"I mean it, Cher. You and Sabrina are the only ones I trust to do this. Please... I need to have JJ safe and- God, Riverdale isn't safe for him anymore. I don't think I could handle it if he got hurt, Cher. Please," Betty begged the redhead, unshed tears in her eyes as she spoke. Cheryl's demeanor softened as she watched her cousin on the verge of crumbling, pulling Betty in to hug her close. She didn't think this was the best idea but she couldn't say no to Betty. Especially not if her nephew was involved. If this was how she had to make sure Betty had peace of mind and JJ was safe, then she would do it...
"Okay, B. Okay, we'll do it. I'll call Sabrina now and have her get everything packed up for us to go to one of the safehouses Adam doesn't know about yet. If he was the one who did this, he won't find us there, I promise." Cheryl paused for a moment, pulling Betty back to meet her eyes, "You remember the signal, right?" Betty nodded weakly, a sob of relief escaping her throat as she clung to Cheryl again, who rubbed her back soothingly to reassure her.
"Good, that's good. Now, here's what we are going to do, Cousin. Harvey will send one of his guys with us to keep watch - probably Tank since he has the most experience in covert operations and staying off the grid - and he will make sure we stay safe and hidden. Betty, I swear on Jason's grave, I will protect JJ with all I have to give. Nothing will happen to him, not on my watch," Cheryl said confidently, grabbing Betty's cheeks and looking into her eyes. "I promise."
"Thank you, Cher. I-I... I just can't lose him..." Betty whispered weakly, closing her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks. She doesn't know what she'd do if anything happened to her son, he was the only thing that kept her alive and sane these last five years and it terrified her to think of what would happen if she lost him. Cheryl grabbed Betty's shoulders to shake her gently, forcing her to open her eyes again. Betty saw the fire and intensity in Cheryl's expression and she swallowed thickly.
"And you won't lose him, B. Once it's safe, Harvey can send Tank the signal and we will bring him right back home. And, once we get a secure line, we can call you once a week so you can talk to JJ. Alright?" Cheryl asked as Charles and Jughead walked out of Betty's front door. Once they had discovered the threat in her room, they contacted their brother Charles who in turn called in his team to sweep the place for prints and any evidence on who this could be - and whether this was connected to her current stalking situation.
Jughead gave her a woeful attempt at a smile as he stepped away to speak to Kevin. She watched Kevin hand his camera to Jug to allow him to look through the pics he'd captured as Charles walked over to Betty with a grim look in his eyes. "Hey, sis. How are you holding up?" He asked quietly, placing his hand tenderly on her shoulder.
"I suppose about as good as I can be with a psycho stalker and a deranged serial killer both after me at once," she replied while shrugging her shoulders slightly, attempting to make light of the horrifying events that had transpired lately. It had become a defense mechanism, making bad jokes to deal with a horrible situation around her. I wonder who I got that from...she thought jokingly as she looked back towards Jughead.
"Did you ask Cheryl?" He asked in a hushed whisper, bringing her back to the seriousness of the situation at hand. It had been Charles' idea to have Cheryl and Sabrina whisk her son away to safety but - however reluctant she may have been to agree to it - she knew it was the best thing to do. She just didn't know how long she could be able to last without falling apart without him.
Betty looked at Charles despondently and nodded, seeing the sadness in his eyes before she caught sight of Jughead again. She wasn't sure what Kevin said to him but he looked so angry and so broken all at once. She knew deep down that this was not what he signed up for when she came back into his life and she couldn't help but wonder if it was starting to become too much for him.
That dark voice in her head started to push in the doubt and self-loathing and she was powerless to stop it... He doesn't deserve this, Elizabeth - this burden that you carry everywhere with you. What man wants to deal with the drama that haunts you around every corner? Eventually, it will be too much, even for him, and he will leave you. In the end, everyone will leave you because you are just a liability to them all. Maybe they will even take your son away because you are a danger to him and everyone around you? Maybe it would be better for everyone if you just... Betty's spiraling thoughts were halted when Jughead stepped beside her and grabbed her hand, leaning down to whisper into her ear.
"Whatever you were just thinking, stop it. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, alright?" Betty nodded again, allowing him to pull her into his arms and comfort her. "We are gonna catch him, Betts. I swear." She nodded her head, burying her face into his chest for a moment before pulling back, taking his face in her palms.
"Come on, Juggie, let's go home and spend time with our boy before Cheryl takes him," Betty said, kissing him briefly before pulling him towards their vehicles.
