Lulu drew with her finger lines into the thin layer of dust on the shelves and piles of boxes. Time seemed to have stopped. She had lost any orientation on how long she had already been hiding down here in this dark basement waiting for a knock on the door or a call that would tell her that the sun was setting. She should have taken a clock with her. Now she was depending on the others.
She began to worry. The Schiff had spent many nights hiding like that and got used to the amount of time she would have to wait. But now it was so unusually long-lasting, drawn out, never ending. Apart from that it had been so silent in the house above. She wondered whether they had forgotten to tell her that she could come upstairs and gone to bed. But she had heard the phone ring and once a man was shouting. Who would call in the middle of the night and who would shout like that while everyone was sleeping?
The phone was ringing again, but obviously no one came to answer the call because the sound went on for a long while.
Lulu went over to the little window close under the ceiling, which was hidden behind some black cloth. Carefully she pulled the curtain aside, prepared to jump back. However there was no light entering the room. So they had forgotten her! Or had something happened? Was everyone all right? Lulu hasted up the stairs. The house seemed to be abandoned, as if suddenly everyone had left. Evan for night time it was too silent, some dirty dishes lay in the sink and the window had not been closed. She knelt down next to each bedroom and listened but could not hear anything. She was too afraid to enter any room, not wanting to disturb anybody.
"Haji", she whispered when she reached Saya's bedroom door, "Are you here?" There was no answer. "Solomon? Anyone awake?"
A sudden noise startled her. She calmed down when she noticed that it just was the phone again. She hurried to answer it but stopped with her fingers already on the receiver. She had seen Kai and Monique use it so often but she had never toughed it herself. She took a deep breath and held the phone to her ear, hoping she made everything right, not saying anything.
"Hello? Who is that?" Evan though he tried to stay calm, she could hear in Kai's voice his nervousness. She finally answered and noticed that he was relieved about her having found her way to the phone.
"Is anyone near who might listen?" he asked.
Lulu went around the house and glanced through the windows until she finally decided that it was safe to talk.
"You have to come to David and Julia's house. You will find your way there, won't you?" Lulu nodded until she became aware of him not being able to see that. Nevertheless Kai had already gone on talking: "Bring your weapon and be on your guards. Make sure no one follows you. Did you understand that?"
"I will be right there." Just before she had put down the receiver Kai added: "Oh and if you could empty the letterbox I would be grateful."
She took her battle axe, which was hidden in a locked shelve in the basement so that the children would not be able to find it, and left to meet up with the others.
