The Masks Of Horror

Chapter 3 :- Lethal Drugs

Detective Arjun and Special Agent Ekta once again stand at a new dumpsite, they step onto a cold, sandy beach. Police officers huddle around the pale corpse of a teenage girl, slumped against a rock. A featureless plaster mask covers her face. "She's just a kid.." Says Arjun looking away sadly. He sees Captain Kher walking near them "It just breaks your heart. A girl like that with her whole life ahead of her, YOU bring this guy in, Arjun!" saying this he storms away. "The captain seems unusually agitated" says Arjun looking towards Ekta. "Yeah, well it's getting personal, Uncle has a young daughter about the same age of the victim. You do your best to separate your home life from work, but sometimes you can't create enough distance. and guessing with the way your playing with your wedding ring it seems you have had some!" Ekta replies. "Forget it. We've got work to do!" Arjun says by kneeling over to the body. Ekta kneels beside Arjun "The victim is dry. Based on the way her blood's settling, I'm guessing she was placed here last night. Clothes are ripped, wounds on her hands and forearms. Definitely signs of struggle and I see a small injection mark at the base of her neck. Generally this seems consistent with the previous murders" she says. Arjun looks at the injection mark "NO!, There's something different here. The other victims weren't  placed" he says. Ekta replies looking at him "You're right. The other girls were dumped in the water and then drifted ashore. But this one is completely dry. She was killed on land". Arjun smiles "Exactly. The question is why. Maybe because the Maskmaker didn't have time to fully ritualize this kill. For some reason, he acted on impulse. He took a short cut. And when people take short cuts, they get sloppy. The maskmaker might just have made his first mistake." when Constable Waghmare approaches Arjun "Sir,, ID on the victim came back positive. Name is Bipasha Deshpande, here's the home address. Captain wanted you and Agent Ekta to talk to the family." Arjun taking the address replies to him "Thanks, We're on it.
A little while later, Arjun and Ekta approach a large bungalow. Several police jeeps are parked outside. Captain Kher waits at the door for them. "Got anything?" Arjun asks the Captain. "According to her family, Bipasha was at her friend Mona's place last night working late on a project. She called around 8 o'clock to say that she'd be late. She never came home" the Captain replies. Ekta places her arm on her uncle's chest "We'll talk to the family and see if we get anything," she says slightly grabbing Arjun's arm "Arjun, these people just suffered the most devastating news of their lives. They're likely consumed by grief, not in shock" she continues , " I've talked to grieving victims before, Ekta. I'll handle it" Arjun replies entering the house. A heavy-set man is leaning against the frame. "Hello, sir. I'm Detective Arjun Chavan with the Mumbai Police, and this is Special Agent Kher of the Delhi Police. We'd like to talk to you about your daughter." Arjun says. "Oh, uh, of course. Of course. I'm...I'm Bipasha's father. Please...Come in." Arjun steps inside. From the next room, comes a steady sobbing. "I apologize for the state of the place. We've been...I mean, first we were worried because Bipasha didn't come home and now...now..." says Mr. Deshpande and starts to cry. "It's okay, Mr. Deshpande, we will find who did this!" Arjun replies. "I know you will, Detective, and I appreciate your effort. I just..." he sits on the couch wiping his tears. "Is that going to bring my daughter back? Is that going to let me see her again and tell her I love her?". Ekta sits besides him "Unfortunately no one can do that sir" she says. "But we can make sure that the person who did this dies behind bars!". Arjun consoles him. "Then we will help you anyway we can" Mr. Deshpande replies. "Mr. Deshpande we would like to ask your family a few questions!" Ekta says. "Well, my younger daughter, Sara is upstairs in her room and my wife is in the kitchen, whom would u like to speak to?" he replies." We'd like to speak with your daughter Sir" Arjun says. "Well, if you think she will help your investigation, sure!" he replies pointing to the stairs leading to her room.. Arjun and Ekta enter a teenager's room where Bipasha's 12-year old sister, Sara, sitting on the bed hugging a pillow to her chest. "Hi there, Sara. My name is Arjun, and this is Ekta. We're here to ask you some questions about your sister." Arjun says. "Didn't you talk to my parents? I don't know anything they don't." Sara replies. "Well, we think you might, in my experience, kids don't always tell what their up to. But they do tell their brothers and sisters. I myself used to tell my younger brother, Yash all my secrets" Ekta replies holding Sara's hand.
