1/06/19
Ciao Alberto,
If you’re reading this, I’ve gone missing. You may be confused as to how I could predict my own disappearance, but at the moment that’s not important. What is important is that you’re the one who has to find me. That’s all I can say for right now, but son, I strongly admonish you not to tell anyone of this letter or it’s contents. It could be dangerous for you and them.
P.S. the next letter is hidden in an antiquated article at the train station.
Con bacci,
Tuo padre, Giuseppe
5/06/19
Ciao Alberto,
Congrats! You found the second letter!
I knew you’d notice it in the old pay phone booth at the train station. I remember when we used to walk past it on the way to your favorite ice cream parlor. Assuming you find me, then maybe we can go there as a reunion of sorts. Anyways I’m going off topic. If you ever want to find me alive then I suppose I should continue with my explanation. While I’m sure you’re aware of the plethora of cases I’ve tried, there are a few which were more shady than the others and one which was the shadiest of them all. While I can’t directly tell you about that one or the name of the person involved – I can, for now, say that we should call him AOL. AOL’s Main area of expertise is in “UndeRgrounD businEsses”. Well peRhaps that’s the best way to put it. I believe it spells itself out, if you know what I mean. I had been in charge of prosecuting a case brought by Sophie, a victim, of one of the leaders of AOL’s underground businesses, who had just narrowly survived AOL and his goons’ attempt on her life. Sophie had borrowed $100,000 from one of AOL’s goons who operated his micro-lending “business”. There was nothing official about the business though – no office premises, company name, business cards, or anything of that nature associated with this micro-lending business. She just happened to know this goon who, when she mentioned one day that she was going through a financial crisis, he mentioned that he worked for “AOL” and that “AOL had resources and AOL could lend people money. Whatever they needed”. She then asked him to help her out and he said that he could but on condition that she return it with 10% interest in one month. She agreed to this but as it turned out, Sophie just wasn’t able to give him the $110,000 back by month end. Initially the goon asked for it back rather politely but after 5 collection attempts, he became rather insistent and said that she’d better return it within a week “or else, capisci?”. Sophie had told him that she understood but when Sophie still couldn’t get the money together, someone who didn’t sound like the goon physically assaulted her. The person broke her leg and neck in the process and said as he did so: “This is what happens to people who break their agreements”. It was at that point that Sophie decided to lay a charge against AOL – alleging that AOL had assaulted her.
The snag was that Sophie wasn’t entirely sure who AOL actually was since the businesses were operated in the shadows but she felt certain that the man against whom she’d laid the charge was AOL. I had been strongly urged not to try this case, seeing how ruthless AOL could be, but I felt it was a civic duty of mine to give this town the justice it so desperately deserved.
P.S. If you’re still keen on finding me, your mom has a secret ingredient that she puts in her lasagna. Did you know that? Find out what it is and where she keeps it in then viola – you’ll have your next letter? Capisci?
7/06/19
Ciao Jonathan,
Your mother did always love her cottage cheese, the perfect lasagna secret ingredient. Once again I’m getting off topic. I’m glad I can still continue my story – though the details as to where we left off last are a little fuzzy, I think I still remember what had happened. “Ah allora ”, actually I remember exactly what happened now. So I had officially announced that I was going to prosecute AOL and this got out to the media – what with he being notorious and an alleged member of the New York mafia that has strong ties to Sicilian mafia and all.
I was surprised to discover that the announcement didn’t attract much backlash from the public – pleasantly so. My office only received a few emails and one or two “prank” phone calls but honestly, considering how notorious AOL is – it was nothing I considered to be out of the ordinary.
Unfortunately, everything started to go downhill when the man we had believed to be AOL had an alibi that checked out perfectly and a case had to be tossed out of the court. But at that point, i was deeply invested in the case and I wanted to help uncover AOL’s identity as fast as possible.
I took it upon myself to call a few of my friends at the police station for some help. After months of my conducting my own research and working with the police forces, we narrowed the perpetrator down to two people: Antonio Oliver Luigi, and Jason Matthew Simpson. We ultimately ended up discarding Jason Matthew Simpson from the list as he turned out to have a pretty solid alibi. This left us with AOL – Antonio Oliver Luigi.
As you’re well aware – Luigi is a very familiar name what with it being our family’s last name after all. Sadly this isn't your plain old coincidence though. It turns out that Angelo is my long lost brother – your uncle! He was about seven years older than me, and from the little memory I have of him, he was a troublemaker. When I was six my parents told me he was moving to Italy to live with our extended family because he was too much to handle. As I never saw him again after that, he faded from my memory and my thoughts, which I guess was fair as I was quite young when he left.
I never would’ve known Angelo was my brother because when he returned to New York, he assumed a new identity and changed his name to Michael Scott. Why did he change his identity? Talk to us about this? What made you think it was him that did this? What had us thinking though is that the timing of Angelo’s arrival matched up perfectly to when AOL’s underground business commenced. All that was left was to find AOL and have him locked up for good.While I understand it does seem detrimental to lock up your own flesh and blood, his crimes were simply unforgivable and he must be tried in a court of law. As convenient as things possibly may be, my older brother was once again, one step ahead of me. I spotted the same man and his car tailing me everywhere I went, maybe it was foolish and naive of me to have such a predictable and consistent routine, but this never came in the lawyer's handbook. I figured Angelo was closer to me than he had been in the last fifty years, that's why i knew i had to write these letters, you're the only one i trust to save me Jonathan. I don't have much time left, please find me!
Sincerely
Mark