Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“This person is a serial killer,” Stella declared. “I haven’t touched them, or I would be having nightmares. That’s the way it’s always happened. I can’t imagine that I would suddenly lose the ability to envision the details before the murders happen.”
Stella’s father had been a serial killer, and more than once, she had helped the police track down killers.
“That doesn’t mean you haven’t seen the murderer or even spoken to him,” Raine reminded. “It just means you haven’t had physical contact with him. That’s the way it works, right?”
Stella nodded. “It always has in the past.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to go through the nightmares, Stella,” Zahra said. “It’s so hard on you, even with Sam there now.”
“Sam is very upset with me for not telling him you were in trouble, Shabina,” Stella informed her. “And I think he’s slightly hurt as well. He considers himself part of our group and doesn’t understand why you didn’t include him when you told us everything.”
“He would have gone straight to Rainier. You know he would have. It’s the same with Zale. Had he been told about the severity of my PTSD and what was triggering the episodes, he would have let Rainier know immediately,” Shabina explained. “I lucked out that Zale is in the field and can’t be reached.”
“I’m sure Sam reached him,” Stella said. “Rainier made it clear to Sam that you’re to be watched over.”
Shabina wasn’t surprised that Rainier had included his friends in her protection detail. “I’ll talk to Sam, Stella. I knew he would feel it was necessary to talk to Rainier, and I didn’t want to put him in that position. Not when I was asking for confidentiality.”
“I tried explaining,” Stella said. “Rainier apparently found you with a gun, Shabina.” Her voice was very quiet, and the other women instantly fell silent, exchanging looks.
Shabina sighed. “I was in a bad way, trying to figure out how best to give Rainier his life back, and yes, I did have suicidal thoughts. I was grateful that all of you kept coming to my house and even up to the campsite. I needed you, and you came through. I couldn’t ask for better friends.”
“That was too close, Shabina,” Stella said. “If Rainier isn’t here and you’re triggered, someone needs to stay with you.”
Vienna agreed. “We can’t lose you because you have a momentary lapse in judgment. That’s what PTSD can do to you—make you feel as if the world would be a better place without you.”
“We’d like you to agree to have one of us stay with you when Rainier is away,” Raine said. “Especially if you’re having a difficult time.”
Shabina swallowed her pride and nodded. She didn’t want to lose her life in a moment of despair. She had everything she wanted right there, and yet she was intelligent enough to know another event would happen at some point. She had to be prepared with a plan.
“I can do that. Thank you for caring so much.”
“You won’t be thanking us after Sam and Zale get with Larado and his crew to boss you around,” Vienna said. “They’ll probably sleep on the floor of your bedroom.”
Shabina groaned. “Don’t say it out loud. I wouldn’t put it past them to have listening devices in here.”
“I checked.” Raine sounded smug. “They don’t. Moving on. I’ve been thinking about these murders and trying to put it all together. They must have a common denominator.”
“The Sunrise Café,” Harlow said. “All the victims ate in her café at one time or another.”
Shabina shook her head. “The young kid, Craig Barker, living out of his van, had never been to my café. He’s the only one that hadn’t.”
“It wasn’t his van,” Vienna pointed out. “It was stolen.”
“Could you be mistaken?” Raine asked Shabina. “Maybe he came for takeout. He would only have been there a few minutes. You might not have spoken to him.”
“I have this weird gift,” Shabina admitted. “I don’t forget faces or names. It’s a thing with me. The boy had never been in my café.”
“You often give food away to the dirt baggers when they’re staying near the hot springs,” Zahra reminded. “I’ve helped you. Maybe you took food to him.”
“I haven’t been out to the springs for weeks. Months, even. I’ve been too busy, and once the two university students began leaving the various items from Saudi Arabia, my mind was all over the place. I didn’t even think about taking food to anyone other than my usual customers.”
Harlow rolled her eyes. “I like how you call them customers when they don’t pay for the food you bring them.”
“I think of them as customers,” Shabina defended. “But the tie-in with the victims can’t be my café if the boy, Craig Barker, has never been there.”
“They don’t look alike. They aren’t the same age. They don’t have the same occupations,” Zahra mused. “Maybe they were chosen randomly. The opportunity presented itself, and the murderer took advantage.”