Veronica Mars s01e12 Episode Script
Clash of the Tritons
Previously on Veronica Mars: God, Lilly, I see the Prozac's working.
I've got a secret.
A good one.
Socially, she seems to be a bit isolated.
Veronica is doing well, given the circumstances.
I know how close she was with Lilly Kane.
The truth is gonna come out.
It doesn't add up.
- Lilly? - What? You forgot about me already? - What are you doing? - Why is Lilly's name on your arm? - You wanna know? - Yeah! I wanna know.
My husband gets a lot of disturbing letters from fans.
I swear, I don't know you.
The word is out.
Our illustrious guidance counselor has received a grant to study long-term effects of grief in adolescence.
She's demanding an audience with each of us hardest hit by Lilly's death.
I was going to decline a session.
Then I had a thought.
Well, there's something you don't see every day.
Man, I cannot wait to get out of Neptune.
MIT, huh? Early admission.
Bet you're gonna miss this place when you're gone.
- Not really.
- No, I didn't think so.
Veronica, sorry to make you wait.
Come on in.
Do you remember when we talked last year right after Lilly's death? You were inconsolable.
I'm really hoping that this year, you're able to talk about it.
You'll never come to terms with Lilly's death if you keep all that pain bottled up inside you.
Wow, I have that exact same platitude-a-day calendar at home.
It's how I know beauty comes from within.
Look, Veronica, for whatever reason, I don't think you care for me very much.
So if you prefer talking with someone else, that's Sorry.
That was rude.
It's not you.
It's the talking.
I don't wanna talk away my grief.
I wanna turn it into something else.
Fuel.
I know how I'm gonna feel better and it's not by talking about how sad I am.
Veronica.
Yeah.
Nervous habit.
So how is it you're going to find? And I really hate to use this word, but it is appropriate.
Closure.
I'll find closure when Lilly's killer is rotting away in prison.
Miss Jeffries.
Rick, you're wanted in the office.
- The sheriff is here to - Morning, Rick.
How's your head this morning? Little bit of a hangover? That's nothing compared to how your buddy, Tim, is feeling.
Tim had to have a tube put down his throat so they can pump his stomach.
He's in a coma, Rick.
Oh, my God.
According to a surveillance tape your evening ended at 1:30 a.
m.
When you dropped, and I mean dropped an unconscious Tim outside the Neptune Memorial ER.
I didn't have a choice.
Right.
Someone must've put a gun to you, forced you on a pub crawl.
By the way, how did you get into those bars? Oh, we got fake IDs.
You and half the kids in Neptune.
These things have been popping up all over the place.
The way I see it they're coming from your school.
I think you owe it to your friend to tell me who's making the fakes.
Look, Rick the three of us we're not leaving this cozy little room until you give me a name.
Veronica Mars.
Sending out the big guns in the morning.
I'm flattered.
The sheriff wants to have a look inside your locker.
Of course he does.
Just out of curiosity, what are you hoping to find in here? Al Capone? The Lindbergh baby? We believe that you are manufacturing and distributing fake drivers' licenses.
- That's a new one.
- It's a second-degree felony.
Lord knows I hate to disappoint you boys.
Wait a minute.
Those aren't mine.
I'm gonna need to search your purse, as well.
- Either we can do this here - Or down at the station? Lilly Kane's driver's license.
Driver's license for a 22-year-old Veronica Mars.
San Diego State student ID.
- Licensed massage therapist.
- Oh, yeah.
Those are mine.
- You don't have to do that.
- You're right.
But I'm going to anyway.
Don't bother coming back to school for the next three days.
You're suspended.
You better call your daddy, Mars.
It's your turn, huh? Bye-bye.
Later, Mars.
Gosh, I hope they use that shot in the yearbook.
- Know any good lawyers? - Very cute.
I know an adequate one who just posted your $500 bail.
They take Diners Club here? - Seriously, Cliff, thanks.
- It's quite all right.
It's all part of my full-service legal counsel.
- Could you not tell my dad about this? - Why didn't you call him? He's busy chasing a bail jumper in Arizona.
Trust me, your dad's gonna find out.
I need to sic him on you if you don't show up.
Next Tuesday, 9 a.
m.
So are we gonna beat this rap? Well, possession, they've got you pretty cold on that one.
The stuff in your wallet is Mickey Mouse.
It's the IDs in the locker that they care about.
- They were blank.
- Right.
Until the coma guy wakes up, the only thing to tie you to this fake-ID ring is the testimony of the kid.
- What other kid? - Your buddy Rick.
Excuse me? Howdy, Rick.
Do I know you? No.
Then why'd you tell Sheriff Lamb I sold you a fake ID? - It's what they told me to say.
- Who's they? No way.
- They're everywhere.
They will destroy me.
- I'll destroy you.
I can't talk about it here.
Tomorrow in school, we talk.
No, I told you, it has to be done in secret.
It will be.
You'll be hearing from me.
I thought you were expelled.
La femme Veronica.
I heard it took three officers and a stun gun to haul you out of school.
You must be the only student who didn't see my walk of shame in person.
I grabbed your books.
- Your homework from your teachers.
- I need to ask another favor.
This mission better involve me seducing the head cheerleader.
I need you to poke around and get me a fake ID.
If you must seduce the head cheerleader in order to accomplish your mission, so be it.
No sweat.
How do I do that? - Play on her insecurity.
- I meant the fake ID part.
Okay.
Let's pretend for a moment that this mythical head cheerleader of yours has asked you out.
In exchange for seven minutes in heaven you get her into the hottest nightclub in Neptune or buy her a pack of strawberry wine coolers.
The stakes are high, Wallace Fennel.
Think now how would you do it? Hey, Veronica.
Yeah? I need you to get me a fake ID so I can get some fake action from a fake cheerleader.
