James Locker: Detectives in A Trap

Chapter 8 James Lockers Inauguration Speech

At 4 pm the team was gathering in the meeting room of CSMI. The room was dull and boring. If one were focusing on an unusual angle, that person could see a glimpse of the sun and the harbour. From every other corner, however, the only thing visible was the grey concrete fundament of the highway. The entire team had gathered including Barry Itch who was the director of CSMI. The group in full consisted of James Locker provisional Head Detective for CSMI team 1, John Dean police inspector, Adam Smith, Police assistant, Thomas Anderson, Police Assistant, and Samantha Robinson Police Assistant. It also consisted of the following four other police representatives named Johnson, Baker, Chung, and Lee. All in all, there were nine team members in the room.

Barry Itch opened the meeting.

- Dear Fellow officers. The reason you are here today is the sudden and sad resignation of Michael Fuller who had to resign immediately yesterday due to health issues. Michael was one of the greatest detectives of all times in the CSMI, and he will be hard to fully replace. It's my long-term ambition to hire a prominent detective from another Metropolitan area as I believe that this team needs fresh ideas being led by Michael for the last fifteen years. For the next three months, however, you will be led by James Locker who is appointed provisional detective effective immediately. James, it is your turn to speak.

James Locker went to the podium and overlooked the team he was supposed to lead. To James, it seemed like most of the colleagues were favourable towards him although many of them seemed shocked that they had lost the man who was their patriarch for all these years. From John Dean, however, James received another signal, the signal of a cold, hateful gaze. James Locker cleared his throat and started his short speech.

James Locker:

- Dear team members. Due to health issues, Michael Fuller has resigned from his position. Losing Michael leave us in a troubled position as we didn’t have time to make a handover of his duties. Furthermore, we have lost access to one of the sharpest minds that this department has ever seen. However, I implore you to see the opportunities ahead. I have identified a severe flaw in Michael's leadership that it is my ambition to remedy.

- Michael had a lot of faith in his ability which is usually a good thing. From my point of view, however, he sometimes took it too far and refused to seek the counsel of his colleagues. By doing this, Michael has inhibited some of you from reaching your full potential. I intend to be a lot more open while seeking counsel from all of you and hopefully this will empower and stimulate you to grow as police officers.

- So, to summarise we have lost our strongest team member, but hopefully, a new, more open approach to teamwork will make us stronger and even better than before.

The team members were applauding, and they addressed a series of minor issues before Barry Itch finalised the meeting, and everyone could go home.