If you're hitting a dead end, try some of these clues out. They might just point you in the right direction.
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A2: The Fruit Market
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A3: Pinkerton Detective Agency
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A4: Columbus Mail Depot
A2: The Fruit Market
Clue #1
Sounds like the person behind the threats knows Mr Amicon personally. I’d be willing to bet it’s someone on the Order Manifest. But who?
Clue #2
There’s a skull next to the Fresh Seasons Shop. Sounds like something bad must’ve happened.
Clue #3
The threatening letter arrived on May 16th. According to Watts, it must’ve been sent either 1 or 2 days before that… unless it was sent from a different state?
Clue #4
I heard there was some trouble at Columbus Railroad Station the other week. Someone getting off the 3:00 arrival from Philadelphia.
Solution
Samuel Lima must’ve sent the letter from Pennsylvania before he left. This meant the letter took 3-5 days to arrive, instead of 1-2 days. The perfect alibi if you ask me.
Email Tara Kwale about Samuel Lima. When she replies, reply with the word “Philadelphia” or “Different state”.
A3: Pinkerton Detective Agency
Clue #1
The detectives have narrowed it down to three likely suspects. None of them are clean, but think about their crimes — and why they might’ve committed them.
Clue #2
Enterie doesn’t look good for assaulting that cop, but they say the Black Hand murdered his father. Him joining their ranks a month later? Not likely.
Clue #3
Everyone knows Loris Bertoldi is bad news. But he was locked up between May 6th – May 20th. No way could he have sent that letter.
Clue #4
Looks like Sam Lima was locked up between May 12th – May 17th as well. Surely he can’t have sent the letter either… unless he sent it from somewhere else?
Solution
Samuel Lima must’ve sent the letter from Pennsylvania before he left. This meant the letter took 3-5 days to arrive, instead of 1-2 days. The perfect alibi if you ask me.
Email Tara Kwale about Samuel Lima. When she replies, reply with the word “Philadelphia” or “Different state”.
A4: Columbus Mail Depot
Clue #1
Looks like he was covering for Lori at the Hand in Hand the other day. We know there was a delivery… just wish we knew the date.
Clue #2
Didn’t someone hear something suspicious coming from Plum St the other day?
Clue #3
Lima sent mail to two Philadelphia locals on June 1st… that’s the day after John Amicon’s deadline. Seems ominous to me.
Clue #4
Battaglia and Ventola… now where have I heard those names before?
Solution
Samuel Lima was at the Hand in Hand Saloon on May 7th, where Bonnito Galto heard someone making threats against John Amicon. He also contacted the two well-known hitmen, Joseph Battaglia and Saverio ‘Salvatore’ Ventola on June 1st, the day John Amicon’s time ran out.
Head to www.true-crime.bigpotato.com/black-hand and select the “Hand in Hand Matchbox” and “Conversation Transcript”. Then, select the “Outgoing Mail Report” and “Columbus Dispatch (Page 2)”.
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B2: The Dawn Ceremony Museum
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B3: Good Plains Gallery
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B4: Minerva Bloom’s Office
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B5: USPIS Forensic Laboratory
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B6: Oz’s Home and Residence
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Secret undercover recording
B2: The Dawn Ceremony Museum
Clue #1
There are many red herrings in the art world that might take you down the wrong track — don’t be discouraged if you hit a dead end.
Clue #2
“Nova Oz would never do anything the same way twice”. What could that mean?
Clue #3
The signatures in each of Nova Oz’s paintings are remarkably different. Clearly one of his calling cards.
Clue #4
The signature on “Home at Last” doesn’t match any of the paintings in the Dawn Ceremony catalogue. Where else could you find a sample of Nova’s work?
Solution
You’re on the right track, but keep looking. We recommend investigating the Good Plains Gallery and seeing what else you can find.
Look through the Good Plains Gallery clues and see how you can get in touch with the owner.
B3: Good Plains Gallery
Clue #1
That photo of Nova and Linus features a painting we haven’t seen before.
Clue #2
We know that the painting must be genuine, because Nova is pictured presenting it to the gallery. However, something’s missing…
Clue #3
Maybe it would help if we could see the whole picture. Perhaps the gallery owner would be a helpful person to talk to. His email is linus.ardell@gmail.com.
Clue #4
That’s a very interesting email signature from Linus. Something about it looks extremely familiar…
Solution
The painting, ‘Reflection’ is a genuine Nova Oz work. However, the signature is identical to the one in ‘Home at Last’ — proving that Home at Last must be a counterfeit.
