Page 14 of Five for Silver

“Miss Scarlett in the basement with thedagger,” Ally said to herself with a laugh.

“What the hell are you on about?” Joshasked. “The suspect isn’t called Miss Scarlett, and she didn’t usea dagger, it was a kitchen knife.”

“It was a Clue reference.”

Josh glanced at Chad for help. “A what?”

“Clue.” Ally repeated slowly.

“How does saying it like that help?” Joshrubbed his chin. “Is that some ancient game like backgammon?”

“How can you not know Clue?” Allyhissed.

“I’m not ancient like some.”

Ally flexed her fingers in front of Josh’sface. “Sometimes I want to just wring your neck.”

“Kinky.”

Chad pressed his lips together not tolaugh.

“It just needs two of you to go down there,”Faye said, flexing her eyebrows at Ally who understood and grinnedat Josh.

“As you’ve annoyed me this morning,” Allyfluttered her eyelashes. “You and Chad can go down there and talkto Dave while me and Faye sit here, munching on doughnuts anddrinking coffee, like the pros we are.”

“How did I annoy you?” Josh asked.

“By insinuating I’m old for my Cluereference.”

“But you are old.”

Chad grabbed Josh by the arm and hauled himfrom the chair. “Come on, before she really does throttle you.”

He pulled Josh out of the incident roombefore Ally had a chance to throw something in Josh’s direction.They hurried down the stairs, dodging a few officers on the way tothe floor above.

They made it to the morgue when Chad had toask, “You know the game Clue, right? The board game?”

“I’ve got noclue, what Clueis.”

Chad squinted. “Josh? You’re not serious areyou?”

He smiled. “Of course I know what it is, butit’s more fun to act oblivious and wind-up Ally, and now you’vesaid it aloud, it’s not a bad name for a dog.”

“Clue?”

“No, I was referring to my name, Josh.”

Chad shoved him. “I can’t call himJosh.”

“Is there a greater person to name himafter?”

“How about Dave?”

“You’d name your dog after the guy thatpokes at corpses, and not after me, your best friend?”

Chad sighed. “He’s called Merc, and I’msticking with Merc.”

“How about Josh as a middle name? Merc JoshFuller. I like the sound of that.”

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