Riverdale: The Black Hood

The Tell-Tale Heart

It was the most unexpected thing that just happened. There, lying the floor, was a man that looked like he had been shot to the head, and blood was splattered everywhere, and Alice was doing her best to clean it up.

"What... What happened?" Betty asked.

"No, no," Alice said. "Don't come any closer. Don't... Don't touch anything. He tried to hurt me and Chuckie, your brother..."

Chuckie was over at the couch, his back turned towards us, sniffling.

Betty pulled her phone out.

"No, no, what are you doing?" Alice asked.

"I'm calling the police!" Betty said.

"No, don't do that," Alice stood. "Do not do that!"

"Mom, there's a man on our floor!" I said. "A dead man, for goodness sakes!"

"If the police come, they're gonna take Chuckie away from me and I won't let that happen again," Alice said.

"Well, if it was self-defense..." Betty said. "It was self-defense, right?"

"Yes, of course, it was," Alice said, bending down. "But it won't matter."

"What do we do?" I asked.

"Just go to your room," Alice said. "You didn't see anything."

"Mom, let us help you," I said.

Tears started pricking at the corners of my eyes.

"No, girls," Alice said. "It's better if you're not involved." She started cleaning up the blood again. .

Betty's started ringing, and Alice perked up.

"It's dad," Alice said.

"Don't answer it," Alice said.

"What if he came--" Betty started.

"Yes, you're right," Alice said. "Answer. Just... Just act like everything is normal."

Betty answered it, holding it to her ear, her voice shaking a little bit.

"Hi, Dad, what's up?" Betty said.

Short pause.

"Oh. Okay," Betty said. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Please tell me he's not coming here," Alice said.

"Uh, he needs toiletries," Betty said. "He says he doesn't wanna get in a fight with you."

"Betty!" Alice said.

"Mom... " Alice said. "We don't know how much time we have. Please just let us help you."

And in one reckless moment...

"Bleach is under the sink," Alice raising her hands up.

We took our jackets off, setting them in the chairs, and walked over to the kitch sink, pulling out the bottle of bleach and a couple hand towels.

... the lives of us Cooper women were forever changed.

They were a mother wanting to protect her son, and two daughters wanting to protect their mother, while less than fifty yards away... Archie was having issues of his own.

"Hello? Betty?" Hal walked in the house.

Just before he walked into the kitchen, we got everything cleaned up, even the food that was on the table.

"Betty," Hal acknowledged. "Alice. Gracie."

"Hal," Alice said.

"Dad," Betty and I said.