Veronica Mars s01e18 Episode Script

Previously on Veronica Mars: I can do this.
I can kick this on my own.
There is nothing 12 weeks in here can do that I can't do myself.
I want you to come home.
I miss you.
God, Veronica.
- I don't know what you saw.
- A file on Duncan.
Obviously, Jake and Celeste lied about their alibis.
What made you think they were involved in covering up Lilly's death? You doing some laundry? Honey it was a soccer uniform I found in the dryer.
Any chance I'm ever gonna get to see the inside of your apartment? And what, exactly, are you hoping to see? Our good china? The screening room? I wanted to get a really good, long look at your bedroom ceiling.
Wow, college girls must be easy.
This is my A material.
They swoon.
My dad's home.
I saw his car outside.
But he's cool with us, right? Like, has he made a couple of remarks about the 29-month age difference? He has.
On the other hand he likes the fact that you carry a gun.
Not so much that he's okay to sleep over, but, yeah, he likes you.
I'll call you tomorrow.
- Later, deputy.
- Later.
The "pretend to be digging in the fridge rather than spying on your daughter" ploy? Bravo.
- Veronica, we need to talk.
- He's a fine gentleman, Pa.
He'll come up with a dowry to marry me, just you wait.
But seriously, folks.
Sit down.
I know how uncomfortable you are with the idea of me dating and I've done everything in my power to respect that.
But your mom's been gone for over a year now.
- You met someone? - I have.
I didn't wanna say anything until I was sure I had feelings for this person.
- Alicia and I talked about it, and - What? Who? Alicia? Wallace's mom? - Say what? - Well, from your reaction I'd say you heard me just fine.
On the bright side if our parents get hitched, we could have bunk beds and talk all night.
- You're sick.
- I've wanted a little brother I could dress up like a little doll.
- Yeah? See how that works out for you.
Dear Seventeen magazine how can I tell if the super-cute boy in my class likes me? No.
Scratch that.
Dear Seventeen how can I tell if the super-cute boy in my class killed his own sister? Come on, buckaroos, we're burning daylight here.
A new edition of the Navigator comes out tomorrow, and we're still short on articles.
Let's do something fun.
How about OxyContin replacing ecstasy as the drug of choice for high school students? Your parents don't wanna read about drugs at the school where they send their little ones.
I thought the newspaper was for the students.
Where's your Pirate pride, y'all? Lots of good stuff happens here.
Did you know that Madame Merceaux has been teaching French for 40 years now? Maybe someone could do an in-depth profile? A loving tribute to a sadistic crone.
The janitors work so hard, and no one even pays attention to them.
- Maybe we could do something on them? - Maybe.
Oh, what is with these fire drills? This is the third one this week.
Maybe we should do a story on OxyContin use in the administration office.
Okay, Pirates.
Single file, straight line.
Heads up, chest out, big smiles.
Ready? Okay.
You know what? There's a good story for you.
- The fire drills.
- A fire-drill story? Someone alert the Pulitzer committee.
You'll find a way to make it interesting.
I believe in you.
- Not exactly Ms.
Dent, is she? - Not even close.
She was overly peppy as my pep-squad advisor.
As a journalism teacher she's a nightmare.
- Many stories about bake sales and blue ribbons.
- Why, oh, why did Ms.
Dent let herself get knocked up? So, what's the skinny on the fire drills, Mr.
C? Faulty hot plate in the faculty lounge? Gremlin gumming up the works? No, we're simply following the district-wide policy for mid-semester fire drills.
We let ourselves get a bit behind.
Really? Because if memory serves, it was, like, one or two a year.
There have been three this week alone.
I'm sorry there's not a more entertaining explanation.
It's just district policy.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to catch up on.
- How's the story coming? - Blowing the lid off the fire-safety policy.
Hey, do you know how I can find out what the official district mandate is? Have you spoken to Ms.
Rauch? She's the assistant superintendent.
