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.

Carlos’s age and life experience saved him from a spectacular collapse. Especially not in front of an audience. From the corner of his eye, he noticed his neighbor standing with raised eyebrows and hands in his pockets. Though he nearly fainted, he maintained a stoic expression and continued the supposed conversation.

The grease stains clung stubbornly to Ted’s glasses. No matter how many times he wiped them with his shirt, the situation refused to improve. In fact, it only got worse. The lenses developed streaks that distorted the light in an irritating way, which annoyed him even more than regular dirt.

The two men picked at their breakfast unenthusiastically. And yet, as usual, Noud had gone all out preparing it. This time, only the cheese slices and the grapes separated from the bunch had been eaten—the fried bacon and toast remained untouched.

The Slovak family invited Carlos to a festive dinner. Adrian grilled various meats and vegetables, while Dajana mixed sauces and prepared a fruit salad for the special occasion.

“Cunning little witch,” thought María José. She was certain that Ludmilla's yawning, which had also made her feel sleepy, was merely an act. “She’s pretending to be an innocent, tired old lady.”

As a highly respected, single elderly lady, María José always kept some treats at home for potential visitors or hosts. She never had to worry about her homemade sweets going bad. She could always count on Carlos and the German family living next door to help her finish the leftovers.

Those damn frogs. Cold, slimy little creatures. Ludmilla hated every single one of them. Especially the ones she occasionally had to swallow. And life, from time to time, forced her to do just that.

It was already more than five minutes past eleven-thirty when Heidi’s hunched figure, wrapped in a hoodie, finally appeared at the corner of the large pool. Ted silently raised his tablet to signal that he was filming and didn’t intend to disturb the girl smoking and listening to music.

Bernard impatiently drummed his fingers on the black marble kitchen counter. From time to time, he tapped the screen of his phone to check the time.

"When are we leaving?" Noud asked quietly.

"Exactly at seven-thirty."