Murim Recurve

"Inspector, it's already 11:00 PM, but her mother hasn't returned home yet." Standing before the Inspector was Swetha and her grandpa. They had an expression of worry as they looked at the Inspector, wishing the other party could solve it.

"Ugh," The Inspector grunted as he removed his feet from the table, buttoning his shirt that he had loosened to relax during the night. He then took his seat as he spoke in his usual gritty tone, "Where was she last seen?"

"She and my granddaughter visited the Mysore Palace today. But, somewhere in that area, they had been separated." The grandpa said with a frown as he pointed at Swetha, "And, someone dropped her at our house just earlier."

He then handed him the visiting card Re'Kha had given Swetha, "This is the visiting card of the lady that dropped her."

"Anything else?" The Inspector frowned as he looked at Swetha, "Did your mother tell you to meet at someplace if you were to get lost?"

"No," Swetha said while trembling, "Mummy told me to stay close to her and not wander off."

"Fine," The Inspector sighed as he massaged his forehead, grunting as he got up and looked at a constable, "Get that lady's phone number from him and trace it."

"Also," He handed the constable the visiting card, "Track this number too and keep me posted about her location."

The constable nodded and walked into a different room, soon coming out after a couple of minutes, "Sir, we have been unable to track the lady's phone. It seems to have been destroyed. And, as for the number on the visiting card…"

Seeing his hesitation, the Inspector frowned and urged him, "Where is she now?"

"I-In the Mysore Palace, sir." The Constable muttered as he wiped off his sweat. Both of them immediately realised that they had encountered a genuine case and were no longer able to relax for the night.

He then looked at the grandpa, "Is there anyone else in your home? What about her husband?"

"He's currently on a business trip. There's no one else in our home." The grandpa replied.

"Hm," The Inspector looked at a Constable, "Accompany them to their house and report back."

He gazed at the grandpa, "We'll keep you posted about anything we find. Bringing children is unsafe, so you return to your house. Leave your number to the Constable."

"Yes," The Grandpa could only nod in return. He was old and wasn't able to move quickly. So, he would only be a deadweight for the investigation. Moreover, it was risky to bring Swetha, an energetic eight-year-old to the scene. So, he didn't protest and returned with Swetha to their home.

Two police jeeps immediately set off from the police station. The moment they set off, all the landlines in the police station began to ring simultaneously. The remaining Constables were flustered for a moment as the scene looked ominous.

It was almost midnight after all. The Constables attended the call, frowning as their faces turned pale, making eye contact with each other as they realised the call was for the same reason.

Mass Murder!

And, as they inquired further details, they realised how it was the same area as where the two police jeeps were headed towards. Immediately, a Constable phoned the Inspector and relayed the information.

"Alright, keep me posted." The Inspector ended the call and cursed, slamming the sides of the jeep in anger. The jeep sped along the vacant roads at its maximum speed. The driver also kept watch of his surroundings to ensure he didn't run over some unfortunate drunk soul that roamed the roads in the middle of the night.

The expression of all the police was solemn as they realised the issue was at large now. Usually, they arrived at a scene once everyone was done. So, they only witnessed the end result. Besides, it was at most one or two murders.

But now, it was a mass murder, one that was actively reported. It meant they had to confront a serial killer.

The Inspector made a couple more calls, nodding as he sighed in relief, "I got a shoot-on-sight permit now."

Hearing his words caused the police to feel less tense. As long as they were able to use their guns, they could manage. Based on the witness accounts they had received, the deaths were due to stab wounds.

So, it meant the foe they had to face didn't carry an illegal firearm. As long as they were careful, they should be able to do it without risking their lives too much.

"Have the forensic experts been dispatched to the scene?" The Inspector called another person as he kept watch on the street, frowning as he could smell a mild scent of blood.

"Good, tell them to arrive within 20 minutes." The Inspector ended his call and looked around as he inched his right hand into his holster. He was ready to shoot on sight.

11:30 PM, the jeep arrived at the scene as all the police frowned. Some of their faces turned white as the less experienced ones were on the verge of puking. The stench was too much for them to bear.

"Spineless cowards," The Inspector cursed at them and prompted them to scout the area, "Proceed as a group of three. Don't venture alone, no matter what."

"Yes!" All the police replied as they spread out in search of clues, guarded against any form of attack.

The Inspector and two constables approached the place where a group of people lay dead. They shone their torches at the scene and frowned immediately, "This blasted electricity only had to disappear at this time. Useless!"

"Sir!" A Constable shouted as he stumbled towards his back, plopping on the road with a mild thud as he gaped. His face was deathly pale as he pointed with his hand at the scene before him.

The Inspector flashed his torchlight in the pointed direction, finding a tree come into his view. Its branches had almost touched the ground thanks to its weight.