Dragonflies The Duncan Peters Files

by Fontien, Samantha

  “You know this takes a minute or two?”

  She smiled up at him trying to reassure him. His eyes remained transfixed on the screen. She turned her face back to the screen.

  “I’m quite aware of that thank you Rizzo,” he thought momentarily, realising his shortness to her. “Sorry Rizzo, I didn’t mean to be sharp with you,” he looked down at her, as she smiled up at him.

  “It’s ok boss man, you’re okay,” she turned her attention back to the screen. “I don’t understand why you haven’t done this before?” She looked back up at him, baffled. “It’s not like you didn’t have the resources to do it?”

  Duncan stood there; he didn’t bother to answer her. She knew his mantra of; “You go forwards, not backwards.” His impatience must have showed as she looked up at him, as the screen came slowly to life with the information he wanted. His eyes widened as lines of words appeared, he leaned in, he could clearly see the name. Rizzo could sense him moving in so she slipped off her chair, as Duncan moved into her seat eyes glued to the screens. His hand moved to the mouse, his finger hovered over the wheel, and he drew it slowly back, as the page scrolled down slowly to his touch. Duncan’s eyes never left the screen, he never noticed Rizzo leaving the room, knowing he needed his space as he perused the Intel.

  Duncan’s eyes scanned the pages that appeared until he stopped, something caught his eye. He starred at the screen in disbelief. It wasn’t what he wanted to see. It was the only time his eyes left the screen, as he hung his head. What did he expect? He read on with horror, as the story unfolded in reams of information.

  His stomach felt sick, he ached inside, and it had been a long time since he had felt like this. His eyes reverted back to the screen. He needed to know more; maybe he did it to punish himself further.

  Then another thing caught his attention. It was enough to make him smile to himself, as he calmly got up and walked out of the office and to the underground car park where his car was parked, the wheels of his Cerbera squealed as he zoomed out onto the main road.

  He drove into the night, and before too long he found himself outside a Victorian terrace house down a quiet residential street which led to the sea front. He parked a few doors down from the address he was looking for. He sat there; the radio was playing ‘Somewhere only we know – By Keane’. He listened to the song, as he dragged on his cigarette, he pushed the button and the window silently slid down and he flicked the butt to the floor. Instantly the smell of the sea hit him, he could hear the waves at the end of the road. He felt tired; it had been a busy 24 hours, making the drive from London a long one. He looked at his watch, it was 4am, and bar the street lighting, the road was shrouded in darkness. He reached for the button and the window slid up silently, shutting out the cool breeze and sounds of the sea. He looked over at the house which was in darkness; with the exception of its porch light which was the only light that was on. He sat there watching the cloud uncover a full moon which shone down onto the sea’s horizon, its reflection sparkled and twinkled in the waves. It was soothing to watch, and before he knew it, Duncan’s eyes closed as sleep and a long exciting day, got the better of him.

  *****

  At 9am, a woman opened the periwinkle blue painted front door of her house, as a young boy skate boarded past her to her protests and down the garden path.

  “Come on mum,” he shouted at her impatiently.

  “I’m coming Noah, give me a minute, I have to lock up,” and she fiddled with the keys which dropped out of her hand. “Now look what you made me do,” she laughed at him, as he turned and huffed with annoyance. “Don’t do that to me young man,” she looked at him sternly. “Don’t you dare start with all that again?”

  Noah could be boisterous at times. She put it down to the fact she was too soft on the boy, due to the fact she was a single parent, and he lacked having a good positive male influence in his life. They had talked, and he had promised he would work on it, that and less time on his X-box, and to tidy his room. He was twelve, and she needed to keep a firm hold on him. She had worked too hard to see him become some urban like scallywag.

  “Sorry mum,” he hung his head, and the floppy curls at the ends of his hair dropped forward covering his eyes. She locked up the house and started to make her way to him.

  “Please Noah can we do something with this hair? You can hardly see out from it.”

  She shook her head at him, as she scruffled his mop of hair much to his annoyance and protests, as he tried to shrug her affections off.

  “Mummmm,” he moaned, at his street cred having been so publically damaged in his eyes. “Ahh mum, I look cool like this and the chicks dig me,” he laughed as he pulled up his collar of his polo t-shirt.

  “What?” She laughed watching him skate off towards the beach on the pavement. “And we don’t call girls chicks, you know better than that Noah,” he nodded his head. “Don’t go too far ahead,” she shouted ahead of him as she followed him. “We’re getting coffee before the beach ok,” she yelled.

  The sun was starting to heat up, as it shone down on her face. She breathed in smelling the salt in the air, and allowed it to fill her lungs. She smiled to herself as she walked up the promenade. It was days like this she loved life. The last few years had been a struggle, she had so much happen. But days like this with Noah, just made it all worth it.

  She had met Noah’s dad late 2001, after a whirlwind romance. It had been her first relationship since breaking up with Duncan. She had been quite taken with the dashing Martin Jacobs, who was a smooth talking slick ‘used car salesman’ personality and was a typical city broker highflyer type. He had literally swept her off her feet, and before she knew it, she was married. The honeymoon was over before it even began as Martin Jacobs changed overnight it seemed. She hadn’t really had a chance to notice his temper or his panache for drink or other white powdery substances. How could she, in the short time she had known him. It only worsened when he was made redundant from his job in the city. Money was tight, but somehow, he had always managed to have money for his personal indulgences.

