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

by UD Yasha

  I heard Rathod come after me. He said nothing but just stood next to me. We stood under the moonlight, watching the water flow and hearing the insects chirp. We needed some normalcy in our lives to ground ourselves and believe in the simpler things.

  What we had experienced in the last six hours was not human. Zakkal was evil, and we knew we had to give everything we had if we ever wanted to catch him.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Any police officer or detective who has spent long enough in the field knows that there comes a point in every investigation when you feel you have reached your absolute limits of extreme emotion. It’s a feeling where you think you can’t give anymore. When it came to dealing with Zakkal, I knew we had already hit that limit on a couple of occasions this time around. That’s why there was pin-drop silence when we drove back to the CID office.

  We reached at four-thirty in the morning. I was exhausted from the day. Parts of my body that I didn't know existed were aching. Shukla told us that we would have the debriefing session the next day when all of us were in better shape.

  Rathod walked me to the top floor of the CID building that had the guest quarters.

  He said, ‘We’re going to get him, Siya. He’s made two mistakes so far. The bodies at the farm and then leaving traces of the soil sample at Sudha Barve’s house. I feel we’re very close.’

  I hugged Rathod. I always felt safer when I did that. ‘Thanks for everything,’ I said and then bade him goodnight.

  I watched him enter the lift and then went to the guest quarters. Dr Barve had stayed there the previous night. That room was not big enough to accommodate four people. So, two mattresses had been spread in the office next to the guest room.

  A sound came from the room and then the door opened. Radha walked out. Her eyes were swollen. I could tell she hadn’t slept.

  ‘Is everything okay?’ she asked me.

  ‘Yes, Dr Sonia finished performing the autopsies and we went out to follow up on some clues,’ I said. I wasn’t going to tell her anything more—there was no point to it and she would unnecessarily lose sleep.

  ‘Good. We tried to sleep but couldn’t manage to since you were out,’ Radha said. ‘They had originally put us in two different rooms. But we decided to drag the two mattresses from the office into the guest room. We didn’t feel like sleeping separately.’

  ‘That was a good idea.’

  ‘You look tired. Let’s go in, big sister.’

  I once again felt blessed to have a sister like Radha. I followed her into the room. There was not much spare space inside once the additional mattresses had been brought in. But, that night, there was no other place that I would have rather slept.

  I lay on the bed and fell asleep before I knew it.

  ‘What a load of shit,’ Zakkal muttered under his breath.

  Zakkal was in the study room of his house. He was staring at a red dot that was flashing on his laptop screen. He had installed a security system that tracked movement at his hideout in Shileshwar. He had almost considered not having it. He had wondered if it would ever be useful. But on escaping from Yerwada, he had realized that the world in the year 2020 was very different from when he used to abduct and kill women before. Technology was leading the way in every field—whether it was forensic science or how teenagers used their thumbs more than their brains.

  A part of him had also wanted to install security cameras at the hideout. However, the water tower was a secluded spot and he thought having the cameras would draw attention. Apart from that, they would also record him entering and exiting the hideout. He thought getting caught because of that would be stupid.

  The flashing red dot was a bad sign.

  How the hell did they find my place?

  He knew Siya would make the connection that he had killed that woman and recorded the message for him in the old engine room of the tower. She would also find the wigs, the contact lenses and the clothes.

  Zakkal cursed again under his breath while shaking his head. While the situation itself was bad, he hated it even more because it had taken place when he had plans to spend time with his lover.

  He was aware that the damage was done. He thought hard if he had left anything else behind that may be a problem for him. He had always been cautious.

  But then how the hell had they found my place?

  Zakkal believed he had planned each and every small detail till then. Left just enough breadcrumbs to play around with the CID.

  Had they found out something else?

  ‘Are you coming, honey?’ His lover asked from the bedroom.

  Zakkal raised his hand high, fist coiled and smashed it on the desk. His teeth clenched. Hearing His lover’s voice at that moment was a distraction he didn’t want.

  This isn’t the time to lose your cool.

  Zakkal closed his eyes, running various scenarios in his mind. Despite being watchful, he knew there was a loose end somewhere. He thought back to the conversation he had with Siya at Yerwada. He had slipped up then. He had told her that his first murder was that of his father. That's how she had connected the dots and gone after Ranjit.

  Did I mention anything else to her?

  He was sure he had not. While he was planning his next moves after escaping from prison, he had considered the off-chance that he had let something more important slip while talking to Siya. That’s why his entire plan was not based on anything from his past. He had stopped spraying his victims’ blood in their bathrooms. He had started abducting prostitutes, something he never thought he would do. He had also not kept them alive for a long time. He had also hunted for prostitutes from different agencies.

  I still can’t tell how they found my place near the water tower.

  And then an idea popped into his mind.

  He remembered that he had visited the water tower a few hours before abducting Sudha Barve. He had to pick the supplies to spray her bathroom with her blood.

  Did I leave something behind?

  He realized he had to have. There was no other way… right?

  But what could I have left that took them to the water tower?

  Zakkal was sure he was missing something. For the first time, he felt anxious. Not knowing how Siya had found the water tower was driving him crazy.

