We stood in dr curdles dr morgue.
"I'm hoping we already know the answer dr curdle jr but is this my sisters body?" Betty asks
"Your sisters been missing for a week these remains have been in swedlow swamp for approximately three years. The bog preserved her." He says
I rub my face "do you have a cause of death yet?" I ask
"At first blush, blunt force trauma to the head" he says
"What happens to the body now, to her?" Kev asks
"Without identification she'll be sent to the crematorium for disposal." He says
"Dr curdle will you just wait a beat while we do some digging for her identity" Betty asks
"This is now a murder investigation, hold off of burning her. We will dig like b said and if we can't find her. It will become a cold case" I say sighing
I hated cold cases.
"Of course" he says
"Right I'm going back to swedlow swamp Polly or at least her phone is out there" Alice says
"Get home before it gets dark. Not alone" I say and she nods her head before leaving
Cheryl came back to school and is now teaching the vixens.
I gave the students the last 30 minutes of class to work on their papers.
Betty told me that there were three missing girls which means we can officially open up and investigation.
I sat with my friends at the bar "guys this is Eric Jackson" Archie says "we served together I trust him with my life. Eric these are the guys and lady" Archie says
"Nice to meet you fellas and lady" he says
"I actually I have to I have papers to grade and I have to officially open up a murder investigation and kidnapping with Betty. Hi nice to me you I'm part of the fbi and work as a teacher also a serpent" I say shaking his hand.
I kiss sweets bye before I go and meet up with Betty
"Thank you for coming ms Harper we didn't want to reopen old wounds" Betty says
"But we are working on another missing persons case when my partner here came across your daughters file" I say
"Margaret was a bright girl. But she fell in with the wrong crowd." She says
"Were you and Margaret close?" Betty asks
"Not so much I think she... felt like she could talk to me. Once she....she started going with the truckers" she says and I sit up in my seat
"Ms Harper what do you personally believe happened to your daughter?" I ask
"I have no idea which in a way makes it so much worse." She says
"Yeah I understand" Betty says
"Sheriff Keller did what he could but he was one man and the whole town was falling apart" ms Harper says
"Keller is a great man, he's a great sheriff. But now we're here" I say
"There was a social worker named Toni she was a godsend" ms Harper says
"We are well aware, we three go way back" I say
The next day all my students besides one have turned in their paper.
"Feel free to look over your next reading assignment" I say passing out packets for them to do.
"We will start working on page one tomorrow. Jay can I see you after class" I ask and he sighs
The bell rings and he stays in his seat
"What's up why haven't I gotten your paper?" I ask him
"Because I don't feel like doing it it's not something that's interesting" he says
"Listen to me. I never said you couldn't write about serpents. Find something you would love to improve to help them. Tell me how you would do it and how it would benefit them all" I say
"Really your letting me write about serpents? No teacher has done that" he says
"Well your other teachers weren't one. I'll extend your due date to tomorrow get it to me bright and early" I say he nods his head and leaves as my next class started to come in.
"Betty cooper Avery lodge what can I get you two" Toni asks as we sit down
"Toni does the name Margaret Harper mean anything to you?" Betty asks
"Yeah she went missing a few years ago" Toni says
"Yeah we've been looking for Polly as you know when Betty came across her file" I say
"We talked to her mom who said that you really helped her" Betty says
"I mean I tried to the truth is there's a lot of Margaret's in riverdale she's just one of the few that went missing and got reported" Toni says
"Yeah" Betty says
"I try to set them up with jobs or a support group, but it's hard you know" Toni says
"Of course" I say
"Toni, we found a body in swedlow swamp" Betty says
"Oh my god" she says
"It wasn't Polly, it wasn't Margaret but Betty's mom found Polly's phone there" I say
"Something really bad is happening in that swamp and we need your help searching it" Betty says
"All the serpents are at your two disposal" Toni says
"Thank you" Betty says
We get up to leave and I run over and kiss sweets.
I grade all the papers and return then jay hands me his. We did pages one and two of the packets.
They took Notes on what we read or went over.
We search the swamp for Polly and my dad shows up
"That's far enough" my dad says
"Everyone of you is trespassing on private property" my dad says
"retreat immediately or face the consequences" Reg says
"Well I would say it's nice to see you again Reg but that would be a lie since you turned into my dads bitch" I say
"Hiram my daughters missing she might be somewhere in your swamp" Alice says
"Alice as a father I feel your pain but I can't have people wandering through here all of this is going to be my new turnpike." My dad says and I get in his face
"It's also a crime scene" I say
"Well if it is it's not the sheriff's jurisdiction" my dad says
I hold up my badge with the fbi as does Betty "well we are with the fbi so the fbi is declaring this a crime scene" I say
"I think you're gonna need better than those badges you got out of a jacker crack box Betty in the mean time off my property" my dad says
" I'll just come back with a warrant dad, and we are with the fbi. You just made yourself an enemy dad" I say Reggie and his goons cock their guns
"Now" my dad says
We leave.
