11. Silence of the Lamb

One morning, Veronica talks to Keith about an old case involving a serial killer, the E-String Strangler, who has made a reappearance. Wallace (Percy Daggs III) also complains to her about the panic that's been going throughout the town because of the killer. At Neptune High, Madison Sinclair (Amanda Noret), a blonde cheerleader, celebrates her birthday in haughty, regal style and invites only her rich friends to her upcoming party. Meanwhile, another student, Jackson, asks Veronica to research his parents' past indiscretions to gain leverage in their criticisms of him.

Sheriff Don Lamb (Michael Muhney) and the mayor of the town meet with Keith. After the conversation, Keith comes out and tells Veronica gleefully that he is going to start working at the sheriff's department again. But Keith says that it is only temporary, but he is getting paid his regular salary. Later, another student asks Veronica to find "dirt" on his parents. Sheriff Lamb and Keith explain the case to other police officers, but they have conflicting styles. Meanwhile, Veronica's kompromat business takes off, and Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie (Tina Majorino) notices.

Mac proposes taking Veronica's efforts nationwide as a web-based business so they will both eventually have enough money for retirement savings. Veronica says she'll think about it. At Mac's request, Veronica discovers that Mac's parents once successfully sued the Neptune hospital for one million dollars because Mac was switched at birth with another baby. Keith and Sheriff Lamb visit a record shop, but they find nothing. Veronica visits Mac's house, and after refreshments are served by her blonde mother, shows Veronica her room. Veronica tells her that she was switched at birth with the popular cheerleader, Madison Sinclair.

Keith and Sheriff Lamb start their investigation at a local guitar shop, where the clerk mocks them by revealing that the murder weapon is just a normal E-string. They then interrogate the bartender from the nights of the abductions, who leads them to a man called "The Worm" (Aaron Paul), who responds hesitantly. Both of them think he is the killer given that he has a guitar. Veronica, Mac, and Wallace invite themselves over and crash Madison Sinclair's 09er party. Mac looks around the house and meets her biological sister (Carlie Westerman), with whom she connects.

The new deputy, Leo, tells Keith and Sheriff Lamb that "The Worm's" guitar strings match the strings which were used to strangle the victims. Veronica ingratiates herself with Leo and steals the Crimestopper recordings from the Lily Kane murder files with the help of Weevil (Francis Capra). Veronica listens to the tapes she stole, and doesn't find anything until she hears a suspicious synthesized voice. Keith and Sheriff Lamb talk to "The Worm", who had photographed both the victims. "The Worm" demands a lawyer. Veronica contacts Mac about the synthesized voice and tells her that there was a reason why she was not switched back to the right parents.

Mac goes to Madison Sinclair's house under the guise of looking for her purse. Meanwhile, a woman runs screaming into the Sheriff's department reporting her missing daughter. Keith tracks Veronica out of fear for her. He finds Veronica with Deputy Leo and his rock band and tells her about the new missing girl. Keith and Leo break into the guitar shop, which has a soundproof recording room, and find the missing girl and the killer, the store clerk from before. Mac tells Veronica that she decoded the message. Veronica eventually says that she knows whose voice it is.

Mac sees her biological mom waiting in the car outside with tears in her eyes. She puts her hand on the window and touches her mom's hand before her mom drives away. It turns out that the voice belongs to Clarence Wiedman, the man who took the surveillance photos of Veronica. Veronica takes pictures of Wiedman and his family and sends them to him as a message.