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Fic: Down Again #2: Wake Up And Smell The Poison (Veronica Mars, Lamb/Veronica)
Title: Wake Up And Smell The Poison
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 4012
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Theta Betas are mourning, and Veronica vows to find out the truth.
Notes: Sequel to What Goes Down. Second in the Down Again series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; potential spoilers up to the end of season three.
Previously: Part 1
"Honey?"
Veronica looked up as her dad entered the room. The news was written all over his face, as if she had ever needed to ask, but she waited for him to speak.
"That was your friend Siobhann. I'm sorry ..."
I'm sorry. Two of the most versatile words in the English language. They could be used to mean just about anything, given the right context.
In this case, they meant I'm sorry, Hallie's dead.
She wasn't sure what she had expected; guilt, maybe, or at least some kind of shock. Instead, all she felt was a numb sort of grief. She had liked Hallie; for all her faults, she had been a friend.
And now, she was dead.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head, and he came over to sit beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, feeling his familiar, comforting warmth, and blinked back tears. She could cry for Hallie. Maybe it would even make her feel better. But it wouldn't accomplish what she needed to do now, which was to find whoever was responsible for Hallie's death and make them pay.
"If you don't want to go to class -"
"No," she said, her mind already made up. "I'll go."
The last thing she wanted was to sit around the house all day and mope, and besides, it was nearly time for her to get ready.
"Okay." He sounded worried, still, but she flashed him the best smile she could manage, and started to gather up her books.
Life, she learned long ago, didn't stop for anything. And neither did she.
-
"And finally, your assignments."
Veronica looked up as Landry spoke, trying to show some interest. Normally, the first week of classes was her favourite; full of new possibilities, not yet tainted with the sort of familiarity that could easily turn to boredom. Somehow, this year's classes seemed to have lost their sheen.
"Last year, those of you who were in my class should remember I had you come up with a scenario for the perfect murder. This year, we're going to be doing something a little different. You'll each be given a murder mystery to solve, which you'll have until the end of the semester to hand in. The cases are all new, so you can forget about asking former students for their answer keys" - there was a smattering of laughter, which Veronica didn't join in - "but you're welcome to use whatever other resources are at your disposal."
Great, Veronica thought, letting out a breath as the new TA began handing out assignments. Another murder to solve. As if she didn't get enough of that in her free time.
Her reluctance quickly turned to dread, however, as she looked over the assignment. A young woman killed in a crowded room, and a list of suspects a page long. Somebody up there must really hate her.
She was about to raise her hand when Landry spoke again.
"And no, before any of you ask, there will be no switching assignments."
Well, so much for that idea.
As the class started filing out, she gathered up her things, glancing at Landry as she stood. He looked like he was going to say something, maybe ask her if she was okay, and she quickly hurried away. It was difficult to keep being fine when everybody kept asking about it.
She kept her head down as she made her way through the campus, which was why she didn't see Laurel until the other girl called out to her. Reluctantly, she stopped, allowing Laurel to catch up to her.
"Veronica," Laurel said. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying, and she reached out to place a hand on Veronica's shoulder.
"Hey, Laurel," she said quietly.
"Siobhann called you."
It wasn't quite a question, but she nodded, anyway.
"It's so ..." Laurel looked around, as if the right words were hiding somewhere just out of her line of sight, but eventually gave up, and shrugged. "I can't believe it."
"Yeah," Veronica said. "Me, neither."
That, technically, was a lie. Veronica could believe it all too well; it was the story of her life, after all.
"I keep thinking she's just going to turn up, you know?"
Veronica nodded again, though Laurel didn't really seem to need her input, continuing on without pausing.
"Like, I'll be in the house, just getting dressed or having breakfast, and I'll look up, as if she's just going to walk in and everything's going to be fine. And then I'll remember, and it's just ..." She gestured frantically. "Horrible."
"Yeah," Veronica said again. She knew that feeling.
"Anyway," Laurel said, apparently deciding there was a point she needed to get to. "The funeral is next week. It's just family, but we were thinking about having a party. Kind of a wake, you know? In memory of Hallie."
Veronica nodded. It should seem wildly inappropriate to throw a party after one of your friends just died, but somehow, it didn't.
"So, you'll be there? Next Friday. The dress code is all black, obviously. And it's open invitation, just friends really, but if there's anyone you want to bring ..."
Veronica nodded again. She didn't really know what to say. Laurel started to leave, but then stopped, turning back to face her.
"And, Veronica." She paused. "You should come by the house, okay?"
"Sure," she said, without feeling. She should do a lot of things. What she was going to do, however, was solve the problem in front of her, any way she could.
-
Step one was going to see Lamb. That much was a no-brainer. As the sheriff, he was probably in the best position to be able to help her. As her boyfriend, he was probably the person most likely to want to.
