“Come on,” Susanne said, now much gentler than before. “Let’s go find a place to sit and talk.” She walked around the cathedral to the three steps that formed the pedestal for a sandstone statue in front of the main portal.

Dazed, Anja followed her like a meek little lamb being lured away by the big, bad wolf, no longer caring if she’d be eaten alive.

Since there were no benches or other seating options nearby, Susanne pointed to the sandstone steps at the base of a statue.

Frau Lamm plopped down as if all the strength had drained from her legs.

Susanne sat next to her, close but not touching. Providing comfort to an employee who might have to be let go wasn’t part of her job description, but Frau Lamm had gone very pale and she was still her uncle’s employee, so for now, Susanne was responsible for her well-being.

She patiently watched Frau Lamm’s face and waited until the dazed look had cleared from her eyes.

Finally, Frau Lamm took a shaky breath and half-turned on the step to look at her. “Are you saying Paper Love is in trouble?”

Susanne nodded. “Trouble with a capital T, I’m afraid.”

“Can we…I don’t know, do a special sale or something?”

“You don’t understand. The store isn’t just short a few hundred euros, and it isn’t just this month. You’re nowhere near breaking even, and you haven’t been in years.”

“Years! But…but…Nobby never indicated that we’re in financial trouble. He always paid me on time.”

“With his personal money if need be,” Susanne threw in.

Frau Lamm gulped audibly. She put both elbows on her thighs and leaned her head onto her palms. Her golden brown hair fell forward, forming a curtain around her face and hiding it from Susanne as if she couldn’t bear to be seen at her most vulnerable.

“You didn’t know?” Susanne asked quietly.

Without looking up, Frau Lamm shook her head.

“Really? Excuse me for saying so, but I find that a bit hard to believe.”

Frau Lamm looked up. Her vulnerable-looking doe eyes narrowed, and she squared her slim shoulders. “Are you calling me a liar? Are you always this suspicious of everyone, or is it just me you don’t like?”

Susanne’s mouth moved, but it took several seconds before she was capable of answering. It wasn’t often that someone confronted her like this, and she certainly hadn’t expected it from Anja Lamm. She held up her hands, palms out. “This isn’t personal at all.”

“Oh yes, it is. This is as personal as it gets for me! Paper Love is a big part of my life. It is my life. If we go under…” Her voice became even huskier than normal with every word and then broke.