Veronica Mars s01e14 Episode Script

Previously on Veronica Mars: You never saw Lilly Kane in your life.
Why confess to killing her? Do you wanna know how I bashed your friend's brains in? I know who you are, Veronica Mars.
How long have you been feeling like this? Since I stopped taking my meds.
So, what exactly is your mystery illness, Duncan? And what other pills are you taking? You blame me for your mother's death.
Let's make a deal.
Our war's over now.
They didn't find a body, because she's not dead.
She just escaped.
Logan, what are you doing here? I want you to find my mother.
Relax, I'm not asking you to drag the lake.
My mother didn't really kill herself.
Come inside, okay? Veronica, she's not dead.
What makes you think she's still alive? Why does everyone assume that she's not? I mean, there's no body.
What about the woman who saw her jump? It's been on every channel.
Well, if she's on the TV, she must be telling the truth.
Her credit cards were missing.
I mean, doesn't that seem like? I don't know, a clue? You don't jump off a bridge with your platinum card.
- Logan, I - I know my mother.
Okay.
I heard she left a note.
Oh, yeah, well, she wants people to think she's dead.
But if she was going to do the deed it would be chardonnay and sleeping pills.
She wouldn't risk being found bug-eyed and bloated in some shrimp net.
I'll see what I can find out.
You know, I I just need to know she's okay.
Scholars.
Thinkers.
Learned charges.
You asked for it.
You got it.
World-history review, Roundup and Death Match.
Who will reign supreme? Will it be the Age of Enlightenment Rock Stars? Or will it be the Children of the Industrial Revolution? Blood is in the air.
- Blood! Round one! - All right! Let's take a look at the board.
The question is, "What are five leading causes of the fall of the Roman Empire?" Team captain Corazon Soliman, your answer.
The Huns kicked their ass.
The correct answer was "invading Germanic hordes.
" Judges? Judges award the point! Children of the Industrial Revolution you control the board! You know the rules.
I can call on any team member.
Who will be the weakest link? Wallace Fennel, show me what you got.
All right, Mr.
Rooks.
They relied too much on slave labor.
Can I see "slave labor"? Two more answers.
I see someone hiding back there, trying to disappear completely.
Carrie Bishop.
Sock it to me, baby! The answer is, I'm not pregnant so you can quit dodging my calls and keep your money to "take care of it.
" And while we're at it, here's your key back.
I won't be needing it anymore.
- Are you okay? - Oh, I've been better.
She's making it up, you know.
I've never touched that girl.
I've never seen her outside of class.
- I know.
Yeah, but it's not gonna matter.
Class has been out less than a minute and I would guess that everyone in this school has heard by now.
That's probably a good guess.
This is all I ever wanted to do.
- And it's over.
- Not if I can help it.
That's rough, man.
Don't look to me for sympathy.
Carrie has had a long and storied reign as the gossip queen of Neptune High.
You get a crown with that? - Do something for me? - Let me guess: Borrow her permanent file.
I remember when you were new and eager to please.
Good times.
Hey.
- Can I ask you kind of a weird favor? - It depends how weird.
Our family physician just retired to Death Valley.
Literally.
I know it sounds like a metaphor, but it's not.
Anyway, we need a new general practitioner.
- Can I get the name of yours? - Sure.
Dr.
Al Levine.
- He's in the book.
- Thanks.
Yeah, no problem.
He's kind of expensive, though.
We've got insurance.
Yeah.
Al Levine.
Got it.
It's time to find out what this mystery illness is you're suffering from.
Carrie's file.
If you are caught with this I will disavow any knowledge of you or your mission.
- You'll be on your own.
- Don't worry.
I've got a cyanide capsule in a false tooth.
If I'm caught, I'll do the honorable thing.
It's been a privilege knowing you, Mars.
Well, well, Carrie.
I'm not sure this is It's a good read.
Any news? I put notices on your mom's credit cards and on her ATM card.
- Meaning what? - Meaning, a friend of my father's who works at your family bank will text message me if any cards are used.
And you know that eyewitness that's been clogging up the airwaves? - Yeah.