"So?.." Sara asks. Arjun takes a seat on the bed next to Sara "Now, according to your mom, Bipasha stayed late after school to work on a project. Is that true?" asks Arjun. "Uh, it...I promised Bipasha I wouldn't tell." Sara replies with a bit of fear. "Whatever it is, Sara, we need to now. You can trust us." Ekta replies Holding Sara's hand a bit tighter. "All right. I'll tell you it was a stupid promise anyway. She...she wasn't working on her project last night. That's just something she told Mom and Dad. She really was...at this Beach Party at Juhu." replies Sara. "Juhu Beach?...that's where we found her, so that means that It's not a dumpsite, It's a CRIME SCENE!" says Arjun looking at Ekta. "Did...Did I say something wrong? "Asks Sara. "No, sweetie . You did real well" replies Ekta with a smile. Arjun and Ekta rush outside to where Captain Kher is talking with a few constables "Captain! You're going to want to hear this! According to Bipasha's sister, the class project she was working on was a lie to cover what she really was doing...Hanging out at a beach bonfire party at the beach where her body was found." Arjun says. "Good work both of you. I'll dispatch a Crime Scene unit back there right away." Captain replies.
Back at the Beach Akanksha and Eshaan are standing over the charred remains of a bonfire on a deserted northern stretch of the Juhu Beach. Litter is strew all around. "I hate being out in the field." Says Akanksha "Hate it or not, we need every technician we can out here." Eshaan replies looking around "Empty beer bottles, plastic cups...this appears to be the site of a college party. A bunch of drunken, idiots staggering around a giant fire... I'm surprised if any of them made it home alive "he continues shaking his head angrily. "You didn't go to a lot of parties in college, did you?" Akanksha asks him laughing. "No! Not at all. I cared far more about getting into Top-tier University than being a stupid guy. Now then, Detective Chavan and Agent Kher think the girl was taken from near this bonfire" replies Eshaan. "A secluded party on the beach would be the perfect place to kidnap a girl. It's isolated and dark. A lot of noise to cover the movements. A bunch of distracted people." replies Akanksha. "leave the investigation to the detectives, Akanksha. We're after cold-hard facts, nothing more," says Eshaan. "Right that means picking up all of these cups and scanning them for DNA, huh?" replies Akanksha. "Don't sound so irritated! If even of them matches someone in our database, we'll have a lead!" replies Eshaan. Akanksha heads to the far side of the circle and start bagging bottles "That's so sad. One minute this girl was calling her parents to tell them she'd come home soon... And the next, she was being horribly murdered" thinks Akanksha  "wait a minute... If she called her parents.. And they didn't hear the party.. Then she had to have walked away from the bonfire" she continues thinking. She looks around about 30 feet from the fire, by the base of the cliff at the beach's end she sees a thick cluster of bushes. "There! That's where I'd sneak off to!" Akanksha says to herself. She wander over to the bushes she finds an imprint  scrap of girl's shirt and blood "Oh my God! This is the spot! This is where she was taken. Eshaan! Come here now! I found something" says Akanksha. Eshaan runs over too her. "What?! What is so...Oh. Oh my" he says looking at the blood. "She was kidnapped from here, Eshaan. From right here." Akanksha kneels down and carefully retrieves a fragment of a small glass cylinder. "It's a vial! This must be from the drugs the Maskmaker used!" Akanksha says. "This is...excellent work, Akanksha" replies Eshaan patting her back. "You mean that?" Akanksha replies following by a wink. "I do. Now let's get this down to the lab at once! We need to know what was in that vial and where it came from" Eshaan says smiling.
Arjun drives Ekta nearby the beach "Where are we headed?" asks Ekta. "I just got the word from Akanksha the drug used to numb the victims' bodies is succinylcholine, a powerful neuromuscular blocker"   Arjun replies. "So any doctor could have access to such drugs, don't they?" Ekta asks "Not just any doctor. Eshaan was able to get a batch number off the vial. It matches some pharmaceuticals we confiscated from a Dr.Chetan Shah" Arjun replies. Ekta looks surprised "Why was it confiscated?" she asks. "Dr. Shah was running an unlicensed plastic surgery practice, offering half-rate cosmetic enhancements to woman desperate to go to him. He flew under the radar until he was botched a face-lift while blitzed on painkillers. The girl was completely disfigured. The Judge bungled the case, and the Bastard got off only with 90 days of prison." Arjun replies trying to calm his anger down. "He's got the intelligence, the physical fitness, and the medical background, not to mention the motivation. As a plastic surgeon, he was always a maskmaker of sorts, altering women's faces to be perfect representation of beauty". He continues. Ekta replies again with her usual "Be my guest and tell me what are you implying?". "Just that I think he might be our guy" Arjun