The sweet scent of waffles and the unmistakable aroma of crispy bacon filled the courtyard. The two young police officers cast longing glances toward Günter’s house. The early morning call had left neither of them with time for breakfast. And as the report took shape, they had no hope of filling their stomachs anytime soon—especially not with something as delicious as what the German family man was preparing.
“Should I take them a plate of snacks?” Günter asked his wife, as if he had sensed what was on the officers’ minds.
“Don’t bother them,” Viktoria shook her head. “They’ll eat when they’re done. Right now, it’s better not to distract them. You can see how shaken Ted is. Something serious must have happened.”
From the bedroom window, María José and her newfound friend, Ludmilla, watched the commotion around Ted’s house. The bespectacled man looked like he was about to burst with nerves. He kept rubbing his balding head while frantically explaining something to the uniformed officers.
“What happened this time?” Ludmilla was itching to rush over to the scene.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” María José replied calmly. “Nothing stays secret in this complex.”
“In other words, you’ll grill Carlos after sex?”
“Exactly.”
The two elderly women exchanged a mischievous smile.
“Wake up! Ted’s house was broken into!” Rob shook his wife’s shoulder excitedly.
“And they didn’t take that bastard with them?”
“Come on, let’s go eavesdrop!” the American man urged impatiently.
“Alright, I’m coming. Stop rushing me!”
Pauline struggled to get up, despite her burning curiosity. The night before, she and her husband had lingered over wine and conversation. After finishing two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, she was feeling the effects of a mild hangover.
“They’ll probably ask us if we saw or heard anything, too.”
“What have you found out so far?”
“Nothing concrete—just that there was a break-in last night.”
“And the police are only showing up now?”
“Apparently, he didn’t even wake up. He only noticed something was missing this morning.”
“What was stolen? Money?”
“No, some kind of storage box with important documents. It looks like they weren’t after cash or anything like that.”
“Are you absolutely sure nothing else is missing?” one of the officers asked again.
“No. I don’t keep cash at home. I lock my laptop in the safe every night. And I don’t own any jewelry.”
“And where did you store these documents?”
“In the drawer under my bed.”
The officer shook his head.
“You don’t believe me,” Ted groaned in frustration.
“Please stop saying that!”
“But it’s obvious you think I’m crazy!”
“Calm down, sir,” the other officer tried to soothe him. “You have to understand, this isn’t an easy case. What we see is that the glass on the door was cut open, but aside from that, nothing in the house seems to have been disturbed.”
“Of course!” Ted snapped. “Because he knew exactly what he was looking for! He went straight to the drawer under my bed and took the box!”
“The contents of which are still a mystery to us,” one officer remarked dryly.
“I told you—they’re personal but very important documents.”
“But what exactly do they contain?”
“Notes.”
“Tell us what kind of notes if you want us to help you.”
“I can’t reveal that!”
“Then how do you expect us to help?”
“Just catch that bastard! That’s what matters most—who took it.”
“We’ll check the footage from your home security cameras. Of course, we’ll also speak to the neighbors to see if anyone saw or heard anything that could help.”
Carlos stood on his terrace with his hands in his pockets. No one could see his flushed face or the way his nostrils flared with excitement.
“I hope the message was clear,” he muttered, then lifted a tray filled with coffee cups and French toast, grinning from ear to ear.