- Wallace.
- Yeah.
Please find out who else at school is making them.
If you're breathing, then you've heard about Aaron Echolls getting Ginsued at his own Christmas party.
Explain to me why a guy married to Lynn Echolls would wanna bang the frigging help.
The old saying goes show me a hot chick, I'll show you a guy who's tired of hitting that.
- Logan.
- Yeah, be right there.
In my humble opinion, your mom's totally hotter.
Shut the hell up.
Big mistake, son.
Break it up.
Break it up.
- Get off me! - That's enough.
To tell you the truth, I I really don't remember that week.
You don't remember being in this office? You slammed the chair against the wall, Eli.
The last time we met, it seemed like Lilly's death had affected you in quite a profound way.
Well, yeah.
I was mad.
You know the same day Lilly Kane died a little girl went missing in my neighborhood.
They found her body three months later.
Where were the cameras when she's missing? Where was the grief counseling for her? What happened to Marisol Reyes was a tragedy, Eli.
People do care.
But right now I just wanna talk about Lilly, okay? Well, then why don't you call some of her rich, white friends in here? I want you to listen to something.
It's a letter you wrote.
"You tore my heart out.
You can act like what we had together meant nothing to you but you can't stop me from loving you.
For the rest of your life, wherever you go, I'll always be there just out of sight in the shadows.
" You know, I don't remember cc'ing you on that.
Lilly wanted to be transferred out of your PE class last year.
She was having trouble with a boy.
She gave me these to prove it.
I never would have hurt her.
Look, the cops already rubbed my nose in those letters, so, what? Lilly and Weevil? Look, Eli, I didn't bring you in here to embarrass you.
I invited you in here to talk about why you wrote these things.
Her and Logan had just broken up.
And Lilly Lilly swore to me that she'd never go back to him, but then one day, that punk snaps his fingers, and all of a sudden it's like Like we don't even know each other anymore.
It's She was someone I could've loved.
You know? And she felt it too.
I know she did.
Why didn't Lilly tell me about him? Was Weevil her big secret? - Hello? - Back parking lot.
Fourth row.
- Where are you? - Is anyone watching you? No, I don't think so.
Slide on in.
So where were we? Right.
Who framed me? They're called the Tritons.
It's a secret society at school.
Why haven't I heard of them? That's a stupid question.
Keep going.
The Tritons have been around as long as Neptune High.
Six new members are inducted their junior year by the six seniors.
- Tim and I were among their pledges.
- Who's in charge? No one even knows for sure who the brothers are.
Then who invited you to join? Two weeks ago, I found a note in my locker.
So this was all part of a hazing ritual? The Twelve Labors.
The first few challenges weren't so bad.
On Friday, when I opened up my locker I found a fake ID with my yearbook picture on it.
We were to go to a bunch of bars and have a shot at each of them.
Let me guess.
Twelve? Tim passed out at the eleventh.
All the other pledges freaked out and left me there to take care of him.
So I took him to the hospital as fast as I could.
If they're so secret, how do you know all this? My dad was a Triton.
So were my two older brothers.
All I cared about at that moment was staying on their good side.
If they found out that I betrayed their secrets I'd be better off in jail.
They will destroy your life.
It's their mission statement.
That's your defense? That you were just following orders? - That doesn't cut it, Rick.
- I know that now, and I'm sorry.
You've gotta believe me.
After what they did to Tim And now his family's threatening to sue me.
I can't even talk to my own dad about it.
He calls me a coward and a traitor for what I did.
But how can I belong to a club that almost killed my best friend? All I want now is for the Tritons to go down.
- So who are the other pledges? - Anyone who's anyone.
The Tritons choose the best guys in everything.
Academics, sports They're pretty much the six guys you'd expect.
I want their names.
Harry Didden Steve Vargo, Matt Barone Duncan Kane.
So if I follow Duncan, I can find the Tritons.
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
- Logan, let's go.
- How long did I get? You're not being suspended.
The vice principal wants all three of us back on Friday for a disciplinary conference.
Listen, I'm not happy that you were fighting but I'm proud of you for sticking up for your mother.
You're proud of me? Oh, great.
Good.
I can die happy.
You keep smarting off, and I'll help arrange it.
Is everything okay? Sorry, Cliff, I'm late.
Hi, Dad.
Their case is fuzzy and circumstantial.
You know the odd thing? Those were also her very first words.
I think I've got a good lead on who's making the fake IDs.
It's a secret society at school called the Tritons.
Rick told me that he was bullied into turning me in.
I'm positive they set the blanks in my locker.
Look, Veronica, the criminal case is the least of our problems.
- Tim's parents are suing.
- Us? And pretty much everyone else involved in their son's night of debauchery.
Every bar in town is gonna be named in the suit.
The thing could be worth millions.
Aaron.
Hey, come on in.
Hey, Keith.
So how's it going? You need anything? Yeah.
Some water would be good.
So, I I guess I should have canceled that party after all, huh? - Thanks.
- How're you hanging in? This, I can handle.
But these I've been trying to regain my family's trust.
I meant what I said when I told you I was gonna give up all of that.
But these stories I mean, they're tearing my family apart.
My daughter Trina's the only one who'll talk to me anymore.
I can't blame Logan or his mother.
I just Any idea who could know such intimate details about you? The paparazzi.
But then again, they would have printed the stories right away.
- Someone on my staff? - Jealous boyfriend or husband? It's a possibility.
Well, let me dig around.
Listen.
My wife's really fragile.
I don't know how much more scandal she can take.
Let me see what I can do.
Triton, son of Neptune, the god of the sea.
With his great horn, Triton commands the dark waters and all the creatures within.
Trick or treat.
What's the news? Nobody I talked to at school knows anything about fake IDs.
