Finding Lucy

by Ernesto Lee

  “Are you alone?” Joanna responds.

  I reply that I am. She tells me that the door is unlocked and to come in.

  I slowly push open the door and peer into the room. Joanna is sitting on the edge of one of the leather sofas and the same silver tea service she used during our first visit is laid out on the table in front of her. She invites me in to sit down and then quite nonchalantly lifts the veil on the wedding dress she is wearing and politely offers me a cup of tea.

  “Don’t look so confused, Sergeant. The last time I wore this was more than forty years ago. It’s such a beautiful dress, but it was completely wasted on my excuse for a husband.”

  I’m listening to her talking, but I’m also staring at the Webley revolver on the tray next to the sugar bowl.

  “That was my father’s service revolver,” Joanna explains when she sees me staring at it. “He was a Captain in the Lincolnshire Yeomanry during the war. He served in North Africa and I remember him telling me how reliable it was.”

  The comment about reliability is a clear warning and despite Joanna’s age, there is no chance of me getting to the revolver before her. I ignore the comment and ask where her father is.

  “Joanna, we are going to need to arrange for someone to come and look after him. Can I call DC Swain to arrange that?”

  “That won’t be necessary,” she replies. At the same time, she turns to face the corner of the room and the significance of her words hits me. What I had first taken for a pile of laundry piled onto Sir David’s wheelchair is in fact a blanket thrown across his head and body. A small stain of blood is starting to soak through, and Joanna cuts me off before I can speak.

  “Did you really think that I was going to leave him all on his own to spend his final years knowing what we have done?”

  “So instead you execute your own father in cold blood. This needs to stop right now,” I shout.

  Joanna tries to justify the killing by telling me that he was asleep and knew nothing about it.

  “Save it, Joanna, you’re wasting your breath. Murder is murder, whichever way you try to spin it,” I tell her.

  “You think you’re very smart, don’t you, Sergeant? You think you’ve got it all figured out, but you still can’t see what’s staring you in the face,” Joanna taunts me. “The really smart ones figured it out but look what happened to them.”

  I’ve heard enough and ignoring the fact that she has the revolver, I start to read her, her rights.

  “Joanna Partington-Brown, I am arresting you for the murder of …”

  I’m cut off by the sound of my phone ringing in my pocket and I ask Joanna if I can take it out to answer it.

  “It could be something important, Joanna. Maybe some news about Edward.”

  She nods, but then picks up the revolver.

  “Answer it, but don’t try any tricks please, Sergeant.”

  The call is from Catherine and instead of saying hello, I tell her that everything is fine and that we are having tea in the study.

  Catherine will know immediately what to do and will be already sharing this information with Miller and his team.

  “Boss, the dental records arrived on site a couple of hours ago. Doctor Mason just called me.”

  I interrupt to tell her that the identification is not needed right now.

  “It’s irrelevant for now Cath, we know that it’s Lucy. Eddie already admitted to killing her accidentally and ...”

  “Boss, you’re not listening. You need to keep quiet and listen,” Catherine insists. “The second skeleton, it’s not Lucy.”

  “What, that can’t be!” I respond. “If it’s not Lucy, then who the hell is it?”

  “I would have thought the answer would have been obvious by now, Detective Sergeant,” Joanna says.

  The revolver is now pointing straight at my chest and she tells me to put the phone down on the table. I do as she asks but I leave the call connected so that Catherine can listen in.

  I’m kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner, but her wristwatch confirms it. I picture the photograph of the two girls with their parents standing next to the Christmas tree.

  Two beautiful and near identical sisters apart from one small detail, Joanna is wearing her watch on her right-hand wrist and Lucy is wearing hers on the left. The skeleton had the remains of the watch on the right wrist.

  Lucy notices me staring at the watch on her left wrist and she smiles.

  “Bravo, Sergeant McMillan, finally, the penny drops. As I said, the truth is staring you right in the face. It’s almost a shame that it has to end like this.”