Sacks looked up as she entered, a knowing smile on his face. She tried to return it, but it came out kind of half-hearted.
"Hey, Veronica," he said. She opened her mouth, but he interrupted her before she could speak. "He's in his office."
"Great," she said. One of these days, she was going to have to stop by for some completely non-Lamb related purpose, just to keep him on his toes. "Thanks."
Lamb was sitting at his desk when she reached his office, and he stood up when he saw her. "How are you holding up?"
She smiled grimly. No hello, no nice to see you; just a reminder of why she was here.
"Just fine," she said, suddenly not feeling fine at all. "What else would I be?"
Lamb looked like he regretted his choice of words, and she glanced away.
"I was there," she said, after a minute. "At the party. In the house. When it happened ..."
"Veronica -"
"I was right there." Her throat burned with the words.
"This wasn't your fault."
"What, it was just some kind of accident?" A part of her really wanted him to say yes.
When it came to Neptune, she'd stopped believing in accidents. He looked away, and it shouldn't have been a surprise.
"At first, we thought it might just have been alcohol poisoning."
"And now?"
"The coroner found liquid drainer in her system."
"Someone fed her drain cleaner?" She looked up at Lamb, appalled, and then just shook her head. "Wow. If a couple of jocks turn up dead next week in a naked double suicide, I'm officially blaming Christian Slater."
"I think he has an alibi," Lamb said. It wasn't quite an attempt at a joke, but she smiled a little, anyway.
"I guess we'll just have to look at the people who were actually at the party, then. Do you have any suspects?"
"Veronica," he said, in the tone he got when he was about to say something she wouldn't want to hear. "You know I'm not at liberty to discuss an open case."
"It's never stopped you before," she said. He clenched his jaw, but said nothing. "Come on, seriously?"
He still didn't answer her, and after a minute, he changed the subject. "Have any idea who could have got their hands on the drain cleaner? I'm not always up to speed on what kids are drinking these days, but I'm guessing a bottle of Drano isn't your usual party fare."
Veronica closed her eyes, and almost laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"The question is, who couldn't have?" She looked back up at him. "It was under the sink. And so was about half the alcohol for the party. Anyone could have gotten their hands on it."
"Which means anyone could have given it to Hallie."
"Exactly. And if she was drinking - not a very big if - anybody could have slipped it onto her drink. I doubt she'd have noticed."
Lamb nodded, looking thoughtful. She contemplated about pushing again for a list of suspects, but right now, she doubted he had any better idea than she did; in fact, she was probably ahead, considering she had actually been at the party.
And the best place to find other people who had been there, naturally, was at the Theta Beta house. It looked like she had another reason to go to Hallie's wake.
-
The Theta Beta house was a sea of black, but not exactly the kind you'd expect to see at an average funeral. Some of the Theta Betas were dressed relatively demurely, in knee-length skirts and button-up shirts; others, in sparkly tops and low-cut jeans, looked like they were about to hit a rave.
Well, it was something, anyway. And for a party in honour of Hallie, it didn't seem terribly out of place.
"Veronica," Siobhann greeted her, as she stepped inside. "Are you okay? How have you been? We haven't seen you much the last couple of weeks."
"Yeah," Veronica said. To admit, even to herself, that she'd been avoiding the house seemed a little silly, but that was exactly what she'd been doing. "I'm sorry. I've been ... busy."
Siobhann looked like she understood. Veronica wasn't even sure that she understood it herself.
"It's okay," Siobhann said. "We just missed you, is all. Here, let me take your coat."
Veronica handed it over. Even without it, she felt overdressed.
"Can I get you a drink?"
"I'm okay," Veronica said, but Siobhann ignored her, grabbing a drink from a passing tray.
"Here," she said, and Veronica grimaced as she took it. "Enjoy it. It's probably going to be your last for a while."
Ah, yes. One of the more predictable results of Hallie's death had been the address given by Dean O'Dell earlier that week. Among the necessary platitudes - mourning the tragic loss of life, remembering Hallie as a bright and dedicated student - had been a list of new restrictions placed on the Greek system. Parties, usually gaining the benefit of the administration's blind eye, were effectively banned, and alcohol restricted on all campus properties. Veronica doubted any raids on the dorms were being planned, but security had already doubled around Greek row.
What all of it meant to the Theta Betas were seriously mourning not only the loss of Hallie, but the loss of more than half their social calendar. More than half a dozen events had been cancelled already, and that was just the official ones. It wasn't a stretch to think that the administration probably knew about this party, too.
Luckily for them, they hadn't tried cancelling what was officially a wake. Veronica would have expected riots.
"But try to have fun, okay?" Siobhann asked, sounding more cheerful than she looked. "That's what we're here for."