Opportunistic hag.
- That's the one.
She's giving a statement at the sheriff's department tomorrow.
- I'll drop by, see if she's up for a chat.
- I'll go with you.
Actually, despite popular opinion you really can't beat the truth out of someone.
- Listen, I'm going.
- You're not.
What are you gonna stop me with? Force of will? Strength of character? Tenacity? Karate chop? I will know if she's lying.
Okay? You won't.
- Fine.
I've got a plan.
- Yeah, I'm sure you do.
Hey, Carrie! Wait up.
Why? Did you want to tell me how much you admired me for my brave stand? I wanna give you a chance to recant before I prove you're lying.
Why do you even care? There aren't many great teachers.
Mr.
Rooks is one.
Yeah.
If you can get past the part where he seduces his students.
Hey, Carrie, this is me, Veronica.
I know you.
You're so naive.
Yeah, that's me.
Naive.
Mr.
Rooks called your parents in for a conference last September.
Hardly seems like something an illicit boyfriend would do.
Believe what you want.
I never cared what you thought of me before.
No reason to start now.
- Hey, sweetie.
- Hey.
Hey, do you know a teacher named Chuck Rooks? Teaches history? Yeah, I'm in his class.
Oh, good.
Good.
I want you to find out whatever you can about him.
- Why? - Well, the parents of a girl named Carrie Bishop just hired us to investigate him.
Carrie filed a sexual harassment claim against him this afternoon.
They want him fired.
What's wrong? Calm down.
What are you so upset about? Mr.
Rooks is an amazing teacher one of the few good teachers at Neptune High and you're gonna join the witch-hunt to get him fired? I'm running a background check.
I'm not organizing a stoning in the town square.
For the record, I can't help you.
I've already volunteered to work with him.
You know how I dread going to that school every day? His class is one of the few things that I look forward to.
Well, I'm sorry.
This is my business, honey.
It's what I do.
Besides, the girl deserves to be heard.
No, actually, she doesn't.
She's a liar and a gossip and a manipulator.
- What makes you think that? - I just do.
Well, I can't drop the case based on a feeling you have.
I'm sorry.
Fine.
You can answer your own phone.
I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did.
I know.
Of all the girls in the school Duncan could've gone out with Veronica Mars? - I mean, how insane is that? - He's out of his mind, that's for sure.
She really got her claws into him.
Know what? I feel sorry for the guy.
I mean, you know all she's after is his money.
No, I mean, he's literally crazy.
Like loony-bin crazy.
- What are you talking about? - You know how Brian's brother is a resident at the hospital? Brian told Ashley that last week Dunc was brought in, kicking, screaming, foaming at the mouth calling out Veronica's name.
It took three orderlies to get him in a straitjacket.
- Come on.
- That's what I heard.
Carrie Bishop and Susan Knight.
Go figure.
We should do this more often.
Thank you, detective.
That's her.
Down, boy.
Relax.
I've got it covered.
White trash walking.
I know.
Gadgets and all.
Miss Stanton.
Cliff McCormack from Weekly World News.
My boss is very interested in your story.
Are we talking an exclusive, or what? Because I'm getting lots of offers.
- Definitely an exclusive.
- Well, what's the offer? Well, it depends on what you've got.
Did she look intoxicated drugged up, bruised? If you'd like, sure.
So, what you couldn't get on Springer this week so you make lies up about my mom? You know, I am sure the trailer payments must be high.
And what with the high price of Spam these days Okay.
Enough.
Thanks, Cliff.
- You're the best.
- Yeah, if by "best" you mean "willing.
" You owe me one, kid.
Hey.
Hi.
I have to take care of something.
I'll be, like, two seconds.
Stay calm.
Finding out what that woman is about is good news.
Deputy? - What do you want, Veronica? - A chance to explain.
What's to explain? You used me.
I get it.
Lilly Kane was my best friend.
I know all about your dad and the murder investigation.
No, you don't.
You know the story that everyone knows.
A guy confessed.
He said he did it.