The next day at school I pass out everyone's work and assign their homework.
When I get home I go over some case files to see if I can find a connection.
Sweets walks in "hey baby what's up" he asks
"Just finished grading my classes papers now I'm trying to see if any of these missing persons cases have any links while I try to get a warrant to search my asshole of a dads swamp because it's a crime scene." I say I put my head in my hands
He wraps his arms around me "sounds like you need a distraction" he whisper in my ear he starts kissing my neck. When I get a call from Betty
"Hello?" I say
"The trash bag killer is back" Betty says I stand up pushing sweets off on me "what? How many victims?" I ask I grab a pen and paper
"Two so far glen is gonna handle it. In Tulsa" she says
"Are you ok, if you start having those nightmares again I want you to call me. We will catch that bastard and figure out what's going on here" I say
"I know" she says sniffing she hangs up on me
"What did she want?" Sweets asks me
"A serial killer we were chasing as trainees showed up again. Betty found out where he was and went without back up. I was right behind if only I could have been a little smarter. She got taken. All I did was work that case until I finally found her. He ended up getting away. Don't tell anyone that I shouldn't have told you but I felt like I needed to" I say
"Your secret safe with me" he says and kisses me
"Is that why she's a trainee and your not?" He asks
"Yeah they held her because she was having nightmares they were scared she wasn't ready. But my epic save got me graduated." I say
"Why can't you ask for a warrant?" He asks
"They wouldn't grant it we don't have enough we have a Jane doe from 3 years ago and two missing people with complicated pasts. So I have to keep digging" I say
"I'm leaving tomorrow, gotta work I'll be back in a day or two" he says
"Ok but keep your eyes opened ok and if you see anything weird tell me cuz this whole thing is around truckers" I say he kisses me
He lifts me up and puts my on the counter "now do I have your full attention?" He asks me I give him an amused smile
"I don't my sweets maybe show me something" I say he smirks before taking his shirt off
"Is this enough?" He asks me I trace my hand up his abs I grab his pant hooks and pull him closer to me.
"Not even close" I whisper to him and he kisses me
The next day I grade papers at my desk when Betty calls me I rush to the dr curdles office
"Where did you find this body ms cooper?" He asks as I walk in
"I didn't exactly an associate did in the swamp and I know it's not Polly but it is-" Betty says
"Margaret Harper?" Dr curdle asks "yes the telltale braces are present on her teeth" dr curdle says
I leaned over and whispered "Reg?" And she nodded her head.
I knew he wasn't a total bitch now.
"Likely cause of death, trauma the left side of her body was pulverized as if with a wrecking ball" curdle adds
"Oh my god" I say
"We're so so sorry Diana" Alice says
"But you're....you're sure it's my Margaret?" Ms Harper asks I get a call from Reggie
"Excuse me" I say and get up and answer
"Hey Reginald" I say
"Avery. Your father is allowing you to search the swamp" Reg says
"I wonder who convinced him of that. Reg you might be working for a king pin but you will always be one of us. I'm happy to hear from you. Truly." I say
"Me to ave me to" he says
"Reg?" I ask
"Yeah?" He says
"I- just don't be a stranger to me. And I'll get some groups out there. Thank you again" I say
"No problem ave, it was nice talking to ya" he says
"Same, bye I love you Reg don't forget that" I say
I hear him chuckle "I love you too ave" he says and then hangs up.
I walk back to the group "sorry to interrupt, we just got confirmation from my dad himself we can search the swamp" I say
"Two young women went missing on the lonely highway" I say To Keller and Toni
"Margaret Harper and Polly. We found Margaret's remains in swedlow swamp" Betty says
"Where I found Polly's phone" Alice says walking out with some coffee
"And we also found another set of remains in the swamp belonging to an unidentified young women" I say
"And I reached out to sheriffs offices in the counties that touch along the lonely highway, asking about any unsolved missing persons reports, specifically young women they came back with 13 names" sheriff Keller says
"We need to cross check each of those girls to see if they have a troubled back ground that's what seems to be what draws the victims to whoever this is" I say
"I've been in touch with a network of social workers in towns the lonely highway runs through, and I got 11 names back five of which overlap with toms list" Toni says
"So we're talking about 21 missing girls" Betty says
"How many of them will we find in the swamp" I say
"Well at least Hiram has agreed to let us search it now" Alice says
"21 girls, they can't all be runaways." Betty says
"Well what do you guys think? Human trafficking?" Toni asks
"Honestly I'm thinking a serial killer" I say