CID Bureau – 4:30 PM
The team had returned to headquarters. The atmosphere in the bureau was charged with energy—half awe, half tension. The murder of Leena Sharma had gone from a routine homicide to something far more complex.
Nelakhant Swami sat alone in the evidence analysis room, sleeves rolled up, staring at the open case file and scribbled notes. In front of him was a printed patient list obtained from Dr. Leena's clinic records—21 names. He wasn't reading them casually. His fingers were gently tapping the paper in a rhythmic pattern, eyes flicking between names, reading silently, but deeply.
Nelakhant (murmuring): "Patterns... secrets... connections…"
Just then, ACP Pradyuman walked in with a file in hand.
ACP Pradyuman: "Swami, forensics confirmed your theory. The owl statuette had traces of blood and hair. But here's the interesting part—the partial print on the mirror matched someone. A man named Raghav Mehta."
Swami's eyes flashed. "Raghav Mehta. Patient number 12 on the list. Visited her five times in the past three months. No recorded diagnosis."
ACP Pradyuman: "That's not all. Raghav was a junior lawyer in a corporate firm. Resigned a year ago. No activity since. No fixed address. Seems like he went underground."
Swami rose. "He didn't disappear. He was waiting. Watching. And the final session wasn't just about closure—it was about confession. Dr. Leena must've confronted him about something serious. Something criminal."
ACP Pradyuman: "Find him. Use whatever method you need."
Swami turned to Purvi, who had just entered.
Swami: "I need the voice recorder contents transcribed. Every word. Even the silence. And dig into Raghav's last known residence, bank activity, and any CCTV near Leena's apartment from the last 48 hours."
Purvi nodded and left swiftly.
Abhijeet leaned on the doorframe. "You always work like this? Like a machine?"
Swami smiled faintly. "Not a machine. I just remove emotion from analysis. Emotion distorts facts. But once we know the truth… then emotion is allowed."
Abhijeet: "Interesting philosophy. What do you think Raghav's motive was?"
Swami walked toward the whiteboard and picked up a marker.
He drew a triangle.
Swami: "Victim. Patient. Secret."
He tapped each corner.
Swami: "Leena knew something about Raghav's past. Either a crime he committed… or something he was about to do. My instinct says—Raghav was planning a murder. And she was his test subject. He was analyzing her reactions, her trust, her behavior. But she caught on... and died for it."
Daya (walking in): "We just pulled up an address Raghav might have used—an abandoned godown in Navi Mumbai. Local police report strange activity, but no arrests."
ACP Pradyuman: "Daya, Abhijeet, Swami—go now. If he's still there, we want him alive."
---
Abandoned Godown – Navi Mumbai – 6:15 PM
The CID team surrounded the perimeter of the godown. No movement. No lights. Just silence and the slow rustle of wind through rusted metal sheets.
Swami knelt and observed the ground near the back entrance.
Swami: "Fresh shoe prints. One person. Heavy steps. He's nervous. Likely armed. Let's go in through two fronts—one loud, one silent."
Daya and Abhijeet went through the front with weapons drawn. Swami, unarmed but confident, crept in through a side entrance.
Inside, it was nearly dark. Swami's eyes adjusted quickly. His gaze moved across the room—bags of cement, broken crates, an oil drum… and in the shadows, a figure crouched low, clutching something.
Swami (calmly): "Raghav Mehta. Don't waste time hiding. Your eyes are dilated. Your breathing's irregular. You're cornered, and you know it."
The figure lunged—but Swami sidestepped and swept his leg. Raghav hit the ground hard as Daya and Abhijeet stormed in, pinning him.
Daya: "Got him!"
As they cuffed him, Raghav spat out angrily, "She was going to expose me! She knew everything!"
Swami: "She didn't fear you, Raghav. That's what broke you. She saw through your mask."
Raghav glared. "You think you've won?"
Swami (coldly): "No. But you've lost. And that's enough."
---
CID Bureau – 9:30 PM
In the conference room, the team gathered as Swami played the final part of the recovered voice recording.
Dr. Leena's voice: "You lied about your past. You fantasized about control. Raghav… you're not seeking help. You're rehearsing. And I won't let you hurt anyone."
Silence. Then a soft thud.
The room fell still.
ACP Pradyuman (softly): "We've heard enough."
He turned to Nelakhant Swami. "Well done. You read the crime scene better than any report ever could."
Abhijeet offered a nod. "I'll admit it. You're not just brainy—you're CID material."
Swami offered a rare smile. "I'm still learning. And Mumbai… has a lot to teach."
Daya clapped him on the back. "Just promise us you won't read our breakfast habits every day."
Swami raised an eyebrow. "Only if you stop switching your gym days."
Everyone laughed.
But behind the calm of the room… the storm of crime still brewed outside. And Mumbai had just gained a new weapon in its never-ending war for truth.
To be continued…