She's definitely your source.
I think I have her number.
- Here.
- May I? Of course.
- Ellen Rauch.
- Ms.
Rauch, this is Veronica Mars.
I'm doing an article for the Navigator, the school paper at Neptune High.
- How can I help you? - I just wanted to clarify something.
How many fire drills does the district mandate each semester? Just one is our policy.
Something wrong, Corny? Yeah, I came to get something out of my locker but I can't remember what it was.
Hey, I was thinking about busting out of here, maybe go to White Castle.
Wanna come with? There's no White Castle in Neptune.
It's kind of an expression.
What's wrong? Oh, crap.
Okay, well, I'll check that door.
How's he holding up? Excuse me, Mr.
Clemmons.
That's Ellen Rauch, from the district office.
- Hello.
- Van, I received a call from a very pushy student of yours who's doing a newspaper story.
Yes, I know the girl that you're talking about.
She should never have called you.
Well, she did, and she has quite a fresh attitude.
Yes, I spend half my waking hours trying to keep her out of my hair.
She gave the impression that you've been exceeding your fire-drill limits.
No.
Look, I've been trying to keep this under my hat, but we have had a series of bomb threats, and as a precautionary measure I brought in the bomb squad.
Well, that's very disturbing news, Mr.
Clemmons.
Please let us know if there's anything we can do.
- You're positive about this, Veronica? - Mr.
Clemmons confirmed it.
It's accurate.
But is it responsible? This is exactly what newspapers are supposed to do.
Then what are we waiting for? We're burning daylight here.
Are you kidding me? This is supposed to be for real? - Dude, it's right on the front page.
- Are you staying? I'm going home.
Rather not be here when the school blows up.
Okay, I'm going with you.
You won't believe how insane the administration office is.
Phones ringing off the hook, parents going off on Clemmons.
- He wants to see you, by the way.
- He does? I'm starting to think he has a crush on me.
Let me be clear as I explain something.
The Neptune Navigator is not The Washington Post.
You don't have carte blanche to print whatever you choose.
- Was the story inaccurate? - That's not the issue.
- It's not? - No, it's not.
Our very real duty to protect the student body trumps your nonexistent right to a free student press.
Mr.
Clemmons, isn't a newspaper supposed to be? And what exactly is your journalism background, Ms.
Stafford? I was on my high school yearbook staff.
Then let's play to our strengths and stick to pictures of smiling kids engaged in the multitude of enriching activities that Neptune has to offer? And Veronica, who was this highly-placed source in the administration that confirmed your story? - That would be you.
- I most certainly was not.
Mr.
Clemmons, the fresh girl gave me the impression you had been exceeding your fire-drill limits.
Where are the threats coming from? A student? Veronica, I did not invite you in here for a follow-up interview.
This is a disciplinary meeting.
You should feel lucky that you're not suspended.
Maybe you'd be doing me a favor.
And, Ms.
Stafford, you need to use better judgment in the future.
No more stories on this subject.
Am I understood? - Completely.
- I may have made a mistake in allowing a pep-squad advisor to substitute for a journalism teacher.
Who would like to compare the character of the three Karamazov brothers? I'd like to hear from someone who hasn't spoken today.
Ben? I didn't read it.
I thought maybe I'd wait for the miniseries.
I don't know where you expect to end up in life with your attitude, Ben.
I wouldn't worry about it, Mrs.
Murphy.
It doesn't matter.
In the end, we all wind up in the same place.
Six feet under.
That doesn't include your clan.
- Your clan murdered it.
- It was an accident.
We're all sorry about it.
You have to think of all the good What's happening? They're still watching the movie.
He has his arm around her.
He's not groping her or anything, is he? No, but earlier I saw him cutting a hole in the bottom of his popcorn bucket.
- That's not funny.
- Yeah, well, my dad's not a groper.
You think they're serious? What does your dad say? That's the good thing.
We don't have to worry.
- It won't last long.
It can't.
