04x14 - Chapter Seventy-One: How to Get Away with m*rder

[bunniefuu]

Well, it finally happened.

The moment we've all been waiting for.

A fire in the woods.

Three friends in their underwear, covered in blood.

My iconic beanie up in smoke.

Driving back to Riverdale, they didn't say one word to each other.

They should have.

They should've gotten their stories straight.

Mija?

Que paso?

And where are your clothes?

Oh.

Um I got coaxed into an intense game of strip poker, at that stupid Stonewall Prep party.

Lost my shirt, as they say.

Oh, well.

C'est la vie.

Archie?

What are you doing?

It's almost three o'clock in the morning.

Why are you in your boxers?

Everything's okay, Mom.

I was just at a, uh Stonewall party.

We all went skinny-dipping.

Some preppies stole our clothes as a prank.

Oh.

- What are you doing up?

- I had insomnia.

Are you okay?

You look Yeah.

No, everything's fine.

I'm sorry it's so late.

I'm gonna go up to bed.

Elizabeth?

You better have a good explanation for keeping me up till all hours of the night.

And why are you in your underwear?

- I - Is that blood on your bra?

No!

Relax, it's red wine.

Underage drinking in the middle of the night, half-naked No, I wasn't even drinking.

I went to a stupid Stonewall party that turned out to be toga-themed.

Bret spilled a whole bottle of wine all over me, and I couldn't stand the smell.

Okay, but I don't understand.

Where are your clothes?

I put them in a sink to soak off, and when I was leaving, I couldn't find them.

Okay, that makes no sense.

So, Jughead couldn't just lend you one of his grungy flannels?

I'm tired, I need to wash up, and go to bed, okay?

- What - I'm sorry.

B-Betty?

That's the thing about m*rder.

You've gotta have the stomach for it.

Especially if all signs point to you having committed it.

Toga party, strip poker, and skinny-dipping.

Those are three wildly different activities.

If our parents compare notes, we could be in deep, deep trouble.

I panicked, Betty.

I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

- Me too.

- Me, three, but this is exactly the kind of mistake we can't afford to make.

Charles made that abundantly clear.

I keep thinking we should've called someone other than Charles.

No, Charles was the right call to make.

- He's had experience dealing with - Bodies.

- Dead bodies.

- As a matter of fact, yeah.

He's an expert.

Without him, we would all be in jail right now.

For what?

We didn't do anything, did we?

Did we, Betty?

When Archie and I found you and Jughead I had just found Jughead, too.

You were holding the rock.

Yes, I I picked up the rock.

That was a stupid mistake.

I played right into their trap.

Those psychotic preppies are trying to frame us for m*rder.

Why us?

They barely know us.

Me, then.

They're trying to frame me for Jughead's m*rder.

That has to have been their plan.

They wanted me to be caught, red-handed, standing over Jughead's body, with my DNA smeared all over everything.

It's the only thing that makes sense.

Okay Okay, we have to be smart about this.

We have to take them down.

We cannot let them get away with this, with what they've done.

Betty, why would they want to m*rder Jughead?

Maybe Jughead got closer to the truth about Chipping's death than they liked, or maybe Maybe what?

Maybe this is just a game to them.

This whole thing is a game or an experiment to commit the perfect m*rder.

If it's a game, then it's a sick one.

Hey, guys.

What's up?

- Can I join you - Actually, Kev, we're kind of in the middle of something right now.

Catch you later?

Uh, yeah.

Of course.

Archie, that was exactly the wrong thing to do.

We have to pretend to be normal.

Everything is normal.

Kev.

Come back.

Archie's just kidding.

- Right, Arch?

- Yeah.

Sorry, Kev.

My bad.

All good.

What are you guys talking about?

- Seems intense.

- No.

Mmm-mmm.

Nope.

Nothing.

How's everything going with the musical?

Have you decided what you're doing?

Yeah.

Oh, good.

Archie, you're home.

Remember my friend from Sarah Florence, Brooke Rivers?

