26."I Am Hungry"

After a while, we finally reached the scene. As we got out of the car, we saw police officers swarming around Harsha's dead body, taking statements from witnesses. The grim reality of the situation hit us as we saw that Harsha had also been shot.

"This is going to be a long case," I said, the weight of the situation evident in my voice. The others nodded in agreement.

Vamsi was talking with a group of officers nearby. Once he was done, he approached us. "Any information?" I asked.

Vamsi shook his head. "Eye witnesses said they saw two men on a bike. They were wearing helmets, and their bike didn't have a number plate."

I sighed deeply. "This complicates things."

Athreya's expression was intense. "Now, only one person is left: Vasudha. She's either dead or soon going to die. We need to find her quickly."

I nodded. "Let's go to Vasudha's address and see if we find anything."

We all got back into the car, the urgency of the situation propelling us forward. The drive to Vasudha's address was tense, filled with an unspoken understanding of the gravity of the case. As we approached the Vasudha address, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows on the buildings.

As we neared Vasudha's last known address, I decided to park the car a little further away, ensuring we wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. Athreya, eager to get moving, said, "Let's go."

I shook my head. "No. Sneha, you go and see if you can get any information."

Sneha nodded, understanding the need for subtlety. She got out of the car and made her way towards the house while we waited, our minds racing with the possibilities. The minutes felt like hours as we sat there, the tension thick in the air.

Finally, Sneha returned, slipping back into the car. Athreya immediately asked, "So, what did you get?"

Sneha sighed. "Vasudha doesn't live here anymore. Someone else is living there now. But I did manage to get the landlord's number."

Hearing this, I said, "Okay, Athreya, call the landlord."

Athreya nodded and dialed the number. After a minute, the call finally connected. "Hello," said the gruff voice on the other end.

"Hello, sir. I'm speaking from a courier company," Athreya began, his tone businesslike.

"Yes, tell me," the landlord replied.

"We have a parcel for Ms. Vasudha at your address," Athreya continued.

"Okay," the landlord said, sounding a bit confused.

"I met your current tenants who said that Vasudha madam doesn't live there anymore," Athreya added.

"What name did you mention? Vasudha?" the landlord asked, as if trying to recall.

"Yes, sir. The tenants came there three months back and said they didn't know her."

"Oh, yes, yes," the landlord said, now understanding.

Athreya pressed on, "The old tenants might know her."

"A couple lived there before, but the girl's name wasn't Vasudha," the landlord clarified.

Athreya looked at us, a mix of curiosity and frustration on his face. "Okay, sir, do you know where the couple is now? Can you help me?"

The landlord paused for a moment. "I think they shifted to America. I don't have any other knowledge about them."

"Right, sir. Thank you," Athreya said before ending the call.

We all sat in silence for a moment, processing this new information. It felt like another dead end, but there had to be something we were missing.

"It's weird" I said. Hearing this, Vamsi asked, "What's weird?"

Athreya chimed in, "First, there's no photo of Vasudha, and now the address is wrong."

Sneha looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"

I took a deep breath and said, "It means there are two possibilities. First, Vasudha is a victim like Ajay and Harsha. Second, she could be the culprit—the mastermind behind all this."

The realization hung heavy in the air. The twists and turns of this case had been exhausting, and now it seemed we were at a critical juncture.

Athreya, always one to weigh every possibility, said, "If she's a victim, then someone is eliminating all the people connected to her for a reason we haven't uncovered yet. If she's the mastermind, then she's orchestrating these murders to cover something bigger."

We sat in tense silence, the weight of the situation pressing down on us. Vamsi broke the silence, asking, "So, what do we do next?"

I responded, "Let's go to Ajay's house and see if we can find anything. At this point, we need to hope for some breakthrough." The group nodded in agreement. It was already dark outside, and the urgency of our mission hung heavy in the air.

I started the car, and we drove through the shadowy streets towards Ajay's house. The night seemed to deepen as we approached, the dim streetlights casting eerie shadows on the road. When we finally reached the vicinity of Ajay's house, it was already 10 p.m. The darkness enveloped us, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

Parking the car a little distance away from the house, Athreya asked, "So, who goes this time?"

I thought for a moment before saying, "I think it's best if Sneha goes. This is a critical time for Ajay's wife, and Sneha might be able to handle the situation delicately."

Everyone agreed, and I handed my phone to Sneha. As her phone rang, she asked, "Why are you calling me?"

I replied, "Pick it up. If something happens, we can guide you. And connect these earbuds." I handed her a pair of wireless earbuds.