But then, this afternoon a kid from my class comes into Sac 'N Pac buys a six-pack from my boss like it was no problem.
- Did you figure out where he got his fake? - Slow down.
This is my story.
I followed him to the parking lot, and I was like: "Yo, fella, check it out, you're on Candid Camera.
" Gave him the 411 on our video playback capabilities.
You know, leaned on him.
Got all Shaft or something.
- Shut your mouth.
- Long story short he claimed that there's a mystery locker.
- I like it.
- Here's how it works.
You put your name and 250 bucks in locker 110 first thing in the morning.
Come afternoon, brand-spanking-new license that says you're born in 1983 arrives in your locker.
Are you willing to put $250 into some strange locker just to see if this works? Hell, no.
I'm using your money.
How many times have I walked the main hallway? How many times have I not noticed that our school's insignia includes Triton's conch shell? According to Wallace, locker 110 isn't assigned to anyone in school.
But, clearly, someone has the combination.
If all one has to do in order to procure a fake ID is slip cash into locker 110 it stands to reason, all I have to do is see who opens said locker.
This is made tougher, though not impossible, by my suspension.
Then Wallace will drop the 250 in the mystery locker.
Thanks for coming in, Logan.
Thanks for getting me out of a calculus test, Becky.
It's Miss James, please.
The week Lilly died would've been our second anniversary.
We were together since junior high.
Off and on? Yeah, off and on.
- At the time of her murder, you were? - Off.
Temporarily.
Why were you broken up? We were supposed to go to this party.
And Lilly was pissed at me for something.
I can't even remember what, you know? And Lilly stands me up.
I end up getting pretty hammered and wind up kissing this other girl for, like, three seconds.
- And Lilly saw you two? - Nope.
Someone else did.
You must know her.
Word is you're real close with her dad.
You could do better.
- Leave my personal life out of this.
- Yeah.
Let's not get personal about this.
You know what? It sounds like you blame Veronica.
You know, Veronica was my friend too.
And if she hadn't ratted me out then Lilly and I would have stayed together.
And Lilly wouldn't have been alone that day.
I would have been there.
So yeah, I blame Veronica.
And I blame myself for being stupid.
And I blame Lilly for being a bitch that week.
You know, there is another way of looking at this, Logan.
If you'd still been together, you might be dead too.
And what is so great about living? Hey, Wallace.
How was practice? I was on fire out there.
Three-point line, hand in my face fadeaway like Jordan.
- Great.
- Of course you're not listening to a word I say, so I might as well have said: You like to go on a little field trip? Duncan's on the move.
If we hurry we'll make it for the branding and the blood sacrifice.
- I planned on hitting a few bars.
I found this little beauty in my locker after seventh period.
Let me see that.
The ink is bleeding at the edges.
The hologram is missing.
The photo - Is that your yearbook picture, Wallace? - So what? So this is a $250 piece of crap.
Now I'm not just falsely accused.
I'm genuinely offended.
All I've heard, these guys are bad news.
So I want you to be careful.
I'm afraid, Veronica.
I'm afraid.
I'm sure the Triton leaders consider this initiation painful for their pledges.
But, honestly, aren't we the true victims? - And up next, Lloyd - Nice performance, Duncan.
I was wondering if you could introduce me to a few of your Triton buddies.
Brawny gods just flocked up to quiz and vex him.
Just tell me who's in charge, then I could thank him for putting fake IDs in my locker and getting me hauled off to the sheriff's department.
- Quick wafting zephyrs vex bold Jim.
That's very illuminating.
Forget about me for a second.
Tell me about Sunday night.
You know that the Tritons are responsible for putting a kid in the hospital.
Tim is in a coma right now because of what your secret club forced him to do.
- Can you live with that? - The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
Let's get out of here.
This is going nowhere.
Heads up.
Looks like your boy's having second thoughts.
Are you ready to talk? "The judges hold the vital scores.
You shall hear my voice once I've heard yours.
The Great Triton.
" Oh, what's up? What's up? Next up, we have Veronica Mars.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
This song goes out to my friends in the Tritons.
Yeah! Yeah! Thank you.
- Let's hear it for Veronica Mars! - Nice job, V.
Hello? The Great Triton is listening.
I wanna know why you planted all those fake IDs in my locker.
The Great Triton did that to you because he's great.
Yeah.
You're a real pal, unless you need a ride to the hospital.
The Great Triton doesn't really know what you're talking about.
- Who are you? - Jeff.
- What are you doing in here? - Some dude he gave me 20 bucks.
He said he wanted to pull a prank on one of his friends.
Veronica.
They found out.
They found out that I've been talking to you.
- Easy.
What happened? - Last night there was a knock on the door.
When I opened it, I found a rat.
They nailed the thing alive to the front door.
Pull it together, Rick.
We have a seven-figure lawsuit to worry about.
There's no doing this halfway.
We have to make sure what happened to Tim never happens again.
You missed our last three appointments.
I'm sorry.
I've been buried.
Thanks for waiting around for me.
Lilly used to make this face when my mom was railing on me that would make me lose it.
So I'd try not to look at her but I could, like, feel her making the face at me.
And that's what it's like.
All the time.
I think she's watching me.
It's like, whenever I do anything, I can feel her there and she can see me.
It's like I'm never, ever alone.
I sound like a total psycho.
You sound like someone who lost his sister.
And his mind.
How long have you been feeling like this? Since I stopped taking my meds.
Does your physician know about this? Have you had any episodes? I only stopped the antidepressant.
I'm still taking the old standbys.
- What kind of episodes? - I'm not stupid.
What kind of medication? It does explain a lot.
The medication calmed you.
Maybe even prohibited you from fully processing your sister's death.
You know, all that turmoil was suppressed for the past year.
Maybe it's finally making its way to the surface.
