Minor Changes 1

»I just hope this doesn`t set the mood for the next six months!«

Silvana Dellert followed the crowd that quickly left the big lecture hall. For two hours, the Professor had informed the first term students about the joys of studying German. In fact, he had gotten carried away and most of the time, he had spoken about his latest publication, but at least, his assistant had handed them a list with the mandatory lessons, allowing her to create her schedule.

She had enlisted for primary school teaching, which meant she had only one main subject, plus three didactics subjects. In Silvana`s case, she had chosen German as her main subject; whilst Maths didactics was mandatory, she had also picked Arts and History, since these had been subjects she had liked at school. Marlene had told her that she would not need much of the things she would learn at University for her life as a teacher, and since she was one herself, she had to know.

As always when she thought of Marlene, Silvana had to think of the many changes in her life during the last three months. It had all started with the true crime podcast she and her best friend Sibel had started, or, to be more exactly, their video about a vanished German woman in early 20th century Egypt. The story had whirled up some dust, and it had ended with both her, Sibel and Silvana`s neighbour Marlene ending up naked, bound and gagged.

The whole story had changed her relationship with Sibel; they hadn`t quarrelled, they were still good friends, but when they had been in Egypt, Sibel had learned to know Rosalie, despite her name an Egyptian, and had fallen in love with her. The two now were at Cambridge; Silvana and Sibel chatted on a regular basis, and shortly before the term had begun, she had visited her for a few days. However, the times when she and Sibel had been inseparable were over.

Another change had been that, despite living in the suburbs, Silvana had decided to get a room in a student`s dormitory instead of staying with her parents. For one week now, she was living on 16 square meters, with a kitchen and a bathroom she had to share with six others. The price of being a bit more adult. Silvana had found some acquaintances there, but yet, she was still a bit of a loner.

Maybe, it was due to what had happened in Egypt. Silvana had been kidnapped, and her abductor had taken advantage of her. Perhaps, it was a question of definitions whether he had raped or just groped her, for he had only used his hands on her. He hadn`t hurt her physically – but when he had touched her, Silvana had reacted to it.

It wasn`t that she wanted to see Karl again. She was very glad that he was most likely hiding somewhere in Egypt or the Sudan, and if she`s hear that he had been killed, she would just feel a slight relief. However, it had not only been fear and disgust he had caused inside her, and Silvana feared that this would influence her future life, especially in more intimate moments.

»What if a man touches me, and I get some – flashbacks? What if I will never be able to enjoy it again?«

So far, Silvana had kept this detail of her abduction to herself, even towards Sibel or Marlene. Maybe, she would have to attend a therapy, but now, she just hoped that she would meet someone special and then, the positive emotions would oppress the negative memories.

She checked her phone and saw that Marlene had sent her a message:

»Hello, new colleague! How about a glass of wine at the bridge?«

Smiling, Silvana texted her that she would come. Marlene, her former neighbour, had sold her house and now inhabited a small apartment in the city centre. In addition, she had started to work again, and Silvana could need some help in designing her schedule. Also, she and Marlene hadn`t seen for over a week.

Würzburg had three bridges, but if people met at the bridge, they were usually referring to the Alte Mainbrücke, where one could sit on the terrace of a café that also served wine, or get some wine from a takeaway and sit on the bridge itself. It was a bit early for alcohol, but when Silvana arrived at the café, Marlene was sitting at a small table and waved to her. In front of her was a plate with some mixed antipasti.

»Silvie, I hope you brought some appetite with you! This is way too much for me!«

They hugged, and Marlene ordered two glasses of Riesling, together with a bottle of water.

»Teachers and doctors are the only jobs where society expect us to drink!«, Marlene joked. After a break of five years due to her marriage, Marlene had started as a part time teacher, but it was still a challenge to get used to her job again. Nevertheless, she appreciated Silvana`s decision to become a primary school teacher, too, and had already given her some good advice.

»Now, let me see, what can you do in your first term?«, she asked, taking the lecture list from Silvana. She persuaded her not to do Maths didactics now, and instead look if there were courses that would also follow her personal interests.

