The Dark Star - Lockdown Vol. 01

"And the last Will he made states what exactly?" Logan ignored the craving for a cigarette and stood away, to also give her some physical space.

"Where is she?" Ari looked over her shoulder as if expecting the young Italian to be there.

"No idea..." Logan honestly answered, having been distracted somewhat in the last few hours. "Haven't seen her all day."

"Well, that little cunt is right...everything she's claimed holds true. Everything passes to his siblings as well as next of kin.... being engaged to him gives me as much right as anyone else.... which is a blessing but it's not just this place it's the Villa in Italy, his money.... given the terms of the Will as it stands, she's entitled to as much of an equal share as I am... Oh, but get this.... we're open to discuss a negotiation on an alternative settlement agreement."

"One, I thought you'd clarified your claim months ago... Two, I'm guessing you'll be as reluctant to give as she will," Logan interjected.

"Too fucking right." Ari agreed with the sentiment of the second part of his state by as she stubbed the cigarette out into a cup, he'd left earlier on the kitchen worktop. She seemingly chose to ignore the first half of his comment. "She couldn't afford to buy me out and equally I can't afford to buy her out... I mean the assumption being she's not able to afford that... So, unless she's anymore surprises as neither of us can act given the value then all property and all the monies sat in the various bank accounts are to be split fifty fifty."

"Just off hand.... How much are you looking at?"

"Two million.... minimum." Ari confirmed. "The house is the single largest asset. Marco wasn't his Father and that Empire was crumbling before Gio Mancini dropped dead. Marco's dealings weren't as sophisticated or as profitable as his Fathers."

Ari sighed as she stepped away from the counter, in her heels Logan couldn't help but admire her physique. "I always suspected there was a hidden wealth... the legacy of the corruption and dubious business dealings must have generated so much more than what's sat in bank accounts.... but I've no idea where.... Marco kept such secrets so well hidden the whereabouts.... the truth may well have died with him."

Ari looked across the kitchen sink at the stack of dirtied mugs plates and cups, momentarily distracted from her line of thought. "What the fuck do I pay that girl for?.... this kitchens as filthy as when I left this morning... what does she do when she's here?"

"So, it's the classic metaphor of a rock before you and a hard place behind you" Logan offered in genuine sympathy but also to distract her chain of thought from why Joanne Pinnock's handy work left a lot to be desired.

As he spoke, he considered the blonde stood before him, analysed her attitude her demeanour, he knew her so well but even for a stranger it wouldn't have been difficult to see through Ari's thin veneer of simple ugly greed. So different from the girl he'd met years ago but with the same crass ego about her. The selfishness to her was barely justified when in truth young Sienna Mancini was as entitled to the family inheritance as much if not more than Ari. He understands Ari's grievance, but Sienna would very well have the same axe to grind with Ari over her claws being sunk deep into the Mancini family inheritance.

"I'm fucked.... but.... every cloud and all that..." Ari said aloud, "... I mean it's a good job the other Sister is officially classified as a Misper."

"Other Sister?" Logan feigned ignorance as he followed while she wandered from the kitchen towards the large conservatory fronted living area which offer a different angle over the property's vast garden.

Ari humoured him but the casual rueful look back over her shoulder suggested she certainly wasn't following his attempted ignorance.

"Really?" she offered as she flopped down on to a wide dark brown leather sofa "The Woman who owned your Club before me who took the same club from you?"

"Ah the interim," Logan offered a half smirk. "I didn't really know her."

Ari shook her head, she knew him too well, as well as he knew her, she would not be taken in by his attempt at naivety. As she sat, she slipped the platinum ring into which a huge diamond was set from her the back of her left-hand ring finger, leant forward, and placed it on the low coffee table sat before her. Logan noted she'd only worn the ring for the meeting with her Solicitor

"So, you'd know nothing about Laura Mancini's disappearance?"

"Not a thing." Logan shrugged as he delivered his nonchalant response.

"Well anyway had she been around things would be split three ways... so small mercies and all that."

"There's Lucky for you... you caught one silver lining at least." Logan didn't take a seat as he stepped to the window and gazed out across the garden noting how it was just starting to come to life with the new buds of spring. Daffodils threatening to break into bloom at any moment.

