“He went to meet with a client, so I figured I’d work here. We’re meeting for dinner later.” When Karl made no comment, I glanced at him. “What?”
“What makes you think I have something to add?”
I snorted again. “Because I’ve known you since I washowold?”
He sighed. “I have nothing to say that I haven’t already said.”
I closed the lid of the piano. “Everything’s fine.”
The sudden tightness around my chest belied that statement.
“Can we put this into perspective? You’ve been in Berlin a week, and in that time, I don’t think you’ve spent more than a few?—”
“Don’t,” I blurted. Karl blinked, and I sighed. “I know, okay? And I don’t want to think about this, because that only sends me down one road, and right now, I donotwant to go there.”
My phone buzzed, and my heart skipped a beat.He’s home early.
Except it wasn’t a text, but an email notification.
Damn.
I almost ignored it, but then I saw the subject line. My name. The college.
I opened it, and just like that, Berlin had an expiry date.
“Karl…”
He peered at me. “What’s wrong?”
I cleared my throat. “I have a meeting in Manchester, on Monday. Apparently, the investigation has reached its conclusion.”
“And?”
I rolled my eyes. “They haven’t shared that, just that they want to see me. So they can tell me to my face, I suppose—or get me to answer more questions, you know, drag it out a bit longer.” For a moment, I didn’t move.
“And how do you feel about that?”
I almost laughed. “How do you think I feel?”
Karl didn’t answer immediately. “Relieved,” he said at last.
For the second time in less than ten minutes, he caught me off guard. I frowned. “Relieved?”
“It means things are moving,” he said, his voice calm. “Forward motion is good. Whatever happens next, you won’t be stuck in this… suspended state anymore.”
I looked down at the message that had just cut my time here into something finite. Because suddenly this wasn’t open-ended anymore. This wasn’twe’ll see how long I stay.
This was?—
Six days.
I swallowed. “I have to call Diana.”
“Yes.”
“And book a flight.”
Karl inclined his head. “Also yes. Although I’d do that first.”