Funny, she'd thought they were here to say goodbye to Hallie.
"Sure," she said. "Hey, do you know if Parker was at the pledge party?"
"Your friend? The blonde one?"
Veronica nodded.
Siobhann thought for a minute, and then shook her head. "She might have been."
"Do you know if she's here now?"
"I haven't seen her."
"Okay," Veronica said. Siobhann left a minute later, laying a gentle hand on Veronica's shoulder as if she was the one who needed comforting. Veronica wondered if anyone had been around to comfort Siobhann.
Veronica would do it, but she wasn't exactly the comforting type. Besides, she was here on a mission.
If Parker had been at the party, she might have seen something. Of course, if she was hoping to identify the people who had been with Hallie around the time she died, Parker might not be her best bet. For that, she really needed the Theta Betas, unless she wanted to willingly subject herself to talking to a bunch of Pi Sigs.
Some might say that questioning people about the death of one of their friends while at a wake for said friend was in bad taste. Veronica had never much cared for the rules of polite society, but even she was starting to feel a little bad about it. They were officially in mourning, after all. Some of the people around her even looked sad.
And everyone around her looked drunk, which wasn't exactly conducive to getting coherent answers out of people.
She made her way to the kitchen, setting aside her drink in the process. Most people had avoided this part of the house, which she supposed was a fairly natural reaction. It just wasn't hers.
Checking to make sure she was alone, she bent down and opened the cupboard beneath the sink. It was mostly empty; a few cleaning supplies still lay at the back, but there was no alcohol, and no drain cleaner. Probably taken in as evidence, she thought. Either that, or whoever had given it to Hallie had gotten rid of it afterwards.
She closed the cupboard, and turned back around. There was nothing to indicate that someone had died here less than two weeks ago, other than the unconscious circle people seemed to have drawn around it. Which made it a pretty perfect place for Veronica to enjoy the party, if that was what she decided to do.
She couldn't see anyone out in the foyer that she recognised, other than the Theta Betas and a handful of Pi Sigs. Logan and Parker were both absent, as was Dick, which was a small mercy. Wallace hadn't arrived, either, and Veronica frowned, digging her cell phone out of her bag to tap out a quick text message. She'd called him earlier and gotten the machine, which wasn't unusual, but she was surprised that he hadn't called her back. There were a lot of people she wanted to talk to tonight, but Wallace was the only one who had nothing to do with the case.
She was about to move back into the foyer to try to find and question some of the more sober Theta Betas when she quickly rethought her decision. In the centre of the room, a small group of people had gathered. Veronica had avoided it mostly on principle - there were a few too many Pi Sigs there for her taste - but now that she looked closer, she could see some sort of card game going on. And the people playing it, none of whom were still fully dressed.
Strip poker at a wake? Veronica had expected a lot of things tonight, but nothing quite that horrifying. Averting her eyes as she slipped past the group, she decided to make her way upstairs. At the very least, it might be quieter up there. And, more to the point, she might have a chance to explore Hallie's room.
There were people leaning against the wall upstairs, talking in small groups, others sitting alone on the stairs. Most of the bedrooms were occupied, the doors closed or half closed depending on the activities inside. Hallie's room was at the end of the hall, and Veronica moved towards it slowly, stopping as she heard voices inside.
She took another step forward, and saw half a dozen Theta Betas gathered in the room. Most of them were sitting, on the bed or on the floor, looking through pictures or at the posters lining the walls.
That took care of that idea, then. She was about to leave, but something stopped her, and she stood watching as the girls inside continued to talk.
"I remember that," Becky said, her mouth twisted in a half-smile. "That was our freshman year. She was so excited I thought she was going to burst."
An even more excitable Hallie? Veronica was almost glad she hadn't been around then.
"She was so nice to me when I was a pledge," one of the other girls said, glancing down at the floor. "One time we were doing this - god, what was it? That stupid charity thing. And we were all supposed to wear orange, because we were going out to, like, orange farms or something. But I didn't have anything orange, because it's a really bad colour on me, and god, whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed. But Hallie had this orange dress, because she looked good in, like, practically everything, and she told me I could borrow it. Like, I didn't even have to ask. And I ended up getting orange juice all over it, and she wasn't even mad or anything. She said it matched the colour of the dress, so you could hardly even see it."
The other girls started nodding, and Veronica turned to leave, but she stopped when somebody called her name.
"Veronica," Laurel said, getting up to meet her. "Don't go. Come in. We were just -"
"Talking about Hallie," Veronica said. "I heard."
"Come on," Laurel said. "Why don't you tell us something you remember about her?"
Veronica wasn't sure which was worse - believing that nobody was mourning Hallie, or having to face evidence that some people were. And what was she supposed to say, anyway? When I first met Hallie, I thought she was a brainless bimbo? How about, I'm trying to find out who slipped drain cleaner into her drink, I don't suppose any of you saw anything like that?