"Very lucky.... although you know what for the first time ever, I wish I'd actually married the cunt," a sneer punctuating her statement. The content of what she'd just said made Logan question, quietly in his own mind, how much sentiment, how much love there had been in the relationship prior to Marco's demise at the hands of a Serial Killer.

"Well, if it's any consolation... it sounds like you'd be in a similar situation even if there were a band to match that diamond ring."

Ari fixed him with a cynical gaze shaking her head, "Oh no...because I'd have made sure the Will would be in my favour...alright I might have let the little bitch have half the silverware in consolation."

Logan shook his head in mock scorn. She if nothing was all heart he thought sarcsastically to himself.

"Before we change the subject..." Ari leant forward looking up at him with the kind of look that would previously have gotten her into mischief. The tone of her voice changed ever so slightly adopting an innocent girly tone "...Would there be any chance of the younger Sister following the older Sister out of the equation?"

"What are you asking of me?" Logan qualified immediately and bluntly

"I think you know."

"And I think you know my response." An anxiety gripped him immediately a sharp little twist of regret deep in his stomach. "I've moved on Ari... my actions create too many victims."

Logan paused looking into those crystal blue eyes of hers. He senses questions she longed to ask, on matters she wished to push. Matters he was unwilling to discuss, even with the confidence he had in her. It would be all too easy to grant her what she wanted, even if she had not asked directly. He knew he didn't need to waste time and finances on professional help to understand or appreciate the person he'd become, the darkness, the evil he'd perpetrated in his past that somehow, he'd gotten away with. Although while he'd survived the drama of his past the same couldn't be said of the trail of victims in his wake, the innocent victims of his narcissism that was as long as it was varied. The visions which haunted his dreams were of those many of his victims. Even now as she looked toward him, he could close down block out their faces, silence their anguish voices but those same faces and voices haunted his nightmares every time he slept, every time he was left alone with only his mind for company.

"Don't ask of me what I can't give you Arabella" Logan stated purposefully quietly. "That's my past...I won't tread that path again."

Ari continued to fix him with her gaze. Silent but not outwardly showing any sign of remiss for engaging in the subject.

"I can't do that for you I can't do that for anyone... far too many people get hurt," Logan added, reiterating his earlier point.

"We can't change our pasts...but we can shape our futures." Ari stated with a quiet authority "I'm not sure what I'm asking...what I'm expecting...what I want... I apologise."

"You want a clear path..." Logan stated "...you want what you believe to be yours... there's more than one way to achieve that"

"What do you suggest then?"

"Maybe a little patience" he took a few steps towards her then rather than sit next to Ari he opted to take a seat on the matching dark leather sofa opposite of her. "See what transpires... she's young... she's naive... let the dust settle a little and stop letting her get under your skin for a start."

"Easier said than done," Ari sneered. "She's fucking moved herself in and imposed herself even you must have notified the change in dynamic."

"Short term pain for long term gain. Accept her a little it doesn't mean she isn't going to be getting bored sooner or later... humour her...get subtly under her skin... find her weaknesses and exploit the situation from there... sometimes you have to play the long game."

"This jumped up fucking little bitch comes out of nowhere and invades my life and you expect me to humour her... to welcome her with open arms?"

"I can see you're going to take some convincing" Logan interjected semi seriously.

"There's gotta be a way to take care of her?"

Logan shook his head "You want me to help... we do it my way."

"Maybe I'll find someone else." Ari hissed now taking her grievance out on him.

"Like who?" Logans retort edged with scorn

"I'm not the only one with sordid connections" Ari near smirked, believing no doubt she was being mysterious but appearing childish in the same moment.

The greed poisoning her mind was being expressed far too unhealthily so far as Logan was concerned. Rational thought was the only viable legal solution at this point

"Believe it or not in the last six years I've rarely achieved what I wanted to achieve without consideration..." he sat forward and set his eyes on hers. "She'll have a weakness... let's exploit that first.... avoiding suspicion and errors that could prove costly."

"We'll give it a month." Ari stated on a somewhat resigned tone.

"To start with," Logan offered.

