From a distance, a voice carried over the chaos, calling out to Arun. "Hey, Arun! Are you there?" It was his chief, Nitin. "Yes, sir," Arun replied, his voice strained from exhaustion.
Nitin asked, "You all right?"
Arun hesitated before responding, "Yeah, I guess so."
Impressed with the discovery of the bodies buried beneath the floor, Nitin praised Arun, "That was a good job. How did you know they were there?"
Caught off guard, Arun struggled to articulate a response, lacking any concrete evidence to support his hunch. He chose to remain evasive and offered no satisfactory explanation.
After hours of excavation, they recovered a total of twelve corpses. The discovery was a shock to the city, and news of the grim finding would inevitably spread, sowing fear and unease among the populace.
The forensic reports of the recovered bodies revealed that they had all been killed using the same modus operandi, and their ages ranged from 20 to 60 years old.
Some speculated that the man who had hanged himself was responsible for these atrocities and that the weight of his actions had driven him to take his own life. Perhaps he had been consumed by guilt and remorse for his unspeakable deeds.
The grueling task of unearthing the bodies had taken the entire night, and Arun finally made it back to his home at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m.
Despite taking sleeping pills, he found himself unable to shake off the haunting image of the painting and the child from his mind. The horrors of the night continued to torment him, leaving him to wonder how he would ever find peace again.
The forensic department was in a state of chaos, the tense atmosphere palpable as they grappled with an unprecedented situation. Raghav congratulated Arun, "Great job, sir! People can't stop talking about you."
Arun dismissed the praise, "I just found the bodies, not the killer."
Raghav pressed him, "But we were all there when we discovered that man hanging from his ceiling. We searched the premises but had no idea that there were twelve corpses buried beneath us. How did you know they were there?"
Arun replied stoically, "I was just doing my job."
Raghav then shared his findings, "Well, all the bodies are decomposed, so it's likely they were buried within the last decade. We've also detected the presence of certain chemicals used to preserve the corpses. However, the odor is incredibly strong, indicating that the killer didn't intend to keep the bodies for an extended period."
Arun inquired, "So, these chemicals are quite expensive, aren't they? Or are they only available with a prescription?"
Raghav confirmed, "Yes, you're right. The chemicals are a blend of formaldehyde and methanol, and they're generally not available for purchase by the public without proper licensing and permits.
The use of these fluids is typically performed by licensed professionals, such as morticians or funeral directors, who have undergone proper training in the safe handling and application of these substances."
Just then, the chief entered the forensic lab and called for Arun. He explained that Arun would have a partner on the case, but Arun refused, insisting he could handle it alone.
Nitin responded, "I know you're capable, there's no doubt about that. But things haven't been easy for you lately. You need someone who can assist you and make your work easier. With these bodies, we haven't had such a case in years. That's why we need our finest officers on it."
Arun gathered information about the chemicals from Raghav and formulated a plan to investigate local chemical suppliers and distributors to uncover further clues.
Despite the fact that the corpses were discovered in the hanging man's house, most people were convinced that he was the killer.
However, this theory lacked supporting evidence and it seemed highly improbable to establish a link between the murders and the man, as the report indicated that his eyesight was severely impaired and he had been physically fatigued for an extended period of time.
Amit greeted Arun respectfully, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Arun asked, "You must be Amit?" to which Amit replied in affirmation. "I'm looking forward to working with you,". Arun then asked, "Have you heard about that kid?" to which Amit nodded and confirmed that he was aware of the case where the boy had murdered his own mother.
"Do you believe that he's guilty?" to which Amit responded, "I cannot say for sure, but the evidence seems to be stacked against him."
Arun and Amit were tasked with following up on a lead, but Arun suggested that they first speak to the kid before pursuing it the next day. Amit expressed interest in talking to the kid as well, but Arun advised against it, believing it would be best for the kid to avoid unnecessary scrutiny.
Despite this, Arun couldn't shake the unsettling feeling he had about the painting and whether it was a mere coincidence.
He desperately sought answers to the questions that plagued his mind, but despite repeated questioning of the kid, he remained tight-lipped.
The situation weighed heavily on Arun, and he found himself growing increasingly concerned for the kid's well-being.
Arun held the painting up to the boy, knowing full well that it was unlikely to elicit a response. Nonetheless, he locked eyes with the child and took a seat, grasping the boy's hand gently to convey his sympathy.
As he did so, he noticed the softness of the boy's skin and the myriad scars that crisscrossed his hand, perhaps indicative of similar marks that could be found throughout his body.
"Are you feeling good", Arun asked softly, but Adarsh didn't give any kind of reaction as he just stared at him from the very first time when they met.
However, his immense silence burned Arun's patience as he couldn't able to bear it any longer and left it after a while.
Arun and his partner scoured through the records of the three regulated chemical lab operators, but their search proved futile.
However, a chemist from a nearby university told Arun that formalin was being used for research purposes in their institution. The chemist also recounted an incident where a student had been caught stealing various chemicals, including the elusive one that Arun was searching for.
The student had been suspended for a month but had never returned to the university, dropping out instead to work as a carpenter at a local shop. This event had occurred over a decade and a half ago, adding another layer of intrigue to an already baffling case.
"Hold on! A University student got suspended and never returned and then started working as a carpenter?"
"Yeah, sound a little bit strange but who knows"
Arun requested, "May I have access to the picture of that student?"
The chemist replied, "I'm sorry, but our university maintains student records confidentially, and obtaining such information without written consent from the student or a court order is not possible."
Arun expressed his concerns, "It would take months to obtain a court order, and we don't have that much time."
The chemist sympathetically replied, "I understand your urgency, but I'm afraid I cannot grant access without the necessary legal authorization."
After days of searching and hitting a dead end, Arun found himself back at square one. He knew that there had to be someone who knew the student or perhaps the professor who suspended him.
However, the chemist didn't have any further information to offer, apart from the name of the professor, Dr. Hari Rai Prasas. Arun and Amit decided to call it a day and regroup tomorrow.
As they drove back home, Arun's mind was filled with thoughts and possibilities. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit him, and he made an impromptu decision to return to the chemist's lab. Arun inquired about the shop where the aforementioned student worked, which was situated only a few meters away.
He inquired about the name of the shop, and the chemist replied, "It's Devi's Furniture, located just a few meters ahead on this road beside the wine shop." Upon reaching the shop, Arun found that it was about to close, and the owner was wrapping up his work.
Undeterred, he began to question the owner about the missing student named "Rahul."
Arun asked the shopkeeper if he had any photographs of Rahul or knew where he used to live. The shopkeeper replied, "He left the shop about six years ago, and we don't have much information about him.
"He was a hardworking person, always punctual and efficient, and buyers were impressed by his work. I don't have any specific details about him, but there was a group photograph we took with our workers, and he was in it too."
Arun politely asked the shopkeeper for permission to take the picture with the person in the black t-shirt, who had a warm, cheerful smile on his face.
The shopkeeper obligingly retrieved the photograph and handed it to Amit, who carefully examined the image. After verifying that the person in question was indeed Rahul, Amit asked if he could keep the picture for reference, to which the shopkeeper assented without hesitation.
He brought the photo back to his home and sat down at his table, scrutinizing it closely. There was something peculiar about the person in the photo, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
His table was littered with other photos, some of which were displayed on his wall. He rummaged through his drawer and retrieved his more recent photos, studying them intently.
Arun's eyes widened as he compared the photo of the man found hanged to the one from the shopkeeper, and he was struck with shock and disbelief as he realized they were of the same person.