Veronica Mars s03e07 Episode Script

Where are you staying these days? If I can be so bold.
You didn't come home last night.
I called Logan's room at the Grand.
He said he didn't know where you were.
Thing is, I think he was telling the truth.
I didn't come home last night.
You didn't come home the night before that.
That's what this is about? - Don't you think we should talk? - Do you? Wallace is letting me stay in his dorm until he and his roommate get back.
They're cramming Paper Chase- style at some motel out in 29 Palms.
Come on, Dad.
I thought you'd be happy.
- Happy? - Now you can have your new married girlfriend over and you two can I don't know, go crazy.
Don't make a joke out of this.
This is my life, Veronica.
My choice.
And this is mine.
What does a girl do when it seems every male in her life has let her down? She seeks sanctuary.
A place where no one can find her.
A place where How long have you been standing there, Piz? - I might expect a tip.
- Just, like, two seconds.
What are you doing here? Oh, that.
Yeah.
I live here.
This is my room.
That's my bed.
You remember my guitar.
That's where it gently weeps.
You're supposed to be cramming in a motel.
Like in The Paper Chase.
You mean The Shining? All work and no play makes Wallace psychotic.
I coughed, he told me to take it outside.
I asked if he wanted a pizza, he was like, "Did we come here to eat or study?" Better question, what are you doing here? Wallace said I could crash here while you were out of town.
Yeah, but why? You know what? I'm gonna get out of your way.
You're welcome to stay.
Can I help you? This is my boyfriend's room.
He's supposed to be here but Could I get you some tea while you wait? - Hey.
- Moe.
What's up? Not what it looks like.
Not one to judge.
You haven't seen your next-door neighbor around, have you? - Sully or Glenn? - Sully.
- This is his girlfriend.
- Hi.
He knew you were coming, right, Meryl? Yeah.
I mean, I flew down from Sacramento.
Sully said he would pick me up at the airport.
It's not like him to flake.
He's in trouble.
Something's happened to him.
I'm positive.
Fine.
I'll see what I can do.
Keys to all our rooms? All RAs do.
For just such occasions.
Well, I guess you never have to wonder if your boyfriend is straight.
Those aren't Sully's.
His roommate must have put them up.
So you do this, like, a lot? Find people? People.
Stuff.
Really? That's interesting.
Hey, check this out.
Toothbrush is here.
Razor's here.
He's really not supposed to have beer.
You know who Scarlett Reyes is? No.
Why? Any idea why Sully might be circling hotties in the freshman facebook? Oh, that's not Sully's circle.
His circle is more perfect.
He's had all these drafting classes.
Listen, I appreciate the help, you guys but I think I'm just gonna wait here until Sully shows.
Well, I've got class right now.
I'll check back with you after.
A year of finishing school.
What are you gonna do? Credit-card receipt.
I'll check to see if he's out spending money.
And one final item of business, your end-of-term research paper.
Oh, yes.
Your assignment to plan the perfect murder.
From the guy who couldn't plan an affair with the dean's wife.
Yes, Miss Starr? Does it matter who the victim is? That is entirely at the killer's discretion.
Though I may say, in years past, I've made a popular target.
The man who would be my mentor, Mr.
Popular.
Just another on the list of men who disappoint.
Good luck.
See you all Tuesday.
And Miss Mars, mind sticking around? I need to speak to you.
We don't have to do this.
It really doesn't matter to me Veronica, I'm recommending you for a summer internship at the FBI.
Fifteen hundred words on why I'll benefit from the program? Yeah.
They take it seriously.
Fill that out.
I'll accept that in lieu of your perfect-murder paper.
We both know you can do that in your sleep, right? The guy who runs the intern program in Quantico is an old undergrad buddy.
I'll see that your application makes it into the small pile.
If you know what I mean.
Got it.
Thanks.
No term paper.
A dream internship.
And all I have to do is keep my mouth shut.
I'm on the case, okay? Don't worry.
Sheriff won't let me see Mercer until tomorrow morning.
Look, I'm not here to talk about Mercer.
I just I don't know, I want to make things right between us.
You tell me your friend couldn't have raped a girl because he was with you this summer.
You won't tell me what you were doing or why you can't come to provide an alibi.
So how, exactly, do you propose to make things right? You gonna hypnotize me? I was hoping your desire to find the real rapist might outweigh your need to drag me over the coals.
- Who says I can't do both? - Veronica.
Trust me.
It is better for everyone if this secret stays that way.
Okay, please, have a little faith.
