1.16 "Betty and Veronica"
Aired Mar 29, 2005
Details
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica goes into her room and tears it apart. Her VO tells us that Clarence Wiedman didn't know where to find her mother, but he did know where to find Veronica. Spotting a box in her trashcan, she notes that she never contributed to the Wildlife Alliance, but she kept the pencil sharpener they sent. She breaks open the sharpener, and finds the bug that had been placed in there: Wiedman overheard her book her flight to Barstow. She'd gone home to change, wanting to look presentable for her mother.
flashback: bar in Barstow: Veronica tells her mom that she knows who has been blackmailing them. She then sees Wiedman. Veronica's VO tells us that Wiedman had to have seen her with her mom. Lianne drunkenly stumbles and moves to sit elsewhere in the bar while insisting that Veronica leave. Veronica says she's not leaving. Lianne cries and says she's trying to protect Veronica. Veronica says everything will be OK.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica's first thought is to destroy the bug, but then she thinks she might want Wiedman listening. She puts the bug back into the pencil sharpener and puts it back together.
school gym: Wallace is playing one-on-one with another teammate, Jack. Veronica is watching from the side.
school hallway: Everyone is greeting Wallace and all are happy to see him. Wallace tells Veronica that maybe this school isn't as bad as she thinks it is. Veronica sees Duncan and Meg's public displays of affection at Meg's locker. Veronica starts to open her locker but is interrupted by Vice-Principal Clemmons who tells her he needs to see her in his office...now.
Clemmons office: Clemmons tells Veronica that Neptune's mascot, Polly the parrot , was stolen. Veronica assumes he is accusing her, but it turns out he is really asking for her help to find Polly.
Opening Credits
Clemmons office: Clemmons talks about Neptune's rival, Pan High. He also says they don't have the money to hire a professional, but he has noticed Veronica's skills and that she works for her dad. After some bartering, they shake on the "price, " which ends up being a personal letter of recommendation for Veronica from Clemmons, a new locker, and two excused absences. Clemmons tells Veronica to keep the deal quiet.
school hallway: Veronica's new locker is next to Wallace's. Wallace says he is a little touched. Jack talks to Wallace about Polly's disappearance. Wallace and Polly had apparently bonded. Wallace opens his locker and finds homemade snickerdoodle cookies in his locker. They appeared in his locker in a school-spirit-decorated box entitled: "Go Wallace! We love you! You rock!" As they walk away from their lockers, Duncan and Meg approach them; Duncan talks about how great Wallace is. Veronica is visibly uncomfortable seeing Meg and Duncan holding hands. Meg notices and lets go. After an awkward moment, they leave. Some basketball team members run by and Wallace says he was going to join them for lunch. He invites Veronica, but she declines saying she has other plans.
Pan High: Veronica, in a different outfit, walks into the rival school during lunch. Her VO mentions how different it is from Neptune. A basketball jock from the popular table invites her to sit with them. He introduces himself as Richie and introduces some other jocks and the team manager, Zeke. Veronica tells them how much she loves basketball. Richie brings up that Neptune's parrot was stolen and that whoever did it is his hero. Another student then runs up and tells Richie that Neptune stole their mascot, a goat named Billy.
Sheriff's office: Veronica is in the office drinking coffee. Her VO mentions that Sheriff Lamb is on his annual fishing expedition. Veronica pouring coffee transitions into a...
flashback: bar in Barstow: The bartender is pouring coffee for Lianne. There's some small talk, but Veronica cuts it off by bringing up that she knows about Lianne and Jake Kane. Lianne says Jake was innocent. Veronica insists on knowing how she can be so sure. Lianne says it's because she was with him at the time of the murder in a hotel room at the Neptune Grand.
Sheriff's office: Leo walks up to Veronica. She asks him for a big favor — the interrogation tapes from Lilly's murder investigation.
Mars Investigations office: Keith tells Veronica that she got a call from the bank yesterday, telling her she was overdrawn. He thought she had a lot saved for college. Veronica says there must be a mistake. Keith tells Veronica that she can tell him if there's a problem. Veronica replies that she tells Keith everything. However, in her VO, she adds, "Maybe not everything. There are some things you're better off not knowing."
flashback: bar in Barstow: Lianne claims she was at the hotel for privacy, just to talk to Jake. Veronica wants to know why. Lianne says a couple of days before she met Jake, she was putting laundry away in Veronica's room when her phone rang. The answering machine picked up, and she heard Celeste Kane leave a message, saying that she had important information involving Lianne and Jake that she thought Veronica ought to know. Lianne says it was because Celeste didn't want Veronica with Duncan. Lianne then called Jake, met him at the Neptune Grand, and told him to have Celeste back off. Lianne repeats that she was protecting Veronica.
