Chapter 4
VERONICA
“Alright young lady, it looks your lawyer is a no-show would u want to talk now? We don’t bite, they don’t” Lucifer taunted Veronica and then whispered closely to her “but I do, if u want me to” he smirked which earned an annoyed roll of the eyes from Veronica
“It’s alright veronica, we could wait for your lawyer it’s your right like I told you” Chloe reassured her.
“Waiting wouldn’t be necessary, I’m here. Mary Andrews, Veronica’s lawyer” Archie’s mother came emerging from the elevator. Sierra welcomed her with a hug
“Andrews?” Chloe asked.
“Yes, Detective, this is Archie’s mom” Veronica said after going to Mary giving her a hug as well.
“I’ll be representing her and my son” Mary said. “And any other of the kids who needs a lawyer as well, if Sierra hasn’t yet volunteered”
“Oh Mary, some of this kids are too proud that they went into questioning without waiting” Sierra said eyeing at Reggie and Sweet Pea who scratched their heads from embarrassment knowing how bad their questioning went.
“Alright then, right this way” Chloe Decker said leading Veronica and Mary to a room while Lucifer followed.
“Detective, I know you’ve talked to everyone and tried to get to the bottom of it, but truly, we love each other like a family and we can’t do anything like that. I mean my father, could…..” Veronica said the moment they were taking a seat.
Chloe was shock as to why Veronica was saying something, wasn’t she the one who insisted that she wanted a lawyer? She thought.
“Veronica, you don’t have to speak” Mary stopped her from saying another word.
“Your father?” Chloe dared her chances and still asked, this might be something. Mary gestured a hand to Ronnie asking her to stop from uttering anything else incriminating.
“It’s okay Mrs Andrews, I think at this point we are all unsafe, I’d rather talk or something, I need you so they turn this around me…” Veronica assured. “My father used to be a villain in our stories. Would take the extra mile to make sure that Archie and I didn’t end up together. But we’ve made peace that I love Archie.” She continued.
“The kid is right. I mean I hated her old man as well but all the attacks weren’t just directed at Archie, they were directed at everyone.” Mary said.
“Everyone…..” Chloe said and then realized something that might be ground breaking “except Toni. The only one who was not a victim that night.”
“Huh detective well done.” Lucifer clapped in joy.
“No, I know Toni too, she’s tough but she’ll never do such a thing, especially to us, and especially to her girlfriend” Veronica assured.
“But weren’t they fighting?” She asked.
“Oh please, the last time they were fighting and Cheryl was being a child and wanted a chainsaw to slit Toni in half, and Toni was still the most understanding of her girlfriend, she saw beyond her bitch persona and loved Cheryl unconditionally.” Veronica defended their friend.
“Still, what if she had enough?” Chloe re-questioned.
“No, I promise, when it comes to Cheryl, it truly is unconditional. She stayed and lived with Cheryl even if Cheryl kept her brother’s corpse!” She exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, what????” Mary and Chloe and even Lucifer said in unison.
“Long story, and totally not related to this and definitely not murder, well, not murder by Cheryl but my point is, it can’t be Toni if Cheryl is concerned”
“Thanks for that but we still need to question her. We can’t go just by your words.” Chloe said.
“I understand, but you’ll see Toni is innocent and so is everyone else.”
“Right, Toni is still with Maze and Archie. That leaves us with Cheryl”
CHERYL
“Has anyone seen Cheryl Blossom?” Lucifer shouted. “I want this over with”
Everyone looks at each other trying to find Cheryl but she was nowhere to be found.
“Guys, where’s Cheryl?” Veronica asked, almost in a panic. And everyone just shrug their shoulders, nonchalantly.
“Who was she last with?” Chloe asked.
“I don’t know she was whining about Toni I honestly had to get away from her.” Reggie uttered.
“Lucifer, wasn’t Cheryl in here?” Chloe asked Lucifer knowing that everyone was here except for Toni.
“Why yes. She was, I was trying to brighten her up in the car on the way to Lux but she gave me a cold shoulder, hurts my ego” he said.
“Then why isn’t she here?” The detective asked.
