The Blood Mystery: Chapter 4

"How are you feeling?" Sumedha asked once they reached Veer's office.

"A little shocked." Veer admitted. "I don't know why both parties are targeting me."

"What if they need something you have?" Sumedha said after a pause. "Or maybe you're close to uncovering something that could put the person behind the attacks behind bars."

"What could that be?" Veer asked. "I haven't picked up anything from their minds... except a name."

"Who is it?" Sumedha asked, then raised her hand to stop him. She had a strange feeling they were being watched—by someone or something. She couldn't tell.

"What is it?" Veer whispered.

"I think someone's trying to eavesdrop on us." Sumedha replied in a hushed tone.

Veer immediately tensed and scanned for minds within ten meters of the office. "Nothing suspicious. No one seems to be listening in." he whispered back.

"There is someone." Sumedha insisted. "Try again. Three o'clock, twenty meters away." She pointed and closed her eyes, focusing her clairvoyant ability.

Veer nodded and concentrated in the direction she'd indicated. "I sense someone... yes. They are listening. They're confused now that we've stopped talking. They can't hear the whispers."

"Enhanced hearing." Sumedha muttered. She quickly texted Indra:
Get near Dr. Aryan's office. Now.

"When my brother is within your range, guide him to the one who's spying on us." she mouthed to Veer.

Veer gave a quick nod.

A few minutes later, Indra and Sunjay arrived on the floor where Veer's office was located. As instructed, Veer directed Indra straight to the listener.

Indra returned, dragging someone into the office.

"Miss Heart." Sumedha spat, the venom in her tone unmistakable.

"You know her?" Sunjay asked, clearly picking up on the tension.

Sumedha nodded. So did Veer.

"Sumedha and Amelia Heart didn't get along when Sumedha was still part of Mishra's team." Veer explained. "They both have psychometry, but Sumedha was always preferred—she was more precise, more mindful of the scene."

"Amelia didn't like it." Sumedha added. "She wanted to be out in the field, to prove herself. But even the forensics department preferred me—I only touched the victims. Amelia... she used to destroy the entire crime scene under the excuse of searching for clues."

"After Sumedha was fired, we had no choice but to rely on Amelia." Veer continued. "She never accepted that she couldn't pick up what Sumedha could—just from the victim."

"And she blamed me for her failures every time she was called in and couldn't find anything. When the forensics department called me in again after her, she'd get worse. She and Mishra made my life a nightmare." Sumedha said, her voice low.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Indra asked.

"To get you fired? No, thanks." Sumedha replied with a sad smile. "You do remember who was commander when I got fired."

"Mishra had a weird crush on Amelia." Veer muttered.

"They've got a twenty-year age gap." Sunjay said with a gasp.

Sumedha shrugged. "She likes the attention."

"Why were you listening in on us?" Sumedha asked Amelia.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Amelia snapped.

"Don't, then." Sumedha said, flashing a vicious smile. "I can get information from more than just the dead. It might hurt, so be warned."

She grabbed Amelia's hands and held them down against the chair's armrests, ensuring she couldn't move or kick.

"Mishra—how did he know I was coming back before it was even announced?" she demanded.

She reached into Amelia's mind—but couldn't find that answer.

Amelia was left panting in pain when Sumedha finally let go.

Indra signaled a few officers, who arrived promptly to escort Amelia to a custody cell in HQ.

"I didn't know you could do that." Sunjay said, surprised.

"No one does, sir." Sumedha replied. "I discovered it accidentally. My best friend once bumped into me while I was concentrating on a local case... and something clicked."

"What powers does Mishra have?" Sumedha asked. "I know about his enhanced hearing, but it's not as strong as Amelia's."

"Enhanced hearing, enhanced vision, and clairvoyance." Sunjay said.

"That's how he knew I'd be back. But why is he so interested in our conversation?"

"What were you talking about?" Indra asked.

"Dr. Aryan—the name," Sumedha prompted Veer firmly.

"Ashish Dutt." Veer said, a little dazed by how commanding Sumedha had become. He didn't mind it.

"He's a businessman. Why would he care?" Sumedha asked.

"We're dealing with a corpse found in his company's warehouse." Indra explained.

"What was the case about?" Sumedha asked.

"Murder. My team found the body." Indra said.

"Can I see the body?" Sumedha asked.

Veer shook his head. "The victim's family already claimed it. We could ask for the ashes, though."

"Ashes won't work. I need something with intact DNA." Sumedha sighed.

"I still have hair and nail samples from the victim." Veer said. "They should be in the evidence room."

"Go with him." Sunjay instructed Indra.

The two of them headed for the evidence room on the fourth floor.

"Can you get anything from nails and hair?" Sunjay asked Sumedha.

"I can try, sir. I might see the victim's last moments... or more. It depends on how much memory the DNA retained after death."

"So, if someone died just a few seconds ago, you'd get everything?" he asked.

"In theory. But memories degrade quickly. Even then, we only get a few hours of memory at most."

Sunjay nodded thoughtfully.

"How strong is your clairvoyance?" he asked.

"Visions usually come at random. But if I focus, I can see a few seconds—or a few minutes—into the future. It depends on how well-rested and physically fit I am. If I'm tired, I might only get seconds."

"That's an asset. I should've brought you back the moment I became Commander." Sunjay muttered under his breath.

Sumedha heard it—but didn't let her emotions show, even as her heart swelled a little.

Just then, Indra and Veer returned with the hair and nail samples.

Click 'Chapter 5' to read next chapter.