- What, you don't agree? - I don't know.
I think she's mad that I don't remember.
Are you starting to forget things about her? I remember Lilly.
I just don't remember what happened.
I remember being at soccer practice that morning.
Then I was in the back of a limo and it was three days later.
And Lilly was dead and all that time in between was just gone.
Aren't you forgetting something, Wallace? The secret knock? Hey.
Hey! Hey, Wallace.
What you doing? No, I haven't seen that one.
Yes, Dave Chappelle is great.
Listen, the real reason I'm calling funny story.
Thanks, Wallace.
Veronica, I'm assuming you didn't accidentally lock yourself in the trunk.
I'll tell you all about it later.
I have to track down Duncan and figure out where the Tritons are meeting.
Triton, son of Neptune.
Rise up from the Winegard sea.
Oh, great one, with your horn we summon you from beneath the terrible waves.
With your horn, we summon your awesome powers.
With your horn, we summon your unrivaled wisdom.
Congratulations.
When you began this journey you were told that it would be perilous.
I am pleased to say that this year, all the pledges have passed the Great Triton's test.
Oh, yeah? Except for the kid who almost drank himself to death and the kid you almost scared to death.
Now that our sacred number is again complete you may look upon the other Tritons as your brothers.
Hi, everybody.
Say, "Repressed homosexuality.
" Gotta boogie.
Wallace! Man! Did you see me lay rubber in that LeBaron? Don't get carried away.
All right.
All I have to do now is show that the Tritons operate the mystery locker.
Match one of their faces in these shots with the frame of whoever picked up the 250 for your fake ID.
Piece of cake.
This doesn't make sense.
Someone had to open that locker.
How could they have gotten the money? How else could they have gotten Wallace's name? Veronica, I'm still here, you know.
- 110 is a top locker, right? - Yep.
No one goes near it.
I know how it went down.
Great.
Can I go home? Aaron, thanks for stopping by.
No problem.
I gotta be at school at 9 for a parent conference.
You were on the way.
I found out who's been selling the pictures.
You're not gonna like it.
Can it get much worse than it already is? Your court date isn't till next Tuesday.
We might as well go ahead and cancel that while I'm here.
Really? Why is that? Well, I thought, for a change, you might be interested in having the real criminal stand trial.
Meantime, I'll have a seat in your lounge, learn to turn men to jelly with a new way of walking and wait for the bad guy to turn himself in.
- I don't have time for games.
- I don't tamper with a government-issued document if I'm stuck here.
I'll make you a little deal, Lamb.
If I don't deliver the person who put Tim in the hospital by 5 p.
m.
Today I promise to walk, with a little something extra into the courthouse on Tuesday and plead guilty to anything you wanna throw at me.
What do I have to do? Just pick a name.
Write the name of any student on this Post-it.
Put it in the envelope, have one of your minions drop it into locker 110.
By the end of the day, that kid will have a fake ID and you'll have yourself a crook.
And I'll be sitting over here, chilling like a villain.
Hey, Rick, I'm down at the sheriff's office.
Hey, they're hauling in the real bad guy this afternoon.
Oh, and I found out who the Tritons are.
You don't wanna miss it.
I'm gonna nail them to the wall.
So What was the plan? Embarrass me? Destroy my career? Soften up public sentiment for a generous divorce settlement? Turn me into Costner? You'd think of your career and money before you'd think of the obvious.
Did it ever occur to you I just wanna hurt you like you've hurt me? - You had private detectives following me.
- Only on location.
The women here, I've always known.
Gosh, Mom.
Gee, Dad.
Will I be going to live with Grandma? Listen to me.
If you try to divorce me, I will leave you with nothing.
No house no career no club memberships no maid and no friends.
- Hey, Dad.
You say another word to her, and I will kill you.
I cannot take this anymore.
The thing about a felony charge is it doesn't get wiped off your record just because you turn 18.
It's like this black eye that you have the whole rest of your life.
- Is he here yet? - He just arrived.
It's just like she said.
Found the fake in his locker.
Process of elimination.
I didn't do it.
What, me? Are you crazy? How else do you explain the 250 in your wallet? Cough it up.
Big deal.
This money's mine.
It doesn't prove anything.
Why don't you take a closer look at the one on top? Read what's written over Grant's head.
"Veronica Mars is smarter than me.
" Oh, you stop it.
This is Rick's locker that Deputy Sacks put the envelope in? Not exactly.
The night Tim went to the hospital, he and Rick were using their own fake IDs, buying their own drinks and enjoying the profits of their own fake ID biz.
You were never hazed.
You blamed the Tritons because you were pissed off at them.
Your dad and your brother are Tritons, but you didn't measure up, did you? You weren't even invited to join their secret society.
When you were called into the office you dumped a bunch of blank IDs, and you blamed me.
But why me? Was it just because people would believe that I did it? All right.
Since you asked last year, your dad was hired to track down a hedge fund manager for embezzlement.
That was my father.
The newspapers never mentioned that his company cheated him out of his bonus three years running.
They took our house, they took our cars.
Eventually, my parents got a divorce.
You must be proud.
Hey.
These are for you.
You look kind of cute in one of them.
Surprised but cute.
Your secret's safe with me.
- I heard Tim came out of his coma.
- Yeah.
Look, I never should have doubted you, Duncan.
I'm sorry I came after the Tritons.
And who are the Tritons? Another hole in Duncan's memory? At least he can joke about it.
Pass him in the hallway, you'd never guess that anything was wrong.
But I heard it out of his own mouth.
So, what exactly is your mystery illness, Duncan? And what other pills are you taking? Dispatch, this is King 12 requesting assistance for possible jumper on the Coronado Bridge.
The abandoned vehicle is a red Dodge Viper license plate Echolls 2 blocking the northbound lane.
