At the dull thud, Noud sat up in bed with a start. His heart pounding, he whipped his head back and forth, trying to figure out what had made the strange, out-of-place sound. The room was illuminated by the full moon. Beneath the window, he spotted a large sports bag. He frowned. The next moment, he noticed Bernard standing at the foot of the bed, clad in a tight black overall. Noud opened his mouth to speak, but his partner gestured for him to stay silent. Then, on tiptoe, Bernard stepped over to the bag, carefully lifted it, and slid it under the bed. Noud lay back down, but he couldn’t fall asleep again. He stared at the ceiling, exhausted.
Lying on the rooftop terrace, Carlos scanned the street through a well-camouflaged telescope between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to motionless, disciplined surveillance. Compared to that, these mere 120 minutes were nothing. The only thing that worried him was the possibility that he had miscalculated, waiting in the wrong place or at the wrong time. However, at 3:55 a.m., the dark, shadow-like figure finally appeared, just as predicted, carrying a sizable object.
“Gotcha, you little bastard,” he murmured into the cool, damp morning air.
Bernard waited on the terrace for Noud to finish his yoga session. This time, he was too tired to make breakfast. He figured they could throw something together quickly or maybe take a stroll to the nearby café for a buttered croissant and a latte.
“Good morning, neighbors!” Carlos grinned over the low fence. “How about a little communal breakfast to start the day? The barraquito is brewing, and I got fresh gofio from María José.”
“What a coincidence, my friend Carlos!” Bernard slapped his palm. “I was just thinking about inviting Noud for breakfast because I’m feeling too lazy. I can’t bring myself to do anything.”
“That’s what neighbors are for, aren’t they?” Carlos’s eyes sparkled.
“We’ve struck gold with you,” the young man beamed.
“Did I hear that right?” Noud joined the men. “So, we just have to sit down at the table?”
“I’m starting to think Carlos has hidden cameras in our apartments,” Bernard laughed. “He always knows when I’ve had a rough night. This is the second time he’s made breakfast for us after a bad one.”
Noud’s mouth curled into a broad smile, but for a fleeting moment, his expression darkened. Carlos flashed his shiny dentures, yet the corner of his eye twitched slightly.
“Doesn’t this seem odd to you?” Noud asked after breakfast.
“You’re imagining things.”
“Then why did you say that?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You did. Quite specifically, you pointed it out to him.”
“Pointed out what? That I think he’s a great guy?”
“No, Kirk. That you find him suspicious.”
A sudden, fearful silence fell. Noud clamped his hand over his mouth.
“Don’t call me jerk,” Bernard said in a firm voice, emphasizing the last word. Although the door was closed, and theoretically, no one could hear them, he was terrified. Noud had called him by a name he never should have. He hoped the similar-sounding jerk would confuse any eavesdropper.
“I have no other choice if you act like an idiot,” Noud countered, wiping his sweaty forehead with a trembling hand. He was terrified that someone had overheard what he had said. Especially Ted, who spent day and night listening, watching, and taking notes.
At the sudden knock, both of them let out a startled yelp.
“Well, well,” Carlos smirked from the other side of the glass wall. “You boys are already this jumpy at such a young age?”
“You know we didn’t sleep well. This full moon always wrecks us…” Noud replied.
“Is something wrong?” Bernard cut in.
“Oh, there is!” The elderly neighbor grinned, handing over a phone. “You left your phone at my place, and it hasn’t stopped buzzing.”