Head to www.true-crime.bigpotato.com/operation-bogart and select the ‘Drew Lee’ case. Select ‘Signature’, then “It appears somewhere else”. Finally, type the answer ‘Reflection’.
B4: Minerva Bloom’s Office
Clue #1
Minerva Bloom sure is a super-fan. She even had a Nova Oz paining, handed to her by the man himself! If that’s not a genuine piece, I don’t know what is.
Clue #2
Nova was clearly an eccentric man. He supposedly never signed his name the same way twice. Interesting…
Clue #3
Could this be a way of discrediting the counterfeits? If you find two signatures that match, that means one of the paintings must be a fake!
Clue #4
There doesn’t seem to be anything else that matches here. But keep looking…
Solution
You’re on the right track, but keep going. We recommend investigating the Good Plains Gallery and seeing what else you can find.
Look through the Good Plains Gallery clues and see how you can get in touch with the owner.
B5: USPIS Forensic Laboratory
Clue #1
The signature on “Cataclysm” was added far later than the rest of the painting. This seems a little out of the ordinary. Maybe something to remember for later.
Clue #2
“Ergone Stock”… I’ve definitely heard that name somewhere before. But where?
Clue #3
Ah, that’s it! It’s advertised in the back of the ‘We, the Creatives’ magazine found at the Dawn Ceremony Museum.
Clue #4
Looks like Ergone Stock wasn’t established until 1975. But when was ‘A Union’ supposed to have been painted?
Solution
Mr Baker’s painting was supposed to have been painted in 1968… but it’s printed on paper that didn’t exist until 1975! This means it must be a counterfeit.
Head to www.true-crime.bigpotato.com/operation-bogart and select the ‘Richard Baker’ case. Select ‘Material’, then “It’s printed on paper that didn’t exist before”. Finally, type the answer ‘1975’.
B6: Oz’s Home and Residence
Clue #1
Valor Von Zoe seems pretty convinced of her father’s innocence. Nova Oz was a lot of strange things, but looks like a good dad was one of them.
Clue #2
Sounds like his health had been on the decline for quite a while. His daughter said he couldn’t have written to anyone if he wanted to. What could that mean?
Clue #3
Wow, by September 1980 he wasn’t even able to write his name, but could still paint. And in the picture, it looks a lot like Mrs Browning’s ‘Cataclysm’.
Clue #4
Hold on, doesn’t Mrs Browning’s painting feature a neatly written signature? Something doesn’t add up here…
Solution
Nova Oz did paint a version of Cataclysm, but the original wouldn’t have had a signature — it was added on by the Good Plains Gallery. This proves that it’s a lazy counterfeit.
Head to www.true-crime.bigpotato.com/operation-bogart and select the ‘Victoria Browning’ case. Select ‘Signature’, then “The artist was in poor condition”. Finally, type the answer ‘B6A’.
Secret undercover recording
Clue #1
The salesman describes two supposed ‘originals’ from Nova Oz. Do either of them sound familiar?
Clue #2
The first one sounds a lot like one of the paintings in the Dawn Ceremony pamphlet… but it’s hard to say for certain.
Clue #3
The second painting describes a “hero, approaching on the water, met with a steep journey”. We also know it features a set of stairs. Where else have we seen that?
Clue #4
Wait a minute! It sounds extremely similar to Minerva Bloom’s painting. And we know for a fact that it’s an original.
Solution
The undercover recording features a Good Plains Gallery salesman trying to sell the “original” copy of ‘Stairway’. However, we know that this is owned by Minerva Bloom, proving that Good Plains are intentionally misleading their customers.
Head to www.true-crime.bigpotato.com/operation-bogart. Once you’ve solved all three files, scroll down and click ‘Continue’. Listen to the audio file, then click ‘Continue’ again. Finally, type in the answer, “B4D”.
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C2: Roanoke Post Office
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C3: Mansfield Post Office
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C4: Outside the House
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C5: The Mail Route
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C6: The Bank
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C7: Inside the House
C2: Roanoke Post Office
Clue #1
We can’t get a good look at this lady, but we know she was definitely in the Roanoke Post Office on Feb 2nd a 12:15pm.
Clue #2
The Roanoke and Mansfield office are a 40-minute drive away from each other. Fifi’s records are all for the correct person. What can that tell us about the money orders at Mansfield?
Clue #3
I bet our criminal was doing drops on the same day. So, I’d discount any Mansfield postal order dates that don’t appear on Fifi’s list.
Clue #4
That means, the only Mansfield camera codes that could possibly be correct are the ones on Row 5, 7, 11 and 15.
