52
Culverhouse arrived at John Lucas’s house as the first response officers were lifting the enforcer out of the back of the van. The enforcer, a huge metal battering ram, was used to force entry to properties by bashing the door in.
‘Steve, get round the back in case he escapes that way. Ryan, follow me.’ He marched up to the front of the house and showed his ID card to the officers. ‘DCI Culverhouse, Mildenheath CID. This is DC Mackenzie. Any signs of life in there?’
‘Not taking any chances, sir. We’re happy to force entry immediately if you are.’
Culverhouse ran through the protocol in his mind. Lucas was a previous offender with a history of violence, particularly towards police officers. He’d shown signs of being psychologically unstable within the past half an hour. They didn’t k
