The Other Detective - Book 3 (Riverdale Season 3)

Fortune and Men's Eyes - Part 1

"What's up?" Aminity jumped. "Sorry," he chuckled, but she didn't smile. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Fine."

"You sure?"

"I said I'm fine," she snapped before stopping and looking up at him. "Sorry. I just didn't sleep much last night."

"You look like it."

"Wow. You're great with the ladies."

Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying you look a little rough. You've got bags under your eyes, your hair's so much of a mess that even your beanie can't hide it."

"Yeah, you're not making this much better."

He chuckled. "You sure you're okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I wouldn't put it like that."

***

"Runic? That seems right," Aminity said as they walked into the hospital, Jughead and Betty filling her in on their visit to the coroner's office. "And cyanide mixed with Fresh-Aid made their lips blue?"

"Blueberry Fresh-Aid dyes your lips apparently," Betty shrugged as they reached Ben's room, walking in. "Hi, Mrs. Button. We just wanted to see how Been was doing."

"How do you know my Ben?" she asked as one of her hands rubbed her unconscious son's arm.

"Uh, from school. And he and I used to work at the Twilight Drive In." Mrs. Button smiled.

"How is he?" Aminity asked.

"He's stabilized, but he hasn't woken up yet."

"Do you know what happened in the woods, Mrs. Button?" Betty asked.

"No. Ben's always been a bit of an odd duck, you could say. Kept to himself. Especially after his piano teacher was murdered." They all glanced at each other. "But this summer he became friends with-"

"Dilton Doiley," Betty cut her off.

"That's right. It's like he became a different person. Secretive, sneaking out at all hours, having these horrible nightmares."

"Mrs. Button," Jughead spoke from where he stood next to the door, "do you know what this is or how it got here?" he asked of the small twig figure that was hanging on the doorknob.

"Maybe that nice girl left it."

"Someone else came to visit Ben?"

"Another friend from school. I don't remember her name. She wore a bow in her hair," Mrs. Button answered her.

"Was her name Ethel Muggs by chance?" Aminity spoke up.

"I think that was it." They all turned as the door opened.

"Jughead. Betty. Aminity. Look, I don't care how Keller ran things when he was sheriff, but I won't let a couple teenagers compromise an active murder investigation," Minetta said.

"And if this is an active murder investigation, you might want to start by letting the rest of the town know."

"Sheriff Minetta?" a deputy came up behind him.

"What, Henderson?"

"An Adventure Scout's parents called. They haven't seen him in two days."

"What?" Betty asked.

"We've got a missing kid, Sheriff, and he was a part of Dilton Doiley's troup."

***