Emails from a Soldier

By Jenni Roussell

Maddie Forbes Dundas was a hiding away from the fallout of her entrepreneurial husband's gigantic fraud.

A message written inside a book from a community library box inspires her and sparks a flame she cannot extinguish. Despite the attempts of her daughter and the man who loves her.

Major Blair Morris a soldier serving in the middle east is seriously injured and struggles to come to terms with his new reality. With the help of family and friends he fights for what he wants regardless of his limitations. One day he leaves the military, but the military will never leave him because there is no such thing as an unwounded soldier.

A story of  true love and life's limitations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jenni Roussell
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223634652

Jenni Roussell

Jenni Roussell is a naughty old tart with a wicked sense of humour. She lives with her husband of fifty-five years and her latest canine side kick, a spoiled miniature foxy called ZsaZsa, because she can wind men around her little paw. They all live in a tiny village in the Wairarapa with less than one hundred and fifty residents who enjoy many secrets and stories. 

Book preview

Chapter one:

‘Mrs. Dundas it’s Sergeant Nancy Thompson, I need to talk to you. There has been an incident, are you far away?’ Maddie processed the words.

‘Fifteen minutes Sergeant I’m on my way home now.’

A voracious reader, Maddie read three or four books a week but then she could never sleep until she felt absolutely tuckered out. I started with the serious fraud office investigation and all the trouble with her husband’s company.  Today she pulled up in front of the glass fronted community book swap on the main street in Carterton and dropped off four books.  These little free libraries were popping up all over the district creating goodwill and a great community vibe. Money had been tight, and by swapping books, she saved money rather than pay for fiction at the public library. Also, she enjoyed spreading the love. Today she noticed some quirky titles and grabbed three books to read. She enjoyed choosing books this way.

Driving back to the small cottage her father had built on a one-hectare block in rural Carterton she wondered what the drama might be now. What had Andrew done this time?  Until now she had been enjoying a lovely spring day with the weather feeling warmer.  Since her husband’s company foundered eighteen months ago life had been difficult.

Maddie and Andrew Dundas had separated. It had been a long time coming, she held the view if something seemed too good to be true then it must be dodgy. Continually she asked her husband about his business dealings, continually he dismissed her fears. A typical wheeler dealer, Andrew Dundas increasingly unsettled Maddie. But then what did she know? Andrew was the financial whizz, investment manager.  Sure, Maddie worked as an editor for a professional accounting magazine, just a part time job.  However, she never wrote the articles she simply edited them.  Over the years, she had gleaned quite a bit from those articles, enough to make her uncomfortable at the rate Andrew accrued his wealth. He proudly accumulated this wealth, and had all the trappings associated with it, looking back he always had. Maddie had enjoyed those trappings over the years.

The big showy expensive house in the Capital City, worth millions. The Mercedes and the BMW, holidays abroad, jewellery, clothes, you name it Maddie had enjoyed it. However, years after the global financial crisis it began to make her uncomfortable. The overt wealth and the women he seemed to attract. He always had some legitimate excuse for his string of attractive young associates but when his own daughter caught him flagrante delicto poolside at home, he knew the game was up. Maddie would never understand, and she didn’t, this behaviour had been the last straw.  Still, it took her months to call it a day.

Home had now become the small weekender, her late father had built in the country. The very same place her parents were forced to live after they lost their city home and all their superannuation in one of Andrew’s investment schemes. As soon as the company went into liquidation, Maddie’s father George Forbes, suffered a massive stroke. His wife Anne became ill with worry and their daughter had been left to pick up the pieces. George had trusted his son in law and foolishly invested with him and given him the personal guarantees he needed as security. Andrew had recklessly used everyone else’s property and assets while he appeared clean and clear.  The Serious Fraud Office had been going over the Dundas family’s assets and home with a fine-tooth comb. As managing director of Dundas asset management, and Dundas developments along with Dundas properties Andrew had never signed any personal guarantees. But he had the other directors sign. They were only too happy to sign, after all they were getting a share of the spoils. Andrew became greedy and his world imploded. 