Did you know that the head of security at Kane Software made the tip call that got Abel Koontz arrested? Did you know that your own crime-scene photos make it impossible for Abel to have left the Kane house with the pair of Lilly's shoes that they found? Did you know that a traffic ticket proves that the time of death is three hours off? How do you know all this? I know all of this because I have done everything I could to get to the truth.
Including using you.
And I'm really sorry about that.
But I used you, then fell for you not the other way around.
You fell for me? Hello? Hey.
Veronica.
Come on in.
Meet my daughter, Olivia.
Hi, Olivia.
I'm one of your dad's students, Veronica.
- She must be going through a shy phase.
- No, not really.
She's usually pretty gregarious.
She must really dislike you.
- There's a club she can join.
- Sweetie why don't you go finish your coloring.
I'll come in and join you, okay? There you go.
She's adorable.
Well, if you get past her megalomania and reactionary politics.
I get her on the weekends.
My ex-wife has her during the week.
- I'm sorry to intrude on your weekend.
- Oh, no problem.
What's on your mind? A few months ago, you called a parent-teacher conference with her parents.
- How would you know that? - I can't reveal my sources.
Veronica, I appreciate your offer of help.
It's very generous.
But I really think this is an adult matter.
Carrie's parents have a private investigator running a background check on you.
There's gonna be a hearing.
If the school board believes Carrie's allegations you'll never teach again.
They came to see me about her grades.
I gave her a C on her midterm paper.
She thought it was unfair that the mark on her transcript would keep her out of Cornell.
- Do you think that's why she's after you? - Spoiling her Ivy League dreams? - Honestly, I couldn't tell you.
Do you have a representative at the hearing? - Well, the faculty union rep.
- Who's that? You're looking at him.
Any messages? Veronica, I know you admire this guy.
And I encourage you to stand up for your convictions when you think you're right.
But Rooks is bad.
I don't want you getting hurt when the story comes out.
I'm sorry.
I believe him.
Carrie kept a very detailed diary of her affair with him.
It's full of times and dates.
She recorded the very date of a weekend they spent in a hotel when her parents were out of town.
She writes about him taking her to a restaurant in San Diego after she won the District Extemporaneous Speaking Competition.
So? That doesn't prove anything.
I could write down that I met Kid Rock every weekend at the Hedonism Lodge for sensual massage and smoothies, but that doesn't make it true.
I did a crosscheck of Rooks' credit-card history.
The charges match Carrie's diary.
- She could have followed him.
- Sweetie, it's very specific.
And I don't want you seeing Kid Rock.
- Dr.
Levine's office.
- Hi.
This is Veronica Mars.
I was wondering if I could get in to see the doctor this week.
End of the day would be best.
I have band practice after school.
- How's 5:00? - Five is great.
- Thanks.
- All right.
I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure penicillin will clear that problem right up.
Can't say I was expecting you.
Yeah.
Yeah, I usually avoid buildings with stained glass.
That's why you haven't come to visit.
There's a woman who saw my mom get out of her car get in a van with a "mysterious stranger.
" There's also a jungle tribe that worships Donald Trump's hair.
It's a tabloid.
So the girl with the pig arm can't really bowl? I just don't want you to get your hopes up.
I am not paying you to worry about my hopes.
- I'm paying you to follow leads.
- I wasn't aware you were paying me.
This isn't a favor.
It's a job.
We're not exchanging friendship bracelets.
- I'll stop braiding.
- The woman said my mom was laughing and having fun.
So do whatever it is you do and track her down.
"Sandra Bolan of Sunset Springs.
" How am I gonna find her? In Sunset Springs.
Sandra Bolan.
I'll put it on your bill.
Hi, Sandra.
This is Veronica of The National Instigator.
I had a few follow-up questions on your Lynn Echolls story.
Actually, in person is a lot better.
No, Tuesday night's no good.
Newspaper work night.
- What are you doing? - Any chance you're available right now? So I'm not sure how much you were paid for the last interview, but I wasn't paid.
I thought people should know the truth with that woman lying on every talk show.
