Page 123 of Five for Silver

“I still don’t like them in my house.”

“I know.”

“How long until they leave?”

Ally sighed again. “You know this, too. Itcan be over twenty-four hours for forensics to document and recordeverything, then they’ll remove the evidence and … and Lucy.”

The camera zoomed in on the white tent setup over Lucy’s body. Forensic officers were going in and out, onearmed with a camera.

“Did you…” Chad sucked in his bottom lip,and bit down before he could continue. He took a deep breath. “Didyou see her?”

Josh had driven him and Merc to the stationwhile Ally had remained behind.

“Yes…”

Chad turned to face her, but kept his gazelow, specifically on her hand still on his shoulder. Shesqueezed.

“And I know … whatever happened … Lucydidn’t give you a choice.”

“What if I did?”

“What?”

“What if I did have a choice.”

Ally’s hold on him tightened. “The otherchoice was death, Chad. She’d already killed James.”

Just like that, the footage on the laptopswitched from Chad’s home to James’s and the police cars parkedoutside. The white tent had been set up right on James’sdoorstep.

“She was there to kill you,” Ally exhaledhard. “It was her or you.”

DetectiveFuller could’ve disarmedher. He could’ve restrained her. But Chad…

He rolled his fingertips against hisforehead, but it didn’t help with the ache. Pain throbbed behindhis eyes, and he watched the footage through a squint.

“I just want them out of my house.”

The incident door screeched as it opened.Chad assumed the DI had returned after dropping Chad’s resignationon his superior’s desk. Chad had signed. The DI had signed. It hadbeen wordless, and neither of them had been able to meet theother’s eye.

“Hey,” Josh said quietly.

Chad stilled at the gentle pad of feet. Fourof them. He reached for Merc without looking, and found his handthoroughly licked by a warm tongue. When Chad breathed in deep, hisnose twitched at the scent of clean soap.

He looked down at Merc. “You … you washedhim?”

Josh nodded. “Couldn’t have him wanderingaround with blood all—”

Ally elbowed Josh, and his mouth snappedshut.

Josh cleared his throat, before tryingagain. “He needed a wash, so I took him back to mine.” He lookeddown fondly at Merc. “He loves the shower.”

“You put him in the shower?”

“Yeah. He was biting the spray and gettingquite angry about it.”

Chad’s lips twitched with a smile, but itdidn’t last.

“I brought you this, too.” Josh threw ahoodie his way. “I thought you’d rather wear something of mine,than the clothes of a crimi—ouch!”

---