14
Adam halted in front of the Iron Gate.
He saw three cars in the parking lot. A white Toyota Fortuner along with a white swift Dezire and a black Baleno. He recognized the Toyota Fortuner but wondered who would have come for the meeting in the other cars.
He slowly stepped out of his motor cycle to open the gate. After pushing it aside a little more he walked back to his bike and rode in. He put his bike next to the cars and his x-ray eyes scanned the cars to find out who they belongs to. He thought he might know them once he sees them. He was anxious to meet the unexpected guests. They must be here for a reason and it would provide some vital information. He thought.
He pressed the calling bell and gayathri mantra was heard inside. Within seconds the door was opened and Adam saw the eager looking face of Dr. Subramanian. His face looked like he hasn’t slept all night. He was carrying out the autopsy all night.
That's unusual. He muttered under his breath. “What happened, Subru?” He was concerned.
Dr. Subramanian or Subru as Adam calls him was a short man of five foot three. He was chubby and his belly was protruding out a lot than his chest. His face was plump with a thin mustache and curly hair.
“I will tell you. Let Hameed also come.” He replied in a calm but eager tone. It seemed he wanted Hameed this instant itself.
“Why him? That murder has happened within my station limit.” Adam raised his brows. He couldn’t welcome the decision of discussing this case with Hameed unless he knows everything firsthand. Hameed can know later when I tell him. Till then it is my case and I should have the details.
In fact the murder was happened within Adam’s station limit but Hameed‘s station limit starts from there. Hameed’s patrolling unit found the car first and they informed Hameed first.
“I know but his opinion could be important.” Subramanian shook his head in random circles.
“Just tell me what is happening. Why are you complicating things? Is there anything special?” Adam was getting annoyed and Subru sensed that. Adam wanted quick answers and he loves to find solutions as quick as possible.
Adam, Subramanian and Hameed were classmates from school. While Adam and Hameed became sub inspectors, Subramanian became a doctor and is now a postmortem specialist. Their friendship was going strong and they always discussed everything and took others opinion so that they could work smoothly in each case.
“Yes. This is a clear case of cold blooded murder. It seems it was preplanned and a few people were involved.” Dr. Subramanian didn’t want to unleash Adam’s fury so he decided to inform him about his findings.
“What makes you say that?” Adam asked in a semi interested semi unconcerned tone. I already guessed it. I know it is a murder and cannot be done by a single person.
“Come inside.” Subru stepped aside so that Adam could get in.
They were still standing at the entrance door. Adam followed him into the dining room where two more people were waiting. He saw them and his brows were raised in question.
What this drama is all about? Is there anything more? He knew them. One was from forensics, Augustine and other was finger print expert, Leo.
“Sit.” Subramanian pulled a chair for him. Adam sat but it was evident that he was totally confused. There are some revelations coming my way. Today this case could be solved.
“Can you please tell me what is happening here?” He moved his face towards each one of them.
“The victim’s heart is missing.” Augustine started after a few seconds of silence.
“What?” Adam yelled. “Are we dealing with some organ traffickers?”
“I don't know how to say it, but we could only find finger prints of a single person.” Leo said.
“Okay.” Adam shook his head in harmony. Subramanian said a few and Leo is saying one. This contradicts my intuitions.
Leo continued. “We found a left hand print on victim's right thigh and right hand print on left thigh.”
“Impossible.” Adam couldn’t fathom that finding. He was not a fan of that I-word but this disclosure would definitely make him say that. “How can a single person do such a thing unless he must be as powerful as a monster? Even if he is powerful no one can stretch their hands that enough to tear a man into two till his heart only clutching at his thighs.” He shared his doubts.
“You are right but all my calculations reach at that point. Those prints are of a single person.” Leo stood strong in his finding. “I couldn’t find any other.”
“What else can you say?” Adam glared at Leo.
“It’s a male probably in the thirties, not more than thirty five.” Augustine gave the reply. “I collected whatever DNA samples I could get. But all of them were of a single person.”
“How are you sure that our killer is a male?” Adam turned towards Leo.
“Ridge density varies for male and female. It could vary with age also. I can assure you that it is a male but the age factor is a concern. I can only get an approximate age limit.” He said confidently. “But Augustine confirmed that my findings are true.”
“There is something peculiar about this case.” Augustine frowned. “Why was he stripped naked before being ripped? Why wasn’t he torn into two but only till his heart?”
“An old ground, an abandoned highway, uncharacteristic murder, unconscious survivor, there are a lot of mismatches. I can’t believe that a single person did all this. That is unlikely.” Adam sighed. This is not going anywhere. It is only getting complicated. “What else are missing?”
“Nothing else but heart. I guess that’s why they torn him till his heart.” Subramanian added. “There were no signs of struggle. He knew he was going to die and he accepted it.”
“He was drunk Subru. I think she led him there and her group was waiting. She must be a decoy. She is the suspect, she knows everything.” Leo said with certainty.
“Let me tell you he drank too much to protest.” Augustine, the forensic expert interjected. He was young in his late twenties. He looked them through his spectacles. “The alchohol content was too high in his blood. If he wasn’t sodomised then why was he completely naked?” He paused for a moment and resumed. “A drunken man, allowed his captor to strip him and then getting ripped through his torso, breaking his pelvic girdle and tearing his tissues into two sections in the middle of the night. The FIR says that his bowels were out scattered onto the ground and his heart was plucked out. He was lying in a pool of his own blood.” Augustine elaborated the scene.
“Then why she was left behind?” Subramanian raised a question. “If her friends did this murder why didn’t they took her with them? They would know that she is a threat, a primary witness.”
“What if some other people got there first even before her friends, maybe the real organ smugglers? It is possible that her friends couldn’t get to the spot.”
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