The bus rocked and swayed as it drove the narrow road up the mountains, causing Cassie’s heart to skip repeatedly in her chest. She sat next to the window looking out at the spring flowers poking their heads up through the damp ground and spring grass. It had been a very long trip, and she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was get a hot meal and take a long nap. She had spent two days of her two weeks trying to get here, and now that she was, she was too tired to begin her investigation.

Cassie landed at Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport, in western Austria late last night, then caught the train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany this morning. She was joined by a young nun and six giggly, teenage girls. They were an acapella choir from a Catholic boarding school in Italy, who had been traveling throughout Europe, performing at churches and local festivals. They were heading to Hennhofen as well, though Cassie wondered how their religious ideals would be received. Hennhofen had a pub, a few shops, and a lodge, but only one small church. From her research, most Germans were Lutheran, not Catholic.

From what little was written about the town, there was a preacher, but it didn’t specify to his denomination. The man was there, primarily, to provide comfort during funerals, and the rare wedding, or baptism. The population of the village consisted of ninety-one percent male and nine percent female, and they were over the age of thirty-five. It had been that way for centuries. When a daughter was born, her parents raised her until she reached the age of twelve, then the girls were sent away to school. They never returned, unless they were married, or much older. It was as if the town had a prejudice against young, single women.

The bus rocked when it hit a pothole in the narrow road, jarring Cassie back to reality. She hated heights and looking over the edge of the narrow mountain road, was less than exciting for her. All she could see was a steep drop-off and the tops of hundreds of large trees.

Cassie turned around, watching the girls who seemed to always be excited about something. They laughed and giggled and sang the entire trip up the cliffside road. She tried to focus on the task ahead, but it was difficult with the noise. Then she thought about Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the reaction she received when she bought her ticket for the final leg of her journey. The clerk told Cassie nobody traveled up the mountain except the very serious skier, and never during the spring.

“Do you know much about Hennhofen?” Cassie had asked him as she paid for her ticket.

“Not much, but enough to know that women should not travel alone,” the old man said through his broken English.

“Why is that?”

“Women go up the mountain, but do not come down. You must take a guide, a man, for protection.”

“That’s not necessary,” Cassie smiled. “Can you tell me about the weather? Are there many avalanches?”

“Not during spring, but sometimes in winter.”

“When was the last one?”

“Many months ago,” the man said, waving a hand toward a tall, muscular man sitting on a small wooden bench near a water fountain.

“Nothing in late March or April?” Cassie asked with a frown.

“No, no. The last one was before the new year. Now, this is my son, Audo,” the man said when the younger man stepped up to the ticket window. “You take him with you. He’s a good, strong boy. He will protect you.”

“From what?” Cassie asked, smiling to Audo who nodded to her.

“Centuries of rumors. Women are not safe on the mountain alone. You take Audo.”

“Thank you, but it’s not necessary,” Cassie insisted, then quickly thought up a lie to keep her from hiring a bodyguard. “I’m…meeting some friends…in Hennhofen. My…husband will join me in a few days.”

“You are married?” the older man asked with a frown, glancing down to her empty finger.

“Yes, of course.”

“You have no ring.”

“It’s…being sized.”

The ticket master looked at her with disbelief but was cut short when the Nun came up to purchase their tickets. Thankfully, the conversation ended, and she was spared any further embarrassment.

It had been a strange conversation, and she couldn’t help wondering why the man was trying to talk her out of going to the village. She was curious if Sophia received the same words of advice, or if she had taken Audo with her. She never mentioned anything about a warning, or needing a guard, but then Sophia wouldn’t have taken the warning very seriously. Cassie even asked the driver about it, but since her German was limited to a book of translations, the conversation was short and unproductive.

'Bitte rufen sie die polizei', she repeated silently, burning the sentence in her brain. Please call the police. She still didn’t know why these words were the ones to stick in her conscience when so little German had, but something in the back of her mind kept telling her not to forget them. After talking with the man in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it was a sentence she was beginning to reflect on again.

