by Brian Cain
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was another fine morning the following day, before the sun rise Jodi gazed out her bay window over the sea, she was drawn to a walk along the shoreline, up the rise from the beach to the north and along the top of the cliff face among the parks and gardens to Sheppard's Hill Lookout.
She had been drawn to this spot before, there was an uncanny feeling of euphoria standing atop the cliff face holding the guardrail listening to the crashing waves on the rocks below. She felt at ease and close to something or someone absent, the sun rose over the water, she had felt the power of it strike her face enlightened by the experience.
Dressed in a plain blue track suit she ventured out walking briskly her hair flowing out behind her, she thought of Lola and how she would be coping with life as it sat currently, she planned to check on her return. She greeted the occasional jogger and walking couple in the fresh morning sea air, she crested the steep climb to Sheppard’s Hill and there in the distant car park was a gleaming black Harley Davidson eager to glimmer once the sun struck its polished surfaces.
As she got closer she suddenly stopped in her tracks, the black leather clad rider stood motionless. She beamed a smile and broke into a jog, she passed behind the man with a greeting, “Morning,” but he did not respond. John Stanton stood motionless with no expression, not even a blink; the sun split the water with its piercing gold light as it made its presence known and heralded the start of the day. It shot across his face, Jodi felt the warmth as she jogged backwards and with a ricochet from his gleaming Harley Davidson parked behind him and lit the back of his black attire, she could see he was focused and His mind drifted as he relived the past.
Jodi stopped jogging and was about to walk to her husband and put her hand on his shoulder, a man in a suit approached standing next to her husband, she recognised him from the corridors of Canberra. Holmes, member of the Australian Federal Police, she stopped turned and jogged away. She stopped clear below them on the side of the hill and watched from behind the cover of thicket bushes.
They stood for some minutes before engaging in conversation for a comparatively short period, as Holmes walked away he turned, reached inside his suit jacket pocket and handed her husband an envelope. Holmes left, her husband walked to his Harley Davidson, answered his mobile phone, then roared away south towards Bar Beach. Jodi had no idea just how much she would need her Vigilante husband, as moves in Canberra to eliminate the beautiful manipulating journalist Jodi Simpson had already begun.
Jodi walked briskly towards home as directly as she could through the streets to save time, she heard the roar of her husband's bike and a police siren, both heading towards the area of her property. She broke into a jog and mumbled to herself, "Bloody kids."
She found Lola and granddaughter awaiting her arrival sitting on the step admiring the view, Lola spoke as Jodi climbed the steps hunting for breath after her jog home. "You missed all the action, the police chasing a motorcycle from Bar Beach car park through the streets below here, the guy on the bike was like so cool, the roar of his bike just suddenly stopped somewhere across the hill not far away, it just vanished. The police car is lurking around there as well, I think it was just a young guy stirring the cops up."
Jodi threw her hair down her back, sat down beside her daughter and sat her granddaughter on her lap. She wore a smart smile but hesitated before speaking. "It was your father."
"In the cop car?"
"On the bike."
"No way!"
Jodi gazed at the other houses along the ridge and face of the hill. "I wonder how long he's been there, watching over us, waiting." The police car had passed Jodi hunting for the black Harley Davidson, she recognised the driver. "The police car is driven by the Cadiche Man."
Lola stared at her mother mouth wide open. "The aboriginal policeman they call the Cadiche Man, why would he be chasing dad?"
Jodi pouted then smiled, she chuckled. "Why indeed, the separation of powers."
Lola dropped her head and looked from the top of her eye sockets. "Mum, please explain."
"Lola you should wear something that actually covered the private parts of your anatomy, where on earth did you get that outfit, hardly worth the effort to put it on."
"You gave it to me you used to wear it all the time, guys in their late teens whistled at you...."
Jodi's attempt to change the subject had failed miserably; she shook her head with a grimace and interrupted. "The Cadiche man and the Vigilante, some major news items are begging to make sense, it's a long story." Jodi stood up holding her granddaughters hand. "You better come inside."
They went inside leaving the main door open and locking the screen door making the most of the brisk morning air.
