My Elderly Neighbor Died — After His Funeral, I Received a Letter From Him Revealing He’d Buried a Secret in His Backyard 40 Years Ago 2

I nodded again, my heart raw.

***

I called my mother the following afternoon, my hands shaking as I gripped the phone.

“Mom, can you come over? Now. Please.”

She arrived 20 minutes later. She barely glanced at me before her gaze landed on the box at the table.

“What’s going on, Tanya? Are the girls okay?”

I called my mother.

“No, the girls are fine,” I said. I slid the photo and the letter across to her. “I found these under Mr. Whitmore’s apple tree.”

My mother reached for the photo. “Why were you digging in his yard?”

“He asked me to. After the funeral, I got a letter. He wanted me to know the truth.”

I watched my mother’s face as she read. I watched the color drain.

She clutched the letter. “Where did you… How long have you known?”

“Why were you digging in his yard?