I nodded. “He was teaching in Berlin, but he’s retired.” I did a quick calculation. He’d be sixty-five by now.
Diana smiled. “Then I think you should email him, and ask if you can visit.”
I laughed. “Are you organising my calendar now?”
She bit her lip. “At least think about it. What harm can it do?” She looked me in the eye. “And it would give you a breather. All you’re doing here is sitting around, waiting for the hammer tofall. Well, you canstillwait, but do it in Berlin.” She smiled. “The scenery would be better.”
I stole the last piece of croissant. “I’ll think about it. Later.”
Except that was a lie.
I was already thinking about it.
Once I’d finished the washing up, I made myself some tea, grabbed my laptop, and got comfortable on the couch. I opened up my emails and searched for Professor Mueller. I composed a short piece, then sat there, my heartbeat racing.
Do it. Justdoit. Diana’s right. Where’s the harm?
I clickedsend, then set the laptop aside and switched on the TV.
Don’t think about it.
Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed. An unknown number.
Karl Mueller here. Can I call you?
My fingers trembled as I typed yes.
Moments later, a familiar voice filled my ear. “Kieran. It was so good to get your email. How are you?”
I couldn’t tell him over the phone. “Let’s just say life is… interesting right now.”
There was a pause. “A good interesting, I hope.”
I found my courage. “Professor, I’m planning a visit to Berlin.”
“That’s wonderful. And please, call me Karl. When are you thinking of coming here?”
I glanced at the wall calendar. “September, possibly. Would I be able to see you?”
“Of course.” His voice was warm. “I would be delighted to see you again. Have you started looking for accommodation?”
“I haven’t got that far yet. I’m not even sure how long I’ll be staying. Can you recommend anywhere?”
Another pause. “Yes. My place. You can stay in my guest room.”
I swallowed. “I couldn’t put you out.”
Karl chuckled. “When you see my apartment, you’ll understand why you won’t be putting me out. Do you have a date in mind?”
I looked at the calendar again. “How does September first sound?”
“Let me check my diary… Perfect. That works. I amsolooking forward to seeing you again.” There was no mistaking the genuine warmth in his voice.
“Me too.” It had been way too long. “I’ll send you details of my arrival time once I’ve booked a flight.”
“Excellent. And I’ll email you notes on how to get to me from the airport. It’s really simple.”
I laughed. “Not for a man who’s never been out of the UK, not even for a city break.”