By the way, why did Weevil beat up Curly?

There was some Fitzpatrick connection, but I don't recall the details.

Gotta say that I don't like Woody for the bus crash killer, mainly because he's been shovelled at us and that would violate the noir conventions.

I'm leaning towards Kendall, but not for the insurance money. It has to have something to do with her long con M.O., facilitated by her connection to the Fitzpatricks. Either Woody or Lamb (or someone else with civic power) has to be involved somehow, too, because she hasn't been prosecuted for her role in bribing the county assessor, even though Veronica has photographic proof that she's involved and as an ex-con (even one under a different name), she wouldn't have a chance of escaping prosecution.

All we know about Woody is that he's shifty and hiding something, probably a history as a pedophile.

We know that Lamb is willing to cut deals with certain lawbreakers, and is sleeping with the teenaged ex-girlfriend of Kendall's step-son. We also know that Lamb hasn't gone after the Fitzpatricks. I'd sorta hate for him to be involved, though, because I like him corrupt but basically non-evil. On the other hand, it would be left-field-y and awesome.

Here's the pieces Kendall has in the air:

• Marrying Big Dick;
• Assisting in bribing the county assessor to help Dick's crooked REIT; possibly her idea;
• Insurance policy on Little Dick and the Beav, but she would have had to share $$ with Big Dick if they were killed on the bus unless she could have called in the cops soon after (interesting, maybe Beaver just hit the trigger on this before Kendall could do it herself);
• Sleeping with Logan (and there has to be an angle here, right? I'm not seeing it, but there's no way she's fucking the guy just for the heck of it);
• Possibly married to Cormac Fitzpatrick (incarcerated);
• Keeping a secret house in town, known by her and Liam Fitzpatrick;
• The public face of Beaver's REIT (and there's a lot involved here, because even though she has to be some sort of chessmaster strategist, she's playing like she's a couple of steps behind the Beav);
• Offering to help Aaron Echolls in exchange for unspecified money;
• Trying to sleep with Duncan, ostensibly for folding cash but probably for more (I mean, seriously, Little Dick offered her straight-up sex for money, so why would she go to Duncan? This was before her meeting with Aaron, too.);
• Acquiring hair from Duncan's shower, presumably to assist Aaron, although this has not yet been made clear;
• Am I missing anything?

So, I don't know what her con is, but it seems to involve convincing men with money and ambition, but few or no scruples (and I think she might see Duncan this way, too), to trust her enough to include her in their illegal schemes. I think she plays along until she has enough on them to either blackmail them into becoming stooges for the Fitzpatricks (as with Hannah's dad and the other people on Felix's paddle) or turn them over to the cops after lining herself up as the beneficiary.

One quick thought on Woody: he and the Fitzpatricks are not aligned. Woody's primary focus has been incorporation, but the Fitzpatricks would naturally be opposed, because it would partially cut them off from their rich clientele and would impose a more-competent sheriff in their high-traffic areas. Gotta say, it's making more sense to me that Lamb would be their pawn, whether he knows it or not. Also, with Lamb's name, doesn't he need to nobly sacrifice himself at some point?

By the way, why did Weevil beat up Curly?

It was a lesser-of-two-evils thing: the PCHers wanted to kill him, but Weevil took lead instead and beat the crap out of him, thus saving him from the rest of the gang.

My co-worker told me this morning that she thinks the Mannings were behind the bus crash and the motive was wanting to punish each person because of each of the victim's specific sins (homosexuality, PCHer-related crime, premarital sex). It's been fun to think about all day even though I can't make it really work (why would they want to kill Veronica?) but still - fun theory.

That's an interesting theory. As for Veronica, they wouldn't have expected her to be on the bus anyway, but even if they had, she's got a reputation as a slut.

That theory is fun because of what happened to Meg.

the PCHers wanted to kill him

I totally don't remember why they did either. Brain like a sieve, I tell you.

Kendall's definitely got more things going on than meets the eye, but I can't bundle the things we know about her into any kind of cohesive theory other than the insurance thing (which they handed to us on a silver platter, therefore this has very little chance of being the actual motive.)

