Lucy Spires – The Blind Detective

by Peter Hamilton

  A polite knock on his door and both women entered. His office was very warm, with a faint smell of a familiar aftershave. DC Emma Harper guided them to seats opposite Chief Constable James Ingram. Lucy Spires felt a little nervous. She had tremendous respect for her Chief Constable, a tall, good looking man who cared with the same passion and commitment she always had.

  “DC Harper,” he said, “I really appreciate your help to get Lucy to this point.”

  Lucy Spires always felt he talked like a politician. He always said things in a roundabout way. She just liked to cut to the chase and say what had to be said.

  “Lucy, you look great. I was a little worried in case you felt you weren’t up to helping your colleagues on this case.” he said in a matter of fact diction. Lucy Spires shuffled a little in her chair. He was usually very good at putting you at ease. “Lucy,” he said, “I’ve had a long chat with DCI Toby Butler. His team have hit a brick wall. We need to catch this man and put him away for a very long time. I’ve assigned DC Emma Harper to work with you. I realise it may take a little time to get back up to speed on the aspects of the case as there have been developments.”

  Lucy Spires realised she was sat bolt upright. She felt her muscles were very tense. The Chief Constable moved from his chair. Lucy Spires followed his movements by the sound of his clothes. She heard the clink of cups. He was making coffee for them. A buzz came from a machine to her left.

  “A latte with no sugar Lucy?” asked the Chief Constable.

  “Oh, yes please,” came her reply.

  “Same for you DC Harper?” he said.

  With a little croak in her voice, “Yes please Sir,” said DC Emma Harper.

  Chief Constable James Ingram gently placed Lucy Spires hand around the side of her cup. She could smell the fresh aroma of coffee. It was a surprise. Every meeting she had previously in his office, she had never been offered a beverage. A further discussion on the way forward, bringing this case to a close went on for a further twenty minutes. Chief Constable James Ingram asked DC Emma Harper to give them five minutes alone. She duly put down her cup and left the room.

  “Lucy, I have no idea how difficult you will find this, but I have complete faith in you. I know you, and you will follow your instincts and bring this case to a close. As far as the Farooq El Haj case, it’s ongoing. We will catch this slippery bastard. He isn’t going anywhere. If you need my help on anything and I mean anything, my door is always open. I mean twenty-four hours every day.” Following that he said it was time to meet the troops and get going.

  After that, Chief Constable James Ingram took away both women’s empty cups and gently took Lucy Spires’ left hand, put it on his half folded left arm and they left his office, walking at a slow pace. He led them down one flight of stairs. Lucy Spires knew these well. Within a few seconds, the noise level increased as the three of them went through double wedged open doors.

  As they came into the room, Lucy Spires could hear chairs move back, people standing up from their desks, phone calls and conversations cut short; a quietness descended. She heard a few quiet gasps as the team of police officers realised who she was. The Chief Constable paused near Detective Chief Inspector Toby Butler’s office. He looked through the glass door, opened it and entered.

  “Good morning Toby,” said the Chief Constable. He rose to his feet. Lucy Spires could smell sweat in the air. The air was a little stale. She stood still while the detective came to her.

  “Hi Lucy, how are you?” said the detective Chief Inspector.

  “I’m ok,” came her reply. She felt a little awkward. The last thing she wanted him to feel was threatened by her. She wanted his support and blessing to work with him and his team to bring in the murderer.

  “Well, I’ll leave our former DCI and DC Harper with you Toby. A fresh set of ideas may help. If you need me, let me know,” said the Chief Constable.

  Lucy Spires smiled a little; he always chose his words carefully. With that, his grip on her arm fell away and she felt a small blast of air on her face as the door to the office was opened and then closed as he left.

  “Well, ladies,” said Detective Chief Inspector Toby Butler. “Where to start. Lucy, most of the team you know, a few new faces. DC Harper will go through all the details we have. Six murders, no suspects, no evidence of sorts to move with. We have a ghost.” He paused and handed DC Emma Harper a thick card file. Lucy Spires heard her say thank you. He looked in the direction of Lucy Spires. Her sunglasses made him feel a little uncomfortable. He felt he wasn’t too happy with having to work with a now blind, ex-detective chief inspector, who he hoped in one way would solve these crimes, but at the same time hoped she would fail and he would have shown his doubters he was the man to succeed.

  DC Harper stood up. “We’ll get started straight away sir. Can we use the desk next to mine, near the window? It has a little bit more space than the work station,” she said.

  He looked up and gave a subtle shrug which she took to mean yes.

  With that, she lifted Lucy Spires hand onto her arm and guided her to the door. It swung inward, knocking against Lucy Spires’ foot. It didn’t hurt, nor had anyone noticed. DC Emma Harper led her to her desk. Lucy Spires could sense the atmosphere was a little tense. She could sense a lot of eyes staring at her. This made her feel uncomfortable and question why she had agreed to do this. She felt a little wave of panic; her heart was beating faster than normal. She was lost for words and felt a little scared. She felt a brush of someone at her left side. There was a familiar smell, but she couldn’t place it.

