Inside was the rest of the money, wrapped in plastic and remarkably dry after thirty years. The armored car company’s insurer had offered a ten percent reward for recovering it back in 1996, and the offer had never been withdrawn. Detective Ruiz made sure my name went on the paperwork. A few months later, a check arrived for more than forty-eight thousand dollars. My mom laughed when I told her it was the most expensive birthday party never thrown.

Kurt pleaded guilty to theft and possession of stolen property. I used part of the reward to restore my backyard, with new sod, a stone patio, and fresh flower beds. The rest went into my retirement savings. I replanted the rose bushes exactly where they had stood for thirty years. And whenever a new neighbor asks to borrow anything now, I smile, say no, and offer them a cup of coffee instead.