So is there anything else you remember? The model of the van, maybe a piece of the license plate? Honestly, I was just so excited to see Lynn.
I thought they were filming a movie or something.
Have you ever seen Lynn Echolls before? Once, at the premiere of Delta Blue Bombers.
She was on the red carpet with Aaron.
I must have seen that movie a hundred times.
- A hundred times? - I can check, if you want.
So the van In the interview, you said the van was blue.
It was the van from The Pursuit of Happiness.
- The exact van.
- You mean, the exact model? No, the actual van from the movie.
Lynn and Aaron met on the set of The Pursuit of Happiness, you know.
They were so young then.
I don't know why anyone could ever think she'd kill herself.
She is the luckiest woman in the world.
Excuse me.
- I would have done the same thing.
- Done what? If it was my mother, I would've let myself believe that story.
Hey, manners, Opie.
- What, did he lose a puka shell? - No.
Just the last ounce of hope that his mother was still alive.
- Is that lasagna I smell? - Chief Mars' secret recipe.
You double the cheese.
Your secret is out.
You're making salad? I know pity cooking when I see it.
There must be more bad news.
Maybe we should wait till after dinner, huh? Spill it.
I promise I won't let it ruin my appetite.
Rooks was fired from his last job at a private school.
His file is sealed, but the complaint came from the parents of two girls.
- I wanna see Carrie's journal.
- You know I can't let you.
There better be dessert.
If I'm going to save Mr.
Rooks'job I have to get my hands on this supposed diary.
Unfortunately, Dad's changed the combination.
It's the rare individual who chooses meaningless numbers as a combination.
He taught me that.
Nine times out of 10, an individual will select numbers that mean something.
Birthdays, anniversaries, addresses.
Of course, Dad is smarter than that.
You wouldn't believe the number of people who keep the combination written down on a Post-it or tacked to a bulletin board or scribbled on a birthday page of their Page-A-Day calendar.
Somehow, I doubt Dad's that careless.
Then again, he'll be glad to know how much I've soaked up, listening to him.
And what do we have here? I suspect there's also a lesson to be learned here.
Hey, honey.
What have you been up to? Tell me where to put your Father of the Year trophy.
Because there's someplace I'd like to put it.
Good thing I didn't go with the bear trap.
This is not funny.
I need to see that diary.
She's lying.
I know it.
I can feel it with every fiber of my being.
- You don't have to get all blue in the face.
- You're patronizing me? To be fair, I am your patron.
The Bishops are gonna use your credit-card research and that diary to prove the two of them were together.
Give me the dates and times.
I don't have to read the diary.
Do you wanna be responsible for taking a good man down? Destroying his reputation? Can you possibly relate? Dates and times.
That's it.
If you're looking for my trophy, it's back by auto shop.
For lube job? Or can you medal in stealing hubcaps? Is this 1970? Rims, baby.
So you got a trophy for a rim job? Forget it.
Look, I got some information for you.
- Finally, a Deep Throat to call my own.
- I'm not gonna touch that one.
This freshman kid's been shooting his mouth off that he's got proof that Lynn jumped, and he'll make millions.
- Who's the kid? - Do you want me to find out? Do you even have to ask? - Can I ask you something? - Shoot.
Why were you fired from your last job? - How on earth do you know? - I just do.
Maybe I should give more credence to the teachers' lounge gossip.
A colleague said you were unique.
Gifted.
- Unsettling.
- I was hoping for "delightful" but what can you do? So? My firing.
Yeah.
It was an all-girls school on the conservative side.
I had the temerity to suggest U.
S.
Imperialism wasn't necessarily a good thing.
They thought I was trying to turn their daughters into little beret-wearing, clove-smoking Bolsheviks.
Were you? - That's it? - Well, that, and I was driving an '89 Harley.
Didn't really endear me to the administration.
Thanks, Mr.
Rooks.
Do svidanya, Veronica.
I'm giving you another chance.
Drop the complaint against Mr.
Rooks.
Yeah.
I remember when I was in love with him too.
Did you ever consider that I just really dislike you? Does that mean you won't sign my yearbook? You're still in Mr.
