After the summer fireworks caused by a dangerous confrontation with Lilly Kane's murderer and a surprising visitor at her door, Veronica attempts to settle into "normal" life, complete with a new after-school job and a return to the popular fold at Neptune High, but she gets pulled back into the investigation business when Wallace is kicked off the basketball team for testing positive for drugs.Meanwhile, Keith sits down with reporter Julie Chen to discuss his new book on the Lilly Kane murder, "Big Murder, Small Town." Later, after seeing his father arrested for murder and being charged and tried for murder himself, Logan seeks refuge from the paparazzi and relaxes poolside at the Casablancas mansion with buddies Dick and "Beaver" and their sexy stepmother Kendall.

After tragedy strikes Neptune, Calif. and the local sheriff rushes to judgment, an emotional Veronica attempts to help a grieving family member rule out suicide as a contributing cause in the calamity. Meanwhile, Wallace offers to help transfer student Jackie Cook, the fiery, flirty daughter of professional baseball player Terrence Cook, track down the person who damaged her car in the school lot. Later, mayoral candidate Woody Goodman asks Keith to consider running for sheriff.

Beaver hires Veronica to investigate his stepmother, Kendall, who he believes is cheating on his dad and planning to clean him out, but both are shocked by what they discover. Meanwhile, Wallace begins dating Jackie, against Veronica's advice.

Veronica and Duncan discover that the still-comatose Meg had been babysitting an abused child, leading Veronica to take on an unfamiliar role as a babysitter to determine the kid's identity. Meanwhile, Kendall continues her affair with Logan as her stepso

After finding her mother's old permanent record at school, Veronica wonders how well she knew her mother at all, and decides to investigate her mother's school friends. Meanwhile, Trina takes the role of director in the school play, and while she has a confrontation with Kendall, Veronica has one with Celeste.

When Duncan disappears with Meg's baby, Lamb must work with two FBI agents to extract as much information as possible from an uncooperative Veronica. Meanwhile, Wallace reveals the real reason he returned to Neptune, and Weevil and Logan make a breakthrough in their hunt for the rogue gang member.

Wallace's new girlfriend Jane enlists Veronica's help when her older sister Heidi appears to be a "runaway bride," but the clues suggest something possibly more disturbing happened on the way to the altar. Meanwhile, Keith and Veronica decide that they have no choice but to go to Sheriff Lamb with the evidence they've uncovered about the bus crash. Later, Kendall has a tempting offer for Aaron Echolls.

What promises to be a simple case of finding out who ran over a classmate's dog turns into a startling revelation when new secrets about the bus crash come pouring out and Veronica finds herself again revisiting Lilly's murder case. Meanwhile, Wallace and Jackie try to turn their relationship around the corner, and the PCHers turn to Weevil for protection from the Fitzpatricks.

Gia enlists Veronica's help to find out who is stalking her, and Clemmons cancels the senior prom.

After discovering the true perpetrator of the bus crash, Veronica is desperate to warn others before it's too late. However, she inadvertently puts herself and her loved ones at risk in the process.

Meanwhile, Keith tracks down Woody in hiding, Wallace leaves for Paris to be with Jackie, and Weevil again runs into trouble with the law.

Veronica begins college with Logan, Wallace and Mac, but is immediately drawn back into old detective habits when Piz, Wallace's new roommate, gets all his stuff stolen. Meanwhile, Keith helps reunite Kendall with an old love, recently released from prison.