But the figure only backed away, retreating into the walls as if afraid of his own answer. As the team watched, he vanished, leaving behind a faint outline of his handprint, smeared in red against the cold stone wall.
Nitya took a step forward, reaching out to touch the mark. The instant her fingers brushed it, a flood of memories washed over her—a courtroom full of whispered rumors, a hastily covered-up autopsy report, and a name echoing in her mind: Rakesh Sinha. The victim's brother, the silent witness in the courtroom, and the man who had always believed his sister had been wronged.
"That's it," she whispered, piecing it together. "Rao's subconscious knew. He suspected that Rakesh might have been involved in his own sister's death, but he couldn't bring himself to confront it."
"But why?" Ayan asked. "What was his reason?"
