Midnight Mist

The evidence doesn't lie

The mood in the room shifts, the easy conversation turning tense once again. The morning’s calm is broken, and neither Sunny nor Sachin can shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right.

“Let’s go, then,” Sachin says, his voice steady, though his eyes reveal an edge of unease. He picks up his keys from the table, his hands slightly trembling.

Shilpa nods and grabs her purse, leading the way to the car. Sunny follows closely behind, his thoughts swirling with anxiety. The drive to the police station feels longer than it should, each second stretching into eternity as they get closer to the place where everything started to feel so wrong.

When they arrive, the police officers greet them with a level of professionalism, but their eyes are colder now, more intense.

Gagan, the officer they spoke to earlier, is waiting for them. He doesn’t greet them as warmly this time, his face unreadable. “Please come in,” he says, leading them down a corridor.

Inside the station, Shilpa, Sunny, and Sachin are seated in an interrogation room. The door shuts behind them with a soft click, and for a moment, everything is eerily quiet.

Gagan sits down across from them, his gaze flickering between the three of them. He places a file on the table and opens it slowly, as if savoring the moment.

“We’ve been reviewing the footage from the area,” he begins, looking directly at Sachin. “We found something concerning.”

Sunny’s stomach drops. The tension in the room thickens, and he feels a cold sweat on the back of his neck.

Gagan looks at them, eyes sharp. “We found footage of a car matching yours near the site of the murder. The vehicle was there the night of the incident, and it was captured on camera. But the thing is—the person who came out of the car is not clearly visible as it was almost  dark. It was left there for nearly an hour before it was driven away.”

Gagan studies Sachin's face, his expression unreadable. “The evidence doesn't lie, Mrs. Sharma. We traced the vehicle's plates, and it’s registered under sachin's name.”

Sachin takes a deep breath, gathering himself, and looks directly at Gagan. “That night, I had actually gone to the jeweler to adjust my ring’s size,” he explains. “It was feeling tight, and I wanted to get it resized. But when I arrived, the jeweler wasn’t there. I ended up waiting outside for nearly an hour, hoping he’d come back.”

Gagan raises an eyebrow, his expression still skeptical. “And you didn’t think to leave and come back later?”

Sachin shakes his head, trying to remain calm. “I thought he’d be back any minute. It was already late, and I didn’t want to make another trip. Plus, the shop’s location is a bit remote; I figured waiting would save me time.”

Gagan studies him, eyes narrowing as he considers the story. He flips through his notes, clearly looking for any inconsistencies. Sachin feels the weight of the officer’s gaze, knowing that every detail needs to align if he’s to be believed.

Then, Gagan speaks slowly, his tone both probing and measured. “So, let’s clarify this. You went to the jeweler's late in the evening, waited for an hour in a darkened area, and coincidentally, this happens to be near the location of an incident that occurred that same night?”

Sachin nods, his fingers gripping the edge of his chair. “Yes. I know it sounds suspicious, but that’s exactly what happened. If you check with the jeweler, he can confirm that I went there and left after waiting for a while.”

Shilpa, sensing the tension, speaks up, her voice steady. "Officer, Sachin told me about this ring situation just this morning. He mentioned that he went to the jeweler last night to have it resized. He even explained why he waited — said the jeweler wasn’t there and thought it’d save him time if he stayed until he arrived."