by Brian Cain
CHAPTER ONE
She waited; she could hear the waves crashing on the rocks below, her long blonde grey tinged hair lifted by the warm sea breeze tugged at her scalp as it blew around behind her. Her son Robert knowing where she could be found wore a smile of relief as he silently stood behind her, approaching without her knowledge, his tailored suit hugging his muscular frame. He could hear her faint sobs, he thought, ‘if not for the grey I would say she was a teen.’ The sun was behind them and lit the deep blue waters and white crested waves, a minutes silence and he stepped forward grabbing the handrail atop the cliffs edge beside her and looking out to sea. She looked at him briefly then hid her face into her hands, “Tell me,” she muttered.
His smile widened. “The government's efforts were unsuccessful, the high court in Canberra threw it out, we’ll push for a Royal Commission, Dad and Anthony will be home in an hour.” She broke down and Robert took her in his powerful arms, she wept into his chest hiding her face. “It’s okay mum it was never in doubt, you did it, they look like fools, people in Sydney are dancing in the streets, come on lets go home.”
Jodi had walked to the old radar station atop Sheppard’s Hill lookout on the Newcastle foreshore, ten minutes walk from her home above Bar Beach in New South Wales Australia, leaving through a rear access by means of an underground tunnel devised by her husband to confuse those whom kept watch.
Jodi Ann Stanton sobbing and unable to talk from relief was assisted into her son’s car and taken home. Roberts Aston Martin forced it’s way through the throng of journalists and news camera’s outside the Stanton mansion, the wrought iron gates opened and the eight car garage door swallowed them up closing with an ominous clunk behind them. Not one journalist set foot on the Stanton property, the iron gates closed and the mob dispersed grappling with their mobile phones relaying the news, ‘Jodi Ann has been found, her son Robert just brought her home, I saw her with my own eyes.’
Australian government attempts to have John Stanton tried for murder had again failed, taken all the way to the high court the battle had taken it’s toll on Jodi leaving her exhausted as she held herself suspended in time at his favourite spot knowing her husband may never return, relief had made way for shock. Robert assisted her to her bedroom, she lay on the bed, Robert closed the door and kept vigil. Jodi had not slept well for weeks, she fell into a deep sleep, she accessed the annals of her mind, she dreamed of her dreams from her first recollection as a child.
She played with John, her teddy in tow sitting on the lawn of the Stanton home garden among the roses. In a few weeks they would start primary school, John was in charge making tea handing a plastic cup and saucer to Jodi. “Here, this is for you,” said John. She took the offering and sipped away at the empty cup, her green eyes met Johns brown and hazel and a bond was forged that could never be broken. John looked at her pretty flowing dress, her long blonde hair flowing across her shoulders. “You’re pretty and lovely.”
“I love you John,” he tilted his head to one side, looking, prying, and delving into the person behind the captivating picture that was Jodi Ann.
“I promise to look after you for ever.”
“Promise.”
“Yes.” Jodi put down the cup and hugged him around the neck nearly chocking John, he said nothing and when released gently took her hand and kissed it. “You’re a princess,” he looked around, his fair hair fell over his eyes and he threw his head back in an effort to see. “I don’t have a horse to rescue you.”
“One day we’ll have a horse and he’ll be the best horse in the world.”
John smiled at her as he remembered his father’s words, six black horses and a very special day. He looked puzzled as her face changed to one of anger and revulsion. He couldn’t understand what he had done wrong and rightly so as he had done nothing, across his shoulder standing in a gateway of the hedgerow running along the opposite side of the Stanton property to the Simpson’s stood the fire breathing monster and Jodi’s nemesis Bella Elizabeth Fonteyn. She lived in the black mansion, Jodi pictured it as looking like the Munster’s mansion from the TV show, a black haired blue eyed beauty she had captured the attention of her playmate before. “John you said you would play with me today,” said Bella.
John looked up at her, sitting on the lawn hidden from their parents view having a mock picnic with Jodi he defended his ploy. His short back and sides haircut, white shirt and braces holding up grey shorts, with black socks and mirror polished shoes John Stanton nearly five was hardly a fashion statement but street competition for his affection was intense. “We can play together can’t we Jodi,” he replied. Jodi turned her head looking away from the black haired blue eyed beauty from the evil lair beyond the ghostly hedge, to acknowledge her would release the monster she kept in the hedge to scare Jodi away, Jodi refused to yield.
Bella sat down next to Jodi with her head to one side and a puzzled look. Jodi looked around saw the demanding monster from next door but one, although she had never been in Bella’s garden she believed her house looked to be the same as the Munster’s from the TV show. She sometimes spoke in a foreign language, she was sure it was the same as the green men from the moon. Jodi got up, looked daggers at John and stormed off dragging her teddy behind her. “Can I have some tea,” asked Bella.
John smiled at her. “Okay,” he replied in a depressed tone. Bella had triumphed. Jodi occasionally came to the picket fence dividing the Stanton and Simpson property and peered at the pair playing on the lawn. Bella pulled faces at her and Jodi became agitated.
“John,” she shouted. “Can I play with you later?”
John turned around, he stood and looked at her his hand over his eyes to shade the sun. “Yes,” he shouted back. Bella gathered her dolly, she dragged it in a huff to the gate under the hedge, she turned around and stared at Jodi peering at her over the picket fence making faces and performing strange dances in an attempt to infuriate Jodi.
John sat down and talked to his teddy the only one left to finish the picnic. Jodi threw her teddy to the ground disgusted with Bella’s taunts from the outskirts of the monster house. She picked it up and stood with her hands on her hips staring at Bella, Bella returned the look her eyes sparkling with triumph. She felt a strange tingling in her loins, she had no idea why but she felt good. Jodi’s heart was low, she gazed at Bella planning her next move on John Stanton. The stage had been set for a lifelong battle that would at times plunge both their lives into kayos.