I totally don't remember why they did either.

Because they thought he rigged the bus for the Fitzpatricks and was thus responsible for Cervando's death. To be specific, they received anonymous calls to that effect.

And the bag supposedly ended up in the hands of Betina, but before that...it was Dick. It's possible he was supposed to have it with him in the limo, but the perpetrator didn't count on his noble act

Except didn't Peter win it? My understanding of the Prize Pack was it was given to Peter. Peter tossed it in the trash. Dick snagged it out of the trash and gave it to Betina because she was pissed off at him.

Yeah, that's what I've gone off of. And the bag supposedly ended up in the hands of Betina, but before that...it was Dick. It's possible he was supposed to have it with him in the limo, but the perpetrator didn't count on his noble act.

But (assuming he was telling Veronica the truth) Dick picked up the Prize out of the trash, after Pete threw it away. It's a believable detail, because of Pete's, "Why would I go," re the fieldtrip. It would have only gotten to Dick by accident--him picking it out of the trash.

Yeah, you're right. I couldn't remember the exact trail of the bag. I don't know anything anymore! All I know is that CERVANDO KILLED FELIX.

So here's some points currently rattling aroud in my brain:

• Woody somehow knew that something was going to happen to the bus because he begged Gia not to take it back to the school.

• Explosives from the demoltion company working on tearing down Shark's Field showed up in a locker in the hangar Woody owns and Terrence keeps his cars, the night before the detailer was due to work on said cars.

• Detailer didn't notice said explosives the last time he had worked on said cars, and I believe (though not sure) the schedule meant he would have been out there between the time of the crash and when the explosives were found.

• Danny Boyd works for the demolition company.

• We know Woody isn't above sacrificing an ally to save his own neck after this week.

• Liam Fitzpatrick passed the limo and the bus on the PCH shortly before it crashed.

• The Fitzpatricks have been hired as heavies in the past to try and collect on Terrence Cook's gambling debts.

• Curly Moran seemed incredibly broken up about the crash.

• The PCHers recieved an anonymous tip, dialed from within untrafficked area of Logan's house, that Curly was responsible for the crash.

• Curly said he knew who had caused the crash when Weevil was beating him up.

• Thumper was recording Curly's beating with his cellphone.

• As soon as Curly said he knew who did it, a car parked nearby turned its lights on, chasing off the PCHers.

• Curly washes up dead on the beach the next day with Veronica's name written on his hand.

While I don't think Woody is directly responsible for the crash, I do think he had foreknowledge, possibly through dealings with the Fitzpatricks.

I think the Fitzpatricks rigged the bomb in the bus, though I don't know on whose orders.

I think Thumper had one of the Fitzpatricks on the phone when Weevil was beating Curly, and as soon as they heard Curly knew who it was, they hit their lights, to drive off the PCHers and then killed Curly.

I think the reason Curly knew who it was, and felt so guilty about it, was someone asked him how he did the Long Haul stunt. They then used that knowledge to crash the bus.

I think the explosives turned up in the hangar either because someone was threatening to frame Woody with the crash and Woody decided to frame Cook instead, or another form of intimidation over Cook's gambling debts via the Fitzpatricks.

The PCHers recieved an anonymous tip, dialed from within untrafficked area of Logan's house, that Curly was responsible for the crash.

I think Thumper had one of the Fitzpatricks on the phone when Weevil was beating Curly, and as soon as they heard Curly knew who it was, they hit their lights, to drive off the PCHers and then killed Curly.

Hhmmm. Good one.

I think the reason Curly knew who it was, and felt so guilty about it, was someone asked him how he did the Long Haul stunt. They then used that knowledge to crash the bus.

I agree. And for some reason, I keep thinking Big Dick. Did Big Dick take Cassidy along when he met Curly, once? What episode was that revealed in. In my head, I can see Veronica or Keith watching or listening to a tape of Lamb interviewing Cassidy, and Gia, and I don't know who else.