The Masks Of Horror

Chapter 1:- Drifted Ashore

Detective Arjun of the Mumbai Police Department is sitting at a back-alley bar in the Lokhandwala District playing a heads-up game Of Texas Hold 'Em.
Arjun looks at Aman "Come on, Aman what are you waiting for? I don't have all day..." A heavily tattooed young man Aman Kumar sits across Arjun, twitching nervously " I'm Thinking, man, I'm Thinking" Nearby, A TV is blaring...The breaking news flashes "THE SERIAL KILLER DUBBED 'The Mask Maker' continues to elude capture, frustrating law enforcement..." Aman looks at the TV screen, worried he looks back at Arjun "Hey, you hear about this Mask maker guy, Arjun? Killing girls, Making masks out of their faces. Pretty Sick huh?" Arjun looks at Aman with a sarcastic face replying "How about you leave the detective work to me, Aman, and focus on the game? You gonna make a bet or not?" Aman glances at his cards, then says. "Sure, I'm in for Thirty." Arjun glances at his cards he has nothing but a pair of fours. But going on his gut he thinks Aman's got even less. Arjun Bluffs "I raise a Hundred". Aman looks amazed 'WHAT? No, man, you...... You ain't got it. No way you got anything". Arjun replies with a smile on his face "Then call it, mate. Put your money where your mouth is." Aman takes a look at his cards again and then back at Arjun's Original 'Your Screwed Face' And Folds saying "Ahh man, Screw this , I fold man. This sucks." Looking at Aman with a weird Look Arjun smiles at him laughing he reaches across the table and gathers up the pot. Looking at Aman's face he says "Cheer up. One of these days, your luck will turn."
Aman starts to shuffle the cards, when a tall police officer walks up to the table. It's Detective Tanmay Kapoor screaming "Arjun!". Arjun looks at him "Well, This is unexpected. What are you doing here, Tanmay?". "I had a feeling you would be here...Gambling away with these other shady, unkempt lowlifes..." Tanmay says. Arjun replies. "HEY!, I might be shady and a lowlife, but I'm very well kempt..." Arjun exclaims. Tanmay sighs " Anyway, The captain sent me to find you. You're needed on a case." Arjun looks at him " I thought I was suspended until the end of next week". Tanmay replies " You were. Now, You're not. Let's Go." Aman looks at Arjun worried " You got suspended? What did you do?" Arjun laughs " HAHA! I punched the mayor's Son!" Aman laughs hard " Damn! That's Hardcore". "Hardcore was what he did to the girl he assaulted. I just helped him understand the error of his ways." Arjun explains angrily. Tanmay putting his strong arm on Arjun's shoulder "As much fun as it is to rehash your greatest hits, we gotta roll out." Arjun pockets the last of his money "What's the big rush, anyway?" Tanmay playing with his old ford car keys "Captain Kher wants you to head up the Maskmaker Task Force." Arjun looks at Tanmay with an amazed look "Since When is there a 'Maskmaker Task Force'? " . "Since we found another victim. Let's Go!" says Tanmay moving his gun hid under his shirt near the waist. Arjun Gets up from the seat and pulls on his coat. He and Tanmay walk towards the door. Tanmay stops "Oh! And by the way...". "Yeah?" asks Arjun. "Its good to have you back, Arjun, we need you! "says Tanmay
Arjun Heads to his old place where Captain Kher with his Perfect suits and the regular case file in his hand waiting for Arjun near the driveway. Arjun drives in front of him. Captain Kher sits on the passenger seat and tells him to drive. " Captain, as much as I'm glad to be back on the force, I thought Detective Kapoor was handling the Maskmaker Case..." . Captain Kher replies "He was when all the victims were prostitutes. This new one's a college girl. When the media gets a word of this, the public is going to go crazy and whether I like it or not, you're the best detective I've got." Arjun with a proud face says "I appreciate it". "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook! I want this one by the