"We did our part," Yael said, laying a comforting hand on his knee. He nodded twice and looked at me.

He said, "Michael and Mira told us about the prison raid, that it did not go well. They said our side suffered casualties, but that they managed to get away without the British following them. They left Esther and Willie with us and drove off."

"Who told you Esther wasn't Willie's real mother?"

"Mira did," Yael said. "At first she thought he might stay with us, at least until his mother came, but Esther insisted on keeping him."

"I understand she loved him very much."

"Yes," Yael said. "She did."

"How did you explain their presence to your neighbors?"

"We told them Esther was my cousin, visiting with her son. No one questioned our story."

"What was their stay with you like?"

"Good," Yael said. "Esther helped with the chores. It was nice having her around. And Willie was a lovely baby."

Moshe grinned. "Yael has a soft spot for babies."

Yael did not smile. "The house felt sort of empty when they left."

"Did you keep in touch after they moved to Tel Aviv?"

"At first, yes. Esther and I would write to each other."

"What did she write about?"

"Oh, just everyday stuff. How Willie was doing—she used the name Erich, of course, in case her letters fell into the wrong hands—her new job, her apartment, how life was like in Tel Aviv."

"Did she ever write about any men she might have met? Anyone whom she was seeing?"

"No," Yael said.

"What about Alon Davidson? She ever mention him?"

She frowned. "I don't think so. I don't remember."

I rubbed my forehead, exasperated. I had hoped that Esther would have felt comfortable sharing some intimate details of her life with Yael Klinger, considering that Yael knew her true identity. But apparently Esther had been a private, perhaps even secretive person in general, not just when told to be one by Mira.

"Do you still have her letters?" I asked, hoping against hope, and felt searing disappointment when Yael said she'd lost them when they moved to their new home. I was getting used to the feeling. A lot of facts and clues and memories get lost in ten years. Like ashes blown in all directions by a capricious wind.

"After two months or so," she said, "the letters began tapering off. Finally they ceased completely."

"You never met again in person?"

She shook her head.

I turned to Moshe. "How about you? Did you ever see Esther after she and Willie left your house?"

He said that he didn't.

"Did Esther have any visitors during her and Willie's stay with you?"

"Only Mira Roth and Michael Shamir," said Yael. "He came over—I think it was twice—and brought Esther their new papers. He never stayed long. Mira came more often and stayed longer."

"She and Esther got along? They were friendly?"

"Yes. They seemed to like each other a lot."