Roger that, 12.
I've got a secret.
A good one.
Socially, she seems to be a bit isolated.
Veronica is doing well, given the circumstances.
I know how close she was with Lilly Kane.
The truth is gonna come out.
It doesn't add up.
- Lilly? - What? You forgot about me already? - What are you doing? - Why is Lilly's name on your arm? - You wanna know? - Yeah! I wanna know.
My husband gets a lot of disturbing letters from fans.
I swear, I don't know you.
The word is out.
Our illustrious guidance counselor has received a grant to study long-term effects of grief in adolescence.
She's demanding an audience with each of us hardest hit by Lilly's death.
I was going to decline a session.
Then I had a thought.
Well, there's something you don't see every day.
Man, I cannot wait to get out of Neptune.
MIT, huh? Early admission.
Bet you're gonna miss this place when you're gone.
- Not really.
- No, I didn't think so.
Veronica, sorry to make you wait.
Come on in.
Do you remember when we talked last year right after Lilly's death? You were inconsolable.
I'm really hoping that this year, you're able to talk about it.
You'll never come to terms with Lilly's death if you keep all that pain bottled up inside you.
Wow, I have that exact same platitude-a-day calendar at home.
It's how I know beauty comes from within.
Look, Veronica, for whatever reason, I don't think you care for me very much.
So if you prefer talking with someone else, that's Sorry.
That was rude.
It's not you.
It's the talking.
I don't wanna talk away my grief.
I wanna turn it into something else.
Fuel.
I know how I'm gonna feel better and it's not by talking about how sad I am.
Veronica.
Yeah.
Nervous habit.
So how is it you're going to find? And I really hate to use this word, but it is appropriate.
Closure.
I'll find closure when Lilly's killer is rotting away in prison.
Miss Jeffries.
Rick, you're wanted in the office.
- The sheriff is here to - Morning, Rick.
How's your head this morning? Little bit of a hangover? That's nothing compared to how your buddy, Tim, is feeling.
Tim had to have a tube put down his throat so they can pump his stomach.
He's in a coma, Rick.
Oh, my God.
According to a surveillance tape your evening ended at 1:30 a.
m.
When you dropped, and I mean dropped an unconscious Tim outside the Neptune Memorial ER.
I didn't have a choice.
Right.
Someone must've put a gun to you, forced you on a pub crawl.
By the way, how did you get into those bars? Oh, we got fake IDs.
You and half the kids in Neptune.
These things have been popping up all over the place.
The way I see it they're coming from your school.
I think you owe it to your friend to tell me who's making the fakes.
Look, Rick the three of us we're not leaving this cozy little room until you give me a name.
Veronica Mars.
Sending out the big guns in the morning.
I'm flattered.
The sheriff wants to have a look inside your locker.
Of course he does.
Just out of curiosity, what are you hoping to find in here? Al Capone? The Lindbergh baby? We believe that you are manufacturing and distributing fake drivers' licenses.
- That's a new one.
- It's a second-degree felony.
Lord knows I hate to disappoint you boys.
Wait a minute.
Those aren't mine.
I'm gonna need to search your purse, as well.
- Either we can do this here - Or down at the station? Lilly Kane's driver's license.
Driver's license for a 22-year-old Veronica Mars.
San Diego State student ID.
- Licensed massage therapist.
- Oh, yeah.
Those are mine.
- You don't have to do that.
- You're right.
But I'm going to anyway.
Don't bother coming back to school for the next three days.
You're suspended.
You better call your daddy, Mars.
It's your turn, huh? Bye-bye.
Later, Mars.
Gosh, I hope they use that shot in the yearbook.
- Know any good lawyers? - Very cute.
I know an adequate one who just posted your $500 bail.
They take Diners Club here? - Seriously, Cliff, thanks.
- It's quite all right.
It's all part of my full-service legal counsel.
- Could you not tell my dad about this? - Why didn't you call him? He's busy chasing a bail jumper in Arizona.
Trust me, your dad's gonna find out.
I need to sic him on you if you don't show up.
Next Tuesday, 9 a.
m.
So are we gonna beat this rap? Well, possession, they've got you pretty cold on that one.
The stuff in your wallet is Mickey Mouse.
It's the IDs in the locker that they care about.
- They were blank.
- Right.
Until the coma guy wakes up, the only thing to tie you to this fake-ID ring is the testimony of the kid.
- What other kid? - Your buddy Rick.
Excuse me? Howdy, Rick.
Do I know you? No.
Then why'd you tell Sheriff Lamb I sold you a fake ID? - It's what they told me to say.
- Who's they? No way.
- They're everywhere.
They will destroy me.
- I'll destroy you.
I can't talk about it here.
Tomorrow in school, we talk.
No, I told you, it has to be done in secret.
It will be.
You'll be hearing from me.
I thought you were expelled.
La femme Veronica.
I heard it took three officers and a stun gun to haul you out of school.
You must be the only student who didn't see my walk of shame in person.
I grabbed your books.
- Your homework from your teachers.
- I need to ask another favor.
This mission better involve me seducing the head cheerleader.
I need you to poke around and get me a fake ID.
If you must seduce the head cheerleader in order to accomplish your mission, so be it.
No sweat.
How do I do that? - Play on her insecurity.
- I meant the fake ID part.
Okay.
Let's pretend for a moment that this mythical head cheerleader of yours has asked you out.
In exchange for seven minutes in heaven you get her into the hottest nightclub in Neptune or buy her a pack of strawberry wine coolers.
The stakes are high, Wallace Fennel.
Think now how would you do it? Hey, Veronica.
Yeah? I need you to get me a fake ID so I can get some fake action from a fake cheerleader.
- Wallace.
- Yeah.
Please find out who else at school is making them.