  It was a horrendous relationship, as far as relationships go. He had isolated her from her friends and family with his behaviour and treatment of her. At 33 after one of his violent attacks, she had found herself pregnant. That night she had run from her house to the nearest police station and had never gone home. It wasn’t a home for her; it was more of a prison. She had suffered too much at his hands, and this was the final straw, if she hadn’t of left that night, she may not have survived. He had been arrested for domestic violence, and with the drugs they found on him, he was arrested and charged and after a court hearing he was sentenced to seven years in prison. In prison he had resumed his drug taking, ended up scoring a dodgy batch of gear, which left him dead and four others in the prison hospital.

  So much had happened to her, which she had kept secret from everyone. She had felt so embarrassed and so ashamed of how she had secretly lived in terror and what she had tolerated, to tell anybody of her plight. She had sacrificed so much to have been with him, that she could never go back and let them know what she had endured, things they had warned her about. Ever the survivor, she left her old life far behind in London and moved to Brighton where she restarted her life.

  She knew with her age this could be her last chance at motherhood. Baby Noah was born in January of 2002, she loved him instantly despite his father and his conception, and her new life truly began.

  She sat on the bench on the promenade as she watched Noah dump his skate board down beside her and walk down the pebbled beach to the water’s edge. She closed her eyes and breathed in, her senses taking over as she heard the seagulls squawk to each other as they attacked a bin fighting between themselves for its contents. She sipped at her coffee, allowing the steamy coffee aroma, to mix with the fresh sea air. She looked down at Noah, who was skimming stones across the water. She smiled to herself as she took another sip before closing her eyes and letting the sun shine
down on her face.

  She loved the summer holidays, pure mum and Noah time. She could feel the rays warming her face, she soaked everything thing in. She was slightly startled when she felt a shadow blocking the beams of the sun. She opened her eyes, as she held her hand above them, shielding them from the sun, as they squinted to re-adjust to the bright hazy light that surrounded the figure before her. She almost jumped in her seat.

  “Oh my God, it’s you!” she exclaimed in utter shock. “How, how, did you find me?”

  *****

  Duncan stood there, looking down at Simone. She still looked exactly the same, only a little older. His heart thumped in his chest, so loud he thought she would hear it pounding. He watched her slowly stand up in disbelief, shock evident on her face.

  “Duncan?” She shook her head in disbelief, as her eyes welled up with hot tears. “How? It’s been so long.” She was flabbergasted, and it showed as her legs wobbled underneath her.

  Duncan moved towards her catching her, as she regained her senses. He stood in front of her as she looked into his eyes still with disbelief

  “What are you doing here Duncan? How did you find me?” she looked at him astonished.

  “You know I have my ways,” he smiled as he guided her back down on the bench still in shock. “I came for you,” he hung his head trying to muster the courage to say what he needed to say.

  He laughed to himself; he, Duncan Peters was lost for words. He had rehearsed what he had wanted to say to her if he ever got the opportunity. And now, she was actually here, right in front of him. And years of rehearsing his big speech, gone! Like someone had wiped it from his brain. She looked impatiently at him, so he took a deep breath and just spoke from the heart as he sat down on the bench near her.

  “I have tried so hard to live my life without you. Believe me, you don’t know how hard I’ve tried,” He knew he was talking with his hands so he shoved them into his trouser pockets. “I can’t do it anymore Simone, I won’t do it anymore. Nothing is the same without you. I just exist,” he looked at her reaction and the impatience with him had disappeared, as her face softened. “So much has happened, and you haven’t been there. You’re all I ever wanted.” She went to speak. “Simone, I watched a baby being born yesterday,” she looked at him strangely. “Don’t ask.” He shook his head, “It’s a long story. Anyway, I saw something, something we had, and I wanted it, I remembered what it felt like. I only ever had that with you, it was something so incredible.” He closed his eyes deep in thought before he asked her. “It was good, wasn’t it Simone?” She nodded her head agreeing with him. “It made me realise everything I lost, and all I wanted out of life, and out of everything, it was you. It’s always been you.” She looked at him, as if she was going to say something. “Simone I don’t care what has happened, hell I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. I just want to be in your future. All I know is that I want you. I want to be with you. I don’t want to live another minute of my life without you.”

  Simone sat there captivated by Duncan, caught in the moment as her lips were drawn to him. She stopped herself when she heard Noah approaching, the pebbles of the beach, crunched under his van old skool checkerboard trainers.

  “I’m sorry Duncan, I,” She looked at him as she broke free from his gentle hold. “I, I’m sorry I can’t, too much has happened. Things have changed, I, I have responsibilities,” and with that Noah was by her side as he looked at Duncan, eyeing the stranger up and down.

