![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Fic: What Goes Down #9: A Night At The Benetian (Veronica Mars, Lamb/Veronica)
Title: A Night At The Benetian
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 2094
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica helps the successor to Mercer's casino track down players he thinks might be cheating.
Notes: Ninth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; almost entirely AU after episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
Veronica frowned at Lamb. "You need my help?" she repeated.
He looked at her. "That's what I said."
Veronica stepped aside and closed the door, then turned back to Lamb. "What's the case?" she asked him.
Lamb smiled at her and, leaning over, picked a snickerdoodle off the tray in the kitchen. "I love these," he said.
"Hey! Those aren't for you," Veronica protested, trying not to smile. She waited until Lamb had finished eating.
"It's a gambling ring," he said finally. "Local. Not too well known, but getting there." He paused. "Got any milk?"
Veronica sighed, then turned to the fridge, pouring some milk into a glass. She handed it to Lamb, and he grinned.
"Gambling?" she prompted.
"Right. Anyway, these guys are owed money by a few ... influential members of the community. At least, that's what I could gather. There are people who want them gone, and I'm under a lot of pressure to deal with it."
Veronica studied Lamb. There was milk on his upper lip, and Veronica told herself resolutely that she did not want to lick it off. "Why do you need my help?" she asked, instead.
Lamb moved closer to her. When he spoke, his voice was softer. "Mercer Hayes' casino," he said. "I'm thinking it might be involved. You have a better chance of getting in to investigate it than I do."
Veronica suppressed a shudder. It wasn't Mercer's casino any more, she reminded herself. Mercer was behind bars.
"Okay," she said slowly. "I'll see what I can find out."
Lamb was looking at her concernedly, standing so close Veronica could feel him. She thought he was going to say something else, but then the door opened, and Lamb stepped back hurriedly. Veronica looked up to see her father looking at them.
"Keith," Lamb said, a little too quickly.
"Morning, Sheriff," Keith said suspiciously. He stepped aside to let Lamb pass him.
As Lamb stepped through the doorway, he turned back around, and smiled. "Veronica," he said, and she looked at him. "Merry Christmas."
"What was that about?" Keith asked, after Lamb was gone.
Veronica shrugged. "Just Lamb," she said casually, and smiled at her father. "Merry Christmas."
-
Veronica recognised Alan immediately when she saw him in the hallway. She had been surprised to learn that he had been the one to take over running the casino - at least, initially. Until she had reasoned that sneaky, devious, and low morality were the perfect traits for Mercer's successor.
"Hi," she said, coming up beside him.
Alan turned to look at Veronica suspiciously. He didn't look happy to see her. "What do you want?" he asked her, even as he kept walking.
Veronica rolled her eyes as she ran to catch up to him. Obviously he remembered her, too.
"I heard you're running Mercer's casino now," she said, after she'd caught up.
Alan stopped, and turned to look at her again. "And you're here to demand I shut it down?"
Veronica shook her head. "Your secret's safe," she assured him.
Alan turned away.
"I want in," she said, stopping him.
"In on what?" he asked.
"I can play a mean game of poker," she said. "And I figured you might be able to use an extra hand."
Alan looked at her for a long while. "Okay," he agreed eventually.
"Okay?" Veronica repeated. Somehow, she had expected it to be more difficult than that.
"You're like, nosy, right?" Alan asked her, and Veronica shrugged. He stepped off to the side of the hall, away from the main flow of student traffic, and she followed him.
"I think some of the players might be cheating," he said in a low voice.
Veronica frowned at him. "What makes you think that?"
Alan shrugged. "The money doesn't add up. I've been through Mercer's books. All of his records. I should be making more than I am. At first I thought it was just coincidence, or bad luck but now ... I know something's up."
"Do you know how they're doing it?" Veronica asked, and Alan looked at her.
"If I knew that," he said, "I wouldn't be asking for your help."
-
"And the dealer has twenty-one."
Veronica couldn't help smiling as the man in front of her groaned. "Another game?" she asked, raking in the chips.
As he shook his head, Veronica looked up from the table. Alan was right; the casino was packed, and the house seemed to be on a winning streak. He should have been making a mint.
As someone sat down at an empty seat in front of her, Veronica rolled her eyes.
