She froze for just an instant, recovering quickly. "No, of course not. Why would I? I just got the names mixed up, that's all." She let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "I'm very bad with names, and the children kept me up half the night, so my mind is—"

"Is your husband home, Mrs. Goldin?"

She blinked, taken off balance by the abrupt shift. "Eh, no…but I'm expecting him home soon, at any moment." She'd added that last bit in a rush. It was clear she was lying, that she had only said her husband was on his way home in the hope that the imminent presence of a man would persuade me to leave. I could guess what she'd do if I did leave—sprint for a telephone and call Strauss to report my visit and get his instructions. "So you'll need to excuse me. I have to get back to my cooking."

"All right," I said. "Go ahead. I'll wait for your husband out here. I got all the time in the world."

Stepping back, I leaned against the landing railing. I turned my head aside, as if no longer interested in her, but in my peripheral vision I could see her fidgeting.

"Why do you want to talk to my husband?" Leah said.

I turned my eyes back to her. "To ask him if he knows his wife was sleeping with her boss."

Leah's face lost all color. She attempted a laugh that came out like a caw, cleared her throat, and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I pushed myself off the railing, moving forward quickly, crowding her. She took a faltering step back, her eyes widening as she looked up at me.

"I know," I said. "I know you were Strauss's mistress. Or maybe you still are. I know you called him at the office right after I left here yesterday. Which is why he had a lie ready as to what had upset Esther shortly before she died. And I know one thing more: the pearl necklace you have on in your wedding picture came from him."

I shoved my hand into my pocket and brought out the picture of Esther and Willie in Gan Meir Park. I held it before her face. "It's the same necklace, isn't it? The one Strauss gave Esther. You will tell me how you got it. You will tell me everything that happened in that office. If you don't, I will expose you before your husband—I'll tell him what I know, and what I think I know. I'll make stuff up if I need to. When I'm done talking, I doubt he'll want anything to do with you."

She began trembling, looking as if she might fall to pieces, but I didn't care. She had lied to me. She had hidden things from me. And she'd done other things. I just didn't know what they were yet.