How bad does your alibi have to be if Mercer would rather stay in jail than divulge it? Maybe I don't wanna know what you were up to.
When have you ever not wanted to know anything? Your dad called me last night.
Woke me up.
Wanted to know where you were.
Is that so? So where are you staying these days? It's better for everyone if that secret stays that way.
Is that how it works? Did I get the inflection right? Still no word? I think we should go to the police.
Not yet.
It hasn't been 48 hours.
College boy isn't around when his high school girlfriend shows up.
- Sheriff would laugh you out of there.
- I don't get it.
Why would he laugh? Because the sheriff is a moron.
No activity on Sully's credit card.
But I had an idea walking over here.
Any chance you know his cell-phone pin number? Welcome to voice mail.
You have 12 new messages.
Put it on speakerphone.
Sully.
I'm here at the gate.
Are we meeting at? Sully.
I'm at baggage Hey, there, Sully.
It's Scarlett.
Are we still on for tomorrow night? Food court at 8? You told your girlfriend, right? Weird.
What do you make of that? Nobody willing to spoon you? No one volunteered.
Well, you know what they say in the big house.
If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair.
Let's rock.
What are you doing here, Veronica? You.
Logan says he's got an alibi for the two of you.
The night of the third rape.
August 13th.
I suppose he does.
So you do remember? That night? Yeah.
It's memorable.
The night of the other three rapes Care to share what you two free-spirited lads were up to? I'll give you a hint.
It was squalid.
Logan has good reason to keep that to himself.
But you shouldn't worry.
He's a solid guy.
I'd want him to be my boyfriend if I swung that way.
Give it time.
You just got here.
So if there's anything you can tell me that could help clear you The sheriff seemed awfully interested in my cologne.
GQ had a sample of it in the back-to-school issue so I hardly think that's some huge clue.
Do you think I'm the only guy at Hearst who owns clippers and subscribes to Gentlemen's Quarterly? And keeps a stockpile of GHB handy, from what I hear.
That wasn't mine.
I think someone's setting me up.
Okay? There are a couple guys who owe me big.
I'll bite.
Who? Pi Sig president, Chip Diller.
- Not that shocked.
- Dean Cyrus O'Dell.
You're lying.
Big boxing fan, the dean.
Unfortunately, he can't pick them.
He has a student aide place the bets for him, but it's the dean's money.
He'd like to see me gone.
- I'll look into it.
- Thanks, Veronica.
You know, Logan's bragged you up.
I appreciate the help.
Hey, Meryl.
Any luck? No, none.
I called all the hospitals, I talked to his professors.
And nobody has seen or heard from him.
l Look.
I was just thinking.
Sully told me that in his physics class they're working with lasers.
So, what if Sully accidentally discovered some new technology, you know? Like some kind of laser cannon that could assassinate people from space or something? He could be running from I don't know, sinister forces.
Have you ever heard of Ockham's razor, Meryl? Is that a space laser? Has it already been invented? No.
It's a theory.
Basically, the theory states that when given a set of possible explanations for a phenomenon, we should embrace the least complicated.
So I guess I'm saying that if on the one hand you have Sully inventing a space laser and on the other maybe he wants to break up but is taking the coward's way out.
You're saying maybe he's breaking up with me? I hope that's all it is.
At least then I know he's okay.
Oh, hey.
I didn't see the sock, so I figured there was nothing nasty going down.
- Are you Glenn? - The man, the myth, the legend.
- Which one of you is Meryl? - That's me.
For reals.
And that makes you the hot friend.
- So where's Sully at? - We were hoping you might know.
Me? He asked me to clear out for the weekend because you were coming down.
- When's the last time you saw him? - Yesterday morning.
Going surfing.
Sully doesn't surf.
He's from Sacramento.
- It's where he said he was heading.
- Why are you back early? Because my stepmom confiscated my Xbox.
Bitch is taking her life in her own hands, you know what I'm saying? Plus, I figured maybe Sully didn't need the room after the knockdown dragout you two had on the phone Thursday night.
Wait.
You two had a fight? Hey.
I just came by to make sure your phone was working okay.
It's fine.
I know because I've picked it up a dozen times listened to the dial tone, wanting to call.
It's just Don't beat yourself up.
What happened, happened.
Yeah, but doesn't make it right.
Keith, would it help you to know that my husband and I haven't had sex for eight months.
We're just two people who share the same house.
And a child.
Yes.
And a child.
I'm going to leave him, Keith.
As soon as he gets back to town.
- That's crazy.
- No.
It's sensible.
Sticking out a loveless marriage, that's crazy.
