In the late l950's, at the height of the Cold War, the white sandybeaches of Latvia were part of the Soviet Union's frontier, well guarded and well defended. Every night, Soviet tractors would comb Latvia’s coast and leave fine grooves in the sand. Trespassers of any kind (spies, defectors, invaders) who might cross the beach would leave telltale tracks and lead Soviet patrols to investigate.The story One morning, three Soviet patrolmen discover a woman’s shoe in the sand and footsteps leading to the local village of "Liepaja". Alarms sound, troops are dispatched: an official inquiry begins. To whom does the shoe belong? What suspicious activities are taking place? Is there a newcomer in town? A three man investigative team along with their well trained dog are determined to find the shoe’s owner and her motives for being on a forbidden beach at night.But things don’t go well. Despite their military training, the patrolmen can’t solve the mystery. Liepaja has seductive power. The residents, their habits and customs distract the investigators. The troops take too much time, neglect their purpose and begin to enjoy themselves. Official pressure is brought to bear on them. The troops ask, cajole and order woman after woman to try on the shoe, but it never fits... Finally, defeated, and running out of gas, the troops return to their post.Late that night, the audience learns the solution to the mystery that eludes the Soviets. A young woman runs across the sand om the forbidden stretch of the beach of the beach to take a dip in the Baltic Sea.In the morning the Soviets find her tracks. The alarm sounds, and the search is on again.