“Why I don’t know detective, I was with you the entire time when you came in”
“Guys guys guys!!! Help Cheryl is tied down in Lucifer’s hot tub!” Sweet Pea came running back, he seemed to have concern over his bestfriend’s girlfriend that unlike the other he actually tried to look for the redhead.
“WHY??????” Betty said in shock while Veronica shouted “WHAT????”
“COME ON HURRY!” Sweet Pea shouted.
They rushed to where Sweet Pea led them, Cheryl’s hands and leg were tied down using a chain even if the hot tub was shallow her whole body was submerged. They were too tight and made from steel for Sweet Pea to remove. Even Reggie tried to help.
“Get out you goons, I’ll do it” Lucifer rushes to the water and breaks them in an instant.
Cheryl is not breathing and Betty went rushing and immediately does CPR on her until she breathes.
Cheryl gasps for air but is out of herself, like she doesn’t remember even one thing.
Veronica, Betty and Josie huddled up to her trying to calm her down or anything.
“What happened? Why is it hot and why am I wet?” Cheryl wondered feeling the pain from the heat now, tears almost streamed down but the drug was still affecting her
“Oh sweetie, come here” Veronica hugged her tight
“Toni. I need Toni” she sniffled and slurred. Even if they just fought, it’s her that she needed. Tears were flowing freely now. Everyone knew she was still out of herself and they all felt pity for the redhead, also guilt.
“Ella do you recognize any pattern, as well” Chloe asked to Ella discreetly without anyone who appears to be noting what Chloe noticed.
“Yes, I’m with you, Forsythe’s first book - that was Cheryl who attempted suicide, wasn’t she? When she let herself fall down the river” Ella said. “Cheryl Blossom, has a twin brother, it’s her, no doubt.” She said to Ella.” She confirmed as well.
--
“It looks like your friend is shaken up.” Chloe said to Betty who was with Jughead. “We had her smell something, she’ll wake up no longer feeling drugged, or less if ever. We are hypothesizing that you were all drugged without your knowledge in the party, all results came in positive but we didn’t tell you”
The two nodded at the new information but wondering how was that possible.
Veronica and Josie were attending to Cheryl. While the boys were outside trying to keep themselves busy. Possibly guilty of not having to watch Cheryl. Especially fangs and sweet pea who promised Toni they would look after her girl.
“Poor Cheryl, the same thing happened to her when she tried to take her own life. Only she was submerged in ice. Now it’s heat.” Betty said emphatically.
“True! Like they wanted to bring her to hell.” Ella commented.
“Well Ms Lopez, hell was hot but it was also ashy not watery, I can confirm” Lucifer snarked.
“What’s his deal?” Jughead whispered to Chloe and she just shrugged.
“Huh, I trust u wont put me in there, big guy” Ella prayed folding her hands while saying out loud with her eyes closed.
“What’s our plan now detective?” Betty asked.
“Shouldn’t you be concerned that two parents are in here? Shouldn’t you be leaving this with the police?” Ella asked them and Chloe said “I asked for their help, ella, actually.”
“This isn’t our first rodeo, they know very well we wouldn’t give up until we catch the person.” Jughead affirmed and they smiled while Chloe approached the lawyers.
“Mrs Andrews, mrs mccoy, since an attack happened while everybody is in here and accounted for except Archie and Toni. I guess these kids aren’t suspects anymore, we won’t need to question Cheryl as well as she’s still shaken up plus she’ll likely have the same alibi”
“What about Archie and Toni?” Mary asked.
“Archie isn’t here as well and he was a victim, he’s off the hooks” Chloe said.
“And Toni?” Sierra followed.
“Well for toni, she is still a suspect we’ll need to question her”
“We’ll both be happy to represent her.” Mary said.
“Okay, we’ll wait for her” Chloe said to the two.
Chloe went back to the two teen detectives she asked help for. It was not normal for her to do this but something tells her that she needed to trust her gut, like when she trusted it during the Palmetto case.
“Toni is the only person that wasn’t in any way terrorized that night, so that doesn’t rule out her being a suspect. This violates thousands of protocol but I’m really going to need both your help now.”
“But how is toni supposed to do this if she isn’t here right now?” Jughead rebutted.
