𝓑𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷.

Chapter - 6

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Vihaan ~

The next day, as I sat in my office, reviewing the details of the triple murder case, Amaya interrupted with a knock on the door.

I met her gaze with a nod, giving the go-ahead. "Yes. Let Shivanya know she can come in."

Shivanya entered, holding my coat from the previous night. "Good morning, Mr. Raichand," she said, her voice steady but with a slight edge of embarrassment. "I wanted to return your coat. Thank you for lending it to me."

She hung it in the most proper manner on the chair right opposite mine, her fingers brushing against the fabric, smoothing out a nonexistent wrinkle.

Now that you're here, we need to discuss the Khanna case," I stated, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Shivanya nodded, her posture still rigid. "Yes, sir."

I've been reviewing the cross-examination from yesterday," she began, her eyes lighting up with the intensity. "Rakesh Kumar's testimony was full of inconsistencies, and your cross-examination exposed them perfectly."She started, beginning to ease into the conversation, while scribbling pointers on her notepad.

Unbidden, I found myself studying her. The way her brow furrowed in concentration, the faint dusting of freckles across her nose, the way she chewed on her bottom lip when lost in thought. It was a stark contrast to the composed facade she usually maintained.

"There's a discrepancy in the..." I started, about to point out a detail in the witness statements, but she cut me off.

"The security guard's alibi. You're right, sir. I was just getting to that," she said, her voice firm now, the earlier nervousness replaced by a quiet confidence.

She proceeded to lay out her findings, sketching a detailed timeline of the events on the notepad.

"Intriguing," I murmured, leaning back in my chair as Shivanya finished detailing the smudged fingerprints on the antique vase. "So, we have a security guard with a questionable alibi, a missing exit record, and a crime scene devoid of fingerprints except for a single, smudged mark."

"The security guard's patrol logs only show an entry swipe, not an exit," she stated, her voice firm with conviction. "This is a major anomaly, sir. We need to investigate further."

A slow smile tugged at the corner of my lips, not at the complexity of the case, but at the way her brow furrowed in concentration, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of the chase. This wasn't just a job for her it was a puzzle waiting to be solved.

"The guard, sir. Are you planning to shift the suspicion on him instead of Prakash?" she echoed, her voice tight with disbelief. "But the evidence..."

"Is circumstantial, at best." I finished, my voice neutral. "Our job isn't to judge, Shivanya. It's to defend. To ensure a fair trial and present a credible case, even for the most unlikely suspects."

"Right," she said, her voice firm but laced with a hint of defiance. "In that case, let's see how strong the prosecution's case really is. Starting with the missing exit record – a technical malfunction or a deliberate manipulation on the night of the event?"

"Pull up the security footage for me, Miss Chopra. There is something we are overlooking." I asked her.

"Mr. Raichand I don't have the access to that data yet. You are yet to assign the Evidence room biometric card to me." She replied, looking up from her written notes.