~~Three Weeks Later~~
"Betts, you have twenty minutes until your curtain call. Are you absolutely sure about this? You don't have to go back out there if you aren't ready, babe." Jughead said from the doorway of her dressing room, concern etched on his features. Tonight was Betty's triumphant return to the thing that she had always loved and been passionate about, but tonight she was afraid to get up there and perform. She hadn't been this afraid since the night of the Serpent Dance but she knew that she needed to do this, she needed to show Adam that no matter how much he tried, he would not destroy this for her.
Betty stood in her black satin robe, her costume underneath barely covering her most intimate parts, and turned to face her boyfriend. "Yeah, Juggie, I'm sure. I have to do this. I need to do it for myself. I can't put my life on hold anymore because of fear."
"Okay, babygirl, but if you get overwhelmed just let me know and I'll get you out of here. Harvey and I are on front of house detail tonight so he's gonna be watching the door and I'll be working the stage. I asked Razor to come out tonight to watch the back entrance and Toni is stationed at the bar so you are surrounded, I won't let anything happen to you," Jughead promised, pulling her into his arms and placing a soft kiss to her scarlet lips. Betty deepened the kiss, running her hands into his hair and moaning into his mouth. Jughead chuckled against her lips and pulled away slowly. "Now don't start something that we can't finish, Elizabeth. Let's save that for after the show."
As I sit here and slowly close my eyes
I take another deep breath
And feel the wind pass through my body
I'm the one in your soul
Reflecting inner light
Protect the ones who hold you
Cradling your inner child
Betty closed her eyes as the music started, the sounds of the acoustic guitar filling the hushed room. As the spotlight settled on Betty, her sights settled on the crowd; her face covered by a veil and dressed in a see-through beaded bra and gypsy skirt, her thin lace thong underneath barely concealing her most intimate area.
The room was just cold enough to pebble her nipples under the black mesh bra she wore and to cause goosebumps to erupt over her skin sending a thrill to her gut. Betty had missed this feeling - the bewitching nature of the music taking her to another plane of existence while she moved - the complete liberation setting her body on fire and fueling her need to dance sensually for a room full of strangers.
I need serenity
In a place where I can hide
I need serenity
Nothing changes, days go by
Where do we go when we just don't know
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing
And when will we learn to control
Betty began moving captivatingly, dancing a traditional Turkish belly dance to the song that flowed through the air. All eyes in the house were on her, watching her hips shake and sway seductively to the music. The ribbons tied to her biceps fluttered as she spun around, the music taking over her body and possessing her.
She let the music carry her away, taking her to a place of peace and serenity, just like the song spoke of. She had felt so out of control lately and somehow, being back on stage helped her to balance herself. To feel like she had control over something, even if it was just her own body and dancing. This was exactly what she needed to get her head together, this was centering her.
Tragic visions slowly stole my life
Tore away everything
Cheating me out of my time
I'm the one who loves you
No matter wrong or right
And every day I hold you
I hold you with my inner child
I need serenity
In a place where I can hide
I need serenity
Nothing changes, days go by
Betty continued to move fluidly on stage, her mind lost in its own world until she locked eyes with Jughead and saw the heat burning in his. She lifted her arms, pulling her hair off her back and allowing it to flow back down as she shifted her hips from side to side. She licked her lips, dragging her hands down the valley of her breasts before she winked at him and spun around to shake her mostly bare ass directly in his line of sight.
When she looked at him again, she watched with a devilish grin as he shifted himself uncomfortably - knowing that watching her on stage was making him hard - and she doubled her seductive measures in order to tease him further. She knew he would probably punish her for it later but she didn't care, that was half the fun anyway...
Where do we go when we just don't know
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing
And when will we learn to control
Where do we go when we just don't know
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing
And when will we learn to control
Betty turned back to the crowd, hypnotizing them with her hips as she finished dancing to the song. She grinned as she looked out into the sea of people, happy that she had not lost her touch in her hiatus from performing. She hated not being able to work the last few weeks but she needed this time to gather herself together so she could be her best on stage.
When it was announced that she would be back on stage this evening, the club received all kinds of requests for reservations, clients promising top dollar to be able to watch her act. Alice seized on the opportunity, taking the reservations and setting everything up so that when Betty went back out she would not only turn a hefty profit but she would be safer since Alice personally vetted all the clientele for the evening.