“And taking in the angle that Cheryl was just attacked right now, through elimination process rule Toni out, well based on your exaggerated description of her love for Cheryl”
“That’s it. That’s what they want us to think. They are all trying to frame everybody present here and the only person present here are Archie and Toni” Chloe says.
“They were trying to send a message but what message.” Ella confirmed what Chloe said.
“What if they didn’t want to just scare us?” Betty said.
“Yes that could be possible, at this point anything is possible”
“What are we going to do next, Detective?” Jughead asked.
“We pretend that Archie is actually dead. We take in Toni in custody, making them think that we suspect Toni and that we knew she was working with someone not yet known. They are an up and coming band, it’s not going to be difficult to get the news running” she explained her plan of action, it was risky but it was one she is willing to take. They had to outsmart them. “If Toni isn’t their target, someone’s going to show up and attack you again, that’s how we’re going to set them up, to prove toni’s innocence maybe or actually have the attack that they so intended.” She continued.
“What if someone doesn’t show up? And wouldn’t this ruin Toni’s career?” they asked.
“We take in a different angle if no one shows up, but right now I think it’s a long shot but it’s a gut feeling. As for Toni’s career? She isn’t actually convicted, she’s a suspect. A lot of these things happen, accusations and allegations, it becomes nothing once proven innocent and it keeps them in the headline, if anything, this is still PR. However, we don’t tell Toni or anyone anything about this. At least for now. Do you hear me clear?”
“WHAT? Why?”
“Because Toni is still a suspect, but we don’t have solid proof that she actually is or she is not. Now she’s more of a bait. We will only tell her everything once we questioned her.”
“Cheryl needs her” Betty said.
Chloe looks with pity knowing how much the other girl was suffering at the moment.
“It’s just for a short while. We’ll take care of Toni, I promise. I trust you kids” she assured them
--
Not a while later, Toni and Maze together with Archie reached Lux. Maze paid for the cab and shot Charles a text that they have arrived.
“Look at that helmet hair!” she laughed at Toni as Toni shook her head to try and fix the flattened hair.
“Is it that bad?” Toni pouted.
“No don’t worry you still look hot, your gf is not gonna not want you” Maze smirked.
“She’s still pretty mad at me and I think it doesn’t put me on her good side that I spent the day with you. She’ll be jealous for sure”
“Don’t worry, you’ll win her back for sure” Maze convinced Toni. She turned to Archie “Let’s come up”
“Why in a bar though?” Archie asks.
“Lucifer’s penthouse is right above” she responded.
“Who’s Lucifer? The devil?” he asked again.
“YES, actually.” Maze answered in sarcasm and annoyance. She didn’t really like the vibes of Archie.
Toni and Maze laughed.
“I’m not even joking he actually is a devil” Maze told Toni in a more nicer way compared to how she told Archie off.
“Oh sure he is, he was all over Cheryl and I hated it, he’s even worse than the devil I bet” Toni said.
“He can grant you a favour” Maze said.
“Well, please tell him to stay away from my girlfriend and that she’s taken. That’s my favour”
Maze laughed at Toni and Archie was just confused, I mean when wasn’t he.
They arrived at Lucifer’s penthouse and they heard the ding signalling the opening of the elevator.
“Heyyy what’s up I found your guy, say it maze is the best” Maze announced.
“Thanks Maze” Chloe thanked her.
“So does he need to be tortured to tell the truth or anything” Maze said excitingly and Toni nudged her.
“He doesn’t need to be questioned anymore actually” Lucifer said.
“Too bad” she pouted.
“Mom, Mrs McCoy, why are you here?”
“We are representing you and your friends, Honey” her mother told Archie
“Why?”
“Is this kid really dumb?” Maze whispers to Toni and Toni giggled a little. Sweet Pea gave her a questioning look on why she was hanging out with someone at a time like this. He went straight to her and grabbed her wrist and asked quietly “What the fuck, Toni, what about Cheryl??????”
“Chill, Maze is just a friend”
“I can’t believe you, you don’t even know how Cheryl is right now do you?” he huffed in annoyance
“What do you mean?” Toni said but Sweet Pea ignored her.
Veronica arrives and hugs Archie immediately.
