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counteraccusations, and insults, Cosima and Oliver now got along better than ever before. They shared custody of Sophia, which was the top priority for Oliver. He would have his youngest daughter to himself every other weekend, and sometimes during the week as well, when Cosima had deadlines to meet.
    “This is really ideal,” he said enthusiastically when they’d finished the tour. “Sophia could have her own room, and when she’s a little older, she can come over here alone or even ride her bike to my parents’ place.”
    “I thought of that, too,” Inka replied. “Shall I put you in touch with the seller?”
    “Yes, I’d appreciate that,” Bodenstein said with a nod.
    Inka closed the front door and led the way across the plank toward the street. The night was hazy, and the heat of the day was still palpable between the houses. The scent of charcoal and grilled meat was in the air, and they heard voices and laughter from one of the backyards. “Just imagine,” he said, “if all goes well, we could wind up being neighbors.”
    “Would you like that?” Inka asked.
    As she stood next to her car, she turned around to look at him. In the light of the streetlamps, her natural blond hair shone like honey. Bodenstein admired once more her classic facial features, her high cheekbones and lovely lips. Neither the years nor the hard work as a veterinarian had diminished her beauty. He once again wondered why she’d never had a husband or a steady boyfriend.
    “Sure.” He walked around the car to the passenger side and got in. “That would be wonderful. Why don’t we grab a quick pizza at Merlin’s? I’m as hungry as a bear.”
    Inka got in behind the wheel.
    “Okay,” she replied after a brief hesitation, and put the key in the ignition.
    *   *   *
    For the third time, Pia drove around the narrow cobblestone streets of the old town in Königstein, looking in vain for a parking spot as she cursed the size of her SUV. In front of her, a minivan pulled out of a spot, and she skillfully backed into the space. After one last look in the rearview mirror, she grabbed her bag and got out. She had never been to a class reunion and was honestly eager to see the girls from her old school. As she walked past the ice-cream shop, her eyes fell on a lattice fence with the gaping hole of a construction site behind it. This was where the building had stood in which she’d found the corpse of Robert Watkowiak two years before. The fact that there had been a dead man in the house certainly hadn’t helped the real estate agent sell the property.
    Pia went down the pedestrian street and turned right at the bookstore, heading toward Villa Borgnis in the direction of the spa park. Pia could hear laughter and the babble of voices drowning out the splashing of the fountain surrounded by a border of flowers. She turned the corner and had to smile. The same flock of chickens as in the old days!
    “Piiiiia!” a red-haired woman called shrilly, coming toward her with arms outstretched. “How wonderful to see you.”
    A big hug and kisses left and right.
    Sylvia’s face was radiant as she pushed her toward the crowd, and the next moment Pia was surrounded by familiar faces, astonished to see how little her friends had changed over the years. Someone put a glass of Aperol spritz in her hand. Kisses, smiles, effusive embraces, genuine joy at seeing one another again. Sylvia gave a witty speech, which kept getting interrupted by laughter and whistles, and finished by saying she hoped everyone present would have a lot of fun. As thanks from the class of 1986, Yvonne and Kristina gave her a big bouquet and a gift certificate for a wellness weekend, and Pia had to stifle a grin. Typical gifts from well-to-do women of a certain age. But they came from the heart, and Sylvia was moved to tears.
    Pia sipped her cocktail and made a face. This sweet stuff was not exactly her favorite drink, but it was totally in at the moment, having