I need serenity
I need serenity
As the song ended and the curtain lowered, Betty could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins - giving her life and a sense of freedom that she had not felt in a very long time. She felt extraordinary and genuinely smiled as she watched Jughead approaching her through the stage doors. His eyes were almost completely black from lust as he stepped in front of her, his fingers running up her bare sides languorously.
"God, Betts. You looked so fucking sexy up there..." he paused, leaning in to slam his lips against hers, pulling her flush against his hard chest. She could feel his erection pressing against her stomach and moaned, shivering as his lips moved down her neck, "...I almost dragged you off stage and fucked you right then and there when I saw the way you were moving to the music. You hypnotized me, Betts."
"Well, maybe if you are really lucky, I will give you a private show sometime..." Jughead groaned into her neck, grabbing her bare ass and pulling her closer to grind his cock against her. Betty pulled his hair, growling as she spoke, "Juggie... dressing room. Now."
They raced to her dressing room, both of them about to combust with their desires. Once they were through the door, Jughead wasted no time in peeling off their clothes - having already made sure there were no hidden cameras - as he claimed her mouth hungrily. His heavy leather crashed to the floor with a thud, followed quickly by his black tank and flannel. Betty pushed him back for a moment, biting her lip as her fingertips ran along the ridges of his chest and abs.
"You are so sexy, Jug. I don't think I'll ever get enough of you." Betty whispered, pulling him back to her for another deep, salacious kiss. She gasped into his mouth as he hastily pushed her flimsy bra down around her waist and bent his head down to capture her erect nipple into his mouth, nibbling on it slightly and sending shockwaves to her pussy. Her moans only grew as he continued, moving to give the other nipple the same attention before finally dropping to his knees. He looked up at Betty in adoration as her hands ran through his hair before grinning wickedly and ripping the lace of her panties, shoving them into his pocket.
Jughead wasted no time, throwing her leg over his shoulder and diving into the place he had been craving all night. The heady fragrance of her sex made his mouth water as he licked her slit lasciviously. The things that man could do with his tongue were enough to make Betty not even care that she had to go underwear shopping weekly. The ferocity in his eyes was enough to allow him to do whatever the hell he wanted to her and she wouldn't give a damn.
He slipped his agile fingers into her waiting cunt, swirling his tongue around her pulsing clit and sucking it between his lips every so often to make her cry out before pulling back to lavish it with his tongue again. His fingers pumped into her faster while he teased her clit until her body began to shake, a sign that her climax was approaching quickly. Just as she was about to come, he stopped, pulling his fingers out of her and sucking them into his mouth.
Betty pouted as she watched him clean all of her essence off of them, overwhelmingly frustrated that he had pulled her back from the edge at the last second. He stood slowly, cocking his eyebrow at her. "Don't pout, Elizabeth, or I'll really give you something to pout about. That was for being a tease on stage, you naughty girl," Jughead whispered against her ear, the timbre of his voice making her insides quiver.
Betty trembled as he slowly undid his belt, her chest heaving in anticipation and fighting the urge to rip his pants off and take him however she damn well pleased. "Please, Jug... I need you," she begged, now completely naked - save for her heels - and wanton. He pushed his jeans down far enough to free himself and grabbed her behind her thighs to pick her up, pushing her into the wall as she wrapped her legs around his hips.
"Well, since you said please, babygirl," he grunted and thrust himself into her completely. Betty sobbed in relief, clawing at his back and shifting her hips to try and get him to move. He pulsed inside her, her walls fluttering around him as they adjusted to his intrusion.
"Please..." She whimpered desperately, clinging to him and shifting her hips against his. Jughead growled and began to slam himself into her relentlessly, the salacious sounds of their skin slapping together filling the air around them and fueling their desires even more. Jughead reached between them, his thumb finding her swollen button, and rubbing furiously.
"Oh, God... Jug- I'm gonna-," she gasped, feeling her climax quickly approaching.
"Me too, baby," Jughead grunted, thrusting into her faster to push her over the edge.
"Come, Juggie. Please, I need to feel you come inside me," Betty rasped before coming hard, her cries barely muffled by his mouth on hers while she shattered into blissful pieces. Betty pulled away and nipped at his jaw as her walls fluttered around his cock, pulling his own dizzying orgasm from him. He thrust into a few more times before he buried himself to the hilt and finished coming inside of her completely.
After a moment of silence, Jughead leaned back and looked into her eyes, a few stray curls stuck to his sweaty forehead as he panted to catch his breath, "We are gonna have to soundproof this room if I keep coming to work with you, babe."
