What had she read? A thousand-euro fine. Norah took out five hundred euros, added the five hundred she’d brought from home, put the notes in the envelope and sealed it. Thanks to Werner and Google Maps, she found the building where Marie T. lived and rang a bell at random. When she was buzzed in, she slipped through the door, sending up a quick prayer that the names would be on the letterboxes. Her prayer was answered. She dropped the envelope in Marie T.’s letterbox and went out again.

Back in her flat, she saw how nice and homely it looked now that the boxes were gone. It had cost her a lot of strength to unpack them, with all the memories they contained, but it had been worth it. Norah collapsed on the sofa.

A second later, her phone announced the arrival of a text. Probably Max, wanting to know how—

Alex. Her heart began to beat faster. She shut her eyes for a moment, steeling herself, then clicked open the message. It was only six words long.

I love you too, damn it.

For a few minutes all Norah could do was sit and stare at the text. Then she got up and went over to the window. Her car was parked just across the road; the tank was full.

As she left the city that evening, she decided against the motorway; she’d take the country roads.

Darkness. Woods. Norah smiled.

She lit a cigarette and stepped on the accelerator.

Silence. New moon. Stars.

Before her, an empty road and behind her, the night.

Acknowledgments

So many people contribute to the making of a book. Some directly, some indirectly, some without even realising—by inspiring me or encouraging me or simply being there.

First of all I should like to thank my wonderful family. I am unbelievably lucky and I know it.

Huge thanks also go to my brilliant (and incredibly patient) publisher and editor Regina Kammerer and to all those I have been lucky enough to meet at btb and Random House over the course of the years. It is a pleasure to work with you. Thanks to my agent Georg Simader and to everyone else at Copywrite: Caterina Kirsten, Lisa Volpp, Vanessa Gutekunst, Felix Rudloff and my ‘canaries in the mine’ Laura Kampf and Ursula Waldmüller.

Two artists have accompanied me during my work on this novel. Firstly, Soap&Skin whose songs I have listened to very intensely. And secondly the incredible Karen Köhler and her unforgettable short story collection We Were Fishing for Rockets. Thank you.

Thanks, too, to all those who love literature as much as I do. Those who make books or contribute to their success by buying them, talking about them, writing about them, recommending them—and reading them. What a good thing you exist.

And…Jörn? I hope you didn’t think I’d forgotten you. The swift (I don’t need to tell you) is, as always, for you. Thank you for everything.

Melanie Raabe, February 2018