Cassie continued to look out the window as they neared their destination. The girls had been singing the past half hour they were driving up the steep slope to Hennhofen, and Cassie was eager to have some time alone. The sight of the village was welcoming, though she was having a difficult time shaking the feeling she shouldn’t be here. At least, not alone.

“Entschuldigen Sie, ist, dass Hennhofen?” she asked the driver as she looked through the book of translations, praying her pronunciation of the man’s language was accurate.

“Ja, das ist das Dorf Hennhofen,” he replied, and she quickly flipped through her book.

“He said it was Hennhofen,” the Nun answered, saving her the embarrassment of trying to translate his words.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, then turned her attention to the girls, who had stopped singing to look out the windows, chattering excitedly.

Cassie glanced at the Nun, trying to estimate her age, but it was difficult to tell much about the woman beneath her traditional black and white habit. She guessed the woman was in her early thirties, and from the color of her eyebrows and lashes, she was a brunette. It was apparent by their accents, that she and the girls were all Italian, though they spoke perfect English.

“Are you staying at the lodge?” Sister Anne asked Cassie, bringing her out of her silent observations.

“Yes, I am. Are you?”

“Si,” she answered with a warm smile. “We made arrangements for rooms before we left Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The clerk told me the skiing season had ended, but I insisted we be given accommodations. The Lord’s songs should reach the ears of all his children, not just those select few who live in the larger villages.”

“Can you please stop at the lodge?” Cassie asked the driver when they came into town, slowing their speed to a snail’s crawl. She opened her book of translations, turning to the list of sentences she’d prepared during her long trip.

“Sie können bitte aufhören, in der Lodge?” she asked in his language, watching him glance to her through the rearview mirror.

“Ja, gnädige Frau,” the man answered, and she set back to watch the last few meters of the trip.

The girls continued talking as they passed by the tavern Sophia wrote about. Cassie looked up at the faded drawing of a wolf howling at a round moon, reading the words she had already translated on the plane.

Heulende Ale Taverne - Howling Ale Tavern.

The place was old, that much was certain, with faded, peeling paint around the windows and door. The sign looked like it had been hanging on the same rusty hooks for centuries, and the walkway leading up to it was more of a stone path than a sidewalk, but it appeared quaint and well cared for.

Cassie looked up to a stone tower in the center of town that held a large round clock. Looking at the sights Sophia told her about, made her feel as if she had been here before. Somehow, it made her feel closer to her friend, and the emotion of losing her seemed even more real. These were the last sights Sophia had seen, and the final steps she had taken.

The reaction of people on the street, as the bus drove past, was puzzling, and Cassie frowned when her eyes caught the sight of two older women. Everyone they passed stopped and stared, then whispered and talked to each other with curious expressions on their weathered faces. The look of fear was etched in their eyes as they saw the girls practically hanging out of the bus windows.

So far, all Cassie had seen were the two middle-aged women in heavy dark clothing and a handful of older men. The reality of the town’s reputation seemed to sink in a bit deeper. It was odd to think of a town without girls. What were the young men to do? How did they ever find a mate, or have children to carry on the town’s existence?

The bus stopped in front of a traditional Bavarian-style chalet, and the driver turned off the ignition. Surprisingly enough, the building looked newer in comparison to the rest of the town, though still quite old. Cassie watched the man open the door and step out of the rickety vehicle. He went around to the side and the bus rocked again, as he climbed up to the luggage rack, then began tossing down the suitcases to a boy who came hurrying out of the chalet.

Sister Anne chuckled as the girls’ excitement grew and they giggled when they exited the bus, waving to the villagers who stood staring back. Cassie waited until the nun left before she stood up, sighing heavily at the momentary peacefulness. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of staying at the same lodge as the girls, but she doubted there was much else available, and she wanted to start where Sophia was last seen.

Cassie looked around as she left the bus, fighting the embarrassment of the stares she received from the town’s people. It seemed as if the arrival of the bus had stirred up a hornet’s nest, and she remembered a story her Aunt Mazy told her about a time in her youth when the Wells Fargo wagon came into her hometown. It was an exciting time for everyone, wondering what was on it, and who it could be for.

