Marie Bellson was tall, Decker thought.

He pulled out several plastic bags. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.”

Shoveling piles of ashes into bags, Decker realized it was not only dirty work, it was tedious work. He had to move slowly to minimize stirring up the dust. After he removed most of the cinders from the front seat, he moved on to the backseat. Halfway into the cleanup job, a glint caught his eye but was buried under dust before he could retrieve it. Carefully, he slid his hand in the direction of the sparkle and let ashes rain through his fingertips. A minute later, a lump of what looked like gold rested on his glove. He surfaced for air. Annie smiled at him.

“Ever think of doing a remake of the Jolson story, Pete? You look the part.”

Decker wiped grime from his forehead. “I’ve got a lousy voice. Look what I found.” He dropped the metal into Annie’s gloved hand. “I thought it might be a gold filling or something.”

“Way too big. It’s jewelry.”

“Could it have been a gold cross?”

“You mean like a big crucifix? Sure, could have been.”

“I was thinking more like a pin.”

“Too heavy for a pin.” She hefted the piece of gold. “Probably a ring.” She studied the object again. “The metal melted around most of it, but there’s a stone inside. Looks intact at first glance.”

“What kind of stone?”

“A dark stone…cabochon cut, maybe a sapphire.” Again she felt the nugget. “Wouldn’t say for certain, but with this weight and the cut of the stone, I’d say this was once something like a class ring. Did Marie Bellson wear a class ring?”

Decker said, “I’ll find out.”

18

A shower, a shave, a sandwich, a half-hour catnap, and the joy of seeing Rina holding Hannah to her breast. With a lightweight quilt across her lap, Rina was nestled in a rocking chair next to the living-room picture window, feet tapping rhythmically against the floor as Hannah drank herself silly. The baby was wrapped in a blue blanket that provided a shield against the soft, cool breeze of the air conditioner.

Decker pulled up a chair next to his wife and looked out the window. The citrus boughs were heavy with fruit, some of which had already fallen to the ground. Time to do a little harvesting. It was going to be a banner year for juices. His eyes went back to his infant daughter.

“She’s got an appetite like her old man,” Decker said.

“We’re very hungry, Daddy.” Rina’s eyes drank in her baby. “It’s so wonderful to hold her. It makes me feel useful.”

“Of course you’re useful.”

Rina didn’t answer.

“How’re you feeling, honey?” Decker asked.