  ‘My sweetheart, are you coming? I’m sleepy!’ His lover said again.

  Zakkal clenched his fists even harder. This is going to end now. He got up from his chair and turned around in one quick motion. His hands tingled. He marched to the bedroom. His lover looked up and smiled. Zakkal’s face stayed the same—devoid of any emotion.

  His lover grimaced. ‘Is there anything wrong?’ she said.

  There will be something wrong very soon.

  On instinct, Zakkal leapt forward. He had told His lover that he liked to be rough in bed so she didn’t flinch when he pounced on her. He was itching to grip her throat and watch the life get sucked out of her. She wouldn’t know that he was going to kill her until her face turned a light shade of blue.

  But something changed and it held him back.

  Looking in her green eyes and her curly hair, he pictured Siya in place of His lover.

  I cannot harm Siya, can I?

  Zakkal got down from the bed, leaving His lover with a confused look on her face. He exited the bedroom and just then, he realized what may have led the CID to find the tower.

  It has to be the farmhouse.

  Zakkal didn’t have a security system installed there because the place had no electricity. I need to go and find out for myself.

  Fuming, he slipped into a thin sweater and stomped to his car. The drive to the farmhouse was going to take some time. If the CID had found the bodies at the farmhouse, then Zakkal knew there was a chance they were staking out the area. He knew just the place to find out if the farmhouse had been breached.

  If it had been busted, he knew exactly what he was going to do next, and the prospect of it put him in a blissful trance because it meant that
he was going to fast track his plan.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  The sun had made an appearance the next day by the time I woke up. It was almost nine-thirty. Despite sleeping for less than six hours, I felt incredibly fresh and the adrenaline was already pumping in my veins. Time was running out. We had fifteen hours and ten minutes before Zakkal would kill again.

  Radha, Rahul and Maa had had a late night as well so even they were just waking up. I got a generous morning display of affection from Shadow. Over the last few years, he had developed a keen sense to know when to cheer me up.

  After I freshened up and came back to the room, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was a text from Rathod.

  I just reached the office. Let’s all have breakfast together. Let me know when you all can come to the canteen.

  Within the next ten minutes, because of the added incentive of a good breakfast, all of us, including Shadow, were in the canteen. Rathod told us that he missed the CID canteen dosa the most when he had been suspended. So, we had filter coffee and dosa for breakfast. Radha pulled out some treats from her purse for Shadow.

  We were losing valuable time so we made it quick. At five minutes past ten, we had finished eating.

  Just as we were going to leave for the safehouse, Rathod’s phone pinged twice.

  He turned to me and said, 'I’ve got some good news. Dr Sonia just texted me. She has found some DNA in the wigs we found yesterday. She’s trying to find a match. And ACP Shukla's media statement and press conference are starting in five minutes. He has advanced it so that people get an adequate warning and he gets done with the media frenzy first thing in the day.'

  ‘I’m guessing Devaki Sharma is going to be present for it too,’ I said.

  ‘You can safely assume she’s going to get front-row tickets,’ Rathod said. ‘Bhalerao and I need to be next to the ACP for the presser. Strength in numbers.’

  ‘I’ll watch from the sidelines,’ I said and we got up to leave. ‘We’ll be back in twenty minutes,’ I said to Radha, Rahul and Maa.

  CID’s dedicated media room was once a part of the parking lot. After being converted into a media room, thigh-high walls had been constructed on the three open sides of the parking lot to give it a more respectable look. That’s why the place had good lighting and ventilation. I thought it was a brilliant idea as it lay in the outer section, away from the main parts of the building.

  The air buzzed with conversations as we made our way into the media room. It had a small stage and about thirty chairs in front of it—all of which had been occupied. Devaki Sharma was sitting in the front row. I felt enraged just looking at her.

  From the wings, I watched Rathod join Shukla and Bhalerao next to the stage. Shukla had put on a blazer and a tie for the event. He discussed something with his two main officers. Cameras flashed when they all stepped on the stage. They sat on the chairs behind a long table that had dozens of mobile phones that journalists used as recording devices.

  The chatter stopped right away when Shukla adjusted the mic in front of him.

  He cleared his throat and said, ‘We’ve called this press conference to inform you that Kishore Zakkal, the psychopath serial killer who escaped from Yerwada Jail two years ago, has been killing again.’

  Shukla then went on to give the media facts about what had happened. He didn't talk about the women we had found at the body farm or Zakkal's hideout at the water tower. Instead, he spoke about Sudha Barve's abduction and Zakkal's threat to kill more women. He didn't get into the details of the threat either. I was impressed with how succinct the statement was. It didn't cause panic but drove home the seriousness of the issue. Once the statement was issued, the floor opened for questions.

  ‘We’ll only be taking three questions because we don’t want to waste time,’ Shukla said. ‘If there’s anything else that you want to know, then please get in touch with our media liaison after this presser.’

  The first question came from Devaki Sharma and I could see anger in Shukla’s voice when she spoke. I didn’t blame him. Her fake story was the sole reason he had not been promoted to the CBI in Delhi.