This, however, seemed eerie and strange, not exciting at all. People came out of the buildings, staring at the small group, causing the girls to giggle even louder. Cassie looked around as Sister Anne pointed to the mountain and saw the castle Sophia wrote about. It did look imposing, almost spooky, and she imagined Frankenstein watching them from behind the large, dark windows.

The hotel clerk was a middle-aged man with a bald head and small round spectacles perched on the end of his nose. He looked up as the small group made their way across the threshold, bringing their loud excitement through the door with them. He frowned when he saw the girls, then exchanged knowing glances with the woman who appeared from the back room.

“Ich bin Schwester Anne,” the Nun said, matching the local’s dialect. “Sie haven für uns reservierungen?”

“Ja Schwester,” the man replied, turning a book towards her.

Cassie watched as the Nun signed her name and asked for two adjoining rooms, then accepted the keys the woman behind the counter handed her. The couple’s eyes followed the girls as they moved up the stairs and disappeared around the corner, then exchanged an almost fearful look. They looked back up as Cassie stepped to the counter.

“Sie haben eine reservierung für mich?” she asked, hoping she said the words correctly. “Cassidy Wynn.”

“Ja, gnädige Frau,” the man said, handing her the pen the nun had signed in with.

“Do you speak English?” Cassie asked in a hopeful voice.

“Yes, we speak English,” the woman answered.

“Thank God,” Cassie said under her breath. “I’m from New York…America. A friend of mine died here a few weeks ago. Sophia Arnold. She told me she was staying at your lodge.”

“Yes, she was here,” the man answered, looking above the rim of his glasses to her.

“May I ask you, how did she die?”

“She was…” the man paused, then turned to the woman next to him and began speaking in his German tongue. “Was war die geschichte ihres todes?”

Cassie frowned trying to remember the words, hoping to look them up when she got into her room.

“Verstehst du Deutsch, gnädige Frau?” the woman asked, glancing to Cassie who smiled.

“Ich glaube nicht, dass sie uns versteht,” the man told her.

“You must forgive my husband,” the woman said, turning her attention back to Cassie and speaking in broken English. “He does not understand English as well as I do.”

“Could you tell me, then? Do you remember my friend?”

“Yes, I remember her. She was a very nice, American girl.”

“Do you know how she died? I was told something about her death, butI’m not sure if the translation was correct.”

“She died…skiing…in an accident,” the woman answered, a slight frown creasing her brow.

“Were any of her friends hurt? The ones she went skiing with?”

“No, nobody else hurt. I think they saw nothing.”

“I was told the wolves crossed the trail, the night Sophia was…died,” Cassie continued, aware that the woman just admitted Sophia wasn’t alone as the report said. “The report said they chased her into unsafe territory.”

“So, sad, yes. Wolves are very dangerous. Must stay away. They hunt and kill, are very hungry animals.”

“Especially at night,” Cassie said, more as a statement than a question.

“Yes. The night is very dangerous. Never should go out alone.”

“So, the wolves were responsible for Sophia’s death?”

Yes, I believe that is what I hear. So, so, sad. Beautiful girl, Sophia. So, sad.”

“Thank you,” Cassie said, forcing a smile across her lips.

She glanced at a young man who was wiping down the tables of the dining area, next to the reception room. He paused momentarily to listen to the conversation, then deliberately stared at Cassie, causing her to feel awkward and more out of place than she already did.

“May I have the key to my room please?”

“Yes, of course,” the woman said, turning around, and retrieving a metal key on a chain with the number 11. “Room 11, is up the stairs on left.”

“But my reservation said room 13?” Cassie said, hoping she wasn’t called on her lie since she didn’t receive a room number on the reservation she made online. “I told…my boss…I was in room 13. He’ll be calling soon. I don’t want him to have problems reaching me.”

“Oh, I am sorry. Yes, room 13. On the left of stairs,” the woman apologized, turning and taking the key with the number 13 from a hook behind her, and handed it to Cassie.

