As Isarish mulled over the strange circumstances surrounding the second victim's visit to Dr. Rafiq, the horsecar came to a halt in front of the clinic. The small, unassuming building looked more like a house than a professional medical establishment. The nameplate outside read "Dr. Rafiq's Clinic" in simple lettering, giving no indication of the dark secrets that might be lurking inside.
Isarish's gaze remained focused on the clinic as the inspector Rayhan stepped out of the car beside him. His thoughts were still swirling, but one thing was clear: something about this case didn't add up.
"Why would he go to see a doctor for something as vague as his wife's pregnancy?" Isarish thought, his mind working at a fever pitch. "And why did he mention the baby in such a cryptic way? Was something wrong with the baby? Or was it a cover for something else?"
As Isarish and the inspector Rayhan approached the clinic, Isarish's instincts were still sharp, and his eyes kept darting to the narrow alley beside the building. Something about the way the figure in the shadows was lingering didn't sit right with him.
"Stay close," he muttered to the inspector Rayhan, his voice low but urgent. "I'll check the alley."
The inspector Rayhan hesitated for a moment but followed Isarish's lead. They both entered the narrow alley, moving carefully between the walls that barely left room for them to pass. Isarish's gaze swept the space, his mind working on overdrive. "Something—someone—was following us since I witnessed the corpse of 3rd victim."
They reached the end of the alley, and just as Isarish was about to turn around, he spotted a movement—a slight figure entering the alley from the other side. A girl, no older than ten or eleven, was walking cautiously but with purpose, her eyes glancing nervously over her shoulder as she moved deeper into the shadows.
Isarish's sharp eyes locked onto her. She's the one who's been following us.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, grabbing her arm just as she tried to duck further into the alley, startled by his sudden presence.
"Gotcha," he muttered, his grip firm but not unkind.
The girl gasped and froze, her wide blue eyes staring up at him in shock. She had pale skin and blonde hair, her face still flushed from the cold air. She wasn't trying to run, but her body language screamed anxiety.
"What do you think you're doing?" Isarish asked, his voice low and demanding.
Before the girl could respond, the inspector Rayhan, who had been right behind Isarish, stepped up beside them. He was visibly taken aback by the sight of the young girl, standing so conspicuously in an alley near a crime scene.
"Isarish, what's going on here?" the inspector Rayhan asked, his tone filled with confusion. "Who is this?"
Isarish didn't answer right away. Instead, he focused on the girl, studying her closely. Something about her didn't fit, and the feeling in his gut was growing stronger. She was too out of place here.
"What's your name?" Isarish asked, his voice stern, yet controlled.
The girl hesitated, her blue eyes darting around, trying to escape his gaze. "A-Alice," she stammered, her lips quivering. "Alice Walker."
"Where are you from, Alice?" Isarish pressed further, not letting up on his grip.
"I… I'm from the Great Britian," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm just looking for someone... Dr. Rafiq."
Isarish's mind clicked. Dr. Rafiq again. This wasn't just a coincidence anymore.
Before Isarish could respond, the girl spoke again, this time more urgently. "Please… you don't understand. I… I was looking for him... for my brother. He's gone missing. He's the third victim."
Isarish froze for a moment, his grip tightening on Alice's arm as her words settled in. The third victim—a missing person? This wasn't just a string of random deaths. There was something deliberate happening here, and Alice Walker had just opened the door to the truth.
"Your brother?" Isarish repeated, his voice low, his mind already processing the new information. "Who is your brother, Alice? What does he have to do with this case?"
"He is the 3rd victim. He adopted me when I got lost in this city. My parents never came back to find me. He was the one who was for me and the only one." Her voice was trembling as her tears were falling down. "He used to work for Dr. Rafiq. ... but now he's dead, and no one is telling me anything. Please, you have to help me find out what happened."
The puzzle pieces clicked into place. The third victim, had a connection to Dr. Rafiq after all.
Isarish looked at the inspector Rayhan, who was still processing the sudden turn of events. He could tell that the inspector Rayhan was struggling to make sense of the girl's sudden appearance and her claims, but Isarish's focus was sharp.
"Alice," Isarish said, his tone softening just slightly, "we're going to find out what happened to your brother. But you need to tell me everything you know about Dr. Rafiq. Now."
