Page 9 of Nothing Watching

The man nodded. “Yes. Frau Mitter, who runs this place, has rules, and one of them is that between ten a.m. and three p.m., while cleaning is being done, everyone must leave the premises. She says there is the garden, which has a clubhouse, if you want to remain on the property, and otherwise there is the whole of Berlin to enjoy, and you are not here to stay in bed all day.”

“Well, I guess that sounds fair enough, if strict,” Juliette heard Wyatt mutter in surprised tones.

“Is Frau Mitter here?” Juliette asked.

“Oh, yes, of course. She is inside, cleaning,” the Spanish man replied.

Already, Juliette had a suspicion that Frau Mitter was going to be a battle-ax. Heading for the door, she prepared to meet her.

The glass paneled door was closed but unlocked and it led into a tidy lobby, with a couch, a front desk and chair, and several neatly arranged shelves. Pictures on the wall were of Berlin’s attractions—the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Checkpoint Charlie, and more.

Beyond the lobby, Juliette heard the buzz of a powerful vacuum cleaner.

Behind its controls, as she walked through the archway, she saw a woman of about fifty, solidly built and thickset, with a cheerful, red-cheeked face, a cap over her hair, and wearing a smock with “Haus Abenteuer” embroidered on the front.

She turned off the vacuum cleaner.

“Ah, you are the police again. I was expecting you.” She sighed, removing her rubber gloves. “What a terrible thing this is. Already, I have had a cancellation for next week, already this is affecting our business. And as for the poor young lady, we are all in shock.”

Juliette nodded sympathetically. “Yes, it’s a terrible tragedy. Can you tell us how long Hannah has been staying at this guesthouse?”

“She has been here a month.”

“And was this purely vacation?”

Frau Mitter looked dubious. “I understand that she was here on vacation. But perhaps the others, her roommates, might know more.”

Juliette wondered if Hannah had been trying to find work, or even working illegally to supplement her stay. Had she come into contact with the wrong person while doing that?

“Were there any problems while she was here?”

The backpacker lodge owner shook her head. “I run a very well-controlled place. How do you say in English, a tight ship?”

Wyatt nodded admiringly as she continued. “Dealing with the youth, you know, you have to have rules in place. If you break the rules, you are out. Hannah kept to the rules, like everyone else. She did not cause trouble.”

Juliette nodded, taking note of Frau Mitter’s strict demeanor. She could see why the backpackers would be wary of breaking any rules. It seemed that the guesthouse had been well run, and she also had the impression that Frau Mitter, though enforcing her rules, stayed out of her guests’ business otherwise.

“Hannah stayed in a three-bed dormitory and she had two roommates who have been here for a while. Eva Cortez and Deena Jones. They have had special permission to stay behind today.”

She indicated the large and comfortable-looking living room to her right. “They are inside there, should you wish to speak to them.”

“Thank you,” Juliette said. She headed down the short passage, where the woman pointed, to the living room. Like the rest of the hostel, it was well ordered and equipped. Three couches, a table and chairs, a couple of beanbags, and several armchairs occupied the extremely clean and neat space.

Eva and Deena were huddled together on a couch. Eva was dark-haired and dark-eyed, and Deena had platinum hair with a pink stripe in it, and blue eyes. Both were dressed in jeans and summer tops. Out of the corner of her eye, Juliette saw Sierra giving close attention to Deena’s pink hair. Sierra, too, went for colorful stripes in her own hair—this time, though, she had dark blue highlights in her cloud of dark hair.

Both young women looked shaken, but not surprised to see the police officers.

“I think two on two will probably work the best,” Juliette murmured to Wyatt as they saw the setup inside. “Perhaps you and I can handle this?”

“I’m busy checking her social media to see if I can get anything from that side,” Sierra said. “I can do it just as well outside.”

Turning to the other two German officers, Juliette nodded and said, “We’ll take this from here. Thank you.”

Then she walked in, ready to find out what, exactly, had been happening in Hannah’s life that might have led to her murder.

“I’m so sorry this has happened,” Juliette said. “You must be very shocked. Are you able to talk to us and answer some questions?”

She showed her badge before sitting down on the chair opposite.

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