“Thank you, very much. What time is supper?”

“At six o’clock, but you can order a meal anytime if you are hungry. We will fix your tray and bring it to you.”

“Thank you,” Cassie said, taking a step toward the stairs. “I’ll eat with the rest of the guests.”

Cassie climbed the set of carpeted stairs, and turned the corner, before looking behind her. She half expected to find someone following her. It was obvious the story the paper received from the authorities, and the one she had just been heard, were two entirely different versions. She got the woman to agree Sophia was with friends and was out at night. Both of which the reported incident, and Sophia’s personal itinerary, contradicted. Now all she had to do was sort out the true version.

She found her room, and unlocked the door, then pushed it open slowly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she imagined she’d find Sophia, locked in the room, or hiding in the closet. Instead, she found a queen-sized bed, a small bedside table, and a six-drawer dresser.

Cassie set her purse and key on the dresser, then locked the door and looked around at her surroundings. There was only one window in the room, a large rectangular pane of glass that looked out onto the street, and a four-foot-long upholstered bench beneath it. A small closet stood behind the entrance, with a faded blue curtain to divide it off from the rest of the room.

Next to the closet was another door, this one open to a private bathroom. That was one part of this design she did approve of. When she first booked her stay, she was afraid she’d be sharing a bathroom with the rest of the guests, and she hated using a bathroom after strangers.

She set her bag on the end of the mattress and opened it, then began unpacking. She was only here for a few days, but she had enough clothing to support any occasion. She placed her three pairs of jeans into the middle dresser drawer, and her underclothing into the top. She hung up her white spring dress, with the small yellow daisies, and slipped her dress pants onto a hanger. Her heels and boots were on the bottom of the closet, along with her suitcase, and her heavy jacket was hung on the hook behind the door.

With her blouses hung in the closet and her tee-shirts in the drawer beside her jeans, she was unpacked and ready…for what? She doubted the rest of the town would be as willing to talk as the hotel clerks were, but she was curious about how the other towns-people would interpret the story of her friend’s death.

Cassie took the toiletry case into the bathroom and pulled out her sunflower makeup bag, and toiletries. The room was larger than she expected, with a clawfoot tub, a white pedestal sink, and a toilet. An oval mirror hung over the sink, and a half circular shower curtain was pulled back from the tub. The floor was a simple white and pale blue tile, and there was an empty shelf above the toilet where she placed her shampoo, conditioner, and other items from the case. She set the sunflower bag of cosmetics on the back of the toilet and leaned her arms on the rim of the sink.

With a heavy sigh, Cassie stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could imagine Sophia everywhere in this little room, and the reality that she was gone was slowly embedding itself into her conscience. With a tearful expression, Cassie turned and went back into the bedroom, then sat down on the foot of the bed.

The dresser held a small flat-screen television - the only modern item in the entire room - and behind it was a large, six-foot square mirror in a wooden frame. The sound of the town clock chimed through the silence, and she stood up, walking to the window.

Outside, the sky was clear, and the colorful buds of spring dotted the path up the side of the mountain. The image of the castle was directly in front of her, and she thought how it looked like it had been carved out of the rock itself. It was large, even from this distance, with the top of the roof poking out above the surrounding trees. The sun sparkled off the glass windows, and the mountain was decorated with green trees. Snow hung on the higher portions of the peaks, and the path leading up the side of the mountain appeared to be filled with dips and potholes in the muddy surface.

The sound of the clock chimed again, and she looked down the street to the tall stone pillar in the center of town. Half a dozen men in black suitcoats, and three women in shawls, hats, and long dresses were walking toward the open door of an old stone church, and Cassie realized it was Sunday. She’d been so intent on getting here, she’d completely lost track of what day it was.

As she turned to go back into the bathroom to freshen up, she heard the soft giggles of girls echoing up the length of the building. Turning back, Cassie looked down at the street. Sister Anne was heading to the church with the girls, and she watched as they walked casually down the dirt road.