The ride home was peaceful, Betty still lost in the bliss from her show and the post-show session she and Jughead had shared. If she was being truthful, she already wanted him again, wondering what he would do if she just leaned over and took him into her mouth right now. She grinned as she contemplated whether or not to wait until they got him... Maybe we can take a shower together?
Betty didn't know why she was so insatiable for Jughead, she just couldn't get enough of him. It was like her body was trying to make up for being separated from him for so long. All she knew for sure was that when they got home, she couldn't wait to have him again. However, Betty's plans were busted as soon as they had made it back to the house when Jughead told her that he needed to call Fangs to see how the Wyrm was faring without him or Toni for the night. He told her to take a shower and he would make her some dinner so Betty gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and said she would be upstairs if he decided to join her after his call.
As Betty walked upstairs her phone chimed, receiving a picture from Cheryl of her, JJ, and Sabrina at the park feeding the ducks. JJ was grinning as a few ducks pecked at the bread he was holding. She tried not to let it affect her good mood too much but she just couldn't help it, seeing her little boy so happy without her made her heartache. She washed quickly, no longer in the mood to fool around, just wanting to get into bed as soon as she finished eating her dinner.
Betty stepped out of the shower, towel drying her hair and trying not to think about how much she missed her little boy. She had been receiving weekly updates and phone calls from a secure line that Charles had provided to Cheryl but this was the longest Betty had ever been separated from JJ and it was difficult. In the last four years, he was her whole world and now she had to send him off into hiding to protect him from the monsters from her past. It was just too much to bear sometimes, but she took solace in the fact that he was safe and that Cheryl would protect him with her life.
Betty began to get dressed for bed when her phone buzzed on her vanity. Betty flipped it over expecting another picture from Cheryl but her breath hitched when she saw that it was a message from a restricted number...
Unknown Number: Hello... Miss me, Betty? Because I missed you...
Betty Cooper: Who the hell is this and how did you get this number?
Unknown Number: Think, Betty. You know who I am...
Betty Cooper: You think this is a game, motherfucker? Tell me who you are! Now!
Unknown Number: I am back from the dead... All those who escaped me before will die...
Unknown Number: Remember me now, Betty?
Betty Cooper: No. It's impossible, the Black Hood left Riverdale...
Unknown Number: Are you sure about that, Betty?
Betty Cooper: Okay, if you're really the Black Hood, prove it.
Unknown Number: I told you to cut out the son of that Serpent or I would. You broke our deal, Betty. Now he is the Serpent. My demands still stand: either you cut ties and run again or I will start slaughtering the wicked... Starting with Jughead and the rest of your unholy twisted family of sinners... You have 24 hours, after that, you will watch them all die...
Unknown Number: And Betty... If you tell anyone else about this, especially Jughead, I will know and you will suffer in ways greater than you could have ever imagined...
Betty's hand shook as she read over the messages, again and again, trying to make sense of what just happened. She had been gone for five years and the Black Hood had stayed dormant... he was gone... And now that she was back, the Black Hood had resurfaced...
This was all her fault. Everyone was in danger and she was to blame... Just like last time... She sat stunned for a moment, considering the Black Hood demands and weighing her options.
Really, what other choice did she have?
"Holy Hell, Betty! How the fuck did he even get your number? I thought it was unlisted?" Jughead asked, pacing back and forth as he reread the threatening messages on her phone. Betty sat on her bed silently, chewing her lip nervously and trying to think of how this was possible.
"It is, Juggie. But he also managed to find a house I purchased under a fake name so it can't be that hard to track down my cell number. What should we do, Jug?" Jughead thought about it for a moment and pulled out his phone to send a text message.
"What we are going to do is show these messages to Charlie and see what the FBI can do for us. One way or another, we will find this motherfucker. I'm not losing you again, you hear me? I honestly don't think I can take that again," Jughead said with an anguished sigh, sitting next to her on the bed. He raked his hands through his hair before pushing the heel of his palms into his eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere, Juggie. That's why I showed you these. I'm not letting anyone else - whether it be crazy stalkers, serial killers, or even my overbearing mother - push me away from you again. I promise you," Betty stated with conviction. She wasn't letting others run her life anymore, she was her own person and no one else was going to dictate what she said or did now.
Jughead looked at her with a small smile, pushing some loose blonde tendrils behind her ear. "You realize you just roped your mother in with serial killers and stalkers," Jughead asked with a chuckle, pulling her close. Betty snuggled into his embrace and then laughed, looking up at him.
"Well, am I wrong?" Betty said, grinning.
"I never said that, Betts."
