Blue Eyes

Siren was wailing around the corner of her block. Her cell phone was buzzing continuously. She checked the time, it was 4:45 am.

“Hello” said Sarah in a crooked voice.

“Hello Sergeant Sarah, this is Officer Mc Leod. There has been a report of a homicide just round the corner of your block. We need your support in the case” replied a husky voice over the phone.

“But Willsburg is not in my jurisdiction” replied Sarah.

“We are very well aware of that, but we would appreciate your support in this case, moreover, a young kid is the lone survivor of the tragedy. We would appreciate your support in helping her deal with the situation. Your homicide expertise are required in this case”, replied Officer Mc Leod.

“Alright then” replied Sarah as she got up to visit the crime scene.

Sarah was a young Sergeant specialised in homicide investigations. She was athletic built, blond. She lived with her mother who had been a patient of Alzheimer’s for the last 13 years. She was the only child who grew up to shoulder the responsibility of her mother. At age 33, she was still single and had no life of her own. Her Quarters and her mother kept her busy.

She stepped on something cold as she tried to change into her track suit. She took a look upon it to find it was her watch she has been looking for since last week. She kept it on her side table and fumbled for her badge and gun to visit the crime scene.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

The house bustled with police officers from everywhere.

“Sergeant Sarah” said Sarah showing her badge to the guard patrolling outside the house.

“Certainly mam, Officer Mc Leod spoke of you” replied the guard and gestured Sarah to get inside the house.

It was an exceptionally quiet house besides the hustle of the officers. No evidence of any kind of intrusion or struggle could be found. It was as if nothing has gone wrong there. The lush cream wallpaper of the living room was shining by all the lights dazzling in the room. A picture was hung over the fireplace with a young kid kissing the forehead of an infant in the arms of her mother and the father holding them all in his arms. “Certainly this was a happy family, at least until then”, thought Sarah.

Sarah made her way to the bedroom where both Mrs & Mr Watson now lay dead in a pool of blood. There were multiple wound marks around their neck, throat and face making it difficult to recognise their face. Strangely there was again no evident sign of any struggle. Everything was kept in its place untouched as if death walked peacefully through the room.

Sarah checked the bedside drawer to find some sleeping pills. “May be that was the reason for no struggle”, she thought.

The wardrobe was all intact. Sarah made her way to the nursery to find the baby lying in her cradle with her right hand little finger chopped off. Her face was all distorted. There wasn’t a hint of any white or blue left on her sheet, it was all coloured in red now.

“Whoever did this is no human”, Sarah mumbled to herself. She couldn’t help but run out of the house to take a breath.

The aura was suffocating. The air inside the house smelled of blood. Sarah could feel it. It were choking her throat and the images of the family was choking her sanity. She felt sweat trickle down her face in the cold breezy morning of November. All she wished was to run out of that place and erase every single memory her mind has registered in the last one hour. There was something highly wrong with this murder mystery, she could sense that, how could somebody be so heartless to kill a baby.

She paced towards her home making a mental note that first thing in the morning she would resign from this case, she was not prepared for such a ruthless homicide case, but stopped abruptly when her eyes met a pair of blue eyes locking her gaze. Those eyes were shouting of the pain that Sarah felt in her chest. Sarah walked towards the kid sitting in an ambulance. She was wearing white night suit which was covered in blood. She held a teddy tightly to her chest. Her blue eyes were all swollen, “may be with all the crying” Sarah thought. She looked calm, too calm for a kid who has witnessed such a brutality. Sarah found it weird the way she was holding the teddy as if it was her only solace. “Poor child”, she thought.

“Hi there, it’s a very cute teddy you holding there, what’s its name? Asked Sarah as she tried to talk to the kid.

But she sat there as a stone, as if she heard or saw nothing.

“May be the trauma” thought Sarah.

“What’s your name darling?” Sarah again tried talking to the kid, only to be treated by nothing but utter silence.

“Hi Sergeant Sarah, this is Officer Nina. Did you find anything relevant at the crime scene?”

Officer Nina was an Afro-American with her dark curly hair tied neatly in a pony. Her short and heavy stature and those bright confident eyes spoke of her experience with police department over the years.

