Once Upon A Stranger's Crime

I. Starting Line

Lauren’s POV

I wanted to be a police officer.

Although such dream used to be a taboo for a girl like me, it was my reverie ever since I witnessed a stranger take away an ice cream from a child’s hand when I was in high school. Call me shallow but back then, I knew I had to do something. I needed to become something. A hero perhaps. Or a figure. Anything that would make the child feel safer in this world. I knew I wouldn't let some random, petty thief to steal the child's wonderful view of the society he's in today.

Not through a loss of ice cream, at least.

A feeling of uneasiness telling me to go after the thief crawled from my gut up to my head. I had the urge, the motivation, and the ability to catch the bad guy. I had everything except for power and resources.

“Congratulations, Ms. Moore. You are now promoted as a junior detective…” My superior hailed in front of the sea of my co-officials.

Flash-forward to present, I can confidently say that no one and nothing can hurdle my goal anymore. Now that I finally have the badge, the gun, and the authority, I will make sure to snag every villain there is to exist in the real world because I am not anymore a simple police officer, I am now officially a detective.

“Thank you, sir.” I responded to my senior officer with my head up high as he places my promotional badge neatly and meticulously over my left shoulder.

The deafening sound of hundreds of pairs of palms clamming together was heard all over the place. Soon after I faced them with dignity, the crowd stood up and cheered for my name. I am in euphoria. This is exactly how I imagined myself being “successful…”

Everything happened so quickly yet so slow at the same time. I felt like the world stopped spinning for a second when I was receiving a promotional ceremony for being upgraded as a junior detective. On the other side, I also felt like it was too fast for me to be relocating my office. I guess this is what it means when they say that a new blessing will only come if you are to lose a previous blessing.

I took a deep breath.

Oh well, I’ll just think that today is definitely my day. It is a sunny morning in the small town of Westray and the elusive wind is being elusive enough not to enter the 3rd District Police Station where I am currently standing inside, imbibing my last minutes before I officially move to the detectives’ den, where I have to memorize new names and new faces. Obviously, I have mixed emotions just by thinking about it and I am struggling to hide it.

“Lauren!” Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice call for me.

“Tim!” I responded enthusiastically as I turned my head towards the source of that familiar voice and recognized him.

Drips of sweat are dancing down my spine as I fit myself into my tight and uncomfortable yet honourable special police uniform which comprises of a pair of navy blue khaki pants, long-sleeved polo shirt, and a pair of white gloves. I tried myself to move efficiently from side to side to be able to hug my closest friend and respectable colleague.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’ll be transferring up there already.” He remarked the moment we let go of each other’s hold. When he said “up there”, I knew he was pertaining to the new office I am about to journey through.

“I know right? Don’t miss me too much. You can visit me anytime.” I joked, bumping his shoulder playfully. For sure, it is obvious that I am trying so hard to hide my real emotions. I am really bad at being the “funny one.”

“Who’s missing who?” He countered, lowering his head and facing the ground.

Timothy Evans was my classmate in the same academy. His swoon-worthy and sexy image that was popular among our female classmates back then indirectly got us closer together. Basically, I can be considered his knight in shining armour, eventhough I am woman who only stand 5’7. As I observe his sunken face right now, I remembered him being picked over by a bunch of self-proclaimed Alpha males one time during lunch back when we were just in our second year of training. Since he was timid and unspoken for a twenty-year-old, I decided to stand up for him.

--

“Leave him alone!” I recalled barking towards the 6-foot giant males laughing over him for some unknown reasons.

“And who are you?” Yup, they tried my best to intimidate me by walking slowly towards me and looking down at my figure with disgusting stares and deep snarls. Of course, it did not work for me.

“I am the one whom you will never forget the name of…” I declared with all my might and naïve spirit.

“Hey…” Timothy stood up with a furrowed pair of eyebrows to try and defend me.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Evans…I am here to save you.” I remembered uttering like a fool. Who did I think I was?

To cut the long story short, in the autumn of 2012, we fought six 6-foot muscular males in a physical combat fearlessly. And luckily, we were both skilled in fighting, causing us to defeat them after a long exchange of punches, kicks, lunges, and uppercuts.