"Still swindling men out of their hard-earned cash, I see." After a moment, Logan turned to the student still sitting next to him, glaring at the man until he left.
Veronica sighed. "And you're still engaging in practices both illegal and immoral," she said, shuffling the cards as Logan laid his chips on the table.
"Only on Tuesdays." Logan smirked at her. "Now, remind me - which of us is currently dealing cards at an illegal amateur casino?"
Veronica dealt, ignoring Logan's question, and he picked up his cards.
"I thought you knew better than to bet against me," she said, as he began.
Logan just smiled at her. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for punishment."
His smile widened as he won the first hand, but Veronica won the three after that, deliberately mirroring his expression. Logan frowned, but Veronica knew him too well to think he was really angry.
"If you were going to cheat," she asked, as Logan won his second hand of the night, "how would you do it?"
Logan looked around suspiciously. "Is that a trick question?" he asked. "Are you going to have some of your goons haul me out of here?"
Veronica shook her head. "Just curious," she assured him.
She dealt again, and Logan shrugged. "I don't know. Stick an ace up my sleeve? I can't say I've ever really thought about it."
Veronica just nodded, raking in the chips as she won again, and Logan stood up in mock disgust. "I'm getting my ass kicked by a woman," he said, shaking his head.
Veronica looked up at him. "Funny, I thought you'd be used to it."
Logan pretended to laugh, then walked away from the table. As he left, Veronica looked around the room, trying to keep her eye on anybody who looked like they might be skimming cards.
When no-one else sat down at her table, Veronica took the opportunity to walk around the room, to watch the other tables more closely. She had thought that the card tables would be the most likely place to cheat, but as far as she could tell, everything was fair; they were still making a killing. She wandered over to Alan.
"Is there any way the roulette table could be weighted?" she asked quietly. "Shaved dice?"
Alan shook his head. "The table's fine," he said confidently. "We use our own dice, and the dealers check them. There's no way."
Veronica frowned. She looked back over at the tables, and her frown deepened.
"Who's that?" she asked Alan, nodding to a tall, dark-haired student in the far corner.
"Uh ..." Alan looked at him for a moment. "Doug Handler."
"What do you know about him?"
Alan shrugged. "Not much. He's some sort of programming ... no, graphic design major, I think. Plays basketball. Why? Do you think he's cheating?"
Veronica didn't answer for a moment, still watching Doug closely, then smiled. "I'll have an answer for you tomorrow," she told Alan confidently.
-
"Hey, Veronica."
Veronica looked up as Piz opened the door, and smiled at him. "Hey, Piz," she said. "Is Wallace around?"
Piz shook his head. "He's at class. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Veronica looked at him. "Maybe," she said. "Do you know a guy called Doug Handler?"
"Doug? Yeah. He's just down the hall."
"His room?"
Piz nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you know which one?"
"Yeah, it's the second last door on the left. Veronica?"
Veronica, already walking away, turned. "Thanks, Piz."
-
Lamb looked up as Sacks entered his office. He thought the deputy might have been smiling, but it was difficult to tell under the fake moustache covering half his face.
"What?" he asked.
"Veronica Mars is here to see you."
Lamb stood up as Veronica walked in. When Sacks backed out of the room, Lamb was sure he was smiling.
"Solve the case already?" he asked Veronica.
She shook her head. "I need a favour."
Lamb smiled. "What do you need?"
She paused. "When you arrested Moe Slater," she said. "You took everything he had on him, right?"
Lamb frowned. "We did," he said eventually.
"Did he have his keys?"
Lamb bit back the urge to ask her what this was about. Even if she did tell him, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Actually, scratch that; he was almost certain he didn't want to know. Instead, he walked out of his office silently, and heard Veronica's soft footsteps as she followed him.
Sacks was still grinning at them as Lamb led her into the evidence room.
He closed the door behind Veronica, leaning in so close he could practically taste her, then broke away sharply, shaking his head. He handed her a set of keys.
"I need these back by the end of the day," he told her. "And you didn't get them from me."
Veronica just smiled.
-
As Landry dismissed the class, sparing a smile for Veronica which she returned, she gathered up her books. According to Wallace, he had training for at least the next half hour, which meant that with any luck, so did Doug. Making her way quickly to Bennis Hall, Veronica let herself into Doug's room and began searching.