"She spelled my name wrong," she said instead, when it became clear that Laurel wasn't going to let her leave without at least saying something. "When I came to the rush luncheon last year. She said she had a Shi Tzu named Veronica, and I've kind of been wondering ever since whether her dog's name was spelled with a 'k,' or she was just really bad with names."
Laurel smiled, and a few of the Theta Betas laughed. Then Kelly, seemingly without warning, began to cry, and Veronica took the opportunity to slip away as the rest of the Theta Betas rushed over to comfort her. She considered checking her phone again, and then decided it didn't really matter; whether or not Wallace was intending to show, she suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here.
-
"What's the deal?" Veronica asked as Wallace opened the door. "You don't call, you don't write, you don't show up to my parties. Is there someone else? Have you got a new best friend?"
"Hey, Veronica," Wallace said, looking somewhat bemused as he shut the door behind her. "Come in. Make yourself at home."
"So," she said, sitting on the bed. "Seriously, what's up? I tried calling you all week. I left, like, a thousand messages on your phone. Your roommate probably thinks I'm some kind of crazy stalker."
"You mean Piz?"
"Piz is still your roommate?" She leaned forward. "How did I not know that? Man, you and Mac really need to break out of your comfort zones."
"Says the girl who's still living at home," he pointed out, and she shot him a mock-annoyed glare. He smiled a little, and sat down beside her. "So, how have you been?"
"Apart from really wishing people would stop asking me that? I'm fine." She thought for a minute. "Well, not fine. But I will be."
"Once you hunt down the people that did this and punish them?"
Veronica smiled, wanly. Wallace knew her too well.
"Something like that." She sat back, curling her legs up beneath her. "I invited you to the party last night."
"Yeah," he said, and she raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't come."
"No, I didn't."
She sighed. This was like pulling teeth. "Any particular reason for that? Or should I conclude that you really are blowing me off?"
He looked over at her, and shrugged. "Sorry, but I've kind of got a lot on my plate right now."
"Like finding out how many cute girls are on your floor?"
"Like basketball."
"Basketball?" she asked. "What are you, afraid they aren't going to start you again? Because they'd be crazy not to."
"It's not like that," he said, and paused. "It's about point shaving."
"Point shaving?" She gasped, pretending to be shocked. "Wallace Fennel, say it ain't so."
"Funny," he said, leaning away from her. "But I'm serious. These guys have been coming around, asking everyone about last year's games."
"So what are you worried about?" she asked. "You don't cheat."
He just looked at her, and her eyes widened as comprehension set in.
"They're asking about you? What are they, crazy?"
"They don't think so. At first, I thought it was just going to go away, you know? I mean, I was sick a couple of times last year, and I played anyway, so I figured they'd just let it go. But they've been coming around a lot."
"Want me to sort them out for you?" she asked. "Tell them to buzz off?"
He laughed, but he still looked worried. "I don't really think that's going to do the trick."
"All right," she said, more seriously. "What have they been saying?"
He shrugged. "I was in all the games they said looked suspicious."
"Wallace, you were in all the games."
"Not the ones at the beginning of the year," he said. "Just the ones in the second half of the season."
"And that's when it started," she guessed. "Do you think someone's setting you up?"
"On the team?" He looked shocked, and Veronica had to remind herself that not everyone was as cynical as her. "No way. They wouldn't do that."
"Well, if these guys are coming after you, whoever is responsible seems happy enough to sit back and let you take the fall for it."
"Did you ever think that maybe no-one's responsible?"
"Do you really believe that?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "The stuff they were saying sounded pretty convincing. But maybe it was a senior or somebody who's graduated already."
"Maybe," she said. Wallace was looking at her, concern written all over his face. "Don't worry. Whoever's responsible, I'm going to find out."
"Yeah," he said, relaxing a little. "Thanks, Veronica. I mean, I know you're probably -"
"Hey," she said. "Don't worry about it. I could use something to take my mind off everything, anyway."
"Yeah," he said again. "It's just that, if I don't get this cleared up soon, they won't start me. They might even kick me off the team. And since I'm on a scholarship ..."
"That's not going to happen," she assured him. "I will find out who really did it. No friend of mine is going down for a crime he didn't commit."
"Thanks, Veronica."
"All part of the best friend package." She got up to move towards the door, then stopped. "Just so I have all the facts. You are innocent, aren't you?"
His response was to throw a pillow at her, which she ducked. She looked back at him as she left, and he was almost smiling, which she thought was a good start.
All part of the package, she thought, as she made her way out towards her car. One of these days, she'd have to learn to take on one case at a time.