“Not really. The place is oddly serene for such a tragedy”.

“Anyways we hope to find something. Meanwhile we need to shift the child to foster care first thing in the morning. It seems the child has nobody to take her custody” said Officer Nina.

Sarah felt a pang of pain on hearing this.

“Very well then. See you tomorrow Officer Nina” said Sarah quietly.

Sarah walked back to her home and felt those blue eyes watching her all the way down the block. Sarah felt a hole building in her chest for leaving the kid there. She felt those blue eyes spoke to her as if she was her own.

As Sarah jingled with the keys to enter her home, the door opened with her mother standing there.

“I am sorry mamma, I didn’t want to wake you up” said Sarah as she saw her mamma walk back to her room. She knew her mother won’t hear her or answer her. It was as if her mother lived in a world of her own.

In the beginning there used to be days when her mother Lily would black out for hours which turned into days and progressed to months. Now, it’s once in a blue moon that she could feel her mother with her. It’s as if she has been drawn to her own world, living altogether in a different dimension. A world where Sarah did not exist no matter how much she longed for her mamma.

Sarah stood at the door as she watched her mother walking to her bed and lying down to sleep in peace.

“At least somebody can sleep peacefully” she thought.

She changed into her pyjamas and got into her bed trying to sleep. It was already 6:00 but she could use an hour nap, only to realise that she couldn’t close her eyes. Those blue eyes kept on haunting Sarah. They spoke of a pain unknown to the world. Sarah rolled in her bed, but couldn’t draw her mind off those blue eyes.

Her alarm went on, it was 7:00 already and Sarah hadn’t blinked an eye. Her mind all the while running to those blue eyes.

Sarah changed her mind and now couldn’t wait to solve this hideous mystery. She felt the child’s pain as her own and wanted to avenge the poor child. “How can be someone so cold” she thought to herself as she got dressed for the Quarters.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“We are transferring the girl to a foster care in Grindales” announced Officer Nina.

“Officer Nina, where exactly did we find the girl?”

“She was found at the beside her mother holding her closely and lying on bed with her. We took her off from her mother and made her stay out in the ambulance. There was no evident mark of any injury on the girl. However, she’s too quiet, may be because of the trauma. We called up her school, they said the girl is very bright but introvert and distant to kids around. She keeps herself busy with her books. Oddly for her age she is found in the library always reading”.

“But isn’t it strange that everyone but the girl is the lone survivor, let alone a survivor but untouched by anything so far but for the mental trauma”.

“Certainly we considered that but then we cannot ignore the fact that the entire house was untouched except for the bed room of Watsons and the nursery attached. Looks more like personal in nature”.

“What’s the name of the girl?” enquired Sarah.

“Amy. Amy Watson”, replied Officer Nina. “We have arranged for a foster care facility, we believe its best we keep her out of this mess as long as we can”.

Sarah nodded and asked to speak to Officer Mc Leod. Officer Nina guided her way to the office of Officer Mc Leod and went to arrange for Amy.

“Hi Officer Mc Leod”, said Sarah as she shook hands with the officer.

“Thanks Sergeant for your cooperation. We appreciate your efforts. We specifically asked for your help because of your expertise in crime investigation, we believed we could take as much help in this case as we can”.

“Appreciate that officer Mc Leod, but before we start with our investigation I would like to personally see that Amy is shifted to the facility that’s best for her”.

“I’ll arrange for that and appreciate your concern for the kid. She has seen a lot for her age”, replied Officer Mc Leod.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

Sarah watched as Officer Nina helped Amy register for the facility and settle down in her room. Officer Mc Leod arranged for them to stay at the foster care for the day to make sure that the girl was comfortable.

It was lunch time and as all the kids gathered in the dining room, Amy was reluctant to leave her room. Nina somehow convinced Amy to the dining but Amy would not as much hold the spoon. She sat there holding her teddy Loona, close to her chest as if losing it meant losing the world to Amy.

Sarah was watching Amy from the window of the dinning. Amy lifted her eyes and locked her gaze with Sarah. Sarah couldn’t help but melt watching those blue eyes. She decided to speak to Officer Mc Leod and take custody of the girl.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

Lily was asleep in her bed when Sarah brought Amy home. Sarah made Amy comfortable in her room and promised her a Chinese take away dinner at night. She made Amy get into bed to get some rest. She hardly hoped for the girl to sleep with everything that she has witnessed recently.

