"He couldn't have done it. He was with his wife."

"How do you know? She might have covered up for him. Wives do that, just like mistresses."

"I can't believe it. I know him. He couldn't—Gerhard couldn't."

"Yes, he could," I said. Because Strauss had a good motive and a lot to lose, and I had seen the coldness in his eyes. "It wouldn't bother him none."

"No. It's not true. I know it's not true." Leah was frantic now, desperate to believe her own words, clutching at any straw that would alleviate her guilt.

She began crying again, and a surge of searing rage came over me. I grabbed her arms, squeezed hard, and thrust her against the kitchen door. She yelped in pain.

"Stop crying!" I shouted into her face. "You're not entitled to tears. You knowingly conspired to help a ruthless man rape an innocent woman, a man who may have murdered her and her child. And you did it for the lowest reasons—greed and envy. I hope not a day goes by in which you don't see their faces before you, that they'll visit you in your sleep every night. And if your lover did kill them, I will make him pay if it's the last thing I do."

I shoved her aside, away from the door. She bumped against the counter and sagged to the floor, wailing. I slid the door open so fast it shuddered on its track, and was about to step out into the hall, when I stopped short.

There, on the floor beyond the kitchen door, huddled two children, a boy and a girl. They had their arms around each other, and both looked up at me with eyes wide with shock and terror, silent fat tears streaking down their little faces. What had scared them more, my shouting or their mother's crying?

The sight of them snuffed out my rage. A freezing chill of shame replaced the scorching heat of my fury. I wanted to tell them something, but I couldn't think what. For five seconds, I stood stock-still, paralyzed by their frightened faces. Then, with a conscious effort, I tore my eyes away from theirs and stepped past them and out of the apartment.

30

I walked west, stopping on the corner of Borochov and King George Streets to contemplate my options.

I could head north to the hair salon right now and tell Mira everything I'd learned. I had little doubt as to what she'd do. Eager to avenge Esther and Willie, Mira would exact her vengeance on Strauss for his attempted rape of Esther. I was certain her revenge would be deadly.