The COMPLETE Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers (Books 1 to 4)

by UD Yasha

  Ranjit paused to sip his tea. I took a large bite of the sandwich and the lettuce and cucumber crunched in my mouth.

  He continued. ‘When Zakkal spoke to you he told you that the murder of Holly Summers was a mistake. For him to acknowledge that, he must really feel bad about it. He knew he made a mistake then. He repeated a pattern and left behind a clue. He strangled Holly. I doubt if he ever strangled a woman to death after that. He would have wanted to disassociate himself from that incident completely as it reminded him of that mistake. We don't know how Zakkal killed the other women though. Or what he did to them after he took them.'

  My stomach sank for a flash. ‘I cannot imagine what my mother would’ve gone through,’ I said.

  ‘I hope we find her on time.’

  There was something in his voice. ‘What is it?’ I said.

  Two heartbeats of silence.

  ‘Tell me. What is it?’ My voice came out several pitches higher than I intended.

  Ranjit leaned forward on the table. He said, ‘I’m just being honest. Your mother is going to need a lot of counselling and many medicines to get back to normalcy. Even then, there’ll be scars. You’ve to come to terms with that. The mother you remember might not be the one who comes back. I’m sorry to be blunt about it but it’ll take a miracle for her to be healthy again.’

  Silence.

  ‘I know. I’m okay,’ I said, the words barely escaping my mouth despite it being the truth. My emotions were all over the place. At times, I surprised myself with equanimity while the rest of the times, my nerves, paranoia and self-doubt scaled up. So far, I had dealt with everything well. But I could only say that to myself right now because I was feeling confident at that moment. I pushed those thoughts away.

  I said, ‘You were telling me about your analysis of Zakkal’s personality.’

  Ranjit gauged me for a beat. ‘Yeah. I don’t think he strangles his victims anymore—’

  ‘Zakkal told me he killed a woman when she stopped being beautiful. He sounded like he meant it as well,’ I said.

  ‘Beauty could have a drastically different meaning for him than how you and I or any other person perceives it. We wouldn’t know what it is unless Zakkal speaks about it at length. Which brings me to something else. I may have a connection for you between the Bedroom Strangler and Zakkal.’

  Chapter Thirty-One

  As the day wore on, the sun slanted in the garage. Ranjit dabbed his mouth with a handkerchief.

  He said, ‘The Bedroom Strangler and Zakkal share several personality traits. Even the Bedroom Strangler is driven by a desire to exert dominance and control. According to most criminal profilers, the act of necrophilia is a means to avoid rejection. How could a corpse reject you, right? It gives them complete control over the entire act. They can indulge in sex without the prospect of disappointment. Additionally, they can violate the corpse however and wherever they want. As I said, they have complete control in post-mortem sex because it’s just them.

  The Bedroom Strangler is also leaving behind messages. It’s a way of him telling the police and specifically you that he’s smart and completely in control. The same logic applies to the letter he sent you. He wants you to fear him. Knowing you’re afraid turns him on. Just like Zakkal loved the emotional pain his kidnapped victims went through; the Bedroom Strangler enjoys the fear he spreads. It’s all a part of the process.’

  Ranjit sipped his tea again. It was almost over so poured some from a kettle.

  He continued. ‘I saw the photos from both the crime scenes. Then there was also what you found today morning. All the crime scenes also have a common theme—there is something always left behind on purpose. Either a body part or a message, or at times both. I cannot say for sure whether that is Zakkal or the Bedroom Strangler’s idea. It could be something they agreed upon as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case. The Bedroom Strangler’s personality is submissive. Most of the times, people who indulge in sex with corpses have faced unwanted rejection in their life. Their self-esteem is low. At the same time, they have immense self-control while showing their emotions. They’ll keep suppressing their anger because they know the release will come when they kill and indulge in post-mortem sex.

