Stella knew very little about Vienna’s life other than that she had a mother she sent money to, paying her rent and utilities in Las Vegas. She knew her mother lived with someone, but Stella didn’t have a clue who that person was, if they were related or anything about them, and Vienna never said.
Vienna’s house was small but very neat, everything in its place. Every single piece of furniture had been chosen with care. She took her time deciding on what she wanted in chairs for her living room or the kitchen table. She wasn’t a person to be rushed over personal decisions, yet she could think fast in a crisis, making decisions that saved lives when others depended on her.
Her cat ruled the household. Princess, the white Persian, had a bed in every room. She had a climbing castle and scratching walls everywhere, in every possible shape that could please the finicky animal. The smug little feline strutted around to show Stella she was the boss, especially since Stella “stunk” of Bailey.
Stella didn’t dare bring Bailey into Vienna’s home. Bailey had good manners and would have curled up in a corner and calmly waited for Stella and Vienna to finish their visit. She knew because they’d tried. Princess would have none of the invader in her home. She’d attacked him, chomping on his giant paw, racing up his hind end, clawing her way to his back to try to ride him to the front door.
Bailey had made it abundantly clear that unless he got to retaliate in a big way, he was staying in the 4Runner and Stella could visit Vienna and her vicious cat alone. He was not protecting her.
“Bailey looks miserable out there,” Vienna said, turning away from the window to give her cat the best glare she could muster up. It wasn’t much of one.
Stella feared for any children Vienna might have if she ever ventured down that path. “He’s just fine. He’s sulking. Princess is the only cat that’s never fallen in love with him. He can’t understand why she thinks he’s a barbarian.”
“I’m sorry about your father, Stella,” Vienna said suddenly. She crossed the living room again to look down at the sketches Stella had made. “He’s in prison?”
“Yes. I don’t have any contact with him, but I make certain to know what’s going on with him so I don’t get blindsided if suddenly, by some miracle, he gets out.”
Vienna sank down into one of her beautiful and very comfortable chairs. No leather for Vienna. She liked material with extra padding in her chairs, a thick wall of stuffing draped over a sturdy frame that promised to last for years; her chairs either glided or raised to give one a nice foot rest. Where she managed to find her furniture, Stella didn’t know, but it came from taking her time and not settling.
“I think Sam is right, the two of us should go up there. It would be natural for us to go up there together. No one would question it, Stella.”
“Do you have time off?”
“I’ve got tomorrow off and can trade. It’s done all the time. I can say I have a chance to do this and the weather is holding. The holidays are coming up so someone will want to trade with me.”
“It’s terrifying to think that he’ll just switch victims like he did with Marley,” Stella said. “That’s another huge fear. That I save two victims and condemn someone else to death.”
“You didn’t do that,” Vienna reprimanded. “You can’t let yourself think that way or you’ll go crazy. This is an opportunity to save lives. Maybe not this time or the next time, but if we don’t catch him, think how many people he will kill.”
“That’s what Sam and Raine say.”
“They’re right. In any case, if we can’t stop the couple, Sam and I will start up from Trail Crest. Thanks to your dream, we know what to look for. It’s possible we can prevent any other hikers from trying to help a lone male feigning altitude sickness. We’ll sit a distance from him and just talk to him. That should frustrate him to no end.”
“He’s lethal.”
“I’m counting on your Sam being lethal. Is he?”
Stella thought about that. She nodded slowly. “I believe he could be, given the right circumstances. If anyone tried to harm you, Vienna, then yes, he would be.”
“Good to know.”
“Meaning, if you go up there with him, don’t let yourself get separated from him. You have to stick right with him no matter who else is with you. No matter who else you know and how well you know them.”
Vienna’s light wheat-colored eyebrows came together. “What does that mean? Do you suspect our friends? Or someone we know?”
Stella sighed and rubbed the sudden goose bumps covering her forearms. “It makes me sick to admit this, but I think the only way it works for me to get these nightmares is if I’ve come in physical contact with the serial killer. I’ve been in close proximity to a serial killer before and not had nightmares, but each of the killers I’ve had nightmares about I’ve actually touched physically.”