The Third Name
A little mystery from the Ponti family
Do You Remember Her Name?
In The Silence of Bari Vecchia, Vittorio's mother receives a postcard from an old friend — a postcard she later forwards to her son.
But do you remember her first name?
Need a hint?
Look back at the postcard's journey in the Bari Vecchia story. Her name begins with O.
Meet Ottavia Ponti
Now we know her name: Ottavia Ponti, mother of Vittorio Ponti, our amateur detective.
What you may not know is that Vittorio inherited some of his powers of deduction from his mother.
Ottavia is a seamstress with an extraordinary eye for detail. She can notice a single misplaced stitch, remember the smallest change in someone's appearance, and calculate fabric measurements and proportions in her head with remarkable speed.
She keeps her mind busy for pleasure, too: crosswords, word puzzles, games of logic — and puzzles of her own invention.
One such puzzle has been tucked away in her diary for more than thirty years. Today, it is yours to solve.
Two Names
Select a letter in OTTAVIA, then select the same letter in VITTORIO. Each matching pair will be crossed out. A letter can only be used once.
0 pairs found
You've found every matching pair. The letters left behind are:
Ottavia's diary contains one more name. Perhaps these letters will help you read it.
Need a hint?
Each T in OTTAVIA can be paired with a T in VITTORIO. Do the same with every other possible match. Unmatched letters in either name must remain.
What Remains?
Here are the five unmatched letters from the first page:
Cross out those letters from MAIORANO. Tap each matching letter in the surname once. You must cross out exactly two As, one I, one O and one R.
0 of 5 letters crossed out
Three letters remain. Arrange them to form Ottavia's special name for someone in her family.
Tap the three letters in the order you want. Tap “Clear” to try again.
Need a hint?
Compare the five letters A, A, I, O and R with MAIORANO. After crossing them out, three letters remain. The answer begins with M.
Mon.
It wasn't a stranger's name at all.
Mon was Ottavia's own little name for her daughter, Manon Ponti — Vittorio's sister.
For more than thirty years, this small game of letters has rested between the pages of her diary: a private affection, hidden in plain sight.
[The final scene from Ottavia's diary can be added here when your story is ready.]