"The Girl Next Door"
Veronica is sitting outside her apartment building, watching as someone is brought out of the building by paramedics. Veronica voices over that she wonders what would have happened if she hadn’t done the things she did over the past week. Keith is across the complex with some cops. One week earlier, Veronica does laundry and chats with a pregnant neighbor, Sarah. Veronica notes that Sarah looks upset, but Sarah doesn’t give her any details. She apologizes for fights she’s been having with someone, since Veronica can hear them through her ceiling. She does confide that she thinks “he” took her diary, after he accused her of having feelings for her boss. Veronica doesn’t pry for more details, instead choosing to lavish some attention on Sarah’s chihuahua, Killer. Sarah asks Veronica to go to a doctor’s appointment with her later, and Veronica agrees. At Neptune High, Clemmons mentions to Logan that Aaron (see “Return of the Kane”) has donated a pair of boots he wore in a movie for a fundraising auction. He asks Logan to remind Aaron about the auction and Logan replies, “I’ll have my assistant call his assistant.” In journalism class, Ms. Dent asks Veronica to help a woman named Evelyn who’s putting together a photo display for a reunion for the class of 1979 (of which Jake was a member). Veronica finds a photo of Lianne in a yearbook. Elsewhere, Logan and Weevil take a test and start harassing each other. Their teacher, Mr. Daniels, catches them and gives them both zeros. Logan starts taunting Mr. Daniels, much to Weevil’s amusement, and both guys land in detention.
Logan plays solitaire in detention as Weevil notes that it’s not very fair that they’re both there, when he didn’t do anything. He starts insulting the 09ers, then suggests a game of poker. As they play, Logan wonders why Weevil comes to school; Weevil says that he promised his grandmother he would graduate. Mr. Daniels interrupts the game, blasts the guys for not taking their punishment seriously, and sentences them to a week of detention. At home, Veronica hears Sarah fighting with her boyfriend Andre; Sarah is mad that Andre told her mother about the baby. That night, Veronica is awakened in the middle of the night by a scream and a thump. The next morning, she asks Keith if he heard anything, but he didn’t. Veronica heads off to take Sarah to her appointment, but upstairs, the only response she gets to knocking on Sarah’s door is Killer barking. At school, Veronica leaves a message for Sarah, then continues the photo project. She’s shocked to discover that Jake and Lianne were the Prom King and Queen. Elsewhere, Weevil and Felix discuss Weevil’s punishment and the fact that he has to serve it with Logan. Felix advises Weevil to just tell Logan about his relationship with Lilly, since he wants to see the look on Logan’s face when he finds out. Weevil gets defensive when Felix talks about Lilly without respect. Veronica asks Duncan if he knew that Jake and Lianne were Prom King and Queen, which indicates that they were probably a couple. Duncan claims that he didn’t know, but it’s hard to determine if he’s telling the truth. Veronica flashes back to the previous year, when Duncan broke up with her by avoiding her. Lilly tells her that Duncan is going through a weird time and they’ll get back together. She promises to talk to him for Veronica.
Mr. Daniels orders Logan and Weevil to wash his car; Logan makes fun of the car and draws a heart in the dust on the window. Veronica heads to the clothing store where Sarah works and asks her boss, Nathan, if she’s been in. He says that she hasn’t and that Andre might have something to say about her. He notes that Andre has a temper and Sarah talks about him a lot. Veronica tracks Andre to his studio, but he’s not worried about her sudden disappearance. He confirms that Sarah was mad about him telling her mother about her pregnancy; she hasn’t spoken to her mother since she left home, and she didn’t want her to come see her. Veronica mentions the thump she heard and Andre accuses her of being paranoid. Andre kicks Veronica out when his model arrives to be painted in the nude. At home, Veronica hears Killer barking from upstairs and wonders if he can sense that something’s wrong. She goes into the apartment through the window and does some snooping, finding a gun. Andre arrives and Veronica pretends that she came to check on Killer. Back at school, Veronica asks Evelyn about Lianne, revealing that she’s her mother. Evelyn tells her that Jake and Lianne were “the couple” and assumes that they got married and Jake is Veronica’s father. Veronica voices over that things change after high school - after all, she was once part of the perfect couple, and things didn’t work out. She flashes back to Lilly telling her that things with Duncan are definitely over. Lilly seems to be hiding the real truth behind the breakup, but Veronica can’t get her to spill it.