»You need some certificates, but those from courses you enjoyed count the same as those that bored you to death!«

Marlene even drew her red ink pen, but only to cross out two courses she considered as too much for Silvana`s first year. Then, she pointed at a strange pictogram on Friday, where Silvana had painted a skull into her schedule.

»What`s that, linguistics?«

Silvana laughed. Marlene had told her that she had never been good at that subject. However, the skull stood for something else:

»It`s a lecture in History of Arts, actually. ›Arts and Crime‹! Sounds interesting!«

She shrugged.

»Maybe, it will give me an impulse to revive SiSiCrime!«

SiSiCrime had been her and Sibel`s true crime podcast, but after their return from Egypt, the format had more or less been cancelled. She and Marlene had done one short video about an unsolved bank robbery in the 50ies, but it had been considered as uninspired by most of their followers. Besides, Sibel and Rosalie had, with Silvana`s permission, started »RoSiCrime«, a similar format that gave Silvana the excuse of doing nothing because she didn`t want to be her friend`s concurrent.

Marlene read the short description of the lecture. It was in fact different lectures on different situations where Arts and crime had connections, and it was held by all kinds of scholars: Arts professors, but also Historians, Jurists and even two crime novelists. Suddenly, Marlene frowned:

»Wait a minute – there`s a Dr. Monica Bloch from Bamberg University! That must be Moni!«

Said »Moni« was a former fellow student of Marlene who had decided for a scientific career instead of becoming a teacher.

»We were quite close back then, but we somehow lost contact when she moved to Bamberg!«

Silvana could read the subtext: Marlene enjoyed spending time with her, but she also didn`t want to get on Silvana`s nerves, since she was almost 20 years her senior. So, she quite often seemed to wait for an okay from Silvana before she proposed doing something together.

»The lecture of your old friend is in two weeks! And you told me that Friday`s your day off! So, I think you should come!«

She giggled.

»Maybe, Dr. Bloch can tell me some stories about your wild days!«

»I was almost as modest as I am now! At least since we are back in Germany!«

Silvana took a sip from her wine to hide her feelings. In Egypt, after she had been kidnapped, the others had worked together to find her track, and during that, Marlene had had a short carnal affair with Rosalie`s bodyguard. According to Sibel who had accidentally interrupted the two lovebirds, they had not been prudish.

»Unlike me, she still has a healthy appetite!«

However, she didn`t say anything, for it wasn`t Marlene`s fault Silvana had to cope with what Karl had done to her. Instead, she googled Dr. Monica Bloch, but it seemed that she was managing to stay out of the internet, for there was only a site from the University mentioning her courses, a few articles about her publications and a photo from the time when she had been at about Silvana`s age.

»Seems her doctoral thesis is about Goethe`s ›Faust‹, seen as a criminal case! So, she`s investigating old crimes, like we do – or did – on SiSiCrime!«

»If she knows our podcast and mentions it, I will be forced to keep it going!«, Silvana laughed.

***

Two hours later, she returned home to her dormitory. As she entered the kitchen, her jaw dropped. On the floor, a man was kneeling, with his face almost touching the floor, whilst a girl was twisting his arm and forcing him to stay in the uncomfortable position.

»What the-«

The girl looked up and, not showing concern, let the man go. He came to his feet, massaging his shoulder, and Silvana now recognized him as Marcus, a student in his last year to whom she had talked once at the dormitory`s bar. He grinned a bit strained and said:

»It may sound corny, but it isn`t what it looks like!«

»Depends on what you think it looked like!«, the woman now said with an accent Silvana couldn`t locate. She looked vaguely Turkish or Arabic, and she wore her black sleek hair in a stylish bob. Now, she reached out for Silvana`s hand.

»Hi! I am Zara! Zara with a ›Zet‹!«

Silvana managed to say her name, surprised by the strong handshake of the petite girl. Zara looked as if she wasn`t taller than 5`, and though she seemed to have some muscles, she also looked slim, though her sweater hid her forms. Now, Marcus seemed eager to explain what had just happened:

»Zara told me that she does Krav Maga, and since I have done some Karate when I was at school, we talked about the efficiency of techniques – self-defence techniques, I mean!«

»Krav Maga?«

Silvana had heard about the self-defence taught by the Israelian Army, but she had never seen it in practice. Zara now asked:

»You are interested, too?«

She made a quick move towards Silvana, and when the blonde shied back, she giggled.

