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Alberto stood in shock, unable to understand the harsh reality he was facing; the Vespa was gone. It had just vanished, even though they hadn't been gone for that long! Who could've even stolen it, and why?
"M-maybe someone just moved it Al," Luca said, trying to comfort Alberto.
Alberto shook his head, "We were all at the house Luca... nobody could have moved it."
Seeing Alberto in such a state of disparity made Luca feel sad too. To someone else, it may seem odd that Alberto was so attached to the Vespa that they had just got earlier that day from Ercole. However, owning a Vespa was one of Alberto's dreams for a long, long time. In fact, he still had the Vespa poster from the previous summer, still hanging it up in the same spot in the tower. The fact that he had just gotten one after years of waiting only to have it disappear the same day crushed Alberto inside.
"Al.. I'm sure we'll find it.." Luca said optimistically. He held Alberto's hand and raised it in the air. "I'm sure we can."
Alberto smiled unconvincingly. "I don't know Luca.. I mean- I'm sure someone stole it."
"Well then, we'll find who that is and... we'll demand that they give the Vespa back!"
Alberto gave in and laughed. Luca had always managed to cheer him up. "Okay okay.. we'll try and find it.."
Luca smiled and shook his head, "No- I know we'll find it."
Alberto grinned. "Thanks Luca.."
"Of course Al!" he said as he leaned in and kissed Alberto on the cheek. Alberto blushed, his hand being grabbed by Luca and dragged down the street.
Midway through, Luca stopped in his place. "Wait.. how exactly are we gonna find it.."
"You didn't think to plan that through?" Alberto laughed.
"Not really!" Luca laughed.
In the middle of their conversation, Massimo and Giulia turned onto their street, laughing and chatting with each other. Massimo saw the two boys at the top of the hill and waved, speed walking over to them in the process.
"Is everything okay, you two?" Massimo asked.
"Well.."
Alberto chimed in, "Our Vespa was.. stolen."
Massimo's eyebrow raised, "Stolen?"
Alberto nodded, "We think so.."
Massimo slowly nodded, "Giulietta, how about you take them to the Polizia Stradale. I'm sure they could help you."
"Sure papà!" she said as she turned around to Luca and Alberto. "Come on ragazzi, let's go get your Vespa back."
They both started to follow Giulia towards the towns square, unaware of how they were even going to find their Vespa.
"I'm just worried we aren't gonna find it.." Alberto sighed.
"Oh come on!" Giulia exclaimed. "Don't be such a grouch, Al. We'll find it, trust me."
Alberto smiled, "Well, If you say so."
Giulia nodded as they entered the town square.
"I know so."
________________________________
The trio entered their local police station and walked up to the front desk, noticing the woman sitting there. She had her brown hair tied into a ponytail, and she was wearing the typical blue and black Portorosso police uniform. Luca instantly recognized her, as it was the same officer who arrested Ercole so many days ago.
"Ah Giulia! Nice to see you like always. How can I help-"
The officer didn't get to finish her sentence, because Giulia slammed both of her hands on the desk.
"We have a missing Vespa report!!"
The officer jumped back in her seat. "Mama Mia.. a missing Vespa you say?" she shook her head and sat back in the chair. "Not again.."
The news made Alberto perk up; it was intriguing.
"Hang on.." Giulia said confused. "What did you just say?"
"I'm sorry, Giulia.. the officer sighed. "We have a thief on our hands. There have been missing reports being sent in every day for the past week! Our station is being bombarded with reports, we can't even keep up.. Everything from vespas, clothes, kitchenware, furniture, soldi, you name it. They're all going missing. And you know the craziest thing? We can't find any of them! We sent officers looking around the whole town, but we had no such luck. It's like all those things vanished. They're not anywhere on land!"
"So.. there's NOTHING we can do?" Giulia asked disappointedly.
"Trust me Giulia, we've tried everything.." the officer grunted. "Whoever this thief is does a great job at hiding stolen items, that's for sure.."
The three all looked disappointed. It seemed like there wasn't a glimmer of hope for them.
