Page 121 of Five for Silver

The DI leaned across the desk. “Letters?What letters?”

“She sent them to Vincent while he was inWiltknot.”

“Where are they now?” the DI asked.

“He burned them.”

Peter tipped his head back, and barked alaugh. “How convenient.”

“He burned all his letters.”

The DI nodded. “He did. I remember hedestroyed Tate’s—”

“When are you going to wake up?” Petersnapped in the DI’s direction. “He’s not a team player. He’s notspecial. He’s out for personal glory and will invent whatever hehas to in the pursuit of it.”

“That’s not true,” Chad said. “I’ve onlyever wanted to protect people and keep them safe from themonsters.”

“Did you keep James safe, Chad? Did you stopLucy from doing something monstrous?”

“I didn’t know she would go after James. IfI’d have known—”

“You would’ve done nothing,” Peter said.“You hated James.”

“I didn’t hate him—”

Peter turned to the DI. “Did you know heaccused James of being a pedophile?”

“I didn’t—”

“He wanted to know how James knew Harriet.Even went to some disturbing means to get Jamesto admit to an inappropriate relationship with her,” Peterchuckled darkly, “but the girl sang in the choir at his daughter’sfuneral. They went to the same church. That was how they knew eachother.”

“He was known to pick her up after school,and leave her gifts.”

“Let me guess … you learned that fromHarriet’s father. He made his daughter make a statement—a viciousload of lies. He ran a smear campaign against James, tried to gethim kicked out of the police, tried to get him forced out ofBardhum by a baying mob. James went through hell, and then he gotaccused of Harriet’s murder. It was only when Vincent confessed, hefinally moved on and then thirty years later you bring it all upagain.”

“It’s inappropriate for atwenty-eight-year-old married detective to be giving aseventeen-year-old girl rides home. It was wrong for him to beparking with her in secluded spots.”

Peter slammed his hand down on the table.“Nothing sexual happened between them. They talked. The friendshipwas ill advised, but not illegal.”

Chad chewed the inside of his cheek. “Iwanted to fill in the gaps.”

“Why? That wasn’t your job. Your job was tomeet with Vincent. To chaperone him around the area in the hope ofjogging his failing memory.”

“It was a game to him.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. We knew that was astrong possibility, just a game, one last chance for Vincent totake the spotlight and remind everyone he was once someone to befeared, but I didn’t think you’d be playing on his side. From thebeginning you were against James when you should’ve been withhim.”

“I messed up.”

The DI caught his face in his hand. “Christ,Chad.”

“Lucy thought I’d turned against her. Shethought I was looking for a way of pinning her sister’s murder onher.” Chad rubbed his sore cheek. “And when Vincent told her hedidn’t kill Harriet, she went after the only other person shethought could have.”

“You have blood on your hands.”

“I know.”

“Do you remember the oath?”

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