Laila wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rubbed the smooth fabric of Anita's blouse, she was cold.
The cold seemed to be inside her body.
Laila tried a smile as she looked at the pink fabric of Anita's blouse.
She tensed over her bosom and the shirred sleeves were much too short.
Even the beige pleated trousers only reached Laila up to the middle of the calf.
Laila looked at her feet and wiggled his toes in bonbon pink ballerinas.
Did you not come through the airport controls because of bad clothes?
Miguel had made good use of her detention and provided her with false papers.
Officially, she was now Belinda Hammersfield.
Anita's family really had to be very wealthy.
The private jet belonged to her cousin who was driving the machine.
Miguel was sitting next to him in the cockpit.
Anita dozed on the seat to the right of Laila .
Their children had stayed with Anita's sister in Mexico.
Laila looked again at the impenetrable darkness that silently passed the window.
They headed for California.
The holiday home of Anita's deceased parents.
Anita had raved with glittering eyes from a house in the middle of the forest, away from civilization, but with every imaginable comfort.
Lonely, with its own vineyard, huge lawns and a lake that invited for swimming and fishing.
Here Laila should recover from the hardships.
Miguel and Anita would only stay with Laila for a short while until she settled in and then fly back to Mexico.
School holidays started in three weeks and the entire family would spend that time in California.
Laila felt the whole thing like a dream.
Did she really hope for normalcy and peace, for everything that lay behind her?
Laila let himself be lulled by the steady roar of the engines.
Maybe a therapy, maybe a confession, maybe ... maybe she would forget.
Thanks to Miguel's months of preparation, they had no major difficulties in their arrival.
They landed at a small private airport and her false papers withstood the cursory inspection.
Soon they were sitting in a dark blue Maverick and drove - according to Anita's own words - towards the sky.
Anita babbled non-stop about the beautiful days she and her family had spent in this house.
Miguel sat silently behind the wheel.
The singing of the tires on the tarmac and Anita's chatter drove Laila to sleep.
he woke only when Anita gently shook her shoulder.
"We are there." muttered Miguel from the beginning.
Laila got out and looked open-mouthed at the towering building.
It was not a house, it was a palace.
The portal rested on four marble pillars and rose as a pointed stem in the middle of the white facade.
The entire front was framed by a veranda, at least two meters wide, which bulged at the corners at the same triangular angle as the ledge above the huge door, which at the same time served as a balcony for the first floor.
Laila estimated the front at least twenty meters.
A dream in South American Lousiana style.
Laila , astonished, entered the white marble steps and looked back.
A white gravel drift seemed to run endlessly through a trellis of palm trees and orange trees.
In the background, Laila vaguely meant to be able to guess a huge gate.
The lush green lawns in front of the house were elegantly curved.
Countless white-flowered rose bushes were scattered everywhere.
Fragrant, white jasmine exuded a beguiling aroma.
Anita patted Laila on the back, understanding. "The supernatural beauty kills you the first time Let's go in, my dear."
Miguel rummaged around in the small sports bag, which contained the only utensils for their hasty trip next to Anita's suitcase.
"Damn, they have to be somewhere."
Anita rolled her eyes in amusement and winked conspiratorially at Laila .
Laila found the scene downright absurd.
They behaved as if they were inviting a long-time family friend in their summer home.
Instead, they brought a two-time killer to this, her sense overwhelming, place.
Finally Miguel had found the key and pushed open the heavy oak door.
Anita darted in and a small beep sounded as she entered the code to disarm the alarm.
We'll eat in 30 minutes Miguel, show Laila the guest room. "
Laila looks awed at the large entrance hall.
She knew something like that only from the glossy magazines she and Jessica looked at each other, dreaming of being rich and famous.