Part 6
It was after school and the girls were at Riverdale’s favorite after school spot - Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. The three sat in their usual booth nursing their milkshakes after having finished their burgers. Olivia only needed to leave the table once to throw up the contents of her stomach and relieve her nerves.
(Another response that this premonition had triggered she later realizes after throwing up for the third time when she was startled awake by the wind whipping a tree branch against her window.)
“Okay, so what’s our plan once we get down there?” Chloe asked.
“Well, my Mom is there so we’ll just tell her we stopped down to say hi, make conversation, ask her how the party planning is coming along…”
“At one point we’re gonna have to distract her enough so we can get the agency information and her keys for the boiler room to check things out.”
Chloe and Annie shared a look.
“What? The man came out of there at the beginning of my dream. I just want to see what’s going on in there.” Olivia replied.
“Maybe…I could pretend to get hurt or something…she’ll leave the room to go get an ice pack.” Chloe suggested.
“And then Olivia can snag her key while I search her book for the contact info,” Annie nodded.
Once again the three girls did their secret handshake, locking in their plan.
-
About a half an hour later they decided it was go time. The girls made their way downstairs and into Veronica’s office to greet her.
“Hi Ladies,” Veronica spoke, looking up from her papers with a smile.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” She added while removing her glasses and tilting her head.
“Oh, we were just upstairs Mom, I figured maybe you’d still be here.”
“That I am…apparently no matter how many events I plan, the work load does not get any lighter,” she joked.
“How’s that going by the way?,” Chloe took the opportunity to ask.
“It’s moving along, I finally got in touch with the staffing agency today and they assured me they have more than enough people to send our way so that’s a big relief!”
The girls cautiously shared a look before continuing on. By now they’d spotted Veronica’s keys on her desk as well as her contact book conveniently opened to the staffing agency’s contact.
“That’s great Mom!” Annie shouted a little too loudly.
Veronica looked at her with confusion as the other two girls rolled their eyes at how terrible Annie was under pressure.
Chloe figured launching their plan into action would be the best thing to distract from the now awkward moment. She took a step closer towards Veronica’s desk before purposefully rolling her foot in a way that pulled her to the ground, trying her best to make it appear like her head hit the arm rest of the chair next to her.
The two girls feigned surprise while Veronica jumped up to her feet and rushed over to her niece who was on the ground holding her head.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Veronica said while getting in her knees next to Chloe.
“Let me see,” she continued.
Chloe hesitantly removed her had from her forehead.
“Just a little red…does it hurt?”
Chloe released a small whine when Veronica went to touch the spot.
“Alright, come on,” she said while helping her up, “let’s get you some ice from the bar before it starts to swell,”
The plan was a go.
Veronica led Chloe out of the room and as soon as they were out of view the girls sprung into action. Olivia grabbed the keys and ran out of the office and towards the utility room where the boiler was. Annie pulled out her phone and took a snap of the agency contact as well as searched the desk for any of Veronica’s notes or paperwork detailing the arrangement.
Once down the hall Olivia fished through the keys one by one until the door unlocked. She took a quick look around before entering. The room was dark and damp with only a single lightbulb hanging from the unfinished ceiling.
She had done her research to try and figure out why the mysterious man was in there. The boiler was run on gas. That would amplify the effects of the bomb and a uicken the spread of fire left behind.
At least that’s what she had concluded.
She clicked some pictures of the different gauges noting the appropriate levels of the machine and ensuring nothing was tampered with before slipping back out and meeting the girls at the bar once again. Annie had beat her there, covering and saying Olivia had run to the bathroom before rejoining them.
“How’s that feel?” Veronica said while Olivia approached them. She adjusted the rag full of ice on Chloe’s forehead.
“Much better, thank you,” Chloe responded taking hold of the rag herself.
“Alright, what do you say I drop you girls home, I think I’m done working for the night,” she followed up looking to the other two girls as well.
They all nodded as Veronica proceeded to grab her things and ready herself to leave.