“He became incredibly bitter.”
“At whom?”
“Muslims.”
“Al-Qaeda?”
“Not just al-Qaeda. Estermann resented all Muslims, especially those who lived in Germany. He was unable to separate the hard-core jihadist from the poor Moroccan or Turk who came to Europe looking for a better life. It got worse after the attack on the Vatican. He lost all perspective. I found his company difficult to bear.”
“But you maintained the relationship?”
“We’re a small service. Estermann was a force multiplier.” Bittel smiled. “Like you, Allon.”
He turned into the car park of a marina along the western shore of the lake. At the end of the breakwater was a café. They sat outside in the blustery evening air. Bittel ordered two beersand replied to several text messages he had received during the drive from downtown Zurich.
“Sorry. We’re a bit on edge at the moment.”
“About what?”
“The bombings in Germany.” Bittel peered at Gabriel over his phone. “You don’t happen to know who’s behind them, do you?”
“My analysts think we’re dealing with a new network.”
“Just what we needed.”
The waitress appeared with their drinks. She was a raven-haired woman of perhaps twenty-five, very beautiful, an Iraqi, perhaps a refugee from Syria. When she placed the bottle of beer in front of Gabriel, he thanked her in Arabic. A brief exchange of pleasantries followed. Then, smiling, the woman withdrew.
“What were you talking about?” asked Bittel.
“She was wondering why we were sitting out here by the lake instead of inside where it’s warm.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That we were intelligence officers who didn’t like to speak in insecure rooms.”
Bittel made a face and drank some of his beer. “It’s a good thing Estermann didn’t see you talking to her like that. He doesn’t approve of being civil to Muslim immigrants. Nor does he approve of speaking their language.”
“How does he feel about Jews?”
Bittel picked at the label of his beer bottle.
“Go ahead, Bittel. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
“He’s a bit of an anti-Semite.”
“What a shocker.”
“It tends to go hand in hand.”
“What’s that?”
“Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.”
“Did you and Estermann ever discuss religion?”
“Endlessly. Especially after the attack on the Vatican. He’s a devout Catholic.”
“And you?”
