Page 38 of Five for Silver

“How is Vincent?” Chad asked.

Both Lucy and James looked over to awaitLynn’s reply.

“Sick. He stopped eating, struggles to walk,and talking is painful for him. He’s confused, fragile, dare I sayit, butthisVincent seems almost human.”

“How long does the doctor think he’s gotleft?” James asked.

“A week. Maybe two.”

James folded his arms. “Then let’s not wasteany more time here. Let us see him.”

Lynn nodded.

The light above the door to the prisonswitched from red to green. Chad bit his lip as the lock crunched.Lynn went to open the door, but James got there first, swinging itopen, and marching down the corridor. Lynn hurried to catch up withhim, demanding he wait, leaving Chad behind with a pale Lucy.

“Lucy?” Chad asked.

She took a deep breath. “Sorry, I…”

“Don’t apologize. Take your time.”

“I’m about to see the monster that murderedmy sister.” She blinked. “I’ve seen him before on TV and in books,but I’ve never … you know, looked him in the eye. I don’t know if Ican, Chad.”

He reached for her hand and took hold of herfingers.

“He tortured my sister to death, andafterwards he hacked her into pieces, and hid her where no one hasbeen able to find her.”

“You don’t have to go in there. You don’thave—”

“I do. It was selfish of me, but I was gladyou said no to him. It meant I didn’t have to pull on this threadeither, but now, I can’t be the one to grind this investigation toa stop.” She swallowed. “I’ve got to do this. For mom, and for mydad. He’s on a flight right now, desperate to find Harriet, too.I’ve got to do it for my family.”

Lucy pulled her fingers from Chad’s hold andstaggered through the open doorway. James waited at the end of thecorridor with Lynn, tapping a hole into the floor with hisshoe.

“Stalling for time, Lucy?” he asked.

Lucy didn’t respond to him. Her eyes werefixed on Lynn who asked in a soft voice if she was ready to goinside.

“Yes. I want to see him.” Lucy replied.

Lynn unlocked the door to visiting room one,then used her body to block James from pushing in first. Lucy tooka deep breath and stepped inside. She paused in the doorway, muchto James’s fury, who cursed at her and hissed that finding Harrietwas time sensitive.

Vincent, like last time Chad visited, wasalready seated behind the glass. Unlike last time, Vincent’s eyesdidn’t snap to Chad and take him in. He stared without focus, notlooking at any of them. He’d lost weight, which seemed animpossibility to Chad after seeing how frail he looked the firsttime he visited, but Vincent looked more skeleton than man. Chadunderstood what Lynn had meant when she said this Vincent lookedmore human. Skin and bones, a hint ofhuman, but it wasstill more than months ago.

His complexion had taken on a greying tint,and the bags beneath his eyes were so dark and deep they lookedlike bruises. A tube fed oxygen up his nose, and an array of tubesran into an IV line taped to his wrist. The skin around hadbruised—purple blotches spread down to his nail-less fingers, andup to his elbow where the skin sagged off his arms.

Vincent’s lips were firmly pressed together,but Chad still heard him wheezing as the oxygen tank kept by hisside in the wheelchair hissed. A blanket had been tucked aroundhim, but had fallen from one bare shoulder onto his lap exposingthe sunken top of his chest. He looked like he hadhoursleft, not weeks.

James hurried past a creeping closer Lucyand sat down in the furthest chair from the door. Lucy picked thechair closest to the escape, leaving Chad in the middle, directlyin the path of Vincent’s vacant stare.

He sat down, expecting Vincent’s eyes tosnap into focus, but they stared through him at nothing, chillingChad to the bone.

“It’s nice to see you again, James.” Vincentsaid, still staring through Chad. “And the first time seeing you,dear Lucy. It’s a pleasure.”

Lucy caught a tear on her lashes, sweepingit away in the hope Vincent wouldn’t see, but he stayed lookingtoward Chad.

“And Detective Fuller, I’ve finally got youhere, haven’t I?”

Chad didn’t rise to the bait.

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