If you're breathing, then you've heard about Aaron Echolls getting Ginsued at his own Christmas party.
Explain to me why a guy married to Lynn Echolls would wanna bang the frigging help.
The old saying goes show me a hot chick, I'll show you a guy who's tired of hitting that.
- Logan.
- Yeah, be right there.
In my humble opinion, your mom's totally hotter.
Shut the hell up.
Big mistake, son.
Break it up.
Break it up.
- Get off me! - That's enough.
To tell you the truth, I I really don't remember that week.
You don't remember being in this office? You slammed the chair against the wall, Eli.
The last time we met, it seemed like Lilly's death had affected you in quite a profound way.
Well, yeah.
I was mad.
You know the same day Lilly Kane died a little girl went missing in my neighborhood.
They found her body three months later.
Where were the cameras when she's missing? Where was the grief counseling for her? What happened to Marisol Reyes was a tragedy, Eli.
People do care.
But right now I just wanna talk about Lilly, okay? Well, then why don't you call some of her rich, white friends in here? I want you to listen to something.
It's a letter you wrote.
"You tore my heart out.
You can act like what we had together meant nothing to you but you can't stop me from loving you.
For the rest of your life, wherever you go, I'll always be there just out of sight in the shadows.
" You know, I don't remember cc'ing you on that.
Lilly wanted to be transferred out of your PE class last year.
She was having trouble with a boy.
She gave me these to prove it.
I never would have hurt her.
Look, the cops already rubbed my nose in those letters, so, what? Lilly and Weevil? Look, Eli, I didn't bring you in here to embarrass you.
I invited you in here to talk about why you wrote these things.
Her and Logan had just broken up.
And Lilly Lilly swore to me that she'd never go back to him, but then one day, that punk snaps his fingers, and all of a sudden it's like Like we don't even know each other anymore.
It's She was someone I could've loved.
You know? And she felt it too.
I know she did.
Why didn't Lilly tell me about him? Was Weevil her big secret? - Hello? - Back parking lot.
Fourth row.
- Where are you? - Is anyone watching you? No, I don't think so.
Slide on in.
So where were we? Right.
Who framed me? They're called the Tritons.
It's a secret society at school.
Why haven't I heard of them? That's a stupid question.
Keep going.
The Tritons have been around as long as Neptune High.
Six new members are inducted their junior year by the six seniors.
- Tim and I were among their pledges.
- Who's in charge? No one even knows for sure who the brothers are.
Then who invited you to join? Two weeks ago, I found a note in my locker.
So this was all part of a hazing ritual? The Twelve Labors.
The first few challenges weren't so bad.
On Friday, when I opened up my locker I found a fake ID with my yearbook picture on it.
We were to go to a bunch of bars and have a shot at each of them.
Let me guess.
Twelve? Tim passed out at the eleventh.
All the other pledges freaked out and left me there to take care of him.
So I took him to the hospital as fast as I could.
If they're so secret, how do you know all this? My dad was a Triton.
So were my two older brothers.
All I cared about at that moment was staying on their good side.
If they found out that I betrayed their secrets I'd be better off in jail.
They will destroy your life.
It's their mission statement.
That's your defense? That you were just following orders? - That doesn't cut it, Rick.
- I know that now, and I'm sorry.
You've gotta believe me.
After what they did to Tim And now his family's threatening to sue me.
I can't even talk to my own dad about it.
He calls me a coward and a traitor for what I did.
But how can I belong to a club that almost killed my best friend? All I want now is for the Tritons to go down.
- So who are the other pledges? - Anyone who's anyone.
The Tritons choose the best guys in everything.
Academics, sports They're pretty much the six guys you'd expect.
I want their names.
Harry Didden Steve Vargo, Matt Barone Duncan Kane.
So if I follow Duncan, I can find the Tritons.
Thanks.
I appreciate it.
- Logan, let's go.
- How long did I get? You're not being suspended.
The vice principal wants all three of us back on Friday for a disciplinary conference.
Listen, I'm not happy that you were fighting but I'm proud of you for sticking up for your mother.
You're proud of me? Oh, great.
Good.
I can die happy.
You keep smarting off, and I'll help arrange it.
Is everything okay? Sorry, Cliff, I'm late.
Hi, Dad.
Their case is fuzzy and circumstantial.
You know the odd thing? Those were also her very first words.
I think I've got a good lead on who's making the fake IDs.
It's a secret society at school called the Tritons.
Rick told me that he was bullied into turning me in.
I'm positive they set the blanks in my locker.
Look, Veronica, the criminal case is the least of our problems.
- Tim's parents are suing.
- Us? And pretty much everyone else involved in their son's night of debauchery.
Every bar in town is gonna be named in the suit.
The thing could be worth millions.
Aaron.
Hey, come on in.
Hey, Keith.
So how's it going? You need anything? Yeah.
Some water would be good.
So, I I guess I should have canceled that party after all, huh? - Thanks.
- How're you hanging in? This, I can handle.
But these I've been trying to regain my family's trust.
I meant what I said when I told you I was gonna give up all of that.
But these stories I mean, they're tearing my family apart.
My daughter Trina's the only one who'll talk to me anymore.
I can't blame Logan or his mother.
I just Any idea who could know such intimate details about you? The paparazzi.
But then again, they would have printed the stories right away.
- Someone on my staff? - Jealous boyfriend or husband? It's a possibility.
Well, let me dig around.
Listen.
My wife's really fragile.
I don't know how much more scandal she can take.
Let me see what I can do.
Triton, son of Neptune, the god of the sea.
With his great horn, Triton commands the dark waters and all the creatures within.
Trick or treat.
What's the news? Nobody I talked to at school knows anything about fake IDs.
But then, this afternoon a kid from my class comes into Sac 'N Pac buys a six-pack from my boss like it was no problem.
