The Other Detective - Book 3 (Riverdale Season 3)

Manhunt - Part 2

"Get up. Get up!" Sweet Pea told Joaquin as he and Fangs squatted on the ground next to him, a gag in Joaquin's mouth. "Look what we found on him," he told the Jones' as he held up a gargoyle mask, tossing it to Jughead.

"So you jumped ship for the Gargoyle Gang? You have a lot of explaining to do," he leant down and Fangs took the gag out of his mouth. "So why don't we start with why you shivved Archie instead of protecting him like you were supposed to."

"The warden said I had no other choice. You don't know what it was like in there, Jug. You'd do anything to survive. For me, it was being the warden's pawn. A- A- A chess piece. In some ways, he was a pawn too."

"What does that mean? " Jughead asked.

"I saw him with these game cards that- that told him what to do. Whoever sent them to him wanted Archie dead. From the moment he was locked up, he was already marked."

"Marked with what?" Jughead asked as he got a pen out of his pocket, drawing Archie's brand onto his palm. "This symbol the warden branded on Archie's hip? What does it mean?"

"No," he shook his head. "No."

"Joaquin, what does the symbol mean?" Aminity asked him, but he remained silent.

"Pick him up," Jughead ordered.

"No, no," he thrashed as Sweet Pea and Fangs dragged him to his feet.

"Stop. Just stop," Fangs whispered, trying to help him.

"Sacrifice," he finally answered. "It means that... It meant that Archie had to die. I'm sorry, Jug. I know he was your pal. I-"

"Oh, Archie's alive, Joaquin."

"Then he won't be for much longer."

"Who's giving Warden Norton his orders?"

"No," he looked away.

"Okay. I don't think you understand, Joaquin. I can't let you go until you talk," Jughead said as he pulled out his switchblade.

"Jughead, stop!" Aminity told him, pushing him away. The boys all looked at her, but she ignored them and walked up to Joaquin. "Look, we're just trying to figure out what's going on. Does any of this actually seem right to you? Please, Joaquin. What if this mark was on Septimus? What if he was the one getting hurt? Archie's like my brother. I just want to protect him, the same way you would protect your brother. Please."

He sighed. "I saw them meet. Once. But you know him, Aminity. Both of you do," he looked at Jughead. "The man in the black suit." Aminity and Jughead glanced at each other before back to Joaquin.

***

"An ancient evil long forgotten has awoken. The embodiment of pure malice and cruelty," Jughead said as they stood in Hiram's office.

He just sat there before looking at Aminity. "So it's finally happened. You've lost your mind."

"No," Aminity told him, "he just refuses to talk like a normal human being."

"You met Warden Norton in high school and all of this time, you've been sending him quest cards instructing him how to torture and then kill Archie."

"That's why you pinned Cassidy's murder on him. To get him to a place that was under your control and where you could easily dispose of him."

"You're not just the criminal kingpin of Riverdale. You're the Gargoyle King."

"What did you call me?"