In the days after their discovery, Veronica and the amateur sleuths learned more about what had happened. Clifford's motive for murder was still unclear, and the world would never know. When Sheriff Keller and his men went to make the arrest at Thorn Hill, they found the Blossom patriarch hanging in his own barn. She didn't know about any afterlife, but it annoyed Veronica to know he wasn't going to face justice on earth.

FP Jones had been cleared of murder, but he was being charged with almost everything else in the book. He had been threatened by Clifford that Jughead would share Jason's fate if FP didn't comply in disposing the body and taking the fall. When it had counted most, FP had tried to be a good father, and now his life was in ruins because some rich prick shot a gun. It reminded Veronica too much of Celeste Kane's impulsive shot that had put Eli Navarro back on a dark path.

Joaquin had skipped town, knowing he'd be implicated in the cleanup. The Blossoms seemed to be genuinely mortified by Clifford's guilt and his death, and Veronica genuinely believed that not even Penelope Blossom knew the extent of her late husband's depravity. Hiram Lodge might have gotten off the hook on this one, but Veronica was still suspicious of the shadowy figure, and she warned Ronnie to be careful when her father returned.

She said her goodbyes to Archie and Kevin and to Sheriff Keller, who gave her a firm handshake. The Coopers were all very friendly and offered her a ride to the airport. Unfortunately, since the Blossoms were no longer bankrolling her or flying Logan's car back to Neptune, she was settling in for a long road trip.

She went to Pop's one more time, wanting to load up on carbs before the trip. Jughead Jones sat alone at a booth, and she slipped into the opposite side.

"Mars."

"Jones." She smiled. "How 'bout a burger? I hear they're to die for."

The two ate, and Veronica did more listening than talking. Back in Neptune, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a teen who had dead, missing, or incarcerated parents. She'd seen the toll it had taken on some of her closest friends.

At long last she stood up from the booth and dropped a twenty for the both of them. She punched Jughead lightly on the shoulder. "Stay gold, Ponyboy."

She shot a silly text to her dad before starting the car: A greeting I send to you! Short and sweet.

Sounds like song lyrics.

Terrible lyrics maybe. on the way... don't wait up. like seriously :(

With a full stomach, Veronica pulled out of the diner and down the main road. As she found the highway and sped along into the early evening, she hoped her sympathy towards the teens hadn't made her look matronly or soft. She liked having her tough exterior. But you know what they say about Veronica Mars. She's a marshmallow.