Chapter 3: "The Hunter of Words"
Crime Branch HQ – Later That Day
Mira sat alone in her cabin. The case file lay open before her. Outside, the city roared with life. Inside — it was all stillness and focus.
A constable knocked on the door.
Constable (hesitant): "Ma'am… this courier came in. No name. Just said it's meant for you."
Mira raised an eyebrow. She took the packet and opened it carefully.
Inside was an old, leather-bound book. Edgar Allan Poe — "The Tell-Tale Heart."
She flipped through the pages. One page had a line written in red ink:
> "Truth doesn't hide in silence, Sehgal. It screams through the cracks."
— L.B.
Her fingers tightened on the cover.
Junior Officer (nervous): "This feels like psychological warfare, ma'am…"
Mira (coldly):
"He's not just playing a game. He writes stories. And I read every one of his words."
CUT TO — FLASHBACK: 10 Years Ago. A rainy night.
A young Mira, drenched and breathless, runs through narrow alleys. Police sirens. An old colonial-style house. Police tape. Her father's lifeless body.
Next day's headline flashes:
> "Prof. Devendra Sehgal Murdered. Police Suspect Brilliant Ex-Student, Lakshya Bishra."
One statement from a witness still echoes in her mind:
Witness: "He only said one thing — 'Truth has its own timing.'"
BACK TO PRESENT:
Mira closes the book and looks at the whiteboard — Lakshya's photos, red threads connecting clues, unfinished questions.
Mira (whispers):
"This time, I write the story, L.B."
Her phone pings. An anonymous message lights up the screen:
> "Chapter 1 was your loss. Ready for Chapter 2?"
Scene fades out on Mira's glare.
This wasn't just cat-and-mouse anymore. It was storyteller versus seeker.
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