- Did you figure out where he got his fake? - Slow down.
This is my story.
I followed him to the parking lot, and I was like: "Yo, fella, check it out, you're on Candid Camera.
" Gave him the 411 on our video playback capabilities.
You know, leaned on him.
Got all Shaft or something.
- Shut your mouth.
- Long story short he claimed that there's a mystery locker.
- I like it.
- Here's how it works.
You put your name and 250 bucks in locker 110 first thing in the morning.
Come afternoon, brand-spanking-new license that says you're born in 1983 arrives in your locker.
Are you willing to put $250 into some strange locker just to see if this works? Hell, no.
I'm using your money.
How many times have I walked the main hallway? How many times have I not noticed that our school's insignia includes Triton's conch shell? According to Wallace, locker 110 isn't assigned to anyone in school.
But, clearly, someone has the combination.
If all one has to do in order to procure a fake ID is slip cash into locker 110 it stands to reason, all I have to do is see who opens said locker.
This is made tougher, though not impossible, by my suspension.
Then Wallace will drop the 250 in the mystery locker.
Thanks for coming in, Logan.
Thanks for getting me out of a calculus test, Becky.
It's Miss James, please.
The week Lilly died would've been our second anniversary.
We were together since junior high.
Off and on? Yeah, off and on.
- At the time of her murder, you were? - Off.
Temporarily.
Why were you broken up? We were supposed to go to this party.
And Lilly was pissed at me for something.
I can't even remember what, you know? And Lilly stands me up.
I end up getting pretty hammered and wind up kissing this other girl for, like, three seconds.
- And Lilly saw you two? - Nope.
Someone else did.
You must know her.
Word is you're real close with her dad.
You could do better.
- Leave my personal life out of this.
- Yeah.
Let's not get personal about this.
You know what? It sounds like you blame Veronica.
You know, Veronica was my friend too.
And if she hadn't ratted me out then Lilly and I would have stayed together.
And Lilly wouldn't have been alone that day.
I would have been there.
So yeah, I blame Veronica.
And I blame myself for being stupid.
And I blame Lilly for being a bitch that week.
You know, there is another way of looking at this, Logan.
If you'd still been together, you might be dead too.
And what is so great about living? Hey, Wallace.
How was practice? I was on fire out there.
Three-point line, hand in my face fadeaway like Jordan.
- Great.
- Of course you're not listening to a word I say, so I might as well have said: You like to go on a little field trip? Duncan's on the move.
If we hurry we'll make it for the branding and the blood sacrifice.
- I planned on hitting a few bars.
I found this little beauty in my locker after seventh period.
Let me see that.
The ink is bleeding at the edges.
The hologram is missing.
The photo - Is that your yearbook picture, Wallace? - So what? So this is a $250 piece of crap.
Now I'm not just falsely accused.
I'm genuinely offended.
All I've heard, these guys are bad news.
So I want you to be careful.
I'm afraid, Veronica.
I'm afraid.
I'm sure the Triton leaders consider this initiation painful for their pledges.
But, honestly, aren't we the true victims? - And up next, Lloyd - Nice performance, Duncan.
I was wondering if you could introduce me to a few of your Triton buddies.
Brawny gods just flocked up to quiz and vex him.
Just tell me who's in charge, then I could thank him for putting fake IDs in my locker and getting me hauled off to the sheriff's department.
- Quick wafting zephyrs vex bold Jim.
That's very illuminating.
Forget about me for a second.
Tell me about Sunday night.
You know that the Tritons are responsible for putting a kid in the hospital.
Tim is in a coma right now because of what your secret club forced him to do.
- Can you live with that? - The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
Let's get out of here.
This is going nowhere.
Heads up.
Looks like your boy's having second thoughts.
Are you ready to talk? "The judges hold the vital scores.
You shall hear my voice once I've heard yours.
The Great Triton.
" Oh, what's up? What's up? Next up, we have Veronica Mars.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
Sing, sing, sing, sing.
This song goes out to my friends in the Tritons.
Yeah! Yeah! Thank you.
- Let's hear it for Veronica Mars! - Nice job, V.
Hello? The Great Triton is listening.
I wanna know why you planted all those fake IDs in my locker.
The Great Triton did that to you because he's great.
Yeah.
You're a real pal, unless you need a ride to the hospital.
The Great Triton doesn't really know what you're talking about.
- Who are you? - Jeff.
- What are you doing in here? - Some dude he gave me 20 bucks.
He said he wanted to pull a prank on one of his friends.
Veronica.
They found out.
They found out that I've been talking to you.
- Easy.
What happened? - Last night there was a knock on the door.
When I opened it, I found a rat.
They nailed the thing alive to the front door.
Pull it together, Rick.
We have a seven-figure lawsuit to worry about.
There's no doing this halfway.
We have to make sure what happened to Tim never happens again.
You missed our last three appointments.
I'm sorry.
I've been buried.
Thanks for waiting around for me.
Lilly used to make this face when my mom was railing on me that would make me lose it.
So I'd try not to look at her but I could, like, feel her making the face at me.
And that's what it's like.
All the time.
I think she's watching me.
It's like, whenever I do anything, I can feel her there and she can see me.
It's like I'm never, ever alone.
I sound like a total psycho.
You sound like someone who lost his sister.
And his mind.
How long have you been feeling like this? Since I stopped taking my meds.
Does your physician know about this? Have you had any episodes? I only stopped the antidepressant.
I'm still taking the old standbys.
- What kind of episodes? - I'm not stupid.
What kind of medication? It does explain a lot.
The medication calmed you.
Maybe even prohibited you from fully processing your sister's death.
You know, all that turmoil was suppressed for the past year.
Maybe it's finally making its way to the surface.
- What, you don't agree? - I don't know.
