Amelia had wanted the practice, but being fairly new out of school and her internships, she was without the necessary funds, so a couple of the locals had put up the money, Stella being one of them. No one was concerned about losing their money. Nearly everyone in town had pets, and the farmers and ranchers had livestock. Hunters had dogs. They desperately needed a vet, and Amelia was a hard worker. Vincent Martinez, her technician, was grateful to have his job back, and she employed two other full-time workers as well as a part-time one. That was good for the town.
Amelia never turned anyone away no matter the hour of the emergency. She took one look at Bailey and she, Vincent and an employee she’d called in, John McAllister, rushed the dog into the operating room.
For Stella, it was the longest night of her life. She sat waiting, feeling hollow and empty. Sam was already there, waiting for her. He looked grim when he saw Bailey, exchanging looks with Griffen and then Amelia. Stella could see that they weren’t holding out much hope. Sam put his arm around her and then took her to the one comfortable couch the office had.
“He was so little when I got him from the rescue,” she whispered.
“He’s strong,” Sam said.
Zahra arrived about an hour later, bringing coffee and blankets. She tucked a blanket around Stella and handed Sam and Stella coffee before taking the chair beside the couch. She didn’t ask questions but sat quietly, reading her tablet.
Harlow and Shabina came next, bringing desserts from Shabina’s café. They had them on a platter they put on the little coffee table where the magazines were, along with a large carafe of coffee. Both took chairs by the windows, keeping vigil with Stella and Sam.
Vienna and Raine arrived fifteen minutes after Harlow and Shabina, taking the last two chairs next to the doors, murmuring their love to Stella and looking to Sam for some kind of encouragement. He couldn’t really give them any, so they followed Zahra’s example and just stayed silent, reading and waiting.
Denver and Bruce came last, two hours later, filling the waiting room to capacity. They had to bring in chairs from their vehicles, using the actual “office” part, where the receptionist met with the clients. It was the only part of the waiting room open to them.
No one left in spite of the fact that Bailey’s operation took most of the night. Amelia came out to talk with Stella around four in the morning, looking exhausted. She looked around the waiting room and shook her head.
“Bailey’s alive, Stella. He’s very strong and a fighter. That’s what we have going for us. That and, shockingly, the knife missed most vital organs. He lost so much blood, though. If you hadn’t gotten him here as fast as you did, he wouldn’t have made it. It was good thinking, tying your shirt so tight around him. That saved his life. He’ll need to stay. There’s one wound I don’t like the look of. He’s not entirely out of the woods yet. I’ll stay with him tonight around the clock. If I need a break, I’ll have Vincent stay. He’s volunteered, anyway.”
“I can stay if you tell me what to watch for,” Stella volunteered.
“No, hon, you go on home. Let me do this. I’ll stay in touch and you can call me anytime to ask questions,” Amelia assured. “Do you know who did this, or why?”
Stella shook her head. “I have no idea. None. It makes no sense.”
“He’s a beautiful animal. I’ll watch over him for you. You all need to go on home.”
Stella and Sam stood, knowing that if they didn’t, everyone would stay. The food and drink were mostly gone, but they indicated to the vet that she was welcome to have something if she wanted it. Stella was just grateful Bailey was still alive. She looked around the room at all her friends, friends who were like family to her. When she tried to thank them, she choked up.
Denver dropped a kiss on top of her head, held the door open for the others to file out and then said simply, “It’s Bailey, Stella.”
That really said it all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Roy and Bernice Fulton, the only couple who lived and worked on the property full-time, had left a note on the front door for them. Stella was too tired to even ask Sam what it was about, although she should have, because poor Sonny might have been really injured. Although he seemed to be talking to the deputy, Mary Shelton, quite a bit by the time Griffen was helping her prepare Bailey for his ride down the mountain. Sonny even had a flirtatious note in his voice.
Stella collapsed in her bed and cried herself to sleep, vaguely aware of Sam sliding in beside her, wrapping his body protectively around hers. She fell asleep cocooned by his warmth. As always with Sam, she woke to exactly what she needed. He had her coffee and the latest news on Bailey. Her dog had lived through the night, had another blood transfusion and seemed stronger. He’d been stabbed four times, and each wound had to be stitched inside and out. Fortunately, none had been to his chest cavity or he never would have survived. The idea that someone had attacked him in such a vicious manner sickened her.
Sonny was fine. Mary had taken him to the hospital just to be certain he was okay. He had a small bump on the head and some bruising around it, but there was no laceration. He was told to go home and rest. That was a relief, that he hadn’t been really hurt. Bailey must have interrupted whatever the watcher had planned on doing to Sonny.
She showered and dressed while Sam made breakfast. “Scared me last night, woman,” Sam said as he put the plate with the egg scramble in front of her. “I detested the fact that I wasn’t home with you and couldn’t get to you and Bailey when you needed me most.”
She wrapped the scramble in the warm tortilla like a burrito. “You might have been stabbed instead of Bailey, Sam. Do you think this person watching us is the killer?”
“I’ve asked myself that a million times. It seems too coincidental for it not to be. The timing is just too close.”