"Ok, I put an app on your phone that is only accessible by the bureau and will put a trace on all text messages and phone calls, gives us your exact GPS location 24/7, as well as giving us access to everything stored on your phone. So, if you are doing anything illegal sis, I wouldn't use your phone to do it," Charles laughed lightly, handing Betty her cellphone with a smile before giving her a more serious look, "Also, I have to read messages you may receive or send so, if you and Jug can refrain from sexting or sending graphic pics, that'd be great."
Betty blushed, looking away as Jughead's eyes went wide at Charles' words. She was completely embarrassed - and slightly mortified - at what her brother might have already found on her phone. "Ok, got it, Charlie. Business only," she said, placing her phone in her back pocket quickly, making a mental note to remove certain things from her gallery. Jughead rubbed her back, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.
"Do you think this will work, Charlie?" Jughead asked, still skeptical about putting this kind of software on her phone.
"We're the FBI, Jug. We are good at what we are doing, I promise." Charles said, rolling his eyes a bit at his brother's doubt. Really, they had no other choice but to trust Charles and trust that his team would be able to find out who was behind the phone calls and threats against Betty's life. Hopefully, that would lead them to Adam or the person claiming to be the Black Hood. Perhaps, even to the real Black Hood.
"I'm gonna head out guys, Kev is waiting for me, but if you need me for anything or something happens, call me, okay?" Charles hugged them goodbye and walked out the door, leaving them both stuck in their own little world. Betty knew she couldn't rely on the FBI to watch out for her, she needed to find out who this person was and figure out how to stop them. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, a grin slowly spreading on her face.
"Juggie, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She looked at him with that same spark in her eye that she had when they had started investigating the murder of Jason Blossom and Jughead couldn't help the flurry of excitement that flowed through his veins.
As if they were one person, they spoke in unison, "Murder board."
The morning after they made up - and made love all night long - Betty and Jughead received word from Kevin that Mrs. Philips had been found dead in his jail cell, the apparent victim of the Black Hood. They laid in his bed holding each other as Betty finally spoke, "I thought I'd finally outsmarted him, Jug...The Black Hood... By having Mr. Philips arrested I thought I was saving his life, but instead..."
"Hey, Betty," Jughead sighed, looking into her eyes and trying to give her some sense of comfort, "Philips didn't deserve what happened to him, but he was a high school teacher dealing drugs. I mean, Betty if it-" he tried to continue but she cut him off, her thoughts somewhere else.
"-And how the hell did the Black Hood even get into the Sheriff's station? I mean, unless he..." Betty stopped, her wheels turning and a very scary theory coming to mind.
"What?" Jug asked, before smiling at the way her face scrunched up when she was putting clues together. "Well, what is it, Poirot?"
Betty shook her head, not ready to speak her suspicions out loud until she had more evidence to go off of, "Nothing. No. It's too crazy."
Suddenly, Jughead's phone rings and he groaned, rolling over to grab it and sighing as he laid back down to answer it, "Hello?"
Betty was still lost in her own world, trying to disprove her theory before she headed down this path. As Jug stands, walking across the room with the phone to his ear, she sits up on his bed and whispered to herself, "There's no way."
She looked at Jughead when she heard him pleading with someone on the phone, "Uh, no, no. Wait, wait, hold on a minute," Jughead said, before looking down at his phone blankly.
"Is everything alright, Juggie?" Betty asked, a concerned look in her eyes as he came to sit beside her.
Jughead wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her close to drop a kiss to her shoulder tenderly, "Yeah, babe. That was my dad's lawyer asking me to come in for a meeting, I just wasn't expecting it. Everything is fine."
Betty looked at him skeptically for a moment, but let it go, knowing that her paranoia was going haywire and she wouldn't throw that onto Jughead after they'd just made up. She smiled at him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, "Alright, Juggie. Just let me know how it goes, okay? I should probably be getting back to Veronica's to get ready for school so mom doesn't figure out where I really am anyways. I love you," she whispered, kissing him again.
Their gentle kiss turned heated very quickly and before long Betty was straddling his waist to kiss him more fervently, her hands running up his shirt and ghosting over his abs. Jughead groaned, his fingertips digging into her hips as he rocked her against his growing erection.
He pulled back suddenly, cursing under his breath. Betty looked at him in confusion, "What?"
"I'm out of condoms..." he sighed in frustration. Betty bit her lip, thinking about whether she should risk it or not but needed to feel him inside her one more time before she left.
"Jug?" She whispered lowly, "I'm on the pill..."
