Second Chances [Sweet Pea x OC]

Chapter 45

"Actually, we were wondering if you, um, recognized this?" Betty asked, holding up the picture of Kurtz's tattoos.

The man nodded, taking the picture and offered money. "Matter of fact, yeah. Kid came in asking for those symbols a few weeks back."

"Did he mention why?" Jughead asked.

"Nah, just showed me the design and paid cash. Just like the first guy."

"Wait," Jughead said, stepping forward. "There was a first guy?"

"Yeah, about a year ago," the man replied, handing the photo back to Betty. "I gave the same tattoo to a different dude. Same symbols, also on his back."

"Do you have a name? Maybe a photo by chance?" Betty asked.

"Never ask for names," he said. "Normally, I like to take photos of my finished work, but this guy would not let a camera anywhere near him."

Betty looked back over her shoulder at Jughead and I. "No photos, huh? Sounds like someone that I know."

"There's more than one possibility," I said. "What did he look like? Tall, like 6'3", 6'4"?"

"No, not quite that tall, closer to 6', I think," the man said. I nodded, thinking. "He had, uh, sandy hair, blue eyes..."

"Weirdly magnetic?" Betty prompted.

"That's the guy," he said. Betty nodded, a satisfied smile on her face as she turned to walk out.

"Thanks," Jughead said, following Betty and I.

We stopped in the parking lot, where I leaned my back against the truck, thinking.

"Okay, so we obviously weren't thinking of the same person," Betty said, facing me. "Who were you referring to?"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Seriously? The height question didn't give it away?"

"Tall Boy," Jughead guessed.

"It could have been him," I said. "He said he was hiding out in Athens for a while before sneaking back to Riverdale. We don't know when exactly he started working for the Gargoyles, and considering he was masquerading as the Gargoyle King himself, I'd assume he'd have the tattoos."

"We would have heard about them though," Jughead protested.

"Maybe Curdle saw them but didn't connect the dots," I pushed back. "Tall Boy did have a shitload of tattoos, he could have just looked past them."

Betty sighed in frustration, waving her hands before her. "No. No, it doesn't matter whether Tall Boy had the tattoos or not, he's not the one we're after. Abigail, Jug, the tattoo artist said that a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes got a Gargoyle King tattoo about a year ago, right around the time the Farm moved to town, and right before any of this game stuff started to happen. Add the fact that my mom just got a tattoo, per Mr Evernever's request."

"Okay," Jughead said calmly when Betty was done. "But if the Gargoyle King is Edgar, then how does that explain your mom seeing him during Ascension Night nearly decades before Edgar got to town?"

"Who says that the new Gargoyle King is the same person as the old one?" I asked. "We've already unmasked Tall Boy, Moose Mason, and Claudius Blossom."

Betty nodded eagerly. "Yeah. My mom gave testimony to the Farm about the Midnight Club. Edgar could have taken on that persona."

Jughead sighed, looking between Betty and I. "I know that Edgar has been messing with your family–"

"Think about it," Betty cut in, beginning to pace the parking lot. "Edgar bought the Sisters of Quiet Mercy, where the game originated. Both he and the Gargoyle King preached Ascension. Both of them have followers that they manipulate, and they're both really, really creepy." I let out a quick laugh at the last comment. Betty stopped in front of Jughead and I, an idea forming in her mind. "There's only one way to settle this. And fast."