»Sorry, I am usually less socially awkward! May I excuse by inviting you to have a coffee and some baklava with me?«

To his great regret, Marcus had to go, and so, Silvana and Zara had some coffee and she tasted the baklava that were so delicious she couldn`t help sighing with joy. Zara smiled.

»It`s an old recipe from Tel Aviv, but I have to admit that those of my Grandma are way better!«

Zara told her that she was from Israel, where she had studied German and History.

»So, you have German ancestors?«, Silvana asked so carefully that Zara laughed.

»You don`t have to treat me like a raw egg because I am Jewish and you are a German! Call me naïve, but as long as you don`t prove me otherwise, I will consider you as not antisemitic! Even if you look like an Aryan poster girl!«

Again, she giggled, and Silvana joined in a bit reluctantly. However, as their talk went on, she more and more liked her new neighbour who lived at the room opposite to hers. When it turned late, they cooked together, and Silvana, remembering that Zara was a Jew and no Muslim, opened her last bottle of wine. When they went to bed, both slightly tipsy, Silvana thought that at least, she had found a new friend.

***

During the next days, she and Zara saw each other occasionally, though it seemed that her new friend had each of her evenings already planned. Zara was 23 and already had her M.A., so, she only randomly attended lectures to hone her German skills, and in addition, she seemed to be very outgoing. Once, Silvana accompanied her to a disco, but somehow, she still didn`t feel ready for it, though she had had some fun.

It was at the third time she, Zara and Marcus were sitting together that Silvana noticed Zara was flirting with him. Not offensive, but she seemed to laugh more at his puns and occasionally touch him. Though she wasn`t sure whether Marcus could be more than a friend to her, Silvana felt a bit jealous. When, on one evening, Marcus invited them both for a meal he had cooked by himself, it was clear that his main goal was to impress Zara – who didn`t spare with compliments.

»If you keep feeding me like this, you`ll have to roll me to the plane when the term is over!«, she sighed, and thrust out her enviable flat tummy glimpsing under her top. She even opened the button of her jeans, pretending she had overeaten. However, Silvana was sure that Marcus, too, had gotten a glimpse of pink lace this gesture revealed.

»All right, let`s get this game started!«, she thought. As »accidentally« as Zara, Silvana bent over the table to reach for the desert. Marcus got indeed distracted by this move, but only because she hit her own wine glass with her boobs. Silvana laughed with the others and sat through the evening with the red stain on her breasts, but inwardly, she felt like a fat, clumsy cow.

The next day, she told herself repeatedly that she only did so for herself, but she followed an offer from Marlene and joined her in her weekly Zumba lesson. If it wouldn`t turn her into a gracious fairy, she could at least burn a few calories and have fun with a friend.

»I know, dancing is about expressing feelings, but I think this was the first time I saw a hate dance!«, Marlene commented as she drove her home after the lesson. Silvana didn`t react and just mumbled something. Marlene accepted her unwillingness to talk.

»Well, we`ll see tomorrow at 2pm!«

Silvana had almost forgotten about the lecture and felt a bit guilty. So, she offered they could meet a bit earlier, so, Marlene and her old friend could see before the lecture started.

»It`s not like a concert, you will not have to fight through a crowd of fans!«

Marlene shrugged.

»Anyway, she`s the one with the career! I mean, I only can afford my apartment because Thomas and I didn`t have a marriage settlement, and Moni will sure be a veritable Professor before she`s 40! Maybe, she has even got her own Wikipedia entry!«

Silvana smiled at Marlene being jealous of her old friend, but then, as she grabbed her gym bag, she remembered that she had just done two hours of sports just because of her own inferiority complex.

She entered her corridor and when she passed Zara`s door, she could hear the striking laughter of Marcus from inside. It didn`t sound as if they were doing anything indecent, but Silvana rushed into her own room, locked the door and pretended not to be at home when Zara knocked some time later.