replies. "So you're saying that he messes up that poor girl's face, and that's what drove him crazy?" Ekta asks again. "It's a theory! Anyway we are headed to his property, an abandoned warehouse down by Dharavi. It's where he performs his illegal surgeries' Replies Arjun. He drives Ekta to an isolated place near Dharavi "Well, if I were a serial killer who needed a hideout, it would definitely be around here. "Ekta says looking at Arjun with a worried look. Arjun pulls up the car near a warehouse a SUV is parked outside. "Arjun, look at this" Ekta runs her hand over the side of the SUV car, Pointing out several prominent holes "Bullet holes... and Blood" she says when a scream comes from inside the warehouse. "Quick! Move!" Arjun says. Ekta and Arjun rush towards door drawing out their guns. Behind it, they can hear mumbling and clanking of metal. Arjun presses a finger on his lips. Ekta nods. He peeks through a crack in the door, Ekta leans over and wishers "What do you see?". "I've got multiple people. Someone's lying on his back in the middle of the room, and someone's standing over him, There's movement in the back too...Maybe One, two more people." Arjun replies when suddenly there's another howl of pain!. "We're going in!" says Arjun kicking the door. It flies open as Ekta and Arjun rush in. "Freeze!" says Arjun, a shirtless man is lying on an operating table in the center of the room. Dr. Shah stands over him, prying at a bullet wound in his shoulder. Two bulky men stand at the back f the room, pointing guns at Arjun and Ekta. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Dr. Shah screams with anger. The bodyguard behind threatens Ekta and Arjun "Put down your guns, NOW! DO IT!" he says while Arjun and Ekta keep their guns pointing firmly at the two bodyguards. "Let's just take it easy. No one has to get hurt here..." says Ekta. "I have a feeling, Officer, that it won't be that simple" says Dr. Shah. The man on the table moans and strains "You pigs.. Know what my family...will do to you? He says. "Arjun, That's Mohan Singh. Bapji Singh's son. "Ekta says looking at Arjun at then tightens her grip on the gun and points it back on Mohan. "Since that malpractice case, I've had to male a living somehow. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to operate here." Arjun glances at Ekta uneasily. The bodyguards adjust their grips on their guns. Dr. Shah very slowly resumes examining Mohan's wound. "Back away, pigs. If you value your lives." Mohan says. On seeing Arjun's anger Ekta says "Arjun! Keep it together! Mohan, we're not here for you. We're here for Dr. Shah."  Dr. Shah looks at them surprised "You're here for me?" he asks. "Bull... They're playing you, doc. The moment you get outta the line of fire.. They're gonna haul me off. Keep working" Mohan says. Dr. Shah takes one look at the bodyguards, then resumes examining the wound. "Mohan, just tell your men to put down their guns. We'll get you to a hospital...." Ekta says. "I isn't going to... No hospital"  He replies. Mohan turns and barks something to his bodyguards in Punjabi. One of them steps forward. "Hey! Hey! Back off" Ekta says. "Last chance. Put the guns down" Mohan screams. Arjun slides his gun into his holster. "Arjun! what are you doing?!" Ekta says," defusing the situation. We'll all just put our guns away and talk this through. Right?" Arjun replies. "WRONG!" screams Mohan when the bodyguard takes another step forward. "Listen to me! You two don't have to die for your boss! We can still work this out! We just want Dr. Shah" Arjun says taking his gun out again. Dr. Shah digs deeper into Mohan's shoulder for the bullet. Mohan howls in pain. "Oh really? And what precisely do you want to 'talk' about, anyway? What trumped up charge justifies bring the Delhi Police along?" Shah asks. "It's about the maskmaker case!" Ekta says. "The.. Maskmaker case?" Dr. Shah replies surprisingly. "That dude that's been killing all those girls? Is that you, doc?" Mohan asks "You think I'm the Maskmaker? That's what this is about? Dr. Shah asks with a tone of humor in his voice. "Oh, that's just ridiculous. The idiocy of this city's police department knows no bounds," he continues. "Then you'll come with us to answer some questions?" Asks Arjun. Dr. Shah jerks the tweezers out of Mohan's shoulder and drops a bullet into a little tin tray. Mohan screams with pain "Uggghhh! Goddamn. So what's the game plan now...Doc?" He asks. "There's just no reasoning with these idiots. They're determined to ruin my life" Dr. Shah replies and reaches into his medical bag whipping out a revolver.! "Its brute force!" He screams. Arjun hurls himself to the side, but he's too slow! Shah's bullet nails the side of his chest!. "UGGGH!" Arjun screams with pain falling down to the ground, ducking behind a wooden cabinet! The room goes under chaos Ekta fires off one shot, misses , and throws herself forward, flipping over an operating table to use as cover. " "Arjun! Are you okay?" She screams. "The vest took it...I'm Fine!" he replies. Arjun peeks around the corner. Mohan sits upright on the table, pointing a pistol in his direction. His bodyguards have retreated