"A month." Ari reiterated.

**********

Logan walked into the living area a little ahead of Ari. On the 70-inch Plasma TV a trashy soap opera played, a programme Logan should possibly recognise but failed to. Outside the windows behind un-drawn curtains the pitch black of another cold late winter night.

Sienna Mancini sat legs tucked under her on the larger of the two sofas that faced the television in a L shaped formation. Dressed barefoot in a pair of navy figure hugging leggings and a light pink, oversized, hooded sweatshirt the logo off which was hidden by the cushion she hugged.

Ari now dressed in a more casual olive-green jumpsuit passed Logan and sat herself down, having pushed a number of cushions aside, on the free sofa. Logan opted to sit himself next to her.

"Good day at College?" He offered toward Sienna

"Uni" was the single word slightly blunt response met his enquiry.

"Uni..." Logan corrected himself before enquiring "...So good day at Uni?"

It was more than obvious the distraction to her television viewing was far from appreciated. Sienna barely turned her head let alone looked up from under the bangs of her straight dark hair. Her arms now crossed across cushion against her chest.

"Wasn't so bad."

Ari threw Logan a sideways glance at the painful exchange that had been instigated. Happy to silently criticise he considered but even less happy to contribute. Logan turned his head to the screen to see end credits scrolling up a screen against the soundtrack of a fairly lively tune. He still couldn't place the name of the programme, not that it mattered.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room only punctuated by advertisements on the television. As they sat there Logan nudged his left arm to Ari's right arm

"Uh..." she finally offered, "Logan and I were thinking of take away as neither of us can be bothered with cooking.... do you...do you want anything?"

"What were you thinking?" Sienna perked up a little at the unexpected offer.

"Dunno..." Ari stated, "Well that's a lie...We can't decide between Chinese or Indian"

"Chinese sounds good." Sienna offered immediately.

"Outnumbered then Ari..." Logan interjected chirpily. "...Wise choice Sienna."

As she looked over at him Logan offered a sincere smile and gave her a subtle little wink which he was surprised brought a blush of a smirk then a smile to the dark-haired girls face.

The News came on the plasma screen in the background and immediately Sienna made to change channels.

"Hold on a minute," Logan offered leaning forward intently listening to the words of the grey-haired newsreader with a rather flamboyant necktie.

"Prime Minister Boris Johnson today announced a 46-million-pound fund for research into a coronavirus vaccine and rapid diagnostic tests.

During a visit to a laboratory in Bedfordshire, he said 'it looks like there will be a substantial period of disruption where we have to deal with the outbreak of the virus"

"Do you guys think this is that serious?" Sienna offered turning to face both Logan and Ari.

"Seems to be ramping up in scale," Logan offered, "And if they show what's happening in Italy you gotta hope we don't follow those poor bastards."

"What the fuck is that?" Ari interrupted, Logan's eye line immediately back to the TV showing likely stock footage incongruous images of white overall clad scientists in a laboratory.

"What?" he offered.

"That?" and he followed the direction in which she thrust a dark red painted manicured fingernail.

Sat on the third shelf of a bookcase was a new addition to the room.

Logan instantly recognised the four smiling faces beaming back at him. Recognising each of them for differing reasons. In the photo Sienna Mancini, looking several years younger than she did now and was stood in a dark red dress, to her left-hand side in a dark gold dress was her elder sister Laura, to her right the unmistakable significant form of Gio Mancini and to his left, her elder brother Marco Mancini.

"I hope you don't mind...there were no photos of any of them up in their house." Sienna offered with a confrontational statement delivered with an innocent enough non-confrontational tone.

The faces smiling back at him triggered Logan for numerous reasons, he could only imagine Ari's thoughts. The platinum blonde to his left remained silent but the look on her face spoke volumes.

It was going to be a long month.

**********

Scraping the remnants of noodles, and various translucent coloured sauces from plates into a stainless-steel waste bin Logan looked up as Ari entered the vast kitchen area tapping away quickly on her phone, the olive jumpsuit didn't do enough to emphasise her figure was his initial thought.

"How was domestic bliss for you?" Logan offered.

"Like nails down a chalkboard."