Jughead's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, the idea of being inside her bare making his mind scramble for a moment, "Are you sure?" Betty's sultry nod was all he needed to see before he pulled her to him, falling back into the bed and coming together uninhibited for the very first time.
~~Later That Night~~
Betty sat at her vanity, brushing out her hair and gnawing on her lip as she thought through the events of the day. Of all the things she could have dreamt up, Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy having an illicit affair was not one of them. Now, she and Veronica vowed to keep it a secret, even if it meant hurting Kevin more in the long run. Plus, on top of that, she had falsely accused one of her best friend's dad's of being a serial killer. To say she'd had one hell of a bad day was an understatement...
She jumped and her breath stopped for a second as her phone rang but then she smiled when she realized who was one the other line. "Hey there, handsome. You don't know how glad I am to hear your voice, Jug."
"Why, Betts? Did something bad happen? Did you get another phone call?"
"No, thank God. But I did discover that my latest suspect on our Black Hood murder board can be crossed off," Betty replied, embarrassed at her actions that day.
"Okay? And who was this suspect?"
"Um... Sheriff Keller?" Betty said softly, wincing a bit.
"Ouch. Poor Kev. So what did we find out? You said he's not a suspect, how do you know for sure?"
"V and I followed him around town all day."
"Aww, I'm wounded. Don't tell me you have found a new Watson, Sherlock."
"Of course not, Juggie. But you had your own stuff to deal with so I had to settle for a different partner in crime this time. Anyway, so we did find something out that he has been hiding from the whole town but being a sadistic serial murderer is not it."
"Come on, Betts. Don't leave me in suspense. What did you find out?"
"Well, turns out that Sheriff Keller has been cheating on Kevin's mom... with Mayor McCoy."
"What?! Are you serious? Holy shit, does Kevin know? Hell, does Josie? Christ, this could be really bad if it gets out."
"That's exactly why we decided we are not letting it get out. We are not even telling Kevin or Josie. It's not our place. V wanted it to be a secret between her and I but you know I can't just keep something like that from you. We don't have secrets between us anymore and I don't want us to have them again." Betty explained, rubbing her temples. The line went silent and Betty grew concerned for a moment, "Jug? What is it?"
"Nothing, Betts. Just Archie and I-"
"You and Archie what? Is there something you are not telling me again, Jug?"
"No! I mean- ok, so Archie I decided to drive to Greendale for the night and we ended up getting a flat tire. So we are in the middle of nowhere and suddenly there was this creepy guy who showed up and took me to a gas station to get help. The strangest part was when we got there, he told me this really crazy story."
"Okay? What did he say?"
"This is gonna sound nuts, Betts, but the Black Hood murders may be linked to another murder..."
~~The Next Day~~
A train horn blared, pulling Betty out of her thoughts just in time to see Jughead stepping inside the diner and heading towards her. "Sorry, there's no service in the bowels of City Hall," Jughead said as he slipped into the booth where Betty had already been waiting for him.
"What'd you find? Any truth to what that creepy truck driver said about that murdered family?" Betty asked.
"Yes, shockingly, Freddy Krueger didn't lie to me. A family of four was murdered by someone that the press called the Riverdale Reaper," Jughead explained as he laid a folded newspaper clipping on the table. "The victims were Jim and Mary Ellen Conway and their kids. Tommy was ten, and Sue was nine. The Reaper was never caught or identified, so he could be our Black Hood, but I'm dubious. He would be in his 60's by now."
"Why did he do it... Kill them?"
"The reporter of the article talked to a sheriff at the time who thought the killer chose them at random - or because their house was isolated." Jug said with a shrug.
"Where was it?" Betty asked curiously.
"Edge of Fox Forest, down some service road. There's a picture of it." Jughead said, unfurling the paper and sliding it in front of her.
"Oh, my God. Jughead, I've been to this house. The Black Hood sent me to it, as part of his game." Betty said with shock, staring down at the very house that haunted her dreams as of late.
Jughead's heart raced, the pieces falling together in his mind as he spoke, "Well, then there's definitely a link between the Hood and the Reaper. We should talk to Keller. Pull the files from the murders. At least get a list of all the players."
"No, Jughead, I can't go to Sheriff Keller. Not after I accused him of being the Black Hood." Betty replied, shaking her head. That was definitely not going to happen, Keller would laugh in her face and probably throw her in juvie on some bogus charge.