And from the Naval Academy, right?

Nice to see you again, Counselor Rivers.

So, Brooke was just in town for a visit, and we were catching up, and of course, I told her about your situation.

What situation?

Oh, with school and colleges.

And she thought Well, we thought, that we might have an idea.

Archie, I was talking with your mom, and I was telling her how impressed I was with you when we met last year.

Really?

Even though I passed out and fell flat on my face before the exhibition match?

People can be taught to know their limits.

They can't be taught gumption and fortitude.

That's what I see in you.

That's why I'd be willing to recommend you to the Commandant for the Naval Academy.

If you're interested.

The Naval Academy?

It's a long sh*t, but it could be a path forward.

Assuming you'd want it, Archie.

Sure, Mom.

Yeah, that sounds great.

Thank you, Counselor Rivers.

Would you like to join us?

Uh, I think I'm gonna go for a run, actually.

Thanks again.

Hermanita.

You're just in time.

No offense, Hermosa, but I am not in the mood to pretend like I can stomach your antics.

Veronica honey, why don't you take a seat.

We've got something important to discuss.

Okay.

Mija, I've decided to update my will.

Your will?

And, let me guess this was Hermosa's idea?

Me?

And why would you think that?

Oh, I don't know, maybe because you always seem to show up when it suits you.

And you're so much better?

Changing your name, deliberately undermining Papi's rum business.

As usual, you have no idea what the hell you're talking about, so why don't you sink back to whatever Florida swamp you crawled Basta!

Enough.

I'm the one who wanted this.

As a precaution.

Just in case.

It's a normal thing.

People do this.

"Normal"?

Are we really going to play this game?

Are you seriously going to pretend like this is normal?

- Veronica - No, Mom, I'm sorry.

But I can't take this.

There's only so much pretending I can do.

You really want me to sign off on your will, Daddy?

Don't you think you should've been honest with me first?

About what everyone in this room knows is happening, even if they're too scared to talk about it?

There.

That's what I think about your will.

Mr. Jones?

Hey, it's Betty.

Um, I'm sorry to bother you, but I haven't heard from Jug all morning, and I'm starting to get a little worried.

Have you talked to him?

Just at the party last night.

The only thing I can think of is that he went somewhere to write.

I know he had to finish a draft of his novel.

No.

You know what, I can go to Stonewall Prep and see if he's there.

I have to pick up some stuff I left in his room anyway.

Thanks, Mr.

Jones.

I'll do the same.

I'll let you know if I hear anything.

How was that?

Very convincing.

You did exactly what you'd do if you hadn't heard from Jughead for a few hours.

Are you ready to go into the lion's den?

I think so.

Okay.

In any case, here's the bug.

And remember, besides planting it, our goal is to Find out what they know, what they think happened, and what they thought was going to happen.

Oh!

Hey, Ponytail, what's up?

Hi.

I haven't heard from Jughead today.

I wanted to know if you guys had seen him.

No, not since the party.

Not since the two of you walked off into the woods together.

We didn't do that.

You and I went into the woods together, Donna.

Did we?

All I remember is, you met up with Jughead and peeled off together, hand in hand.

That didn't happen.

It did.

- Hmm.

- Maybe you don't remember because you were pretty drunk.

I'm surprised you didn't black out.

Or did you black out?

No.

I was fully conscious the entire time.

Are you sure about that?

Because your friend Evelyn Evernever said you have a history of blacking out and doing terrible things.

Bret, how about you?

Did you and Jug have any interesting chats at the party?

Oh, no, not really.

Forsythe was in a mood, more than usual.

He had a bunny mask on.

Last thing I remember was him saying that he was gonna meet up with you in the woods, which, I assume, happened.

It didn't.

He did say he wanted to talk to you, though.

So, Betty, are you saying you and Jughead didn't meet up in the woods?

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.

I'm saying you and I went into the woods together.

And then what happened?

Don't you remember?

If you're that worried about Jughead, maybe you should call the police.

Oh, I already told his father, the Sheriff.