There was nothing in Doug's bedside table, and nothing under his bed that Veronica wanted to touch. She opened the closet, keeping her eye on the clock warily. She knew she was right about this; all she needed was proof.
Which she found, in a shoe box almost out of her reach. Veronica opened the box, and smiled.
She was still sitting on Doug's bed when his door opened.
"Confess," Veronica said, as Doug walked in. She smiled. "It's good for the soul."
Doug looked at her, trying to overcome his initial surprise, and shut the door behind him. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said evenly.
"Then let me break it down for you," Veronica said. "Graphic designers are good at faking things, right? You create something on a machine, make it look like it's real? Like casino chips."
She looked at Doug as his mouth fell open slightly, but he still didn't speak.
"It's easy, right? Especially if whoever's running the casino is just another student, and may not look too closely? You buy some generic poker chips, steal one from the casino, duplicate its logo. Pretty much an endless source of cash. Until he starts to notice."
Doug stared at her. "Like I said," he told her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Veronica opened the box that sat beside her. "So I suppose these were just souvenirs?" she asked, picking up a few of the chips.
"Where did you get those?" Doug asked angrily. "You're not even supposed to be in here."
"They were in your closet," Veronica said. "And I really don't think that my petty crimes are the issue here."
Veronica shut the box as Doug continued to stare at her, not saying anything. "I'll let myself out," she said. "Oh, and Doug? You might want to find yourself a new after school activity."
-
"So, did you find anything?"
Veronica smiled, and handed the box of fake chips to Alan. "Look familiar?" she asked.
Alan looked down at the chips. "These are from the casino," he said.
"No." Veronica shook her head. "They're not, actually. They're fakes. Pretty good ones, but still fakes."
"Where did you get these?"
Veronica smiled. "It doesn't matter. The person who was cheating won't be coming here any more. At least, not if he knows what's good for him."
Alan was still studying the chips. Putting the box down finally, he looked at Veronica. "Thanks," he said.
Veronica shrugged. "Catching bad guys is what I do best," she said. She turned to leave.
"Veronica?"
When she turned around, Alan was still looking at her.
"I could use another person on the tables tomorrow, if you're free," he said, and Veronica smiled.
Next: Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 2094
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica helps the successor to Mercer's casino track down players he thinks might be cheating.
Notes: Ninth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; almost entirely AU after episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
Veronica frowned at Lamb. "You need my help?" she repeated.
He looked at her. "That's what I said."
Veronica stepped aside and closed the door, then turned back to Lamb. "What's the case?" she asked him.
Lamb smiled at her and, leaning over, picked a snickerdoodle off the tray in the kitchen. "I love these," he said.
"Hey! Those aren't for you," Veronica protested, trying not to smile. She waited until Lamb had finished eating.
"It's a gambling ring," he said finally. "Local. Not too well known, but getting there." He paused. "Got any milk?"
Veronica sighed, then turned to the fridge, pouring some milk into a glass. She handed it to Lamb, and he grinned.
"Gambling?" she prompted.
"Right. Anyway, these guys are owed money by a few ... influential members of the community. At least, that's what I could gather. There are people who want them gone, and I'm under a lot of pressure to deal with it."
Veronica studied Lamb. There was milk on his upper lip, and Veronica told herself resolutely that she did not want to lick it off. "Why do you need my help?" she asked, instead.
Lamb moved closer to her. When he spoke, his voice was softer. "Mercer Hayes' casino," he said. "I'm thinking it might be involved. You have a better chance of getting in to investigate it than I do."
Veronica suppressed a shudder. It wasn't Mercer's casino any more, she reminded herself. Mercer was behind bars.
"Okay," she said slowly. "I'll see what I can find out."
Lamb was looking at her concernedly, standing so close Veronica could feel him. She thought he was going to say something else, but then the door opened, and Lamb stepped back hurriedly. Veronica looked up to see her father looking at them.
"Keith," Lamb said, a little too quickly.
"Morning, Sheriff," Keith said suspiciously. He stepped aside to let Lamb pass him.
As Lamb stepped through the doorway, he turned back around, and smiled. "Veronica," he said, and she looked at him. "Merry Christmas."
"What was that about?" Keith asked, after Lamb was gone.