I wanna know this thing I'm feeling, do you feel it too? Yes.
Absolutely.
- But it's not that simple.
- Simple.
I know.
It's complicated.
And we're not gonna figure it out in a day.
Let's just do one thing? You, me, Palm Springs, this weekend.
Take some time away from Neptune.
Just see? Just say you'll go away with me.
Excuse me.
No rush.
Mrs.
Chase.
Nice-Iooking lady.
Vinnie.
To what do I owe this? You know that show Let's Make A Deal? Where they make deals? Well the Fitzpatrick boys have me on retainer.
I practically have an office down there.
And they got this crazy idea that little Miss Kendall Casablancas owes them money and that you know where the money's hidden.
Now, word of advice, Keith: Don't owe the Fitzpatricks money.
So, what if instead of me expending a lot of energy tracking her down we split the retainer? It's as easy as you whispering an address in my ear.
I don't know where Kendall is.
Sorry, Vinnie.
No biggie.
That's cool.
Let's peek behind door number two.
Now, this is not a value judgment, Keith, because, believe me, I have been there.
I mean, there was this one married lady.
Smoking-hot blond.
Cried all day and ashed Pall Malls all over my couch but man could she lay the lumber.
This one you got, though I mean, a lady in the streets, and a freak in the sheets.
What do you want? Well, first you could acknowledge the artistry here.
You remember how dark it was? Open aperture, full zoom from across the street.
Steadiest hands in the biz.
Why are you here, Vinnie.
Money? Girl at the photomat used to call me the human tripod.
Wait.
That's something else.
How much? Well, Mr.
Chase is paying me 2 grand to prove that his wife is having an affair.
So I figure you double that, then we can all walk away winners.
Except for Mr.
Chase, of course.
Sound like a deal, Keith? Over here.
You know, you really should have told me about the fight you and Sully had.
It wasn't that big a deal, it was just the long-distance thing getting to us.
You have a fight, and then he's not around when you fly in.
That doesn't make you the least bit suspicious? No.
There.
Scarlett.
From the facebook.
Wait.
Wait.
- Aren't we talking to her? - Not yet.
You might spook him.
- Spook who? - lf Sully sees us waiting for him he might, you know, try to slip away.
Veronica, you just don't get it.
Sully is in trouble, and if this Scarlett girl can help us find him Hi, I'm Meryl.
I'm Sully's girlfriend.
Oh, hi.
And this is my friend Veronica.
So you're supposed to meet Sully here, aren't you? Right.
To study.
When was the last time you saw him? In physics lab.
On Thursday.
Wait.
He's not around? Is he all right? - Actually - Dig the outfit.
Is that from Dolce Gabbana's study-buddy collection? - Veronica.
- It's Friday.
- I'm going to a club after.
- Scarlett, did you happen to notice whether Sully invented a space laser of some sort? You don't have to be mean.
I'm sorry, Meryl, but Scarlett, here, has either stolen your boyfriend or she wants to.
That's just the way it is.
You can choose to be a patsy or you can choose not to be.
And if you'll excuse me, I need to make this point elsewhere in the food court.
Talk amongst yourselves.
- Dr.
Landry.
- Veronica.
Have a seat, share a rib.
I don't like to get my hands dirty.
How's your application? Well, here's the thing, I thought about it and I'm gonna pass on the FBI thing.
So you'll get my plan-a-perfect-murder paper along with everyone else's.
I don't quite understand.
Why? Why? Because Because I'm not sure I'll get much out of a summer program if I feel I've been bought off.
Why would you feel bought off? I was never going to tell anyone about your situation with the dean's wife.
I guess I don't think any less of you as a professor.
I just don't feel right about taking this.
The internship feels like hush money.
Take the internship.
There's no quid pro quo here.
I'm not worried about what you might say about what you saw at the Grand.
This is about nothing more or less than the fact that you are my strongest student.
Forget me.
Think about you.
Think how this would look on your résumé.
- My résumé? - Three more years and that's all that's gonna matter about what happened here.
Think it over.
Okay.
Consider my mind blown.
And then put back together and blown again.
Yo, room dog.
What up? Big plans this Friday night? Work.
You? Study night? Planning the perfect murder.
- There's a girl in my bed.
- Yeah, buddy.
It took a double-shot of nighttime cold medicine to get her down.
It also stopped her sniffling.
She's pretty worked up about her boyfriend.
Understandable, but where am I sleeping? Play your cards right, the floor.
Keith Richards wouldn't sleep on the floor.
Probably true.