I think she's mad that I don't remember.
Are you starting to forget things about her? I remember Lilly.
I just don't remember what happened.
I remember being at soccer practice that morning.
Then I was in the back of a limo and it was three days later.
And Lilly was dead and all that time in between was just gone.
Aren't you forgetting something, Wallace? The secret knock? Hey.
Hey! Hey, Wallace.
What you doing? No, I haven't seen that one.
Yes, Dave Chappelle is great.
Listen, the real reason I'm calling funny story.
Thanks, Wallace.
Veronica, I'm assuming you didn't accidentally lock yourself in the trunk.
I'll tell you all about it later.
I have to track down Duncan and figure out where the Tritons are meeting.
Triton, son of Neptune.
Rise up from the Winegard sea.
Oh, great one, with your horn we summon you from beneath the terrible waves.
With your horn, we summon your awesome powers.
With your horn, we summon your unrivaled wisdom.
Congratulations.
When you began this journey you were told that it would be perilous.
I am pleased to say that this year, all the pledges have passed the Great Triton's test.
Oh, yeah? Except for the kid who almost drank himself to death and the kid you almost scared to death.
Now that our sacred number is again complete you may look upon the other Tritons as your brothers.
Hi, everybody.
Say, "Repressed homosexuality.
" Gotta boogie.
Wallace! Man! Did you see me lay rubber in that LeBaron? Don't get carried away.
All right.
All I have to do now is show that the Tritons operate the mystery locker.
Match one of their faces in these shots with the frame of whoever picked up the 250 for your fake ID.
Piece of cake.
This doesn't make sense.
Someone had to open that locker.
How could they have gotten the money? How else could they have gotten Wallace's name? Veronica, I'm still here, you know.
- 110 is a top locker, right? - Yep.
No one goes near it.
I know how it went down.
Great.
Can I go home? Aaron, thanks for stopping by.
No problem.
I gotta be at school at 9 for a parent conference.
You were on the way.
I found out who's been selling the pictures.
You're not gonna like it.
Can it get much worse than it already is? Your court date isn't till next Tuesday.
We might as well go ahead and cancel that while I'm here.
Really? Why is that? Well, I thought, for a change, you might be interested in having the real criminal stand trial.
Meantime, I'll have a seat in your lounge, learn to turn men to jelly with a new way of walking and wait for the bad guy to turn himself in.
- I don't have time for games.
- I don't tamper with a government-issued document if I'm stuck here.
I'll make you a little deal, Lamb.
If I don't deliver the person who put Tim in the hospital by 5 p.
m.
Today I promise to walk, with a little something extra into the courthouse on Tuesday and plead guilty to anything you wanna throw at me.
What do I have to do? Just pick a name.
Write the name of any student on this Post-it.
Put it in the envelope, have one of your minions drop it into locker 110.
By the end of the day, that kid will have a fake ID and you'll have yourself a crook.
And I'll be sitting over here, chilling like a villain.
Hey, Rick, I'm down at the sheriff's office.
Hey, they're hauling in the real bad guy this afternoon.
Oh, and I found out who the Tritons are.
You don't wanna miss it.
I'm gonna nail them to the wall.
So What was the plan? Embarrass me? Destroy my career? Soften up public sentiment for a generous divorce settlement? Turn me into Costner? You'd think of your career and money before you'd think of the obvious.
Did it ever occur to you I just wanna hurt you like you've hurt me? - You had private detectives following me.
- Only on location.
The women here, I've always known.
Gosh, Mom.
Gee, Dad.
Will I be going to live with Grandma? Listen to me.
If you try to divorce me, I will leave you with nothing.
No house no career no club memberships no maid and no friends.
- Hey, Dad.
You say another word to her, and I will kill you.
I cannot take this anymore.
The thing about a felony charge is it doesn't get wiped off your record just because you turn 18.
It's like this black eye that you have the whole rest of your life.
- Is he here yet? - He just arrived.
It's just like she said.
Found the fake in his locker.
Process of elimination.
I didn't do it.
What, me? Are you crazy? How else do you explain the 250 in your wallet? Cough it up.
Big deal.
This money's mine.
It doesn't prove anything.
Why don't you take a closer look at the one on top? Read what's written over Grant's head.
"Veronica Mars is smarter than me.
" Oh, you stop it.
This is Rick's locker that Deputy Sacks put the envelope in? Not exactly.
The night Tim went to the hospital, he and Rick were using their own fake IDs, buying their own drinks and enjoying the profits of their own fake ID biz.
You were never hazed.
You blamed the Tritons because you were pissed off at them.
Your dad and your brother are Tritons, but you didn't measure up, did you? You weren't even invited to join their secret society.
When you were called into the office you dumped a bunch of blank IDs, and you blamed me.
But why me? Was it just because people would believe that I did it? All right.
Since you asked last year, your dad was hired to track down a hedge fund manager for embezzlement.
That was my father.
The newspapers never mentioned that his company cheated him out of his bonus three years running.
They took our house, they took our cars.
Eventually, my parents got a divorce.
You must be proud.
Hey.
These are for you.
You look kind of cute in one of them.
Surprised but cute.
Your secret's safe with me.
- I heard Tim came out of his coma.
- Yeah.
Look, I never should have doubted you, Duncan.
I'm sorry I came after the Tritons.
And who are the Tritons? Another hole in Duncan's memory? At least he can joke about it.
Pass him in the hallway, you'd never guess that anything was wrong.
But I heard it out of his own mouth.
So, what exactly is your mystery illness, Duncan? And what other pills are you taking? Dispatch, this is King 12 requesting assistance for possible jumper on the Coronado Bridge.
The abandoned vehicle is a red Dodge Viper license plate Echolls 2 blocking the northbound lane.
Roger that, 12.