***

As usual on Fridays, there weren`t that many students at the University, and only some two dozen were already waiting in front of the lecture hall where »Arts and Crime« would take place. A research assistant was inside, installing the beamer, and then, Marlene arrived. Silvana had to oppress a smile, as she seemed to have done her best to look her best.

Marlene wore pumps with heels high enough to make her legs look longer, but low enough she didn`t risk staggering, and her off white dress, held by a broad belt, caressed her round hips and her ample breasts. Her dark brown curls were held back by a matching silk hairband. As she approached, Silvana noticed Marlene`s decent makeup and somehow, a few single grey hairs had disappeared from her temples.

»Oh, thanks for making me look like a tramp!«, Silvana pouted, and Marlene couldn`t hide she was flattered.

»If your fellow students consider me to be your mum, they shall at least consider me to be your young and beautiful mum!«

They laughed and then, they attended the lecture hall. Marlene said she wanted to listen to the lecture first and only reveal herself afterwards. So, they took a seat in one of the last rows as the room slowly filled until there were some 50 students waiting for the beginning.

As Dr. Monica Bloch entered, Silvana`s first thought was that Marlene could indeed feel the need to dress up in comparison: the woman walking down the stairs seemed to hover over the floor, and though she was wearing a conservative dark blue business dress and had her dark blonde hair in a bun, it was clear that she was not just pretty, but stunning. She leaned over to Marlene and whispered:

»Do you think she dressed up like that because she knew you were coming?«

However, Marlene seemed a bit puzzled as she stared at the desk where Dr. Bloch was testing the microphone. Since she wanted to present a few pictures, the light was dimmed, and so, there was only her silhouette speaking about how traditional literature sold criminals as heroes to root for.

The lecture was interesting and entertaining, but Silvana couldn`t help looking at Marlene who repeatedly shook her head. When she finally left the room, Silvana followed her.

»Marlene? What`s up?«

She had stopped her halfway to the bathrooms, but it didn`t seem that Marlene was heading there. Instead, she looked around if they were alone and, with a lowered voice, she said:

»That isn`t Moni!«

Silvana frowned.

»What do you mean? Do you think she sent a double to do the lecture?«

Marlene ignored the slight mockery.

»I mean, she left Würzburg 14 years ago, and the last time we met was at my wedding ten years ago, but that`s just not her!«

Still, Silvana wasn`t convinced.

»In ten years, many things can happen! Maybe, she had decided to change her look, or even had plastic surgery!«

Marlene seemed to think about that for a few seconds, but then, she shook her head.

»No surgery would change her voice! I mean, that woman looks very much like Moni should look right now, but it just isn`t her!«

»But, who is it then? Do you think that someone kidnapped or killed the real Dr. Monica Bloch and is now imposing as her?«

It was ridiculous! Monica Bloch might have had more of a career as Marlene, but she wasn`t a rock star or even making loads of money. Why should anyone commit a crime that seemed to have escaped from the pages of a pulp novel?

»I tell you what we do, Marlene! We will now go back inside and listen to the end! And then, when she asks if anyone has any questions, you`ll reveal yourself! Just ask her something only the real Monica would know! And if she reacts strange, we can still consider what to do!«

It sounded like a reasonable plan and so, the two sneaked back to their seats. It seemed as if nobody had taken notice of their short disappearance. Monica Bloch just spoke about the protagonist of »The Perfume«, a serial killer that nevertheless got the reader`s sympathies, but Silvana hardly listened. She tried to look for anything strange on the woman, though she was seeing her for the first time.

»At least, she is talking like a real scientist!«

Indeed, there were no treacherous misspellings of technical terms or mixed up facts. Whoever this woman was instead of Dr. Monica Bloch, she knew what she was talking about, and she also wasn`t speaking in front of an audience for the first time.

The lecture ended a bit abruptly, and then, Dr. Bloch said:

»Thanks for your interest, Ladies and Gentlemen! Unfortunately, I have another appointment on my schedule, and therefore, I have to leave immediately! If you have any questions, please, mail them to [email protected], and I will answer them asap!«

Accompanied by the audience knocking on their tables, she literally rushed out of the room, and Marlene and Silvana had to run to get to the door, too.