Less than a year after suffering his first stroke, George Forbes suffered a second fatal stroke and Anne Forbes his wife of almost fifty years literally died of a broken heart, three months ago.  Now Maddie lived alone in the small weekender her father had named ‘the poacher’s cottage,’ because he had managed to salvage the small property after he had lost everything at the hands of his son in law. Liam Murphy the serious fraud office investigator discovered Andrew Dundas had a penchant for the high life, so he had all his assets frozen by order of the high court until he completed his investigation.

Maddie worried if what happened to her own parents had been anything to go by hundreds of mum and dad investors had trusted her husband and lost everything. How could she face people now? They may think her complicit, it felt too much to bear. How could she still live in their huge mansion with all eyes on her? No longer able to look her so called friends in the eye she had moved to the poachers cottage eighteen months ago telling people she needed to help her parents.  Now she knew she would never go back to her life in the city.  

Rounding the driveway on the slightly elevated property, Maddie could see a police car in front of the cottage. She pulled up alongside it and stepped out.

‘Sergeant Thompson, what can I do for you?’ she eyed the stocky woman with suspicion. Taking her shopping and books from the little Holden Barina her parents had owned the policewoman helped her carry some bags and the pair moved inside.

Nancy set the bags down on the dining table and Maddie put the jug on. She had been interviewed so many times she hated it but understood the police had a job to do.

‘What’s happened this time, sergeant?’ she asked half ticked off, handing the police officer a mug of tea.

‘There is no easy way to tell you this Mrs. Dundas.’

‘I’m not Mrs. Dundas, I’ve changed my name back to Forbes,’ she interrupted.

‘Well Ms. Forbes, your husband was found dead this morning. The police are treating it as an unexplained death.’  Those words stunned her, unable to process them she wanted to know what happened.  ‘All I can tell you at this time is when he did not turn up at an appointment as arranged by his solicitor Hunter Anderson, Mr. Anderson went around to your house in Kelburn and found him dead in the indoor swimming pool.’

‘Oh God’ Maddie said, she never wished him dead. ‘Andrew was vibrant fit man and only forty-seven years old. What happened? something must have happened.’ Maddie burst into tears sergeant Thompson put a hand on her arm in a comforting gesture.

‘Andrew looked so fit, he had regular medical checks, he exercised almost daily in his indoor pool. What are you not telling me? Do you suspect foul play?’ Maddie sobbed; Sergeant Thompson’s face held firm.

‘We know nothing more at this stage. Hunter Anderson identified his body and after the postmortem we’ll have a better idea. Where’s your daughter? you’ll need to tell her before the media get hold of it.’

‘Poor Brianna, she’s coming home from Uni for the weekend with her friend.’ Looking at her watch Maddie could see her daughter would be home in a couple of hours. ‘When do you expect to get the postmortem results,’ she wiped her eyes realizing she would once again have to be the one who mustered all her strength for the sake of her eighteen-year-old daughter.

‘By Monday I expect.’ Nancy looked around the rustic modern cottage.

‘Did you build this?’ she wondered aloud.

‘No Dad had this land when my brother and I were growing up, and he did the work with the help of a local architect Lucas Brooks, do you know him?’

The Sergeant thought it a stylish weekender,

‘Yeah, I know him. How old is this house then?’

‘Only five years old but dad never built it as his principal place of residence. He only ever meant to have it as a weekender. The property had an old roadman’s cottage on the sight when we first came. It’s still here behind pittosporum hedge,’ she pointed across the paddock to the hedge.  ‘It’s pretty basic and run down.’ Maddie looked at her hands and the sudden thought hit her. ‘Another funeral,’ she burst into tears again remembering her mother’s funeral three months ago.

On the day Andrew had insisted he drove her and Brianna to the church, they held the wake in the church hall, her mother would never have wanted her friends to go near Andrew’s home, it had been Maddie and Brianna’s home too. Although it had been a while since they had lived there. Andrew claimed he needed to talk to her. Brianna and her friend Sarah had gone back to their flat. Maddie remembered how Andrew had comforted her in the privacy of their home. All those wonderful memories of him emerged as he kissed her, telling her how sorry he felt knowing he’d made a mess of everything. He insisted when the serious fraud had completed their investigation, he wanted to take her away so they could start over again.