Rooks' class.
You must not be too shook up.
I need his class to graduate and he'll be the one leaving.
Soon.
All of this because he gave you a C on your paper? - You'd destroy him? - Destroy him? He's become more popular than ever.
I'm the bitch that everyone hates.
Are you interested in details, Veronica? Can I help enrich your fantasy life? He says "baby" a lot when he touches you.
His sheets are black, silk.
His mood music is side two of the Rolling Stones' Tattoo You.
He'll tear up as he tells you the story of his ex-wife leaving him.
You'll turn to jelly.
Yeah.
I have that same Sweet Valley High book.
You said you spent the night with Mr.
Rooks on April 23rd but there's a problem with that story, isn't there? Why don't you tell me? It's obvious you're dying to.
All right.
The problem with that story is that you were at an overnight track meet in Sacramento that weekend.
You were part of the winning 1600-meter relay.
People say you're fast.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
We're always busy at the end of the day.
So those sniffles are probably just light allergies.
Not uncommon.
- So I can put my shirt back on? - Sure.
Yes.
Of course.
One problem with doctors besides their fetish for making you wait half naked in cold rooms is they won't just let you ransack their files, even if you ask real nice.
So someone like me has to resort to methods the insurance companies would probably not support.
- Night, Nancy.
- Night.
Okay, yes, I am petite, and it does come in handy every now and then.
I'm generally pretty cool with coincidence but when Abel Koontz shares a doctor with the Kanes that's too much for me to ignore, even if it means getting caught.
Is the doctor here? Because I've been sitting for, like, an hour.
This experience has ruined me.
I mean, the stories in the newspaper my peers in the faculty lounge stop talking when I enter.
Mr.
Rooks, do you have any guess why Ms.
Bishop would file this grievance? Carrie is a solid B student in my class.
She made it very clear she needed an A But the work just didn't merit it.
My dad left my mom last year and I was pretty lost.
Mr.
Rooks started giving me rides from our mock U.
N.
Meetings and we'd just talk.
He said we had a lot in common.
We'd been abandoned by people who we thought loved us.
Because of his wife.
At first, we just kissed.
But it went beyond that.
When I told him I thought I might be pregnant, he just blew me off.
When I saw him flirting with other girls, I just decided: "I guess this is what he does.
" And I couldn't let him get away with it again.
These are very serious charges, Carrie.
Is there any proof you can offer beyond your testimony? He sent me text messages all the time.
April 9th.
"Let's meet for tutoring.
Clothing optional.
" April 14th.
"I miss your scent.
Call me.
" April 29th.
"Come to school without your underwear.
You will be rewarded.
" They're addressed to S.
K.
He used to call me Sweet Knees.
He always wanted me to wear knee socks.
I'm not sure we have proof that Mr.
Rooks actually sent you these messages.
Hit the callback button there.
Mr.
Clemmons, can I borrow your cell for a minute? My car broke down in the parking lot.
Mr.
Clemmons, what can you tell us about your interaction with Mr.
Rooks that might be relevant? Well, he's a very popular teacher.
The student body has voted him Best Teacher three of the four years he's with us.
- Thank you, Mr.
Clemmons.
Mrs.
Fuller? If I may Could I ask you to get out your own cell phone and check the messages? It's all right with me.
Now, just check and see if you have messages.
- I have three new messages.
- Can you read them out loud? The first one says, "True pirates share their booty.
" The second, "I'll be your little spoon.
" And finally, "Vice principals make the best lovers.
" Mind hitting redial? I think we have to conclude that either the two of you are having an affair or that it's extremely easy to create false text messages on someone's cell phone.
In a situation like we have here today the burden of proof is on the accuser.
We find no conclusive evidence to substantiate the claim that these alleged encounters ever happened.
Mr.
Rooks will continue on as a teacher at this school.
You didn't have to come all the way over here.
I know, but I felt really stupid getting out of there with your phone.
Sorry.
Well, I appreciate you hooking me up with password protection.
- That's what I do.
- Hey, you want some pizza? It just got delivered.
