Page 43 of Five for Silver

“You don’t think Vincent killed her, sofirst things first, you’ve got to convince me he didn’t. Then wefind out who did.”

Chad patted the pile.

“I like the sound of thiswe.” Romeonodded. He absentmindedly reached down to stroke Merc on thehead.

“Since I’ve now been assigned to thereopening of the Whitehall case there’s no need for me to driveinto the station every day. I’m only needed when Vincent is wellenough to talk to us or the superintendent summons me to Alborough,and the rest of the time I’m free to do research at home as long asI keep James in the loop.”

Romeo’s smile grew impossibly bigger.

“And I want to start as soon aspossible.”

“After dinner.”

Chad opened his mouth to protest, but Romeocut in, “I’m not taking no for an answer. We eat first, then wefind this killer. Together.”

****

“These are facts,” Chad started gesturing tothe Vincent on the whiteboard. “Harriet Hastings went missing onthe 18thof April 1983. The last person to see heralive—”

“Other than the killer,” Romeo interruptedwith a smug smile.

Chad rolled his eyes. “Other than thekiller, is James Poole, who cautioned Harriet in his police car forpossession of class B drug beside Melbourn Spring. He let her goand observed her walking down the A503 which is in the direction ofher home, Hastings Farm.”

“It’s a three mile walk from MelbournSpring.” Romeo mumbled. “A bit presumptuous to assume she waswalking home, don’t you think?”

“Where do you think she was going?”

Romeo shrugged, and Chad continued.

“Harriet was reported missing the next dayby her father at 12:30. He believed Harriet was staying with afriend that night which wasn’t uncommon and only when he called tosee what time she’d be home for lunch, did he find out she wasn’tthere.”

“Who was on the farm at the time?”

“Lucy and Michael, their father. Eileen wasaway visiting her sister that night. Both Michael and Eileen made apublic appeal for information on their daughter’s whereabouts at2:00 PM. Nine months later, at 1:00 PM on December 11th1983, Vincent was arrested on suspicion of murder after an allegedvictim escaped his home. He admitted to nine murders, includingHarriet’s, and was able to give detectives a timeline of hiscrimes.” Chad gestured to the red folder. “Harriet is victim numberseven, murdered one month after Kelly Price and four months beforeTrisha Link. Vincent claimed he was driving along the A503 when hesaw Harriet walking in the opposite direction. He turned around,drove up behind her and offered her a lift home. She accepted.”

Romeo tutted. “Knowing there was an activeserial killer on the loose.”

“Comments at this time are unnecessary,”Chad said, raising his eyebrow. “And irritating.”

Romeo mimed zipping his mouth shut.

“Vincent claims to have suffocated her inhis car before driving her back to his house to perform hisritualistic dissections, ending in mutilation, just like his othervictims. Blood was found in his van, said to be Harriet’s.”

Romeo snorted. Chad raised his eyebrow inwarning, and Romeo lifted his hands in surrender.

“No piece or parts of Harriet have ever beendiscovered, with Vincent stating no one had beenluckyenough to find her yet. Harriet is special according to him, hiddenaway for only him to uncover if he so chooses.”

“And now that he’s dying, he’s claiming it’sabout time to reveal her hiding place or places, but there’s acatch… Vincent’s flagging memory and a limit on his heartbeats.”Romeo hummed. “He’s making a spectacle out of his crimes right tothe end. A true professional.”

“A professional … serial killer?”

Romeo nodded. “Have you finished?”

Chad glanced at the whiteboard. It only hadthree print outs. One black and white image of Harriet, VincentWhitehall’s grainy, washed-out mugshot, and a picture of JamesPoole taken from his social media page.

“Yeah … for now.”

Romeo shot to his feet and gestured to hischair. “Sit.”

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