Page 105 of Five for Silver

He shook his head. “If I could’ve kept whathappened to me with Romeo a secret, I would’ve.”

“I know.”

“Why become a police officer? Why stay inBardhum?”

“I wanted to make a difference, I wanted tocatch and cage killers like him, and have done. As for why stay inBardhum? I didn’t. I left with my parents, but I came back. Thisplace is my home, and I wanted to retire here, but then I heardabout you.”

“Everyone’s heard about me.”

“I found it so admirable that you weredetermined to carry on being a detective, but after everything thathappened with Romeo you couldn’t get a job.”

“No station wanted me.”

“I wanted you in Bardhum. I came out ofretirement, begged the DI to put in a good word for you and get youa job. You got kidnapped by a serial killer while doing your dutyand serving the public, and everyone was prepared to cast you out.”She shook her head. “It was unacceptable. I had my parents after Iescaped Vincent, but you had no one. The whole country turned itsback on you, but I knew I could help.”

Chad lowered his gaze. “You have. You’vedone so much for me, Ally.”

“We’ve both been through shit at the handsof monsters, and we’ve both come through it. We’re the same, youand I, and I’m sorry I’ve blocked you out the last few weeks. Butmy monster was pulling you into his game and there was nothing Icould do about it. If it wasn’t for me getting you a job inBardhum, you would’ve never had to deal with VincentWhitehall.”

“None of this was your fault.”

“Maybe if I told you from the start youwouldn’t have visited him.”

Chad bit his lip. “I still would have. Tosave Shawn, I would have.”

“What did he say to you in there?”

“Not much.”

“Chad…”

He sighed. “He told me he didn’t killHarriet.”

Ally snorted. “It’s funny. He said the sameto me. I didn’t kill Harriet. Those were his last words to me.Trust him to leave this world with more questions thananswers.”

“But what if he didn’t kill her?”

“He admitted it.”

“I know, but what if, Ally?” Chad twistedhis body to face her. “He told detectives he killed her in hisvan—”

“He probably did.”

“But he didn’t kill you.”

Ally took a deep breath. “No. He apprehendedme. Tied my wrists and gagged me. Drove me back to his house andlocked me in a bedroom, but I am one out of ten victims, Chad. Thelast one. He might’ve wanted to try something new … he might’vegrown lax with over-confidence. I managed to cut my wrists free ona broken bottle, and I escaped through the window.”

“The room he locked you in, were there signsthe other girls had been there?”

Ally frowned. “If there were, I didn’t lookfor them. I wanted to get out.”

The door to Vincent’s room opened on thedoctor, still grim-faced.

He nodded towards Ally. “We’re ready to takehim down.”

“Good.” She got to her feet, and held out ahand to Chad. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course.”

---