JOSI

Josi pulls up into the parking lot of Benji's home. Another plan which she conjured - a result of observing the guard's demeanor around the capo.

She'd worked up the theory before conducting the study. Most, if not all, mafia socialites are assholes. They are far removed from much of society and can't seem to fathom the fact that there are others who have their own set of issues. No empathy where it may help.

The only figure who showed any sense of normality in Josi's case was the ex-consigliere. May his soul rest in peace - or anguish. Whichever one is more fitting of his timeline on Earth.

Josi's initial hypothesis of their relationship wasn't much of a stretch. All it had taken were three observations to tally up the study. The first of such observations happened during the masquerade ball a couple months ago, the day she and Dami first met.

The two seemed to be in a heated argument, though it was more of Five's words being spoken than it was Benji's. Ultimately, it fizzled into some agreement Five imposed on Benji. And the guard was left drilling holes into the capo's back all night long.

The second was during the Verdonni-Maranzo celebration. This one proved more solid. How else do you interpret spilling a glass full of champagne all over one's shoes. Five even went as far as having Benji clean up the mess, so as to highlight the power dynamic between them. Josi will come to find this is something the capo does quite often.

The third took place recently. To bring the study to its conclusion, Josi had eavesdropped on the two after their meeting with Idris. She expected the same interaction full of hostility. She was not disappointed.

Benji, Josi realizes, is a tortured soul looking for a way out. He gave up his rights, though inexplicitly, to Five who has gained more from their one-sided partnership than the guard himself. Another victim tied down by the Verdonnis. She relates to Benji, but keeps that sense of camaraderie to a minimum. After all, what she's looking for isn't friendship, but the alliance Five failed to cultivate with his guard.

Ironically enough, there's more privacy offered in Benji's home than there is anywhere else. Probably a skill he picked up from his years of constant guarding and as a designated sentry. He knows how to keep the essentials in and the unwanted out.

And now Josi has become an essential. She rings once, waits for a few seconds, and is then greeted not by Benji, but by who she suspects must be his wife. The woman has jet black hair that has been tied to the back, with eyes almost as blue as the sky. She doesn't seem surprised when she sees Josi. She steps to the side and simply welcomes her in.

There's a kid who eyes Josi with curiosity when she steps through, and Josi returns the stare with a smile. Then she offers the woman a greeting and moves on to her visit's purpose. "Is Benji here?"

"He'll be down soon."

Josi nods and extends a hand. "I'm Josita, by the way."

The woman meets her hand with a smile of her own. "Nora."

Meanwhile, the kid's curiosity has swollen into a bigger matter. Josi notices this. She squats down to the kid's level and offers her another smile. "And what's your name?"

The child is timid in her response. "Alice."

"Well, how old are you, Alice?"

"Guess."

Josi takes some time to think. "Six?"

Alice laughs and nods her head yes, impressed by Josi's precision. To create some space for conversation, Nora redirects Alice's attention towards her art supplies in the living room, urging her to draw more pictures. Alice takes the bait and excuses herself.

"She's adorable." Josi says once Alice is out of sight.

This, Nora takes as a compliment. She ushers Josi towards the kitchen and has her take a seat by a table. Then she surfs the fridge for whatever it is she can offer Josi.

"Benji says you're here to help."

While this is true, Josi isn't sure how much Benji allows his wife know about his life with the Verdonnis. "Uh . . . yes, with redecorating."

Nora laughs at her attempt. "I know what he does."

Josi joins in on the laughter, feeling now more comfortable than before. She's offered a tray of cubic cheese assortments and crackers. A treat she never knew she needed.

"And I know who Idris Verdonni is too."

Josi holds a hand up to her chest as a form of condolence. "I am so sorry."

More laughter from both women. "So you're okay with Benji's line of work?" Josi asks.

"I wasn't exactly a goody-two-shoes myself."

"Really?"

Nora nods. "I actually tried to kill him - back when I worked under the Maranzo family. Small misunderstanding."

A very obtuse way of how their love story took root, but it's because of that very instance the couple were able to build a relationship. Josi sits with a tinge of envy. She thinks of Bradley, though only for a split second, because the possibility of Idris finding out are slim but not impossible. But since Idris isn't around to intercede, she decides she will indulge in those distant memories. The life she and Bradley cultivated for themselves . . . The one that no longer exists.