“I thought you were weak! What the hell?!” I yelled at him in between heavy breaths as the both of us observed the fallen scoundrels, grunting and groaning in pain.

“What makes you think that I cannot stand up for myself? That’s why I am enrolled here in the first place!” He jerked back while holding his lower abdomen.

Both of us looked at each other briefly before he spoke again.

“Since I saved you today, stand up for me in the disciplinary office…” He argued. To be honest, the moment I heard that sentence come out from his mouth, I immediately wanted to pin him to the ground alongside those useless men.

“Wait a minute…It seems like you have a memory deficit Mr. Evans, May I remind you that I am the hero here.” I stated with a brief snort.

“That’s the only way you can pay me back.” He responded, ignoring my argument. He walked away slowly only to stop mid-way. At that time, I thought that he was a weird prick.

I was speechless.

“One more thing, Call me Tim and help me get away with our female classmates’ attention…I came here to graduate and not become an apple of their eyes.” He added before continuing to disappear in front of me, leaving me with a pair of dropped jaws.

--

“Hello? Earth to Lauren?” Out of the blue, he snapped me back to reality.

I shook my head at the sight of his waving palms in front of my face. Not long after, I found myself laughing at those vivid and funny memories of us.

“I’m sorry, I just remembered how fragile and dork you are back in the academy.” I said with a smile.

I continued to pack my things from my small desk inside the huge box the department has lent me. Tim decided to stand beside me to help in packing my stuff.

“Shut up…just admit that you had a crush on me too.” He uttered in a soft and teasing voice before grabbing my notepads and pencils and placing it neatly inside the box.

“You wish. You’re disgusting.” I scoffed. No matter how close we are, I see him as nothing more than a brother.

“Attention officers!” Without warning, our conversation got interrupted as the chief commander of our unit suddenly bolted inside our base with a serious and raised tone of voice while holding a folder of a reported case.

All of us inside the room stopped whatever we are doing and positioned ourselves in front of him with our arms placed behind our lower back, palms clasped together. We are trained to do such whenever a commander enters the place. In police dictionary, it is a sign of respect and attentiveness.

“He seems serious. I bet this will be another sleepless night again.” Tim whispered beside me.

I did not respond at his sentence. I listened attentively to what our commander is about to say.

“A body of a 15-year-old girl was found buried in the South Pitsbryle forest in Sherwood Ville. Unit three, we are assigned to patrol the area. I want you to prepare your things and yourselves. We will go in about a minute.

Unit three? That is Tim and I’s unit.

“in addition…I want you to know that the eyeballs of the victim are missing and she has broken wrists as well.” The commander sighed with a heavy heart as he is reporting to us.

I furrowed my eyebrows at his sentiment. I heard my colleagues’ gossip in silence too. The report seems familiar to us all. As I dug deeper into my memory on why the case is so familiar, I felt my heart raced.

“Dispatch now, unit three!” He finally ordered and just like that, my teammates swiftly exited the place. I prepared my gun and handcuffs as well. I was already running behind Tim when the chief commander called for me.

“Officer Moore.” He stated in a cold voice.

My feet automatically stopped moving as I turned to face him. I looked around the environment only to realize that we are the only ones left.

“Sir.” I replied shortly, locking gazes with my commander.

“You are not part of the unit anymore. I received an order from above…they told me to send you to your new office as soon as possible.” He explained clearly while walking slowly towards my exact spot.

My heart just sank. I completely forgot that this is the first day that I am no longer in patrol anymore.

“I…I apologize sir, my body seemed to be used to responding at your commands. I can’t believe I forgot that I am already a detective now.” I reasoned, facing down.

I felt my commander’s hand tap my shoulder. He stretched his arms in front of me, levelling his palms in front of my torso. I’ve been under his command long enough to recognize this non-verbal gesture. He is telling me to hand over my ID and police badge. With a heavy heart, I wasted no time and do what he wants.

“Congratulations on your promotion.” He uttered softly before bidding me goodbye.

--

“Nice to meet you Officer Moore, or should I say…Detective Moore.”

“I hope we work well together.”

