Page 122 of Five for Silver

“The oath?”

Peter nodded. “The office of constableoath.”

“Every officer has to swear the oath whenthey join.”

“But do you remember it.”

Chad shook his head. “Not word forword—”

“It talks aboutfairness,integrity, diligence and impartiality. All things you’vefailed at. It talks about keeping the peace and preventing alloffenses against people and property. You failed that, too. Youfailed, Chad. Your incompetence, your inability to follow ordersand work with others has cost us two lives—”

The DI straightened. “You can’t blame Chadfor—”

“I can and I do.”

“Lucy made the decision to go after James,hell, she went after Chad, too. You can’t pin this all on him tosave your own skin.”

“My skin won’t be saved,” Peter gritted histeeth. “I’m not going to come back from this. My resignation is onmy desk in Alborough, but I’ll be damned if I leave before makingsure Chad resigns with me. If it was up to me, you’d do time forthis, but I imagine you’ll avoid it, but if there’s even a slitherof doubt in your version of events with Lucy, I’ll encourage theHastings family to rip you apart in court.”

“Enough,” the DI growled.

“You aren’t coming back from this, Chad,”Peter said. “I swear I won’t let you. You’re not a detective. Notfrom this day forward. You’re nothing.”

Chad lowered his head. He couldn’t stop hisleg from bouncing, or his fingers from fidgeting in his lap.

“I’m … notnothing.”

Peter got to his feet. “I expectto hear of your resignation by the end of the day.” He tilted hishead toward the DI and tipped his head in a nod

Then he left, slamming the doorbehind him.

“Fucking hell, Chad.” The DIgripped his hair as he released a long breath. “I don’t really knowwhat to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything …can you help me write it out?”

“Write what out?”

“My resignation,” he revealed hishands from under the table, trembling and bloody from where he’dpulled at his hangnails. “I can’t stop shaking.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Are you sure you don’t want to watchsomething else?”

Chad turned his head to reply, never takinghis gaze off the TV screen. The DI had gone, resignation letter inhand, with a downbeat expression, and left Chad to settle histhoughts in the quiet. The laptops buzzed around him, and he’dcollapsed at his own desk, logged into his laptop, and found alive-steam of the news.

“No. I’m good.”

Ally sighed and stepped up behind him. Shesqueezed his shoulder. “You’re not fine, and I doubt watching thatis making you feel any better.”

No. The news reports from outside his housedidn’t make him feel any better. His eyes burned from his intenseglare, and he’d picked a big hole in the thin fabric over hisknees.

“At least lean back,” Ally said, trying toease him into the chair.

Chad shook his head. “I can’t.”

Romeo was inside the house, and on thefootage, he saw one of the forensic officers stepping through hisfront door. “Why do they even need to go inside? Lucy…” heswallowed. “She didn’t even go in the house. It happenedoutside—”

“You know why,” Ally said softly. “They’redoing it by the book, documenting both your and Lucy’s movements.Cases like this … self-defense cases have to be solid. You told theDI and the superintendent what happened and the evidence inside thehouse and in that field will back you up.”

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