  Given the trust Zakkal has shown in the Bedroom Strangler, I have a strong reason to believe that the two have known each other for many years. Not just from Zakkal’s point of view, but even for the Bedroom Strangler to have faith in Zakkal, to follow through with such public killings and further Zakkal’s agenda—all that takes trust, something that doesn’t come naturally to the Bedroom Strangler. So, even for him, a comfort with Zakkal is critical. We could even be looking at a student-teacher or a mentor-apprentice relationship between the two because only that could warrant such closeness. They could’ve also been lovers, but neither of them has shown homosexual tendencies.’

  I said, ‘We don’t know much about Zakkal’s childhood. The two must have met then. Because I couldn’t find anyone who was close to him after he started working. I had spoken to his colleagues from work. They described him as friendly but quiet and introverted.’

  ‘Have you tried to figure out why there isn’t much about Zakkal’s childhood? Answers to several questions might lie there.’

  ‘All I know is that he went to a municipality school. The funds given to municipality schools aren’t enough to even maintain proper toilets. Maintaining records is a rich man’s concern. That it was the pre-Internet age didn’t help either.’

  My stomach growled again. I had forgotten to have the sandwiches while talking about the Bedroom Strangler and Zakkal. I picked one up and took a big bite.

  I said, ‘They have to be of the same generation if they have known each other since childhood.’

  ‘Does that rule out any of your suspects?’

  I placed the ages of the four suspects. I nodded. ‘They’re all in the same age bracket. Two of them are pen pals, and from their exchange at least it doesn’t seem that they knew Zakkal from before.’

  Ranjit paused again. He put a finger up. ‘Forgive me now, for I’ll be thinking out loud.’

  Five heartbeats of silence.

  Ranjit’s eyes became narrow. His fingers scratched his stubble subconsciously. He eventually spoke. He said, ‘The first known murder of Zakkal was Holly Summers. He was twenty-nine then. He was caught six years after that.’ He fell silent again. I could see in his eyes he was trying to think.

  I said, ‘I'm wondering why Zakkal would've told another person that he was a killer. Why tell anyone at all? Wouldn't that be a big risk? Even if you trust someone deeply, you wouldn't tell them something if it could potentially rob you of the only joy you've in life. Especially if it's something as drastic as killing another person. How can you be sure that the person wouldn't report you to the police as the crime is of such a grave magnitude?'

  ‘Where are you going with this?’ Ranjit said.

  ‘Would you be uncomfortable knowing your best friend is a serial killer?’

  ‘I would be.’

  ‘Would you find that behaviour odd?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘What do you mean why? He’s a fucking serial killer.’

  ‘Exactly my point’

  ‘Would you report him to the police?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘In what scenario will you stay quiet?’

  ‘If my friend threatens to harm me or my loved ones if I tell on him.’

  ‘In that case, you wouldn’t start killing people when your friend goes to jail, right?’ I said.

  ‘No, I wouldn’t,’ Ranjit said.

  ‘So, that’s one reason. What else?’

  Silence.

  I went on. ‘You’d stay quiet if you think his behaviour is normal. The only reason you’d think killing others is normal would be if you kill as well.’

  ‘So, the Bedroom Strangler is actually experienced?’

  ‘Even Dr. Sonia Joshi said tha
t the strangulation was clean. Practice makes perfect, even with murder. Just look at Zakkal. He only made one mistake. That was in his first murder.’

  Ranjit adjusted his chair. ‘That’s possible.’

  ‘You said they have a bond so intense that they could’ve even been homosexual. From the evidence we have that is not likely. So, the only remaining option is that they had a mentor and apprentice kind of a relationship. Correct me if I’m wrong but given that the Bedroom Strangler is revealing his murders now, he must feel he owes it to Zakkal. Why else would he want such attention? Till now, nobody knew he was a killer. He’s only showing his murders now as a part of the larger plan. Maybe a final hurray for Zakkal. Maybe something else. Maybe Zakkal wants something from us. Or, it could be one last show of attention.’

  Ranjit said, ‘Their murder styles are also similar. They stalk, prefer strangling their victims and are turned on by power and control.’

  Silence.