Today sitting in silence sipping her tea she had this sense of him, his handsome face, his great physique, his soft downy chest his strong arms his fragrance and his maleness the essence of him.

‘I really loved him you know’ she sniffed looking up at Nancy Thompson who had decided she would wait with Ms. Forbes until her daughter came home, she felt sorry for the woman. Nancy had never met the infamous Andrew Dundas, but she’d seen news pictures of a suave greying man in expensive suits who cut quite a dash and she did not see Maddie Forbes as a money-grubbing woman who might be complicit in dishonest schemes or serious fraud.  Instead, she felt concerned, seeing this woman who only looked about thirty.

‘How old were you when you married?’ she asked wanting to understand.

‘Only twenty, I studied journalism at Wellington polytechnic and had just started work for the community newspapers. Andrew had no family to speak off and had been keen to start our own as soon as possible. I had Brianna soon after I turned twenty-one, I’ll be forty at Christmas.’ she shrugged.

‘Gosh you don’t look it; I mean I’ll be thirty-six in December, and I felt sure you were younger than me.’  Semantics Maddie thought.  ‘How did you meet Andrew then?’

‘We were doing a finance feature in the paper, and you know how these things work my task had been to do a piece on him. I knew nothing about finance. I used to be hopeless with money, I had a student loan, owed money on my car and lived at home with my parents.’ she laughed remembering. ‘From the moment he clapped eyes on me he wooed me, sent me flowers when the article was published.  God knows why I only wrote what he told me to say.  Andrew started his own company Dundas Investments at only twenty-five. When he asked me out to dinner, I refused him.  I thought he seemed a bit flash for me. Then on the Friday night a bunch of us from the paper went for drinks at the pub. Andrew walked in with a couple of blokes and he came over to our table. I’ll never forget the way he looked at me.’ Maddie blushed. She would never tell the police sergeant what Andrew had whispered in her ear after kissing her cheek. You look so tasty I could eat you.

‘He bought me a drink, then dinner then heaven forbid he took me home to my parents in his BMW. My father, a staid civil servant, had never met the likes of Andrew. My parents were impressed with him; he didn’t drink, he worked so hard and had the most gracious manners. He told my family his own father had been a drunk. A navel engineer who left them before Andrew started preschool, he had no siblings. While he studied at Uni his mother remarried and moved to Australia and they lost touch.’ Maddie’s face crumpled. ‘Poor Andrew I think he had it rough growing up his mother often left him on his own and he hated it. Always he wanted the best for his family, and he worked his arse off in those early years.’ Nancy Thompson simply nodded in tacit agreement as Maddie poured out her story. Andrew and Maddie’s secrets were locked in her mind. The way he made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. The way he liked playing with her mass of caramel curls, the way he drank in her amber eyes and most of all the way he kissed her gently yet with a hunger they shared all-consuming in their need. His sexual appetite seemed insatiable. At first, she loved it, but as the years went on and she had various conception issues, first two miscarriages then an ectopic pregnancy, it soon became apparent Brianna would be an ‘only.’  She noticed he had begun to flirt with any woman who responded. His sexual appetite seemed less demanding, still she never refused him, she loved this man with a passion. Andrew told her often she had become more beautiful with the years. Everything he said sounded so believable. That was the trouble with Andrew Dundas, everyone believed whatever he said, he had this compelling believability he could sell any ideas he wanted you to believe.  One day, when Brianna went home sick during the middle of the day, she found him with this woman. Well, a girl not much older than her and they were naked on a sun lounger beside the indoor swimming pool.   Andrew had hurt the two women he claimed to love the most. However, he coloured this incident and he could not restore his daughter’s trust.

‘We would have been married twenty years in January.’ Maddie breathed deeply, looking at her watch. ‘Thank you for staying with me this long, but if you don’t mind, I don’t want Brianna to see the patrol car and get spooked. I’ll tell her she’s due in less than an hour.’  Nancy Thompson understood and gave Maddie her card saying, ‘ring if you need me.’

Chapter two:

Brianna appeared upset about her father’s death, but her attitude surprised Maddie.

