Collateral Damage ▻ Riverdale [1]

2.31

THE AFTERMATH
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Queenie arrived at Archie's garage with Joaquin and all eyes locked on her, "Got him." She told them and Archie sighed when she saw Queenie's deadly grip on Joaquin's shoulder as she led him over to the chair.

Kevin and Veronica were there, too, waiting to question Joaquin about what he knew. Queenie roughly pushed her friend down on the chair, "Sit, stay." She demanded sternly and Joaquin stared up at her, his hands up in defense.

"Chill, Queenie." Archie warned her and Queenie snapped her head around to glare at the redhead, "Or not. Your choice."

There was a moment of silence between the five teenagers until Queenie spoke up, beginning the interrogation, "We know my father used his single phone call in jail to get in touch with you. What did he say?" She questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest, staring down at her friend.

"Basically just a warning, to lay low." He replied and Queenie rolled her eyes, knowing that Joaquin was full of crap with his answer.

"No one uses their single phone call to say lay low." Veronica argued.

Queenie sighed as she walked toward the raven-haired Serpent, "Joaquin, do you know something?" She asked him, "Because if you do, you better tell us right now. And I'm not talking you as one of your best friends, I'm talking to you as the bitch who could ruin your life with just a phone call. You got me?" She told him in a low and threatening tone.

The whole group looked up at her shocked, even Joaquin. He had never seen her so hostile towards one of her friends before. Hell, not even to another Serpent. It was clear if he didn't fess up, something bad would be happening to him. And even if this news could hurt Queenie, he had to tell them.

"Did FP kill Jason?" Kevin asked Joaquin, seeing as Queenie didn't seem to.

Joaquin looked down at the ground, avoiding all eye contact with the teenagers in the room with him. Finally, after a long moment, he spoke up, "Yeah," He told them as his eyes locked on Queenie, who was trying her best to keep cool, "I-I mean, I assume."

"Oh, my God."

"Did you psychically see him pull the trigger?" Veronica asked him and Joaquin quickly shook his head.

"No, no. God, no."Joaquin immedialty responded.

"Then, why do you think he did it?" Archie asked him confused.

Joaquin placed his hands together as he looked down at the ground once again, "On July eleventh, Queenie's birthday, I got a phone call in the middle of the night from FP. He said he needed help with some cleanup job at the Whyte Wyrm." He explained to them and Queenie frowned.

"What job?" Queenie asked him and got no answer, "Answer me, Joaquin! What job!" She demanded loudly.

"Like you know already, Queenie, the basement of the Whyte Wyrm is off limits to everyone. That's where I met FP and that's where I saw...He'd been shot. I never asked if he...if he did it, I just...I mean, I was terrified, I just assumed. We stashed the body in the freezer, cleaned up the mess, got rid of any evidence. As we were doing that, we ended up finding Queenie's necklace." Joaquin explained as eyes went over to Queenie. He pointed over at the ring on Queenie's finger, "We found it without the usual ring on it. I asked FP how it got there, but he said he didn't know and took it from me."

"You are a criminal," Kevin told his boyfriend and Queenie scoffed.

"What did you expect from Joaquin when you started to date him, Kevin. He's a Southside Serpent for God's sake, so am I." Before they could speak up, Queenie let out a sigh before she headed out the door.

"Queenie, wait--" Archie called out, but was cut off by Queenie slamming the door in his face before she could follow him.

_____

While her younger brother and her friends were watching the video of Jason's murder, Queenie made her way to the police station where they hesitantly allowed her to see FP. She had told them that she wanted to look at her boyfriend's killer right in the eye, even though it was a total lie.

She entered the room where all of the cells were. FP looked up shocked when he saw his daughter walking over to his cell, "Didn't think you would actually come and see me. Especially after everything." FP spoke up and Queenie had tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"That's because I...I still don't think you killed him. I know you didn't, Dad." She told him quietly, "Jughead may have lost all faith in you, but I haven't."

FP got up from his seat and walked over to the metal bars of the cell, "That makes you the most thickheaded and stupidest person I've met." FP argued and Queenie didn't seem phased by the insult, "Get it through your thick skull, Queenie. I'm guilty. I killed him and then I dumped your body on the River's edge."

"No, no..." Queenie shook her head incessantly, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Yes, Queenie! Yes! I killed Jason!" He told her angrily, but ended up giving himself away when his voice changed a bit as he said those words. Queenie knew then and there that her father was lying.

Queenie was silent for a moment as she wiped the tears from her face with the sleeve of her jacket, "Why are you lying to everyone? Who are you protecting, Dad?" She shouted out and FP shook his head in response.

"Leave, Queenie. You're just hurting yourself by being here." FP told her in low tone, "Hate me like Jughead does. Stop sticking by me."

"I stick by you because you're my father and I know you're innocent," She argued before becoming quieter, "I know you didn't kill Jason. You may have cleaned his body up after he was murdered, but you didn't kill him."

FP stayed silent, causing Queenie to sigh. She turned back around and began to walk away, "Look at me, Queenie!" FP shouted and Queenie slowly turned her head to glance at him, "Never come back her! You understand?"

"No, I don't." She replied before she started to walk away once again. Before she could get far, Queenie began to have a sharp pain in her head. She yelled out in pain as all of the memories came flooded in; Mustang kidnapping her and Jason, being held captive, and Clifford Blosson killing Jason before knocking her out.

FP stared at his daughter in concern, "Queenie!" He called out as Queenie turned to face him.

"Why the hell are covering for him? Why are you covering for Clifford Blossom?" She asked him confused, "And don't even try to lie, I remember everything. You had no part in the plan Mustang and Clifford had. Why are you taking the blame?"