She could only hope her classes this semester weren't going to be too difficult. She already had more than enough to worry about.
Next: Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 4012
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Theta Betas are mourning, and Veronica vows to find out the truth.
Notes: Sequel to What Goes Down. Second in the Down Again series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; potential spoilers up to the end of season three.
Previously: Part 1
"Honey?"
Veronica looked up as her dad entered the room. The news was written all over his face, as if she had ever needed to ask, but she waited for him to speak.
"That was your friend Siobhann. I'm sorry ..."
I'm sorry. Two of the most versatile words in the English language. They could be used to mean just about anything, given the right context.
In this case, they meant I'm sorry, Hallie's dead.
She wasn't sure what she had expected; guilt, maybe, or at least some kind of shock. Instead, all she felt was a numb sort of grief. She had liked Hallie; for all her faults, she had been a friend.
And now, she was dead.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She shook her head, and he came over to sit beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, feeling his familiar, comforting warmth, and blinked back tears. She could cry for Hallie. Maybe it would even make her feel better. But it wouldn't accomplish what she needed to do now, which was to find whoever was responsible for Hallie's death and make them pay.
"If you don't want to go to class -"
"No," she said, her mind already made up. "I'll go."
The last thing she wanted was to sit around the house all day and mope, and besides, it was nearly time for her to get ready.
"Okay." He sounded worried, still, but she flashed him the best smile she could manage, and started to gather up her books.
Life, she learned long ago, didn't stop for anything. And neither did she.
-
"And finally, your assignments."
Veronica looked up as Landry spoke, trying to show some interest. Normally, the first week of classes was her favourite; full of new possibilities, not yet tainted with the sort of familiarity that could easily turn to boredom. Somehow, this year's classes seemed to have lost their sheen.
"Last year, those of you who were in my class should remember I had you come up with a scenario for the perfect murder. This year, we're going to be doing something a little different. You'll each be given a murder mystery to solve, which you'll have until the end of the semester to hand in. The cases are all new, so you can forget about asking former students for their answer keys" - there was a smattering of laughter, which Veronica didn't join in - "but you're welcome to use whatever other resources are at your disposal."
Great, Veronica thought, letting out a breath as the new TA began handing out assignments. Another murder to solve. As if she didn't get enough of that in her free time.
Her reluctance quickly turned to dread, however, as she looked over the assignment. A young woman killed in a crowded room, and a list of suspects a page long. Somebody up there must really hate her.
She was about to raise her hand when Landry spoke again.
"And no, before any of you ask, there will be no switching assignments."
Well, so much for that idea.
As the class started filing out, she gathered up her things, glancing at Landry as she stood. He looked like he was going to say something, maybe ask her if she was okay, and she quickly hurried away. It was difficult to keep being fine when everybody kept asking about it.
She kept her head down as she made her way through the campus, which was why she didn't see Laurel until the other girl called out to her. Reluctantly, she stopped, allowing Laurel to catch up to her.
"Veronica," Laurel said. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying, and she reached out to place a hand on Veronica's shoulder.
"Hey, Laurel," she said quietly.
"Siobhann called you."
It wasn't quite a question, but she nodded, anyway.
"It's so ..." Laurel looked around, as if the right words were hiding somewhere just out of her line of sight, but eventually gave up, and shrugged. "I can't believe it."
"Yeah," Veronica said. "Me, neither."
That, technically, was a lie. Veronica could believe it all too well; it was the story of her life, after all.
"I keep thinking she's just going to turn up, you know?"
Veronica nodded again, though Laurel didn't really seem to need her input, continuing on without pausing.
"Like, I'll be in the house, just getting dressed or having breakfast, and I'll look up, as if she's just going to walk in and everything's going to be fine. And then I'll remember, and it's just ..." She gestured frantically. "Horrible."
"Yeah," Veronica said again. She knew that feeling.
"Anyway," Laurel said, apparently deciding there was a point she needed to get to. "The funeral is next week. It's just family, but we were thinking about having a party. Kind of a wake, you know? In memory of Hallie."
Veronica nodded. It should seem wildly inappropriate to throw a party after one of your friends just died, but somehow, it didn't.
"So, you'll be there? Next Friday. The dress code is all black, obviously. And it's open invitation, just friends really, but if there's anyone you want to bring ..."
Veronica nodded again. She didn't really know what to say. Laurel started to leave, but then stopped, turning back to face her.
"And, Veronica." She paused. "You should come by the house, okay?"
"Sure," she said, without feeling. She should do a lot of things. What she was going to do, however, was solve the problem in front of her, any way she could.
-
Step one was going to see Lamb. That much was a no-brainer. As the sheriff, he was probably in the best position to be able to help her. As her boyfriend, he was probably the person most likely to want to.
Sacks looked up as she entered, a knowing smile on his face. She tried to return it, but it came out kind of half-hearted.