- What does that mean? My mom's in rehab.
When she gets cleaned up, she's coming home.
And where does my mom fit into that plan? So I guess she's just a placeholder, then? To keep your dad from being lonely till the woman who dumped him decides she'll come back? - What do you expect me to say? This is my family.
Two minutes ago, you didn't want them dating either.
Yeah, I probably wish Mom would've found a guy who wasn't my best friend's dad but Mom hasn't found a decent guy since Dad died.
If she's gonna get burned, I need to tell her right now.
- You can't.
- Why not? Wallace, wait.
Do me a favor and just wait a few weeks.
I gotta say, Veronica, I'm getting a little tired of doing you favors.
What happens to one of us happens to us all.
Get away from me.
She's, like, the private witness.
Hey, we need to get going.
- Honey, we're still watching the movie.
- It's getting kind of late.
Okay.
Did you and Veronica have a fight? No.
I know this is uncomfortable for you but I'm counting on you to be mature about this.
I am.
I'm just looking out for you.
Well, you don't have to, because I'm a big girl.
I do.
There's something you need to know.
- Wallace - Just listen.
- I don't want to.
- You need to.
No, I don't.
What I need is for you to see how happy I am.
This is the first time that I actually feel at home in this town.
Keith is a very good man, and that is all I need to know right now.
Let me have this.
Please.
Wait.
How can you even have an opinion on Ubuntu if you haven't tried it? Two-six kernel.
Live CD.
They even had Gnome 2.
0 the day Warty Warthog came out.
I'm sorry.
I'm perfectly content with OS X.
I have all the awk, grep and sed I want without need for that and it's free.
- Oh, fine, you know, live in the dark ages.
- I know what I like.
And I like what I know.
Hey, that iPod mini is something else, isn't it? - Hi, Veronica.
- Hey.
I'm sorry to interrupt.
Mac, would you take a look at my computer? I can't get it to boot up.
Sure.
Could I take it with me, though? I gotta boogie.
Yeah.
Everything important is password-protected.
Like I really care who you have a crush on.
Hey, Veronica, can I talk to you about something? - Yeah, sure.
- I have some information for you.
Confidential information.
- My favorite kind.
- It's about your story.
- About the bomb threats.
- Yeah? Well, it got me thinking.
The other day I was riding my bike to school, and I passed by this vacant lot and I saw Norris and that new kid, Ben.
They were throwing tennis balls at stray cats.
Uncool, but I don't get it.
The tennis balls were exploding.
Hey, last night you said something.
Am I really your best friend? Who else you see in the running? Quit smiling at me.
Hey, what do you think of this new kid, Ben? Heard anything? - You're unbelievable.
- Why? What makes you say that? Because you want me to go get his file, don't you? - You're so predictable.
- It's for the greater good, Wallace.
Doesn't he look like total bomb-threat material? I'd check out his friend.
Clemmons made him turn his shirt inside out.
- Why? What'd it say? - "Kill them all.
Let God sort them out.
" Forty-six hours, 15 minutes till what? - Come on, Meg.
- Oh, come on.
Be nice.
Hey.
- You mind if we? - Yeah.
Sit.
Carlita, Biff, Rocco, make some room.
Imaginary friends.
So the whole school is talking about your article.
You think the threats are real? Let's hope not.
Ice-cold fries, anyone? No, thanks.
So are you working on any interesting cases with your father? Well, that Maltese falcon is still eluding us, but I'm not allowed to talk about the cases.
A confidentiality thing.
Of course.
You know, there is one case that's sort of interesting.
I'll just leave out the names.
Successful entertainment attorney divorced his wife owed her, like, half a million dollars in alimony and child-support money.
Literally erased himself off the face of the earth.
- How do you do that? - First, you get your hands on all the cash you can.
Using cash is key.
Ditch your cell phone for a prepaid jobber, move around in a rental car paid for with a debit credit card and a fake driver's license.