Alice nodded quickly; her fear still palpable but tempered with a glimmer of hope. She knew she had just given Isarish a lead that could unravel the entire case.
"Dr. Rafiq... he's not just a doctor," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think he's been involved in things... bad things. People go to him for help, but they don't come back. Arjun... he was different. He knew something, and now he's gone. I... I think someone's trying to cover it up."
Isarish exchanged a glance with the inspector Rayhan, who nodded, his expression hardening. The case had just taken a much darker turn. This wasn't just a series of random deaths—it was something far more complex, and Dr. Rafiq was at the centre of it.
"Stay with us, Alice," Isarish said, his voice firm as he began to move toward the clinic.
As they headed back toward the clinic, Isarish's thoughts were racing. The third victim wasn't just another statistic—it was personal. And somehow, Dr. Rafiq was at the heart of it all.
The clinic was eerily quiet, the street outside empty, as Isarish stared at the sturdy back entrance. The rusted padlock clinked as he tried the door handle, but it was locked tight. Isarish's eyes flicked to the inspector Rayhan, who was visibly uneasy.
"This isn't exactly legal, you know," the inspector Rayhan muttered, his anxiety rising.
Isarish gave him a sharp look. "We don't have time for legality, Inspector Rayhan. We need answers."
Without another word, he picked up a large rock from the ground nearby and swung it with precise force at the lock. It took two hits before the lock snapped and the door creaked open with a groan of protest.
The inspector Rayhan winced at the sound. "Isarish, this is... this is going too far."
But Isarish was already through the door, motioning for Alice and the inspector Rayhan to follow. "We'll talk about the consequences later. Right now, we need to find out what's inside."
They stepped into the dimly lit hallway of the clinic, the air thick with dust and the faint scent of old antiseptic. The silence inside was oppressive, and the only sound was their soft footsteps echoing in the quiet. Isarish led the way, his senses sharp, scanning for anything out of place.
"Stay close," he said in a low voice, his eyes flicking to the corners of the hallway. "We need to make this quick."
Alice, still shaken but determined, nodded silently. She clutched her coat tightly around her, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and hope.
They moved deeper into the clinic, their footsteps now muffled by the worn carpet beneath them. There were no signs of life—no nurses, no patients—only the sterile, almost haunting emptiness of a building that seemed abandoned despite the fact that it was clearly still in use.
As they approached a door at the end of the corridor, Isarish paused. His instincts were on high alert. Something felt off, and he wasn't about to walk into a trap.
He motioned for the others to stop and then slowly cracked the door open. The faintest squeak of hinges filled the air, and Isarish peered inside.
What he saw made his heart skip a beat.
On the far side of the room, a desk sat under a single dim light. But it wasn't the desk that caught his attention—it was the file folders scattered across it, many of them marked with names he recognized from the case, including the third victim. Draped over the table was a huge man's coat, its heavy fabric rumpled as if hastily discarded.
"This is it," Isarish whispered, his grip tightening on the doorframe. "We're getting closer."
The inspector Rayhan leaned in, trying to get a better look at the files. "Are those…?" His voice trailed off, a mix of shock and disbelief crossing his face.
"Yes," Isarish said, his voice steady. "These are the answers we've been looking for."
But just as they were about to step inside, a sound from deeper within the clinic froze them in their tracks. A door creaked open, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Isarish quickly signalled for them to hide. They all ducked into a narrow alcove, pressing themselves against the wall, their breath held in anticipation.
The footsteps grew louder, echoing through the dimly lit hallway of the clinic. Isarish held his breath, his sharp eyes fixed on the door. Alice trembled beside him, her small hands clutching his coat sleeve. The inspector Rayhan, pale and sweating, pressed himself against the wall, his revolver trembling in his grip.
The door creaked open, and a shadow stretched across the floor. Isarish's lips curled into a faint smirk, his mind racing. Whoever it is, they're not expecting us.
A figure stepped into the room, silhouetted against the faint light from the hallway. Tall and lean, with an air of quiet authority, the man paused, his gaze sweeping the room. He wore a long, dark coat, and his face was obscured by the brim of his hat. But there was something about the way he moved—deliberate, calculated—that sent a chill down Isarish's spine.
"Dr. Rafiq," Isarish murmured, his voice barely audible….