by Varsha Dixit
Parth gave a ‘thumbs up’ sign. “Absolutely right! Ann was not a premeditated kill. Out of all these murders, she was the only one who was the spur-of-the-moment, an opportunistic kill!” Parth turned to Dr. Lorso.
Dr. Lorso stood up. “There was no bleach on Ann. He never got a chance to clean the body, either because he was disturbed or because he was in a hurry. Ann’s body suffered the most damage than all the other girls. So, when he killed her, he was possibly in a frenzied state. Unfortunately, he threw her in the sea, so the fishes and water damaged a lot of evidence,” she shook her head regretfully.
“Why would somebody who has been killing so methodically, suddenly indulge in a spur-of-the-moment killing?” The question came from the commissioner.
“Going by Ann’s body temperature and level of rigor mortis, Ann’s time of death was any time between twenty-four to twenty-eight hours before her body was found.” Dr. Lorso remarked.
Parth continued. “That very night, around a few hours earlier, a model was attacked in her sleep. Her attacker tried to strangle her, but he had to run because of the timely arrival of the girl’s aunt and a few others, including myself.”
“You were there?” Commissioner asked.
“Parth Sir has been hanging out on the beaches and the bars every night.” Jacob offered the information.
“One more ritualistic thing about this killer: he kills at the same time every year. He is a creature of habit. He can’t help himself; he has to kill. I was hoping to catch him before but. . .” Parth’s eyes glimmered with anger.
“So now we wait till December?” Commissioner asked.
“No, we have to catch him before that. My gut tells me that if we find out how he is luring these girls, we will get him. That is the key! Also, we should reopen conversations with those who were with the girls when they disappeared. Friends, family etc. It is quite surprising what things people tend to remember after some time. What they think to be trivial or unimportant could be the thing that breaks this case open.” Parth said. “I have shared everything that I know, Commissioner. Now you all know as much as I do.”
The Commissioner got to her feet and faced her team. She appeared far from happy. “These murders happened here under our noses. We will find this man. Inspector Arvind, get a team of our best people. I want you and SSP Mangal leading this investigation and I want results fast. Every single lead, big or small, must be investigated. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Ma’am!” Everyone saluted the commissioner sharply.
The Commissioner turned to Parth. “Get the job done. You will get all the resources that you need.”
Parth saluted her. “Thank you, Commissioner.”
The commissioner extended her hand toward the doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Lorso, for all your help. Welcome to the team.”
“Thank you Commissioner. We will find him.”
The Commissioner left the room.
“Parth Sir!”
Parth turned. “Jacob?”
“Sir, I want to be a part of your team too.” Jacob’s look was humbled.
“To spy on me for the Commissioner?”
“No, Sir, to learn from you. I thought you were eccentric.” Jacob swallowed. “But you are also brilliant. Please let me be a part of the team. Sir, I feel useful for the first time. I feel like police.”
“You are right, I’m a hardcore eccentric. You have nothing to worry, Jacob. You are a part of my team.” Parth nodded. “Do me a favor, get all the information you can on Aisha Khatri.”
“SSP Parth,” Dr. Lorso joined him. “There is something else I did not say to the room. Something that came to me today morning . . .”
“Go on.”
“These murders are too well-planned to be done by one person.”
“There could be more than one killer?” Parth lowered his voice. “Like a team?”
The doctor nodded.
“Are you sure? Any evidence?”
The doctor shook her head. “Not yet, but I’m looking. But my gut very strongly says so. The killer just seems very organized to be an individual working by himself.”
Parth nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Then, let us keep this to ourselves till we find conclusive evidence.”
“I will keep looking . . . examining the bodies,” she grimaced. “And, I thought I had seen it all!”
“Call me if you think of anything else. I’m going to deep storage.”
“Why deep storage?”
“Because all the victim’s things are stored there. The killer might have taken a souvenir.” Parth shared. “This too stays between us.”
“Sure.” Dr. Lorso said. “I hope you find what you are looking for.”
