“The days are getting shorter. Neighborhoods like this one are unfortunately popular with criminals, and thieves are getting more ruthless all the time.” She gestured at Werner’s Mercedes and looked up at the façade of the house. “You might want to think about getting some cameras. They aren’t so expensive these days.”

“Oh yes. Good idea. Thanks for the tip.”

The policewoman gave her a friendly nod. “Have a nice day.”

“And good luck with it all!” the man said with a wink.

11

11

It was already growing dark by the time Ralf drove home. He had spent the entire afternoon with friends and had eaten at their place too—frozen pizza and leftover spaghetti. Thanks to the idle conversations and loud music, he had managed not to think about anything the whole time he was there—but that wasn’t possible now that he was back in his car.

He parked around the corner from his parents’ house underneath a few large chestnut trees, their leaves already changing color, and turned off the engine. As the interior lighting slowly dimmed, he remained motionless behind the wheel. Bikers trundled past, scooters and cars too. Now and then, people let their dogs out onto the patch of grass next to the car. Nobody noticed him.

Ralf tried to imagine what Sara could have seen in somebody like Brian. His looks? Brian looked like a thug who was always spoiling for a fight. His personality wasn’t much to speak of either. Everybody thought Brian was a scumbag—apart from all the girls who were impressed by his car. But Sara’s father was rich. His Mercedes was way newer and more expensive than Brian’s Golf GTI. What was it Naomi had said? High school guys are just boys. They’re happy if you let them hold your hand. Brian was no boy; that much was true. It seemed he’d made that clear enough to Sara when he’d taken her virginity in her father’s restaurant.

Brian had quit not long after that—he’d stopped working at the Horn of Plenty in July, and then waited a few months before trying to rob his former boss in his own home.

How had he come up with that idea? Ralf could only guess. Brian had kept him completely in the dark. He hadn’t even told him that the robbery was at Sara Möhring’s. Ralf barely knew Sara, but still, Brian should have shared that information. Had he deliberately neglected to do so? Now that Ralf thought about it, Brian had known an awful lot about the family’s movements. He’d known exactly where everybody would be that evening, as if he’d been watching the house for weeks. But he hadn’t. Brian was definitely too lazy for something like that.

In hindsight, Ralf wasn’t sure why he hadn’t asked more questions.