In the course of deep slumber Jodi recalled her school days;
The three were sent to the same primary school, a public institution not far from their homes, Jodi’s parents were newspaper reporters building a media empire and Bella and Johns fathers worked together putting Jodi at a disadvantage as the Stanton’s and Fonteyn’s often dined together and Bella could monopolise John’s attention. This only bolstered Jodi’s resolve and she in the later years of primary school attended the same class as John, he sat behind her pulling her long pony tails, she complained getting John into trouble, this attracted Johns attention and Jodi pounced monopolising John’s affection.
The first year of high school and the three again ended up in the same playground only this time a third girl threw her hat in the ring working for John’s attention, Pauline Hail a brunette. Developed beyond her years John found cleavages and shapely behinds eye-catching, sick of the ridiculous and difficult circumstances displayed by Bella and Jodi he turned to Pauline. She was most accommodating in allowing John access to her body to explore the different hidden attractions adorning the female physic. Bella and Jodi united becoming the best of friends, they turned on John by mid high school began dating John’s friends in an effort to regain his attention. John caught Pauline half naked with two senior boys behind a hedgerow after school, he became angry beating both the senior boys to submission, John’s father had already made his arms and legs deadly weapons.
John was hurt, his feelings had began to run deep for Pauline but things would pa
n out that destiny had prevailed as Pauline became the school bike and Bella and Jodi the school beauties, just to be seen talking to the pair was hip. Jodi was on every committee the school had and the head editor of the school newspaper advised and driven by her parents. John admired Jodi’s stance as he became the most feared boy in school, the cross the line of acceptable social behaviour may induce the corrective stance of John Stanton as he watched over the pair of beauties like a lion protecting his harem.
Two senior boys attacked Jodi after school whilst she walked home with Bella, they arrived on their bikes coaxing Jodi into a park with cigarettes. They pinned her down removing her blouse and playing with her breast, they fondled her private parts under her dress and as about to remove her knickers saw the ominous shadow of John Stanton standing in the low afternoon sun. For the first time John realised he loved Jodi from the time he became entranced with her piercing green eyes at a picnic on the lawn between the roses many years before. He decimated the attackers injuring them badly, the police arrived and the attackers were taken away and so was John.
Bella consoled Jodi and they attended the police station, John’s father arrived and amid yelling and screaming John was released without charge. His father made him promise he would never allow condoning such behaviour no matter what the police could do. John noticed his father had some kind of overpowering presence with the police, this puzzled him, he knew his father worked for the government but pinpointing his activity was difficult, his father said nothing even when asked, he just smiled.
John from that time on never left Jodi and Bella’s side, John made sure Jodi’s attackers lived in hell and they moved away, the stark and early beginning of the separation of powers. With one year of high school to go John told Jodi he loved her and wanted to marry her, Jodi was overjoyed and Bella hid her desolation well discussing wedding plans and Bella agreed to be bridesmaid. As the sixth year of high school approached Jodi suffered a heartbreaking blow, Bella and John would be sent to a military boarding school to the north of London. Bella was overjoyed and began stalking her prey, John had a certain atmosphere about him and she learnt to accommodate it. John promised Jodi on return after graduation he would immediately marry his childhood sweetheart.
Jodi’s parents sent her to Oxford University eighty kilometres North West of Westminster, graced with high A and O level passes in secondary school Jodi immersed herself in university study. Here Jodi mixed with the children of the elite and aristocracy, she was courted by sons of the rich and powerful practicing the art of stealth journalism. She ran several school publications including the school paper and began to write for major London newspapers on work experience under strict guidance from her father.
When home she dug at finding John, his parents would give no information regarding his location and nor would Bella’s. She searched for his name, a lead, a connection, it was if he had vanished. She had fleeting glimpses of him when on holiday, or at least she thought and hoped it was John. She did however occasionally talk with the luscious vixen Bella Elizabeth Fonteyn during holiday’s, Bella avoided conversation about John.
Just before graduation Jodi was approached by the son of a government powerbroker, he demanded her attention and friendship. Jodi refused and the young man pushed her around and hounded her. She feared Bella but they were really the best of friends, they often confided in each other, Jodi mentioned her problem to Bella. The young man followed Jodi to her home and continued to hound her during the final holiday’s before graduation. From nowhere the heavy hand of John Stanton came down on his shoulder, the impertinent and apparently untouchable protagonist found himself in hospital and John found himself in the hands of the Police. John witnessed the power of his father, as lawyers acting for the young mans political father backed down and John was released without question.
The young man persisted, but one day he just vanished. Jodi without further interference graduated and unbeknown to her John had intervened again. Jodi left the corridors of Oxford, carved in her mind was the sight, smell and touch of all that influenced her.
The vision of her first positions amid the realms of journalism brought solace in her slumber, fostered by work accomplices of her parents Fleet Street became her second home. She often worked way into the night void of any pay, she had found something she loved to do and would never have to work again. Covering topics all over the city of London after a few early years of women’s columns the tide of tactics turned for Jodi. Stories of contempt and corruption amongst the powerful began to fall in her lap and she knew not from where. Front page sensationalism propelled her to defy gravity and she shot to the top. Fearlessly carving a furrow of fortitude leaving the misguided in her wake she often felt a hand on her shoulder but she could see no one, it was the hand that would cull the wake.
One thing hounded her hidden in the corner of her mind, Bella Elizabeth Fonteyn. Where was she, was she near her husband, waiting, stalking, she had disappeared, vanished into thin air, Jodi had attempted to find her but she seemed to have ceased to exist, then one day.