They were dressed in identical black skirts and white blouses, with dark jackets and hats. Each girl had long dark hair braided down their back, and they wore low heeled black shoes and white knee-high stockings. It was obvious this was their uniforms for school, though she wasn’t certain why they would be wearing them on a Sunday.

Cassie watched until the group disappeared through the door of the church before turning around. They were like those girls she’d known in high school; active, lively, excitable, and laughing at everything they heard or said. For them, the world was just waking up, and they were taking their first steps toward an unknown future. Some of them may desire to go to college, while others may choose to start a career, but regardless of which path they took, the next few months were going to be exciting for them.

She sat down on the end of the bed again and pulled her shoes off her hot, tired feet. She padded her way across the thick carpet to the cold tile of the bathroom and looked in the tub. It appeared clean, and the hours of her trip were beginning to wear on her. A long soak sounded perfect, then she remembered Sophia mentioning a pool and hot tub. Perhaps a long soak in a bubbling sauna of hot water would prove more inviting than a solitary bath.

Moving back into the bedroom, Cassie picked up the phone and dialed the front desk. She waited until a young woman’s voice answered. With a frown, she quickly asked about the hot tub in her pieced together German from her little book. The woman told her there was a sauna down the stairs behind the lodge, then hung up.

Cassie sat silent for a moment staring at the phone. The woman had spoken perfect English, though she did have a strong German accent. She thought all the women were gone from the village, except for older ones. The woman on the phone sounded far younger than a senior citizen, as she mentally pictured the women of the village being. It was a piece of information she mentally planned on investigating.

Taking a towel from the bathroom with her, she slipped out of her jeans and into her bikini she’d brought with her, then quietly left the room and locked the door. She tied the key to a decorative string in the front of her suit’s bottoms, and carefully made her way down the stairs. She paused momentarily, hearing voices coming from a room across the hallway. It sounded like the couple that checked her in, but there was another voice, a male voice, younger and angrier.

She listened for just a few moments, then turned when she heard a door close above her. Quickly, she made her way to the back of the lobby and found a door with a plaque that read Sauna und pool. The strong aroma of chlorine greeted her when she opened the door. Looking around, Cassie found herself frowning. She thought the pool and sauna would be outdoors, but instead, they were in a glass-enclosed room.

The room was empty, with a long narrow pool on one end, and a six-person hot tub on the other. In the middle of the room were four upholstered lounge chairs, and beside a door that led outside, was a round table with four mesh-covered chairs. Against the wall near the entrance stood a vending machine with drinks, and the control panel for the tub.

Cassie was thankful she was alone and tossed her towel to a chair. She pulled her hair into a knot on the top of her head, then moved to the control panel on the wall. She set the temperature and timer, then walked back to the tiled tub and cautiously stepped down the three stairs as the jets began spraying.

She was looking forward to a long soak in complete silence. Spending the afternoon listening to the relentless chatter of teenagers was enough to make her ears feel like they were going to bleed. They seemed like nice enough girls, and they were all very friendly, but she wasn’t a very sociable person, to begin with. Making conversation with girls she had nothing in common with, was worse than trying to make conversation on a blind date.

Drawing a deep breath, Cassie sat down and slowly sank beneath the inviting bubbles. She closed her eyes as the heat swelled up around her, sighing contently. For the first time since hearing about Sophia’s accident, she felt certain she could relax and clear her mind. Perhaps supper would prove informative, but until then, she was going to enjoy a few precious moments of peace and quiet.

“You cannot surrender her to that monster,” the young man said, brushing his blonde hair from his eyes. “Someone has to put a stop to this. It’s not natural. It’s not right.”

“We have no choice,” the man said in an angry voice as he slammed his fist on the desk. “It has always been this way. He owns everything…everyone. We will be fed to the wolves if we do not tell him about her.”

“She is beautiful, young, everything he wants in a woman,” the older woman said, her voice slightly sympathetic to the younger man’s pleas. “If we give her to him, it will give us a chance to see your sister.”

