Dead and dying people were part of her work. More than once, she had lost patients who had been shot or stabbed. But this time, she was the one who had inflicted the lethal injuries. And instead of saving the patient’s life, as she was trained to do, she’d let him expire in agony without lifting a finger to help.

She had let a patient die.

“How is he?” she heard Werner ask.

I killed him.

“Helen?” Werner stood next to her, dropped to his knees.

She shook her head.

“How is he?” he repeated.

“Dead.”

“Are you sure?”

“He suffocated.” She lifted the hoodie. A quick glance at his torso confirmed what she already knew. “I hit his lungs.”

Werner looked at her, his lips pursed. A whole host of emotions passed over his face. He took her hand but said nothing.

19

19

Ten minutes had turned into twelve. Ralf kept thinking he could see somebody—a phantom that approached from the side, hurriedly, before dissolving into the shadows of the trees.

Fifteen minutes.

Just a little longer, a little longer . . .

To his surprise, the dead-end street still wasn’t full of emergency vehicles. He’d expected sirens and flashing lights, but it had remained eerily quiet.

He began to doubt his own ears. Had there really been shots? He had been absolutely sure of it before, but now everything seemed uncertain.

Eighteen minutes.

No police.

No Brian.

Nothing.

Maybe Brian had run away from the other side of the house, and there was a good reason why he hadn’t come to the car. Was his friend currently making his way home on foot? Brian had left his cell phone in the car, so Ralf couldn’t call him to check.

Ralf looked at the house again. Thought carefully. Maybe Brian had assumed he would come to help him if it took too long.

He looked at the clock.

Twenty minutes.

20

20

“How did he get in?” Helen tried to manage her breathing. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

“Through the back door. He just appeared in the kitchen. I—” He rubbed his face with both hands. Breathed in deeply. His shoulders were shaking. “My God, tell me this isn’t happening . . . Is he really dead?”

Helen looked at him in silence. Yes, the robber was dead. Even if a team of specialists were to come running in now with the most advanced equipment available, they still wouldn’t be able to bring him back.

“Did he want money?” she asked softly.

“Yes. He obviously thought I kept the daily takings at home.”

“Do you know him?”

Werner hesitated for a moment. “I think he used to work for us in the kitchen. One of the temps.”

“This is exactly what you were worried about. You were talking about it just the other day.”

He nodded. Stared at the boy in silence.