  “Hello Ma’am, it’s great to see you back,” said detective David Evans. He continued, “We were all so worried about you, that accident couldn’t have been any worse. We were told initially it was fatal! When we found you’d pulled through… Well, we were all relieved.” This made her smile as she had always seen him as an excellent detective and a loyal, reliable friend. “Ma’am, I’ve never seen you with hair as short as that, it makes you look younger,” said detective David Evans.

  There was a small ripple of laughter, and this eased her feelings of tension. Lucy Spires stood up, and the room fell silent. She took a breath and said, “Guys, I was told, when I came out of my coma, of all your best wishes for my recovery. But can I just say I’m not an officer anymore, which includes a title. In other words, please call me Lucy. Our Chief Constable asked me to try and help bring this case to an end. I hate leaving loose ends and we really need to catch this guy. I’m going to need all your help and support, even more than before.” The silence of everyone took her by surprise and a smile crept onto her face. A landline began to ring to her left and a little behind her. Another voice she knew well spoke, this time from further away.

  “Ma’am, I mean Lucy, I’m just going to make a coffee. Can I get you your usual?” said Detective Phil Henderson.

  “Phil” replied Lucy Spires, “I’d love one. If I’d known you’d be here I’d have brought them bloody awful fig rolls you like! How on earth you eat them is beyond me!”

  She heard his chair move, his keys jingle on his belt hook. He always had a large bunch of keys and because of that his colleagues called him ‘the jailer!’ A few seconds later she felt him squeezing her shoulders; his big strong hands felt warm and a comfort. She had always liked him. He was a very diligent, observant officer who had a great deal of patience. He would look at things again and again until satisfied in his own mind he had gone down every route. She moved and touched his hand on her shoulder. This re-assured her she had done the right thing in coming back to help. He was one of the first officers to join her Major Investigation Team. He could have progressed within the force, but wanted to stay with Lucy Spires as he enjoyed working as part of her team. She had often heard him say every day was different and that there couldn’t be a better job.

  Over the next few hours, the other members of her old team made a point of catching up with Lucy Spires. This was the first day ever she had drunk so many cups of co
ffee. Lucy Spires also quickly realised DC Emma Harper was now a very good member of the team. Chief Inspector Toby Butler had been in his office all day. She knew the pressure he was under; he had this high-level case to work on as well as several more. As the day went on, DC Emma Harper and other detectives went through all the details of the unlawful deaths.

  In total, six female sex workers had been strangled on various nights during the week. The home office pathologist had reported they were strangled and had been on their knees in front of the person who took their lives. There was evidence of sexual activity from all the women and some DNA evidence, but none showed up on any records to give a name. Hair samples were found, but again no match on any databases. There were fibres of what the pathologist felt were from leather gloves, the type worn doing manual work, gardening or building, and were very common. They could be bought from any DIY outlet, online or hardware shop. Every victim had had jewellery removed after death; earrings had been pulled out of ears and on one occasion a nose piercing had been removed, again after death occurred. The reports stated the strength to commit these unlawful killings was considerable. The pathologist went on to explain he virtually lifted their whole body off the ground with a lot of force to strangle them, and breaking the windpipe would take very strong hands and arms. All the murders were, in his opinion, committed by the same person. There were drugs, class A and class B, present in five out of six women. Lucy Spires felt a little sad. In her time in Vice she had come to realise no female of any age would prefer to do this as a profession. They did it either to feed a family, as in the case of Julie Ann Cooper, a single mother, trying to feed her daughter and support her mother, or to feed a serious drug habit. Some sex workers had tried to find help from drug agencies, but had fallen back into drug use, a vicious circle with no way out for them. At around four-fifteen, Chief Constable James Ingram appeared next to Lucy Spires. She noticed his aftershave as he neared her.

  “Well Lucy, how was your first day?” he asked.

  Lucy Spires swung around in her chair. Her left foot stopped against the Chief Constable’s foot so she knew she was in front of him. She took a deep breath and said, “The team have been brilliant. We’ve gone through what little evidence we have. It’s much the same as before my accident, but we need to think outside the box. There are other lines of enquiry we can look at. There must be things we can link together, there must be a pattern we haven’t seen. I made a promise to myself after victim number four, Julie Ann Cooper, a single mother, lost her life, to find her killer. I would like to keep that commitment sir.”

  After she had finished speaking, Chief Constable James Ingram looked surprised. “Lucy,” he said, “I knew you would take this on and give two hundred percent.” Lucy spires felt his foot move. He had turned his body, looking toward DC Emma Harper. “Detective Harper,” he said in his usual confident voice. “Please take Lucy home. I think this is enough for today.” He turned back toward Lucy Spires and he spoke softly as he was very near her. “A very good first day back in the fold, but I think we need to take it slowly. I’m aware of all your injuries, the main one in front of me. I don’t want to make you unwell.” His voice changed as Toby Butler came out of his office. “Good progress, today. Lucy, as you are a volunteer, would you like to come back in tomorrow or the following day? DC Harper will coordinate collecting you and what you may need.”