“But that would mean he would know who I am.” She tried not to look or sound alarmed.
“Not necessarily. He could have other motivation for stalking you. The Fultons left us a note last night. It was pinned to the front door. The alarm went off while we were gone. Right after the deputy left with Sonny, which means the watcher was hanging around waiting for them to leave. He came up to the house and tried to get in. The alarm was on.”
She nodded, her mouth full of food. He was really a good cook. It didn’t seem to matter what meal it was—morning, noon or evening—he could whip something great together.
“He wanted in the house. He tried the doors and then the windows, but was good enough to keep from actually getting caught completely in the security cameras. When he couldn’t get in, he tried breaking a window at the back of the house. One of the mudroom windows.”
Stella put down her breakfast burrito and regarded him with shocked eyes. “He got in?” That seemed such a violation. She looked around her kitchen. “Do you think he was in the bedroom?”
“No. The minute the window broke, the alarm went off. The sheriff’s office was alerted and so were the Fultons. Roy and Bernice immediately drove over to the house to see what was going on.”
“They could have been killed. I didn’t even think to text them about Bailey and Sonny,” Stella said. She covered her face. “What’s wrong with me, Sam?”
“There was a lot going on last night, Stella. You had your hands full trying to save Bailey. I made certain they were aware. I did tell Roy that it wasn’t a smart idea confronting whoever was trying to break in, but you know Roy. He wasn’t going to let someone get into your house. I don’t know if the alarm going off scared him, or hearing the sound of Roy’s truck, but he was gone by the time Roy got here with his double-barrel shotgun. Bernice was armed with hers as well. After hearing what happened to Sonny and Bailey, if they weren’t already, I think they’re now itching to use those shotguns.”
Stella picked up her burrito. “I wonder what he was looking for?”
“I hav
e no idea, but now we know he wants in the house. I checked the window. The glass is spider-webbed, but it held. I’ve called to get it repaired. We don’t want it like that through the winter. Nor do we want him to know there’s any part of this house that is vulnerable.”
“He must have known you weren’t here, Sam.”
Sam nodded. “That wouldn’t be difficult. I park in the same place all the time. If he was watching before you came home, he would have seen you drive up alone. Until this is over, we’d better stick together. Especially since we don’t have Bailey right now.”
Stella’s stomach dropped. She put the burrito down and took a sip of coffee. “There was so much blood, Sam. I didn’t think it was possible to save him.”
“But he’s alive. Amelia’s a really good veterinarian. The town is lucky she decided she wanted to live here.”
Stella nodded. “We were actively looking for a vet after Fiddleson retired and he couldn’t get anyone to take his place. It’s so beautiful here and the clinic was so successful we thought it would be a piece of cake, but evidently, there are reasons people don’t want to raise families here. And long hours don’t appeal to everyone. Also, there seems to be this idea that not everyone can find a partner here.”
Sam flashed a small smile at her. “You do have quite a few female friends, all rather good-looking with great jobs, who don’t have partners, Stella.”
“By choice, Sam. Not everyone wants to settle down with a man.”
“You certainly didn’t. I had to go very carefully, never let you see I had my sights on you. You would have run like a little rabbit.”
“You didn’t have your sights on me.”
“From the first time I ever spotted you. You were wearing your favorite pair of jeans, which, by the way, you still wear. You had on a little black-and-white sweater with squares all over it. Your hair was up in some kind of messy knot that kept falling out and you’d put it back up every now and then. You wore black boots and you had Bailey with you. You were standing across from the jobsite where I was working and you were talking with Zahra and Shabina. You kept laughing. You have the most beautiful laugh.”
Stella was shocked that he remembered what she was wearing and that she’d been with two of her beautiful friends and he’d looked at her instead of them.
“I made it my business to find out about you. Wasn’t that hard. Everyone in town knows about you. You’re royalty. You’ve helped so many businesses. I just had to listen. It was clear you didn’t date anyone and you didn’t have a partner. I just kept to the background and observed you, trying to figure out why and what you needed.”
“Did you figure it out?”
“You need a patient man.”
Stella found herself laughing, and that astonished her. Right in the middle of the worst time, with Bailey in the hospital, she could sit at the breakfast table and laugh. “I suppose that’s true. I can’t believe you remember what I was wearing.” She took another sip of coffee. “How did things go with your father?”
“Better than I expected. Marco is complicated. He’s used to being the complete authority. Everyone is supposed to fall in line the moment he decrees something. He has it in his head that we’re going to have a relationship, which is fine, but he wants it on his terms. He’s had time to think about how it’s all going to play out. He doesn’t know me at all. The last he saw of me, I was young and impulsive. He still thinks of me that way.”
“Surely after meeting you again he has to know you’re nothing like that, Sam.”
“Marco doesn’t let go of his authority easily. I let him talk. The more someone talks, the easier it is to understand them and hear lies. He’s good at mixing truth with deceit.”
“Is he doing that?”
