It's been a tough few weeks for Riverdale. First, Jason Blossom dies, then it's revealed he was murdered, then his sister, Cheryl, pleads guilty. Turns out Cheryl didn't kill her brother, though. Why did she confess? Who knows. But that's what I'm trying to figure out, I know there's a mystery behind Jason's death and I, Jughead Jones, am going to solve it. There's just one little issue, though. There's been no news about Jason's death, or whereabouts on that fateful day. So there's no leads for me to follow up on. As I type this, I'm sitting here at Pop Tate's, eating a strawberry sundae, racking my brain for answers, or clues, just anything. And then they walked in. Cheryl Blossom. Queen Bee of Riverdale High. She walked up to my booth and sat directly opposite me. Not saying a word. Guess I was going to have to be the instigator of this conversation.
"What do you want?" I asked, looking up at her from my sundae.
Cheryl took a look around Pop's and leaned in closer to me. I was hoping to God she wasn't going to kiss me. But she didn't. She did something better.
"I have some more information" she said.
"About?" I asked.
"Jason" she simply stated.
I looked directly in her eyes, knowing that, even if it was some tiny fact, like he secretly liked My Little Pony or something, it's still a lead for me. She continued on.
"Just before the boating accident, the week before, we were in Boston" she told me.
"Boston?" I asked.
"Yes" she answered, a tad awkwardly.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" I asked.
"We were on holiday, it was the week before, I didn't think it mattered" Cheryl stated.
"Everything matters, Cheryl," I told her, "What were you doing in Boston?"
"Nothing important," Cheryl said, getting all defensive, "My high profile friend owns this hotel over there, and she offered a suite to Jason and I for what we were doing there"
"Which was?" I asked her.
"I'd rather not say, Jughead, it could ruin my reputation" she said.
Knowing I wasn't going to get an answer about what they were doing in this Boston hotel, I stopped pushing her and asked something different.
"Do you have this friend's contact details?" I asked.
"She doesn't like her details given out to just anybody, she's very well-known," she said, but then pulled a small card out of her pocket, "But you could probably find her here anyway"
I took the card off her and took a look at it. "The Tipton Hotel". This was my new lead. Looks like I'm going on a little road trip. I looked up to thank her, but Cheryl had gone just as quickly as I'd read that card. Guess her friend was going to have to tell me what I wanted to know.
It took me awhile to get to Boston, and actually find the Tipton, but once I was there, it astounded me. It looked even more fancy than what I expected from the card Cheryl had given me. But I needed to find out what I needed, so I walked directly through those large front doors. It was just as fancy inside. No sooner had I entered, I was greeted by this small man that bared a tiny resemblance to Principal Weatherbee.
"Welcome to the Tipton," he said, "I'm Marion Moseby, the manager here, what can I do for you? Can I get you a suite?"
I thought on it for a moment, but figured, it could take me a few days to find this friend of Cheryl's I needed to talk to.
"Actually, yes, you can" I said.
The Moseby man lead me over to the reception desk, and we organised a suite on the second floor to myself.
"You know, you look quite familiar, do I know you?" he eyed me strangely as he gave me the keys.
"I've never left my hometown of Riverdale, so you shouldn't" I told him as I took the keys and walked into the middle of the lobby.
I looked around the lobby to see if I could notice anyone of Cheryl's stature, but nothing. All I saw were tourists and locals and workers and more tourists. Then it caught my eye. Over in the far corner near some stairs that lead to the elevators. Oh, no, it wasn't the blonde girl behind the counter. It was the variety of candy available to buy. I had to check that candy counter out.
"Hi" the girl greeted me with a wave.
"Hi" I said back, scanning through all the delicious candy.
"Can I help you with anything?" she asked.
"I'm just amazed at your variety of candy" I told her, pointing to the shelf behind her.
"Oh, well, feel free to take a browse, through" she offered, bringing a few boxes down onto the counter.
I started browsing through the chocolate but this girl decided to start a conversation with me.
"I'm Maddie" she said.
"Jughead" I replied, still looking through the boxes.
"Are you just visiting the hotel?" she asked me.
"Actually, I'll be staying for a bit," I ruffled through the chocolate bars, "I'm in the middle of writing a novel based on a real life mystery, and my newest lead has lead me here"
"Oh, I love mysteries," she responded, "I'd be happy to help if you ever needed a co-writer, or partner in crime or something like that"
"I'll keep that in mind," I said, shoving a pile of different candy towards her, "I'll take all these"
"All of them?" Maddie asked, stunned.
"Yes," I said, looking up at her, "All of them"
She gave me a weird look as I just stared at her.
"What? I like my food" I said.
"No, it's not that," she said as she began scanning my items through, "You just look like someone I know"
"Well, I can assure you, I'm not," I told her, "Can we focus on my candy bars?"
"Yeah, right, that'll be fifty dollars" she told me.
I pulled out a fifty dollar note and handed it to her, but something else had gotten her attention. I have no idea how this girl got this job here if she was so distracted.
"London!" She called out, "London!"
She waved for this 'London' person to come over to us. Great, just what I wanted. Another local to associate with.
"What is it, Maddie? You know, I'm a very busy person" This London person said.
"Look at this guy," Maddie told her, pointing at me, "Tell me what you see"
London looked at me and stared at me for a few seconds then gave a small gasp.
"He looks like Zack!" she burst out.
"You mean Cody" Maddie said.
"No, I'm pretty sure it's Zack" London told her.
"No, it's Cody" Maddie retaliated.
"I think I know Zack from Cody, Maddie" London huffed.
I didn't want no part of their little tiff, so I spoke up.
"Look, I don't care about this Zack and Cody, I just want my candy bars so I can go up to my suite to work on the mystery novel I'm writing about Cheryl Blossom's dead brother!" I fumed, scurrying up all my pieces of candy, and snatching the change off Maddie.
"Jason's dead?!" London asked me, gasping.
This got both me and Maddie staring at her in bemusement.
"You know Cheryl Blossom?" I asked her.
"Duh, she's like my bestest friend ever-" London began, but she was cut off from a cough by Maddie.
"In Riverdale! Of course!" London continued, "I offered her and Jason a suite here a few weeks ago"
Ah. So she was Cheryl's intel. I stared directly at London.
"I'm going to need you to help me with my mystery, London" I told her.
"Ooh, I'd be delighted to! Will I be like your Lucy Liu?" London asked me.
"Please. You don't even know her character's name in the show" Maddie butted in.
"I do too!" London retaliated.
"What is it, then?" Maddie asked her.
"Dr. Wantirna Lane" London said.
"Look, Jughead, I know we just met, but if you want to involve London in your mystery, you're going to need me too" Maddie told me.
"Why?" I asked her.
"Just trust me," she told me, staring directly in my eyes, "You just will"