Dangerous Lies

Chapter 2

Jughead stood up from the ground, he glanced at Archie who was still looking at him worried, maybe even curious. But Jughead couldn't stop thinking about the man from the photo. He looked down at the photo in his hands, young woman holding onto Hal Cooper tightly, her eyes lighting up in a smile, and the older woman standing besides her in a bright smile as well, but Jughead couldn't see the light in her eyes, not as he saw it in what it seems Hal Cooper's daughter.

"That's Elizabeth Cooper, but she goes by Betty, she is Hal Cooper's daughter.", Archie said as he could read his mind.

"Only child?"

"Yeah, she is our age.", Jughead put the photo in his pocket and rushed past Archie, heading to the car where now his dead fiancé was. He slightly pushed the man who was taking the pictures of the crime scene and he kneeled down next to Veronica.

"Hey baby." Jughead whispered, cupping her cheeks, just like she always liked.

"I'm gonna find whoever did this to you.", Jughead found himself crying over the words that he never thought would say and he can't even remember the last time he actually cried. Maybe when he was a baby? Or when his dad decided to become a drunk abusive asshole. But whatever that he felt than, it couldn't compare with what he is feeling right now. Now that he has Veronica's blood on his hands and now that he knows he has to do everything to find whoever did this to her and why. And what was she even doing in a car with a man who can easily be her father? In the middle of the night.

Jughead couldn't stop the thoughts that filled his mind, but he knew that he couldn't just let them go either. Because sooner or later he has to face the reality, and that reality is cruel, so fucking cruel.

Just as Jughead tried to look at the Hal Cooper who was sitting in a driver seat, he hears someone clear their throat. He looks up, just to find Sweet Pea who was earlier sent to inform the Cooper family about the murder.

"I'm sorry to interruput officer, but I just wanted to inform you that Hal Cooper's wife, Alice Cooper wants to see her husband, now." Sweet Pea said, pointing behind him, Jughead looked up to find the older woman standing next to the police cars. And she looks almost peaceful... too much peaceful for the woman who just found out that her husband had been murdered. But Jughead couldn't figure out if it is from shock or she is just glad that her husband is dead. And whatever was it, Jughead couldn't find himself wonder more as he looked next to the older lady, searching for her daughter as she would most likely want to see her father too, which was in this case impossible. But she wasn't there. Or Jughead just couldn't recognize her, despite the fact that he saw her a few minutes ago on that photo.

"Just send her home." Jughead waved his hand in front of Sweet Pea's face showing him that he doesn't have time for that, or that he couldn't even care less for the woman who was waiting to see her dead husband, because as far as Jughead knows, maybe this was all her husband's fault and maybe because of him Veronica is dead. And yes, they were all maybe's, but what Jughead was 100% sure about is that his life is never gonna be the same without Veronica. And he as sure as hell had all right to blame Hal Cooper for that.

"Yeah, that's the problem, sir. We can't."

"What do you mean "We can't", he said, louder than he wanted to. But Sweet Pea didn't pay attention to that, as he surely had understanding for his boss. "The Cooper family is very rich, officer. And I'm not talking about millionaries here, I'm talking about billionaries."

"So?", Jughead asked, clearly annoyed at where this conversation is going. He knew that in Riverdale, money is everything and watching Veronica's dad, Hiram Lodge getting everything on a silver plate, just because he had a money really used to annoy Jughead, not because he was jealous, it's just he knew that he couldn't offer Veronica whatever her father was offering her. But come to think of it, Hiram Lodge was never a billionarie, before he died he used to run illegal business, and Jughead knew all about them, but he had to ignore what his father - in - law was doing in order to be with Veronica. And again, he was never a billionarie, so if Hiram Lodge could get everything he wanted without being a billionarie, than Hal Cooper's wife sure as hell can see her husband if she wants to.

"I think you already know the answer on that question, sir." Sweet Pea said, snapping Jughead from his thoughts. Jughead just nodded in return, he glanced at the woman again, and instead of peaceful look she had a few minutes ago, on her face he could easily see that she became impatient.

"Sir there is just one more thing." Jughead turned his attention to Sweet Pea, who he just noticed had a few papers in his hands.

"Hal Cooper came into a town few hours ago, and before he was found here, he was in Italy. I thought maybe this information will be somehow important." Sweet Pea said, handing Jughead the papers. Jughead looked down, to find yet another familiar name he heard ten minutes ago.

"His daughter lives in Italy?", Jughead asked not looking away from the papers.

"Yeah, she opened family business there, but she actually is coming back to Riverdale."

"Great, when she comes, bring her to a police station." Jughead said, turning his back on him to look at Veronica again.

"Um, but why?"

"Well someone from that family needs to know the answers, and I just have feeling that Elizabeth Cooper is the one."