“He always does it. He’s had to do it in order to stay alive. In his business, you can’t trust too many people. Modern-day business is much more under the radar than it used to be, but there is always somebody who wants to take away what he has. He told me about his heart. I could tell he wasn’t lying about that. He seems to really want to retire. That’s always a scary proposition. Sometimes you can in that business, other times you don’t get to. He knows that.”
“Why?”
“He knows everyone’s business. Secrets. Things that can put others behind bars. He’s always been notorious for being close-mouthed.”
“What about Lucio Vitale? Is he really his bodyguard?”
“I don’t think so, although he would protect him. I think he’s much higher than a mere bodyguard. Still, Vitale could very well take out a gun and put a bullet in Marco’s head. That entire business is twisted when it comes to loyalties, although I believe Vitale is loyal to Marco for whatever reason. And if he isn’t, having met me, he would think twice before killing my father.”
“Do you think Marco will really retire and settle here?”
“He knows if he does he’ll have a better chance of staying alive,” Sam said. “He’s pragmatic about that kind of thing. He claims he met someone that he believes would move here with him and be happy.”
“How do you feel about him coming here, Sam?”
“I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other. My father is going to do whatever he decides to do, Stella. There’s no stopping him. I’m going to live my life the way I choose. Hopefully with you. You’re my choice. If he fits in once in a while, that’s good, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. I don’t know him anymore, and he doesn’t know me. We’ll see how it works out.”
Stella nodded, biting on her lower lip for a moment. Sam knew his father better than anyone, and she had the feeling his father was used to manipulating people. Sam wasn’t a man to be manipulated by anyone. She always wanted to be Sam’s choice. Always.
“That’s good, Sam. We’ll work around that.” She rubbed her hands on her thighs, detesting that she was showing her distress. “I hate that Bailey isn’t here and I can’t be there with him. He’s been with me practically every minute of the day since I got him as a puppy. It feels off without him. I know he has to feel like I’ve abandoned him.”
“You know better than that, Stella.” Sam’s voice was so gentle it turned her heart over. “I talked to the vet’s office first thing to make certain Bailey had made it through the night okay.”
“You know I’m going to want to talk to Amelia myself.”
He smiled at her. “Of course, I know that. I’d be shocked if you didn’t. She was actually sleeping when I called. Vincent answered. He said she’d be awake by ten.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without Bailey.” She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and picked up her coffee cup.
“He’s a tough dog, Stella. Amelia’s a good veterinarian. She hung in there last night and fought for him.”
“I knew she was good. I sat on a committee and we read everything about her. She was at the top of her class in school, then interned for some of the best vets for livestock and then small animals. Everywhere she worked, she was given glowing recommendations. She had come to the Sierras often to climb and backpack, so when the clinic came up for sale, she was interested, but couldn’t quite swing the loan on her own. We knew she’d have that money paid back immediately. Her work ethic was too good. I’m so happy we went after her so aggressively. If we hadn’t . . .” She trailed off.
“Bailey’s going to make it, Stella,” Sam said.
The confidence in his voice steadied her. She nodded. “Did you talk to the sheriff yet? Or Sonny?”
“Sonny. He says he feels fine. A little headache, nothing more. I went down to the site to look for tracks. Whoever this watcher is knows what he’s doing. I think he’s lived here a long time, Stella, maybe was born here. He knows how to move on rough terrain without leaving a footprint. I found a few things, broken and bruised limbs on brush, twisted leaves, but little else. Nothing that I could follow.�
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“I still have to ask myself what he would want in the house,” Stella said. “Maybe all this time he was watching the house in the hopes we would leave.”
Sam gathered the empty dishes and took them to the sink. “I’d like to think that, but we’re often at the Grill. He would have had ample opportunity. It’s only been recently that you’ve been locking the house. I think it would be a good idea to put your journal and sketches in the safe with your gun. If he does get inside, you don’t want him to easily access those.”
She rose as well, clearing the rest of the table. “You think he must be the killer.”
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know, but the timing is just too coincidental. I think it’s far better to be safe.”
* * *
—
Mommy, Daddy’s doing the bad thing again.
A riot of sounds hit first, birds calling back and forth. So many different types, Stella was aware they were various species. Insects droned and inevitably frogs croaked. Early morning brought with it the continuous cacophony of nature. Somewhere an owl screeched as it missed its prey before retiring. She heard the continuous flutter of wings and the skitter of rodents and lizards among the leaves on the forest floor.
The terrain appeared steep, long grasses thick, colored mostly gold and brown with some green still in evidence in spite of the cold. Trees rose toward the sky, a forest of them, some trunks thick, others mere saplings, many with their leaves already falling to the ground. Beams of color burst all through the branches to hit the rotting vegetation on the ground. Bushes were thick, matting together, while ferns and shrubs added to the wild landscape.
The lens focused on one tree, the trunk sturdy. The camera seemed to go up and up until she could see the bottom of what appeared to be a steel or aluminum frame jutting out from the tree with a pair of muddy boots on the floor of bars. One boot was planted flat while the other had the toe pressed firmly into the bars. She could see just the edge of heavy hunting camo pants coming down over the boots as the camera lens began to close in that abrupt way it had of doing long before she was ready.
Murder at Sunrise Lake Page 27