‘I never wished him dead mum; you know I loved him he was my father. But realistically he did us all a favour. His greed and dishonesty killed Nana and Poppa and he would never have let you go, but it doesn’t mean he would not have played around.  Looking back, he’d been playing around for years.

‘Don’t look at me like I’m a child, you had your head in the sand.’ Brianna put her arms around her mother. ‘Look at you mum, your bloody gorgeous isn’t she Sarah?’ her embarrassed friend agreed. Maddie Forbes was indeed a stunning looking woman with a curvy figure, full mouth and great hair.  Feminine as a descriptive didn’t do her justice, those caramel curls and amber eyes were fascinating.  For years Brianna had wished her mother would leave her father whom she saw as arrogant and egotistical as well as unfaithful. 

‘The funeral, when will we have it? I suppose we’re organizing it?’ she looked to her mother ‘Typical he always left you to pick up the pieces.’

Alone in her bed Maddie opened the book from the street book box.  Fifty facts that should change the world.  by Jessica Williams.  The facts were amazing and appalling in equal measure. Like China had forty-four million missing women and the number grew each year. Basically, as the result of women being undervalued compared to men. The single child per family policy, now relaxed skewed the future statistics on marriage and family and will mean millions of men in China will never be able to find a wife.  There will be more kidnappings.

Maddie felt gripped she read another fact, children living in poverty are three times more likely to suffer mental illness than children from wealthy families. Flicking through the pages of this fascinating book she wondered how her generation had stuffed up the world through consumerism and greed.  Suddenly overcome with guilt and sadness she decided to read the rest tomorrow when a message handwritten on the inside cover caught her attention.

To my little brother Duncan,

They also serve who only stand and wait.  (John Milton)

I can see when you are ready your contribution will exceed all our expectations.  It was General Douglas McArthur who said ‘a true leader has the confidence to stand alone and make the tough decisions, the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the respect he shows through the integrity of his intent.’  Saturday the twenty first, I deploy to Afghanistan, pray for me.   

Your big bro Blair. 

Reading Blair’s message to his younger brother the honour this man exuded struck Maddie. It appeared to her the older brother must be a soldier, possibly the younger brother also. Blair had his email address under his name.   The man sounded both brave and scared if that were possible.  Something about the message haunted her and every time she turned over in the night, she became conscious of thinking about this soldier. What is it about this man who captured her imagination?   By morning she knew. His vulnerability.  

All weekend it filled her mind. Brianna put it down to her father’s death this distraction her mother suffered.  Sunday evening Sarah and Brianna drove back to their flat near the university and Maddie promised to be in touch about the funeral arrangements and any other news she may have.

At eight on Monday morning Andrew’s solicitor Hunter Anderson phoned.

‘Maddie, I’m sorry for your loss. I have to tell you Andrew made a new will after your mother died and he left you everything.’ She bit her tongue, everything what did he mean?

‘But all his assets are frozen, I have nothing I have only just paid the bill for my mother’s funeral and now I have Andrew’s too.’ she sniffed not wanting to sound pathetic.

‘As soon as the serious Fraud Office have done their job we’ll apply to the courts for your share of the matrimonial property, the rest must go through probate.  You’ll be entitled to something after nineteen years of marriage.’ Hunter said as Maddie squirmed.

‘I don’t know? what about all the people who lost money?’

Hunter overrode her.

‘Investor loss is entirely another matter and for another day. Andrew never forgave himself for what he put you through. His share of the estate may be clawed back by the investigators, but joint family property is different and there is no suggestion you were involved. I’ll be representing you.’

‘I can’t afford you, I’m sorry but it’s the truth’ she told him.

‘If that were the case, I’d be doing it pro bono. I can tell you Andrew paid for years ago well before the company hit trouble.’  Hunter then went on to say Andrew had planned his funeral.

‘When we hear from the police, I’ll arrange everything. I’ll be in touch.’

Heavens, it must all be kosher; Hunter Anderson would never be involved in anything dodgy. 

It had passed one o’clock before the police phoned.

‘Ms. Forbes, it’s Sergeant Thompson, I have the results of the post-mortem. May I come and see you now?’ Maddie sighed she knew the police would never discuss those details over the phone.

‘By all means sergeant.’