  I said, ‘Could they be a pair? Did they hunt in packs?’

  ‘That’s hard to tell. But given they are both such control freaks, it’ll be unlikely that they killed together. But, they could’ve exchanged notes.’

  ‘I don’t know how, but I’ll try to find who Zakkal was close to during his childhood.

  Silence.

  ‘The messages and body parts left at the crimes scenes also hint at one more thing,’ Ranjit said after he downed the last few sips of his tea.

  I raised my eyebrows and cleaned up the crumbs of the sandwich on my plate. Anyone eavesdropping on our conversation would wonder how the hell we were cherishing coffee while talking about sex with dead people. But when you see the worst in people manifest in different ways over and over again, you get numbed to trivial pains, at least most of the times.

  Ranjit put a hand on his stubble. He said, ‘If the setup of the crime scene is a mutually agreed upon idea, then both the killers have a fascination with human body parts. It’s common amongst serial killers who kill for power or control. That’s why, I think Zakkal and the Bedroom Strangler collected souvenirs or trophies from their victims. These could be locks of hair, different body parts and jewellery the victim wore or even newspaper clippings, ID cards and victim’s clothes. Some serial killers also take photos of their victims. I don’t think our killers did that as photos can be traced back to them and both of them are smart.

  The trophies they collected would have been constant reminders to them that they are powerful. It also fuels their fantasies. Seeing these objects is a trigger for them to relive the thrill they experienced while killing. It also helps them remember each victim individually. Trophies can also be helpful to them between kills, giving them a reminder that they’re powerful.’

  ‘Where would Zakkal have kept the souvenirs from his kills?’

  ‘There are several possible places. Either at the place he returned after killing or a special trunk or a room. This space would be as dear to him as a temple is for a rushi. He could also scatter it around his house.’ Ranjit paused. ‘Wait, Zakkal has a wife, right?’

  I nodded.

  ‘He could’ve gifted her some of the stuff like jewellery. So, every time he saw his wife, he would be reminded of his kill, sending a bolt of happiness and excitement through him.’

  ‘That means every time he looked at his wife and grinned, he fantasized about a woman he had killed.’

  ‘Exactly. And that, in itself, would be a game that gives him more thrill. The killer will usually gift it to the person who’s causing him agony at that point of time.’

  ‘So, you’re saying that if we go to Zakkal’s house and search his wife’s jewellery box, we may find stuff he took from his victims?’

  Ranjit pursed his lips. A beat of silence. ‘There’s a very high chance.’

  I wanted to jump from the chair, knowing I had found the next big clue.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  We rose from our chairs together.

  ‘I hope this was helpful,’ Ranjit said.

  ‘It seriously was. You cannot believe how much,’ I said.

  ‘You said earlier that you were going to contact me three years back as well. What happened?’

  I pursed my lips. I had never told the reason to anyone outside my family why I had stopped practicing law. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell Ranjit. For some reason, I felt comfortable telling him about Kunal Shastri. ‘I made a mistake. I defended the wrong person. Because of that, a young girl is battling to stay alive. It really hit me hard. I took time to recover. I'm only here because I want to get my mother back.'

  Silence.

  Ranjit did not push the issue. He changed the topic. ‘I wouldn’t have been able to give you much back then because we knew so little about Zakkal. I’ve met him a few times myself. But he didn’t give away anything. The meetings were fruitless and creepy.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I said, meeting his gaze and shaking his hand.

  ‘Also, one more thing, Siya,’ Ranjit said.

  This time my eyes were curious.

  ‘I don’t mean to scare you, but please be careful. Even though Zakkal hasn’t shown it yet, killers like him are obsessed with getting revenge. Additionally, being the daughter of one of his victims makes you an even more attractive target. He’d probably be picturing you next to your mother. And if that’s his goal indeed, then his apprentice will also help him achieve that. Just be vigilant.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I said.

  Ranjit nodded, ‘Please call me if you need anything else. I’m heading to Mumbai later in the evening, but I’m coming back day after for some meetings here. I’m always available on the phone,’ he said and walked out of the garage.