behind cover. Behind them, Dr. Shah Disappears into the darkness. "Get back here, SHAH!" Arjun screams. The bodyguards open fire again! The side of the cabinet burst apart, spraying Arjun with wooden splinters. He pulls himself back. "You both are dead!" Screams Mohan." Arjun! We need to do something "Ekta whispers. "Ekta, I'll lay down suppressive fire! You take the shot" Arjun replies and cranes his gun over the edge of the cabinet and fires blindly! Mohan and his bodyguards turn towards Arjun and Ekta makes her shot, putting a hole clean in centre on Mohan's forehead. "God! She killed Mohan" One of the bodyguard screams while the other one replies "Shoot them! NOW!". More bullets explode against the cabinet! One of them blow a chunk off the top, Arjun scrambles to stay behind cover. "I'm pinned down here!" he says. "What do want me to do about it?" Ekta replies with a bit of sarcasm . Suddenly there's a sound of an engine revving outside. "Damm it!, its Shah! He's getting away!" Ekta screams. "We can't get him without risking ourselves! Stay Down! " Arjun replies. "Arjun! Listen" Ekta whispers Arjun goes quiet. The room is eerily silent. Neither of the guards shoot. "You two ready to surrender?!" Arjun asks. There's no response. Arjun and Ekta could hear sort, padding footsteps...and the sound of one of them fumbling with a glass bottle. "You smell...rubbing alcohol?" Ekta asks. There's sound of cloth crumpling. And a lighter flicking. "They're making a Molotov Cocktail" Arjun replies. He shoots under the cabinet, and a clear shot at the guard's feet! Firing the shot. The guard's shoe bursts open. He screams and falls down, dropping his Molotov cocktail on himself. He writhes the floor, engulfed in flame. "That just leaves one..." Arjun says popping over the cabinet but sees no sign of the second guard. Slowly, he stands and walks towards the other side of the room. "Come out with your hands up! No one has to get hurt!. "Arjun screams. When a voice with fear comes from his back "....Arjun." it says. He turns around. The second bodyguard stands behind Ekta, his gun pressed under her chin. His head peers over Ekta's shoulder. Arjun lines up the shot. But his hand trembles. "Put Down your gun! Now!" the Bodyguard says. Ekta screams "Do as he says". Arjun slides down his gun and puts his hands up "Hey no one has to get hurt anymore." He says. The bodyguard replies "Good boy! Good boy" and kneels to take Arjun's Gun when Ekta kicks him on his face turns around and punches him. He falls unconsciously. "You good?" Arjun asks. "I'm Good" Ekta replies with a smile.
The Two cops stand outside. Police cars are parked all around them, their lights flashing. Cops swarming the warehouse. Ekta is on the side finishing up the call with her chief. "You in trouble with your chief?" Arjun asks. "Are you kidding? Mohan Singh was a drug-runner and a rapist who we suspect of last sixteen gangland murders. I just might get a medal out of this." She replies. Arjun laughs "Catch Dr. Shah and you might get two!" he says. "Arjun... I don't think he is the Maskmaker. The way he acted in there, the way he reacted to us? He didn't suggest someone with deep psychosis." Ekta Says exhaling deeply. "I had a feeling you would say that" Arjun replies.
Back at the Department, Arjun and Ekta report to Captain Kher. " And I'm telling you, I don't want to hear it, Detective. Mohan Singh is dead, Dr. Shah escaped, and now you're telling me he might not be the Maskmaker?" Captain asks Arjun with anger. " It's a theory!" Replies Arjun. "I appreciate that you're working on a theory, Detective" Captain replies. Arjun Smiles "Thanks!" he says. "But what facts do you have to support it? All the evidence you've collected points to Dr. Shah. He even matches the profile Ekta developed. Unless you can prove it Dr. Shah remains our prime suspect and if you excuse me I have an interview with the press. " Captain replies storming away towards the reporters. Arjun and Ekta stand in the department watching the television news broadcasting. "He shouldn't be doing this. Not yet" Arjun says, " We did everything we could," replies Ekta while Tanmay walks in "Well, well , well. If it isn't Robin hood himself. Heard you had yourself one heck of a shootout," he says looking at Arjun. "It was something all right.." Arjun replies. "Popping Mohan Singh... IDing the Maskmaker.. Bet the Captain's glad he put you back on the force." Tanmay says . "We don't think Shah is the Killer" Ekta replies. "What?! That guy has sins all over him." Tanmay replies. "I don't know, Tanmay. It's not as simple as that.." Arjun replies. "You got to fill me up sometime." Tanmay says. "Quiet you two. The interview is about to start." Ekta says. Captain Kher addresses a crowd of reporters. "Thank you all for coming. As many of you know, there's been a break in the Maskmaker investigation. We now have a primary suspect: Dr.Chetan Shah. For the moment Dr. Shah remains at large, but we hope the citizens of Mumbai will cooperate  in our attempts to bring him to justice". "Every cop in this city is going to be stuck looking for Dr. Shah" Arjun says. "That's not good" Ekta replies.