Chapter 5: Ties To Crime
June, 25, 2019
"Has anything happened to Cheryl that would cause her blackmailer to kidnap her?" FP asks Toni on the 25th of June.
Cheryl has officially been missing for Two and half weeks and sixteen days. Toni already sleeps and FP starts to worry.
"She was almost raped by a guy she won't name from New York. His family paid her hush money to keep quiet and Penelope didn't believe anything bad ever happened to Cheryl..." FP decided he wouldn't write that in the official report.
His stomach gnawed at the thought of Cheryl being left in such vulnerability. He knew about her attempt at Sweetwater. But this was brand new information.
"When did this happen?" He asks honestly as he clenched his fists secretly underneath the table.
"Apparently the night of Jughead's big trial... She hadn't spoken much to me about that night. Veronica would be the one to ask, Archie and Josie they were there that night." FP nodded his head before giving Toni a soft smile.
"It's going to be okay. We will find her and bring her home." He tried to remain confident. But Toni and FP both knew that wealth doesn't keep you safe.
—A Few Days Later—
On June 28th at 1:23 P.M., the sky's were sunny and a slight chance of rain. FP had promised Toni to look in on Veronica. So that morning, he took his motorcycle for a drive to Four Seasons. He knocked on the door, waiting for one of the Lodges to answer.
"Mr. Jones, this quite a surprise," Veronica said as she welcomed him in.
She took him to the couch for them to talk. She knew it was about Cheryl's investigation. She wasn't blind nor naïve to know that this is why he payed her a visit. The last time FP payed a kind visit it was after Jughead had gotten released from the Riverdale General.
"Oh, well, I know... ever since the last time I was here..." She nodded at the recall to the event.
"Yeah, FP, I'm sorry that he did that." FP shook his head." That was your father not you, Veronica. You didn't tell him to nearly kill my boy that night."
"Yeah... I know I didn't, FP. But I still feel gutted by it. He's my father who did that to a kid that was my age at the time."
FP sighed before taking a glance around." That's not why I'm here but I do want you to know that I don't blame or hold any of that against. I know just because you born into the Lodge name... doesn't mean that you are like your father in anyway or another." Veronica smirks. "Thank you, FP."
"Anyways, why are you here for then?" She asked as she causally swirled the glass in her hand and took a quick sip.
"I need to know what happened to Cheryl doing the middle of sophomore year... please Veronica anything would help the cause."
Her heart began to pound." Uh... well... off the record... She burned down Thornhill after she tried to take her life at Sweetwater...." FP's eyed her with complete shock. "Yeah... Archie, Betty, Jughead and I were the only ones who knew... well besides Toni." She added, swallowing the gulp down her throat.
"Oh... dear... I made her..." She shook her head at him." No, you did not, FP. Her mother's abuse, Jason's death, the want to be who she was, her father murdered her brother that's what made her do it, not you."
"I didn't help the matter. I should've just went to the authorities when I made the discovery..."
"And what? Your son being murdered by Clifford? You would be in grief, FP. I know you wanted things differently but that's what would've happened. Cheryl forgave you a long time ago. She told me... well she was tipsy one night after helping at La Bonne Nuit. It was Jason's birthday and hers. Toni was at work and so she stopped by. She told me that she didn't blame you. She blamed her mother for marrying such a callus man and her father for pulling the trigger. Never did she blamed you."
After finally discussing should-haves. FP and Veronica came to an agreement. Toni was their family and they would protect her in one way... the serpents.
"So you're telling me that the St Clairs's son, Nick St Clair tried assaulting... Cheryl?" FP's throat felt thickened by the tear that streamed down his cheeks.
"Yes. His parents payed Penelope Blossom hush money and... Cheryl was so heartbroken her mother didn't believe her.."
"That bitch!" He exclaimed angrily as he slapped his hand harshly on the couch, causing Veronica to wince.
"Yeah, she's the halo queen of bitches." Veronica said as she leaned back to wipe at her eyes. "That's not all."
"What there's more?" He asked, feeling his abdominal area tightened.
"Archie paid him a visit after well Hiram made him have an 'accident'- after I let it slip that he tried to do the same with me when I was still with Archie..." She confided in him.
His jaw locks tightly." He didn't..."
She shakes her head with a sad chuckle."No, I slapped him across the face the night he brought Jingle Jangle to the party. Betty was acting weird and I found out later that it was because Hal... anyways... no, nothing happened to me."
"Anyways back to the story, Nick had been furious at Archiekins for beating him up... that he nabbed him and held him hostage because his parents cut him off."
"Serves him right." He laughed evilly at the fact Nick had gotten some payback.
"I tried to scrounge up money for him, but I was short on case. He wanted... to...um...Archie escaped somehow and I roofied him." She chuckles lightly.
"You are a bad ass, Lodge. You took on a slimy bastard like him and taught him a lesson using his own medicine. I'm impressed, Veronica." He smirked.
"That's not even the best part... in return for holding my boyfriend hostage... I held him for ransom and his parents disowned after they learned what he tried to do to Cheryl and I or who knows how many girls."
He got a realization that made his stomach knot with fear." Cheryl had gotten threats about her owing someone money and—" She gasped.
"You... you don't think Nick did this?"
He shrugged his shoulders." I don't know... but all the evidence would match up to the story. He wanted revenge for what he lost and what you've told me... that seems to be enough motive to want to crime."
He watches her sink into the couch further. "Listen, Veronica, I don't know all the answers I'm just trying to piece everything together." He confessed, trying to soothe her nerves.
"Oh, pray to God not..."Veronica slips before she led him out of the Four seasons.
YOU ARE READING
Light A Match
Mystery / Thriller- COMPLETED - Everywhere she went she was known as Fire. Cheryl Blossom rocked red, displayed fire in her soul. That was until the day she met Toni. That girl changed her world. They started dating towards the end of sophomore year and had been goi...