  “Why, Lucy, why did you do it?” I ask her.

  “Does it matter now?”

  “Of course, it matters. Your husband told us that killing Lucy … I mean Joanna … was an accident. Nobody else needed to die and I don’t understand why he still persists on saying Lucy if he knows full well that it was Joanna that died.”

  “Let’s face facts, Sergeant, my husband is an imbecile. It was almost a year until my mother figured it out and it was only then that he finally discovered the truth. Even when Paul Oliver found out, I still managed to convince him that I was Joanna.”

  “Convince him?” I ask. “How could he not know? Joanna was his girlfriend.”

  “As I’ve just said, my husband is an imbecile and it was important for me to keep up the pretense. Despite the fact that I was blackmailing him, if he had known that I was not Joanna, it might have made him think twice about marrying me.

  “The same goes for my father. He was also a fool. Don’t get me wrong, he played the grieving father for a while, but he was never particularly close to either of us and with his finances back in order he soon got over it. It never occurred to him for a second that I wasn’t Joanna. And then of course there was Joanna herself. If she hadn’t been so weak willed, then none of this would have ever started.”

  Lucy explains about her father’s debts and how she had begged Joanna to ask Eddie to lend them some money to pay off the loan sharks to keep the estate within the family. When Joanna had refused to involve Eddie in their family problems, Lucy had devised another plan to get her hands on his money.

  “I persuaded Joanna to play a trick on Edward. On the night of the carnival we swapped places and pretended to be one another. It was never going to be hard to fool Edward, but we were so convincing that we even managed to fool everyone else including Paul, the O’Hanlon brothers, and James Beale.

  Joanna wasn’t entirely comfortable with playing along with me. But as I said, she was very weak willed. It was easy to persuade her we were just going to have a bit of fun. When she realized that the O’Hanlons and Paul had no idea about the switch, she was only too happy to go off with Jed and Tighe to see how far she could push it. After the carnival we all went to Eddie’s Farm.”

  “Who is all?” I ask her.

  “Myself, Joanna, Edward, and James Beale.”

  “Why was Father Beale there, Lucy?”

  “I needed him as a witness,” she replies.

  “A witness to what?” I ask her.

  “A witness to Edward assaulting me. I was trying to provoke Edward into hitting me, so that I could blackmail him into paying off my father’s debts.

  James was so infatuated with me that all I had to do was snap my fingers and I knew he would come running. I needed James as a credible independent witness.

  Edward was so confused, he lashed out thinking that he was hitting Lucy. In the woods, things just went too far. I think you know the rest. Nobody was meant to die. I loved my sister.”

  “And what about …”

  “No, enough, Sergeant,” Lucy cuts me off. “I’m tired now. This is where it ends.”

  “Okay, well just give me the gun, Lucy. Nobody else needs to get hurt and if you come in willingly, I will make sure that it’s taken fully into account. Edward is cooperating fully with us. Do the same and do the right thing, Lucy.”

  “I can’t do that, Sergeant,�
�� she replies. “I did what I did to protect this family and to protect this estate. This is all I know.”

  She pulls back the hammer on the revolver and points it at her head.

  “Goodbye, Serge…”

  “Now, now, now!” I scream.

  My outburst momentarily distracts her and a millisecond later a sniper’s bullet shatters the window and smashes into Joanna’s shoulder. The impact throws her into the back of the sofa and the revolver drops to the floor.

  I snatch up my phone to call for back up, but Catherine is already on to it. The shot has barely even been fired before the study door flies open and Miller charges in with two armed officers. The response team secure the weapon and, satisfied that there is no further danger, they call to Catherine who has been waiting in the corridor with a paramedic team.

  Miller asks me if I am okay. I assure him I am and then I point to Lucy.

  “Don’t worry about me, sir. Just don’t let her die. There has been too much blood spilt already in this case.”

  The paramedics go to work, and we leave DI Miller and his men to secure the scene.