»There!«

They saw the blonde approach the parking lot, and when they had reached it, too, they could only see her take off her suit jacket, place it on the backseat, and then enter her car. Marlene cursed, but before Silvana could say something, they were interrupted by a yell:

»Silvie?«

It was Zara, and when she approached her, Silvana could also see Marcus stand there. Zara greeted her heartily and asked her what she was doing at the University on a Friday. Silvana swallowed the comment that she could ask Zara the same question. Instead, she introduced Marlene and told her that they had attended the lesson on »Arts and Crime«, because the lecturer had been an old friend of Marlene. Zara`s eyes sparkled.

»Really? I wanted to go there, too, but then, I ran into Marcus, and he wanted to show me his private lair!«

»He, don`t make me look like a creep!«, Marcus protested, »I just invited you for a coffee!«

Being a postgraduate, Marcus also worked for his PhD supervisor for a few hours in the week, giving him access to a small office he had to share with four other assistants. There, he had half a desk for himself, but they at least had the luxury of an espresso machine that created far better coffee than the cafeteria offered.

»Anyway, we got a little carried away when we talked and so, we missed the lecture. So, was it any good?«

Silvana nodded a bit absent-mindedly, whilst Marlene still looked to where the car of her former friend had vanished.

»Strange«, she mumbled. Then, she rummaged through her handbag, produced her phone and excused herself to do a phone call. Zara asked Silvana whether she wanted to join her and Marcus, but she told them she would wait for Marlene. As they walked off, Silvana watched them; they didn`t hold hands, but they seemed quite close.

»And Marcus barely looked at me!«

Still, she couldn`t say why she was feeling jealous. Sure, before Zara had come, Marcus had shown more interest in her, but they hadn`t been a couple, nor had she confessed to Zara that she liked him.

Marlene had finished her call, and Silvana noticed that she seemed more concerned than before.

»Bad news?«

Marlene stepped closer and again, she lowered her voice.

»Strange news, if it`s news at all! I mean, have you noticed the car`s license plate? It`s not from Bamberg, but from Frankfurt!«

Silvana shrugged.

»So what? Monica has rented a car, and the company is located in Frankfurt! Or she`s staying with a friend from there!«

Marlene looked at her and continued:

»I just phoned her faculty in Bamberg, just to start somewhere, for I no longer have her private number! The secretary was very friendly, but she was also a bit surprised when I asked for Dr. Monica Bloch – for she is having her sabbatical this year, and therefore, there are no lectures or courses by her!«

Despite the day being quite warm, Silvana shuddered. There were for sure a dozen of explanations for Monica being here, with a car from Frankfurt, and despite having her sabbatical, but together with Marlene not recognizing her, it sounded more than strange.

***

The house the car parked in front of looked like dozens of other townhouses in this and the adjacent streets, plain and a bit bourgeois, though also cozy. The blonde woman got out of the car, picked her suit jacket and her briefcase from the backseat and nodded towards the elderly woman looking from her window. With a smile, she thought that now, the old hag could tell the Police that she had always been polite and greeted nicely.

She opened the door, quickly checking for the small seal she had placed at the doorframe. It seemed that nobody had been there. The letterbox only contained some advertising, but that was hardly surprising, for she only lived here officially for some week.

In one condition, this house differed from most of its neighbours, for it had a cellar. The cellar door would have been in the corridor connecting the lobby with the living room, but where it should have been was now a large mirror. The woman put away her briefcase and jacket and then searched for the hidden locks, allowing her to move the mirror aside, revealing the cellar door. As she opened it, one could see that the other side was heavily padded.

She switched on a light and walked down the concrete stairs towards another iron door. Slowly, she turned the key and opened, allowing the light from the staircase to enter the room.

The beam of light fell on the corner of an old-fashioned bed with posts. Fixed to it was a handcuff that was locked around a foot clad in sheer pantyhose. As the door opened, more and more of a long, shapely leg was revealed, quite similar to the legs of the woman in the door.

»Mhhmm! Uuhhmm!«

It seemed that the tied up woman had noticed her appearance, but she continued on opening the door slowly, inch by inch. Now, she could see the captive`s pelvis, her white panties under the pantyhose, and she grinned at the sight of the bulge in the panties. Now, she could also hear the faint buzzing.