Cross over the border if possible.
If you're really adventurous, you buy an old passport off eBay and do an extreme makeover on it.
Excuse me.
The shoptalk buzz kill.
It's not you.
He's been acting weird all day.
Well, I'll catch you later.
Ben and Norris.
Is it possible they are biding their time, waiting for the moment they can blow the school sky high? Norris earned his reputation as a thug and bully back in junior high.
But I have seen another side.
So let's check in, see where his headspace is these days.
Who's that by your friend? Hi.
I'm doing a poll for the Neptune Navigator.
How vital.
- What's the question? - Okay.
World War llI starts tomorrow you can share your bomb shelter with three other people.
Who? You know what? I think I'd be a casualty of war.
I don't think the question applies to me.
Bruce Lee, Joe Strummer, Sam Kinison.
They're all dead.
Okay, "other.
" You could've sat with me.
I thought you were making a point.
I wasn't.
There's no school file on Ben.
Strange.
Maybe he's too new.
- I got you Norris' file.
- You're saintly.
I get the top bunk.
Suspended for violent behavior a bunch in middle school, but that's what I thought.
- But nothing since high school.
- Maybe he's keeping his record clean because he's planning something big.
- That's scary.
Hey, Wallace, thanks.
For what it's worth, you're my best friend too.
I'm glad you found your mom and got her some help.
- I should've told you that sooner.
- I should've told you that sooner.
That was either a really poor warm welcome or an excellent cold shoulder.
Logan told me you've been carrying on your own investigation of Lilly's murder.
That you have files of everyone in your computer.
That's true.
Is there a file on me? There's a file on everyone who is connected with Lilly.
What does mine say? It says that you have type-four epilepsy.
That you have mood swings, violent outbursts.
That you're taking medication.
How do you know that? It doesn't matter.
It does matter.
You've been prying into my private life.
If I wanted you or anyone to know about that, I would've told them.
- Who the hell do you think you are? - I am Lilly's best friend.
- Lilly is dead.
Her killer is in jail.
- Abel Koontz didn't kill Lilly.
- He confessed.
- He was paid to confess.
Oh, my God.
I mean, do you even hear yourself? Who would pay? Us.
Of course.
You think someone in my family paid him.
Why would they do that, Veronica? - I don't know.
- To protect me? Do you remember what happened that day? You think I killed Lilly.
How could you think that, even for a second? - Calm down.
- You think I'll have another episode and kill you too? All you talk about is guns.
All you're talking about is death-metal music and bombs and stuff like that.
- Wait, man.
Relax.
- I can't keep hanging out with you if you're gonna keep doing this.
- I'm - Fine, fine.
- Fine.
A girl must prioritize.
Wallowing in the grief of betraying an ex-boyfriend or following the guy most likely to blow up Neptune High? Hell, give me a stick of gum to chew, and I'll do all three at once.
The Camelot Motel.
Premium accommodations for adulterers and rent-by-the-half-hour hookers.
Now it appears to be the destination of choice for teen Kaczynski.
Oh, my God.
- Yeah? - Hey, it's Logan.
Hey, just a heads up for you.
- Duncan knows about your files.
- He knows because you told him.
Well, yeah, I mean, what was I supposed to do? He's my best friend.
Yeah, well, he took my head off.
You would have loved it.
Have you talked to him since school let out? Oh, my God, what do you think you're doing? Let's go for a ride.
- Make a left at the next stop.
- Where are we going? Well, you should know.
You must have followed me there.
- The Camelot? - Yep.
I'll say this, Veronica.
You're a pesky one.
You're screwing everything up.
I really think you're making a mistake.
I don't know anything.
Quiet.
I need to think for a minute.
My dad's a detective.
If I don't check with him, he freaks.
There will be people looking for me.
Armed people.
- I wanna show you something.
- Why not someplace public? - Frappuccino? My treat.
- You think you're being a hero but a lot of people might die because of you.
Logan, stop.
