Professor von Lood is not married. Wame is almost sure of this. She checked with the cleaner back in the early days when she first started at the Research Institute. Back when she first fell in love.

“No, dearie,” Mrs Watkins the cleaner told her. “There is no Mrs von Lood as far as I know. The Professor is married to his job. Research is his wife and his mistress. That’s all he cares about, I think. So don’t go breaking your heart over him.”

She asked Isaac too. He peered at her through his too-big glasses. Already back then she could see that Isaac was secretly in love with her. All he answered was, “What do you care if the Professor is married or not?”

She didn’t explain to Isaac why she cared.

So – no wife to compete with! But now there is the problem of Theodora. Wame can remember clearly the first time she heard that name.

It was a Tuesday just three weeks ago, a damp June morning. Wame was wearing her new violet dress with the purple jacket. She looked really good and she was hoping the Professor would notice. He came into her office and leaned over her desk. He was looking nervous. A sheen of sweat filmed his face.

Wame thought perhaps he was worrying about the protesters. They were wilder than usual that day of her new violet dress. There had even been anonymous death threats on the Institute’s website.

But no! Instead the Professor said, “Oh Vame! You must vish me good luck. This is my first time to meet vith Theodora. Do I look smart enough? Do you think she vill be impressed?”

Wame nodded dumbly. But inside she was screaming, ‘Who cares about Theodora, whoever she is.’ She heard the Professor drive away in his green Jaguar. She didn’t want to think about where he was going. Or about what he was going to do when he got there. How could her heart take any more pain?

“Just who is this Theodora?” she asked Mrs Watkins.

“Theodora?” said the cleaner. “Never heard that name before, dearie. Maybe it’s his new lady friend? I hope so. The Professor needs some loving. He is a lonely man, poor dear.”

Wame asked Isaac too, when he brought the data log in.

“Who cares?” said Isaac. Behind his glasses, Wame could see that his love for her had turned to hopelessness.

It was three hours later that the Professor returned from his first visit to Theodora. Three long, long hours. And he came bounding into the office, smiling, looking like a young kid. His silver hair was mussed and his tie was skew.

“Oh Vame,” he said. “That vas vonderful! Wunderbar!” Wame felt sick to the pit of her stomach. She decided she would never wear her violet dress and purple jacket again. It would be too painful a reminder.

Since then, the Professor has gone to visit Theodora often. Sometimes three or four times a week. And always for hours at a time.

And when he returns, he is always smiling and in good spirits. Wame spends her time wondering about this new woman in Hans’s life. Is she older or younger than Wame? Is she prettier? Richer? Does she have children? Surely she doesn’t have any children as cute and adorable as Miranda?

Wame decided to bring Miranda for a visit to the Research Institute one day last week. Just for the morning, just so little Miranda could see where Mommy worked. And surely Hans would take one look at cute, adorable little Miranda and fall in love with the pair of them? And forget all about Theodora. Surely?

Wame dressed carefully that morning: matching bright red polka dots dresses for herself and her daughter.

But it was Isaac who thought Miranda was the cutest girl in the world. Isaac scooped little Miranda up in his arms. He said, “What a pretty dress, Miranda! Come, let me show you all the doggies. You will like them.” And he carried her off into the laboratory.

Little Miranda smiled happily, comfortable in Isaac’s arms. Wame could hear Isaac talking to her beside the cages. “This one is called Jason Derulo. Isn’t he nice and fluffy? You can pat him if you want. I promise he won’t bite you.”

But then Wame heard the Professor’s voice: loud and angry. “Isaac! Vhat is this child doing here? She will break something. She will mess with my papers. Get her out of here! Mein Gott!”

So Wame in her bright red polka dot dress carried little Miranda also in her bright red polka dot dress down the streets to Happy Dayz. Miranda was sobbing, frightened by the angry, shouting man.

“He was just worried about you, my angel! The Professor didn’t want you to get hurt,” Wame explained.

“No-no-no,” wailed little Miranda. “Naughty man!”

Today Wame is in her bright yellow dress. And she must phone Happy Dayz right now. Right this minute. Before she does any more work.

As she dials the crèche’s number, Isaac walks into the office. “I love seeing you in yellow,” he says. “You look like sunshine.”

“Hello? Hello?” says a voice and Wame realises she has the speaker phone on. So Isaac can hear as well. But that is fine.

“Hello?” says the voice again. “Theodora here. Can I help you?”

Theodora? How did she get hold of Theodora? Wame feels confused. Did she dial the wrong number? She says, “Sorry. I’m trying to contact Mrs Jackson of the Happy Dayz crèche.”

“Right,” says the voice over the speaker phone. “This is Mrs Theodora Jackson.”

And yes, in the background Wame and Isaac can hear little-children voices singing ‘The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round…’

But suddenly, shockingly, the song stops. And it is replaced by the awful sound of children howling. The most chilling, haunting sound. Louder and louder. As if all the lost souls from hell are giving voice to their agony and their torment. And then the phone line goes dead.

“Oh no! Please God, no!’ says Isaac in horror as he realises what is happening. “This is terrible!”

***

Tell us what you think: Why is Isaac horrified? What is happening?