book, Detective. You understand that? BY-THE-BOOK!" Captain replies. Arjun smiles "You have my word Captain." Kher then tells Arjun to remind his wife that he'll be home late. Arjun looks a bit worried then replies "Yeah, I'll , uh, give her a call in a bit. First why don't you brief me on the case?". Kher opens the file in his hand "This is the third murder in these 3 months. The victims were young women, age 20-25, who washed up dead near the beach. All off them had plaster masks molded to their faces, We cant definitively ID this latest victim until we run her DNA against a comparison sample, but the student ID in her wallet says she's Shraddha Shrinivasan of St.Pattriks College of Mumbai. "Any Questions Detective? " Arjun gives a wicked smile " I'll catch this guy, Captain". Kher expresses" You better...Before he kills again"
As Arjun reaches the beach a cold Breeze blows over him. A number of fish boats near by the beach surrounded by the crowd. He couches and passes the police tape and walks into a circle on her back by the water is a young, well-dressed girl with a firm plaster mask molded around her face. "Ah Hell! " says Arjun. Captain Kher puts his hand on Arjun's shoulder "her body was found by some fisherman coming back from his morning trawl. Judging by the look of her, she spent the night in the water. "Arjun investigates the body "she was dumped in the sea....But the mask stayed on?". Captain Kher replies "Believe me we're having a hell of a time getting it off. Our killer knew what he was doing!" As Arjun glances at the body again a young woman walks in a dark suit from the circle and snaps a picture! Arjun stands and says "Ma'am step back this is police work" the Young woman replies "I would, but that would make doing my job more difficult." The woman reaches into her pocket and flashes her Police ID. "Your with us?" asks Arjun. "I'm Special Agent Ekta Kher" "Kher?" Arjun asks when Captain Kher stops him and says "Yes, Kher she's my Niece she works for the Delhi Police the Prime-Minister wanted someone from the Delhi police to help us in this case" Ekta examines the body "You've got a serial killer on your hands, and the Bureau sent me to assist you with profiling. Are we going to have a problem?" Arjun looks at the Captain when Captain Kher replies "Do me a favor and play nice!" Arjun winks at the Captain and replies "I'll try not to Bite." Arjun turns towards Ekta "I'm Detective Arjun Chavan can I call you Ektu?" and laughs. Ekta replies with slight anger "YOU can call me Special Agent Kher!" Arjun laughs again "Well, Special Agent Kher, Mind if I Examine the crime scene?" Ekta replies "Be my guest" Arjun then moves back to the body "looks like she's been roughed up a bit,..." Ekta continues "And her shoulder's dislocated. This girl was dragged by the arm, hard." Arjun replies "Something went wrong here! But besides that no sign of trauma even her clothes are neat. No rips or tears, no obvious signs of struggle. Unless the killer meticulously dressed her, I'm betting we get no evidence of sexual assault" Ekta putting on her gloves "hmm. That's interesting. This Murder is different from the other victims. Arjun replies " you're right! The cause of death is different" Ekta smiles "Yes. That is absolutely right!" Arjun points towards the body's neck "The other victims were strangled... But this girl has no bruising on her neck. But how did she die?" At that moment a Tall man in a white shirt approaches Arjun and says "she hasn't drowned for sure There's no fluid in her lungs. The victim was dead before she was thrown into the water. Arjun gently places his arm over the man "Special Agent Ekta, I'd like you to meet Eshaan Mehra, our forensic technician" Ekta replies "Well, if she did not die by drowning or strangulation, what killed her?" Eshaan points at the neck of the body "look here. See this tiny welt? This indicates the victim received an injection just prior to her death..." Ekta asks "The chloroform?"
