Mira

**Mira** was Vivian's translator for her trip to Germany.

## History

Mira was in journalism school when reporter Vivian Kent came to Germany to do research for an article and hired Mira as her translator for the trip. Mira met Vivian at the airport and said she was a fan of Vivian's article. She also admitted to imagining what it was like for Anna to come from Russia to Germany by herself.

Vivian showed Mira pictures and told her what she knew about Anna's parents. Vivian said she wasn't sure she believed Vadim's story about his business because Anna lived to lavishly after leaving Germany. She believed that recent Russian history was relevant to the story, as oligarchs at the time stashed their money in other countries and used business as a front. Mira asked if Anna was smuggling money for her father and Vivian said it was far-fetched, but not the strangest thing people speculated about Anna. She said she wanted to visit the family villa. When they arrived, they found only an empty lot, but spotted Vadim leaving a building next door. He told them to leave him alone and walked away. Then Mira and Vivian went to a restaurant where they confirmed that the location they visited was the location of the villa. They speculated what might have happened to it.

Next, they visited a butcher shop, where the butcher said he knew the Sorokins and Vadim tried to sell him a freezer. The butcher didn't buy one because he didn't trust Vadim, further saying that Russians and Turks don't want to be part of real Germany society. Vivian and Mira left after telling him his sausage sucks.

They visited Anna's former school and talked to one of her teachers, who said she was normal, if a little shy, which surprised Vivian. Once the teacher left, Vivian said the school looked like Hogwarts, which Mira knew she would say. When Vivian said she wished she'd gone to a school like that, Mira said she did and hated it. They used schools like that to exclude people, especially immigrants, meaning Anna would have struggled there.

They talked to a win merchant, who told them the villa had been condemned and demolished, meaning Anna had lived in a contaminated villa. While discussing Anna, they were overheard by Heidi, who said she'd gone to school with Anna and Anna was mean to her. They got drinks with Heidi and a few other classmates, who said that Anna became the fashion police and insulted people when she didn't like their outfits. There were also rumors that her father was a gangster, so people were afraid of him and of Anna. After the other had left, Vivian said there was something big there, but Mira disagree. She said all the women did was gossip and spread rumors. Vivian became determined to talk to Vadim.

They went to Vadim's workplace, where Vivian pleaded with him to talk to her, as she had been the one to break the story. Mira told Vadim that Vivian was a nice person, just stressed. He agreed to talk to her. Mira translated as Vadim said he couldn't explain why Anna did what she did. All he did was try to provide for his family. Vivian asked to meet them and to come to his home, at which point he got upset and left. Mira told Vivian that instead of being defensive like Vivian thought he was, Vadim might have just been embarrassed. Vivian ignored Mira's view on things and wondered what Vadim might have done to Anna.

That evening, after speaking to Anna's mother, Vivian told Mira that she was going home early. She promised Mira would still be paid, but she was scrapping the article, because no one should have to read what Anna's parents said about her. Mira said she had had fun helping Vivian.