"Hey, Veronica," he said. She opened her mouth, but he interrupted her before she could speak. "He's in his office."
"Great," she said. One of these days, she was going to have to stop by for some completely non-Lamb related purpose, just to keep him on his toes. "Thanks."
Lamb was sitting at his desk when she reached his office, and he stood up when he saw her. "How are you holding up?"
She smiled grimly. No hello, no nice to see you; just a reminder of why she was here.
"Just fine," she said, suddenly not feeling fine at all. "What else would I be?"
Lamb looked like he regretted his choice of words, and she glanced away.
"I was there," she said, after a minute. "At the party. In the house. When it happened ..."
"Veronica -"
"I was right there." Her throat burned with the words.
"This wasn't your fault."
"What, it was just some kind of accident?" A part of her really wanted him to say yes.
When it came to Neptune, she'd stopped believing in accidents. He looked away, and it shouldn't have been a surprise.
"At first, we thought it might just have been alcohol poisoning."
"And now?"
"The coroner found liquid drainer in her system."
"Someone fed her drain cleaner?" She looked up at Lamb, appalled, and then just shook her head. "Wow. If a couple of jocks turn up dead next week in a naked double suicide, I'm officially blaming Christian Slater."
"I think he has an alibi," Lamb said. It wasn't quite an attempt at a joke, but she smiled a little, anyway.
"I guess we'll just have to look at the people who were actually at the party, then. Do you have any suspects?"
"Veronica," he said, in the tone he got when he was about to say something she wouldn't want to hear. "You know I'm not at liberty to discuss an open case."
"It's never stopped you before," she said. He clenched his jaw, but said nothing. "Come on, seriously?"
He still didn't answer her, and after a minute, he changed the subject. "Have any idea who could have got their hands on the drain cleaner? I'm not always up to speed on what kids are drinking these days, but I'm guessing a bottle of Drano isn't your usual party fare."
Veronica closed her eyes, and almost laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"The question is, who couldn't have?" She looked back up at him. "It was under the sink. And so was about half the alcohol for the party. Anyone could have gotten their hands on it."
"Which means anyone could have given it to Hallie."
"Exactly. And if she was drinking - not a very big if - anybody could have slipped it onto her drink. I doubt she'd have noticed."
Lamb nodded, looking thoughtful. She contemplated about pushing again for a list of suspects, but right now, she doubted he had any better idea than she did; in fact, she was probably ahead, considering she had actually been at the party.
And the best place to find other people who had been there, naturally, was at the Theta Beta house. It looked like she had another reason to go to Hallie's wake.
-
The Theta Beta house was a sea of black, but not exactly the kind you'd expect to see at an average funeral. Some of the Theta Betas were dressed relatively demurely, in knee-length skirts and button-up shirts; others, in sparkly tops and low-cut jeans, looked like they were about to hit a rave.
Well, it was something, anyway. And for a party in honour of Hallie, it didn't seem terribly out of place.
"Veronica," Siobhann greeted her, as she stepped inside. "Are you okay? How have you been? We haven't seen you much the last couple of weeks."
"Yeah," Veronica said. To admit, even to herself, that she'd been avoiding the house seemed a little silly, but that was exactly what she'd been doing. "I'm sorry. I've been ... busy."
Siobhann looked like she understood. Veronica wasn't even sure that she understood it herself.
"It's okay," Siobhann said. "We just missed you, is all. Here, let me take your coat."
Veronica handed it over. Even without it, she felt overdressed.
"Can I get you a drink?"
"I'm okay," Veronica said, but Siobhann ignored her, grabbing a drink from a passing tray.
"Here," she said, and Veronica grimaced as she took it. "Enjoy it. It's probably going to be your last for a while."
Ah, yes. One of the more predictable results of Hallie's death had been the address given by Dean O'Dell earlier that week. Among the necessary platitudes - mourning the tragic loss of life, remembering Hallie as a bright and dedicated student - had been a list of new restrictions placed on the Greek system. Parties, usually gaining the benefit of the administration's blind eye, were effectively banned, and alcohol restricted on all campus properties. Veronica doubted any raids on the dorms were being planned, but security had already doubled around Greek row.
What all of it meant to the Theta Betas were seriously mourning not only the loss of Hallie, but the loss of more than half their social calendar. More than half a dozen events had been cancelled already, and that was just the official ones. It wasn't a stretch to think that the administration probably knew about this party, too.
Luckily for them, they hadn't tried cancelling what was officially a wake. Veronica would have expected riots.
"But try to have fun, okay?" Siobhann asked, sounding more cheerful than she looked. "That's what we're here for."
Funny, she'd thought they were here to say goodbye to Hallie.