Eshaan makes a straight face and replies " NO! If this victim is like the others, that was administered via a cloth over the mouth...Look at the mask as well it's plastered too tight this suggests that her airways were obstructed...." Arjun realizes "Son of a Bitch...He killed her with the mask. My guess is he drugged her, plastered over her face, and let her suffocate to death." Ekta replies " Then this crime is even more different from I thought. He made the mask while she was still alive instead doing it after she died..." Arjun looks at Ekta with a worried look "He's Evolving" he says "And when a killer this precise, this methodical, this disciplined, still has room to evolve.... That's trouble!" continues Ekta. "Yeah a lot of it" says Eshaan. Police constable Waghmare approaches the trio "Sir Arjun, You might want to see this!" Arjun turns towards the constable who is holding a backlight over the body. "look what I found on her arm!" he reveals a stamp, A circle of beer bottles and wine glasses" Arjun examines the stamp " Wait a minute, I know that stamp. That's from the MAYA club in Andheri. It's an upscale bar and karaoke club. Giving how crisp the image is. I'm guessing she was there last night" Ekta Continues " Someone there must have seen something..." Arjun with his good cop smile replies "Well, Special Agent Kher, Looks like we just got a lead."
Arjun and Ekta drive to Andheri, Ekta goes over the case file again and again. "Not much of a talker are you? Too busy profiling?" Arjun asks Ekta "As a Matter of fact Detective, I am. And I'm not sure I understand why you find it so Amusing." She replies. Arjun speeding around on a curve turn replies " It's just that.... Come on.... That pop psych stuff probably sounded great in a classroom, but it's not going to find us this killer." Ekta with a sarcastic look towards Arjun " Oh Really ? And what IS going to help us find this killer?" she asks "Real Police work. Hitting the street Grilling witnesses. Following my gut" Arjun replies followed by one of his typical laughs. Ekta carries out a fake laugh "Oh Please spare me the "GOOD COP" act.... That's all it is AN ACT" Arjun asks with anger " And u think you know me well? Have you profiled me? Ekta laughs "as a matter of fact I have. Would you like to hear it? Arjun replies with a simple "Sure!" Ekta continues " Your name is Arjun Chavan, Detective of Mumbai police your grand father and dad also were police officers so police works runs in your blood!" Arjun asks "so you've read a history book?" Ekta ignores his joke and continues to profile Arjun " But your response to me suggests an innate distrust of women. Absent mother, I imagine? I'm guessing you had a rebellious youth? Didn't play by the rules? Maybe even a little legal trouble? And of all this culminates in a personality type that serves authority without fully respecting it. How'd I do?" Arjun replies "pretty good. But you're wrong about my mother. The woman was a saint... Now how about I tell you what my gut thinks of you?" Ekta replies with her usual "Be my guest" Arjun continues with his profiling "Well, If I'm not mistaken, the Delhi Police is working on the 'Bapji Singh' case, Their biggest organized crime taken down in fifteen years. And you're stuck helping us with this." Ekta asks Arjun with a confused face "What are you implying?" Arjun replies "You must have pissed someone off." Ekta changes the topic asks him whether they are at the club yet. Arjun and Ekta approach on upscale nightclub in Andheri. The words 'MAYA Club' hang over the door in bright LED lights. Arjun stops Ekta from entering the club " Before you enter I know the owner here. Shady guy, but helped us with an investigation a while back and that's how I recognized the stamp." There, they meet their first suspect-a bartender by the name of Aditya. Aditya flees the scene upon being questioned, but is quickly apprehended and searched. Arjun finds bags of white pills on Aditya, and takes him to the precinct. However, it is later confirmed that Aditya was still at work during Shraddha's time of death, excluding him as a suspect. As Arjun is headed home Tanmay see's Ekta and asks Arjun about her " she's a good looking woman do you think I have a shot with her?" Arjun laughs " As far as I know she'd break you". Arjun drives home he opens his door too a lonely, empty apartment. The lights are off, and packed boxes sit everywhere. Far on the side of the room Arjun's answering machine is beeping. Arjun Presses 'Play' On the machine the Voice on the machine is of Deepika Arjun's wife " Hey Arjun, how are you? I just wanted to know when I could come up and get the rest of my stuff? I know you don't want to deal with any of this but please lets just get this over and done with" the machine beeps. Arjun says to himself "Well, that's not what I needed to hear right now. Talk about one hell off a day". He shoves past the stacks of boxes, opens the bedroom door and sprawls on the small bed Sleep doesn't come easily!