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It was the year after the Wall came down. Marija’s parents had fled Berlin in the 1950s, gone to early graves. His wife wished to celebrate the new freedom by visiting the East, where an aunt still lived in Dresden, with their four year old daughter Carlotta. Though he had endlessly replayed events in his mind, Julian could not account for what happened. They had been relaxing in glorious spring sunshine at a pavement café in a narrow alley, near a strange chapel from where emanated an eerie singing. Marija had gone to browse the shops. Carlotta was preoccupied, toying with her cake. For a mere few moments Julian’s attention been distracted by a ragged, skeletal young woman, approaching from the vicinity of the church, begging. In that brief interval Carlotta had vanished.