Riverdale : Our Town - Season 1 (English version)

Chapter 28 (Betty) - "Open your eyes"

I couldn't help myself, I know. I kept doing my research on Grundy. Because whatever Archie thinks, this woman is toxic. She's hiding something. And if I can't find her secrets on the internet, then I have to investigate closer to my suspect. I'm not saying that I should break into her house. No, it would be a violation of private life. But sabotaging her car... for me, it's the right way to go.

"Weren't you supposed to let this go ?", exclaims Veronica, who I brought into my risky task.

Without responding, I grab the crowbar and insert it in the door of the old car.

"Are we really breaking into Grundy's car right now ?", continues my acolyte. "How did you even learn how to do that ?"

"My dad and I fixed cars together.", I explain.

At these words, I hear the lock breaking, and the door opens. I smile victoriously at Veronica, who looks at me, impressed. If my father was here, he would say something like : "That's good work, like a true mechanic !"

"Okay. Before going any further, if I'm committing a felony, I need to at least ask a question.", says Veronica, while we both sit at the front of the vehicle. "Are you doing this because you still have feelings for Archie ?"

-"No, Veronica !", I cry out, putting my hands on the steering wheel, at the edge of a nervous breakdown. "We're doing this because Grundy has Archie under some kind of sexual spell, and he won't listen to reason. We're looking for anything that proves Grundy isn't as clean as she says she is."

While trying to stay focus, I begin to search the car in its smallest recesses. When I disassemble the backseat, I find a little metallic box. The perfect hideout to keep compromising objects.

"Hairpin.", I say to Veronica.

"Here you go, Mc Gyver."

I twist a little the hairpin that she gives me, before pushing it in the hole of the keypad. In a clatter, the box opens itself.

"I learned that from the Nancy Drew detective handbook.", I proudly tell my friend.

"Okay, open it !", she commands, impatient.

The first thing I see is a driver's license with Miss Grundy's picture on it. Except that the document is not in her name.

"Oh my god...", I whisper.

"Jennifer Gibson ? Who the hell is that ?", adds Veronica, while reading the description, as surprised as me.

"That's not the only thing."

With my thin fingers, I delicately grab the object hidden behind a piece of fabric. Holy shit ! A fucking gun. Not a toy for children, a true one. With ammunition next to it...

***************************

Still a little stunned by our discovery, we decide to pass directly by Archie's, in order to share our progress with him.

"Oh god, you again...", he sighs, when he sees Veronica and I waiting under his porch. "Please, don't tell me you're still on this crazy witch hunt !"

"It's very serious, Archie.", I retort, walking closer to the redhead. "We were just in Grundy's car and..."

"What ? You were in her car ?", he cuts me, furious.

"Yeah, and thank god we were.", replies Veronica. "We found a gun."

"And an ID, with the name Jennifer Gibson.", I add. "This is proof Miss Grundy is not who she says she is".

I hope revealing that will finally make my best friend open his eyes. Because in his case, love really made him blind.

"Then who is she ?", he questions, with a hint of worry in his tone.

"Obviously some identity thief.", answers Veronica.

"Archie, what if she had something to do with Jason's murder ?", I insist. "She taught him. She made you lie about him. We know she was at the river. She has a gun !", I enumerate, clenching my teeth.

"So did Dilton Doiley, but you never thought he killed Jason !"

"Open your eyes, Archie !", exclaims Veronica. "Everything about her is a huge boldfaced question mark."

"Whatever her name is, she's innocent.", Archie affirms, in a shivering voice.

"You didn't ask her about her name, did you ?", I question him, more calmly. "And why there's no record of her before last year ?"

Archie shakes his head as an answer. The idea probably popped up in his mind, but for some reason, he didn't dare to ask her. It seems he is still doubting the reliability of our statements.

"Why not, Archie ?"

For the first time, I perceive the distress in his gaze. He is trying to hold on to the idea he has built of her. And I can't blame him. Miss Grundy hid her game well. I'm not in a position to lecture him, as I was myself clung to an erroneous image - the one of Archie, pictured as the perfect boyfriend. This idea has followed me for many years, until today, where my hopes and my doubts are mixing up with reality.

The young man lets out a deep sigh, before walking away without a word. I know that I've gone too far. But I hope he will understand, one day... that all I did was for his own good.