24 hours later. Stella was sitting in the hotel bar. Same table. Sipping the same whiskey. But she was different.

All the events of the previous day running through her head - police in her room, Dani looking scared, Eastwood in charge, her trying to keep it together as they rummaged through her room, her clothes, her underwear, as they read through her diary, as they scanned the room for prints and DNA.

She was offered to move, but there was no point really. So they resorted to putting a 24-hour surveillance on her room and a guard in the room on the other side of the corridor.

"No more one-night stands for me" - was the first thought of the day that made Stella smile. It was inappropriate to be thinking that at the time, but it broke through the wave of dread that had been washing over her since she read the killer's note in her diary.

Stella sipped her whiskey and stared at her phone - no messages. That meant there had been no developments today. As she looked up she was faced with a very worried Reed Smith.

"Mind if I sit down?" Reed asked carefully.

Stella nodded and Reed joined her at the table. Stella motioned for the waiter to come up and Reed felt a strong deja vu feeling. The situation was exactly the same as yesterday, Stella even wore the same outfit. Stella noticed Reed looking her up and down and explained casually:

"My whole room is evidence now, they've confiscated all my clothes. A single-malt whiskey, Make it a double please" - she addressed the waiter without changing her tone.

"I'll just have a coke, thank you." Reed knew she shouldn't drink alcohol, she still had to drive back home later.

Reed felt sad and angry. She could only imagine what Stella must be going through especially since she knew her to be a very private person. She tried to cheer the woman up:

"We could get on my bike and go shopping? Maybe you would like that to take your mind off… Things"

"Yeah, can you imagine the headlines: "Superintendent Gibson picks out clothes in Prada while the serial killer picks out his next victim." Stella chuckled.

"You could always wear the helmet", - Reed couldn't help herself and was rewarded with a genuine smile from Stella. She could see the detective was exhausted. " I talked to Dani, she told me everything. I'm sorry about yesterday…"

"It's nothing," - Stella interrupted her before Reed could continue, but she kept on talking:

"it must have been hard being there alone, coming in and finding out someone had been there. I just wish I was there with you..." Stella looked at her playfully, rising her eyebrows. "...As a friend." Reed finished cheekily.

"Right. Friend." Stella smiled to herself and sipped her whiskey.

Reed could feel something was off - she could see Stella was not saying something. Then again Stella was always not saying something, but this time it was like she wanted to share, Reed just had to come up with the right question. Instead Reed came up with a straightforward one:

"Stella, what's wrong?" Reed felt silly asking that since she knew pretty much everything was wrong right now. But she felt there was more to it.

"Can you keep a secret?" from Stella's answer Reed knew immediately there was indeed more to it.

"Depends on the secret." Reed lowered her voice as did Stella.

"He was still in the room when I came in, at least I believe so" - Stella took in Reed's shocked expression and continued: "it's not in the official report, but he was there. Hiding in the wardrobe." Stella finished her drink in one big gulp.

"God. Did you see him?"

"No, I went to the bathroom and then he left. I only noticed a bit later when I opened my computer - he changed the wallpaper. And then I found the diary."

"Oh." - Reed said, realisation downing on her as she repeated with a different tone: "Oh."

"What?"

"He could have hurt you. And if we'd come up together he could have watched us… Oh my God", - Reed covered her mouth with her hand, shocked at the image in her head. She saw Stella smile to herself seconds passed by before Stella finally said, chuckling:

"No, he couldn't have."

"What do you mean?"

Stella paused, then continued calmly:

"About 5 minutes after I came in there was a knock on the door. It was Jim. He was drunk. He made a pass at me. I said no. He tried…"

"What?!" - Reed was shocked to hear all that, "That wasn't in the official report!"

"Oh, I know. He tried to force himself on me and I hit him in the nose. There was blood. That's why I… we went to the bathroom. I think that's when the killer left the room."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Jim tried to force himself on you?"

"It wasn't too bad. I handled it."

"Stella!"

Instead if answering Stella fixed her with an icy glare. Reed had so many things running through her mind, so many things she wanted to say, but what came out was:

"I need a real drink."

"I could use a second one."