“Hello?”

His voice sounded strange. Like he was breathing heavily. As if he'd run here or was interrupted in the middle of committing another murder. And what was that sound behind him?

“Sir? Umm…aap ghar pr hai kya?”

“Haan. What happened?”

“No, nothing happened. I was just confirming ki aap wapas office aayenge ya kal hi milenge.”

“Aaj nhi aaunga wapas. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes sir! Umm sir ye awaaz. Bhut shor hai peeche.”

“Haan…wo…actually neighbours shayad kuch construction kr rhe hai ghar mai. Kisi machine ki awaaz hai.”

He answered and she disconnected the call after saying "see you tomorrow”.

There was silence between them again.

“I still feel something is wrong. Location check kru?”

Aastha asked no one in particular and without waiting for any reply, got to work. But she slumped back disappointed when his location showed his place itself. He was actually at home.

A few more hours passed and a phone rang somewhere breaking the eerie silence in the office. The officer in charge handled it and immediately sprung up in shock.

“Sir! There has been another murder.”

Everyone's faces went pale.

“How the fuck is that possible!”

Khushal screamed and banged the table harshly. His breathing heavy and his eyes bloodshot.

Aastha placed a hand on his back and said.

“Maine kaha tha that I feel something is wrong. But how is he doing this?”

“Exactly! I called and confirmed, you checked his location, our officers are posted right outside his place. Toh ye possible kaise hai? I'm telling you mam, I feel we are overlooking something.”

Avantika said but Khushal turned and looked at them.

“We don't have time for all this right now. Let's head to the crime scene. Avantika, call your team.”

He said and moved ahead. They reached the crime scene and were surprised to see Prakhar already there.

“How did you get here so early?”

Khushal asked with a harshness in his tone. Prakhar frowned at his tone but didn't comment.

“It's all over the media. And this place is not far from mine. Got here as soon as I saw the news.”

He answered but Khushal looked at him with furious eyes. The evidence and the situations were too contradicting. How did he answer his call at his place when he was here, committing this murder.

Avantika was conducting the autopsy when she saw something in the victim's nails. Skin. Human skin. She carefully extracted it and ran a test on them.

Once again, the evidence contradicted the situation. The DNA found on the skin cells were of Prakhar. And the amount of skin that was stuck in the victim's nails, it was clear that there must be a big scar on his body.

This would be enough to start an investigation against him. She mentally woohooed and prepared a report. But they will have to play smart. He was an officer as well as a cold-blodded murderer.

“Avantika? Did you find something?”

Khushal asked as soon as she reached the main floor. She beamed in happiness and nodded.

“Victim ke nails mai mujhe human skin mili hai. Like she scratched someone. And bad enough to tear down so much skin. Maybe she did that when…when the killer was raping her.”

She said the last part with a heavy tone. It was so painful to even imagine what she might have gone through.

All them felt the anger rush through them.

“That's great! We can try running the DNA through our database to see if it is someone we know. Even if it's not someone from our database, uske face pr jo scar hoga usse easy ho jaayega.”

Prakhar said but Avantika interrupted.

“Wo scar…face pr nhi hai. It must be somewhere near the neck or shoulders.”

She said and then eyed Khushal and Aastha indicating something from her eyes. Aastha who had a cup of coffee in her hands pretending to say something and came forward.

“So you mean to say that - oh! I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry sir!”

She stumbled and spilled her coffee on Prakhar. 

“Its ok. Relax. Its fine.”

“No sir it's not fine. Its a coffee stain. Reh jaayega if not washed immediately. I'm really sorry sir.”

Aastha said with a genuine sorry look and Avantika was surprised at her acting skills. It was time for Khushal to step in.

“Its ok, I have a spare shirt you can change in sir. Tab tak ye wash ho jaayegi.”

Prakhar nodded and moved towards the washroom. Khushal too went behind him with a shirt in hand and Aastha and Avantika waited for them to come back.

They came out after 5 minutes with Prakhar now wearing Khushal's shirt. 

“I'll leave for my place now. Won't keep your shirt for long. Thanks for this.”

He said and left with a smile. As soon as he was gone Aastha and Avantika turned to Khushal.

“No scar!”

“What!”

Aastha yelled and Khushal looked at her.

“No scar! Avantika, are you sure jo scar tha wo upper body pr hi hona chahiye tha? Not on the lower body?”

“Yes sir! Jo skin cells mile hai wo neck and shoulder area ke around ke hi hai. Lower body ki skin bhut different hoti hai. Are you sure there's no scar anywhere on his neck or shoulder.”

“None! Not on neck, not on shoulders, not on the back or the chest! Sirf battle wounds hai jo clearly saalo purane hai. No new wound.”

Khushal said and Aastha yelled again.

“How is that fucking possible?”

“That is what I am unable to understand mam. Kuch bhi match nhi ho raha. DNA match hua toh fingerprints nhi huye. Crime commit hua pr location match nhi hui. Skin cells mile pr scar nhi hai. I don't understand what's happening.”

Avantika said with frustration. Everything was contradicting itself.

Avantika and everyone was still in office the next day. Surprisingly, Prakhar was there too. Usually he left early but today he was staying back for some reason.