Mom Gets Old Book That Previous Owner Never Wanted Found

Under Pressure She was under pressure. Carrie had been stuck on her manuscript for over a month and her deadline was around the corner. She had to finish it in time, if she didn’t, her entire book deal would be in trouble. She sighed as her fingers brushed through the new titles she had acquired from a book sale. One of the books caught her attention, so she decided to grab it from the rest. But what she found inside the book made her throw it to the ground. Deal Of A Life Time freepik Growing up in Barstow, California, Carrie worked hard to make her dreams come true. She was an aspiring writer, waiting for her big break. Carrie was in her twilight years when her luck finally changed, she had landed a publishing deal! Her publisher was blown away by her short stories, that was why they requested a whole novel. She couldn’t believe her luck, she had been waiting for this for years. Without any hesitation, she signed the deal, but she had no idea how much of an impact it would have on her career. All For Him Lightfield Studios But Carrie was more than just a writer, she was also a single mother to her son, Damian. He was eighteen years old and she loved him more than anything in the entire world. Everything she had ever done, including the anthology that landed her book deal, was centered around him. It was her life’s mission to give him the best life possible, and with the help of her novel, she would be able to do just that. She got to work immediately and gathered everything she needed to write the perfect story. All About Rome Pexels – Negative Space Carrie’s deal stated that she had to write historical fiction, which was a genre she loved. She instantly knew that she wanted ancient Rome to be her setting. All her life, she had been fascinated by the Romans. She knew a lot about the topic but she needed more details if she wanted to write an interesting story about it. It was time for her to start doing research on the topic, but little did she know that it would change her outlook on life. Looking Everywhere Pexels – Startup Stock Photos She sought out books that would give her more information regarding the Roman empire. At first, she relied on YouTube videos, but soon, she burned through all of them. The next step was for her to go to the local library. But she found nothing worthwhile. She could only think of one more place to find what she was looking for, the warehouse book sale around the corner. She made her way over and bought a bunch of their books. But she had no idea how special one book was. Something Was Missing Public Domain She left the sale with a haul like no other. The books were worn out and damaged but Carrie was happy to have them in her possession. She scanned through them, happy that they would help her research. She finally began her writing as she created the outline of her novel. Carrie got her inspiration from books she had acquired from the sale, excited to create the perfect world. But she could tell that something was missing. Starting Over Public Domain She felt tense. Her story was lacking a certain level of authenticity and immersion. Carrie had poured many hours into the outline but it was missing the flair it needed to keep readers interested. It was time to return to the drawing board, so she pulled out the stack of second-hand books and looked over them. She wasn’t sure why, but her mind seemed to settle on one of them. Curious, she reached for it, unaware of the secrets it held inside. She Was Excited Wikiwand It was called, “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”. The book was originally published in 1776, but this particular copy was an abridged version from recent years. Carrie could tell that this book would bring the flare her story needed, despite the publication differences. Her toes curled in excitement as she flipped the first page, eager for new ideas to floor her mind. Hollowed Out Public Domain Everything seemed normal at first, the book’s first page seemed as ordinary as any other. It was an old book, and its pages had faded to a slight sepia, but nothing was out of the ordinary. She pursed her lips and skimmed through the initial pages. But as she kept paging, she noticed something odd. The book’s center seemed to turn hollow. She was curious to know why and flipped to the middle of the book, surprise flooding her veins as she dropped it to the ground. What Was Inside? Public Domain It was hollowed out in the middle, but that wasn’t what freaked Carrie out. Thick rolls of hundred dollar bills stuffed the space, so many that they filled the book. The money scattered over the carpet as the book hit the ground in Carrie’s living room. She had no idea what to do and decided to call for her friend, Liza, who came running in. She told Liza everything, and her reaction was priceless. Her Friend Speaks Public Domain “This is mob money,” Liza said, detailing how crime syndicates loved stuffing money in old books to move them around the world. “It has to be,” said Liza. “Haven’t you ever heard of how the mob passed heirlooms down to family members?” Liza then asked Carrie something that she’d been thinking of the moment she saw the cash bounce out of the book. Her Decision Great Senior Living “What are you gonna do with the money?” Liza asked. “Find its owner,” Carrie answered almost immediately, shocking herself. She’d considered buying her son something nice or maybe going for a trip. But wouldn’t it be more wholesome to return the money to its rightful owner? Liza’s response to her answer made her lips part. A Good Heart Public Domain “Your good heart is a blessing to society, my dear,” Liza said. “I’ll help with anything you might need: checking in on Damien, running errands. Let’s find whoever this money belongs to!” Carrie’s lips curved, and she held out a hand to her friend. “I just had the wildest idea,” she squeezed Liza’s hand then dashed to her laptop. A Priceless Gift Book Riot “What are you doing?” Liza asked after her. “Updating my novel’s outline,” Carrie spat out as her fingers flew all over the keyboard, so fast they were a blur. “I think the idea of hidden treasure in Roman scrolls from a crime family will give this story the oomph it requires!” She turned around, grinning at Liza, “Thanks to you and that book, this story is going to be mindblowing!” Although they celebrated that night, Carrie wondered if they’d find the cash’s owner. Searching For The Owner Public Domain Carrie and Liza spent the next week scouring the internet for the book’s previous owner. They liaised with the book sale where Carrie first acquired it. The last owner had left no contact information while donating the book. Stuck with the cash, Carrie still had no idea what to do. The book had given her a concept more valuable than anything but the cash made her feel