“We do need to question you, Toni” Chloe said to Toni but the other girl had Cheryl on her mind, what did Sweet Pea mean? She’d rather see Cheryl now but they had to question still which annoyed her.
“Okay fine” Toni said. “But let’s be quick”
“Wait detective, can Toni go see Cheryl first? She was looking for her” Betty asked for Toni and Toni was elated that she asked that but the last bit of what Betty said struck her “She was looking for me?? Why???”
Chloe nods to Betty “You better see for yourself” she said as she led her to her girlfriend who was resting, eyes closed, in Lucifer’s bed, Josie seated on the side. She looked like she was crying, scratch that, she didn’t look that much but Toni knew that she was, she knew her girlfriend that bad.
“Cheryl. What the fuck happened to her?” She asked quietly to Josie not trying to wake her up. She held on gently to her girlfriend’s hand with tears threatening to fall. She shouldn’t have left.
“She was tied down and drowned, she was roofied before that.” Chloe explained
“Who fucking did this to that girl? I’m going to kill them” Maze says in anger, obviously having Toni’s back.
“We don’t know yet, Maze” Chloe said “But I’m hoping we’ll get more clues once we ask Toni”
“Cheryl, fuck, im sorry for leaving you baby, I shouldn’t have left you” Toni was crying now.
“Toni it’s not your fault” Josie assured her.
“I should’ve been with her at the very least but where was I, fucking bounty hunting Archie with her, whom I knew his whereabouts!” she said crying “And I stalled maze so I could hide you” she looked at Archie annoyed.
“But no one was here for Cheryl!” she continued.
“Sweets saved her, Tiny, but we’re guilty, she was whining too much on how she hates you are fighting” Fangs said and then Toni got why Sweet Pea was angry that Toni bailed on them with Maze, she shot her an apologetic look and her friend just nodded.
“Toni relax” Veronica said.
“How am I supposed to relax, my gf was drugged and she could’ve died!”
“Excuse me, your girlfriend????, you’ve broken up” Lucifer reminded her and Chloe gave him a stern look to remind him that this was not the time.
“I’m sorry, Toni but the sooner you are questioned the sooner we get to the bottom of this”
“The moment she wakes up we’re fixing up the mess that I’ve caused and she’s mine again” she looked at Lucifer. “Okay detective, please ask away”
“That’s my girl!” Maze said.
Cheryl stirs and wakes up from all the arguing trying to make out the blurry faces she was seeing until she felt a hand tighten around her. She squinted trying to see who it was but she knew it was Toni, she just wanted to confirm.
“Hi baby. How are you?” Toni said quietly.
“What happened? Why are you calling me baby again..” Cheryl said in confusion. From the looks of it, the effects of the drug is out of her system.
“Babe what’s the last thing you remember”
“You left me for that beautiful girl and then we were taken in this place and they found out that Archie is alive and they were questioning us. I wanted to be drunk and all, Lucifer graciously provided us drinks I wanted to forget we were even fighting…. And then I just remember feeling hot and wet”
“Hot and wet”
“LUCIFER, THIS IS NOT THE TIME”
“What happened?” Cheryl asked.
“Uhm, cher, you were drugged and someone hurt you….”
“What? Who?”
“We don’t know too ms blossom but the sooner we get to question Toni, we’ll know” Chloe said.
“No, Toni, please don’t leave me. I know we’re fighting but..”
“I’m not going anywhere Cher, we’ll talk okay? But right now I need to answer them. Betty, Veronica and Josie will look after you.” Toni stood and kissed Cheryl on the forehead.
“I swear I’m going to kill the person that did this to her, Toni.” Maze said as Toni followed Chloe.
“When did you become so close????” Lucifer asks Maze but he was ignored.
--
“Toni, Mrs McCoy and Mrs Andrews agreed to represent you”
“Mrs Andrews, Mrs Mccoy, I’m sorry I can’t afford to pay you anything it’s alright, I can handle myself” Toni said.
“Don’t be silly toni, this is pro bono, anything for Josie’s friend.” Sierra smiled at her.
“And Archie” said Mary.
“Thank you.”
“And likewise for ms topaz, she doesn’t need to speak.” Mary said.