They had a two-for-one deal.
I'm swimming in it.
One slice.
I have this newspaper-work-night thing.
Come on.
Nice.
You must have a gay friend.
No.
I literally duplicated a page from the Z Gallerie catalog.
- Something to drink? - Whatever you're having.
Diet anything is good.
Can I use your bathroom? Sure.
Down the hall.
Is that Mick Jagger? You know, I just looked at the time.
I have to get back to the journalism room.
- Rain check on the pizza? - Absolutely.
See you tomorrow.
Best way to stop wondering if your favorite teacher was trying to lure you between his black silk sheets? Research the condition that's causing your ex-boyfriend and possible half brother to take oxcarbazephine.
It's a drug used to treat type-four epilepsy.
Symptoms include hysterical, violent, emotional fits that can't be controlled and are accompanied by complete blackouts and loss of memory.
What you doing? Googling myself.
Like I'm the first.
Find out anything interesting? There's a Veronica Mars in Vermont who sells pine-cone porcupines.
- Where do we keep last year's newspapers? - In the supply cabinet.
Why? I wanna see who won last year's District Extemporaneous Speaking Competition.
Okay.
Why? I wanna know if the winner had sweet knees.
I give up.
- What city? - Neptune.
- Yes? - I need a listing for the Knight family.
- Ninth Street? - Is there more than one? No, there's not.
- Then that would be it.
- Please hold for your number.
Veronica Mars? Carrie's story is true, isn't it? It just didn't happen to her.
She copied your diary, and it was your cell phone she showed in court.
You got together with Rooks the night you won the Extemporaneous Speaking Competition.
S.
K.
Was you.
Susan Knight.
My parents disowned me.
I wouldn't tell them who the father is.
I knew if I did, they would press charges for statutory rape and I don't want that.
There's something I'm not getting.
Why would Carrie tell your story? Because she thought what he did was wrong.
When I told Mr.
Rooks I was pregnant he gave me $500 and told me I should "take care of it.
" It made her crazy there were no consequences for what he did and meanwhile I had to run out of town in shame.
Look, it made me crazy too but I can't come forward.
- I'm just not that brave.
- You have no idea.
People have put her through hell, and she just took it.
She said most people were supportive of her.
They weren't.
We weren't.
Carrie just went to the mat for you.
One phone call, and you can make it all worth it.
I just happen to have the school board president's cell phone number.
I went to see Susan.
I'm sorry.
A lot of good that does me now.
Yo, V.
You might wanna talk to this freshman.
He's the one who's shooting his mouth off about Logan's mom.
Hope you don't mind telling that story one more time.
Hey.
You paged? It seems Hart here has something to show us.
Spill.
We were filming out by the bay.
We were making this movie, Storming the Beach.
It's on high-def, but it's cool.
- Two brothers get sent to war - Don't care.
Point.
We were editing it together, and we noticed something.
- Company, move in! - I see them! Get them! - Did you see it? - Yeah.
It sucks.
And? - Good hit! - Rewind it.
Play it frame by frame.
There.
Check out the right side of the bridge.
Holy The video's time-stamped 4:37 p.
m.
Exactly the time when she supposedly jumped.
This footage better never make it out into public consumption.
Don't worry about my boy Hart.
He knows if that happens, his last movie will be a snuff film.
And he'll star in it, right? Come on.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
So am I.
Logan.
Logan? Logan? Your mom's missing credit card was just used.
Quiet down.
Quiet down, please.
I have an announcement to make.
I regret to inform you that Mr.
Rooks tendered his resignation this morning.
I will be taking over the teaching duties in this class until a replacement can be found by the administration.
Mr.
Rooks resigned today.
Honey if I were in trouble, I'd want you on my side.
Well, that's where I'd be.
I'll be home for dinner.
Your messages are on your desk.
So what would you like to know now Veronica Mars, intrepid girl reporter? Nothing.
This time, I just want you to know what I know.
You're dying, Abel.
You knew you were dying when you confessed.
You didn't kill Lilly Kane.
You're just somebody's patsy.
Guard.