A week later Veronica was in the sheriff's office again. A blissful hour had passed when Sacks entered the office, head in a file. Veronica pulled her lips away from Lamb's, jumping off his lap. Sacks simply raised an eyebrow before looking to Lamb.

'I didn't know you had a visitor. Just wanted to let you know that the...' he glanced at Veronica (who was straightening her skirt) before going on, 'information you requested is here. Let me know if you need anything more—I'll see what we can find.' Lamb nodded at Sacks and took the file before dismissing him. He slipped it into the bottom drawer, locking it with a soft click.

It was Veronica's turn to raise a brow.

'What's the file about?' The sheriff just shrugged at her, pulling her back onto his lap.

'Nothing important; just a fraud case.'

'Sounds fun. Sacks saw us together. Lips locking. Me on top of you.'

'Jerry's tight-lipped as a monk. No problem there.'

'I'd better go—Dad needs me at the office.' She dropped one more kiss on her maybe-boyfriend's cheek and sauntered towards the door.

'Veronica?'

'Yes, Sheriff?' she looked over at him.

'Are we... an item?' she laughed.

'I don't know about that, Lamb. But I'm definitely not kissing anyone else at the moment.' he grinned.

Lamb had been compiling the rape files over the last week. He'd gotten the details of the date of Shelley's party from various noise complaints they'd received that night. He'd then sequestered a rough list of attendees from Shelley, as well as some other personal files of a group of significant attendees. A bunch of photos and videos were obtained by him and Sacks through some of the kids at Neptune High and also through a student who'd been blackmailed with inappropriate footage of herself. The file Sacks handed over that morning included security footage and images, as well as Shelley's list. He went through the photos, slowly crossing people off the list. It would take him most of the day, he knew. He didn't know what time Veronica had been raped but he knew it would have been sometime after twelve-thirty, because the end of the blackmail footage showed Veronica in the background on a lounge seat – untouched. He also guessed it would have been before one-thirty, as he'd asked Shelley when everyone was gone. As far as she'd known, everyone had been out of her house by then.

He found security images of Logan with some brunette at a gas station ATM twenty minutes away from the party, getting money out of his father's account, just after 12. He took Logan off the list. Dick had gotten a speeding ticket at 1am. It went on and on. By the end of the day, the only guys left on his list were Duncan Kane, Cassidy Cassablancas, Sean Friedrich, Luke Haldeman and Casey Gant. He would chat to them, alphabetically, the next day.

'Cassidy Cassablancas. Beaver.' Lamb leant over the table.

'Cassidy's fine, Sheriff.' He replied, uncomfortable.

'Can you talk me through all that happened at Shelley Pomeroy's party last year?' Beaver frowned.

'What? That's why I'm here? I can't even remember when that was, let alone what happened there.' he scowled. 'What is this about?'

'I'm opening a cold case—it's classified information. Just run me through as much as you can remember. If there was drinking, I don't care—include everything.'

'Uh... well... Dick was pretty drunk.' He paused. 'I don't know what you want me to tell you.'

'Well. Veronica Mars has been accused of stealing, actually. So anything you can remember about her being there?'

'She couldn't have stolen anything. She was more drunk than Dick. Maybe even on something. And Dick... he was pretty gone. He tried to make me sleep with her, actually.' Lamb's eyes widened. He sighed. 'I was drunk. Dick took Veronica to a room—Sean came too—and told me to go for it. But she was asleep. Then I had to go throw up, and then I forgot she was there. That was the last time I saw her that night. Maybe she slept there and stole whatever she stole in the morning?'

'What time would this have been, Cassidy?'

'I don't wear a watch. And I was drunk.' Lamb rolled his eyes.

'You can go now.'

Veronica passed Beaver in the car park and raised a hand to wave.

'Hey, Cassidy.' He smiled.

'Hey, Veronica. Being interrogated?'

'Nope. Bringing—' she stopped herself, 'a new case to the sheriff's attention, actually.'

'Good luck. He's in a bad mood today.' Veronica smiled once he was gone. She knew how to fix it.

'Honey, I'm ho—' Veronica broke off as she saw the blown up picture of Logan and Carrie together. 'What's that?' Lamb shuffled his papers around to hide it before sliding them all into his secret drawer.

'Nothing all that exciting. What are you doing here?'

'Bringing us a picnic lunch.' Lamb smiled.

'Sacks, I'm taking my break now. Take my calls.' Jerry, at his desk, gave a big double thumbs up in response and Veronica kicked the door closed.

As they ate, Lamb looked at Veronica with new eyes. Cassidy just left her there. In that bed. He didn't know who took advantage of the situation yet, but he couldn't reconcile the fact that someone did.

'Okay that's enough. Why are you looking at me like that?'

'I wasn't—'

'Lamb, we've been a non-couple for over a week. You can tell me whatever's making you twitchy.'

'Your rape.' He replied. She put down her fork.

'Oh.'

'It's just that... I was so mean to you and then you've never talked about it and...' Veronica shook her head.

'You actually ended up being right. I guess. In a way. Not really.' She paused. 'I looked into it, before all that stuff with Logan and Felix and Aaron went down. I talked to Dick and Cassidy and Sean and they all had different stories. But then I chatted to Duncan and I found out it had been consensual – we loved each other and had sex.' Lamb pursed his lips. 'I'm okay, Lamb.'

'Okay.' But something tugged at him to keep looking. 'Actually, I can't do lunch today – I have a meeting.'

'Okay. When can I pop in?'

'Tonight? I'm here til 7.'

'Okay! But keep the food.'

Lamb had some more investigating to do. Just in case she was wrong.