“Face the fact, we’ll never see her again. Not in Hennhofen at least. If you want Tressa back, you will have to get her married, but she will never agree. She likes pussy, not dicks.”

“Do not speak of your sister in such wicked ways,” the man scolded. “If he wants the American, he can have her. The fewer women we have in this town, the safer it is for all of us.”

“And what about the Italians she came here with? Do you think he will just let them leave? They are young, and worth money to him. He will keep them too.”

“He would not risk the wrath of God,” the woman said, crossing herself. “Those girls, they are good girls, Catholic girls.”

“He doesn’t care,” the boy shouted back. “He is the spawn of Satan. All he wants is young, beautiful women, with wet pussies.”

“You will not speak like that,” the man scolded again.

“Why? It’s the truth. The bastard wants a warm, wet place to stick his dick. He will rape them, all of them, Catholic or not. He will beat them until they relent, then he will sell them, just like every other woman who comes to this cursed village.”

“Then the Lord’s curse will be on his head, and not ours,” the woman told him.

“We will face God’s anger for surrendering them to him, and you know it.”

“Enough!” the old man shouted again as he picked up the phone and pressed a single button. “I have made up my mind. We will let him have the American, and if he wants the Italians, he can have them as well. I will wash my hands in the blood of Christ to protect your sister.”

The man hung up the phone and sat back in his seat. The computer was on in front of him as he watched the attractive blonde pull her hair into a makeshift bun, and slowly step into the heat of the sauna. Her bikini bottoms hugged her slender hips like a glove, but it was the deep cleavage and firm swell of her breasts that had his full attention.

He knew what was happening at the chalet. He had the entire town under surveillance. He also knew about the argument between the boy, Lars, and his parents. It was a situation he would have to make a point of confronting and put the boy in his place. But for the time being, he would sit here, alone, and watch the beautiful blonde.

From the moment Sophia showed him a picture of her, Hans knew he had to have her. He spent many long hours thinking of ways to lure her here, only to have her appear on his doorstep. She practically delivered herself into his hands, and he would make certain she did not slip through his fingers.

The time had come for him to produce an heir, and what better choice of woman than the most beautiful one he’d ever laid eyes on? She had a body that would tempt all the gods of Olympus themselves, and if Sophia told him the truth, she was a virgin. Unknown to the touch of a man, or woman. He would take the beautiful American for his own, and personally train her to obey him.

With a wicked grin, he pressed the button on the phone and ordered a trainee to be brought to him for testing. Thinking of the many ways he would teach the young virgin to obey him was giving him a rock-hard erection. Testing the skills of his slaves would have to suffice until the time he had the blonde in his grip. But that time was coming, and Cassidy Wynn would soon find herself at his mercy.

But first, he would have to do something about the boy who defied him. It would have to be a harsh lesson. One he was certain Lars would not forget any time soon.

Sister Anne insisted Cassie join her and the girls for supper, and she had the feeling the nun was eager for some adult company. The small group was served a traditional German meal, starting with German lentil soup, followed with Wiener Schnitzel, whipped potatoes, and German red cabbage, and apple kuchen for dessert. The girls were excited to try everything, while Sister Anne stared at the cabbage with a curious expression.

“I don’t care much for cabbage,” she told Cassie in a whisper, so the girls wouldn’t hear, though Cassie doubted they could hear much over their continual chatter.

“Germans use cabbage in most of their meals,” Cassie replied softly.

“Yes, that is what I am afraid of. I don’t want to insult the cook, but cabbage is so…slippery.”

Cassie smiled, watching the woman push the food around her plate for a moment before she took a bite of the meat.

“What kind of work do you do, Miss Wynn?” one of the girls asked, with a bright smile, and wide eyes.

“I’m a journalist,” Cassie answered.

“Oh, like a reporter?” a second girl asked.

“Yes, exactly like a reporter. I work at the New York Times.”

“I’ve always wanted to see America,” a third, slightly heavier girl said.

“Are you here on holiday or some intriguing story?” the first girl asked again.