- They still make vinyl records? - Dance music comes in vinyl.
I'm covering Mercer's slot.
His slot? What slot? "Club Flush.
" Club and house music.
Hold on.
I'm coming with you.
Here it is.
Every show, every DJ shift is logged on this computer.
What happened on September 30th? Parker was raped.
Mercer couldn't have raped Stacey either.
Wait.
Unless he prerecorded his show so he knew he'd have an alibi.
I seriously doubt it.
- Why's that? - It's a call-in request show.
Something tells me this isn't a booty call.
I got what you need to get Mercer out of jail.
It's yours, Logan.
No one has to know where you were that night.
No one except me.
Can you leave it alone? Can you trust me? No.
I can't.
I'm not built that way.
Who gets blackmailed by his girlfriend? I guess I do.
We were in Tijuana.
You know, we partied all night.
It was no big deal.
Got back to our rooms.
He started making these drinks, Flaming DPs.
You set a shot glass of rum and amaretto on fire, drop it in a beer.
Let me get a pen.
I wanna jot down this recipe.
He set the room on fire.
He did? And where were you for all this fun? Asleep in my room.
- Alone? - Yeah.
Alone.
Then, you're not really much of an alibi, are you? We were in Mexico, Veronica.
We had adjoining rooms.
I mean The door between the rooms was open.
I could hear them.
- Them? - Yes.
There were girls in his room.
Is that what you wanna know? I am your boyfriend and you're treating me like a criminal.
You could've told this to Lamb.
By the time we got out, the fire was spreading.
The whole motel was going up in flames.
Okay? We had to get out of there.
You didn't stick around? Try to help? You didn't see if everyone was okay? It's because of the look on your face that I didn't wanna tell you.
I did what nine out of 10 guys in my situation would've done.
I ran.
You know? So either Mercer sits in jail here or he gives his alibi and sits on his ass in some Mexican jail.
At least here, he's innocent.
Tell Lamb to check the log at the campus radio station.
That should get your friend released.
Veronica? Veronica? Hey, hey.
You've gotta listen to this.
At first I didn't recognize the voice because it's kind of noisy.
Now I'm sure it's Sully.
First saved message.
I miss you.
Can't wait to see you.
Talk to you later.
The number Sully called you from, you check your caller ID? Yeah.
He used his cell.
I tried calling him back but it just rings, then goes to voice mail.
That's great.
As long as he's got it turned on, we can track him.
I just gotta grab a gizmo from my dad's office.
Can you bring back an egg sandwich of some sort if it won't slow you down? Egg sandwich? Egg sandwich? Orange whip? - You're up early.
- Yeah.
You too.
You don't have to go through all this trouble avoiding me.
I know you're disappointed.
But at least give me the opportunity to explain.
What's to explain? It's the way the world works.
You're an adult.
I'm an adult.
- What's-her-name's an adult.
- I want you to understand that this is not just some fling.
Veronica This is something special.
"This is something special.
" Where have we heard that before? Oh, yeah, from every john we've ever caught with his pants down.
- Veronica.
- So if Jake Kane thought he and Mom had something special, would that have been okay? Harmony is leaving her husband.
Listen to yourself.
Does her husband know this yet? Yeah.
Look, Dad.
Do what you gotta do, okay? I've seen too much working here to ever be surprised again.
I know you, Veronica.
You're not that jaded.
I didn't used to be.
I had this one shining example that gave me some faith.
I ran Sully's cards again.
There were charges from last night, all in this neighborhood.
Charges from where? Circus of Liquors.
Crazy Girls.
World of Cigarettes.
At least he's okay, right? Guess we can rule out kidnapping.
Unless he was abducted by the Insane Clown Posse.
This is it.
Of all the gin joints in all the cities in all the world.
Meryl.
We can't go in there.
Let me call someone for help.
Last time, my boyfriend pulled a gun on the owner of the place.
That's Sully's cell phone.
That blinking dot, right? We'll get help.
We'll call the sheriff.
You mean the moron? He's a well-armed moron.
Fine.
Oh, crap.
Name's Billy Sullivan? About this tall.
Blond hair.
Let's see.
Hey.
Irish lad.
Medium build.
Lost.
- We don't get many of those in here.
- No? - No.
- Meryl, we need to go.
- You said Sully's here somewhere.
- I know you.
You're Keith Mars' little girl.
Veronica.
So you're always dropping by here, looking for people.
And what gives you the idea young Billy Sullivan stopped here? You're sitting on it, Potsy.
What? This just fell off a truck.
We were lucky enough to happen by.
