After a long drive, I finally arrived at the address Sneha had sent me. Parking my car a bit away from Athreya's office, I noticed the narrow road leading to his office was too tight for my vehicle. Stepping out of the car, I took a deep breath and made my way to the office. The door creaked open as I entered, revealing Athreya standing by the window, his back turned to me. Sneha was nearby, her posture tense.
"What's wrong, Agent? You've got bail, so why do you look upset?" she asked gently, concern evident in her voice.
Athreya sighed, his gaze fixed on something far away. "I met a man in the prison last night. Somebody raped his daughter and killed her."
Sneha's eyes widened in shock. Athreya continued, his voice filled with sorrow. "When he tried to report the crime at the police station, instead of registering his complaint, they framed him, seized his belongings, and put him behind bars. He was crying for his daughter all night. I was horrified to hear the condition in which his daughter's body was found." He paused, his voice shaking slightly. "Just imagine how a father feels when he hears his daughter's dead body has been found in such a condition."
I chose that moment to interrupt, my voice firm. "Do not always believe in what you see or hear, Athreya. It's not good to believe things without investigating whether they're true or not."
Both Athreya and Sneha turned to face me, surprise etched on their faces. Sneha seemed particularly nervous.
Athreya frowned slightly. "What's that supposed to mean, Mr. Krishna?"
"Don't call me 'Mr.' Just call me Krishna," I replied, walking over to the sofa and taking a seat. "What I mean is that not everything you see or hear is true. You're a detective, Athreya. I thought you knew that."
Athreya fully faced me, his expression a mix of curiosity and defensiveness. "Are you suggesting that the man's story might not be true?"
"I'm suggesting that it's your job to find out what's true and what's not," I said, leaning back on the sofa. "Just because someone tells you a story, even a heartbreaking one, doesn't mean it's the whole truth. We need to investigate thoroughly, get all the facts, and then make a judgment."
Sneha, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, her voice tinged with hesitation. "But what if what he's saying is true? What if the police really did frame him?"
"That's exactly why we need to dig deeper," I said, nodding at her. "If it's true, then there's a grave injustice that needs to be corrected. But we can't act on emotions alone. We need evidence."
Athreya seemed to mull over my words, his frown deepening. "So, what do you propose we do?"
"We start by looking into the man's background and the details of his case. We need to gather as much information as we can about the police officers involved, the circumstances of the daughter's death, and any other relevant details," I explained. "We can't leave any stone unturned."
Athreya nodded slowly, his eyes losing some of their initial defensiveness. "Alright. But where do we start?"
"We start with the man himself," I said."You said you met that man in prison last night," I began, my tone steady as I addressed Athreya.
He nodded solemnly, confirming my statement.
"Did he give you any other information?" I pressed, eager to gather as many details as possible.
Again, Athreya nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, he did. He gave me three numbers," he replied, his voice low with gravity. "He mentioned that his daughter had been receiving calls from those three numbers."
I leaned in, my interest piqued. "That's valuable information. Let's check the details of those numbers," I suggested, already envisioning the process in my mind.
Standing up from the sofa, I made my way to the nearby table where an old computer sat. Turning to Athreya, I prompted, "Athreya, give me those numbers."
He hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed with uncertainty. I could sense there was something on his mind, some unspoken question weighing on him.
"Athreya, do you want to ask me something?" I inquired gently, sensing his hesitation.
His response was hesitant, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yes," he admitted, his voice slightly shaky with apprehension.
"Then ask," I encouraged, offering him an opportunity to voice his concerns.
"You are the Vincenzo,(A/N:Meaning "conquering" or "victorious.") the mafia, the underworld assassin that vanished from the underworld two years ago," Athreya declared, his words hanging heavy in the silent atmosphere. Sneha trembled with fear beside him, her anxiety palpable, while Athreya himself exuded a sense of nervous confidence that surprised me.
Despite the gravity of his revelation, I couldn't help but chuckle in response. "Hahaha, yes, your guess is right, Athreya. I'm impressed you figured it out. Yes, I am Vincenzo," I admitted, my laughter ringing out in the tense room. "I thought using an Italian name would make it harder for people to find me without seeing my face, but you, Athreya, you're an intelligent character. You managed to guess it but you didn't seem to be scared."
What surprised me even more was Athreya's lack of fear. He stood before me, not trembling in terror like others might, but with a calm resolve that spoke volumes. "I know you're not going to do anything to me. And even if you wanted to, I couldn't stop you," he acknowledged, his voice steady despite the circumstances. "From what I know about you, what you did wasn't all bad. The people you eliminated were cancers to society. You and him,stopped wars and saved many lives.(A/N:The man from last chapter can you gess who he is)But what I don't understand is why you're interested in this case."
Athreya's perception of me differed from the usual fear and disdain I encountered in the underworld.
"I may be Vincenzo, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to injustice," I declared, my voice echoing with resolve. "Sometime ago, I received information about a concerning development: numerous fingerprints belonging to different individuals had surfaced in the Indian underworld. Criminals were exploiting these fingerprints to commit crimes on a large scale. The process behind it is complex, but in simpler terms, I believe this case is connected to the fingerprint issue," I explained, laying out the groundwork for Athreya to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Athreya's brow furrowed in puzzlement as he processed my words. "But how did you know that I would get involved in this?" he questioned, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected revelation.
A wry smile played on my lips as I replied, "I know many things, Athreya. And this case is also connected to you, albeit unknowingly on your part. Now, give me those numbers," I requested, my tone firm yet tinged with a sense of urgency.
Athreya nodded in acquiescence, understanding the significance of the information I possessed. With a sense of determination, he handed over the crucial numbers.
After a minute I called out to "Athreya", drawing his attention away from his outdated computer setup. "What happened?" he inquired, curiosity evident in his voice. "Change your computer; this one is too old. Anyway, I've got the details," I replied, prompting Athreya to approach me.
Handing him the printout, Athreya scanned the information intently. "The first number belongs to a man named Ajay, Vrindavan apartment behind the railway station in Nellore," he recited, placing the printout on his investigation board. "Who's next?" he asked, eager to delve deeper into the unfolding mystery.
I produced another printout, and Athreya quickly seized it, his eyes scanning the details. "Harsha, RK Puram, Nellore," he muttered, pinning the information to the board. "And the third?" he prompted, his curiosity piqued by the absence of a photograph.
"The third person is Vasudha," I explained, "but there's no photo available in the database. I could hack into the government database to retrieve it, but your computer isn't up to the task."
Athreya considered my words for a moment before dismissing the idea of hacking. "No, it's okay. Let's focus on the addresses instead," he suggested, eager to press on with the investigation.
But I shook my head, refusing to entertain the notion. "No, we're not going there," I declared firmly, catching Athreya off guard. "Why not?" he demanded, surprised by my sudden change in direction.
"It's useless if we go there," I explained, my tone resolute. Athreya furrowed his brow in confusion, prompting me to clarify my reasoning. "I think you know where we should start our investigation," I hinted, leaving Athreya to ponder my words.
After a moment of contemplation, Athreya nodded in realization. "The police station," he concluded, acknowledging the logical starting point for our inquiry.
With a shared understanding, we swiftly exited the office, joined by Sneha, and settled into my car. As the engine roared to life, we set off towards the police station.
(A/N:Krishna did not remember all the movies, and even if he did, he didn't know the whole movie; he just remembered some parts.)
(Word's count:1533)