The woman`s upper body was naked except for a white lacy bra, and her wrists were cuffed to the bed`s upper posts. She now raised her head, but the tight black hood over her head only showed some protruding blonde strands of hair.

»Did you miss me, Moni?«

The woman groaned, whether from disappointment it was just her captor, the other woman couldn`t say. She sat down on the bed and playfully cupped Monica`s crotch.

»Still dry! Didn`t I turn the speed high enough?«

The question was answered by an annoyed grunt. The woman giggled and then pulled the hood from her captive`s head. Dr. Monica Bloch blinked at her captor. She was gagged with a harness gag that held a large red ball in her mouth. From it, two straps were cutting into the corners of her mouth and were buckled tight at her nape. Two others went up at the sides of her nose, met at the top of her forehead and then connected to the back of her neck, too, whilst a third strap was tied under her chin, forcing her to bite down hard on her gag. As she lifted Monica`s head, some drool ran down her chin. She brushed over it with her index finger and purred:

»Are you hungry, or are you just glad to see me?«

»Ghhmmph!«

»Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that the lecture went well! Okay, maybe, the students were just polite, but I think I neither disgraced you nor me!«

Monica stared daggers at her, and she continued:

»It`s your own fault, Moni! If you hadn`t already signed in for the lecture, I wouldn`t have been forced to attend it! Anyway, now, your obligations are done, and you may enjoy your sabbatical!«

***

Since Silvana`s dormitory was closer, the two had gone there and now sat in the empty kitchen to talk about what had happened – if something had happened. Marlene once again zoomed the photo Silvana had taken of the woman who perhaps wasn`t Monica Bloch during the lecture.

»I mean, it`s ten years, but that isn`t Moni! They look quite similar, sure, but the nose is different, she has got slightly fuller lips – and as I said, the voice is definitely not Moni`s!«

»Okay, but perhaps, it was just a harmless prank! Maybe, the real Moni had promised to do the lecture, but something got in between. So, she asked her friend who looks similar to her to do it for her.«

Silvana`s voice grew slower as she spoke, for the whole idea made no real sense. The woman had held a real lecture, on a University level. Sure, Monica would have educated friends, and she could also have given her her script, but still, it was very unlikely. After all, it was just a lecture with new lecturers every week; so, if the woman had excused Monica and told them she would speak instead of her, nobody would have complained.

»But if indeed something has happened to the real Monica Bloch, then why does the impostor attend a public lecture? There is no sense in all that!«

Marlene suddenly grabbed Silvana`s arm.

»Could you please get me your laptop, just for a few minutes?«

»Sure!«

She brought the desired and looked over Marlene`s shoulder as she opened her email account. She wasn`t surprised that Marlene then addressed a new mail to the address given by Monica:

»Dear Moni, long time not see – at least, you didn`t see me! Today, I was at your lecture, but you didn`t see me, and you rushed off so fast I couldn`t even say ›Hello‹! Anyway, I am still in Würzburg and would be glad to hear from you. How about wine and jellybeans, just like in the old times? Just write if you have some time, Yours Marlene (Gutermann, nee Frankenheim).«

Silvana frowned as Marlene sent the mail.

»Wine and jellybeans? That sounds disgusting!«

Marlene smiled.

»I know – and Moni and I would never have combined the two! But if someone reads the mail who isn`t the real Monica Bloch, she won`t consider this awkward and maybe say something like ›yeah, wine and jellybeans sounds great!‹, or something like that! So, if we get an answer, and if it isn`t Moni, we might get a hint that something`s wrong!«

Silvana had to admit that this was a reasonable thought, but then, she had to think of something else:

»What if there is something criminal going on, and the criminals read your mail – then, they will know who you are!«

Marlene nodded, as if she had thought about this point already:

»I doubt that they will send some thugs after us! I mean, how high is the probability of getting into the radar of some real criminals two times a year? Besides, they only have my name and mail address now. The phone book still has got my old address, and at my new school, they haven`t updated the homepage yet. I am as anonymous as one can be in the 21st century!«

Everything Marlene said sounded sane and thoughtful, and yet, Silvana had some flashbacks of herself being naked, bound and gagged.

***