Always and Forever

Chapter 12: Anatomy of a Murder

I now stood in Pops, we had just 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 FP innocent," I advised. "Where's 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.

"Our dad will know what to do," Archie said with confidence. We went back home and told our parents, Mrs. Cooper, and Mrs. Lodge what they did.

"You did what?" 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," I spoke.

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

"Yeah, excuse me if I trusted 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 Mrs. Cooper.

"Excuse me?" Mrs.Lodge snapped.

"What!" Mom also snapped.

"Alice!" Dad shouted.

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

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

"There was no gun!" Archie shouted.

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

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

"Dani, your brother entered FP's residence illegally," 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," Dad argued back.

"Well, that's not your decision to make!" I barked back.

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Late that night, I stared up at my ceiling when Archie came in.

"Come on," Archie ordered and he threw a coat and sweatpants at me.