  Once Ranjit had gone, I sat silently, thinking about everything he had told me. I pulled out my phone and called Rathod to tell him about my conversation with Ranjit.

  ‘We haven’t found anything here,’ Rathod said. ‘We’re heading back to the CID office now. Let’s go to Zakkal’s house together to meet his wife once I’m back. I’ll get the warrant and ask the ACP to expedite the process.’

  ‘I was hoping you would say that. I’ll see you at CID office,’ I said and hung up.

  A glance at my phone screen told me it was almost eleven fifteen. I splashed some water on my face. In the next fifteen minutes, we were on our way to the CID office. I told Radha and Rahul about my conversation with Ranjit.

  We reached the CID office at a quarter to twelve. Radha, Rahul and Shadow went to the waiting room. My phone began to buzz in my purse as I entered the elevator. I rummaged inside for more than ten seconds before I found it. I was surprised to see that Dr. Sonia Joshi was calling me. I thought back to the lock of hair with maa's name labelled on it. My hands began to shake. The elevator door closed and the phone stopped ringing. I felt a pang in my stomach. I was initially going to go to the first floor, but I pushed the button for the basement to go to the medical examiner’s office.

  The elevator glided down. I rushed out when its doors opened and blazed through the narrow corridor. I pushed through the morgue door and saw Sonia standing with her back to me. She turned around on hearing me enter.

  ‘I was just calling you,’ Sonia said.

  ‘I know. What happened?’ My voice was shaking.

  ‘I tested the lock of hair. It belongs to your mother. She was alive when it was cut. It is definitely a more recent lock of hair than the one we found at Supriya Kelkar’s house.’

  Relief gushed through me. I began heaving loudly. Somehow, I could never keep my emotions in check when it was anything regarding maa. I ran to the bathroom. Everything around me was a blur. I looked at myself in the mirror and grinned ear to ear. There was still a chance. I could get maa back. We’ll all could be together again. She will even be present for Radha and Rahul’s wedding. The tears streamed down. I did not try to hold them back. I had been fighting them since Rathod’s call three days back. But it was time to let go now. I was so close to getting maa back. I could sense it. I spla
shed cold water on my face. I felt alive, and just as fast, the adrenaline kicked in in my veins. I rubbed my hands and blew air out of my mouth. There was a case to solve. I was determined to catch the Bedroom Strangler, put Zakkal further away from any human and get maa back. I walked out, feeling confident. There was hope after all.

  I went back to the morgue. Sonia smiled at me.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she said. ‘I called you right after I found out. The rest of the CID team is on its way back to the office.’

  ‘I appreciate that. Thanks,’ I said. ‘What about the other jars?’

  ‘All the five women whose hair we found today morning were alive when it was cut. We know three of the five women. Zakkal had claimed to take them after he was convicted. The other two woman have been reported missing.’ Sonia handed me a file. ‘These are the missing person reports. Both were last seen nine years ago.’

  I read the report. The first woman used to stay alone in a rented house in Sarasbaug. It was an area in the older part of Pune. She was only known to be missing when she did not report to work for three days. The second woman stayed with her parents in Salisbury Park, an affluent neighbourhood in Pune. She went out for dinner with her friends and never came back. Both women were in their mid-twenties when they vanished.

  Sonia continued. ‘So far, all names on the labels match the hair. Same is true for the hearts as well. I'm ninety-eight percent sure. Full DNA tests take time. I'm awaiting the results. But they'll come only by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, to get an idea, I ran a very basic test that has come as a match. It's easier to see if there's a match if you have a sample to test it against.'

  So, maa was not the only one who was alive. Amongst the women he had taken, Zakkal had kept at least five more women alive. But he had also killed five. Along with the Bedroom Strangler, he was telling us that they were not afraid to kill. They could kill the rest of them at any moment. But I reckoned they wouldn’t do that. At least not now. Not before Zakkal demanded what he wanted.