An elderly Italian man living in New Jersey had a tradition: every spring, he planted a big tomato garden. But this year, the soil was too tough, and his body wasn’t what it used to be. The one person who always helped him—his son Tony—was serving time in prison.

The old man wrote Tony a letter:
“Dear Tony,
I’m feeling down this year. The ground is too hard for me to dig, and it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomatoes. If you were here, I know you’d have that garden ready in no time, just like old days.
Love, Dad.”

A few days later, he got a reply:
“Dad, whatever you do—don’t dig up the backyard! That’s where I buried the ‘stuff.’
Love, Tony.”

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police swarmed the property. They dug up the whole yard, every inch of it, searching for hidden evidence. They found nothing—and eventually left, frustrated.

Later that day, another letter arrived from Tony:
“Dear Dad,
Now you can plant your tomatoes. That’s the best I could do from here.
Love, Tony.”