Page 39 of Five for Silver

“You know why we’re here,” Jamesstarted.

Vincent raised his hand, quieting him. Hishand trembled, his arm shook, and he didn’t have the strength tohold it up for long. “Of course I know, I was the one that askedfor you. You three. Father Daniels told me if we confess our sins,the lord will be faithful, just, and will forgive us ourrighteousness.”

“Yes,” James nodded. “That’s the reasonwe—”

“Will you confess your sins?” Vincent asked.He looked at them each in turn. “I’d love to hear them.”

“I don’t have any sins—”

“Really?” Vincent no longer had anyeyebrows, but his brow lifted. “None at all. What about you, Lucy?And we can’t forget Chad—”

“Enough,” Chad snapped. “Enough games.”

“I’m so happy you’ve found your voice again,Chad. It’s a voice I thought about often over the last fewmonths.”

“You want this … forgiveness.” Chadprompted.

“Oh, yes. I have admitted my sins. I’veadmitted murder. I’ve admitted mutilation. I’ve admitted disposalof my victims.”

“But not the resting place of Harriet,”James growled. “That’s still a sin, an injusticethat needs to be fixed.”

Vincent cocked his head.“Places.”

“What?”

“Restingplaces.”

Lucy sniffed, wiping her fingers beneath hernose.

Chad resisted the urge to bounce his leg onthe floor.

“We’re here for the same reason, are wenot?” Vincent whispered. “To find Harriet. And as much as you maydespise me and question my motives, that’s all I want. She deservesto be found.”

Tears rolled down Lucy’s cheeks. Vincentlooked at her, and she nodded before swiping them away.

“The other victims,” James said somberly.“When you disposed of them, you chose different locations, neverused the same one twice.”

“That’s right.”

“So Harriet, she’s somewhere you didn’t usebefore or after.”

Vincent nodded. “That seems like an educatedassumption.”

“All your victims came from the county ofBardhum, but you didn’t always dispose of them in the same county,sometimes you drove them hundreds of miles away from where themurders took place.”

“Also correct.”

James shuffled. “What I’m asking is … what’sour search area? How far did you go?”

“I can’t remember, but my gut tells me Ididn’t venture out of Bardhum with Harriet. Something tells meshe’s close.”

James unbuttoned his jacket. He reachedinside and pulled out a photograph. Lucy sniffed louder, wipingsnot on the sleeve of her coat.

“Don’t show him.”

James ignored her and pressed the photographto the glass. “Do you remember what she looked like?”

Vincent’s gaze slid to the photograph. Helooked at it a long time, then croaked out, “She wasbeautiful.”

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