  Catherine leads me outside and asks me again if I am okay.

  “That was pretty scary stuff, boss. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Honestly, Cath, I’m fine. I did have a bit of an ass-clenching moment when I saw the gun on the tea tray, but all things considered, it probably ended as well as it could. Were you listening in the whole time?”

  “Yes, I was. I also patched you through to the command center, so they should have recorded the whole thing. You know what this means, don’t you, boss?”

  “Go on.”

  “It means that we will need to de-arrest Eddie for the murder of Lucy and re-arrest him for the murder of Joanna. It also means I was wrong about her being a bitch. She’s not just a bitch, she’s a bloody sneaky bitch! And what was that with the wedding dress? Did she think you were coming to propose?”

  We both laugh and Cath leads me to her car.

  “Come on, boss, it’s beer o’clock and it’s my round.”

  Things moved pretty fast after that. On the way back to Tyevale, I called DCI Morgan to update him. To say he was shocked at the latest developments would be an understatement and, suffice to say, I spent the rest of the night on the phone explaining myself to Morgan, the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, and finally the Home Secretary himself.

  Despite Cath’s promise of a beer, we never quite made it to the bar that night. By the time everyone had been fully apprised of events to their satisfaction it was nearly three in the morning and after, slumping into my bed, I slept soundly for the first time in nearly a week.

  We then spent three more days in Spalding assisting DI Miller with his inquiries including five further interviews with Eddie Wells. The news that his wife was in hospital was the final straw for Eddie and over the course of those interviews he gave a full and detailed account of everything connected to each of the charges.

  The final piece needed to close our case was a confession from Lucy herself. In the afternoon of the third day and with confirmation from her surgeon that she was well enough to be interviewed, we visited her in Spalding General Hospital.

  Despite her age and condition, it had still been deemed necessary to cuff her to the bed. Even with a bullet wound, she was as arrogant and aloof as ever.

  We questioned her for nearly thirty minutes, but she steadfastly refused to speak to us. Despite her refusal to speak, this made absolutely no difference to the result. The transcript from my phone call to Cath was more than enough for Catherine to arrest her. With that done, and with a final confirmation from DCI Morgan, our case was formally marked as solved after forty-six years.

  From that point, DI Miller and Lincolnshire constabulary assumed full control for the investigations pertaining to recent events and Cath and I were finally able to head back to London.

  Present Day – Wednesday, 25th April, 2018

  After more than a week of thinking about nothing else but the case, it is great to be back in my own apartment and in my own bathroom. After a long hot shower, I dress in casual shirt and trousers and splash my face with a handful of cologne.

  Ben has been transferred to a hospital in Hounslow and Maria has confirmed that the evening visiting time runs from seven until nine.

  I’m keen to see Ben, but I also want to see Maria, so I time my arrival at the hospital fifteen minutes before the end of visitation. Ben is sitting up in bed and Maria is sitting to the side holding his hand.

  “Hey, Ben, you look a lot better than the last time I saw you. Sorry that I’m late. I had a bit of last-minute business. You know how it is.”

  Ben gives me a knowing look and then tells me not to worry.

  “Yep, I know how it is. Thanks for coming anyway, Sean.”

  Maria gives me a smile and stands up to shake my hand, but the gesture is awkward. I feel myself blushing slightly.

  “Hi, Maria. Good to see you again. You must be relieved that he’s on the mend. It can’t be much longer before he’s able to go home.”

  “Actually, the doctor is saying that it might be tomorrow. We’re hoping to get the all-clear after the doctor’s round tomorrow morning,” Maria replies.

  “Wow, that’s great news!” I reply “You must be happy, Ben. It can’t be much fun in here. You must be bored out of your mind.”

  “Yep, it is pretty boring. There is only so much sleeping you can do. I just want to get home and then get back to work. You know how it is, Sean.”

  Maria picks up on the look between us and asks if she has missed something.

