goodman, who is a member of the church, has been fighting hard for incorporation. As a result, all property outside of the proposed city limits has been rapidly losing value. The Phoenix Land Trust has been buying up all that property. If the incorporation goes through, the property values inside the city of Neptune will skyrocket. If the incorporation doesn’t go through, all that properties the trust purchased for a song will skyrocket. So, the principles of the Phoenix Land Trust will make millions either way. Right?”
“Right,’ he agreed.
“However, Woody Goodman, as Mayor of Neptune, isn’t allowed to participate in, let alone own, that kind of speculative trust. It’s a conflict of interest.”
Logan shook his head. “But Woody doesn’t own the trust. Beaver owns it through Kendall.”
“Cassidy’s name isn’t on anything,” she pointed out. “Kendall’s name is on all the paperwork. But the SEC will find out, if they haven’t already, that a shadow company belonging to Woody Goodman runs the trust. Poor Kendall was duped and manipulated by the Goodmans into being their figurehead. Or that’s what her lawyer is going to say.”
Logan stiffened. “How are you going to get her off?”
Veronica put down her water bottle. “You get her off, Logan, not me,” she said coldly. “But she won’t stay in jail for this. The SEC will find e-mails from Woody to the church leaders assuring them that Kendall knows nothing. She’ll be free to screw you by tomorrow.”
Logan turned his head away. “That wasn’t what I meant,” he said softly.
“She’ll be fine,” Veronica assured him evenly.
There was no way he was going to win in this so there was no point in even trying. “What about the money in the trust? What happened to the money?” he asked quietly.
Veronica smirked with satisfaction. “Funny thing about that money. Right about the time the whistle-blower was sending an e-mail to alert the SEC about Goodman’s conflict of interest, the money mysteriously disappeared.”
“Helped along by a certain pink-streaked computer hacker?” he suggested.
She shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“What do you plan to do with the money?”
She smiled again. “A wire maze until everything is settled. Then a lot of children’s charities are going to have the resources they need to help more children. Leo offered to research the best charities. Cassidy is already teaching himself how to manage the charitable trusts.”
“You’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars,” Logan pointed out.
“We’re talking about hundreds of millions of children,” Veronica corrected.
He stared at her for a moment then nodded. “What about the bus crash? How are you going to nail the church for the bus crash?” he probed.
“We found C-4 in Woody’s storage hanger,” she informed him. “That’s the explosive that was used to set off the bus crash. That’s enough to cast suspicion on him, and who knows? Maybe the Fitzpatricks will roll over on the church now that they need federal protection.”
“Roll over on Goodman?” Logan clarified. “Goodman was working with the Fitzpatricks?”
“No, the Fitzpatricks work for another member of the church,” she explained.
“Who?”
She gave him a hard look. “You know this one, Logan. Who do you know that has dark hair and dark eyes, was married to a woman who has dark hair and dark eyes but has a blond-haired, blue-eyed daughter? A fifteen-year-old daughter?”
“Hannah?” he gasped. “Hannah’s father is the leader of the church?”
“No, he’s a member of the church,” Veronica corrected. “But Dr. Griffith is the leader of the Fitzpatricks. He’s their legitimate face. His practice is the cover for the street drugs they sell. The good doctor generously created and gives his services to the South American Smiles program.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a program that sends a fully equipped medical ship down to South America to operate on children with cleft palettes.” She explained. “It’s a common problem among poor children. The good doctor operates for free on the ship itself. So, while the Dr. Griffith fixed children’s smiles above board, the ships hidden storage facilities were stocked with dozens of kilos of cocaine and heroin. And because the South American Smiles ship is on an internationally protected mission of mercy, customs only gives them a quick inspection when they come into port.”
“How do you know all this?” he demanded.
“My dad,” she said quietly. “He was also investigating Griffith. He’s the one who found the drug smuggling. He’s sharing his information and pictures with the DEA as we speak. We should be hearing about that shortly.”
Logan was stunned. “Why was your dad investigating Griffith?”
Veronica said nothing.
Logan sucked in his breath. “You asked him to, didn’t you? He was investigating Griffith to help me, wasn’t he?”
She looked at him. “I promised you that you weren’t going to jail, Logan. Why is it that you never listen to me?”
He opened his mouth but could think of nothing to say. She looked away, her mouth turned down at the corners. He was listening to her now. It might be too late for them but he was trying now. Was that worth anything to her?
He cleared his throat. “So is Goodman the leader of the New Dawn Church? Is he behind the bus crash and the illegal adoptions?”
Veronica shook her head. “No, Goodman is a member of the church, but he’s not the leader. Goodman got involved with the church when he and his wife adopted Rodney.”
“So who is behind the New Dawn church?” he demanded.
“Stuart and Jessica Fuller,’ she responded.
“What? Why? How?” he gasped in shock.
“Their daughter, Sabrina, was a year ahead of us,” Veronica explained. “They raised her using Levi Stinson’s system. However, Dr. Stinson wasn’t the psycho that the New Dawn Church members are. Dr. Stinson’s principles were sound but just a little strict. And Sabrina turned out just as her parents wanted her to. She’s intelligent, focused, and disciplined. The Fullers were excited to repeat their experiment. But they couldn’t have a second child.”
“So they purchased a child, touted their success with Sabrina and gained followers. But as they got more power and more money, it corrupted them. They gradually shifted from strict teachings to psycho teachings. Right?” he supplied.
“Right,” Veronica agreed. “And they made a fortune doing it. It took Mac forever to find their personal accounts. But she did. And the Fullers didn’t report any of the money or pay income taxes on it. That’s something Uncle Sam frowns upon. Now, on top of Child Protective Services, the FBI, the SEC and the DEA, the church and the Fullers will have to deal with the IRS.”