“Congratulations, Lorie…oh I’m sorry, I meant Lauren.”

The next day, new voices echoed inside my head. My first day in the detectives’ den was quite superficial. Everyone was greeting me with empty words which made me feel sad. I know I should be happy because of my promotion yet I don’t feel any connection with anyone here compared to my first day as a police officer back in the station. Currently, sitting in my new desk inside a dull and dim-lit office just a few blocks away from where Tim and my other friends are doing their job aka the district.

I looked at my small table mirror and observed my face. As I noticed the dark circles under my eyes, I realized that from now on, I will be doing more paperworks than actual combat which I really, really hate. I miss kicking bad people’s asses. I will also be wearing more formal attires instead of my green vest. But what hurts me the most is the fact that I get to be building relationships with strangers again.

In the middle of my contemplation, a loud knock interrupted me. I stood up from my seat to take a close look on who opened the door in the middle of working hours.

“Good morning, Ms. Moore.” An old man with a receding hairline greeted me respectably.

“Good morning, sir.” I nodded in response, not knowing who he is. I only noticed that beside him, there stands a woman who appears to be quite taller than him and a male who is quite as timid as the teenager Timothy I know.

“I want you to meet your new teammates…This is Jane Williams and Edward Baker.” He mustered, introducing my “new” teammates.

I looked over their location and all three of us smiled warmly towards each other. I saw that the two of them are holding individual boxes as big as what I brought with me earlier. My eyes widened at the sudden thought that invaded my head. No way.

“W-will we be sharing office, sir?” I bravely raised.

“Of course, didn’t they inform you? We are short in budget this year. Besides, this room is too big for only a person to occupy.

“I see.” I responded quite disappointed.

“Now that this team is finally complete, let me introduce myself.” The old man spoke after my new teammates occupy their chosen desks. The three of us stood straight as he closes the door and crosses his arms.

“My name is David Sutton, your officer-in-charge.” He said with his chin up. I internally gasped for air the moment I heard his name. I bit the inside of my right cheek and cursed myself for responding in such a tone of voice in front of the famous David Sutton, the only detective who caught the “Butcher of Sherwood Ville” years ago.

“I see that you are already familiar with me.” He added when he noticed that the atmosphere between us three suddenly fell silent.

“You’re my idol!...you’re my idol sir.” Edward spoke aloud. It is evident in his action that he couldn’t contain his excitement any longer at the sight of Sir David Sutton.

“I appreciate your compliment, Edward. Well then, you are familiar with the recent killings that happened in the Sherwood Ville, right? The 15-year-old victim?” He questioned.

“Yes, sir.” We replied in unison.

“I regret to inform you that there is another victim found in the nearby radius…similar method, eyes out and broken wrists.” He explained without any evident emotions.

“How old is the victim, sir?” Jane asked curiously.

“Thirteen…” Sir David responded before handing over the folder which contains photographs from the crime scene.

The three of us exhaled and shook our heads as we analyze the scene.

“Unfortunately, there are no leads as of the moment. Good news for us…we are the ones assigned in this case.” He declared.

I observed the pictures presented keenly and I finally realized why it appears to be so familiar to me. The method of killing is similar to the method of the butcher of Sherwood Ville’s. My eyes widened in shock. It couldn’t be him because he is already dead. He died when I was still in the Academy. So who could be responsible for this?

“Ms. Moore, I heard your performance in the Violent Crimes Unit in the district earned you our promotion here?” He interrupted my trail of thoughts.

“Indeed, sir…” I countered, lowering the photograph I am holding.

“Okay, now I must ask you…what do you notice from the two cases?” He stated in a serious tone of voice. I feel like all eyes were directed on me at the moment.

I took a deep breath before explaining my observations.

“Firstly, I noticed that both the victims are teenagers and the methods of killing are the same…There is also a high chance that this is done meticulously by one person only, basing from the evidences found on the scene and the time frame that was reported…” I started, eyeing each and everyone of them.

Sir David only nodded so I decided to continue speaking.

“To be honest sir, I am suspecting that this is done by a serial killer…and not from an ordinary one…from someone who knows the Butcher of Sherwood Ville…” I concluded.

