Page 21 of Five for Silver

Josh’s eyes widened. “Right.” He swallowed,“And her address?” He squeezed his coffee cup with his free hand,popping the lid clean off. “Thank you, Angel.”

He ended the call, and looked as if he wasabout to bite the phone.

“What is it?” Chad asked.

“That truck behind us belongs to LucindaHastings.”

“Hastings…”

“Yes, sister to Harriet,” Josh visiblygritted his teeth. “I mean it could be a coincidence…”

“We both know it’s not.” Chad turned intoJosh’s road and pulled up beside his apartment. “What’s heraddress?”

“Nice try,” Josh smiled. “But you’re notgoing anywhere without me.”

“What?”

“You implied this woman is stalking you, andnow you want to drive off to her farm to get murdered, well not onmy watch.”

“She lives on a farm?”

“Damn,” Josh sighed. “I’m coming with youanyway.”

“Fine.” Chad said, swinging the car aroundto the sound of more car horns and yelled profanities.

“Fine,” Josh repeated. He glanced athis apartment out of the back window. “Just like that?”

“Yeah—”

“You’re not going to try to talk me out ofit, you know, spare my life?”

Chad’s mouth twitched with a smile. “Youwant to join me getting murdered on her farm, then you can.”

Josh raised his eyebrow. “And I thought wewere friends…”

****

As soon as they caught up with the redtruck, their conversation died. Josh crushed his coffee cup andshoved it in the side of his door.

Chad didn’t even chastise him, too focusedon the truck trundling along, leading them deeper into thecountryside.

Josh broke the silence. “I don’t likethis.”

“We’re fine.”

They passed a signpost for Hastings Farm.The truck pulled up in front of a row of cottages, besideanotherred truck, and there they were—the Toyota and theFord.

Two trucks.

Chad spied a barn on the horizon, roofsunken and sides wrapped in coils of green ivy. A tractor chuggedaway in a field in the distance.

“Okay?” Josh asked softly.

Chad nodded, switching his focus back to thetruck in front of them. The door opened, and a woman slid out andturned to face them. Her hair was more white than blonde, and sheraised her hand to wave at them. Her coat slid down showing herskinny wrist. She was a small, thin woman, and the slight smile toher lips appeared strained.

“Is our potential murderer waving at us?”Josh asked.

“It appears so,” Chad said, opening hisdoor.

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