The officer continued to speak. "The newer models of Vespas have a gps tracker installed, now that I recall."
"But.. I don't know anyone who can afford one of those- jobs here just don't pay that much. You'd have to....win the Portorosso cup many times to even have a chance!" she added.
All three of them froze after hearing that last part. Ercole was the person who gave them that Vespa, and he did in fact win the Portorosso cup many times before the Underdogs, of course. Could Ercole possibly have the tracker they could use to find their Vespa?
"Umm- funny story.." Luca nervously laughed. "You see.. that Vespa belonged to.."
The officer glanced over at Luca, "Hm? Just spit it out, boy."
"Ercole.."
The officer's eyes widened, realizing that Ercole was the person they needed. How ironic! Everyone knew how Ercole's Vespa was the nicest in all of Portorosso. He bragged about it so much that it was practically engraved in everyone's mind. If it was so nice, there was a strong chance that it had the tracker they needed as well.
"Yeah.." Alberto added. "He gave it to us before- y'know- he left earlier today."
The officer thought it through for a moment. "If Ercole has the tracker device, then... he can track your missing Vespa! Which.. will probably be where all of the other missing things are as well! Yes, its perfect! The tracker leads us to the Vespa, and the vespa leads us to our thief.."
Alberto sighed, "Yeah but- how would we even reach Ercole? He already left, remember?"
The officer stood up from her chair and smiled confidently.
"Leave that to me.."
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Ercole stretched his muscles and stood up as the train slowly pulled into the station. After hours of waiting in the train, he was almost to his destination. In his back pocket he held the tracker for his Vespa. Half way through the ride, he realized he had forgotten to give it to Luca and Alberto when he gave them his Vespa. I'm sure they'll be fine without it, Ercole thought. Ercole brushed off the thought and realized that the train was starting to pull into the station. He would finally arrive at his new home;
Genova
He grabbed the luggage he brought with him and stepped out onto the street, the bright sunlight shining down on him. Ercole was still mad that he was kicked out of Portorosso, but he couldn't really blame the people for doing so. He knew what he did was wrong, very wrong in fact. After years of being the douchebag that he was, it wasn't that much of a surprise to Ercole. Deep down inside, he knew that he deserved it.
Before Ercole could even breathe in the new atmosphere, he was approached by an officer. Ercole panicked slightly, he had only been in Genova for 2 minutes and there was already an officer approaching him. What did I do this time?
"Ercole Visconti?" the man asked gruffly.
Ercole nodded, "Yes that's me, what do you want?"
"You have a phone call."
Ercole looked puzzled. "What? But- I just got here!"
The officer frowned, "I don't care, compagno. Answer it or don't answer it, your choice not mine."
"Alright fine fine- I'll answer it."
The officer directed Ercole to follow him. As Ercole walked behind the man, he admired Genova's big open streets. He has been so used to the smaller, cozier feel of Portorosso; Ercole didn't really know what a big city looked like until now.
"Here.." the officer said as he pointed to the phone.
Ercole thanked him, but the officer just grunted and walked away. So much for hospitality..
Ercole picked up the phone, eager to know who would even be interested in calling him at this time.
"Hello?"
"Ah Ercole! I'm glad you picked up the phone."
Ercole thought about hanging up, but decided against the idea.
"Who is this, hm? I think you might have the wrong number."
The person on the other line laughed, "Mama Mia.. Ercole, we just need your help, that's all."
Ercole was confused. "Help? You want my help? Who is this?"
Ercole suddenly put the pieces together, recognizing the voice that he was talking to.
"Ah, I see now. You're that poliziotto who arrested me! Why are you even calling me, hm?"
"Ercole.. I said- we need your help."
Ercole felt slightly irritated that the person who arrested and kicked him out of Portorosso was now asking for his help.
"Why should I help you? I thought you wanted me gone!"
