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a beautiful place. Fresh air. The woods. It does me good.”
    â€œWhy don’t you ever take me?” she said.
    He carried the drawing things into the living room.
    When they were sitting at the kitchen table, eating supper, she said: “Will you write to the children after supper?”
    â€œMaybe. I’ll see. Could be I’ll do it tomorrow.”
    â€œHelmut’s letter came two weeks ago. And Angelika’s has been lying around for nine days. I’m sure they’re expecting a reply.”
    â€œOh, come on, you don’t believe that yourself. That was the first letter from Angelika in three months. And it was even longer since Helmut last wrote.”
    â€œThat’s not true. Helmut wrote after Christmas. At least they want to know how we are.”
    â€œYes, sure.”
    â€œI’d do it myself if it wasn’t such a strain on me.”
    â€œYes, yes, I’ll do it tomorrow.” He wiped his mouth and went into the living room. Out in the passage he
belched discreetly. He switched on the TV set and sat down in the armchair. During the news he fell asleep.
    He jumped when Hilde touched his shoulder. “There’s no point sitting in front of the TV and then falling asleep,” she said. “You might as well save the power.”
    He rubbed his hands over his face. He felt very thirsty.
    She pointed to the TV set. “Well, there’s your Federal Chancellor for you.”
    â€œHe’s not just my Federal Chancellor, he’s yours too.”
    â€œI didn’t vote for him.” She wrapped the rug round her legs and lay down on the sofa.
    â€œYes, I know. You vote for the capitalists. Like Herr Wallmann.”
    â€œWell, at least Herr Wallmann has made something of himself.”
    â€œYou could put it that way.” He rose, went into the kitchen and took a bottle of beer out of the fridge. He looked for the glass. Hilde had washed it up along with the plates and cutlery and put it back in the cupboard. When he came back into the living room he said, “The fish was rather salty.” She gave the beer bottle a glance of silent reproof.
    He fell asleep twice more in his armchair. When Hilde had nudged him for the second time he got to his feet. “I’m going to bed.”
    The cat was already in its basket. It blinked at him when he switched on the bedside lamp, rolled over and stretched its legs. He tickled it a bit. “There we are. Now then, time for bye-byes.”
    Hilde came in as he was getting undressed. She turned away from him. She sat down on her own bed before taking off her vest over her head. He saw her
pale, thin back. She reached for her nightdress, put it on as she sat there. She lay down, smoothed out her quilt with both hands, then tucked it firmly round her on both sides. When he had switched off the light she put out a hand, touched him on the shoulder and said: “Good night.” He replied: “Good night.”
    He waited and then heard the faint whispering sound. She was saying her prayers.
    A little light from the street fell into the room on both sides of the curtain drawn over the window. A car drove past.
    Scholten listened. He heard footsteps on the stairs. Someone passed their door and climbed up to the topfloor apartment. It must be the boyfriend. One of the boyfriends. He had seen at least three different men climb the stairs since the woman on the top floor moved in. But the cooperative wasn’t interested in that kind of thing. They were just keen to rake in the cash.
    The ballcock. He would call the caretaker on Monday. Honrath the caretaker was bone-idle, that was his trouble. You had to light a fire under his arse. What else was he going to do on Monday? There was something else he’d meant to remember.
    Scholten fell asleep.

6
    He woke with a start, not knowing where he was, when Hilde patted his quilt. “Has that cat got into bed with you again?” she