John drove through the busy streets of New York, his concern evident on his face. He went through the neighborhoods where Vittorio Amorielle had his ventures, starting with the Lower East Side, passing through the Upper West Side, and heading towards Union Square in the heart of Manhattan. At each location he visited, the response was the same: no one had seen Laura there.

Frustration began to mix with anxiety. John knew that time was running out and that every minute was crucial to ...