The officer sighed into the phone, "There have been things stolen all over Portorosso, including the vespa you gave those two boys. Luca and Alberto, I believe? Yes, that's right. Anyway- they aren't the only ones that have had their things stolen. People have been reporting missing things constantly. It's been happening all across town, and we can't seem to find any of their possessions. It's losing us a lot of money.."
Ercole quieted down, realizing the legitimate reason the officer had for calling. "So.. why do you want me to help?"
"I've been told you may have a tracker, which can reveal the location of your stolen Vespa. Is that true?"
Ercole put down the phone and reached into his back pocket, pulling out the tracker he had forgotten to give Luca and Alberto.
"Yes... that's true."
"Good, very good," the officer said. "It all makes sense, you see- if we find your Vespa, then we'll probably find where all the stolen things are too, eh? Makes sense!"
Ercole shook his head, "No no no, first off. It's not my Vespa, I gave it to Luca and Alberto.. Second of all, I've barely been in Genova for two minutes, and you already want me to leave again? I'm sorry Signora, but you'll have to find someone else."
"I thought you might say something like that, so how about- we make a compromise.."
Ercole laughed, "Fat chance.."
"Just hear me out, okay? You come back to Portorosso with your tracker, you lead us to wherever the location may be.."
Ercole waited patiently for the last part of the sentence.
"And if you manage to do that.. we will allow you to live in Portorosso again."
Ercole couldn't believe what he was hearing. The officer's voice just became muffled noise in the background, as he was repeating that last line in his head over and over again.
"Ercole! Do you hear me! ERCOLE!"
Ercole snapped himself back into reality and put the phone up to his ear again. "Yes yes, I hear you."
"Good.. now- do we have a deal or not?"
Ercole hesitated for a moment, before he smiled and replied.
"I can be there tomorrow morning."
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Ercole rushed out of the police station, knocking over a potted plant in the lobby as he rushed out the front doors. He yelled "sorry!" as he ran out of the building, having too much on his mind to do anything about it.
Ercole found it annoying, yet slightly amusing how he had just arrived in Genova minutes ago, but now he was already leaving again. It would all be worth it in the end, though. Ercole would be able to live in Portorosso again, and all he had to do was find a Vespa! How hard could it possibly be?
Ercole panted and was out of breath as he reached the ticket booth, eager to buy a ticket back to Portorosso.
"One ticket.." Ercole wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. "To Portorosso, please."
The lady behind the counter nodded, and turned around to open a drawer. Ercole didn't have the time to wait too long; if he was going to make it back to Portorosso tomorrow morning, he needed to get on the train as soon as possible.
"Here you are Signore," the woman said.
Ercole pulled out the soldi from his pocket with great haste and slammed it on the top of the booth, before thanking the woman hastily and running towards the back of the train station. He looked at the sign, realizing that the train to Portorosso was about to leave in less than 5 minutes. He had made it just in time.
Ercole sat down, still sweating from rushing across town. He had a moment to relax and think about how soon, he would be back in Portorosso; the place where he wanted to be.
Although he didn't have much of a plan, Ercole was confident that he could find the Vespa. All he had to do was use his tracker, follow the gps, and there the Vespa would be waiting for him. This will be too easy, he told himself.
Ercole suddenly felt uneasy, but not like he was about to throw up. He felt distressed, as if he was worrying about something other than himself.
Ercole found himself thinking about Luca and Alberto, being fully aware that they were probably just as worried as he was. They had just gotten their dream Vespa, and on the same day, it had been stolen. As the whistle blew, the train's wheels started moving, Ercole realized that he was doing something he had never done before until very recently. Ercole was actually worried about someone else! Who would've thought!
They're not my friends, Ercole told himself.
I don't need them and they don't need me. It's strictly for business.
However, as the train left the station and started its long journey back to Portorosso, Ercole had a doubt in his mind. Was it really just for business?
Or did Ercole genuinely want to help Luca and Alberto out of the kindness of his heart?
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(A.N: This is it folks! We've reached the start of the third and final part of this book! The big climax, if you can call it that. We're getting closer and closer to the end!
Stay tuned :D
-Marx)