Josi is pulled back to reality by the nudge Alice gives her. The kid has returned with a drawing, and in this picture, there's an animal - most likely a cat as seen by the misplaced whiskers on its circular head. There's a sun above, along with palm trees to give off a tropical feel. The colors are out of place, but it takes nothing away from the frame of mind. This cat is happy.

Alice smiles, her two missing teeth coming to view. "I drew you a picture."

Josi holds the drawing as though it were a prized possession. It might as well be, because no such image will be replicated. "I'm going to frame this and put it on my desk."

Alice is satisfied with this response. She heads back to her work station, probably in pursuit of a new drawing that will perhaps be good enough to make it onto places bigger than a frame.

"You're great with kids." Nora tells Josi. "Have you thought about having one? Maybe with Idris?"

This sentence immediately kills the joy left by Alice. It sends Josi into a void which she tries desperately to pull herself from.

But maybe there's a slim chance things do end up taking a turn towards that direction. Now Josi has a child who is fathered by the man she despises most. Would she love the child still? Would she care for it the same way all children deserve to be cared for? Its innocence still remains. The child should not be blamed for the actions of their father. But even with this reasoning, Josi finds she can't answer those questions.

Nora seems to notice this stark change, though only for a split second because Josi's expression is back to normal in due time. Thankfully, Benji makes it to the kitchen before any more mind-boggling questions are posed. He takes his time with his greeting to his wife, then makes sure the two women are acquainted with each other. Nora tells him they're well past that stage, to which Josi chuckles. Then she bids Josi goodbye and heads for Alice's workstation to serve as her assistant.

Benji gets right down to business. "How are you planning on getting rid of Orlando?"

"Straight to the point, huh."

"I'd rather we cut all the unnecessary bullshit." Benji tells her.

Josi can tell he's eager to get things over with. The feeling is mutual. "It's simple. All you have to do is get him to this location." She hands him a card with an address on it.

"What happens after that?" Benji asks, now examining the card.

"Leave the rest to me."

Benji just stares at Josi, a bit doubtful. He had initially wanted to cut the conversation short, but now he decides he will poke around the edge after all. "What did Idris Verdonni do to you?"

Josi isn't sure how he knows her vendetta is against Idris specifically. Maybe he's heard of other mafiosos holding their girlfriends or wives in captivity. Josi doesn't know how often that happens, but she will not let herself become a statistic. She ends the meeting and is then ushered towards the front door by Benji who latches onto the card like it's his only chance at peace.

Before Josi exits, she tells Benji, "You have a lovely family." which brings a faint smile to the guard.

Now that the plan for Five has been set in motion, all Josi has to do is watch it play out. So she heads back to that prison cell with an hourglass already flipped on its head, because it will only be a matter of time before the Verdonni family is down to the last man standing.

~《¤》~

VERDONNI FAMILY

Five has been missing for the past three days. No one knows where he is. No one has seen him since. And now another conflict weighs the Verdonni family down.

But they soon get on the case. At first, they think this is another Rand situation, but the clues found would soon disprove that theory.

Five's last whereabouts were at a club he attended in the city. There were footages found of what truly transpired, retrieved from the cameras attached to the back of the club. An unknown figure making off with Five's body stuffed in the boot of a car. The camera wasn't able to capture anything that could help identify the perpetrator. Except the vehicle.

They interrogated Benji, but he claimed he was never supposed to meet up with the capo that day. And further investigations would prove him right. He had an alibi, so he couldn't have had a hand in the capo's disappearance. But what is an alibi if not an easily crafted tale?

Then the family thinks it's The Caméléonne. It's possible if a ransom was placed on the capo's head. But they would surely have been made aware of such a bounty beforehand. The idea was soon scrapped when they found their biggest clue: the car which was used to aid in Five's kidnap. They found it abandoned by some train tracks away from the city.

At first, there's nothing peculiar about the vehicle. They search front to back; bumper to trunk, until their next clue turns up. A card with an address on it. It was found lodged between the driver's seat and the armrest.

Next, they paid a visit to the address only to find a dead end. An abandoned building in the middle of the woods. They ransacked the place, flipped it upside-down on its heel. No other clue. That's where things ended. Five was there. But the perpetrator moved him somewhere else. Perhaps after putting an end to his life. This part is unclear to the family.

And now the Verdonni family stick to their last remaining piece of the puzzle. Whoever that card belongs to is behind Five's disappearance. And finding that culprit is first on the family's agenda.

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