"Right, yeah, that would be awkward. You could go to the house?" Jug suggested, trying to think of ways to get more clues to the Black Hood's identity. Betty shook her head, pushing the paper away from her in disgust.
"I can't go back there, Jug. He made me look in a mirror - you know - and what I saw staring back at me, I don't want to do that again." Betty whispered, her voice breaking as the memory of her eyes staring back at her came flooding back.
Jug stopped her from spiraling, taking ahold of her hands as he spoke, "Then you don't have to, okay?" Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the table, both of them holding their breaths as an unknown number flashing on the screen. "Hello? Yeah, I'll accept the charges." Jughead answered.
"I remember that day, that was the last time we looked into the Black Hood case together, right before-"
"Right before you disappeared," Jughead finished her sentence, pain lacing his voice.
"Actually, I was going to say, right before we passed it off to Archie and Veronica to look into. Wait! Jug, did they ever figure out who that third child was?" Betty asked, turning towards him with hope in her eyes.
"Honestly Betts, I don't even know. To tell you the truth, I never asked," Jughead said guiltily, pausing to clear his throat, "I kind of fell into a spiral and spent the next few months trying to find you. I combed through this room probably a million times, looking for any clues to where you went but never could find anything. I stopped caring about the Black Hood case and by the time I even thought about him again, the murders had stopped and the killer was all but forgotten."
Betty laid her hand on his and squeezed as she spoke, "We need to go see Archie and Veronica, they might be able to tell us if they ever found him."
"Of course I remember, B. Archie and I spent hours before the par- I mean, we spent that whole day looking through those yearbooks but we were finally able to figure out who it was. But, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty, that he wasn't the Black Hood," Veronica said as she stirred the brownie batter she was mixing.
"How do you know that for sure? The other Conway kid was the perfect suspect five years ago." Jug reminded her.
"Well, I know that because - unless he's a ghost - Joe Conway died about four years ago," Veronica explained before adding, "You may know him better by his adopted name: Joseph Svenson."
"Mr. Svenson?!" They both exclaimed at the same time. Veronica nodded and placed the now panned brownies in the oven before turning back to face them.
"Wait, so Mr. Svenson was Joseph Conway?" Betty asked, speaking to no one in particular. Veronica nodded as she put the batter bowl in the sink and began cleaning off the island.
"Yep, and that's not all."
"Really?" Betty replied.
"Yeah, Betts. Reportedly, he was the final victim of the Black Hood. He was found hanging from that same twisted tree, completely eviscerated. After that, the murders just...stopped." Jughead said, shaking his head. The memory of his dad's first murder after becoming sheriff coming back to mind. It had been a grotesque scene and FP told him that in all his years as a Serpent, he had never seen anything so haunting.
"That's horrible... Poor Mr. Svenson." Betty whispered when a thought came to her. "Wait, what was his sin?" Jughead looked at her in confusion for a second, before he understood her meaning.
"Other than being a creepy janitor, I have no idea."
"Well, that's where we need to start, Juggie. If we can figure out what sin Svenson was hiding-" Betty started excitedly before Jughead finished her sentence, "-then we are one step closer to catching the Black Hood or whoever is claiming to be him."
"You two are still really creepy when you do that, you know that right?" Veronica laughed, before hearing a cry from upstairs. "Sorry guys, Lizzy hasn't been feeling well today. I will see you guys later. Okay?" Veronica said, giving Betty air kisses and tapping Jughead lightly on the cheek before heading upstairs.
"Ok, so what now?" Jughead asked, laying his hand onto Betty's lower back to lead her to the front door, checking that the coast was clear before exiting the house.
"Well, Juggie, that depends."
"On?" he asked.
"Is Dr. Curdle Jr still the coroner in Riverdale?"
"Miss Cooper, I haven't seen you in quite some time. I had honestly gotten to a point where I thought the next time I'd see you, it would be on a slab," Dr. Curdle said, his emotionless face staring at her curiously. "What can I do for you two this evening?"
"Yeah, we wanted to ask you about a murder in Riverdale about four years ago. Mr.-" Jughead said.
"Svenson? Yes, that was a shock, to say the least. That was the first full evisceration I'd had as coroner in Riverdale... Not that we have had any since. What would you like to know?" Dr. Curdle asked, looking at them expectantly.
"Oh, right!" Betty said, pulling out an envelope filled with cash and passing it to him.
"No, dear. This information is on the house."
"How about you take this and we'll say it's a retainer fee for your future services?" Betty said, smiling at the strangely gaunt man. He nodded in reply, slipping the envelope into the internal breast pocket of his lab coat. "Do you think we could get copies of the autopsy report and anything you might have?" She asked.