Sarah tucked Amy in and left for the Quarters. She decided that she would leave no stone unturned to find the guilty behind this inhumane crime, for leaving that little girl an orphan, for depriving that little soul of the life her parents would have dreamed for her. She deeply wished those deep blue eyes would again meet the horizon of love and happiness which once bedazzled in those eyes. That love that she saw in that picture over the fireplace, the warmth that she could see but felt no more in those eyes.

Through the day Sarah noted down her case and decided to investigate the leads. She took away Chinese on her way back home as she had promised Amy.

Sarah opened the door to find Lily and Amy deeply engrossed playing, laughing and whispering to each other. Sarah was surprised to see her mother metamorph so drastically in a span of few hours.

Watching Lily play with Amy was something she never expected and yet this little blue eyed angel somehow brought back life into Lily and Sarah’s life.

“Guess, it was the right decision to bring Amy home, after all we did needed each other”, thought Sarah.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“Do we have a match on the fingerprints?” enquired Sarah.

“None”, replied officer Ramse.

“Any sign of robbery, any theft or valuable missing?”... “None”, replied the officer.

“Any matter of property or dispute of some sort?”... “None, no motive behind the murder has been identified yet Sergeant”, replied Officer Ramse.

“But we are sure whoever did this was a close friend to have access to the house”, muttered Sarah.

“We have traced all the call records during last one month made by the Watsons. They all came out clean”, replied Officer Ramse.

“The only lead that we have is that Henry Watson was expecting a promotion at his firm, so maybe one of his colleague was jealous of him and wanted to remove him from his path and ended up killing almost the entire family”, said Sarah.

“Yes, but

Advertisement

we do not have any suspect there. Henry was indeed a good friend to all and enemy to none”, replied Officer Ramse.

“Yes sure he was, but we never know when the enemy is hiding as a wolf in sheeps’ clothing.

Officer Ramse, I want a detailed investigation of Mr.Watson’s colleagues. His life at his firm during last one year. Meanwhile, get Officer Nina to investigate the friends of Mrs.Watson. I think our girly friends will have something to gossip about”, smirked Sarah.

“Sergeant Sarah”, nodded Officer Mc Leod.

“Officer Mc Leod”.

“So where are we on the case? It’s great to know that you took custody of Amy, that’s very generous of you”.

“Oh that’s nothing”, smiled Sarah. “Guess we all needed each other”.

“Well, Sergeant I would love to hear about that, maybe I can buy you a lunch and we can talk about the case and Amy with you”.

Sarah took a moment to grasp that. All these years with her mother and her life at Quarters she forgot what her life was and what it could have been. She had not gone out with any man in the last 3 years.

“Sergeant Sarah? I am sorry if you don’t wish to ...” “No, no I would, rather I didn’t realise, and I am hungry”.

“Shall we then?’ nodded Officer Mc Leod.

Sarah had not noticed until then, Mc Leod was a heavy built man, in his mid-thirties. His 6’3” height talked about his persona. His husky voice that would make woman want the man. She knew it was wrong to feel that way for the guy without knowing him, but to her surprise at that moment she wanted to pour out her heart to him.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“So tell me about yourself, how you all needed each other?” asked Mc Leod while munching on his salad.

Sarah took a deep breath before beginning. “I am a lone child raised by my single mother. Over time she developed Alzheimer’s. We treated her but it was late and her disease had advanced to a higher stage before we actually diagnosed her. For the last 13 years I have been taking care of her. In the last 3 years I have had nothing on my mind but my mother and the Quarters. It was when I saw Amy I remembered what being a desperate kid is all about.

Desperate to change what’s happening around you. Desperate not to let the life take its toll upon you. Desperate for that normal life you had just a moment ago. Taking Amy in was the right decision. In the last 8 months mamma and I had not exchanged a single word, but yesterday night I walked into home to see her playing with Amy. Whispering things into her ears to make her laugh and forget the world around her that had just turned upside down. May be I kept myself too busy with the Quarters to realise mamma was still there and needed just some time with her to show up. Amy certainly took care of that. She infused the charm that was missing from our life”.

