Dajana stood at the living room door leading to the terrace, nervously tapping her nails against the glass as she watched Fabian splashing in the pool. The box where they kept the money Adrian had earned under the table had been empty for two days.
"That was nice, María José," Carlos nodded approvingly when he saw her and Günter parting with a hug.
"What?"
"That you forgave him."
"Forgave that scoundrel who tried to harm my dog?" she snapped. "I’ll never forget what he did!"
– Don’t worry for a second, María José, – Carlos reassured his good friend. – I’ll find out who that scoundrel is who hurt Perla. – He cleared his throat. – With my connections, – he raised his voice to ensure his words reached Ted’s window – I’ll have the culprit by tonight.
The splash and the subsequent desperate whimper made María José leap out of bed in fright. Overwhelmed by fear and concern, she ran down the stairs and out to the yard. Perla was standing there, trembling and in shock under the moonlight.
No one could take the argument seriously, even though it likely was. Even Ludmilla, the cantankerous old German lady, let her high-quality Swiss dentures peek out as she silently laughed, observing the scene from behind her upstairs window.
The most fortunate house at 22 Calle la Rosa was undoubtedly number eight, yet it was the last one to be sold. Like house number one, it could only be viewed from one side, but it had the added advantage of being close to the main pool.
The very first thing Carlos, the elderly Canarian man, bought for his new house was a grill. And not just any grill—it cost a small fortune and might have seemed over the top due to its size. It took up an entire half of the terrace. Since he lived alone, he didn’t mind that there was no longer room for a clothesline.
The alarm woke Noud every morning at six. The young man started his day with yoga. For him, it was like coffee—it refreshed him and prepared him for the day ahead. His partner, Bernard, joined him for breakfast at half past seven on weekdays and after nine on Saturdays and Sundays.
The amount, which would have been more than sufficient for the comfortable livelihood of three families with two children each, was deposited into Ted’s account every second day of the month. On these occasions, when the man read the notification from the bank, a proud smile always played on his lips.
Emily screamed with delight as she threw herself into the big pool. Her father had finally allowed her to swim in it with armbands, instead of being confined to the kiddie pool. Admittedly, only for a short time, until the adults arrived.