Mr. Daniels makes Logan and Weevil alphabetize his books; after he leaves, the guys mess with the books and complain. Weevil says that he has a plan for revenge, if Logan is up for it. At the end of the day, Mr. Daniels heads to the parking lot and discovers that his car isn’t in his parking space. Veronica arrives at home to discover that Sarah’s mother Emily and stepfather Randall are there. Veronica meets them and tells them that Keith is a PI and can help them find Sarah. Mr. Daniels arrives at school the next day to see a bunch of students gathered around the flagpole. He soon sees that his car has been transplanted into the pole. Clemmons nabs Weevil for the prank, telling him that a witness has come forward to blame him. Weevil passes Logan in the hallway; Logan doesn’t acknowledge him. Clemmons and Mr. Daniels ask Weevil for the name of his accomplice, but Weevil won’t give him up. In exchange for his lack of help, Weevil is expelled. At lunch, Logan learns of Weevil’s expulsion, but isn’t as amused by it as his friends are. Emily and Randall meet with Keith at Mars Investigations, where they discuss Sarah’s behavioral changes after Emily married Randall. Later, Veronica tells Keith that she thinks Andre knows more than he’s saying, but Keith wants to handle the case himself, since he doesn’t think it will end well. At school, Veronica calls a clinic, posing as Sarah, and asks for some test results. She learns that Sarah had a DNA test done on the baby, and Andre isn’t the father.
Logan pays Clemmons a visit and complains that Weevil is getting all the credit for the stunt with Mr. Daniels’ car. Clemmons warns that Logan can’t get away with just confessing to being Weevil’s accomplice. Logan reveals that he’s wearing Aaron’s boots, then asks what punishment Clemmons has in mind for him. Veronica heads back to the store where Sarah worked and asks Nathan if he knows who the baby’s father is. Nathan reveals that Sarah was raped back in her hometown, so maybe her rapist is the baby’s father. Veronica starts to leave, then returns when she realizes that Nathan knows about the rape because he stole Sarah’s diary. Nathan denies that he took it and won’t help, so Veronica places a call. Not long after, Weevil and his gang arrive at the store and start rummaging through the clothes. When Nathan is satisfactorily defeated, Veronica asks him again for Sarah’s diary. Keith stakes out Andre’s studio, where he sees him leaving with suitcases. He follows Andre to a train station, where he learns that Andre was taking a friend to the station. Back at school, Clemmons punishes Logan and the un-expelled Weevil by making them paint over graffiti. As they paint, Logan spots a tattoo on Weevil - it’s a heart with “Lilly” written in it. He demands to know why Weevil has Lilly’s name tattooed on him; Weevil says that it’s his sister’s name. At Mars Investigations, Veronica reads Sarah’s diary and learns that after she was raped, she ran away and slept in her car. At the beach, Veronica sees a car with Ohio license plates, then finds Sarah.
Back home, Keith congratulates Veronica for finding Sarah. Upstairs, Andre tells Sarah that she should talk to her parents, since they’re in Neptune to see her. He leaves with Killer and Sarah debates talking to her parents. Keith tells Veronica that Andre knows the baby isn’t his and doesn’t seem to mind that he’ll be raising another man’s child. This makes Veronica realize something. Keith asks her if she knows who the real father is. Upstairs, Sarah tells Emily that there’s something she needs to know. Keith asks Veronica why she didn’t tell him that Sarah was raped. Upstairs, Sarah yells to Emily that Randall raped her, but Emily accuses her of lying. Keith and Veronica hear the fight and Keith heads upstairs, telling Veronica to stay put. Sarah grabs the gun she’d hidden in the apartment and, as Keith arrives, Randall knocks it away from her. They start fighting over the gun, but are forced to stop when Keith shoots Randall through the window. The scene returns to the first one of the episode, as Veronica watches the paramedics take Randall away. Veronica assumes that she’s in trouble for getting involved in the case, but Keith says he’ll let it go this time. Veronica voices over that the real tragedy had already happened, and she just helped bring it to light - “but are some things better left buried?”
THE LILLY KANE CASE: Weevil had some sort of relationship with Lilly.
MEMORABLE QUOTES: Clemmons: “I was wondering if I could have a word.”
Weevil: “I don’t break my promises.”
Veronica: “It sounded like a falling body. It really freaked me out.”
Veronica: “Guys! Remember! No white after Labor Day!”
Written by Jed Seidel and Diane Ruggiero; directed by Nick Marck
Logan: “Anthropomorphic. All yours, big guy.”
Logan: “And I mean this: aww.”
Keith: “A falling body?”
Veronica: “Yes. A falling body.”
Keith: “Would you describe the sound as Hitchcockian?”
Veronica: “I’m glad you’re able to entertain yourself.”
Bikers: “Aww!”