Nathan and James smiled and that kept Bruno wondering until Nathan's words came. "That is the word—befriend," Nathan said. And as he looked into space, he continued. "We must go see the Alex family. Thanks for your time—we may visit again if necessary."
"It is my pleasure." Bruno shook hands with them as he walked them off through the exit door. "Thanks, Nathan, and May God help you in your investigation," Bruno whispered.
Moments later, James waved as he drove away towards the direction of the house of Alex Rexon.
She stared at the door for minutes. She thought she heard a noise and wondered if Collins heard it too in his bedroom upstairs. It came so loud and strong. The thought of sitting down in the sitting room alone with a noisy TV in front of her got her even more nervous. She stretched out the remote control and lowered the TV and then stood up still nervous with her hands trembling to her side. Now struggling to detect where she thinks she heard the noise, her lips shivers.
Suddenly her eyes fell on the wall clock and it was only a few minutes past 7 pm and Dad and Mum aren't back yet from their outing where they went to see Pastor Alorins. Her heart was pounding now.
Some of the most recent robberies in Lisbon got her all the more scared. Decreasing the volume of the TV further with the remote control still in her right hand, she fidgets and stood waiting for another noise perhaps.
The more she waited the more nervous she became. The thought of running upstairs to Collins came. But suddenly disappeared when the sound came up again, this time it was obvious. It may just be what her thoughts have been ever since—Thieves.
Her lost senses returned when the remote control in her hand dropped to the floor. Now she knew she must look for Collins and as she turned to hurry away from the front door her eyes have been fixed on ever since. She saw Duke standing.
How long has he been standing behind me?
And how did he come in?
Panic rushed into her veins then into her heart region. Her face ashen and her eyes open wide in surprise. "But the door—how did you get in, Duke? The door was locked and—"
Duke stopped her. "That's not necessary perhaps you never noticed the door wasn't locked so—" He shrugged staring into her lovely eyes.
Sandra knew he wasn't telling the truth. Gazing at him in doubt, she frets but stood still. "I locked the door myself and how did you get in? What are you doing here? I can't remember inviting you over?"
Duke didn't quite like her utterances but then it was her home, not his.
He looked around for a while. He knew her parents weren't home for he saw Bruno drive away two hours ago. "I didn't come here to make trouble—I just came to ask you some questions that can't wait." He spoke as he drew closer to Sandra. Sandra back out on him quietly looking suspicious.
"What? Are you scared of me now?" Duke asked.
Sandra nodded, her feet trembling as she spoke "I think I should consider your ghostly appearance seriously. I don't know who you are perhaps—"
Duke stood looking for a while as he almost forgot why he came. "I am not going to hurt you—I am sorry if I surprise you."
Sandra wasn't comfortable with his excuse. He has to go the way he came she thought staring at him. "I don't know what happened. I sat down watching the TV and I heard some kind of weird noise. I stood up to check and suddenly I saw you behind me!" Her face became moody as she struggled to control her nervousness. "Please disappear the way you appeared—this is impossible. Tell me this is a dream."
Duke's eyes bored into hers for minutes before remembering why he came. "The police came to our home and they asked me a lot of questions. I did not kill Edison and I wondered why they seem not to believe me—did you tell them anything? I heard they first came here and—"
"Absolutely nothing Duke," Sandra cut in quickly "I wasn't at home when the police came. I was out shopping—but why?"
Duke stood motionless for a while and later shifted the silence that hung above them for seconds. "The gun, yes the gun you saw it, right? Did you tell them about it?"
Sandra knew this interrogation isn't getting funny at all. Duke seems to be drunk and a lot can just happen. "I said I wasn't home when the police came and how would I have told them that. I haven't even told anyone at home—I wouldn't do such a thing and besides, I believe your gun is a toy. It is a toy gun, right?"
When Duke heard that, he smiled. "Yes, you are right. It is a toy. Just a toy gun and nothing more, I am glad you know about that, right?" He watched nervous Sandra nodded.
Moments later, as he wanted to walk closer to Sandra, she screamed and that got Collins's attention. He didn't wait a minute to descend downstairs. On sighting Duke, his anger grew. "What a hell are you doing here? Are you out of your mind? Go out this minute."
He never bothered to ask why Sandra screamed for he knew Sandra was already irritated by Duke's presence. "Go out and never come here again—go."
Duke looked at Collins for a while as hate grew strong within him but when he heard the horns of Bruno's car outside. He hurried out into the moonless night.
Sandra hurried to the window to see him go. But the night prevented her to see Duke.
The more she peered into the night the more she knew Duke was nowhere for he has since vanished into the 4th street in Liston leading to his home.
If he came because of the recent shooting, why was he so interested?
And the police—could it be that Duke's gun wasn't toy after all?
As Bruno and Annora stepped into the sitting room her thoughts shut down.
Donna stared at Alex and wondered why he wasn't talking. He suddenly stopped talking when the conversation about Duke started. "He is only a child Alex and if we allow him to walk the path he has found himself, he will rot—"
"Not my child and don't you say a thing like that." Alex flared.
Donna ignored him and restarted the conversation all over again minutes later in case he was dumb the first time. "Duke is now growing wayward. He watches sex movies, he reads porn magazines, he goes to the cinemas late and comes home in the night or the following day and above all, he ignores my instructions and—"
"And what else, Donna?"Alex cut in again this time looking disturbed. "You don't know how hard it is to take care of that boy. I try my best and I see you don't appreciate it—"
"Come on Alex don't you say a thing like that—you know I do but you are not by any means strict with his excesses. You should talk to him when he is going astray and condemn all his negative practices he seems to indulge in now perhaps more often."
Alex looked away. He knew Donna's observations were right but what she doesn't know now was how difficult it is to control a child within the limits of his powers. When Donna's voice came again, he became troubled but struggled not to show it. "That boy must be controlled now or it will be too late trying and you know I have my limitations as far as he is a concern."
As he sat down deep in thoughts, he refused to answer Donna whose words never stopped flying into his eardrums. "Stop—just stop Donna—let's not go over this again. My businesses have been keeping me away lately and you know it. Duke is ripe to know what's good for him. He is sixteen already.
"The only thing I can't understand about him now is how he uses his freedom—"
"What freedom?" Donna interrupted angrily. "Duke is going wayward already. Just yesterday he showed me a gun to threaten me and you call that freedom. I would rather you call it an abuse of freedom and you are to blame for it."
As his angered eyes stared at Donna to respond, his mobile phone started ringing. He picked it out from his shirt pocket and pressed down the receiver's button. "Hello, mother—"
"It is me, son—you never told me you were moving out. Why did you do that?"