"Sure," she said. "Hey, do you know if Parker was at the pledge party?"
"Your friend? The blonde one?"
Veronica nodded.
Siobhann thought for a minute, and then shook her head. "She might have been."
"Do you know if she's here now?"
"I haven't seen her."
"Okay," Veronica said. Siobhann left a minute later, laying a gentle hand on Veronica's shoulder as if she was the one who needed comforting. Veronica wondered if anyone had been around to comfort Siobhann.
Veronica would do it, but she wasn't exactly the comforting type. Besides, she was here on a mission.
If Parker had been at the party, she might have seen something. Of course, if she was hoping to identify the people who had been with Hallie around the time she died, Parker might not be her best bet. For that, she really needed the Theta Betas, unless she wanted to willingly subject herself to talking to a bunch of Pi Sigs.
Some might say that questioning people about the death of one of their friends while at a wake for said friend was in bad taste. Veronica had never much cared for the rules of polite society, but even she was starting to feel a little bad about it. They were officially in mourning, after all. Some of the people around her even looked sad.
And everyone around her looked drunk, which wasn't exactly conducive to getting coherent answers out of people.
She made her way to the kitchen, setting aside her drink in the process. Most people had avoided this part of the house, which she supposed was a fairly natural reaction. It just wasn't hers.
Checking to make sure she was alone, she bent down and opened the cupboard beneath the sink. It was mostly empty; a few cleaning supplies still lay at the back, but there was no alcohol, and no drain cleaner. Probably taken in as evidence, she thought. Either that, or whoever had given it to Hallie had gotten rid of it afterwards.
She closed the cupboard, and turned back around. There was nothing to indicate that someone had died here less than two weeks ago, other than the unconscious circle people seemed to have drawn around it. Which made it a pretty perfect place for Veronica to enjoy the party, if that was what she decided to do.
She couldn't see anyone out in the foyer that she recognised, other than the Theta Betas and a handful of Pi Sigs. Logan and Parker were both absent, as was Dick, which was a small mercy. Wallace hadn't arrived, either, and Veronica frowned, digging her cell phone out of her bag to tap out a quick text message. She'd called him earlier and gotten the machine, which wasn't unusual, but she was surprised that he hadn't called her back. There were a lot of people she wanted to talk to tonight, but Wallace was the only one who had nothing to do with the case.
She was about to move back into the foyer to try to find and question some of the more sober Theta Betas when she quickly rethought her decision. In the centre of the room, a small group of people had gathered. Veronica had avoided it mostly on principle - there were a few too many Pi Sigs there for her taste - but now that she looked closer, she could see some sort of card game going on. And the people playing it, none of whom were still fully dressed.
Strip poker at a wake? Veronica had expected a lot of things tonight, but nothing quite that horrifying. Averting her eyes as she slipped past the group, she decided to make her way upstairs. At the very least, it might be quieter up there. And, more to the point, she might have a chance to explore Hallie's room.
There were people leaning against the wall upstairs, talking in small groups, others sitting alone on the stairs. Most of the bedrooms were occupied, the doors closed or half closed depending on the activities inside. Hallie's room was at the end of the hall, and Veronica moved towards it slowly, stopping as she heard voices inside.
She took another step forward, and saw half a dozen Theta Betas gathered in the room. Most of them were sitting, on the bed or on the floor, looking through pictures or at the posters lining the walls.
That took care of that idea, then. She was about to leave, but something stopped her, and she stood watching as the girls inside continued to talk.
"I remember that," Becky said, her mouth twisted in a half-smile. "That was our freshman year. She was so excited I thought she was going to burst."
An even more excitable Hallie? Veronica was almost glad she hadn't been around then.
"She was so nice to me when I was a pledge," one of the other girls said, glancing down at the floor. "One time we were doing this - god, what was it? That stupid charity thing. And we were all supposed to wear orange, because we were going out to, like, orange farms or something. But I didn't have anything orange, because it's a really bad colour on me, and god, whoever said orange was the new pink was seriously disturbed. But Hallie had this orange dress, because she looked good in, like, practically everything, and she told me I could borrow it. Like, I didn't even have to ask. And I ended up getting orange juice all over it, and she wasn't even mad or anything. She said it matched the colour of the dress, so you could hardly even see it."
The other girls started nodding, and Veronica turned to leave, but she stopped when somebody called her name.
"Veronica," Laurel said, getting up to meet her. "Don't go. Come in. We were just -"
"Talking about Hallie," Veronica said. "I heard."
"Come on," Laurel said. "Why don't you tell us something you remember about her?"
Veronica wasn't sure which was worse - believing that nobody was mourning Hallie, or having to face evidence that some people were. And what was she supposed to say, anyway? When I first met Hallie, I thought she was a brainless bimbo? How about, I'm trying to find out who slipped drain cleaner into her drink, I don't suppose any of you saw anything like that?