“Actually, I’m hoping not to find it.” Parth was thinking of the text Aisha had send him earlier asking to check each victim’s footwear.
Chapter 56
Next Day
Parth was in the room he was sharing with Inspector Arvind and Jacob when Aisha called him.
“Yes?” Parth’s voice was brisk.
“I have profile, Parth . . . Sir.” Aisha fumbled on the last word.
“Parth is fine.” He said, placing his cell on his new desk. “Hold on. I’m putting you on speaker.” He gestured at Inspector Arvind and Jacob to come over.
“So, Ms. Aisha, I have Inspector Arvind and head constable Jacob with me. Gentleman, this is Ms. Aisha Khatri, our consulting behavioral analyst.”
“Behavioral analyst! Who will we be calling next? A tarot card reader or the Voodoo lady?” were Inspector Arvind’s opening words.
Aisha grew quiet.
“I would not make such acerbic comments, Inspector, given your team’s unsuccessful attempts at catching this guy.” Parth took charge of the conversation. “Also, you are free to leave this room. The commissioner will be informed of your reluctance to work with me.”
The inspector grunted and mumbled a quick apology.
“Aisha, please continue.” Parth slapped on some extra courtesy in his words.
Aisha took a deep breath and began. “Okay, so here goes. This killer is rare. Usually, serials killers are either Psychopaths or Sociopaths. But this one is a mix of both.”
“Explain the difference between psychopath and sociopath?” Parth asked, understanding Arvind and Jacob’s expressions.
“Sociopaths are unstable, nervous, and easily agitated. They are prone to violence. They can never hold a job down or function properly in a society. Sociopaths can form attachments. They commit violence haphazardly. They are unorganized and prone to spontaneous violence rather than organized acts.”
“Should I be taking notes?” Inspector Arvind interrupted.
Parth waved a dismissive hand. “Keep going.”
“Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form any attachments. They feel no remorse for their crimes and are very dangerous for they can mimic a normal life to the T.”
“What does that mean? Mimic?” Parth asked.
“A psychopath can easily hide in the society because he can lead the life of a regular person. He will have a steady job, be married, and get along well with others. Also, Psychopaths know how to manipulate others. Their crimes are always planned meticulously over some time. Psychopaths are hardest to catch because they hardly make mistake or leave any clues.” Aisha paused.
“You make them sound like superheroes, madam.” Jacob voiced.
“Sorry, don’t mean to. Just letting everyone on the table know that Psychopaths are hard to catch. Like Raman Raghavan, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Garcia to name some.” Aisha answered.
“You said this killer is a mix? Why?” Parth asked.
Chapter 57
“Good question.” Aisha said. “All the first six victims were the act of a psychopath. Cool and calculated and without any clues. But Ann Jacob was different. His frustration was high, and adrenaline was pushing him to rape and kill. So, he did.”
“So, for Ann it was wrong place, wrong time.” Arvind rem
arked.
“Yes. But if he were a true psychopath, he would never have gone after Ann. He would not commit a random act of crime.” Aisha finished.
Everyone in the room lapsed into thoughtful silence.
“Parth said earlier that the night this madman had attacked Ann, he had also made a similar attempt on a model. Do you know about that?” Arvind asked.
“Yes.” Aisha did not mention that Kiara was the model or how she was related to her. Parth had already asked her not to share any personal information with anyone on the team.
“So, unlike all the other victims, this model was assaulted in a rather public surrounding—a house full of people. Why?”
“Arvind is right. That attack on the model was different. The risk was too high. So, except for the month being March, the month he always kills, there is nothing similar to his attack on the model. Then, he goes and kills Ann in a random frenzied manner. Why did he do that?” Parth said.
Arvind and Jacob gave Parth blank looks. Even Aisha kept her silence.
“Okay, anything else, Ms. Aisha?”
“Yes, some personal stats. He is a male between twenty-five to forty years of age. He is single and has a steady job. He is either a local or he has lived here and knows this town well.”