Sneha nodded, picked up the call, and put the earbuds in her ears. She stepped out of the car and walked towards Ajay's house. The rest of us waited in tense anticipation, straining to hear through the phone connection.

After a minute, we heard a woman's voice through the phone. It was Ajay's wife. Sneha had made contact.

"Who are you?" Ajay's wife asked, her voice laced with suspicion and grief.

"I've come for the investigation," Sneha replied calmly.

"But some policemen already came before," Ajay's wife countered, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Yes, this is the second level of investigation," Sneha explained, her tone gentle yet firm. She paused, trying to gauge Ajay's wife's emotional state before continuing. "Do you doubt anybody?"

Ajay's wife shook her head, a helpless look in her eyes. "Who can I doubt? Please, leave me alone," she pleaded, her voice breaking slightly.

In the car, Athreya, Vamsi, and I listened intently to the exchange through the phone, our expressions tense. Sneha's voice came through again, steady and patient. "Did Mr. Ajay give you any documents?"

"He didn't give me anything," Ajay's wife responded, a note of finality in her voice.

"Please try to recall," Sneha urged gently. "You may remember something."

Ajay's wife's face contorted with a mix of anger and sorrow. "Recall? What can I recall? I told you he didn't give me anything. Please, don't disturb me," she snapped, her voice rising.

"I don't intend to disturb you," Sneha said softly. "I just want to help."

As we listened in on the conversation through the phone, Athreya took charge with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Sneha, do as I say," he instructed calmly but firmly.

Sneha nodded, her eyes focused on the task Athreya was about to assign her. "Go near the door. Stand there. Turn around," Athreya directed her, his voice resonating with authority born of experience.

Following Athreya's precise instructions, Sneha positioned herself near the door of Ajay's house, her posture attentive. Athreya's next command came clearly through the phone, "Look at her and repeat what I say."

"Madam," Athreya began, and Sneha mirrored his tone and word, addressing Ajay's wife respectfully, "Madam."

Athreya's voice continued, conveying both empathy and the gravity of the situation, "...your husband has been ruthlessly killed." Sneha echoed these words, her voice carrying the weight of the revelation as she relayed it to Ajay's wife.

"Only we can help... we're doing our best. If you don't help us... To find out why Ajay was killed and by whom... It'll remain a secret. Ajay's death will be wasted. The decision is yours."

Sneha repeated Athreya's words to Ajay's wife, each sentence punctuated with sincerity and a plea for cooperation. We waited in tense silence, hoping for a breakthrough in the case.

After what felt like an eternity, Ajay's wife finally spoke, her voice thick with emotion, "Just a minute."

A wave of relief washed over us in the car. "Yes," I exclaimed softly, signaling our shared hope that she was willing to provide crucial information.

I quickly ended the call, leaving the line open for any further communication.As Sneha returned to the car and settled in, her expression carried a mix of relief and anticipation. I couldn't contain my curiosity and asked, "Did you get anything?"

She nodded quietly and passed a file over to Athreya, who wasted no time in delving into its contents. Athreya's focused gaze scanned through the documents and photos meticulously. After a few moments, he looked up and spoke with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "These are the photos of the unidentified bodies. They were taken in Ongole on the 18th."

A collective sigh of relief escaped our lips. "Finally, one mystery solved," I remarked, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Now we know why they went to Ongole on the 18th."

Athreya nodded in agreement, his mind already racing ahead to the next steps. "Now what do we do next?" he inquired, his tone serious and determined.

I paused for a moment, considering our options carefully. "Now, we're going to do the most important thing," I said with a slight smile playing on my lips.

Everyone in the car leaned in, eager to hear the next crucial step in our investigation. "What's that?" Vamsi asked, his voice reflecting both curiosity and hunger.

"We're going to eat something," I announced matter-of-factly.

Confusion and surprise flashed across their faces. "What?" Athreya exclaimed incredulously, clearly taken aback by my unexpected declaration.

I chuckled lightly. "Yes, what what. I haven't eaten anything since this morning," I explained. "First, we're going to satisfy our hungry stomachs, and then we can put our minds back to work on this case."

A collective realization dawned on them, and soon nods of agreement followed. "He's right," Sneha remarked with a smile. "We've been running on empty stomachs for too long."

With unanimous consent, I started the car and navigated through the streets towards a nearby restaurant. The atmosphere inside the vehicle eased as the anticipation of a much-needed meal lifted our spirits. Even in the midst of a challenging investigation, it was essential to take moments to replenish ourselves physically and mentally.

(A/N:Please give me some reviews and share your thoughts 😃)

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