“You are a very brave woman Sergeant. I could see it on your face. I admire you for what you did for that girl. Remember, you can always look upon me for whatever you need, I will always be there for you”.

Sarah was taken back at those words. Her heart melted down and tears came rolling down her cheeks without her realising it. Mc Leod took her hands in his and kissed them softly while caressing her hands. His eyes spoke of the assurance that he would not leave her, that she would not be alone again.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“Officer, how did the interrogation with friends of Mrs.Watson go?’ asked Sarah.

“Nina ... After what you did for the child you can call me Nina. About the interrogation, nothing of much importance, but there’s a Miss Cathy an old friend of Mrs.Watson, who seemed reluctant to talk about the family. Although she has been the oldest and closest friend of Mrs.Watson but somehow she hesitated to talk about Mrs.Watson and Amy in particular”, replied Nina.

“Nina, I would like to see Miss Cathy, if you would please arrange for a meeting ASAP”.

“Sure Sergeant”, nodded Nina as she left the room.

Sarah was scribbling down her notes while Officer Mc Leod knocked and welcomed himself inside the room.

“So any lead Sarah? I believe I can call you Sarah? … “Yes please Officer …” “Its Jose for you Sarah”, replied Officer Mc Leod.

“Well Jose, then”, smiled Sarah. “Officer Ramse didn’t find anything substantial, other than the fact that Henry Watson was expecting a promotion soon. There ain’t much of a lead. But an old friend of Mrs.Watson, Miss Cathy is a suspect. Officer Nina found her reluctant to provide any details on the case. I will personally meet her and see if she can shed some light on the case”.

“Good job Sarah. But it’s been a long day and I guess your mamma and Amy would be waiting for you at home”.

“You bet!” chuckled Sarah. “Earlier I called up home to find mamma making pancakes for Amy. I haven’t seen her doing anything in the last 8 months and I am overwhelmed at how this little girl managed to bring vitality in my mother in such a short time. It’s amazing and yes very relaxing to know”.

Jose caressed Sarah’s cheek as she spoke. “I wish you all the happiness in the world. You are very special and I am glad I met you Sarah”.

Sarah smiled and gestured for Jose to leave the Quarters with her.

Home was very different now, it vibrated with life now. It smelled of freshly baked pancakes. TV broadcasting Tom and Jerry and Lily and Amy watching the show and sharing a laugh together. Sarah couldn’t expect more.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“Hi Miss Cathy, this is Sergeant Sarah Michales. You have already met Officer Nina. If you don’t mind I would like to enquire you about Mrs.Watson. May be it would draw some light on the case”.

Cathy was a fair slim brunette in her late twenties. She taught at a primary school in Wilsburg. She sounded like a confident independent woman but the mere mention of Amy made her uncomfortable.

“So how long you have known Mrs.Watson” asked Sarah?

“We have lived our entire life together. We were raised together as kids. Went to the same school, University. There Nicole met Henry. They fell in love and decided to marry. Henry was a jolly man, loved by the people around him. They were happily married for more than 4 years when things started changing. Nicole couldn’t conceive. She underwent a series of IVF’s but all to no avail. It was taking a toll on Nicole. Henry couldn’t see Nicole drifting away. Nicole and I used to teach at school together. She left her job. Finally Henry had to settle down for adoption. It was Henry’s idea to surprise Nicole. Together I and Henry planned it out and it was 2 years ago on Nicole’s birthday that Henry took her to this foster care in Lowood where they adopted Amy”, Cathy stopped at the mention of Amy. It was as if a chill went down her spine as she recalled Amy.

“There was something about Amy”, continued Cathy after taking a deep breath. Her eyes, those blue eyes spoke a lot. There was grief, yet desire in those eyes. A desire to be loved, to belong. Nicole and Henry could not overlook that and adopted Amy. Amy was 9 then. The officials at foster care warned them about Amy’s past but they decided to overlook it. I wish I would have been a better friend”, said Cathy and busted out into tears.

“I am sorry Cathy but what do you mean by Amy’s past”, enquired Sarah.