So he's aware.

- Interesting.

- Shut up, Bret.

Well, I'm sure he'll turn up.

But let us know if you hear anything.

Will do.

Oh, and, Betty let us know if you remember whatever happened when you blacked out.

Watch where you're going.

Yeah, back at ya.

My dad made out a will, and he still refuses to admit that he's sick.

My mom wants to ship me off to the Navy.

- What?

- And I don't even care, Ronnie.

- All I can think about is - I know.

Betty.

Me too.

That's kind of why I texted you, Archie.

Why was Betty holding the rock?

- Because she picked it up.

- Why?

Why would she do that?

She knows about fingerprints and DNA.

What do you think happened?

I don't know.

Maybe she had an episode.

Ronnie, come on.

Archie, you didn't see her sophomore year with Chuck Clayton in the hot tub.

She went full Sybil.

She thought she was Polly and Chuck was Jason, and, I swear, for a minute there I thought she was going to drown him.

It was terrifying.

And even more terrifying was that the next day, she didn't even remember it.

It was like she blacked out.

That was Chuck Clayton, this is Jughead.

She She would never.

What if she didn't know she was doing it?

We saw her, Archie.

With the rock covered in blood.

Hello, Evelyn.

It's nice to see you again, Betty.

So, tell me, what can I do for you this time?

Did a girl named Donna Sweett come and visit you, from Stonewall Prep?

She did.

She asked me about your time at the Farm.

Donna said you told her about some post-hypnotic suggestion that I would be susceptible to.

What, like some magic word that would cause you to fugue in such an extreme way that you could hurt someone you love and not remember it?

I mean I guess it's possible.

But what specifically is bothering you, Betty?

I can tell something is.

I went to a party last night.

And I think I blacked out.

- And I wanna know - What you're capable of.

Right?

Come on, Betty.

You already know.

And, besides, I actually have a question for you.

How's Jughead doing these days?

Go to hell, Evelyn.

Oh, I'm already in hell, Betty.

This is hell.

And soon you're gonna be here, too, 'cause they're saving a cell for you on murderers' row down the hall from Old Sparky, where they keep all the boyfriend K*llers.

Hey, where'd you go after Stonewall?

Um, just made a pit stop at Pop's.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Have you heard anything interesting?

No.

Nothing.

Bret's just been monologuing about his new Rolex for the last 30 minutes.

Okay, we need to do something that rattles them.

That forces them to make a mistake, or to say something incriminating.

- Hey, how was your run?

- Yeah, it was good.

Listen, I'm sorry if I just sprang that on you.

What, the Naval Academy?

It's fine, Mom.

Good.

Um, because there's something else that I need to talk to you about.

What's up?

Brooke's not just my friend.

She's my girlfriend.

- Your what?

- We hadn't really been close since college.

And then we reconnected after her husband d*ed in Afghanistan, which was really hard on her.

And at first, I just thought I was comforting her, and then I don't know It just happened.

I don't want there to be any secrets between us, Archie.

I hope you're okay with it.

- Are you?

- Yeah, Mom.

I mean, I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little surprised Oh, hi.

Hey, Mrs. Andrews.

Um, Archie, do you have a second?

Yeah, totally.

- We'll talk more later, Mom?

Cool?

- Yeah.

Nice to see you.

I need your help with something.

Of course.

Anything, Betty.

I need you to go to Stonewall and start a fight with Bret.

What?

I thought we were supposed to be laying low, acting normal.

We are.

Going to Stonewall Prep is exactly what Archie Andrews would do in retaliation for what they did to Jughead.

What would it even accomplish?

Besides revenge for Jughead, it would get them talking.

We know it was them.

We just need proof.

Do we know it was them?

I mean, we didn't see them.

Of course it was them.

Who else would it have been?

Bret!

Oh, crap.

What did you do to Jughead?

Nothing, you plebe.

Now, get away The hell you didn't.

Admit it!

You k*lled Jughead.

You k*lled my best friend.

Archie, you're done!

I called campus security.

