The next week was a blur for Alice. Her life was like a merry-go-round, except it wasn't merry. Round and round in circles. The same thing every day. Wake up, get dressed, make breakfast. Work from home, have lunch, work again. Make dinner. Sleep. Repeat. Betty had asked if she was okay two days ago, and Alice had insisted that she was fine, of course she was fine. She'd used up six cans of air freshener by now, the house still reeked of bleach and the smell just wouldn't go away. Alice dreaded thinking about Hal coming home and asking why he could still smell bleach. He hadn't text or even called to ask why she wasn't showing up to work, Alice assumed by now that she was fired once again. She considered asking Weatherbee if she could advise at the Blue and Gold again, but that meant leaving the house unattended. She had to keep an eye out, the Black Hood rumours were stronger than ever since the kids returned from their weekend getaway. She had asked Betty about the rumours, if anything happened, but Betty had been blunt and told her to drop it. She was hiding something, and Alice knew it. Maybe she could ask Jughead about it, pester it out of him. Alice pulled herself out of bed and sighed when she looked in her wardrobe. Everything was pastel, save for a few items of clothing. She was going out to do some sleuthing, she should at the very least look presentable. Alice decided on a grey blouse, black trousers and chunky grey heels; she put on some makeup, curled her hair, and twirled in front of the mirror. She felt better doing this, knowing she was going out, doing something, had increased her mood tenfold. Today would not be a repeat of the last week, she was going to make this day worthwhile.
While making pancakes, Alice turned on the radio and hummed along to the songs being played. She was still determined to get something out to this day, she wanted to make something of it instead of moping around the house again. She set the table and placed the orange juice and pancakes in the three places set for her, Betty, and Chic. Betty came down first, rubbing her eyes. She sat next to Alice and drowned the three pancakes she'd piled on her plate in maple syrup, and downed a glass of orange juice. Alice knew her youngest daughter was either guilty of or hiding something; she'd been acting weird ever since the murder. They'd all been acting weird, but Betty had been treating Alice as if she were a china doll, and now she refused to talk about her weekend away at the cabin. Betty was hiding something and Alice was determined to find out what. Alice squinted her eyes at her daughter before Chic finally entered the dining room, dressed in his work uniform, and grabbed a pancake.
"Gotta go, bye," he said with a stuffed mouth.
"Hang on," Betty turned to face Chic with an accusing eye, "it's Sunday, you don't work on Sundays."
Chic shrugged and shouted as he left through the front door, "picked up an extra shift."
Alice gave Betty a look once her daughter had turned around again, who, in return, made a face at her mother, said she was spending the day with Veronica, and left the house. Alice was alone again. She should be used to it by now, she supposed. With Hal gone; Chic working; and Betty in school or with Jughead, Alice was by herself the majority of the time. Although, she didn't mind sometimes – it was an opportunity to write or get some of the latest gossip for a scoop. But after being alone for a week (since Hal left, actually, but she wasn't going to admit that to herself), Alice wanted some company. She thought about going to see FP again, yet Jughead could be there. She needed to catch the boy alone, not with his father. Fred was next door. Alice smiled to herself as she cleared the breakfast table, conjuring up a plan. She had to wait until noon, invite Fred over for a coffee to say sorry for ignoring him the other week, and casually mention that cabin in conversation. Alice figured that the best way to distract herself would be to clean the house. She couldn't be bothered, though. It was just her, and what needed cleaning, anyway? It was then she remembered the clock still under the cushion on the sofa. Alice rolled her eyes as she picked it up and gave it a once over. It wasn't broken, but Hal brought it and she found it ugly, maybe she could give it to someone, but the bin was better. She didn't even look at the clock when she heard it smash in the trash.
Alice had spent the last three hours cleaning out the house of items she didn't want. If Hal wasn't there, he didn't get a say. So far, she had thrown out two ornaments, the sofa cushions, the clock, and one of Hal's favourite paintings she hated. Albeit, she did hesitate with the painting. Alice looked at her watch and decided it was time to carry out her plan. She left the Cooper house and knocked on her neighbour's door, putting on her best smile.
"Alice, what is it?" Fred leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a coffee, Fred? It seems we're both alone today, and I want to apologise for ignoring you last week," Alice smiled at him. She didn't want to apologise.
"Apology accepted, Alice," Fred said. He went to close the door and Alice, thinking fast, grabbed it, she was a theatre student, she could act desperation with ease.
"Please. Please come over," Alice silently applauded herself when Fred's eyes went soft and he nodded, exiting his house. The sudden relief she felt when Fred accepted her invitation made her think that maybe it wasn't all acting. She needed a friend, and maybe after twenty years she could fix her relationship with Fred. Maybe. She needed information first.
Alice fixed up some sandwiches and coffee for the both of them, remembering Fred liked cheese sandwiches and three lumps of sugar in his coffee. She started the conversation by saying sorry, of course. She knew it was coming, the two questions everyone was asking her.
"Where's Hal?" Fred said with genuine concern.