"Of course. Will you be needing a copy of the police reports as well?" He asked, already turning to head out of the room...
"No, thank you though. We can speak to the sheriff for those." Jughead explained. Dr. Curdle nodded, understanding what he meant and left them in the morgue while he went to gather the information they requested.
"Do you think we can do this, Jug? Find a killer who the FBI hasn't caught in five years?" Betty asked, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered. Jughead stepped in front of her, lifting her chin to see her face better.
"Betty, we figured out who killed Jason Blossom, you took down the Sugarman, you can do this... WE can do this... together. Between the two of us, plus Kev and Charlie, we will not only figure out who the Black Hood is but we will catch Adam and make sure he pays for what he has done to you," Jughead said with determination. He was not going to allow her to be tormented anymore, not while he had breath in his lungs.
"I am just afraid that we won't be able to figure it out and then JJ will have to stay gone longer and I don't know if I can-"
"Hey, hey... Betts, I swear we will bring him home as soon as possible, okay? We will catch both of these fuckers and put them away for a very long time. I promise," Jughead hugged her to his chest, rubbing his has up and down her back while they waited for Dr. Curdle. Within fifteen minutes he was back, an accordion briefcase tucked under his arm.
"This is everything I have on the Svenson murder. You're welcome to make copies of anything here, just remember I need the originals back." He stated as he handed the case to Betty.
"Don't worry, we will make sure to keep everything safe," Betty replied with a smile. Jughead led her out of the morgue and down the hall before he spoke.
"I had dad already pull the police records on the murder, they are waiting for us back at the house. Let's get this stuff there so we can scan everything into my laptop and make copies. Then we can pin things to the murder board." Jughead whispered as they made their way to her car.
Once they finally made it home, Betty was exhausted. The last few days had been insane and she needed to sleep desperately but her need to figure this mystery out proved to be stronger. They spent hours scanning and pining clues to the murder board they'd set up in the dining room, linking them all with red string when a clue led to another one. The pictures of the Svenson murder were grotesque. They looked like a horror film, like they wanted him to suffer for whatever reason. But what was his sin? That was the real question.
Jughead's phone rang suddenly, disrupting the quiet in the room but Betty couldn't stop staring at the board, trying to piece everything together. How is Svenson connected to the other murders? Who would have wanted him killed in such a brutal way? Was there more than one killer?
Betty's thoughts were interrupted when Jughead ended the call and cleared his throat to get her attention. "What is it, Jug?"
"Betts, Charlie said he is on his way and has news for us. I think they might have gotten something from the last call." Jughead said as he prepared the coffee for their late-night investigation. It had been this way for the last week. Betty was still getting harassing phone calls and texts consistently from someone claiming to be the Black Hood.
"Do we think it's good news?"
"I think so, yeah. You know he wouldn't be coming here after eleven at night if it weren't at least useful. Let's see what he has to say." Jug said, pulling mugs out for the three of them. Betty figured that Charles would want to stay to look over the evidence that they had gathered so she got everything organized. She had been in deep thought, sipping her coffee, when Charles walked through the door ten minutes later.
"Hey guys, I hate to do this so late but- well, frankly, I felt like it was important for me to tell you guys as soon as I had something. We traced the calls and I noticed they were all coming from one number," Charles held out the printed log of incoming and outgoing. "Jug, have you had any issues with your employees lately?"
Jughead instantly froze, Sweet Pea's name popping into his mind. "Why?" He asked quietly, looking at Betty who was chewing her lip raw with worry. He turned back to Charles and continued, "Did a number come back to an employee of mine?"
"Not exactly, Jug. These calls and texts are coming from a cell phone but it's listed as a business line." Charles said, handing him the papers. Jughead's blood ran cold, ice pumping through his veins as he sat in shock reading the number that was repeatedly highlighted.
"Jug, what is it?" Betty asked, looking at the print out over his shoulder.
"This number, the one threatening you- Betts, it's the business line to Black Betty's..." he paused, his fists clenching and crumpling the papers in his hands,"... and that's also Sweet Pea's cell phone."
"That's what I was afraid of, Jug. I noticed the number and thought it looked familiar but I wanted to check with you first. I'm sorry, but it looks like Sweets might be involved in these calls somehow."
Jughead sat in shock, thinking about all the time he'd spent with Sweet Pea over the years. Is this some sick prank or is it possible that he didn't really know his friend and all this time he was actually a serial killer?