You mind getting this? What? Sully's cell phone.
Maybe he was in here last night tending bar? Mind if we take a turn? Let me down.
You here to lecture us on stealing now? It's not enough your dad put half my family in jail? Not that I hold a grudge.
No.
Fair play, Sheriff Mars.
Let go of her.
Patience, sister.
You'll get your turn.
But you see, now I got a real problem.
Because Private Investigator Mars sticks his nose into my business.
And he helps that Casablancas bitch check out of Neptune with millions in my cash.
I can't breathe.
Say cheese.
Click.
Got it.
And send.
Hey, Keith Mars is gonna love this one, Liam.
Think of his face when he opens up this e-mail.
Up high.
All right.
Oh, better yet.
How about one of you licking her face.
Easy, big guy.
Okay.
Hey.
What, you just gonna cut out of there without so much as a gracias, señor? Sweet new ride.
Hybrid, right? I'm waiting for the hybrid Camaro.
- You sobered up pretty quick.
- What are you thinking, Veronica? You got no business in a place like that.
You got me? It was unintentional.
Hey, you didn't really send that picture message to my dad, did you? No.
If I did it was a miracle.
Phone didn't have a camera.
That kid you were looking for? I saw him come in like he just came back from the beach, only wasted.
Couldn't remember his name.
Danny said he'd help him get back home.
Then took him on some kind of shopping spree.
After that, the Fitzpatricks got bored and kicked him out.
- Any idea where he might be now? - Best guess? The drunk tank.
Yeah, we got him.
Picked him up last night.
Staggering around, wearing a wet suit.
Looked like just another dumbass on his way back from tearing up Mexico.
No ID, too drunk to even give us his name.
Then this morning, we find he still can't remember his name.
Then we notice a big knot on the back of his head.
- Oh, God.
- Figured he bumped his head surfing.
I'm gonna have Sacks take him to the hospital as soon as he gets back with my bear claw.
Can I see him? You got 10 bucks? Kidding.
I'll have someone let you back there in a minute.
Meryl.
I'm so sorry that I, you know jumped to the wrong conclusions.
It's okay, Veronica.
I never would have found him without you.
And I know what it looked like.
If I hadn't been in love before, I wouldn't have believed it either.
Sully.
Sully.
Meryl? I was looking for you.
Hey.
No touching.
We're gonna take your boyfriend to the hospital now so if you wanna tag along.
Bye, Veronica.
I'll see you next time I'm in town, okay? Hey, what are you still doing here? Didn't Logan? Yeah.
He came by and talked to the sheriff last night.
- Thanks, by the way.
- Why are you still here? There's something about my attitude the sheriff has found lacking.
He's decided to keep me here as long as he's allowed under law.
Logan's picking me up for breakfast tomorrow, if you wanna come with.
Doubtful.
All gassed-up and ready to go.
Where's your bag? Harmony.
We're not going, are we? No.
I'm sorry, Keith, I've fallen for you.
And I'm packed.
And I'm standing here and I'm asking you to come away with me.
Harmony.
I can't.
Hello? Mr.
Mars? Logan.
Everything okay? Yeah.
I'm looking for Veronica.
- She's trying to hide from me, actually.
- Yeah.
She's been keeping me out of the loop too.
Might try Wallace's.
She said she was staying with him.
Okay.
Thanks.
Bye.
This is KRFF Hearst College radio, I'm your host, DJ Hellfish.
Please don't touch that dial.
For those of you in the food court you're listening to me whether you like it or not.
You might as well enjoy it.
Excuse me.
Yeah, I ordered the capellini and I'm pretty sure that hair doesn't belong to an angel.
Hey, Veronica, it's me.
Give me a buzz.
Veronica, is everything all right? Call me.
Hey, Veronica, where are you? Give me a call.
Veronica.
It's me.
I want you to come home.
I ended things with Harmony and I'd just like to see you, okay? Logan.
Hey, I'm looking for Veronica.
She was around earlier, but I haven't - Is she with Wallace? - He's out of town.
At a motel.
Studying.
Veronica's dad thought that Well, if you see her, ask her to call me.
I know this feeling.
I can't believe this is happening to me again.
It's him.
Veronica.
Hey, come here.
Take me home.
Oh, my God.
Open up, honey.
The doctor said we should get more of this in you.
That's nasty.
Cowboy up, Mars.
So what would Stan Marsh say in a situation like this? I think we all learned a valuable lesson about faith.
You give it to the people you love.
But the people who really deserve it are the ones who come through even when you don't love them enough.