Mars Investigations office: Veronica is still looking like she's in shock over the whole bar incident.
Pan High cafeteria: Richie is angry with Zeke. Veronica asks what's wrong, and Richie says Zeke bet on Neptune. Zeke says Neptune's record is way better and he's not the only one betting on them. He heard about a bookie at Rest Stop 15 who is taking bets on the game, and everyone from both schools is betting on Neptune. Veronica asks what Rest Stop 15 is. Richie explains that it's halfway between both schools. People go there to hook up and buy stuff out of trunks. Cheering breaks out as Wilson, the boy who stole Polly, walks into the cafeteria. As Richie and Zeke go to join in the congratulations, a guy wheels in a large gift-wrapped box. The tag says, "To Pan High Cafeteria: Bon Appetit. Love, Neptune." Richie opens it. There are several pounds of raw meat and a bell, on top of some white packages bearing stickers that read "100% GOAT MEAT."
Pan High hallway: Veronica talks to Wilson. She goes on about how cool it is that Wilson stole Polly. He shows her the picture on his cell phone of himself with the parrot. While they're talking, he opens his locker and Veronica notices his combination. Veronica then asks Wilson to show her around Rest Stop 15 at 4 p.m. He agrees, nervously. Wilson leaves and Veronica quickly opens his locker. She uses his cell phone to call someone. After speaking for a moment, she arranges to send him the picture and meet later at Rest Stop 15.
Rest Stop 15: Wilson gets out of his car and looks around. Weevil greets him, asks where Polly is, and threatens him. Eventually, Wilson says everyone was making such a big deal about Polly, so he took a picture of himself next to a parrot in a pet store, so people would think he was cool. Disgusted, Weevil tells him to go home. As Wilson drives off, Veronica appears and apologizes to Weevil. A guy in a Pan High jacket drives up, and asks if Weevil is "the guy"; Weevil says he probably is. The guy puts money on Neptune. He also says hi to "Betty". Weevil notices this, but says nothing. Veronica leaves.
Mars Investigations office: Veronica walks in and sits on the couch. Her VO tells us that Keith wanted to stay in Neptune and make his living as a private investigator. That was the last straw for Lianne.
flashback: bar in Barstow: Veronica is trying to get more info from Lianne, but she just wants a drink. After a lot of pressing, Lianne finally tells Veronica that she told Jake if Celeste tried to contact Veronica again, she'd have a paternity test done and take him for millions. Veronica hears this and is on the verge of tears. However, Lianne says she doesn't know if the test will prove that Jake is Veronica's father or if Keith is.
Mars Investigations office: Leo comes in with a present: the interrogation tapes. He asks for a date in return for the favor. Veronica agrees and asks him if he knows anything about sports betting. He does. She then asks why a bookie would take bets on a team to win straight up, no line, if one team is heavily favored? Leo says no bookie would. He explains that a bookie wants to find a line where the betting will be half and half. Veronica asks why the bookie would risk it. Leo guesses that maybe the bookie knows something that those betting don't.
school: lunch outside: Veronica is eating with Wallace and some of his teammates. Wallace grabs a lot of food and leaves in a hurry. Veronica follows him and asks what he's up to. Wallace opens the back of a party van to reveal Billy, who has torn the inside apart, and is now eating it. Wallace says it was Jack's idea. Veronica doesn't offer to help, even when Wallace suggests she does.
school: Journalism Room: Duncan talks to Veronica about all of the letters sent to the school paper about Polly's kidnapping. A girl gives them another one, from an animal rights point of view, saying Polly should be set free. Duncan says she's part of S.A.A.C. — Students Against Animal Cruelty.
Mars home: Veronica is baking while listening to the interrogation tapes. This leads to a...
flashback: Sheriff's Interrogation Room: Keith is talking to Jake, asking him questions. Jake claims he was at the Neptune Grand with Celeste. He implies what he was doing, saying they were there for the privacy, and that they do this from time to time. Keith says Jake should have receipts for these visits then. Jake says Keith should be out there finding the killer, not talking to him. Keith presses for more details and Jake says they were making love for a long time, if not the full 2 1/2 hours. He says when they first arrived, they settled in and turned on the TV. He doesn't remember what was on, because it was used for background noise so they could get right to it.