Veronica shrugged. "Just Lamb," she said casually, and smiled at her father. "Merry Christmas."
-
Veronica recognised Alan immediately when she saw him in the hallway. She had been surprised to learn that he had been the one to take over running the casino - at least, initially. Until she had reasoned that sneaky, devious, and low morality were the perfect traits for Mercer's successor.
"Hi," she said, coming up beside him.
Alan turned to look at Veronica suspiciously. He didn't look happy to see her. "What do you want?" he asked her, even as he kept walking.
Veronica rolled her eyes as she ran to catch up to him. Obviously he remembered her, too.
"I heard you're running Mercer's casino now," she said, after she'd caught up.
Alan stopped, and turned to look at her again. "And you're here to demand I shut it down?"
Veronica shook her head. "Your secret's safe," she assured him.
Alan turned away.
"I want in," she said, stopping him.
"In on what?" he asked.
"I can play a mean game of poker," she said. "And I figured you might be able to use an extra hand."
Alan looked at her for a long while. "Okay," he agreed eventually.
"Okay?" Veronica repeated. Somehow, she had expected it to be more difficult than that.
"You're like, nosy, right?" Alan asked her, and Veronica shrugged. He stepped off to the side of the hall, away from the main flow of student traffic, and she followed him.
"I think some of the players might be cheating," he said in a low voice.
Veronica frowned at him. "What makes you think that?"
Alan shrugged. "The money doesn't add up. I've been through Mercer's books. All of his records. I should be making more than I am. At first I thought it was just coincidence, or bad luck but now ... I know something's up."
"Do you know how they're doing it?" Veronica asked, and Alan looked at her.
"If I knew that," he said, "I wouldn't be asking for your help."
-
"And the dealer has twenty-one."
Veronica couldn't help smiling as the man in front of her groaned. "Another game?" she asked, raking in the chips.
As he shook his head, Veronica looked up from the table. Alan was right; the casino was packed, and the house seemed to be on a winning streak. He should have been making a mint.
As someone sat down at an empty seat in front of her, Veronica rolled her eyes.
"Still swindling men out of their hard-earned cash, I see." After a moment, Logan turned to the student still sitting next to him, glaring at the man until he left.
Veronica sighed. "And you're still engaging in practices both illegal and immoral," she said, shuffling the cards as Logan laid his chips on the table.
"Only on Tuesdays." Logan smirked at her. "Now, remind me - which of us is currently dealing cards at an illegal amateur casino?"
Veronica dealt, ignoring Logan's question, and he picked up his cards.
"I thought you knew better than to bet against me," she said, as he began.
Logan just smiled at her. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for punishment."
His smile widened as he won the first hand, but Veronica won the three after that, deliberately mirroring his expression. Logan frowned, but Veronica knew him too well to think he was really angry.
"If you were going to cheat," she asked, as Logan won his second hand of the night, "how would you do it?"
Logan looked around suspiciously. "Is that a trick question?" he asked. "Are you going to have some of your goons haul me out of here?"
Veronica shook her head. "Just curious," she assured him.
She dealt again, and Logan shrugged. "I don't know. Stick an ace up my sleeve? I can't say I've ever really thought about it."
Veronica just nodded, raking in the chips as she won again, and Logan stood up in mock disgust. "I'm getting my ass kicked by a woman," he said, shaking his head.
Veronica looked up at him. "Funny, I thought you'd be used to it."
Logan pretended to laugh, then walked away from the table. As he left, Veronica looked around the room, trying to keep her eye on anybody who looked like they might be skimming cards.
When no-one else sat down at her table, Veronica took the opportunity to walk around the room, to watch the other tables more closely. She had thought that the card tables would be the most likely place to cheat, but as far as she could tell, everything was fair; they were still making a killing. She wandered over to Alan.
"Is there any way the roulette table could be weighted?" she asked quietly. "Shaved dice?"
Alan shook his head. "The table's fine," he said confidently. "We use our own dice, and the dealers check them. There's no way."
Veronica frowned. She looked back over at the tables, and her frown deepened.
"Who's that?" she asked Alan, nodding to a tall, dark-haired student in the far corner.
"Uh ..." Alan looked at him for a moment. "Doug Handler."
"What do you know about him?"