uneasy like something terrible would happen. Her Own Research Lifeblink Carrie decided to look up Liza’s theory about the cash being mob money. She had watched movies where things like this happened, but this was real life. “Surely not,” she thought. Her research fascinated her more and more. Mob history in the U.S was well documented. After all, who hadn’t heard of Al Capone? Carrie thought she was clued upon this world until she dug deeper. She realized there was much more to the stories than she ever knew. They Were Everywhere National Crime Syndicate The deeper Carrie dived into the history; the more intrigued she became. She realized how sheltered she had been. The mob didn’t only feature in history but had many syndicates still alive and well today. There were so many notable ones over the years. The list was endless. Names like Capone, the Rizzutos, Gambino, and Bonanno jumped out. Carrie was beginning to worry now. Could the cash really have belonged to actual mobsters? The Hunt For The Truth KCRA Carrie was becoming a little obsessive about her research. Her fascination with the book owner’s original owner was at a fever pitch now. She just had to know. Now that she was an amateur mob-history aficionado, Carrie learned a new fact. There was a famous mob museum in Vegas, and it wasn’t that far away from Barstow. Carrie excitedly called Liza and asked, “Are you up for a road trip?” The Museum Viator The two old friends were both over fifty, an age when most people start thinking about slowing down. Instead, the pair giggled like a couple of schoolgirls as they spontaneously hit the road for Vegas. Like one of the detective novels she had loved as a child, Carrie was thrilled by the notion of uncovering a real-life mystery. Reaching sin city, the pair had no idea what awaited them as the museum came into view. A Fascinating Place Public Domain The museum itself was a treat. Neither Carrie nor Liza had ever thought to visit an attraction like this before. The exhibits spanned historic courtroom settings, authentic mob outfits, a gallery of “made men,” and so much more. By the time the tour was done, the ladies were both enthralled by the fascinating history it contained. Carrie listened closely to the curator’s narration of the exhibits, searching for a clue to the mysterious cash. Still No Answers Public Domain The ladies visited the museum three times over the next few days. Staying at a casino hotel, Carrie used her evenings to keep writing to not fall behind with her book. With so much extra knowledge swimming around in her head, the book was writing itself. She had never been more inspired as a writer, which showed in her work. She decided to speak to the curator directly the next day. The Curator Appalachian Today The museum’s senior curator was a pleasant woman named Jessica Campos. After confiding the story of the cash to her, Jessica confirmed that it indeed sounded like something the mob would do to evade tax. It was time for the ladies to head home, but Jessica promised to check in with all her “contacts” to see if they could find a lead. Jessica was excited and felt they had likely stumbled across something more significant than they knew. Carrie Completes Her Book Geeky Camel After all the excitement of hunting down the cash’s owner, life back home felt a little bland. To compensate, Carrie put all her energy into her book. The words were flowing, and she found creative ways of weaving her real-life adventures into the story. When she was done, she had never been more proud of her work. It was finally complete and ready for submission to her publishers. Carrie was a bag of nerves as she awaited their response. The Big Break Nastroy After years of working as a freelance writer, Carrie dreamed of being published. When her publisher contacted her with the news that they loved her manuscript, she was ecstatic. She had finally made it and secured her future as a writer. She owed the mysterious book of cash so much. It had set her on an inspired path. She thought that the mystery would never be solved until things all changed. Out Of The Blue Mr Locks Carrie and Liza had been celebrating the success of her book one evening. They hadn’t thought of the mysterious book and the cash or heard back from Jessica. They had given up on finding its owner. As the ladies reveled the evening away, the book was suddenly thrown back into their minds. It started with an ominous knock on the door. This Was Big Marine Coastal Cultures When the ladies heard the knock, they immediately exchanged nervous glances. It was too late for visitors. Liza instinctively looked towards the mystery book that sat atop Carrie’s bookshelf the whole time. They both wondered who could be calling at that time of night and if it had anything to do with the book. As the women froze for a moment, the knock grew louder. A Frightening Experience New York Post Carrie nervously approached the door. When she opened it, she gasped. They were two official-looking agents wearing navy jackets. The visitors were already intimidating enough. They each had hardened jawlines and stone-faced expressions. Carrie couldn’t believe what was happening. When she saw the famous words “Federal Agents” in yellow, she turned cold with fear. The Mystery Solved Bloomberg After letting the men in, they explained that they were from the fraud and counterfeit unit and were following up a lead. Carrie and Liza’s nerves finally settled when the men told them they were not in any trouble. It turns out that Jessica had contacted them after finding a lead on the mysterious cash. As Carrie and Liza listened, the tale of the money was as dramatic as they could have ever imagined. The Money Public Domain It turned out that the book and the money had belonged to a notorious counterfeiter named Harold Dumont. Last year, he had passed away, and his family members had discovered the operation he was running. While most of the fake money had been recovered, Harold had stashed lots of it in various hiding places. Examining the book, Carrie was surprised when an agent showed her a dent in the spine where an old letter had been wedged. The Case Was Finally Closed The Boston Globe After conducting some tests on the bills, it was confirmed that they were indeed counterfeit and bore Harold’s signature marks. The money was taken away as evidence, and Carrie was glad to be rid of it. The book and letter had been a gift from Harold’s uncle, a former mob member arrested in the 1980s for money laundering. The last piece of missing evidence traced, the case was closed; Carrie and Liza’s detective adventures finally ended too. The post Mom Gets Old Book That Previous Owner Never Wanted Found appeared first on Top5. Source link

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A Priceless Gift

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