They're on their way.

I suggest you go, or the police will be next.

Don't kid yourself, Elmo.

You and I both know who k*lled Jughead.

It was Betty.

Don't let her drag you down with her.

What the hell was that about, Bret?

That red-headed lout accosted me out of nowhere.

Wanted me to confess to offing Forsythe.

The irony being, of course, that we know who Forsythe's m*rder*r is.

Ponytail herself.

Betty, Betty, Betty, how stupid do you think we are?

Planting bugs like a rank amateur?

Sending a bull into a china shop.

You're gonna seriously have to up your game if this is gonna be any fun for us.

Bye for now.

They are so infuriating!

It's okay.

They're smart.

We just have to be smarter.

Archie?

Archie.

I just got off the phone with the headmaster at Stonewall Prep.

He said that there was an incident at the dorm.

Apparently, you att*cked a student?

It was that douchebag, Bret.

- He had it coming to him.

- Archie, what is going on with you?

Are you upset with me?

- About Brooke?

- What?

No.

No, Mom, of course not.

Well, then can you tell me what's wrong?

It's incredibly complicated.

I know I'm not your father.

But you can tell me what is happening in your life.

You just need to trust me.

Let me in, and I will help you.

Mom Hello?

Stop talking, Archie.

Don't say another word.

Tell your mom that everything's fine, but that you have to go.

Say it's about Veronica.

Just end the conversation before you say something stupid.

Do it.

Now.

I understand, Veronica.

I'll be right over.

- That was Veronica.

Look, I have to - You have to go.

You always have to go.

You're avoiding me, Archie.

I'm sorry, Mom, it's just Ronnie asked me not to say anything, but her dad is sick.

Like, really, really sick.

Oh, my God.

With what?

It's some muscular thing.

I'm not sure exactly.

Ronnie's really upset, so I haven't asked her too many questions.

But that's no excuse to disrespect you.

I'm so sorry.

I'll make it up to you, I promise.

Elizabeth, can you come here for a moment?

What's going on?

I got to admit, it was Jellybean's idea.

We've been calling Jug's phone.

Of course, no answer.

It's been going straight to voicemail.

But then Jellybean said that That we should try to track it.

That there's a way to, uh To ping a lost phone, so we did that.

And sure enough, it started to To ping.

Where was it?

In your jacket.

So I guess I'm wondering, Betty what the hell are you doing with my missing son's phone?

Well, Elizabeth?

Explain yourself.

Okay.

Uh The night of the party, Jughead was talking about losing his phone.

He thought he had lost it in the woods, but I reminded him that he had just left it here to charge before the party.

It was dead, so we plugged it in to charge it.

And when we left for the party, we must've forgot about it.

- Forgot about it?

All this time?

- Okay.

- Yeah.

- How did it get into your jacket?

I must've picked it up at some point.

"At some point"?

Elizabeth, Jughead is missing, you have his phone.

You didn't think it was worth mentioning to anyone?

But I don't know what to tell you, Mom.

I'm worried, okay?

This is the longest Jughead and I have ever gone without talking, even when we've been in a fight.

So, please forgive me if I'm not 100% lucid about this.

I think we should declare Jughead a missing person, Mr. Jones.

Can you do that?

I'm losing my mind here.

So that's where Jughead's phone was?

The preppies must have snuck it into my pocket when I was at Stonewall.

- To make you look guilty?

- Exactly.

You know what?

Joan bumped into me as I was leaving.

That's probably when it happened.

God!

This This was a move, okay?

Just like everything else that they do.

They are treating this like a game of Chicken, and they're enjoying it.

But I am not about to blink.

Are you?

Veronica.

Daddy.

Where are Mom and Hermosa?

I sent them to the club.

Mija, I'm sorry.

You deserve to hear the truth from me.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't want the pity.

I didn't want you to see me as weak ever.

Daddy all I want is to be a source of strength for you.

I love you.

And we're going to fight our way through this.

Together.

What can I do?

