Vishal's POV
The next morning, after receiving Kaykay's text that he and Tanish had left for Goregaon West, I headed straight toward the cyber lab.
The hallway outside was unusually quiet. Only the distant sound of ringing phones and hurried footsteps echoed through headquarters. Rain clouds had covered the sky since morning, making the glass windows look dull and grey. The entire building carried that sleepless atmosphere police stations often had after a major case. Coffee cups everywhere. Officers with tired eyes. Files stacked like nightmares waiting to happen.
As expected, Ms. Jennifer Fonseca was already inside the lab.
She sat casually on the revolving chair near the main system, one leg crossed over the other while both boots rested shamelessly on the table like she owned the entire department. A keyboard rested against her lap as lines of code flashed rapidly across the monitor screens in front of her. Blue light reflected across her face, sharpening her features even more.
I still didn't understand half the things she typed.
But she typed with terrifying confidence.
I walked toward her slowly.
"Good morning, Ms. Fonseca!" I greeted.
Without looking at me, she let out a tired sigh.
"Does this look like a good morning to you?" she muttered, annoyance clear in her voice.
That made me raise an eyebrow.
"What happened now?"
She leaned back in her chair dramatically and rubbed her temples.
"The people online!" she said irritably. "The comments under the post are getting worse. Everyone's waiting for the next 'episode' like it's some Netflix thriller." She paused before glaring at the monitor. "And the girls..." she scoffed. "As usual, simping over the hooded psychopath."
A dry laugh escaped her lips.
"Dark romance readers!" she muttered under her breath.
I ignored the comment and got straight to the point.
"Found any leads?"
"Not yet." She finally looked at me. "Still tracing the account." Her fingers tapped lightly against the keyboard. "The last active location bounced somewhere near the Indian Ocean."
I stared at her.
She chuckled lightly. "And unless our serial killer suddenly developed gills, I'm pretty sure he didn't swim there just to upload dramatic murder stories."
Despite the situation, I almost smiled.
"How much time do you need?" I asked.
Jennifer paused for a moment, thinking carefully.
"Maybe by tonight," she answered finally.
Before I could reply, footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.
I turned.
Naveen walked into the lab carrying two paper cups of chai, steam rising slowly from both. Without acknowledging me first, he walked straight toward Jennifer and placed one cup beside her keyboard.
"Thanks!" she said before taking a sip.
Naveen simply nodded.
No smile.
No response.
Nothing.
Then he looked toward me. "Want one?"
I shook my head. "No."
He gave another silent nod and leaned quietly against the nearby table.
My eyes stayed on him for a moment longer than necessary.
Something about Naveen felt... off lately.
I had been noticing it for days.
When he first joined our department as a forensic officer and drug specialist, he was energetic, sharp, constantly involved in discussions. But recently, he barely spoke unless necessary. He moved around like a shadow. Quiet. Emotionless. Detached from almost everything happening around him.
Even the murders didn't seem to shake him anymore.
Or maybe they did.
And he was simply hiding it better than the rest of us.
"Mr. Vishal.." Jennifer suddenly spoke, pulling me from my thoughts. "Do you believe in mythology?"
I frowned slightly. "No. Why?"
She stood up from the chair and placed the keyboard carefully on the desk beside her.
"I think now you should."
The atmosphere inside the lab shifted immediately.
Even Naveen looked up this time.
Jennifer walked slowly toward the whiteboard nearby, holding her tea cup between her fingers.
"I couldn't sleep last night," she admitted quietly. "I kept thinking about the username."
"Kishi Vaitarna."
She turned toward us.
"That name isn't random."
Her voice became calmer. More serious.
"Kishi comes from African folklore," she explained. "A creature that appears in human form. Charming. Attractive. Manipulative." She paused briefly. "It lures women emotionally... and once they trust it, its real form appears."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"A wolf."
The silence in the lab deepened.
"And then?" I asked quietly.
Jennifer looked at me directly.
"It tears the victim apart."
A faint chill crawled down my spine.
Before I could process that fully, she continued.
"And Vaitarna comes from Hindu mythology."
Naveen suddenly spoke for the first time in several minutes.
"The river leading to hell?" he said calmly.
Jennifer nodded slowly.
"Yes."
She looked impressed for a second.
"In Hindu beliefs, Vaitarna is the river souls must cross before entering hell." She folded her arms. "Pain. Punishment. Judgment."
My thoughts immediately connected the dots.
"So whoever this guy is..." I spoke slowly, "...he thinks he's delivering justice?"
Jennifer took another sip of chai before answering.
"Hm. That's my theory."
The room fell silent again.
Rain tapped softly against the windows outside.
My eyes drifted toward the monitor screen displaying the Reddit post.
The killer wasn't just murdering people anymore.
He was creating an identity.
A symbol.
And symbols were dangerous because people remembered them.
"We need to find the next victim before tonight!!!" I said firmly. "If his post is accurate, then he'll definitely appear at NightSky Club."
Jennifer nodded immediately.
"He's studying them before attacking!" she said. "Observing routines. Patterns. Weaknesses."
Then she pointed at the screen.
"And if this post follows the same structure as the previous ones... then like every night, he will come again to keep an eye on his target!"
I clenched my jaw.
"Then me and Naveen will go to the club tonight."
"No," Jennifer interrupted instantly.
I looked at her.
"Two male officers wandering around together inside a nightclub?" She shook her head. "That's suspicious already. You'll need me there."
I hesitated.
"I'm not sure Kaykay would like that idea."
Jennifer let out a small laugh.
"What exactly does Kaykay like?" she asked sarcastically before grabbing her jacket from the chair. "And past is past, Mr. Vishal. Don't drag it into work."
Past is past.
For some reason, hearing her say that made something twist uncomfortably inside me.
Because people only say things like that when the past still hurts.
I watched her quietly as she gathered her belongings.
God.
She had an aura that pulled attention toward her without effort.
And the worst part?
I was starting to notice it more than I should.
Falling for your senior officer's ex during an active serial murder investigation had to be one of the dumbest decisions possible.
Yet somehow...
I was already halfway there.
Jennifer walked toward the door first.
Before following her, I glanced once more toward Naveen.
He stood near the corner of the lab, staring blankly at nothing.
Not distracted.
Not tired.
Thinking.
Deeply.
Like his mind was somewhere far away from this room.
Then slowly, without saying a word, he stepped back and walked out of the lab alone.
I kept staring at the empty doorway for a few seconds after he disappeared.
Something about him bothered me.
And I couldn't explain why.
Maybe I was overthinking.
Or maybe...
Naveen wasn't as trustworthy as we believed.