Page 99 of Five for Silver

Romeo hummed. “He’s important to you?”

“Yes.”

“More important than me?”

Chad twisted to Romeo. He widened his eyes,shaking his head.

“I need to hear you say it.” Romeo said.

“No one is more important than you,Romeo.”

Romeo nodded. “Then will you lie for me,Chad? Will you lie to Josh? Will you lead him astray?”

“Yes. For you. Yes.”

Chapter Eighteen

Chad startled at the alert on his phone.

He snatched it off the arm of the sofa,heart in his throat, then slumped at yet another magpie hoppingacross the mud in front of one of the cameras. If he didn’t knowany better, he would’ve thought they were doing it on purpose totorment him.

Romeo had told him once that a group ofmagpies were sometimes called a mischief. They were certainlyliving up to their name, cackling wildly in the distance every timethey gave Chad a mini heart attack.

“Give it here,” Romeo said, holding his handout for the phone.

They were on the sofa having just haddinner. Romeo lounged with his feet on the coffee table, but Chadhad been unable to relax. Instead, he sat ramrod straight, on theedge, ready to move. He’d been like that all day, jumping atshadows, and gasping every time his phone made a noise.

“Why?” Chad asked. He curled his fingersprotectively around the device.

Romeo sighed, making a show of holding outhis hand again.

Chad put his phone into Romeo’s palm, andwatched as he spun it, then tapped away on the app, silencing thecamera alerts. His phone would still light up every time a sensorgot triggered, but would no longer buzz and vibrate.

“But what if—”

“You need to relax,” Romeo said, looking himover. “You didn’t sleep last night.”

“How could I after Josh—”

“And all day you’ve been jumping out of yourskin every time your phone goes off. Your heart is racing.”

“You don’t know that—”

“Your whole body jolts every time it beats.I can see it, Chad. You’re sweating, your eyes are darting, youfidget … even Merc is on edge because of you.”

Chad looked at Merc in his bed, Peter Rabbitbetween his paws, and his big eyes on Chad. He whined shrilly andlowered his head.

“Relax,” Romeo said slowly.

Chad opened his mouth to argue beforeslumping. “I’ll try.”

“Good.”

He’d just started to relax, eyes halfclosing as the sleep he’d been denying himself fought back, but thenews reporter’s voice, no longer a low grumble, pitched withexcitement.

“We’re receiving reports from Wiltknot,” hesaid, flicking his eyes back and forth along the teleprompter.“Vincent Whitehall has been rushed to St. John’s hospital. He’ssaid to be in critical condition. This is a major blow in the hopesof finding Harriet Hastings’ remains.”

“I’ve got to go,” Chad mumbled, heavinghimself up.

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