"He, um, he left to stay at a BnB… because he doesn't like Chic. He told me it was either him or Chic, so of course I chose my son," Alice looked into her cup. Thankfully, Fred didn't' push it and she wasn't asked about Chic. Alice had always had a vulnerability around Fred, she trusted him, even after being on bad terms for twenty years. They both sat in silence for a while, and Alice started playing with her wedding ring, which Fred caught on to. Alice took a breath and started her sleuthing, "has Archie told you anything about his weekend away?"
"No, he hasn't, Alice. Why? Are you snooping again?" Fred said with a playful smirk.
"Of course not," Alice took a sip from her coffee. If she wanted to get information, she was going to have to give some of her own up, and she knew exactly what to say, "Betty's hiding something about the cabin, I know she is, Fred. Every time I bring it up, she changes the topic or brushes me off. I'm a journalist, I know these things. Something happened at that cabin, Fred. I really think you should ask Archie about it."
When Fred left at one in the afternoon, Alice looked out the window, making sure he was in his house, before grabbing her bag and heading out to FP's to try and catch Jughead alone. She was sure FP had a shift at Pop's today, anyway. Alice thoughts drifted and she realised that this was the most of FP she had seen since high school. If it wasn't for Betty dating his son, she'd more than likely have no contact with him at all. Alice liked Jughead, she really did, he was a bright kid and a kind soul; her only problem with him was him being a Jones, and the Jones boys were magnets for trouble. She knew this from first-hand experience, after dating FP for nearly all of high school and ending it badly at the end of junior year. She then spent the entirety of summer worrying about her pregnancy, and decided to find her way out of the Southside by taking Hal Cooper up on his offer for a date. She stayed with him through senior year, partly for spite towards FP, but mostly because she wanted a way out of the Southside; and perfect preppy boy, Hal Cooper was her way out. She loved him in the end, she really did, but now Alice felt it fizzling away, and honestly? She'd given up caring. She slammed the car door shut, walked up the steps and knocked on the trailer door. FP took his time, but finally opened the door as Alice lifted her fist to knock again.
Alice raised an eyebrow at the man, "is Jughead home?"
"This isn't a social call then?" FP waiting for Alice's response, but she just shook her head at him, her perfectly curled hair falling over her shoulders, "no, he's not home."
"Oh, well can I ask you something?"
"Sure," FP motioned for Alice to step in the trailer, but she just shook her head again. She knew if she went in she wouldn't want to leave, and she needed to speak to Jughead, so she couldn't risk that.
"It'll only take a minute," Alice asked him the same thing she had asked Fred earlier, and she received the same response. She figured she'd get the same with Hermione and Hiram, too. FP told her he didn't know where his son was, and Alice wasn't about to go around town calling his name like a dog. She can ask him another day. But Alice, being Alice, called Betty to tell her Jughead was welcome to stay the night. It turns out that Jughead was staying over Archie's and Betty was staying over Veronica's. Chic called not long after Alice arrived home to say he was "working late" and wouldn't be home until past ten. It seemed, to Alice, that everyone wanted to avoid her. She sighed and threw her phone on the kitchen counter. Looking around the house, she saw there was nothing to do, and dinner was always at seven. She had five hours to do what she wanted. There was no one home, she only had to cook for one and she had no articles to write. Alice looked towards the radio and laughed to herself, thinking it stupid, but did it anyway. She spent the next three hours baking and singing and dancing and laughing along to her favourite songs. Alice had never felt this happy along in a long time, it reminded her of when she was a carefree teen.
It was exactly 6pm when the front door opened. Alice, thinking it was Betty, went into the hallway to greet her daughter, but found Hal there instead. Her smile fell into a frown, and she sighed and crossed her arms. She hoped he noticed all the stuff she threw away so she could shove it in his face and tell him he's living at a BnB, he doesn't get a say. Alice mentally noted then that she needed to buy some new household items and that she could do it tomorrow. Hal simply told her he needed toiletries and headed upstairs to get them. Alice poured herself a glass of wine while waiting for him and stood by the front door, ready to open it for him. She glared at him as he walked down the stairs with some extra clothes and some toothpaste. Great, now she had to buy more. Hal made a point about the house still smelling of bleach by noticeably sniffing around.
"Have you heard the news, Alice?" Hal looked at her blankly. Alice's heart stopped and her chest became tight. The body…
"What news, Hal?" She had to put on a face, pretend she knew nothing.
"Sheriff Keller found a car in Sweetwater River a few miles up, and after searching the entire area the police found traces of blood in an old sewer pipe. They're looking for the body now."
"It's something you can put in the Register tomorrow, then." Alice needed him out of the house. Now. She opened the front door for him and swept her arm, telling him to leave. He did, but not before looking at her and scrunching his eyebrows. Shit, if Hal suspected her of anything. Alice waited fifteen minutes, pacing around the house, chewing her lip and digging her nails into her palms. She threw on any old coat she could find and raced out the front door, completely forgetting to lock it.
And for the second time that day, Alice Cooper knocked on FP Jones' trailer door.