  Lucy Spires moved her head back and replied she would like to return the same time the following day. He turned toward DC Harper. She said she would sort out the details with Lucy Spires on her drive to her home. He moved away from her desk toward Toby Butler. Lucy Spires heard the office door open. She imagined the two men entered for a de-brief.

  Lucy Spires felt down by her feet for her handbag. She picked it up, pulled it around her right shoulder just as DC Emma Harper placed her hand on her left arm. They carefully made their way back to the car. Lucy Spires was deep in thought and didn’t speak. DC Emma Harper opened the door for Lucy Spires. As she sat in the passenger seat, she felt very tired, ready to fall asleep. It was too early for that and she felt very hungry.

  “Emma,” said Lucy Spires, “I’ve had a great day, but I’m very hungry. Will you take me home via fast food fried chicken in a bucket. I need to fill my belly and try and come up with a strategy to bring closure to this case.” The car veered to the right.

  “That is a super idea, but as you know a bucket of crispy chicken is made for sharing!” Lucy smiled at the reply.

  Less than hour later, a bucket full of chicken gone, along with several dips and fries, caffeine filled drinks gone, the two women started to discuss the case. Two hours later, DC Emma Harper was making her way home. Lucy Spires had a relaxing bath, then turned in to bed, feeling exhausted; but the little flutter of butterflies she felt as she pulled the bed sheets over her body meant she had the best kind of reasons to get out of her bed tomorrow.

  Chapter 7

  Lucy Spires was waiting with anticipation for DC Emma Harper to collect her at eight o’clock. The local radio was playing the same music as usual. The hourly news came on. Lucy Spires half listened. The same politicians were in the news, the same sports results, a quick weather update and as always, the problems with rush hour traffic. She just caught the end of the traffic report saying the roads around the Low Meadows Retail Park, in the north of the city, were closed due to a police incident. Her heart sank. She thought please, please let this not be his next victim. She knew the area well. An established area used by both male and female sex workers. This was the worst possible news if this was his latest victim. Many thoughts ran through her mind; a young single mother, a young vulnerable girl, a drug user or a combination of all three. She sat on the edge of her sofa. The emotions she felt were building. There was a knock on the front door. Lucy Spires reached the door in a few seconds and heard the voice of DC Emma Harper, saying it was her and that she had come to collect her.

  In her car, in less than two minutes DC, Emma Harper updated her that it was indeed another unlawful killing. Initial indications pointed toward a copy of the previous victims. Chief Constable James Ingram had contacted DC Emma Harper directly; he wanted Lucy Spires involved immediately. He felt he needed every single person on this case. He went on to tell DC Emma Harper the pressure on everyone had just been ramped up. There had now been seven women who have lost their lives. He was determined that this will be his last. DC Emma Harper said he was very upset. She felt he had taken this personally. Lucy Spires felt unusual butterflies in her stomach. She was always a calm person, never suffering from nerves. She remembered the only time she had felt anxious was at the funeral of her mother, as she realised she would never see her again.

  They arrived at police headquarters and moved through a group of reporters, who were already there waiting for the mandatory statement from a senior officer. In the past, Lucy Spires had been involved in some of these. She wouldn’t miss any of it. They went straight to the Major Incident Room. As they entered the noise level was noticeably louder; phones were ringing, several conversations going on, the atmosphere felt very tense. Just as they sat at the same desk as before, Lucy Spires heard her old office door hinge make the familiar sound as it opened. Chief Detective Inspector Toby Butler came into the centre of the room. A silent wave came over the room.

  “Guys, we’ve got a better picture of events from this morning,” he said. Lucy Spires heard the team shuffling around. She guessed they were getting ready to make written notes as they would be allocated specific tasks to start once the briefing was over.

  Toby Butler had their attention. Lucy Spires heard a click as he either took his spectacles off his head, or put them on; she couldn’t remember him wearing them. He started, “At four this morning a twenty-three-year-old female, now identified as Lyndsay Marie Walker, was found at the rear of the Low Meadows Retail Park, by a supermarket delivery driver. He was turning his articulated vehicle around, ready to make an early delivery when he caught sight of the
victim in his headlights. Initial indications are the same as the previous unlawful killings. We need to stop this from happening again. My budget has just been increased. I’m trying to get more officers to knock on doors.” With that, he began giving specific tasks to his team. The only two not mentioned were DC Emma Harper and Lucy Spires. “Ladies,” he said, “Can I have a word in my office?”

  Lucy Spires was guided into his office. There was the same stale air as yesterday. She sat down on a leather seat; it made a squeak as she moved. “Lucy,” he said, “how the hell are we going to get this murdering bastard?” His voice full of tension.

  She crossed her legs and took a deep breath. She had been quiet for too long. She started, “Toby, knocking on doors will do nothing for this case apart from be a PR exercise. There must be a pattern, he has to have made a mistake. We have to re-visit every crime again. We need to look in detail at every post mortem, every bit of forensic evidence, plus I’m convinced CCTV will be the key. In all these retail parks there is face recognition CCTV, number plate ID recognition. There must be something we aren’t seeing!” With that she moved again, the same sound came from the seat.