Worlds Colliding (Riverdale, Book One)

Chapter 12 - Anatomy of a Murder

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

"We're not talking about the 'Vogue' closet, B," Veronica told her.

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

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

"Betty, would you please stop making FP out to be a murderer and like Bash and Veronica missed something?" Jessica asked.

Archie shook his head. "FP did not kill Valentina's brother. Why would he kill the brother to Vallie, when he knows that she's Jughead's girlfriend and KP's best friend, how important Vallie is to his kids?"

"We need to tell Jughead and KP their Dad's innocent," Valentina told them.

"Where is Jughead?" Bash asked. "Where's KP?"

Valentina sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know. I tried calling them. I left messages. They're not answering their phones."

"In the meantime..." Jessica trailed off.

"Well, should we talk to Sheriff Keller?" Betty asked.

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

"That Bash and I broke into FP's trailer?" Veronica asked.

"Jessie's and my Dad will know what to do," Archie told them.

They left the diner.

~-~

Andrews House - Living Room

Betty, Archie, Jessica, Valentina, Bash and Veronica came to talk to Fred, Mary, Hermione and Alice.

"You did what?" Fred asked.

"We had to make sure that FP wasn't involved in Jason's murder," Bash told them.

"And now we know the truth," Alice told them. "He was."

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

"The gun was planted," Jessica told them.

"By whoever killed Jason," Valentina agreed.

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

Alice looked at Betty, Bash and Veronica. "Yeah, excuse me if I trust the detection skills of an officer of the law over three amateur sleuths."

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

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Mary looked at Alice in shock. "What?"

"Alice!" Fred told her.

"Actually, I approached Mrs. Cooper," Veronica told them. "I had to know if FP was involved, and if he was connected to our Dad, so I blackmailed Bash into going along with it."

Hermione stood. "A gun was found. FP is the killer. Case closed." She walked toward her kids. "We're leaving."

Bash took his arm away from Hermione. "There was no gun."

"This isn't petty theft or a bar fight we're talking about, Bash," Fred told him. "This is murder."

"Okay, fine, then we'll go to the Sheriff without you," Archie told them.