“They deserve it,” Logan stated flatly.
“Look.” Veronica pointed to the TV.
Woody Goodman, looking stunned and bewildered, was being lead out of his home in handcuffs. Logan picked up the remote and turned up the volume.
“…this is only the latest in a series of shocking arrests in the Neptune area. Along with the charges stemming from the Phoenix Land Trust, the Goodmans are also being held on charges of child abuse and endangerment. These charges come from their association with a religious group called The New Dawn Church of which the Goodmans are members.”
The television image changed to Stuart and Jessica Fuller, also handcuffed, being lead from their home. “The church is allegedly run by local community pillars Stuart and Jessica Fuller. The Fullers are facing the same charges as the Goodmans but are also being held for tax fraud, tax evasion, owning and operating an illegal adoption agency-“ The announcer abruptly stopped speaking.
The image changed from tape of the Fullers to the polished announcer. He looked stunned. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are interrupting our taped segment to bring you the very latest. The New Dawn Church scandal is growing wider and wider. We have confirmed that prominent local physician Thomas Griffith has just been arrested as part of the New Dawn Church.”
A picture of Griffith appeared on the screen. “In addition to the charges from his involvement with the church and it’s horrific treatment of their illegally adopted children, Griffith is also being held on drug trafficking charges. It is claimed that his ship, South American Smiles, which was converted with a grant from the New Dawn Church, is a conduit for smuggling heroin and cocaine. DEA agents have confiscated the ship, which is currently docked in Neptune Harbor-“
Logan turned off the TV. Veronica tilted her head to look at him.
“This isn’t telling me anything I don’t know,” he explained. “We know they’re all going to get what they deserve. I want to know what’s going to happen next.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once all this dies down, what’s next for us?” he asked flatly.
“For Meg, it will be a long hospital stay and then probably she’ll be reunited with her baby’s father.” She looked away. “I’m sorry she never told me who he was. He must have been going through hell these last few months. I would have liked to reassure him.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “You do know who he is, don’t you, Veronica?”
Veronica didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s Meg’s secret. She’s entitled to keep it,” she mumbled.
Logan shook his head. “I really need to have my hearing checked. Did Veronica Mars really just say that someone is entitled to keep their secrets?”
She looked annoyed. “I’m not going to tell you, okay?”
Logan studied her for a moment. “Okay,” he agreed. “It’s Meg’s secret.”
She nodded. “Lizzie’s aunt will file for custody of Grace and Lizzie. Meg already has custody of Lilly. For Duncan, this is probably the first step to the White House. After all, who better to lead this country than a man who was willing to give up his freedom to protect an innocent child?”
“But what about the woman behind the man?” Logan asked. “Is he going to get all the glory?”
“I don’t want glory,” she insisted. “I want peace. Hopefully, this will bring closure for the families of the bus crash victims. And maybe make things better for those poor children being locked in closets,” she choked out.
Logan reached for her hand. “It will,” he assured her softly, lacing her fingers with his.
She looked down at their entwined fingers. “So maybe it was worth it.”
“What was?”
“All the pain of the last few months. Maybe that had to happen to make this happened,” she suggested.
He thought back on the past few months, his actions, her actions and the end result. “Maybe,’ he agreed.
“For Norris, this may bring back his son. Leo’s family can relax since the blackmailers are out of commission. Mac can add this to her secret resume for the International School of Espionage.” She grinned. “Cassidy will have the assurance that he is definitely the brains and the best man in the Casablancas family.”
Her grin faded and she pulled her fingers out from his. “For Kendall, it’ll be life as usual. She’ll be back to the manicures, massages and teenaged lovers by tomorrow. Unfortunately, you’ll be stuck with me for a few more days. I hope she can hold out.” Veronica stood up abruptly. “I hope you can hold out. I’m tired. I’m going to bed now,” she announced.
He stood up, too. “Veronica, please, just listen to me,” he pleaded.
She walked into the bedroom and emerged a moment later, a pillow and blankets in her arms. “Here, if you get tired.”
He took the bedding from her. “Veronica, I need to tell you something,” he tried again.
She shook her head. “You have nothing to say that I want to hear,” she said flatly.
She called out to Backup and the pit bull followed her into the bedroom. She closed the door softly behind her.
Logan stood as she left him, with the bedding still in his arms. Now what? Clearly he had exhausted his chances with her. She had already forgiven him for too much. She didn’t want to do it anymore. He certainly didn’t blame her. He couldn’t compare to Saint Duncan.
He dropped the pillow and blankets on the sofa. He went across to the window and peeked out. The sun was blazing across the sky now. A new day had started, full of possibilities. Every sunrise was an opportunity and all that crap.
He went back to the sofa and unfolded the blanket. He had just sat down when it hit him. He got up and went to knock on the bedroom door.
“Yes?” Her voice sounded muffled and far away.
“It’s me.” He raised his voice to be heard through the thick door.
He tried the knob and the found that the door was unlocked. He opened it and looked in on her. She was huddled under the blanket, Backup curled protectively around her.
“What?” she asked coldly.
He looked away. “I just want you to know I’m out here. In case your insomnia kicks in again.” He cleared his throat. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. But if you do, I’ll listen.” His voice broke over the last word.
There was only silence for a long moment. He risked a glance at her. She just stared at him. So much for trying again, he thought sadly. Veronica wasn’t interested in giving him any more chances. He dropped his head and turned away.
“Logan?” Her voice was softer now.
“Yeah?” he called back.
“Leave the door open?” she requested.
He didn’t trust his voice so he just nodded. And he left the door open.