Author's Note: Hi everyone, my apologies for lack of updates. I had to add dialogue between Charles & Betty for this chapter, and then I had to deal with personal matters.

Anyways, thank you roxannahawkins2894 for the favorite & follow, and Boris Yeltsin for the reviews. I'm glad that Fan Fiction is straightening itself out with the chapters being uploaded. Hopefully, everything will be smooth sailing from now on.

So, here's the kick-off to 1x04, "The Last Picture Show." Enjoy!

I do not own Riverdale.

Chapter 69

"It had been a month since Jason Blossom drowned and Polly Cooper ran away. But his death and her disappearance is not the first. Nor would it be the last casualties that the town of Riverdale would suffer. The Twilight Drive-In, where I work, my home away from home…a piece of town history is closing for good just when we needed a place to escape to the most. With Sheriff Keller and Detective Smith knocking on every door and neighbor suspecting neighbor…Riverdale, every day that passes, is becoming more like Salem during witch trials." Jughead narrates.

Tom and Charles conducted interviews with the families in Riverdale, starting with the Andrews, Coopers, Lodges, and the Blossoms.

"And, meanwhile, the girl next door…our friendly neighborhood Hitchcock blonde, Betty Cooper…was wrestling with the knowledge that her best friend, Archie Andrews…was dealing with a toxic affair and needy music teacher." Jughead continues.

Betty laid on the bed in her room, writing an entry in her diary.

"'Dear Diary, Sheriff Keller and Detective Smith know what I know. That Riverdale High's music teacher, Geraldine Grundy…was at Sweetwater River the morning Polly and Jason Blossom went missing…and that, since Archie was there, they were together. And one thing Detective Smith nor Sheriff Keller don't know… I've been in touch with Polly, secretly. That is, until I finally confessed to Detective Smith.'"

"Detective Smith, could we talk in private?" Betty asks Charles, after he and Tom finished interviewing the Cooper clan.

"Sure, Betty." Charles replied. He and the blonde girl walk away to somewhere private; a few feet away from Tom, Hal, and Alice.

"What is it you want to tell me?" Charles inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

Betty exhales.

"I've been in secret communication with Polly." She confessed.

"Since when?" Charles questioned.

"Since the 4th of July." Betty answered. "Around that time, I was in LA for a writing internship at Hello Giggles. I didn't receive any text messages from my sister until later that day."

"Did she tell you of her whereabouts?" Charles asked.

"Polly told me that she's in a safe place upstate, not to worry and don't tell Mom and Dad where she is." Betty responded.

"In a safe place upstate," Charles repeated. "Have you told anyone about being in contact with Polly?"

"No one except for Jughead Jones." Betty said.

"May I ask why you haven't come forward with this information before?" Charles pressed, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm protecting my sister." Betty answered. "She begged me not to tell anybody of her whereabouts. So, I gave Polly my word."

"And another thing, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to Sheriff Keller or my parents about this conversation we had." The blonde added.

"I'll do my best, Betty." Charles assured. "But I can't make any promises, because sooner or later…your parents and Tom will know."

"If you and Jughead have any new information, regarding Polly, please don't hesitate to come to me." The New York detective added.

"I will," Betty agrees. "And thank you, Detective Smith."

"You're welcome, Betty." Charles responds.

The two walk back over to the trio of adults.

"Is everything okay, Betty?" Alice asks, eyeing her daughter and Charles.

"Everything's fine, Mom." Betty said. "I was just telling Detective Smith here, that I'd be happy to provide any information regarding the Jason and Polly case."

Alice slightly chuckles.

"Quite the little Nancy Drew, aren't we?" She remarks.

Charles just masked his frown at Betty's half-lie by giving Mama Cooper a smile.

"From that day forward, I hope that Detective Smith will keep his word. Aside from him and Jughead, I pray that no one else finds out my secret and come after Polly…" Betty wrote.

A/N: And there you have it, now Charles knows Betty's secret. Who will be next to know?

Coming up is a very long chapter with the gang hanging out at Pop's, Archie and Fred show up (minus Grundy).

More to come!