Well It would give me peace of mind if you'd just try to get along with Hermosa.

I mean, she's your family.

Sisters.

Okay, Daddy.

I'll try.

Mr. Jones, is everything okay?

I don't know yet, Betty, but I got a lead.

I, uh I just got a call from a hiker who found a bloody rock in the woods at the same place where the Stonewall party was.

Oh, my God.

Do you think That it's Jughead's blood?

Well, we won't know till I get it tested.

Can I do anything to help?

Not at the moment, no.

I have to go pick up the rock and bring it back to the station.

Okay, will you will you let me know what you find out?

I will.

Jellybean, do you have any of that fake blood left over from Halloween?

Yeah, I think so.

Can you find that for me?

Charles, we have a problem.

FP got a call about a bloody rock that they found in the woods behind Stonewall Prep.

But you threw the bloody rock in the swimming hole.

Exactly.

But think about it.

The preppies must've known that I would get rid of the rock, so they must've had a backup one with Jughead's blood all over it.

And I'm sure my prints are on it, too.

If they planted a m*rder w*apon covered in the victim's blood, and FP gets ahold of it, there's not much we can do.

On the contrary.

Betty called me and gave me a heads-up.

- That's the rock they found?

- Yeah, it is.

I'm gonna send it out to the lab, have it tested, see if it's a match.

Listen, the local lab will take a week or more.

But if I send that to Quantico, we'd know in two days, tops.

So, I send this decoy to Quantico?

Put it down!

Yes.

They will test it and discover that it's fake blood.

Just some prop in a stupid prep school prank.

This will buy us a couple days, tops.

Every second counts.

What's their next move, do you think?

But that's not possible.

And can I ask what prompted this review?

I see.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but not as sorry as you'll be to hear from my lawyer.

That did not sound good.

Barnard College is reconsidering my admission.

Apparently, they received an anonymous tip that I'm running an illegal liquor operation, the Maple Club, and now my application is under review.

I'll give you one guess as to where that call came from.

- The Stonies.

- Who else?

- It's like we're in a w*r.

- Yeah.

Betty's w*r.

And I'll follow her to the ends of the earth, but we need to know the truth about what happened at the party, all of it.

Before this gets any worse.

- What do you wanna know?

- Everything.

What do you mean?

I told you everything.

That you can remember.

But Betty, when Archie and I found you, standing over Jughead's body, you were holding the rock.

There's no reason you would've done that.

You wouldn't have picked up that rock.

Not consciously.

You're right.

I would've I should've been trying to keep Jughead's brains from falling out of his head.

I think, maybe I blacked out.

- Why didn't you tell us?

- Because I'm scared.

I'm terrified that I might've done it.

That I might've Whatever happened, Betty, we're with you.

But somehow we have to figure out what happened after your conversation with Donna and before you woke up next to Jughead's body.

Do you remember anything?

I don't, but I I think Donna might have said a trigger word that caused me to hurt Jughead.

"A trigger word.

" Like the kind they used at the Farm?

Yeah.

Didn't Charles help you with that?

Maybe he can help again.

- And we can all find out - What I did to Jughead.

All right, Betty.

We're looking for missing time.

Right before you woke up next to Jughead.

Start by just letting yourself relax.

I'm ready when you are.

I'm ready.

Your mind and your body are entering a deep state of relaxation.

I need you to try and recall the events leading up to the moment of your blackout.

Try to remember the details of your environment.

Your movements, your interactions that night.

Find yourself back in that place.

Inhale.

Exhale.

No, the other magic word.

The one that makes you fugue and hurt the people who you love.

You wanna hear it?

I Donna Donna and I were in the woods, and she blew this powder, like, this white powder at me.

I must've breathed it in, then everything just went black.

Did she say anything?

A trigger word?

Or a phrase?

I don't think I don't think she did.

Maybe Donna's bluffing.

Yeah, and maybe Evelyn was just messing with me.

As for the powder, - it might be scopolamine.

- What the hell is that?

It's commonly known as Devil's Breath.

