Later that night at the student-run casino, Veronica scopes out the tables looking for an easy mark but the games are interrupted by two men in Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon masks wielding guns. The two rob everyone in the room, including the cash box for the casino and the necklace Lily gave Veronica. The police arrive on the scene, but Veronica has no faith in them and is convinced that she knows who is really behind the robbery.

Meanwhile, Wallace attempts to study for his mechanical engineering class, which he is failing miserably, but is pulled into going out with friends. At Keith’s office, he discovers that the father of the dean’s stepson is living in California as a voice actor and has come up with a plan to arrange a meeting.

At Weevil’s house, Veronica confronts him about the robbery at the casino but Weevil denies any involvement in the crime and kicks her out of his home. She leaves and goes back to the office to play a part in Keith’s ruse. They set the office up to look like a promotional company looking for a voice over actor, when Steve Batando gets into the audition, he finds his ex-wife. She tells him that Jason, their son, needs a bone marrow transplant and he’s a match. But the three get into an argument and scare him away.

Later that night at Hearst, Weevil sees Logan talking to an unknown girl and he attempts to defend Veronica’s honor by questioning him. But before long, Lamb shows up and arrests Weevil when they find the stolen goods from the casino in his car. The police followed a tip from a stolen credit card used to order a pizza delivered to his apartment, which makes Veronica believe that it’s a set-up.

At the pizza place that the order was made from, Veronica convinces a clerk who is enamored with her to call in a request to the internet service provider to find out the identity of whoever put in the order to Weevil’s apartment. She finds that the order was placed from a computer terminal at Hearst near where new drywall is being put up, bringing her back to square one.

While she struggles with her case, Keith is tagged as the leading suspect in the disappearance of Steve Batando. The police don’t charge him with anything, but Keith attempts to track down the O’Dells. The dean lets him know that his wife and stepson have taken off to Mexico where they plan to go forward with the operation. The dean demands that he tag along so they can track her cell phone.

Veronica discovers that the guns used in the robbery are fake, which leads her to the theater department who angrily point her towards the film department. At the short film festival, Veronica and Logan see a short in which the same two masks and guns are used to hold up a convenience store. The filmmaker tells them that their equipment was stolen, although most of it was recovered they still couldn’t find the guns or the masks.

In Mexico, Keith discovers that the dean was manipulating him when Cliff tells him that Mindy and Jason are actually in San Diego. Meanwhile, Wallace continues to struggle with his mechanical engineering class and resorts to buying the exam and answers from an entrepreneur who is selling old tests. He turns in the exam quickly, which leads to suspicion from the professor.

Veronica discovers that the only people who could possibly have been the actual robbers are the security cops who appeared on the scene later. They’re arrested, but Veronica’s necklace is no where to be found. Luckily for her, the bratty daughter of the Jimmy Carter robber antagonizes her while wearing the stolen necklace. Veronica takes it back and drives away.

Finally, Wallace is called into the office of his professor when he’s busted for cheating, Weevil is set free from prison and Jason is shown on life support. A week later, Keith brings Steven Batando into the sheriff’s department and clears everything up with Lamb. Also, Veronica checks on her Camp Waterloo lead, only to find that the mystery Asian man is Claire’s boyfriend.

Watch Veronica Mars

• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 05: You Think You Know Somebody

After school, Veronica uses a safe deposit box key she found in her mother’s things and finds shots of herself framed in a rifle sight. Then, she attempts to activate the homing device on the stolen car, but can’t quite work her magic. Which is bad news for Troy, because he is soon chased by the bodybuilder.

At school, Logan says that while he was in on the steroid deal, Troy didn’t know anything. Veronica comes home to an awkward conversation with Rebecca. She flashes back to the time when she told her real mom that she’s dating Duncan Kane. Veronica skips out on dinner, in order to come with Logan to the local chop shop. She finds out that the piñata (where the drugs were stashed) was given to a relative for a birthday party. She arrives at the party just in time to see the piñata busted… and sugar candies falling out.

At home, Veronica starts sending out cell phones in another attempt to find her mother. Keith walks in, and Veronica takes this opportunity to ask for his help in tracing the car. He agrees to help her boyfriend if she lays off his girlfriend. The next day, Keith manages to activate the homing beacon, which leads to a dog in the 09er zip code.

Veronica uses her background checker to find information about Rebecca James, and digs up enough dirt to cause tension between Veronica and Keith. Keith does the same to Veronica, using his contacts to create a background for Troy. The next day, Veronica confronts him with the fact that he had a history of drug trafficking. Meanwhile, Keith breaks up with Rebecca.

Veronica confronts the “Z-Meister” with Luke’s money, and uses the confrontation to take a photo of the body builder. She then faxes the photo to the border patrol, where he is soon caught (we assume) bringing in steroids.

The ending closes with Troy’s parents sending him to boarding school. Instead, he bribes the cabbie and stops at the same diner where he stopped after Tijuana. He grabs the bag of drugs from the bathroom stash and drives off in the same car that was stolen. On his way out to who-knows-where, he receives a call from his ex Shauna, who informs him that she told Veronica they were getting back together. Panicked, Troy opens the bag of steroids, only to find candy and a letter from Veronica.

We then see Veronica on her bed, listening to music while her mother leaves a voice mail.

Watch Veronica Mars

• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 05: President Evil
• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 18: I am God
• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 16: The Rapes of Graff
• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 09: My Mother, the Fiend
• Watch Veronica Mars Episode 08: Ahoy Mateys!