Flight from Dresden 20.07.10

Just leaving Berlin on the intercity as I write this – just getting to Spandau. They might drag me off the train at this point, if the jail is still there. I should be ok, I still know all the words to “True”. That should get me off.
I left Dresden this morning without paying my bill. If you see my mugshot on Crimewatch, you’ll know why. This is what happened ...
When I arrived at the holiday flat on Thursday, I was let in by Frau Koehler, of the family I was renting the flat from. They lived in the flat opposite. I had paid 100 Euros deposit by Paypal, and I had the cash ready to pay the balance, but she said, “Oh, das machen wir bei Gelegenheit” (We’ll sort that out when we get a chance.) Ok, I thought, how nice.
I spoke to her briefly from my balcony on Friday morning, and I thought she was a bit unfriendly, but otherwise I didn’t see them. Last night, I thought, I better pay up, and I rang their doorbell. Her two wee girls answered, and said she was putting the baby to bed, and Papa wasn’t in, so I said ok, just tell Mama I wanted a word when she’s got a minute. (I also wanted to tell her I couldn’t get the washing machine to work, and was a bit worried I had broken it!)
You’d think they’d come to my door after that, but not a cheep.
This morning, I packed up, and saw Frau K in the garden talking to the man who was mowing the grass. Five mins later, ready to go and with 220 Euros to give her, I rang her doorbell. Twice. No answer. I looked in the garden, and all around, but there was no sign of her.
They didn’t have a letterbox in their door, only outside, and, I wasn’t keen on leaving the money in the flat in case someone else got to it first. So I left a note saying I would send it on by Paypal once I get home, and I headed off for my train.
How weird, eh? You’d think they’d want to check that the flat was ok, and above all to get their money from me! I could just have scarpered without paying or leaving a note.
I know I had been totally reasonable, but I was still feeling I had done something wrong as I was standing in Dresden station. I saw two men, policemen, I thought, come up the stairs at the next platform along, and they seemed to be looking over at me and talking about me. For a moment I was sure I was going to be arrested! There must be some specific German crime of leaving a rented flat owing money, plus subsidiary charges of not having sorted the rubbish correctly and leaving the mugs out of alignment.
My flight seems to be going successfully so far, though. Maybe I can take the wig off now...
(Posted from Angelika’s. Do you think she and Helmut will get arrested for harbouring a criminal?)