  “I know about everything Simone, its okay,” he smiled at her with empathy. “It’s okay Noah; I’m an old friend of your mothers.” Noah looked at his mum. “Would you mind if I spoke with your mother,”

  Duncan looked at the boy, who nodded his head yes to Duncan, after getting a nod from his mum and a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder from her. He grabbed his board and gave them some space as he stayed close, doing tricks to occupy himself as the adults spoke.

  “He’s quite protective,” he smiled as he looked over at the boy.

  “What do you mean you know everything?” she enquired she couldn’t look at him feeling ashamed. He must think she was so weak, she felt the shame rush through her.

  “I know everything Simone, I know all about your ex.” He looked at her as he placed his hand on hers. “I know everything, I’m so sorry,” he squeezed her hand tighter. “If only I had been there for you in the first place, this would never have happened to you. I only wish....” He trailed off deep in reflection.

  “You mean Isabella,” she sighed. “But it did happen Duncan. Us, we happened too, I never thought we would have ended. But it had too, it had to stop. You do understand why I had to go don’t you?” She looked at him, as he nodded his head.

  “She would have been 18 this year,” he stared out across at the rolling waves. “There hasn’t been a day that I never thought about you both.” He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Duncan held the note in his hand, Simone instantly recognised it.

  “Oh my God,” she exclaimed, as she pulled her hand away from his, and put it to her mouth in surprise. “You still have it?”

  “Yes I still have it,” he laughed, as the letter waved gracefully with the gentle breeze in his hand, before he folded it back up and placed it back into the safety of his inside pocket. “I’m just only sorry you had to write it. It should never have come to the point of you having to write it.” He sat there contemplating, before he spoke again. “It was inexcusable, I forgot about you. I was too wrapped up in my own grief to see what I was doing to you, to us. Simone, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry for everything.”

  He turned to look at her. His heart thumped. She was still stunningly beautiful at 46; she had looked after herself, and there was hardly a line on her face despite what she had been through. Her hair was longer now from when they were together, and still a natural blond, and her eyes, her eyes were still as blue as the night he had met her so many years ago. They chatted for a while before Rubin’s name of course came up

  “Rubin’s dead,” Duncan’s face saddened at the mention of his dear friend’s name. She squeezed his hand tightly.

  “Ohh NOoo Duncan, not Rubes” she felt her face burn as hot salty tears fell from her eyes. “How? What happened?” She looked at him; still in shock at is news.

  “Ohh God, it’s a long story. It happened back in 2006,” and he touched briefly on the incident and Rubin’s Military funeral. “He was always on your side you know,” he laughed. “He always wanted us to get back together again.” And he pulled out Rubin’s letter he kept with Simone’s. She read it, tears trickling down her cheeks, as she read Rubin’s letter, before handing it back to Duncan, who folded it and popped it back in the breast pocket along with Simone’s with a gentle pat.

  “Did you know about Alfie?” He asked as he looked at her, she looked puzzled at the mention of the name. “We, Simone, and I say WE, have a nephew called Alfie Rubin Morris,” he beamed at her as he reached for his phone and swished his finger across it, as a picture of Alfie and he flashed up. “He’s a mini Rubin as you can see.” He beamed with pride. She leaned in to see, tears in her eyes, which spilled out and ran hot teary tracks down her cheeks, he watched her face light up as he swished across the numerous pictures on his phone.

  “Oh my Goodness, he sure is the double of him,” she smiled as her face turned sombre. She had missed out on so much. She had a nephew she didn’t even know, and sadly so had Jessica. What a mess everything was. They missed out on so much, and so did their boys. She shook her head saddened. “How old is he? It’s been sooo long,” she shook her head; regretfully remembering Jessica’s warning of NOT to marry Martin. That he was a bad one and she didn’t know what she was getting herself into, as she wasn’t over Duncan or Isabella. That marrying him wouldn’t make it all better and how right she had been. They had a furious argument that had resulted in them having not spoken for a number of years. Too many years it seemed. “Oh my God,
Jess had a baby?” She exclaimed shocked. “I never would have classed Jess as the mummy kind,” she laughed.

  “He’s not a baby now.” He flicked to more recent pictures. “Funny enough he’s around the same age as Noah. It’s sad; Rubin didn’t have a clue about him being a dad. I only found out after Rubes died.” He shook his head. “Jess kept it well hidden from him, he never knew he was his, she told him, he was her ex’s, he never even saw a picture of the boy. I never even knew they were back together.” He looked over at Noah as did she. Both of them no doubt were thinking of what a wonderful dad Rubin would have made. “So why Brighton, so why here out of all the places in the world?” He closed his eyes momentarily taking in the ambience of the setting and the hot sun shining down on them.

  “This is my happy place Dunc, don’t you remember?” She turned to look at him. “This is, out of ALL the places in the world, is MY happy place. It made sense when I needed to start again, I thought why not here. And I’m still teaching, at the local school up the road. I have a great life here,” she beamed.

  She sat proudly, remembering when she had first moved here, and how hard it had been as a single parent at first. She had worked hard, and doted on her son, and they now had a lovely three bedroom house with an end of road sea view. She didn’t date, she had only the time for Noah, and he had been the only man she had needed in her life, until now...

  “How many times did we stay at that bed and breakfast?” she giggled.