"She spelled my name wrong," she said instead, when it became clear that Laurel wasn't going to let her leave without at least saying something. "When I came to the rush luncheon last year. She said she had a Shi Tzu named Veronica, and I've kind of been wondering ever since whether her dog's name was spelled with a 'k,' or she was just really bad with names."
Laurel smiled, and a few of the Theta Betas laughed. Then Kelly, seemingly without warning, began to cry, and Veronica took the opportunity to slip away as the rest of the Theta Betas rushed over to comfort her. She considered checking her phone again, and then decided it didn't really matter; whether or not Wallace was intending to show, she suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here.
-
"What's the deal?" Veronica asked as Wallace opened the door. "You don't call, you don't write, you don't show up to my parties. Is there someone else? Have you got a new best friend?"
"Hey, Veronica," Wallace said, looking somewhat bemused as he shut the door behind her. "Come in. Make yourself at home."
"So," she said, sitting on the bed. "Seriously, what's up? I tried calling you all week. I left, like, a thousand messages on your phone. Your roommate probably thinks I'm some kind of crazy stalker."
"You mean Piz?"
"Piz is still your roommate?" She leaned forward. "How did I not know that? Man, you and Mac really need to break out of your comfort zones."
"Says the girl who's still living at home," he pointed out, and she shot him a mock-annoyed glare. He smiled a little, and sat down beside her. "So, how have you been?"
"Apart from really wishing people would stop asking me that? I'm fine." She thought for a minute. "Well, not fine. But I will be."
"Once you hunt down the people that did this and punish them?"
Veronica smiled, wanly. Wallace knew her too well.
"Something like that." She sat back, curling her legs up beneath her. "I invited you to the party last night."
"Yeah," he said, and she raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't come."
"No, I didn't."
She sighed. This was like pulling teeth. "Any particular reason for that? Or should I conclude that you really are blowing me off?"
He looked over at her, and shrugged. "Sorry, but I've kind of got a lot on my plate right now."
"Like finding out how many cute girls are on your floor?"
"Like basketball."
"Basketball?" she asked. "What are you, afraid they aren't going to start you again? Because they'd be crazy not to."
"It's not like that," he said, and paused. "It's about point shaving."
"Point shaving?" She gasped, pretending to be shocked. "Wallace Fennel, say it ain't so."
"Funny," he said, leaning away from her. "But I'm serious. These guys have been coming around, asking everyone about last year's games."
"So what are you worried about?" she asked. "You don't cheat."
He just looked at her, and her eyes widened as comprehension set in.
"They're asking about you? What are they, crazy?"
"They don't think so. At first, I thought it was just going to go away, you know? I mean, I was sick a couple of times last year, and I played anyway, so I figured they'd just let it go. But they've been coming around a lot."
"Want me to sort them out for you?" she asked. "Tell them to buzz off?"
He laughed, but he still looked worried. "I don't really think that's going to do the trick."
"All right," she said, more seriously. "What have they been saying?"
He shrugged. "I was in all the games they said looked suspicious."
"Wallace, you were in all the games."
"Not the ones at the beginning of the year," he said. "Just the ones in the second half of the season."
"And that's when it started," she guessed. "Do you think someone's setting you up?"
"On the team?" He looked shocked, and Veronica had to remind herself that not everyone was as cynical as her. "No way. They wouldn't do that."
"Well, if these guys are coming after you, whoever is responsible seems happy enough to sit back and let you take the fall for it."
"Did you ever think that maybe no-one's responsible?"
"Do you really believe that?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "The stuff they were saying sounded pretty convincing. But maybe it was a senior or somebody who's graduated already."
"Maybe," she said. Wallace was looking at her, concern written all over his face. "Don't worry. Whoever's responsible, I'm going to find out."
"Yeah," he said, relaxing a little. "Thanks, Veronica. I mean, I know you're probably -"
"Hey," she said. "Don't worry about it. I could use something to take my mind off everything, anyway."
"Yeah," he said again. "It's just that, if I don't get this cleared up soon, they won't start me. They might even kick me off the team. And since I'm on a scholarship ..."
"That's not going to happen," she assured him. "I will find out who really did it. No friend of mine is going down for a crime he didn't commit."
"Thanks, Veronica."
"All part of the best friend package." She got up to move towards the door, then stopped. "Just so I have all the facts. You are innocent, aren't you?"
His response was to throw a pillow at her, which she ducked. She looked back at him as she left, and he was almost smiling, which she thought was a good start.
All part of the package, she thought, as she made her way out towards her car. One of these days, she'd have to learn to take on one case at a time.
She could only hope her classes this semester weren't going to be too difficult. She already had more than enough to worry about.
Next: Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7