Cathy handed a note to Sarah and walked away. There was an address of a foster care in Lowood. Sarah decided to leave at once for that place.

------------------- X – X – X ------------------------

“Hello mamma, you okay? Just take care of yourself. I have to leave for Lowood for the case, but I’ll be home soon, may be later till midnight. I’ll send Nina to watch over you”.

“Don’t worry darling, you worry a lot. Me and Amy are good and you better be a good daughter and be home soon. Bye”.

---------------------X – X –X -------------------

Sarah entered the office at Grace Foster Care and showed her badge and asked to meet the Head Mistress Sister Jones Samuel.

“Hello Sister Jones, this is Sergeant Sarah from …” “Yes, I know and I have been waiting for you, ever since Cathy mentioned about you adopting Amy. Personally Cathy and I never felt comfortable with the idea, especially in the light of recent events”.

“What do you mean Sister”, enquired Sarah.

“Here this is a newspaper cutting from 3 years ago, read this and you would know. There was this family in outskirts of Lowood. All murdered at night with no suspect. All but one, a young girl 8 years old, named Amy. Officials tried to enquire about the case but dismissed it as some animal attack with the injuries that the family succumbed to. There was no sign of any struggle or trespassing at home. The officials did not buy the story themselves, but let it go due to lack of any incriminating evidence. We took Amy in our facility. She was a quiet girl. Too quiet, we thought it was the trauma, but later we found out that the girl was suffering from bipolar disorder. The family couldn’t afford the treatment and so let her be. One night the girl as we believe made the kill in cold blood. It included her two siblings besides her parents. Police didn’t have any evidence to prove their theory and without it nobody would believe them. When Nicole and Henry showed up at our facility and decided to adopt Amy, we thought it would give hope to the kid to grow normal, get the treatment. It was the news of their cold murder that made Cathy and I realise what grave mistake we have committed. Then we heard yesterday from Miss Cathy, she told us you have adopted the child. It’s in your best interest to let go of that child. She deserves a mental facility not a home. The child is nothing but an angel of death itself. You must run to your home and save whom you can”.

“I don’t believe you’, replied Sarah in an agitated voice. “She is just 11. She has brought nothing but hope to me”.

“Are you sure, Sergeant Sarah? Did you run a fingerprint match for Amy? You must not waste time. Time is what you need the most right now”.

Sarah ran to the car and called up Nina and ordered to run for Amy’s finger print match.

She then called up Ramse and asked to get history of Amy’s past.

Her 2 hours journey to home seemed like a lifetime. She was almost at Wilsburg when she received the call from Nina confirming Amy’s fingerprint matching the crime scene. Sarah was left dumbstruck. “Mamma”! She thought. She called up Jose and narrated him whatever she had learned about Amy and asked him to reach her place immediately along with the child rehabilitation force.

Tears came rolling down Sarah’s eyes and made it difficult to think straight. She called up her mamma incessantly but the phone went on voice mail every time.

Meanwhile she received a call from Ramse affirming Amy’s past as Sister Jones narrated. Ramse also told that the Watsons were getting Amy treated for bipolar disorder, but she didn’t show any improvement. They kept it a secret from the school authorities as they believed it might deprive the child the only chance she had at a normal school life.

She couldn’t take it. All she had in the world was her mother. She lost her once and found her again because of Amy only to lose her again.”

She almost reached her block when she saw police already there and Jose’s car parked outside. She ran for her mamma, but stopped abruptly to see police tape all around her home. She couldn’t move a step further. It was as if time has stopped. She was too numb to speak or hear anything.

“Sarah …Sarah ... Sarah!” Jose jerked Sarah out of her thoughts. “You need to come with me”, said Jose while putting his arms around Sarah. She couldn’t move, but Jose won’t let go of her.

“You need to stay with me Sarah”, mumbled Jose.

He walked her to the living room, where Lily was lying on the couch. Her face all mangled with wounds. Her throat ripped open. Amy was sitting right around the corner holding her teddy close to her with her blue eyes fixed on Sarah.

“Sorry Sarah, we couldn’t make in time. We did everything we could, but … “, said Jose.

Sarah said nothing but looked back into those blue eyes that froze her gaze.

---------------------------- X – X – X ----------------------------