ICON

SEE BELOW

 

 

 

ICON

 

 

 

 

By

 

GRAEME RICHARDSON

 

(Current Draft �" 17/01/2022)

 

 

 

© Graeme Richardson 2012

 

 

 

 

LOG LINE

 

 

TORN BETWEEN LOVE AND DECEIT, DOES ONE RUN OR FACE THE MUSIC?

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

CONRAD HAXEL, (33), is an appraiser and a retriever of fine artefacts; estimating the value and historical significance, while returning stolen, rare, and priceless objects-de-art and ICONS to those who have deep pockets. This is his “game”, that he performs with exceptional dexterity from his quiet and unassuming office in a busy bustling western metropolis. He ardours his job, until now. For while investigating the authenticity of an almost unheard-of statue of “Madonna” by Di Vinci, Conrad mistakenly falls upon some disturbing news. That is, his wealthy client, PETRA RHIANNON (35), is covertly a notorious and vicious woman. Whose fortune was acquired by illegal, malicious, and unscrupulous means.

 

********

 

Conrad, though educated at all the ‘correct’ schools and universities, was never particularly effective at the provenance of people, (as opposed to art), from whom he receives commission, and because of this, he is unfortunately, and unobservantly, about to ‘pay the piper’. This, his first, and maybe last little error of judgement. Though while standing quietly on the fringe, he witnesses certain peculiarities about Petra; her manner, personality, and attitude to life, that he may one day be liquidated of all his worldly assists. Conrad quickly and foolishly dismisses these thoughts as reckless paranoia. For he is versed with the golden rule; appraisers must choose their words very, very carefully.

 

Irrespective of Conrad’s sensitivities Petra is an expert at playing “cat an’ mouse”, acting coquettishly naïve and smiling benevolently at political campaigns, donning furs at gallery openings, and controlling, (but only on paper mind you), legitimate businesses. Only she knows the ‘front’ she plays!

 

Adding salt to what will eventually be overly gushed wounds, is the fact that Conrad and Petra become lovers. There was an immediate spark when first they met; enjoying the same sense of humour, music and art, theatre and politics, yet it comes to pass, this is only for self-serving reasons. She wanted an intelligent ‘toy’ with credentials to show off at parties, a well groomed ‘object-de-art’ if you will. He was after escapism from his cloistered world, to broaden his knowledge of high society, money and power. Rubbing shoulders with fame is far more exciting than hearing about it in the media. Then something happens that both were never, ever expecting...

 

They fall in love.

 

But what does love, our most uncontrollable of emotions, serenely unpack as it begins its, (and in this case), destructive and turbulent path? For Conrad this is a first, he has never strayed from his professionalism. For Petra, letting down her guard is a sacred violation of her personal oath. Yet collectively, their hands are now well and truly stuck in the jar, ‘s**t an’ the fan’ are about to go into full swing.

 

Then on one cold night while they quietly sleep, Petra wakes upon hearing her laptop ‘ping’, it is an incoming message. She rises slowly looking at Conrad sleeping, then surreptitiously she slinks out of bed and stealthily moves to her palatial office. She opens her screen for a video conference. The man on the screen is a well-known criminal, as the media have been ‘hounding’ him for months. Petra talks to him of a casino, of money-laundering and kickbacks to disreputable politicians, and murder. Conrad has woken and is secretively standing at the far doorway. He hears all. As Petra quickly shuts her computer, she hears Conrad’s footsteps down the long hallway. Petra is painfully aware that he has overheard her conversation. She is worried and alarmed, not only for herself, but Conrad. The man she loves.

 

Armed with the fact that Conrad has knowledge of her ‘history’, and it is a history, a secret lifestyle, Petra makes possibly a fatal decision, that is, not to act. She plays along as if nothing has been revealed. Conrad on the other hand, has dissimilar thoughts rattling through is brain. For what he believed, and on most occasions rejected as merely a bit harmless danger, he has now, regardless of love, treats these actions as inexcusable.

 

While internally battling these thoughts for many days, Conrad comes upon an article in the news; “Underworld Crime Boss Killed in Shootout!” The same criminal figure Petra was talking too on her laptop a weeks before. His thoughts go into overdrive. Could this be how Petra will end up? Or conversely himself? Anger turns to guilt, convincing himself that it is a ‘crime’ for Petra to have in her possession a great work of art, as the “Madonna Statue”. He will not let her keep it!

