Riverdale: What no one saw coming...

Chapter Twenty-Four

Betty sat, the harsh, bright light of the interrogation room blinding her. She could feel small trickles of sweat forming at the top of her forehead. She shifted uncomfortably in the hard , wooden chair her and tens of other criminals had sat on under the same situations as her. Her heart pulsed irregularly. Due to her nerves, and as she was beginning to form a habit, she began silently tapping her left toe on the floor. He left leg crossed tight over her right. He palms felt sore and wet.

Sheriff Keller paraded the room back and forth in silence rubbing his chin, his face in a state of ponder. It had been this way for five minutes. He occasionally looked up at her, glaring at her. Almost making her feel guilty, like a criminal. The silence that held didn't do anything for Bettys mental state, not even Jughead's. This was because as Betty spent every second dwelling upon what he could possibly want to talk about, making matters much worse in her own head- forcing her to clench harder and tighter into her palms.  Jughead sat in his own interrogation room worried. More worried than he was this morning when they took him away. More worried than when they closed the drive in and he was made both unemployed and homeless. More worried than when his Mom told him she was taking his little sister and moving away from in and his Dad. They may have framed him, but he was not going to let them drag her down with him. He would protect her no matter what... and if it came to it provide a false confession removing any suspicion they had on Betty.

Betty was still furiously tapping away when the Sherriff finally stopped pacing and took a seat on the identical wooden chair at the opposite end of the egg shell plastic table that separated them. He had a disappointed look on his face.

"So.. Betty when were you going to tell me or report your parents missing?" The sheriff asked in a knowing tone. Ice ran threw Bettys veins and all colour drained from her face.

"Missing? What? They are not missing they are at the office now , probably writing up this weeks town news letter!" Betty exclaimed. He must of gotten it wrong... this wasn't possible.

"We called. Three times actually. We sent officers down to the office. No car- no one home. We tried to ring their mobile phones. We got sent straight to voicemail  So Betty either your hiding something or you are going to tell me everything you know. Starting with how in the Hell you didn't notice that your parents hadn't been home or communicated with you. Or else you will end up in a cell like your little Boyfriend in there!" He raised his voice pointing at the door. Forcing Betty to grimace, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up tall. The sheriff shouted so loudly his voice could be heard outside the door and down the hall forcing the whole precinct to go silent. This also meant that across the hall Jughead could hear the muffled shouting's of an angry sheriff. Forcing him to stand and wrap his hand around his head in frustration. He couldn't stand being defenceless, not being able to go help her, comfort her, protect her. He could almost feel the fear radiating from her at this moment. Yet she claimed a cool, composed demeanour , all but her face that was still in shock from the news.

Betty took a deep breath, she always hated being scolded.

" Me and my Mum and Dad haven't been on speaking terms since Polly.." She said carefully not wanting to reveal anything he doesn't need to know. She continued " They began working really late nights and early mornings, its happened before when me and Polly stopped speaking to them, they left me a note the other day explain it too me. I guess. I have just had so much going on.."

"-You mean tracking down Jason's killer. For what? Just to fund out he was right beside you searching with you?" He interrupted in a cocky tone.

"Hey he didn't do this... Hes being framed and for all we know the person doing this too him could be sat right in front of us." Betty bit back...

"Is that some sort of accusation, are you suggesting I, The Sheriff the person who was actually assigned the case not you two amateur slooths, framed your boyfriend for the murder?" The sheriff asked , a smirk riding up on his face.

Betty knew she didn't need him to think she was suspecting him, not directly anyway.  

"Not at all Sheriff I meant in general, but you are awfully paranoid. And as for "amateur slooths", we found a piece of evidence that you hadn't found in months." Betty said with sass, a surge of new found confidence she never had before forced her to stand up for herself. Something she wouldn't normally do, Jughead must be rubbing off on her.

"Very well Miss Cooper... as you are their only family, you will be the first notified when we hear any information. We pass your parents along with Polly onto missing persons. If you hear anything from any of them notify me as soon as possible , so we can get them home to you as soon as possible. As for where you are staying your parents did give you the rights as a child to your own body when you turn sixteen. As you have passed this age you can live on your own as long as a neighbour signs a statement to check in on you daily. You will be provided a weekly allowance that you will have to payback either when your parents return or when you have a stable income." Betty could feel her heart ache once more, her vision blur this was all becoming too real. Her parents were really missing. Really gone, she never felt so alone. Her boy friend was in jail, her sister had ran away, her friends had their own problems and she was left alone, once again.

She felt the tears return to her cheeks. Keller awkwardly looked away.

"Right then.. if you need anymore support come back to the station.... or if you want to confess anything . I will take you back to Mr One to finish you thirty minute session." He stood up and held open the door.

Betty couldn't speak, she couldn't react to the fact he thought she need to confess to something. She wrapped her arms tight around herself and followed the sheriff out of the door into the hall. He opened the door to the interrogation room that held the raven haired boy she needed more than anything right now. He unlocked the his door, his multiple keys clanging against each other.

The noise echoed in her head loudly. The door finally swung open, to reveal Jughead nervously pacing up ad down the room. His eyes lighting up when she walked in to the room. Only to be replaced by worried ones when he saw the tear scars ruing down her face. She walked straight over to him and buried her face into his chest. He responded by wrapping his arms around her back and gently kissing the top of her head. His eyes becoming wet and full at the aspect of her crying.

He didn't ask. He knew now want the tom . Right now she needed him and that what he was prepared to give her . He held onto her tightly , never wanting to let her go. He felt her sobs harden on his chest, breaking his heart into two. She didn't want to speak right now she ust wanted him there, she wanted to know she wasn't alone. And for him, he would never leave her alone again. Both embraced each other, reflecting on what had happened to them today, being accused of murder and finding out you parents are missing, the only thing providing them relief was each other. Each other , that was all they needed to come through this.. together.

Sheriff Keller turned to leave the room, but as he close the door he didn't miss the opportunity to shout back:
"I guess Riverdale's Perfect family, was never so perfect after all."