RETTI SPAGHETTI

Gino lost a lot of his popularity which had been largely based on his looks, his glib raunchy jokes and insouciant manner.  But he didn’t give a shit, he told himself.  Very soon he would be ready to launch his big caper.  Then they could ALL go to hell.

            He airily told Theresa he’d beat Dan up and won the fight so what was she complaining about, he still had his job?  Theresa shut up as he nastily directed her to do  shaking his upraised fist in her face.

            He sent her out to buy him some copies of both The Salem News and the Marblehead Reporter.  He figured he could find enough words to cut out and paste for a ransom note.  He also had an Italian-American dictionary from which he could cut words.   Gino was moving closer to his goal and congratulated himself on being cautious and clever.

            I want one million dollars each for the return of your famiglia.  They  are unharmed.  Wait further instructions.   DNA.

            He composed carefully.  Now he just had to grab the children and invent an excuse for Theresa’s disappearance as well.  Since he could not find the word “family” in the newspapers he cut that out of his Italian dictionary unaware he had used the Italian word.  Suddenly thinking of fingerprints, Gino redid the note wearing his work gloves.  He was not going to make any mistakes that would lead to his identity.  He smiled, congratulating himself on his cleverness.