Page 98 of Five for Silver

“We need to get rid of the car,” He noddedto himself, more in control now Romeo had backed down from wantingto kill Josh and Angel “That’s what we need to do.”

“I’ll drive it away and torch it.”

“Not yet,” Chad said. “It will be toosuspicious. We need to wait a while. I knew, I knew someone wouldstart linking these disappearances, but Josh … and he wants me towork with him and Angel and hunt this killer. What if it’s alreadytoo late?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if there’s a piece of evidence outthere, waiting to be discovered. I thought I was careful, but it’sinevitable I would’ve been caught on CCTV. What if someone lookedout their window and saw me on their neighbor’s doorstep. What ifthey can identify me? What if they saw me lead Graham, Ellie, orJulius into that car. Then it’s all over.”

“Stop,” Romeo gripped Chad’s shoulder.

“They’ll come here, they’ll search thehouse, find the car, dig up the field.”

“Chad,” Romeo growled. “You need to calmdown.”

“We’ll be arrested. They’ll take you awayfrom me. I won’t see you again.”

“Never. You hear me?” Romeo shook him. “Noone will take me from you. I won’t let that happen,” he pressed hisforehead to Chad’s. “It’s us, together, for as long as we’re givenon this earth. I won’t be without you.”

Chad grabbed Romeo’s t-shirt in both hands.“But what if—”

“Then we go out together. You and me. Likewe’ve always said.”

Chad nodded weakly against him. “Romeo andJuliet.”

“Exactly, and wherever we end up, we’ll endup there together, too.” Romeo leaned back. “Joshwillfindout the truth…”

Chad’s mouth hung open.

“A long, long time in the future,” Romeofinished. “He wants you to work on the case, right?”

Chad nodded.

“That’s puts you in the perfectposition.”

“Position?”

“To sabotage it, to push Josh in a certaindirection, to protect us.”

“Sabotage,” Chad whispered. “You mean be adirty cop.”

The detective in him recoiled at such anidea.

Romeo laughed. He stroked his thumb againstthe top of Chad’s spine. “I think you’re long past that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Chad squeezed his eyes shut.There were literal bodies in the field. “But I’ve never sabotaged acase, never,” he shrugged, “I’ve never tampered with evidence ordeliberately misled officers.”

“I seem to remember you planting evidence, apair of sunglasses if I remember correctly, to make sure Dr Carterwas well and truly implicated.”

“Dr Carter was guilty.”

Romeo shrugged. “I know.”

“And this is Josh.” Chad said, pushingRomeo’s hand off his neck. “We’re friends. I don’t want to lie tohim.”

“You lie to him every day.”

“It’s different.”

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