20
“May I come in?” They both heard the voice followed by a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Commissioner replied and Hameed eagerly looked at the door to see who the visitor was. It was Inspector Rajendran. He was in charge of next town’s police station.
As he came closer Mahadevan said. “Take a seat.”
“Just tell me what is going on?” Mahadevan looked at his subordinates. They sat motionless having no clue of the situation or how to deal with it.
I have to hear everything again. Hameed thought.
It was now Rajendran’s turn to hear his superior’s barrage of words for his incapability of solving a murder where everyone saw the killer but still police couldn’t arrest her yet. Rajendran observed his senior officer raged with emotions but he decided not to say a word.
“Three murders in three different police station limits and a fourth attempt on a police officer and till now we have made zero arrests. And you guys are silent.” He was really in a bad mood. His body language and voice clearly showed that.
“Have you read the newspapers? Two murders has been the talk of the town. Somehow we managed to hide the murder at the ground but we can’t hold it longer. Those reporters will smell it soon and in no time every news channel and papers will be clutching at our throats. So before that I need some answers and more specifically a culprit. At least that girl who killed the groom.”
Rajendran decided to break the silence as both Mahadevan and Hameed looked at him. “Sir,” He started in a low voice. “If our assumptions are right, that girl must be dead by now.”
“What I needed was another unsolved murder. The day is going great.” A mock sigh escaped his lips.
“Sir, what if she is behind all these killings?” Hameed raised a doubt after hearing the new murder out of his investigation circle.
“What made you assume that?” Mahadevan raised his eyebrows.
“First this murder is also done in an unnatural way like the murders happened in other circles also. Secondly as per his description …” He pointed towards Rajendran. “This girl has some unnatural strength which strongly suggests that she could be behind other murders. What we need are the missing links.”
Rajendran shook his head accepting what Hameed said.
“No, there are contrasts in these killings. The other two murders happened in secrecy but this one was in public in front of hundreds of people. And if these reports are correct, we have a set of fingerprints that belongs to a man. As Rajendran said earlier that girl could be dead by now seems irrelative to previous killings.” Mahadevan opposed Hameed’s theory. “And in your our autopsy reports both those bodies lacked heart.”
Rajendran again shook his head agreeing to his senior officer.
“Sir we found a suicide note from the girl’s house. She left home at night while everyone was asleep. She never mentioned she would kill him. As per her letter she was so heartbroken and she wanted to die before his marriage. She was supposed to commit suicide the very night she left but I think she might have changed her mind. She would have felt jealousy thinking he would be happy after marriage, so she first decided to finish him off.”
Before he could complete, he was interrupted by Hameed. “Who is this he in your story and what relation he has with this girl?”
“She was in love with this guy. He introduced her to his family members but he ditched her for a wealthy girl and that was the reason behind the killing. His friends who tried to stop her were also seriously injured. They say she was ferocious like a lioness. We haven’t received any body yet so we guess she is still alive and on the run. We are trying to catch her alive but I don’t think so. Her revenge is done so she may have finished her life. We are expecting to find her body soon.” With a deep exhale he finished off.
“Forward her picture to all police stations. We need to find her before she does anything stupid. We need her alive.” Mahadevan ordered. “And Hameed don’t forget to take the priest into custody. We shouldn’t leave any loose ends.”
“Yes sir.” Hameed and Rajendran stood up and saluted him.
*-*
Alex slowed down the car before the turn. They both looked at the warning barricade at the left.
This road is temporarily closed for maintenance. The letters has faded away. It’s been there for almost ten years now.
The construction of this seven kilometer highway took two years to complete. Within a year it was shut down because of the poor quality of work. The road became unusable. Lots of potholes developed and accidents became regularity. In a year close to fifty people has lost their lives. Government was work to close the highway for maintenance but the maintenance never happened. Opposition made ruckus against the ruling party and strikes and protests went on. District courts and high courts adjudged early repairs but it happened only in papers. News channels and media campaigns evaporated after a week after they got the TRP of that week and they searched for new social issues. New funds weren’t allotted for the renovation and slowly the highway was ignored. Motorbikes and small cars sometimes go through the highway to save precious fifteen kilometers. Many secret trades soon happened as the highway was totally neglected. It soon became the hub for all sorts of drug trades, murders, rape and all other illicit efforts. Even the police decided not to interfere as they got their financial shares regularly.
Alex and Shah looked at each other.
“Are you sure he will be here?” Shah looked at Alex Thoppilan. He still had doubts that their predator would be here. He won’t be waiting here. He won’t expect his prey to run into him.
“Yes. We will start from here. He must be there at the grave. I don’t know how the hell he knew everything.” Alex replied. He sounded fierce. He changed the gear lever and slowly turned his car to the left and accelerated in between the small gap of barricade and a banyan tree.
A serene snarl raised above the ground. Storm flew over and the skies poured red slimy liquid. Trees rattled along with the wind. Branches shook vigorously. Dark smog spread across the entire ground with rage. Two yellow spheres of fire appeared inside the mist. Tar on the roads were ripped open the path became unusable. A huge crack developed across the road but it was invisible from afar. A sinister laughter echoed above.
“I think he will be at his home wherever it is. He will be planning the next strike. I suggest we should find his home instead.” Shah said. He was feeling something bad. He didn’t want to go the ground.
“We will check here first. If he is not here we will search his home. Wherever he is we have to finish him.” Alex looked like a rabid beast. They both didn’t know where else to find this guy. But as powerful men in the society they had their ways.
Shah shook his head in approval.
The car moved slowly avoiding the holes and dips on the road. Far away they saw the change in the atmosphere. Sky was dark and it seemed raining. They saw trees shaking with wind. Dust flew along and created a barrier as if it wants to cover something.
“It doesn’t look good. It seems unnatural.” Shah voiced nervousness. “It is a warning that we shouldn’t go forward.”
Alex didn’t raise his leg from the accelerator. He concentrated on the road and moved forward. “I know he is here. He is expecting us. Today everything will end here. It has to. This is the perfect place, where it started. He killed Arun here and we will finish him here.” He didn’t look at Shah.
Shah looked at him with fear in his eyes. He knew now there is no going back without finishing what they have came for.
They were two kilometers inside the highway and two more to reach the spot from where they can walk through the woods and shrubs and reach the ground.
Shah stared at the sky. It was becoming darker as they were getting closer. He saw the fierce nature of the wind. He saw the dark rains over the ground. He recognized that the water pouring down is blood red. Fear filled his eyes and heart and slowly covered his entire body.
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