He's a federal agent.
You're undercover at Neptune High? Is it all right if he goes outside? I'd like to talk to you.
Dream on, Jump Street.
I'm not leaving you alone with her.
Logan, he's the real thing.
Just give us a minute, all right? Fine.
Don't close the door all the way.
Yeah, I'll be right out here.
So why Neptune? Well, part of my job at the ATF is monitoring Internet traffic.
Norris kept a website that was troubling.
We discovered countless e-mails he sent to other students.
- Lots of red-flag words.
- Red-flag words? Retribution, bomb, arsenal, gun show, fertilizer, Waco, Columbine.
We think that he's the leader of scores of like-minded misfits who are waiting for his signal to attack.
- Is the signal the countdown clock? If he's such a threat, why haven't you brought him in yet? Having too much fun smarting off to teachers, cat killing, kidnapping? - Cat killing? - I hear things.
If there's been any cat killing, Norris has acted solo.
I mean, it makes sense, though.
Sociopaths normally get their start taking out their aggression on animals.
Why don't you just pick him up? Oh, I will bust him.
Be sure of that.
I've got more arrests on my record than any ATF agent my age, ever.
Failure is not an option.
Problem: If we pick him up now, we can hold him for 48 hours.
Then we either have to charge him or release him.
Now, I either need evidence that he's hoarding banned weapons or I need to get the list of the names of the people he's been corresponding with.
Why are you telling me all this? I need your help.
- I need you to get close to him.
- Isn't that your job? I pushed him too hard.
Spooked him.
Now, I'm screwed if I don't get him off the streets by tomorrow.
I've been to his house but not his bedroom or the garage.
How do you expect me to swing an invitation to his bedroom and/or his garage? Easy.
He likes you.
He likes me? "Likes me" likes me? Yeah, he's mentioned it on more than a few occasions.
Veronica, your school needs your help.
Your government needs your help.
If you need an in, he loves talking about his ancient-weapon collection.
You okay? Thanks for doing this, Norris.
My dad's been struggling with this case.
It's no problem at all.
I brought some pictures of the stolen weapons if that helps.
My parents are a little nosy.
It's probably more effective than the "mind your own beeswax" sign I have on my door.
Though it does have a picture of an angry kitty on it.
So this is my weapon collection.
- You must feel really safe at night when the dragons come.
Here are the pictures.
Do you wanna sit down? Are you kidding? I wanna look at these weapons.
They're so pointy.
This one's very Braveheart.
Yeah, that's a replica of William Wallace's sword.
I've seen that movie, like, 50 times.
- Anything you recognize? - Yeah, the Tachi sword.
- I'll write down the price.
- Is that wireless? Yeah, my dad's a programmer over at Kane Software so we get all the latest technology.
We were one of the first households in the country to have Wi-Fi.
I have a replica of this.
It's It was right over there, but I think it I think it fell.
I'll look for it.
Now, if I were a pipe bomb, where would I be? Great.
I'm his type.
Actually, don't even worry.
I'll find it later.
Maybe he keeps his arsenal in the garage.
So how do I get into the garage without playing dungeon with this wack job? - You ever throw one? - Can't say that I have.
I got a target in the garage if you wanna try it.
That was easy.
I think it, it happens.
Detention? Me? I think not, Mr.
Clemmons.
Try filling out that form left-handed.
How come these are rubber? They're just for practice.
Next time I'll let you try a real one.
Am I crazy, or is Bomb Boy flirting with me? No question about it.
The Japanese have the coolest weapons.
- Should I just put these in here? - No.
You can just hand them back to me.
My dad said that if I keep my grades up I can tour Japan this summer.
You know, there's a Kurosawa retrospective over at the Paragon this weekend.
You think maybe you'd like to go? It's cool.
It can just be, like, a friends thing.
Okay.
I came up empty on the weapons search, but there's one place I can check for his address book.
If I can access the Clayton family wireless system from out here, I'm gold.
