Betty and Jughead were already in a booth sharing a single milkshake at Pop's when Veronica arrived. Ah, a wholesome teen romance in the works. Nothing brings those crazy kids together like a murder investigation.
"I'm trying to account for as many people as possible during last night's movie." Veronica explained once she'd ordered a chocolate shake a large burger. "Betty, your mom apparently showed up and made a fuss over Hemione Lodge and Fred Andrews. Did you see her last night?"
Betty nodded. "She'd discovered something about Archie Andrews…" She hesitated. "Apparently, he was seeing the music teacher."
"I wonder if vocals are her specialty," Jughead joked with a wry smile.
"Jug!" Betty slapped his arm. "Anyways, we thought she might be involved because she had a gun and a fake name."
Yeah, that's usually a good sign, Veronica thought to herself.
Betty continued."It turned out that she was on the run from an abusive ex. It all checked out, and Archie could vouch for her whereabouts, so she just said she'd leave town and not cause anymore trouble."
"Who else was there?"
Betty shrugged. "Just me, my mom, Archie, and his dad… And Ms. Grundy herself, obviously."
Veronica screwed up her face. "Hal Cooper wasn't there? I'd imagine that if my spouse was going after my daughter's childhood friend and his lover, I'd want to be there."
"No," Betty said slowly. "He wasn't there."
Veronica scratched some names off a list and made a few extra notes. She'd compiled a more substantive list of movie goers after cross-referencing ticket sales, security camera footage, and eyewitness accounts. Kevin wasn't lying when he said most of the town had been there. She'd made two lists – one of the confirmed patrons, and one of notable people missing. The missing list was short:
Hal Cooper
Penelope Blossom
Clifford Blossom
"Nana" Blossom – last resort suspect
Riverdale football team
At this point, there weren't many people with a clear motive, so she'd focused on anyone who knew Jason Blossom more intimately – his family, the Coopers, and his teammates.
"There's more," Jughead muttered almost reluctantly. "We found out where Betty's sister was shipped off to."
Veronica turned her attention to the other blonde, who nodded and spoke slowly. "My dad said that after Jason broke up with her, Polly tried to kill herself. They sent her to a place called The Sisters of Quiet Mercy."
But are these nuns more Sister Act or Magdalene Laundries? Veronica imagined they were standard nuns, somewhere in between musical numbers and physical abuse. "Do you want me to go with you?"
Betty shook her head. "It'll be easier on my own. She's my sister."
"I'm not letting you go alone," Jughead stated. "I'll at least keep an eye out."
Betty smiled warmly at him, and while it was a tender moment, it took Veronica's every bit of impulse control not to yell "Just kiss him already!"
They chatted more conversationally after that, with Veronica reviewing her notes from time to time. What if Jason's death hadn't been about him but his family? Who would gain from the Blossoms' tragedy.
Shareholders? Yes, but Blossom Maple Farms was privately owned by the family, and it struck Veronica as wild that one of Jason's relatives would have killed him just to shake up the family business.
The Lodges? That seemed more likely. The appearance of the New York family was odd to be sure, but they hadn't been around for the murder itself, and both "Ronnie" and Hermione had been seen at the drive-in. That wasn't to say that the Lodges hadn't hired anyone, but she didn't have anything concrete to go on either.
Veronica made a note to herself to pay the Lodges a visit. Perhaps she'd learn something as Veronica Reynolds, but even that was a long shot.
When it was time to leave, Betty stood and hugged Veronica. "I'm scared."
"You're just going to see your sister. Don't worry about anything else."
Betty nodded, and they separated. She started walking away and was almost out the door when Jughead paused in front of Veronica. "I'm not a hugger."
"Fair enough," Veronica laughed. As he turned to leave, she grabbed his arm. "Find out where Hal Blossom was the night of the drive-in."
Jughead nodded with comprehension, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and followed Betty out of the diner.