The door opened, and DSP Sangeeta Malhotra walked in. “Morning!” She took a seat. “Sorry Parth, I was finishing another call.”
Parth introduced Sangeeta to everybody and gave her a quick update. “Anything else, Aisha?”
“One very important thing.” Aisha cleared her throat. “He hates beauty.”
“No, he doesn’t! He only kills beautiful women!” Arvind argued.
“When was the last time any of you hurt something you liked?” Aisha said, stoically.
“We are talking about the insane, obsessive kind of hatred for beautiful women and beautiful things. He kills beautiful women and puts their bodies in beautiful places to defile the beauty of these spots. My guess is, someone very beautiful did something awful to him.”
“Mummy issues?” Parth quipped.
“Or wife or teacher, but a very beautiful woman damaged him or that is what he thinks.” Aisha answered. “And these girls remind him of that woman. In his mind, he is simply killing that woman over and over.”
“Wow. That narrows the field down.” Sangeeta mocked. That earned her a smile from Arvind.
“The murders go back three years. Anything before that?” Aisha asked.
“Not yet. We are looking.” Parth stretched his arms over his head.
“You should be looking for attacks on beautiful women, specifically in the month of March and December.” Aisha corrected.
Those in the room glanced at each other. “Now that does narrow the field.” Parth quipped.
“Also, one more thing, Parth. Do you have map of the city handy? Essentially his killing zone?” Aisha asked.
“Yes, we do,” Sangeeta said.
“Hold on!” Parth got to his feet and pulled out a map from his laptop bag. He unrolled the map and spread it on a table. Arvind, Sangeeta, and Jacob gathered around the table. “We have the map out!”
“Okay, grab a marker and join the dots of the location where these bodies were found.” Aisha said.
Jacob handed Parth a marker and Parth followed Aisha’s suggestion.
“Holy cow!” Sangeeta murmured.
“It’s almost a circle.” Parth remarked.
“Yes, patterns within a pattern.” Aisha said.
“As in?” Arvind asked.
Parth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “As in, he will complete the circle. The next place to leave the body will be a tourist spot that falls somewhere between Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary and Canaguinim Beach. That would complete a circle. Right, Ms. Aisha?”
“Yes, that’s right.” Aisha replied.
Arvind slapped the table. “That is very good. There are only a few tourist spots between these two points. We can have surveillance there. We will get this bastard.”
“No point, right now. Closer to the end of October or November. He will stick to his pattern. He is done for right now.” Aisha said. “Also, two more things about the circle.”
“Go on!” Parth said.
“The circle, if you put on a body, resembles a mole. A beauty spot. Could you check if these girls have a beauty mark, a prominently visible one, somewhere on their bodies?” Aisha spoke quietly.
“Hold on.” Parth nodded at Sangeeta.
“Sure,” Sangeeta opened her laptop and started scrolling through her files.
Everyone waited impatiently as Sangeeta checked the laptop.
“Aisha’s right, Sir! All the girls had moles on their faces. Prominent ones either above the upper lip or under the left eye.” Sangeeta confirmed.
“Yeah!” Jacob made a fist.
“This is super, Ms. Aisha.” Arvind said, his face wreathed in a smile.
“Thank you.” Aisha responded.
“Aisha you said there are two things about the circle. What is the other?” Parth asked.
Aisha sighed. “Circles have infinite number of sides. So, once this circle is complete, another circle will be started somewhere else.”
“What does that mean?” Arvind asked.
“That means that this killer will never stop killing. When this pattern is complete, He will simply start a new one.”
Chapter 58
Khatri Apartment, Mumbai.
Next Evening.
The sound of the doorbell made Aisha drop what she was holding. The wooden spoon clattered to the floor.
Putting it in the sink, she emerged from the kitchen, smoothening her hands over her printed red and black A-line knee-length dress. Her hair was shampoo-ed, blow-dried, and clipped at the back of her head, half up and half down. Her make-up was simple and light. All this preparation was for a special guest—Kabir Rana. Kiara had done the honors of inviting her boss over for dinner without consulting Aisha and on the night Aisha was cooking.