Alan shrugged. "Not much. He's some sort of programming ... no, graphic design major, I think. Plays basketball. Why? Do you think he's cheating?"
Veronica didn't answer for a moment, still watching Doug closely, then smiled. "I'll have an answer for you tomorrow," she told Alan confidently.
-
"Hey, Veronica."
Veronica looked up as Piz opened the door, and smiled at him. "Hey, Piz," she said. "Is Wallace around?"
Piz shook his head. "He's at class. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Veronica looked at him. "Maybe," she said. "Do you know a guy called Doug Handler?"
"Doug? Yeah. He's just down the hall."
"His room?"
Piz nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you know which one?"
"Yeah, it's the second last door on the left. Veronica?"
Veronica, already walking away, turned. "Thanks, Piz."
-
Lamb looked up as Sacks entered his office. He thought the deputy might have been smiling, but it was difficult to tell under the fake moustache covering half his face.
"What?" he asked.
"Veronica Mars is here to see you."
Lamb stood up as Veronica walked in. When Sacks backed out of the room, Lamb was sure he was smiling.
"Solve the case already?" he asked Veronica.
She shook her head. "I need a favour."
Lamb smiled. "What do you need?"
She paused. "When you arrested Moe Slater," she said. "You took everything he had on him, right?"
Lamb frowned. "We did," he said eventually.
"Did he have his keys?"
Lamb bit back the urge to ask her what this was about. Even if she did tell him, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Actually, scratch that; he was almost certain he didn't want to know. Instead, he walked out of his office silently, and heard Veronica's soft footsteps as she followed him.
Sacks was still grinning at them as Lamb led her into the evidence room.
He closed the door behind Veronica, leaning in so close he could practically taste her, then broke away sharply, shaking his head. He handed her a set of keys.
"I need these back by the end of the day," he told her. "And you didn't get them from me."
Veronica just smiled.
-
As Landry dismissed the class, sparing a smile for Veronica which she returned, she gathered up her books. According to Wallace, he had training for at least the next half hour, which meant that with any luck, so did Doug. Making her way quickly to Bennis Hall, Veronica let herself into Doug's room and began searching.
There was nothing in Doug's bedside table, and nothing under his bed that Veronica wanted to touch. She opened the closet, keeping her eye on the clock warily. She knew she was right about this; all she needed was proof.
Which she found, in a shoe box almost out of her reach. Veronica opened the box, and smiled.
She was still sitting on Doug's bed when his door opened.
"Confess," Veronica said, as Doug walked in. She smiled. "It's good for the soul."
Doug looked at her, trying to overcome his initial surprise, and shut the door behind him. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said evenly.
"Then let me break it down for you," Veronica said. "Graphic designers are good at faking things, right? You create something on a machine, make it look like it's real? Like casino chips."
She looked at Doug as his mouth fell open slightly, but he still didn't speak.
"It's easy, right? Especially if whoever's running the casino is just another student, and may not look too closely? You buy some generic poker chips, steal one from the casino, duplicate its logo. Pretty much an endless source of cash. Until he starts to notice."
Doug stared at her. "Like I said," he told her. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Veronica opened the box that sat beside her. "So I suppose these were just souvenirs?" she asked, picking up a few of the chips.
"Where did you get those?" Doug asked angrily. "You're not even supposed to be in here."
"They were in your closet," Veronica said. "And I really don't think that my petty crimes are the issue here."
Veronica shut the box as Doug continued to stare at her, not saying anything. "I'll let myself out," she said. "Oh, and Doug? You might want to find yourself a new after school activity."
-
"So, did you find anything?"
Veronica smiled, and handed the box of fake chips to Alan. "Look familiar?" she asked.
Alan looked down at the chips. "These are from the casino," he said.
"No." Veronica shook her head. "They're not, actually. They're fakes. Pretty good ones, but still fakes."
"Where did you get these?"
Veronica smiled. "It doesn't matter. The person who was cheating won't be coming here any more. At least, not if he knows what's good for him."
Alan was still studying the chips. Putting the box down finally, he looked at Veronica. "Thanks," he said.
Veronica shrugged. "Catching bad guys is what I do best," she said. She turned to leave.
"Veronica?"
When she turned around, Alan was still looking at her.
"I could use another person on the tables tomorrow, if you're free," he said, and Veronica smiled.
Next: Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18