When the sergeant arrived, Maddie had the tea made and even found the remains of a tasty citrus slice.

‘I thought your daughter would be here,’ Nancy said hungrily eyeing the offering and taking a large piece of slice. 

‘No, I will go to her when the police release the body, and we have no idea when that might be.’ She sounded tired.

‘Of course, sensible idea. The post-mortem results indicate your husband drowned, and his blood alcohol read three times the legal limit for driving.’

‘What a crock of shit.’  Maddie said filled with horrified disbelief. ‘To start with my husband was an excellent swimmer and he never drank alcohol in the entire time we were married. I like a glass of wine but not him. Coffee yes, tea sometimes never alcohol. What are you doing about it? It sounds suspicious to me.’ Maddie had her dander up.  This had violated her strong sense of justice.

‘The unexplained death is an ongoing investigation. The Coroner will decide, so until we complete our inquiries, I regret to inform you we can’t release his body.’ Nancy Thompson could see Maddie did not look pleased. ‘The police investigators in Wellington will need to speak to you and your daughter,’ Nancy said trying to get some perspective on the matter.

‘I’m going to Wellington tomorrow so they can interview me there with my solicitor present.’ Thank God, Hunter Anderson had become involved. Maddie caught the startled expression on Nancy’s face.

‘I need to ensure the house is secure after all it was our family home for eighteen years.’ She said falling short of telling the officer she owned half of it, Maddie felt uncomfortable under the circumstances.  How many people had lost the shirts off their backs investing in Andrew’s giant Ponzi scheme and other dodgy investments?

After Nancy Thompson left, Maddie texted Brianna and arranged to stay at her flat in Wellington.  Then she got out her laptop to do a bit of editing as her deadline loomed.  The fascinating book of facts sat on her desk, the Soldier’s message to his brother captivated her.  On a whim she decided to email this man, Blair to tell him how his words had affected her.

Dear Blair,

I picked up the book Fifty Facts that should change the world, (great book by the way) I got it from my community library box.  I read the message you wrote to your brother Duncan.  I felt moved by your honesty.  I could see your vulnerability and you inspired me.  Now I see the smallness of my own issues. Thank you and please forgive my intrusion. I’m not big on prayers, but you are in mine.

Maddie Forbes.

She pressed send.

At two minutes past five Maddie pressed send again this time emailing her edited pages back to her chief editor, the sound of the landline startled her. 

‘Maddie Forbes,’ she said her voice husky.

‘Hunter Anderson,’ he cleared his throat, ‘I believe the police have been in touch, this is an interesting development.’ silence ensued, she could hear him breathing. ‘I have no idea when the police will release Andrew’s body for burial, but they want to see you and Brianna tomorrow. Can you do two pm?’ he sounded vague. Maddie found it hard to see him as one of the country’s top criminal barristers.

‘I can be there tomorrow’ she said.

‘Good see you at the criminal investigation department about ten to two.’ he hung up.

Brianna telephoned mobile to mobile, they discussed the interview and agreed the police probably wanted the names of people who had a grudge against Andrew.

‘Gees Mum do we have to do their job for them. Anyway, I have no idea who might want revenge, everyone I come across is kind of pathetic. They don’t know what to talk about, the fraud? and now he’s dead and in these circumstances, people will hopefully avoid me.’ Maddie heard her daughter’s voice crack. ‘See you tomorrow, Mum.’

Famished Maddie remembered the left-over curry and rice in the fridge. Happily zapping it for a quick meal. She sat down at the table about to switch on the television news when her laptop pinged an email. Looking at the screen she saw the sender read [e-mail] anticipation grabbed her, and she almost knocked her food over in the excitement.

Dear Maddie

You will never know how timely, and encouraging your email felt this morning. I had just received the kind of snail mail no Soldier wants to get ever.  The proverbial Dear John letter. If I’m honest I’ve known for a long time it would be coming but I just craved contact from home and from a woman.  I’m pleased my message to Duncan inspired you.  No need to apologise you are a most welcome intrusion like an embracing angel, Thank you.

Blair.

The warm fuzzies washed over her wondering where in Afghanistan this man might be, and would he tell her?