Mars home: Wallace arrives to pick up his algebra book that he left there. He grabs a cookie and realizes they're snickerdoodles — Veronica is the one who's been leaving spirit boxes in his locker. Veronica asks Wallace to do her a favor when he picks his mother up from work at Kane Software. He is to put a plant on the desk of Clarence Wiedman's assistant, claiming it's from her secret admirer.
bathroom: Veronica is putting on make-up and listening to the tapes. We hear Celeste's voice on the tape transitioning us to another...
flashback: Sheriff's Interrogation Room: Keith is questioning Celeste. He asks how long they were in the hotel. She says 2 1/2 hours, and they were together for the whole time. Keith asks other questions. Celeste says they had champagne when they first got there, not from room service, but from home. Keith asks if they normally bring champagne from home when they stay at the Neptune Grand and Celeste says they don't normally have to stay there; this was a special occasion. He asks if she remembers what was on TV and Celeste says they weren't watching TV.
bathroom: Keith comes in and tells Veronica that her date is here.
restaurant: Leo and Veronica enter. A hostess seats them right across from where Meg and Duncan are sitting with Duncan's parents. Meg is very friendly; the Kanes are not. Meg introduces Leo to Duncan, and Veronica introduces Mr. and Mrs. Kane. There's awkwardness all around.
flashback: outside bar in Barstow: Veronica and Lianne are talking. Lianne says she was in the motel room with Jake around the exact time Lilly died. Having followed Jake, Celeste burst in, screaming and saying horrible things. Lianne left. She later saw Celeste storming out of the lobby.
restaurant: Veronica and Leo flirt casually. Her VO tells us that Celeste told Keith she was in the hotel for 2 1/2 hours. According to Lianne, it was 20 minutes, tops. What if Celeste saw Lianne in the lobby? What better way for Celeste to control Lianne than to have Wiedman take surveillance photos of Veronica framed in a gunsight? Maybe it wasn't a paternity issue. Maybe it was an alibi issue. Maybe it was both.
school: Meg is broadcasting the announcements. Veronica walks into a classroom and talks to Ariana (the animal rights activist) about Polly. A video insert of some male standing next to Polly interrupts the announcements. The male is wearing a black mask that covers his whole head. He says he's from Pan High and that if Wallace Fennel plays in the game, Polly will die.
school: lunch outside: Veronica accuses Weevil of taking Polly. Weevil says he's a simple bookie and asks Veronica why would he help her find Polly if stealing the parrot was his secret plan?
school hallway: An upset Wallace sits on the floor, slumped against his locker, and talks to Veronica, who sits beside him. Wallace says Coach and the other players all want Wallace to play, but it's not worth Polly's life. Veronica says she'll bring back the goat if that will cheer him up.
school: classroom: Veronica asks Meg how her announcements were interrupted. Meg says that if there's no breaking news, they tape it the day before. The person had to have edited the tape before the announcements aired this morning. Meg mentions that she wants things to be all right between them. Veronica says they run in different circles. Meg suggests they have their own circle and Veronica thaws a little. The two girls look at the video of the kidnapper frame-by-frame and find something on his shoe: the number 13. Veronica tells Meg she needs a basketball program.
school hallway: the next day: Clemmons is in the hall with the basketball team. Pan High students enter, followed by Veronica, who has both Polly and Billy. Pan High cheers for "Betty". Veronica gives the mascots to the players and an envelope of photos for the coach to Clemmons. Veronica goes over to the Pan High players and gives Richie a "you're a nice guy" speech. The Neptune players enter the hall. Veronica tells everyone that Jack is the one who stole Polly, because if Wallace didn't play, Jack would be a starter (like last year). As Point Guard, Jack would be able to throw the game and collect the money, since he's covering Weevil's bets. Clemmons takes Jack; Coach tells Wallace he's in. They all enter the gymnasium. Veronica, not one for big games and foam fingers, is tempted to sit this one out, but eventually convinces herself to watch as a show of support for Wallace.
Veronica's bedroom: She looks at her bank account book. Her VO tells us she had enough money for four years of college at San Diego State, a year at Stanford, and a semester at Sorbonne University in Paris, but it's all gone now.
flashback: counter: Veronica writes a check so her mom can get alcoholism treatment. The clinic insists on full payment upfront.
Veronica's bedroom: Veronica calls for Keith to come in. He comments on Neptune beating Pan. She tells him she's going to ask him something, and she wants a straight, honest answer no matter what. She then asks why a person would agree to confess to a murder he didn't commit? Keith says a person might do it for a lot of money. Veronica asks what the point is if the person won't be around to spend it. Keith suggests there may be someone else that person cares about who will be around when that person dies: someone who can use the money. Keith leaves. Veronica then picks up the bugged sharpener and says into it, "Wait, Dad, you know what? I think I know who's collecting the money from Abel Koontz's confession." Veronica listens in on Wiedman's office via the bug in the plant that Wallace delivered. Wiedman tells his secretary to get him Amelia DeLongpre on the phone. Veronica searches for her name with Abel's on the Internet. She finds only one hit: an obituary of Stella Koontz who "leaves behind son Abel Koontz of Neptune and granddaughter Amelia DeLongpre." The last thing we hear is Veronica's VO: "Abel Koontz has a daughter?"
Closing Credits