From a cabinet by the south window, Mira took out a pen and paper and proceeded to write me two notes. She handed them to me and sat, crossing her legs. I took the same spot on the couch as during our previous meeting. I read both notes, searching for code words. I found none. The notes simply stated that I was all right to talk to about the Salonika, the prison raid, and Esther and Willie, and were signed with Mira's name. One was addressed to Moshe and Yael Klinger, the other to Michael Shamir.

"Adam, these notes will only get them to speak to you about matters pertaining to Esther and Willie. Other Irgun business is off-limits. All right?"

"I'm not interested in anything but the murders," I said.

Mira handed me another piece of paper. On it she'd jotted two addresses, a Tel Aviv address for Michael Shamir, and one in Netanya for the Klingers.

"This is where you took them that night? To Netanya?"

"No. The Klingers lived in Haifa at the time. They moved to Netanya a while back. I haven't spoken to them in ages. They were what you would call distant supporters of Irgun. Neither ever took part in military actions, but they contributed money and sheltered a number of immigrants over the years."

"And Michael Shamir?"

"Michael is a different story. He's a fighter through and through. One of the best we've ever had. The sort who is totally dedicated. The sort who leads others. The sort who is willing to sacrifice his career, family, even his life for the greater cause. I wish we'd had more like him."

Her voice had taken on a note of adoration when she spoke about Michael Shamir. I was embarrassed to feel a stab of jealousy deep in my gut. Was she infatuated with Michael Shamir? And what did I care if she was?

I pushed the thought away. "Did you have any contact with Esther and Willie after the night of the raid?"

"Yes. I visited them at the Klingers' seven or eight times."

"Quite a lot."

She nodded. "I took it upon myself to help Esther settle into local society. She spoke Hebrew, which was a big advantage, and I taught her some of the local history and geography, told her where she could buy this and that, how to travel, how not to seem out of place. That sort of thing."

"What was she like?"

Mira placed both hands on her knee, drumming with two fingers of her left hand on the back of her right as she pondered how to begin.