Aisha’s feelings about meeting Kabir were ambivalent. A big part of her could not wait to meet him and was missing him terribly since they had parted in Goa, and yet, a part of her wanted more time away from Kabir so she could make her mind up about him.
Being close to Kabir distracted Aisha from any other thought, except how much she craved and enjoyed his company. His brooding looks, chiseled face, and dry wit coupled with a sharp mind eclipsed everything and everyone else from Aisha’s mind.
Play it cool! Aisha took a breath and opened the door. Her eyes immediately went past Kiara and snagged with Kabir’s dark ones. He gave her a warm smile that made her want to curl her toes.
“I’m here too, Boo.”
Aisha felt her cheeks grow warm, especially when Kabir’s grin only became wider.
“Come in guys.” Aisha stepped back.
“You look hot! You should dress up more often.” Kiara walked in airily, leaving Kabir and Aisha at the door.
Kabir moved closer. “You look beautiful, Aisha. I missed you.” His voice was husky as his lips tilted in a tender smile.
Aisha stared up at him. Her whole body warmed to his presence. There must be some other explanation for his being on the beach the night I found the shoe.
“Ah, there you are.” Aisha’s father came out of his room. He and Kabir shook hands. “Welcome, Kabir. Shall we sit on the terrace? It is a very pleasant evening.”
“That’s a good idea, Papa.” Aisha said.
“Sure, Sir!” Kabir added. Aisha’s father walked toward the terrace and began switching on the lights.
“These are for you. Kiara said you like orchids.”
Aisha took the violet flowers. “I do! Thank you, they are beautiful.” She hid her face behind the flowers, trying to gather her composure that was running away faster than a dog without a leash.
“It smells good in here. Is it you or the food?” Kabir murmured. He seemed reluctant to move away from her.
“Are you saying I
smell like garlic?” Aisha tried to sound less awkward by laughing some.
“I like whatever you smell of,” Kabir said, his hand grazing hers.
A thrill shot through her. Her fingers curled in her palms. Aisha felt warmer than the food in the oven. “Please!” She entreated, not sure what she was asking for.
Kabir stepped away. “I’m sorry. I always end up making you uncomfortable when that is the last thing I want to do.” He turned sharply away from Aisha and went in the direction of her father, a bottle of wine in his hand.
Shucks, he misunderstood me!
Aisha went to the kitchen where she helped Pinky arrange the appetizers and placed the orchids in a vase. Holding the appetizers, Aisha joined her father and Kabir on the terrace.
“I was telling Kabir about how you landscaped this Zen garden.” Retired Judge Khatri shared. “We all love spending time here.”
Aisha smiled and nodded, walking to the wooden dining table with long cushioned benches on either side. Her eyes sought Kabir’s. He smiled, and Aisha felt herself relax.
Kabir deftly helped Aisha lay out the table. He saw the retired Judge observe him. “I studied and lived abroad. I’m used to doing things around the house.”
“I also do house work.” Aisha’s father volunteered.
“Dada, carrying your cup to the kitchen is not house work.” Kiara teased, joining them. She had changed into a casual and comfortable dress.
“Well, neither is carrying your plate to the kitchen.” Retired Judge parried.
“Ignore these two.” Aisha said to Kabir as they all sat down. “Sometimes, I feel there are two kids in the house.”
“You heard that, Dadu? Boo called you a child.” Kiara said, picking up the bruschetta and offering it to Kabir.
“A man is known by the company he keeps,” the retired Judge quipped.
Much to Aisha’s delight, the conversation flowed freely for the rest of the evening and the food tasted good. Kabir was a suave courteous guest, with funny tales to share and compliments to give.
“Some coffee?” Aisha’s father asked.
“Sure. And some tiramisu.” Aisha got to her feet.
