Forever And Always

Chapter 20

Callie now stood in Pop's they had just that told Betty about FP being framed.

" Someone planted the gun. Jason's murder weapon, in a closet in FP's trailer. It wasn't there when we searched for it. He's being framed, Betty" Archie explained.

"Well, maybe you didn't see it," Betty stated.

" We're not talking about the Vogue closet here, Bee," Veronica began.

"Well, maybe you looked in the wrong one," Betty suggested.

"It's a trailer with literally one closet," Veronica said. " There was no lockbox. No gun. Whatever  Sheriff Keller is saying he found, it wasn't there."

" Look, we need to tell Jughead his dad's innocent," Callie advised. " Where is Jughead?"

" I don't know," Betty answered. " I tried calling him. I left him messages. He's not answering his phone."

"In the meantime," Veronica began.

"Should we talk to Sheriff Keller?" Betty asked.

"No," Archie answered. " Not until we tell our parents."

" That we broke into FP's trailer?" Veronica asked.

" My dad will know what to do," Archie said with confidence. They went back home and told the Andrews, Mrs. Cooper, and Mrs. Lodge what they did.

" You did what?" their dad asked.

" We had to make sure FP wasn't involved in Jason's murder," Archie explained.

" And now we know the truth," Mrs. Cooper said. " He was."

" What? Mom, no. We just told you," Betty stated.

"The gun was planted by whoever killed Jason," Callie spoke.

" Couldn't you have just missed it?" Mrs. Lodge asked.

" Yeah, excuse me if I trust the detection skills of an officer of the law over four amateur sleuths," Mrs. Cooper defended herself and the parents.

" Mom, you're the one who asked Veronica to break in!" Betty reminded her mother.

" Excuse me?" Mrs. Lodge snapped.

"What!" Mrs. Andrews also snapped.

" Alice!" Mr. Andrews shouted.

"Actually," Veronica began. " I approached Mrs. Cooper. I had to know if FP was involved, and if was connected to my dad."

" A gun was found," Mrs. Lodge pointed out. " FP is the killer. Case closed. We're leaving." She got up to take Veronica home.

"There was no gun!" Archie shouted.

" Son, this isn't petty theft or a bar fight we're talking about, Archie," Mr. Andrews pointed out. " This is murder."

" Okay, fine. Then we'll go to the sheriff without you," Callie said.

" Callie, your brother entered FP's residence illegally," her mom pointed out. " So whatever he did or did not find there would be inadmissible in a court of law."

" I don't care what happens to me," Archie argued.

"I do care. FP may have ruined Jughead's life, I'm not gonna let him ruin yours," their dad argued back.

**** 

Late that night, Callie stared up at her ceiling when Archie came in.

" Come on," her brother ordered and he threw a coat and sweatpants at her.