Excellent.
- Hello.
- Hey, Mac, it's me.
- I need you to walk me through something.
- What did you ever do before you met me? Ever see the first ten minutes of 2001: A Space Odyssey? It was a lot like that.
- Monkeys clubbing each other.
- No, I got it.
Mac, if you were planning the apocalypse on a Friday would you ask someone out on a date for that weekend? Me? That's the only way I'd ask someone out.
Veronica? Earth to Mars.
Dude, where did you go? Norris, pick up, pick up, pick up.
It's Veronica.
Okay, if you get this, call me before tomorrow.
- Hey.
I got your message late.
- Listen, something's up.
Ben isn't who he says he is, and he thinks you were behind the bomb threats.
Don't move.
Put your hands where I can see them.
Drop the keys.
This is crazy.
You have the wrong guy.
It's a joke, a hoax.
- I have a warrant to search your vehicle.
- Fine.
Search away.
There you go.
A hoax, huh? - That's not my stuff, man.
- Cuff him.
- He's lying.
- That's not my stuff, man.
- I didn't do it.
- You set him up? Step back, please.
People, this is a crime scene.
He's lying to you.
Agent Ben used me.
I know it.
Ten to one, he planted the rifle and fertilizer in Norris' trunk while I was inside playing with throwing stars.
All I need to do is prove it.
"Gro-Time Fertilizer.
" - Hello.
- Pete Comiscky, please.
- Speaking.
- Pete, it's Veronica Mars.
Got a minute? I guess, yeah.
Tomorrow we'll publish a story in the Navigator that says you created false Internet traffic through Norris Clayton's wireless Internet accessible to you because you live within 100 feet of the Clayton's.
- What? - The story goes on to say you created the KillemAll.
Net website, its countdown clock and called in bomb threats to school in order to implicate Norris even though there was never an actual bomb.
Additionally, you lied to this reporter about Norris and a young A TF agent killing stray cats.
Would you care to comment on this story? Are you crazy? You think this is something I just do for kicks? You did it because you were the frequent victim of Norris' bullying you in junior high.
He was expelled once for making a tarantula crawl across your face in Earth Science and again for taking your lunch money.
Pete? Still there? - Every day.
- Excuse me? He took my lunch money every day before we got on the bus.
For two years, I scrounged off my friends' plates.
I finally told my dad.
You know what he said? He said, "Be a man.
Just pop him in the mouth once, son, and he'll back off.
" So I did.
I popped him.
Norris sent me to the hospital.
You wanna know what my dad said then? - What? - He said he wished he'd had a son.
Veronica? Meg, what's wrong? You haven't seen Duncan tonight, have you? No.
He never showed, which is weird.
He's missing.
- His parents think he may have run away.
- What? Why would they think that? His mother says that yesterday he withdrew 10,000 in cash from the bank.
No one's seen him since.
- That's bizarre.
- Yeah.
I don't understand it.
I mean, what would make him do that? So the ATF agent set him up? The photos show clearly that the same fertilizer bags I saw the agent purchase were the ones found in Norris' car.
And same with the rifle.
Well, I guess we have no choice but to print it, do we? I was thinking about that.
Maybe I could take the story down to the city paper, see if they'll publish it or maybe just put it on a website.
What fun would that be? In case you were wondering, Mr.
Clemmons, not pleased.
I've lost sleep over it.
Did you have to mention Norris' school records? Someone could put two and two together.
They will have to really speak sharply to me before I reveal my sources.
Listen up, everybody.
I have an announcement.
I just heard that Norris Clayton is being released later today.
Charges have been dropped, thanks to a certain high school newspaper's front-page story.
And I'm sorry to report that today is my last day teaching at Neptune High.
It's been a real kick working with all of you.
Now, I'd appreciate it if you could work independently.
Your sub will arrive shortly.
Okay, buckaroos, we're burning daylight in here.
We need stories.
Who's got something?