  “No, nothing, Mum. I’m just looking forward to getting back to my studies. Sean promised me that he would give me a few pointers on criminal law. I’m considering specializing in investigative journalism. Isn’t that right, Sean?”

  “Um, yeh. Absolutely,” I reply.

  If I had any doubts before about Ben’s recovery, I can stop worrying. The little shit is on top-form and has made it clear that I am far from off the hook. I divert the conversation and for the rest of the visit we make small talk and I give them a potted version of the case as the clock counts down to nine.

  At nine exactly the duty matron goes from cubicle to cubicle to tell the visitors to say goodbye and when I offer to give Maria a lift home, Ben knows exactly what I am up to.

  “That’s okay, Sean. Mum has an Uber booked. No need to put yourself out. Isn’t that right, Mum?”

  Maria is about to speak, but I interrupt and assure her that it’s on my way home anyway.

  “Cancel your Uber, Maria. I’m going your way anyway. It’s really no problem.”

  “Okay, as long as it’s not putting you out. Thank you, Sean.”

  Maria turns to face Ben and leans over to kiss him on the cheek. We say our final goodbyes and as I escort Maria away, Ben calls me an asshole under his breath.

  Maria turns back and asks him what he said.

  “Nothing, Mum, but go safely and have a nice evening. You too, Sean,” Ben replies.

  I look back over my shoulder and answer with a smirk.

  “Thanks, Ben, I will. Sweet dreams.”

  The journey from Hounslow to Feltham is less than three miles, so ordinarily should be no more than a ten-minute drive. We are so engrossed in chatting, though, that Maria doesn’t notice that I am taking an unusually long route and by the time we arrive outside her house it is nearly nine-thirty. Maria thanks me for the lift and when I get out to walk her to the door, she insists that it is not necessary.

  “That’s okay, Sean. I’m sure I’ll be fine from here.”

  I ignore her and get out anyway. I follow her to the front door. She turns to face me and catches me off guard.

  “Was there something you wanted to ask me, Sean?”

  “Um, what do you mean?” I awkwardly reply.

  “I think you know what I mean,” she replies with a smile. “I got the feeling that the small talk in the car was building up t
o something. Is that what the magical mystery tour was about? I’ve lived in this area my entire life and it has never taken me that long to get from Hounslow.”

  I laugh at how easily she has sussed me out.

  “Sorry, Maria. Was it that obvious?”

  “Just a bit, Sean. So, go on then, spit it out.”

  With all need for subtlety gone, I take a deep breath and blurt it out.

  “You’re a beautiful woman, Maria, and I know that there is a bit of an age difference between us, but … well, what I mean is …”

  Maria is now smiling. She reaches out and takes my hand.

  “Take a breath, DS McMillan, I’m not that scary.”

  “Thanks. So, what I’m trying to say is that I would be honored if I could take you out for dinner one evening. If that would be okay with you, I mean?”

  “That would be lovely,” Maria replies.

  She then takes my other hand and pulls me closer.

  “And would you like to come in for a coffee?” she asks.

  Her voice is low and seductive, and I fall for it hook line and sinker. I tell her that I would love a coffee and I put one of my hands around her waist.

  Maria laughs and removes my hand.

  “The last time I invited a guy in for coffee, I ended up as a single mother nine months later. There’s a Starbucks in the petrol station at the end of the road. Call me tomorrow and we can take it from there, Sean.”

  With that she leans forward and kisses me full on the lips, before turning and leaving me feeling like an idiot staring at her front door.

  It could have gone a whole lot worse, though. A kiss from a beautiful woman is better than nothing. I walk back to my car happy to be back on home turf and happy to have a date with Maria to look forward to.

  I’m about to open my door, when I notice the motorbike on the opposite side of the road. The bike is different from the one that knocked me down in Tyevale, but the leathers and helmets of the driver and passenger are the same.

  I cross the road expecting them to drive away, but they don’t. The passenger gets off the bike and meets me in the middle of the road.

  “Who the hell are you and what do you want?” I ask.