“Right, I know this one sounds familiar!” I heard Edward exclaimed under his breath.

“You are right. Now that I already see your competence, I assume that you know the reason why I am assigned to head this case.” He stated, walking directly towards the three of us.

“Because…you…you’re the one who caught the Butcher of Sherwood Ville seven years ago.” Jane remarked and I nodded slowly.

Sir David Sutton smiled intimidatingly.

“Lucky for us, we are all living in Sherwood now. It will be easier for us to work this way. Whoever this killer is, he is a fan of the Butcher of Sherwood Ville.” He replied. I was caught off guard by his statement. Jane and Edward did not notice anything wrong from his statement except for me.

“Sir…I am still from Westray.” I reasoned, catching all of their attention.

They fell silent from my statement.

“No way, are you telling me that you are willing to travel 8 hour everyday from there?” He asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

By this time, I realized that I have no choice but to leave my old life in Westray behind. If only I knew that this would be the cost of being promoted as a detective, I should have taken my time in earning THE badge.

--

“Hey Jane, I am already here at St. Louis Drive, are you sure that I should just turn left?” I voiced over my phone placed in a loudspeaker as I spoke to Jane. Today, I decided to visit the place she introduced me. She told me that there is a house in St. Louis Drive in Sherwood that was being open for rent by a man. Since I am in a hurry to find a place to stay, I gave her suggestion a try.

“Yes, just go where your GPS tells you. That place is somewhat messing with the signal by the way.” She responded in a choppy voice.

I drove slowly as I looked around and observed the environment. This small Drive is abnormally silent, it’s starting to give me the creeps.

“Come on, Lauren, of course people will stay inside their houses…there’s a serial killer on the loose for god’s sake.” I uttered to myself.

Fogs are filling up the surrounding and fallen leaves are scattered on the ground, waiting for the wind to take it wherever it wants. After I turned left, I finally saw wood carving shop at the far right of the pavement. I remembered Jane telling me such landmark.

“I think I arrived. Thank you.” I said before ending the call.

I decided to park adjacently at the house where I can see the whole neighborhood. It is a small one I can say. Although there are no people visible around to ask questions with, birds are flying around above me and street lights are surprisingly bright. Well, this isn’t bad at all. I guess this is a typical neighborhood in Sherwood.

“Bzzt, bzzt…” My phone suddenly beeped, revealing a photo of the house sent by Jane.

I lifted my screen beside the actual house that I am standing in front of right now. No doubt, this is where I am headed to.

After confirming location, I decided to take steps through the front door of the industrialized-built wood shop which has a “CLOSED” signage at the door. Since I am not here as a customer, I decided to ring the doorbell.

“Hello? I am here to inquire about the rent…” I cleared my throat and spoke in the air.

I waited for about a few seconds for someone to respond yet there seems to be no one home. I bit my lower lip to brace myself for another attempt to get the owner’s attention inside. This time, I knocked on the door.

“Hello? Is anybody home?” I called louder.

Soon after, I heard crashing noise inside. I furrowed my eyebrows and leaned closer to the door before peeping through the window. The noise indicates that there is someone inside.

“Hell—“ I was about to speak for the third time before getting interrupted by the faint call for help.

“Help! Help me!” A husky voice stated.

Adrenaline rushed down my system as I felt my heart pumped blood throughout my body faster inside my chest. Immediately, I attentively surveyed the place while getting a hold of my gun placed at the back of my coat. I prepared myself to catch a bad guy today which I didn’t really expect.

“Hello? Is anyone in there? Open the door now! I am a police officer!” I demanded with a clear voice. No one is responding.

“I know someone is inside there! If no one opens at the count of three, I will be tearing this door down.” I warned, finally exposing my gun and aiming it at the glass door.

Soon after, lights inside the house lighted up and the sound of the opening knob was finally heard. My heart raced even faster. I took a step back and tightened my grip at the gun.

I held my breath. Anything can happen now and I am not even wearing my bulletproof vest.

After a few seconds, the knob finally unclasped and the door was parted wide enough to reveal the owner of the house with a mysterious look in his eyes.