While he loaded the dishwasher her phone pinged a message notification which immediately distracted her. Pushing blonde hair back off her face while she tapped out another considerable message.

"That fucking photograph though," Ari finally offered up having returned her attention from the phone.

"Little things to humour...there's three of four faces beaming back from that frame I'd rather not have a constant reminder of."

"Snap.... but I had a bit of time for the old Man."

The message tone sounded again, and she raised the phone in her hand, biting her lip a little as she contemplated then sent a further response.

"Can I ask you a favour Lo?" She leant against the door frame with an angelic little smile and the kind of pouting look he couldn't refuse from many women, let alone her.

"What's that?" he said swilling his hands under a flow of warm water in the sink.

"Next Thursday evening..." Ari stated as she walked up to him and in a deliberate act traced her fingers from the crook of his elbow over his upper arm. "...I need a Chaperone...someone I can trust."

"Why don't I like the sound of this?"

Ari simply leant forward and kissed his cheek

"I knew I could trust you"

Chapter Three; The Chaperone

The traffic was light heading into the city at this time of night.

The glow of streetlights turning the misty sky an almost surreal orange.

Checking the advice of the Sat Nav Logan looked in his mirrors and changed lanes at an approaching roundabout enabling him to turn right and head towards the Old Quarter via the Expressway. Chancing a glance, he looked out to his left towards the Docks and the ghosts of his past. It was questionable why he'd returned to this place, even more questionable as to why he'd stuck around. Not that he ever ventured into the City these days. Not that he ever left the gated entrance of the house that had become an adopted home. Did it therefore matter where he chose to reside, and there was familiarity if nothing else? Although within every street in every part of this City there was a danger of his truth being exposed. The risk that someone would recognise him, the real him, Logan Hughes.

"You, Ok?" Logan offered to Ari as she sat in the cream leather passenger seat of the black Land Rover Discovery. She was distant her mind elsewhere as she gazed out through the passenger window herself.

"Yeah yeah," she stated offering very little conviction. Glancing down at her phone screen which illuminated casting odd shadows across her slender face. The sweet floral smell of her perfume filled the vehicle.

"And I still don't get to find out where we're going?" Logan enquired, unsure as to the need for the veil of secrecy over not only the location to which they were headed but also as to what the purpose of the evening was.

"Fucks sake we'll be there in 3 minutes" Ari stated a little impatiently pointing a well-manicured finger towards the Sat Nav display to punctuate her curt response.

Turning off the dual carriage expressway ahead of an approaching tunnel Logan checked directions a left and the next immediate right and they'd be at the postcode of the destination that Ari had plugged in before they'd set off. He didn't like this. He didn't like any of this. Everything felt against his better judgement. Driving along narrow streets past old tall buildings of impressive architecture Logan watched as they approached where a red pin indicated their destination should be. Everything looked nondescript

"Underground Car Park apparently," Ari suddenly bestowed what he considered pertinent information. He spotted the entrance just in time and pulled the Land Rover from the road down a steepish incline into the bowels of the building. Emerging into a car park lined with rows of high-end vehicles and occasional super cars that immediately garnered Logan's attention. Pulling into a free parking bay between a black Ferrari Spider and a Racing Green Aston Martin DB7

"Mind your door when you open it," Logan quipped as if warning a child in a supermarket car park. "There's some value down here."

"Ain't there just," Ari nonchalantly stated slipping from the vehicle.

"As your Chaperone I was gonna come round and also be a Gentleman with your door." Logan offered as he walked around the back of the vehicle which almost felt out of place amongst the parallel lines of expensive vehicles. Millions of pounds worth.

Ari's calf length funnel neck over coat buttoned to the neck gave away little of what she wore underneath. The high heels of her black strap shoes striking the ground with purpose as she didn't even humour him and headed through the car park to the only visible entrance to the address from down here. Buttoning his dark suit jacket over a black shirt Logan fell almost dutifully in line. Approaching the door two burley looking security guards stepped in their way. A black guy in a dark grey overcoat and black leather gloves eyed Logan with suspicion whilst a white guy in a navy suit that didn't quite fit his hulking frame stood before them.