“My friend was killed in an accident a few weeks ago, and my paper sent me here to find out what happened. So, I suppose, you could say I am here for both reasons.”

“How very sad,” Sister Anne said. “How was she killed?”

“It’s difficult to say. I’ve heard it was in a skiing accident, and I’ve also been told the wolves killed her. Right now, I’m just trying to sort out the details.”

“Wolves?” a fourth girl asked with wide eyes.

“The woods are filled with them,” Cassie answered. “At least that’s what Sophia told me the last time I heard from her.”

“I hope that’s not how she died. That would be horrible,” Sister Anne said sadly.

Cassie smiled and looked down at her empty plate.

“How was the church service today?” she asked, watching the mixed expressions on the girls’ faces.

“It was in German,” one girl complained. “I didn’t understand a single word the priest said.”

“We don’t have to know the language to understand service,” the first girl said with a giggle. “It’s always the same thing. Follow the commandments or be condemned to an eternity of hell.”

The girls giggled, as Sister Anne cleared her throat. The conversation continued with a lengthy discussion about the music, and how the priest allowed them to perform a song for the assembled parishioners, then a waiter arrived to clear the table. Cassie looked at him, recognizing him as the young man from when she first checked in. She caught the strange expression he offered her and frowned. It was a mixture of concern and apprehension, and she felt the chill of uncertainty grip her stomach.

Cassie watched the young man as he refilled their water glasses, then handed her a small coffee cup and saucer. She was about to reject the offer when she noticed a slip of paper under the saucer. She glanced up to the man who looked down to the plate, then moved away from the table. She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know he was trying to tell her something.

Taking a drink of the coffee, Cassie glanced around the room, hoping to avoid prying eyes as she slipped the paper out from under the saucer. There was only one other couple present, leaving the noise of the girls to echo off the walls. The couple was otherwise occupied with each other, as the man kissed the woman’s cheek and neck. They didn’t seem to notice anyone else was in the room with them.

Cassie watched for a moment, feeling a slight twinge of jealousy. She had never known anyone she wanted to be with like that, and she wondered if she ever would. The couple looked happy, whispering, and giggling like young lovers often did, and Cassie wondered if they were honeymooners or secret lovers. The woman was attractive, with long dark hair and a tiny nose, and the man appeared to be slightly younger, which surprised Cassie. But it was the twenty-first century and people didn’t seem to take much notice of ages anymore. The man’s blondish-brown hair was long enough to cover his profile, resting just below his collar, but that was about all Cassie could see of him, from where she was sitting.

She turned her attention back to her own table and very carefully slipped the paper up the sleeve of her sweater. She was eager to read it and more eager to know why it had to be a secret. Somehow, the small voice in the back of her mind told her it was about Sophia, and she’d better cut her visit with her new friends short. Cassie finished her coffee, listening to the girls endless chattering with only half an ear.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” the first of the six girls asked Cassie.

“I suppose I’m going to do some shopping and see if I can find some answers to Sophia’s death.”

“Would you care to come with us?” Sister Anne asked. “We are going to perform for the village at the tavern. The owner asked if we would be interested, and he was going to pass the word around to the residents and local farmers.”

“I would like that, thank you,” Cassie replied, suspecting the event might be the perfect time to ask questions.

“We’ll pick you up,” the heavier girl told her.

“We have to be there at two o’clock,” the first girl said again.

“I’ll be ready.”

“I’m finished,” two of the girls said in unison, giggling as they looked at each other. “May we be excused, please? We want to change and use the hot tub.”

“I want to go too,” another girl said, as they all began to ask excitedly to be excused.

Sister Anne nodded her head and watched as they all hurried up the stairs, talking and laughing on the way to their rooms.

“You’ll have to excuse the girls,” Anne said with an embarrassed smile. “This is the last trip they will take together before graduation, and they want to do as much as possible.”

“That’s alright. I remember being young once, too.”

“That must not have been that long ago,” Sister Anne laughed. “You don’t look much older than the girls.”

“I suppose I’m not. I’m only twenty-four, but when I’m around teenagers, I feel completely out of my realm.”