Solution
The money order made at 11:32am on Feb 7th is the correct choice. However, you may need to look deeper into the Mansfield file for the information you need…
Email t.foster.usps@gmail.com and mention “camera code F71132” in the email. He should reply with a CCTV still of your suspect leaving the office.
C3: Mansfield Post Office
Clue #1
If you find the correct cam code, you’ll find your suspect. Cross-reference them with Fifi’s records to narrow down your options.
Clue #2
Remember, it’s a 40-minute drive from Mansfield to Roanoke. The only possible same-day options are Rows 5, 7, 11 and 15.
Clue #3
Trusted sources tell us that a shady woman was seen visiting Mansfield Post Office at 11:32am on Feb 7th.
Clue #4
The CCTV footage you receive might not tell you everything… but it looks like the security cameras at ‘Stop That Racquet’ might tell a different story. Try getting in touch with Barry at Eagle Eye systems.
Solution
Your suspect sent a money order at Mansfield Post Office at 11:32am, Feb 7th. If you contact Eagle Eye security, you can get CCTV footage of her number plate — providing key information about her identity.
Email eagle.eye.mansfield@gmail.com and mention “Stop that Racquet”. He should reply with a CCTV still of your suspect leaving Mansfield Post Office. Next, email the number plate (6CD C594) to n.nelson.usps@gmail.com. She’ll send you your next mission.
C4: Outside the House
Clue #1
This letter from Miles definitely looks like it came from a bank… but he hasn’t mentioned the bank’s name anywhere. Maybe the IOM Finance Association can tell us more.
Clue #2
Looks like we’ll need Miles’s full name if we want to get any further.
Clue #3
A thank you note from her mail carrier, Anne Anderson… written on Mansfield post office stationery? That feels pretty unusual.
Clue #4
Is there anyone at Mansfield Post Office that we could contact, who might know a little bit more about who this “Anne Anderson” might be?
Solution
Anne Anderson is Samantha Olander’s mail carrier, so there’s a good chance she might have evidence we need. If you contact Tyson Foster, he’ll be able to help you make contact.
Email t.foster.usps@gmail.com and mention “Anne Anderson”. He’ll email back, telling you to open Locked Folder C5.
C5: The Mail Route
Clue #1
You can’t open the letter, but you can still get information from it. There’s something familiar about that address on the front of the envelope…
Clue #2
That’s the same return address as Samantha’s letter from the bank! Now we know her contact’s full name: Miles Stamper.
Clue #3
Now you’ve got the banker’s full name, you should be able to put his details into the IOM Finance Association database.
Clue #4
You’ve got the full name and the four-digit ID number. Try ringing the IOM Finance Association helpline to find the name of the bank.
Solution
If you call the IOM Finance Association helpline and enter Miles Stamper’s 4-digit ID number, you’ll reach his voicemail and reveal the name: Manning Bank.
Email n.nelson.usps@gmail.com and mention “Manning Bank”. She’ll send you your next mission.
C6: The Bank
Clue #1
Now, we need to find out who the money is coming from. Take another look through Samantha Olander’s papers. Are there any characters that seem particularly shady?
Clue #2
Yep, that Lucas Almez seems suspicious to us too. Now, we need to find out how much he sent her. There’s a lot of money being paid into that account. What if we add it all up…
Clue #3
$266,816? It’s a lot of money, but still doesn’t seem to be enough. Maybe Samantha’s been storing the money in other ways… like gold?
Clue #4
We know Samantha bought 1556 ounces of gold from Mr Brooks. According to Mr Brooks’s email, what would the value be?
Solution
Samantha laundered $266,816 in postal orders, but also bought 1556 ounces of gold at $664 per ounce. All in all, that’s a cool $1.3 million in total.
Email n.nelson.usps@gmail.com and mention “Lucas Almez”. After that, email her again and mention “1.3 million”. She’ll send you your next mission.
C7: Inside the House
Clue #1
There’s some faint writing in Samantha’s notepad, from something that’s been ripped out. But who on Earth is “GEIWEV”?
Clue #2
Have you checked out the Lettuce Eat website let? Samantha sure did love it there. And something seems familiar…
Clue #3
It looks like “GEIWEV” must translate to “CAESAR”. She’s taken every letter and counted back four spaces on the alphabet.
Clue #4
The code under the map must use the same rules. “ALEX" translates to “WHAT”. What does the rest of the message say?
Solution
Samantha Olander’s secret message is translated as this: WHAT ONCE WAS LOST — LIES SAFE AND SEALED — WHERE THE LINES DO CROSS — IN THE CACTUS FIELD.
Email jasper.nelson.WOI@gmail.com and mention “D3” on the map. He’ll send you your next mission.