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dig, and the next discovery brought her up short. The toe of a rubber boot. She was afraid to touch it, afraid the boot would still be attached to the owner. She stared at it, wondered if she should call the police, then smiled to herself over this unexpected nervousness. Still, when she reached down to move the soil away from it, her hand trembled. The toe of the boot felt as if it had something in it .
    Timidly, she used the small spade, afraid to reach down into the soil with her hands. But as she made her way through the layer surrounding it, she saw no bones or rotting flesh. She pulled it free and held it upside down, spilling most of its contents on the walk. The boot held a woman’s black leather shoe, and nothing more but soil. She pulled the shoe out. Further digging led to no new revelations.
    Leila gathered the collection of objects and took them back to the house, where she cleaned them off as best she could. She poured a glass of red wine and sipped it thoughtfully while she took a long, hot bubble bath in her claw-foot bathtub. She climbed out when the water began to chill, and made her decision.
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    â€œI appreciate your coming by on such short notice,” Leila said to her guest, as they reached the back patio. Alice Grayson smiled as she looked across the backyard, then back at the young woman who had invited her here. “You’ve done wonders with it.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œAs for the notice, I am no different than most old ladies; I have more time than opportunities. And I must admit your invitation intrigued me. Buried treasure in the backyard of the house you bought from me?”
    â€œHave a seat, please,” Leila said, gesturing to a rattan patio chair that was next to a low table. The table, covered with a lumpy cloth, held what Alice Grayson assumed was the “treasure.”
    Leila took a seat on the other side of the table and poured a glass of wine for each of them. “How long ago did you live here, Mrs. Grayson?”
    â€œAlice. No need for formality. And it’s Miss Grayson. I never married. And I never lived here.”
    She laughed at Leila’s look of surprise.
    â€œThis house belonged to my uncle, and then to my brother. I inherited it from him.”
    â€œJonathan?”
    It was Alice Grayson’s turn to look surprised. “How on earth did you learn his name?”
    â€œI believe I found his wedding ring, along with a rather strange assortment of other objects.” Leila lifted the cover.
    â€œGood Lord,” Alice said, and her blue eyes grew watery.
    Leila watched her in silence, amazed at how discomposed the older woman seemed. She had met Alice Grayson only once before, when the escrow had closed, but had taken an immediate liking to her. Alice had told her that she was in her seventies, but Leila thought she seemed more lively and energetic than Leila did at thirty. Alice seemed to have liked her too, giving her a phone number to call should she have any questions about the house. Leila knew that she couldn’t have expected the questions which actually did arise.
    â€œI’ll be happy to give all of these things to you,” Leila said. “They seem to mean something to you. But please, can you tell me why this particular set of objects was buried here?”
    Alice dabbed at her eyes. “Forgive me. I’m sorry to be so emotional. After all these years, you wouldn’t think that I could react so strongly. Yes, certainly.” She sighed. “Where to begin?”
    She reached over and picked up the gold band. “This was Jonathan’s wedding ring; his wedding ring from his first marriage, to Chloe Manning. Chloe was a lovely young girl. They were both young; she was nineteen years old, he was about twenty-one, I believe. It was just before the war.”
    â€œIn February of 1941? That’s the date on the ring.”
    â€œYes. That April, our uncle died after a long illness and left