 

So, Conrad quietly begins the process of ‘closing up shop’ from bank accounts to art in storage. Finally, late at night, with bags packed and passport in hand, Conrad goes into the backroom of Petra’s storage and steals the “Madonna”. But before he departs into the dead if night, he leaves a parting gift, the documentation for the provenance of the “Madonna”. Yes, it is real! He then dashes into the night, on the run, his life now directionless and plagued with uncertainty.

 

Months have passed. Conrad is now living in yet another new city, alone, except for the stolen “Madonna” and a newly opened local bank account with all his European assists. He decides to make a stand, that this ‘Port of Call’ will be the beginning of his journey to his final nirvana, his security island in the southern sun, as this city ‘speaks’ to him, it’s his ‘kind of town’. Conrad has also come to believe that hiding in plain sight, in a big city, will be safest option. Erroneously hoping that Petra will cool off, pursue another artistic endeavour, and forget that he ever, ever existed. And as he still has the “Madonna” safely hidden in his hotel room safe, he believes that she’ll forget about that too.

 

Now donned with the new ‘role’ of tourist, Conrad soaks up all the attractions that a cosmopolis beckons; a seat at the theatre, fine dining, child-like attempts at riding a surfboard, walking the streets as a flaneur, and even, without thought for the consequences, attending art gallery openings. Yet it is at one of these openings that Conrad meets by chance, (or maybe with a little want), a girl who is as singularly alone as he.

 

LALA JUDEA, (24), appears innocent and untainted, with nothing to hide, having discovered a fellow ‘sole mate’ in Conrad. They become friends, and over the next couple of weeks her shyness begins to melt. For they talk of nothing, (well almost of nothing), but their ‘great love’ for ICONS, art, and antiquarianism. Along with their love for theatre and fine food. Is this indeed a new love for Conrad? Maybe?

 

Though in the intervening time, PETRA has put her vast network of shady contacts and techno geeks on over time. Eventually, and after many months of investigation from positive leads to red herrings, Petra finally locates Conrad’s where-abouts. She then makes the unprecedented decision to handle this personally.

 

Logically, from her perspective, Petra knows that one must ‘save face’ when ‘dancing’ with criminal high rollers. Because now, with the knowledge of Conrad’s theft privately circulated around the criminal underworld, Petra has unconditionally been ‘summoned’ by other criminal leaders to get her house in order. After all, it’s a man’s world, and Organised Crime is no exception. Privately, within her own emotions, she is a mess.

 

From the squeal of airplane wheels, Petra disembarks undetected in the sunny southern big city. Her immediate agenda; Conrad’s hotel room for a confrontation.

 

They talk rationally, calmly, though the out-come stays in limbo, nothing they say seems to please either one of them. But the final blow, the hurtful wallop, emanates when Conrad utters these fateful words.

 

“I don’t love you anymore.”

 

If anything else would have been said; that he needed money, that he was in love with the “Madonna”, that he couldn’t abide to be part of her ‘line of business’, or that she deceived him. Any of these reasons would have been acceptable in her eyes. Though for Petra, to hear that he no longer loves her, that was the last brush stroke. For it really was her love for him that made her chase him half way around the world.

 

Their differences arrive to an unresolved conclusion, Petra has no choice, she exits the room. In the hotel hallway, she then gives orders to her Henchmen. Business-like they enter the room. They kill Conrad. The Henchmen then break open the room safe and take the “Madonna”. Outside, in the hallway, Petra is emotionally ripped apart, as she crumbles into a heap. Tears begin to fall, having murdered the only man she has ever loved. She then composers herself as much as she can and walks away. The Henchmen follow, one of them clutching the statue.

 

At a busy city park, Petra sits at a bench. Life, people, all in front of her rushing in every direction. Then one of the Henchmen walks towards her and asks what to do with the statue. Petra doesn’t reply. He asks again, she fobs him off. It is distressingly obvious that she just. Doesn’t. Care.

 

EPILOGUE

 

As for the shy LALA? The ‘almost lover’ of Conrad’s, she has unexpectedly pocketed a tidy sum of money. For the first time in her life, she can afford to go on that over-seas study trip to Europe. She rings up her mother to tell her that her dream has come true, that she can now leave her ‘poxy’ University research job and explore the exotic world of ICONS and artefacts!

 

Her mother’s curiosity is triggered, as she asks how Lala received the money. Lala replies:

 

“A wealthy benefactor. You’d like her mom; she got style, though I think she’s a little lonely. Like me. Like us all I suppose.”