It's a potent drug that blocks certain neurotransmitters, affecting one's short-term memory, much like a blackout.

When inhaled, it leaves a victim disoriented, but completely unaware.

After inhaling the Devil's Breath, would Betty have been capable of Delivering a k*lling blow to Jughead?

Doubtful.

Much more likely, she put that rock in your hand herself, and spun you like a top.

So, it's true what they say.

A m*rder*r always returns to the scene of the crime.

I know what you did.

You blew Devil's Breath in my face.

It wasn't some triggering word you got from Evelyn Evernever.

Although you did go and visit her, which was a great mislead.

Congrats.

Evelyn was more than happy to help keep you guessing.

She really hates you.

You drugged me, Donna.

You put a bloody rock in my hand.

But it was you or one of your demented chums who k*lled my boyfriend.

Fascinating theory.

Here's what I think you did.

Rather than try to explain to the authorities what you were doing with a bloody rock standing over Jughead's corpse, you hid or got rid of the body.

Archie and Veronica helped you.

Am I right?

No need to answer me.

I know that's what happened.

Just like I know Jughead's body will never be found.

Yeah?

Why is that?

Because if it was, all of the forensic evidence would lead to you, Betty.

The crazy girlfriend with a history of mental illness.

The perfect m*rder.

No body, no crime.

- Now what?

- Now?

Nothing.

Jughead becomes one of the Stonewall Five, and we go on with our lives.

Donna thinks she's got it all figured out.

And in a way, she does.

Every move that we make, the preppies make a countermove, one that pulls us down deeper and deeper.

And we helped them by taking care of the evidence.

The problem is, we've been playing defense.

Making moves that, of course, Donna would be able to anticipate.

- So?

- So we need to make an unpredictable move that blows up the game, brings it to a head.

I have a feeling I know where this is going.

Jughead's body needs to be found by Sheriff Jones.

Not by the FBI, not by Stonewall security, and not by the local police.

It has to be him.

We need to organize a search party.

Jughead!

Jughead!

Jug!

Sheriff Jones, over here, I think I found something!

Stay back!

Archie, do you wanna talk?

I'm so, so sorry about what happened to Jughead.

It's just tragic.

It's just not fair.

Losing your father, and now your best friend.

This is supposed to be the best year of your life.

Instead, it's just full of devastation.

Mom, I have to confess something to you.

Daddykins.

Mijas.

- What is it?

- Hermosa and I have a proposal.

We want to be named co-executors of your estate.

Well, I think that's a great idea.

I will have Sowerberry write up my new will immediately.

And I'll be happy to see you two shoulder-to-shoulder.

At least until Veronica heads off to Barnard.

Yeah.

And who knows, maybe if my businesses are going well, I'll defer my admission a year.

You know, Barnard will always be there, so Hey, hermanita.

What was that BS about deferring Barnard?

No one defers Barnard.

Hermosa we agreed to set aside our differences for Daddy's sake.

And my circle of friends is going through a huge loss.

So can you for one second just stop being such a suspicious bitch?

Fine.

It'll be more fun for me to find out on my own.

We have to stop meeting like this.

People will say we're in love.

Why did you do it, Betty?

Why reveal the body when everything will just point back to you and your cronies?

Oh, gosh, Donna.

Maybe it's because I know you k*lled him.

The man that I love.

And if I'm going down, you better be damn sure I'm taking you down with me.

As usual, I have no idea what you're talking about.

You and your Stonewall chums think you know me, and what my next moves will be.

I'm sorry, Donna but I am the ultimate wildcard.

I am the daughter of the Black Hood, the nightmare from next door.

I'm training with the FBI, and I'm coming for you, you psycho bitch.

Not Joan, not Jonathan, not even Bret.

Just you.

You're gonna regret ever meeting me.

Wait, so Donna just showed up at the clearing on her own?

Just like I told you she would.

Donna may not be showing it, but she's scared.

They all are.

Finally.

So, what do we do now?

We wait, Arch.

For w what?

For them to make the next move.