  Devaki said, ‘My sources informed me yesterday that Zakkal is killing again. The COD waited until today morning to issue this statement. I find it absolutely appalling…’

  ‘Madam, do you have a question?’ Shukla cut in.

  Devaki paused for a beat and glared at Shukla. 'Yes, I do. I want to know why Siya Rajput is a consultant on this case. Isn't she too close to it? Her mother was abducted by Zakkal many years ago. In the public interest, I feel that having her in the investigation team hampers the case.'

  All eyes turned to me.

  Devaki looked at me as well. She spoke to me directly across the room. ‘I mean, don’t get me wrong. I feel for you and your family. I hope nothing like what happened to you all ever happens to anyone else, but don’t you think it’s a tad irresponsible of you to be involved in this case?’ She then turned to Shukla. ‘I’m going to be taking this up with higher authorities, maybe even the CBI.’

  I pursed my lips tight to control my anger. There was no point to Devaki’s question. Her intention was to provoke me by mentioning my maa and Shukla by talking about the CBI.

  Shukla leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. ‘With respect to this case being too close to Siya, let me assure you that she has displayed excellent composure so far. She’s a woman of integrity, and if she thinks that her presence is detrimental to the case, she’ll back down herself. For now, she’s an asset and not a liability. Also, Miss Sharma, let me tell you that Detective Siya Rajput’s efforts had played a very important role when Zakkal had first been arrested. In fact, I would go to the extent of saying that had it not been for Siya, Zakkal might still have been free. Then, two years ago, Siya also managed to get vital information from Zakkal in prison, which helped us save five women.’

  ‘But didn’t Zakkal escape because of that?’ Devaki said.

  ‘His escape had nothing to do with us or Siya Rajput. I don’t know where you get your information from, Miss Sharma. You should know to ask better questions, those that are based on fact and not hearsay. While we’re on this topic, I also want to make this very clear,’ Shukla said and got up from his chair. He shifted his focus from Devaki to the other journalists in the room. ‘Zakkal is a maniac. We need to be sensitive and responsible in what we broadcast to the world. One wrong move from either of us can end in a fatality.’

  With that answer, my respect for Shukla suddenly went up. It would have been very easy for him to lose his calm and humiliate Devaki in front of everyone. Instead, he had taken the noble route and subtly warned Devaki that he would not entertain her fake stories anymore.

  Shukla referred to his wristwatch and said, ‘I know I had said three questions, but that one from Miss Sharma took up the time we had for three. We need to go now. I request you to spread awareness regarding who we’re dealing with. Please don’t sensationalize the issue, but be firm and honest.’

  Shukla, Rathod and Bhalerao got up and exited the stage at thirty-five minutes past ten. Zakkal was going to kill again in a little under fourteen hours.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Rathod drove all of us to his uncle's house that had been converted into a safe house.

  The safehouse was in Pashan, a neighbourhood that was fifteen minutes from the CID office. Even our house was close to the CID office so I felt comfortable knowing that Radha, Rahul, Maa and Shadow wouldn’t be far away.

  The house was a standalone bungalow that had high compound walls on all sides. We went in through the large metal gate that had closely placed bars.

  ‘Rathod, your uncle seems to be a bigshot,’ Radha said, looking at the house.

  Rathod laughed. 'Yes, he is. He has a knack for making wonderful investments. He still tells me this is one of the best investments he made. Apparently, its value has grown ten times in the last ten years.'

  ‘So, does no one stay here then?’ Rahul
asked.

  ‘My uncle and aunt stay here when they visit India every year. We end up having a large family get-together here when they come down. That’s why they like to keep everything clean. Someone comes to the house every week to make sure everything is functional.’

  The layout of the bungalow was simple. There was a yard around it, and a lawn that was well-manicured. There was a small room against the compound wall near the main gate.

  Rathod pointed at it and said, ‘I’ve told Shubman Dhawan to stay there. He will come any moment. He has stepped out to get house supplies for us.’

  The ground floor had a living room, a kitchen and a small bedroom. The upper floor had two bedrooms and a large balcony. Even though Rathod’s uncle didn’t live there, the house felt homely. It was not fancy but extremely welcoming.

  Rathod’s phone rang and he answered it. ‘It’s Shubman Dhawan. He’s at the gate,’ he said and then stepped out.

  Because the house had no security system, Rathod had put a padlock on the tall main gate. He had given copies of the key to me and Radha. A few minutes later, a tall bulky man walked in along with Rathod. He had a bushy moustache and was in a well-ironed shirt and trousers. I noticed he had a gun in his waist holster.

  ‘Everyone, please meet Shubman Dhawan,’ Rathod said. ‘I have given him some background about you all.’

  Shubman stepped forward and said, ‘I know these are tough times for all of you. But I will make sure that you all are safe here.’

  We thanked him and he handed us the house supplies he had bought. 'Rathod told me all of you love ginger and lemongrass tea, so I've got plenty of that.'

  That was all the invitation that Radha needed to put a kettle on the gas stove. Maa and Rahul sat by the dining table. I had one eye on the clock. It was five minutes past eleven. I had my concerns about relocating to this secret safehouse but felt more at ease with the idea once I had visited it.