“I want to say something, though. Whatever it is you want to know I’ll tell everything and I hope it helps you find who did this to Cheryl. I wish I could tell you anything I can remember that night but I can’t remember, even our lousy make out session I don’t remember, I wish I could honestly but…”
“Toni, thing is, you are the only one not targeted last night, that brings you in a bad light” Chloe explained.
“I knew that would happen, I was scared too, what if I….”
“Toni, you don’t need to say anything or confess to anything you didn’t do.” Sierra said.
“But I can’t remember what happened!”
“Toni, not another word” Mary warned.
“I’m sorry Mrs McCoy and Mrs Andrews, but at this point we have to take Toni in even for the lack of evidence because everything points to her”
“How does it point to her she wasn’t here when Cheryl attacked” they argued.
“But she was on the night that they were, she was left unscathed and she basically admitted to not knowing she did it and she was scared that she may have done it. We’ll have to take her in, at least for more questioning until we find out who did this.”
“You can’t do this? Why are you doing this? Is it because she is a woman of color??? You think she did it and the others didn’t” Sierra complained.
“And how are you supposed to question her even more, everyone can’t remember a thing.” Mary added.
“The others are your kids and you defended them.” Lucifer reminded them.
“And that’s the same thing we are doing for Toni!”
“Okay stop!!! Just, okay? Just promise me you don’t stop until you find the actual person who did this. I am coming with you. FOR MORE QUESTIONING, FOR THINGS I HOPE TO REMEMBER” Toni shouted.
“No our client is innocent, we’ll fight tooth and nail for her.”
“You can fight for her in court, it’s just for a night or two actually. We just need to because it’s protocol and she basically agreed to it.”
“Toni Topaz, you are under arrest for attempted homicide of your friends.” Chloe said while handcuffing Toni.
“WE’RE GETTING YOU THE HELL OUT OF THERE SWEETIE, YOU BEST BELIEVE THAT OKAY?” Mary assured her.
“Can I at least say good bye to Cheryl?” Toni asked from Chloe.
“Of course” she agreed.
“Cheryl, baby”
“Why are you in handcuffs Toni? Why is she in handcuffs detective” Ronnie asked.
“They need to hold me in custody since I was the only one unaffected last night” Toni explained.
“But that’s unfair!! You are innocent we all are”
“You can’t take her!!!”
All of them argued except for Betty and Jughead who were quiet knowing very well that this was part of the plan.
“Yes we can, this isn’t the end for her, she isn’t guilty per se we just need to take her in for custody” Dan Espinoza explained as she escorted Toni
“MRS ANDREWS” Veronica called out
“MOM” Josie and Kevin called out too.
“Don’t worry honey, we’re fighting for Toni, right now we tried our best but we are not giving up and we’re going to make them regret even laying a hand on Toni” Sierra assured.
“We won’t hurt her, we promise” Chloe said.
“NO no no, don’t take toni! She wasn’t here when something happened to me, she’s not guilty and and last night we were making out! You watched it right, right?” Cheryl argued and pleaded.
“I thought you don’t remember” Lucifer smirked. “you naughty naughty girl”
“Well I actually remember the part that we were making out, I initiated it. But I don’t remember the other parts”
“That doesn’t help anything. That happened before the attack, sorry”
“Then I’m posting her bail! HOW MUCH? TELL ME I’LL GIVE IT NOW. IN CASH” Cheryl said.
“I’ll pitch in” Veronica said.
“No don’t post my bail baby, it’s just a few nights.I’ll be back don’t worry, I need to win you back so don’t miss me too much” Toni told Cheryl.
“Toni…..” Cheryl called as Dan took Toni out.
“Cheryl, it’s okay, we got you.” The girls said.
“DECKER, YOU ARE ALL WRONG, SHE’S INNOCENT” Maze came storming to Chloe.
“How do you know, maze?”
“Trust me she is”
“Trust what I’m doing too, maze. I’m not gonna hurt her”
“You better not because I will hurt you if you did”
“Maze, I told you, trust me. Meet me later” Chloe whispered.
As Dan, Chloe, Ella, Lucifer and Toni went down in the elevator. Chloe sighed.
“This is exhausting this is worth a year of murder” she exhaled.