Ludmilla stormed away from Ted in a huff. She crossed the courtyard at a brisk pace and didn’t stop until she reached María José’s house. When she saw that the terrace door was ajar, she stepped inside without hesitation. The elderly pastry chef, who was just carrying a tray of macarons out of the house, let out a startled scream. The sudden jolt sent several colorful pastries tumbling to the ground, where they shattered into pieces.
“Oh no, Ludmilla, just look at what you’ve done,” María José wailed. “Why do you have to barge in like that?”
“Because,” Ludmilla panted, her face flushed, paying no attention to the fallen pastries, “that Ted is an insolent, despicable pig!”
“And since when is that news to you?” María José asked irritably.
She set the tray down on the coffee table, then marched off with an annoyed expression to fetch the little broom and sweep up the crumbs and broken pieces.
“It’s not news,” Ludmilla muttered. “I was just trying to be nice to him, and he made a fool out of me.”
María José stopped. She raised an eyebrow and looked at her friend.
“You were trying to be nice? The way I’m imagining?” she asked sharply. “In that forced, syrupy tone, with that smile that anyone can tell from a mile away isn’t sincere?”
Ludmilla drew in a loud, sharp breath, clearly outraged. Her eyes shot sparks.
“María José—”
“Oh, please,” the older woman cut in. “What’s the point of this performance? At least don’t try to twist reality for me. You went over there to sniff around. So what? I wanted to do the same, but you’ve already messed it up.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Did you at least find out anything?”
Instead of answering, Ludmilla shook her head. She took the broom from María José’s hand and knelt down to clean up herself.
“At least I tried.”
“I know. Don’t brood over it—we’ll figure out what’s really going on here. We’re not that easy to fool. There’s something off about Viktoria. No way she’d willingly nurse someone, let alone wash them. Especially not some Ted-type asshole. Money trouble? Please. I saw her at the car dealership last week. She wasn’t exactly looking at budget models.”
“You didn’t tell me that,” Ludmilla protested, offended.
“No, because I was mad at you,” María José snapped back. “You stole my straw-lid lemonade cup.”
Ludmilla dropped the broom.
“The one that belongs to Pauline—and that you nicked from by the pool while she was pulling the kid out of the water,” she shot back.
“If I hadn’t grabbed it, you would’ve,” María José shrieked. “I saw you eyeing it!”
Ludmilla pressed her lips together. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically. Then her eyes narrowed and flashed mischievously.
“One week at my place, one week at yours?”
“No,” María José shook her head. “We have to stop.”
Ludmilla’s mouth fell open in disappointment. Her friend went on.
“We’ll take it back and buy our own. Actually—no. I will. I’ll buy one for each of us. It’ll be my gift to you. What do you say?” she asked, looking hopefully into Ludmilla’s eyes.
The German woman lifted her gaze to the ceiling and, with a long, irritated sigh, finally gave in.
“I don’t care… but you’re the one returning it,” she groaned reluctantly.
*
Bernard, plate in hand, watched with indifference as Noud struck up a conversation with Adrian. He himself was far too unsettled to attempt any reconnaissance. The uncertainty—whether Ted might have recognized him—troubled him more than any previous situation in his life. And the fact that Viktoria and the deranged man had suddenly begun behaving like friends pulled the ground out from under his feet. He had no idea what could have prompted this conspicuous cooperation, or their insistence that Viktoria had only “taken care” of Ted because he had asked her to. For money, no less. The headmistress of a private school moonlighting as a caregiver for random men… highly believable. The residents’ naivety honestly stunned him.
His gaze drifted back to Ted from time to time, along with those hovering around him. His wall-sharing neighbor was clearly trying to discourage anyone from getting too curious. Ludmilla had barely launched into what was obviously a theatrical display when Ted chased her off with some strange souting.
In the end, Bernard decided to pull himself together and help Noud. He cast one last glance at Ted, who was unmistakably looking straight at him. Ted took off his thick, Coke bottle glasses and, with a grimace, winked at Bernard. Opening his mouth wide, he silently mouthed the words:
“Thank you.”