“The girls have a way of making a person’s head spin,” the nun said with a sympathetic smile. “They seem to feed off each other’s energy, but they have been together their entire lives. When one does something, they all want to do it, and they aren’t afraid of adventure. They are more like sisters, then friends.”

“That’s fortunate they have attended the same schools.”

“The girls are orphans,” Sister Anne said softly. “Bianca and Maria are sisters, their parents died when they were very young, and they did not have any other family. Francesca, Violetta, and Isabella were brought to St. Mary’s as infants, and Justina was found abandoned and alone in an alley when she was two.”

“That’s very sad,” Cassie said in a quiet voice, in case the girls were close by.

“St. Mary’s is a school and orphanage for girls. It’s not a very large school, and these six are the oldest. They are the only ones who were never adopted. The Mother Superior refused to separate Bianca and Maria, and a lot of people don’t want to adopt more than one child. The village we come from consists mainly of farms and vineyards. It’s quite small; larger than this one, of course, but not as big as Milan or Rome. There just aren’t enough families who can adopt children, and when they do, they prefer males because of the work involved to maintain the crops and livestock.”

“I suppose I was lucky,” Cassie said, staring down into the empty cup in front of her. “My parents were killed in a car accident when I was only a few months old, and my great aunt took me in. She died shortly before I graduated from high school.”

“There are many orphans in this world, but there are a few, like you and the girls, who have people who care enough to love them.”

“We were all lucky, I suppose,” Cassie said, feeling a deeper connection to the teenagers than she had a few hours earlier. “Thank you for inviting me to supper, but it’s getting late and I’m tired.”

“Won’t you please come to the sauna with the girls?” Sister Anne asked as the two stood from the table. “They have been talking about you all day.”

“Me? I barely know them, and I don’t think I said more than six words to them the entire trip here.”

“You couldn’t say much more than that,” Anne laughed. “But they took an instant liking to you. They are very trusting young women, and very loyal to those they consider friends.”

“I am flattered, but I’m truly am tired. Perhaps we can do something tomorrow after their performance.”

“I’ll let them know. They will be happy to spend time with you. Francesca said she’d love to know how you do your makeup. Even though the girls are eighteen, they are not allowed to wear makeup at St. Mary’s, and I am the last person to offer advice. They will be leaving the school in a few weeks and will need to know how to act in the mainstream of society. Justina has decided to join the order, but the others want to explore the world. Perhaps I’m the wrong person to lead them during this period of their lives.”

“I’ll be happy to give her tips.”

The two continued to talk as they walked up the stairs, then said goodnight and went down separate halls toward their rooms.

Cassie unlocked her door and stepped in, setting her purse and key on the dresser, then locked the door. She sat on the end of the bed and removed her shoes, before taking her nightgown out of the dresser drawer. She stripped out of her clothes and carefully hung them up for use later in the week, then noticed the slip of paper that had fallen to the floor. She picked it up and frowned. It was in German, which meant she had to translate it.

With a heavy sigh, Cassie completed her nightly tasks of washing her face, brushing, and braiding her hair, and brushing her teeth. Once she had applied the expensive antiaging cream Sophia gave her for her last birthday, she shut off the bathroom light and went back to the bed. She climbed in between the sheets and took the book of English to German Translations out of the bedside table and began to decipher the message.

'Sophia ist lebendig. Sie stahlen Ihr. Du bist in Gefahr. Sie müssen dieses Dorf zu verlassen, bevor es zu spät ist'.

Cassie sighed deeply, taking a pen and piece of paper from the drawer beside her, and writing down each word she found. Ten minutes later, she had the waiter’s message in her hand, but the translation was the least of her worries. With this small slip of paper, she had received yet another avenue to the mystery of Sophia’s accident.

The translation in her hands was more than just a few foreign words. It was the beginning of a whole different kind of investigation, and she felt her heart skip when she once again read it.

'Sophia was not killed. They stole her. You are in danger. You must leave this village before it is too late'.