Inspector Michael's POV: Continued: Part 3

It was a short drive to the hospital.

Once there, I saw Ajay. He was standing near the Entrance. I also saw a suspicious-looking person near him. Most likely from the press.

Couldn't say that I'm surprised. Some of the constables leak information to the media for some tips. Can't blame them, considering what they get paid. It's barely enough for a decent life. But I was not in a forgiving mood today.

Ajay came over as soon he noticed me.

“Good morning Sir. “

“Good morning. How long have you been here?”

“I have been here since the victims were moved here. The Doctor is currently looking at them.”

“Any news so far?”

“Not yet. We are still waiting for the Doctor to come out.”

“Ok. Make sure you stand guard here. And make sure no one comes near the Doctor once he comes out. You can even call more people from the Station if required”

“Yes, sir.”

“And make sure no news leaks to the press. This won't be like usual. Any insubordination would be met with serious punishments. It could be as severe as suspension for few weeks.”

I could see him start to sweat. Looks like my guess was correct all along.

“Yes, sir.”

Ajay responded with less energy than his earlier reply.

I head over to the Casualty area and found the room Doctor Isaac was in. I decided to wait for him and pray that he brings me some good news.

The Doctor came out after an hour. He saw me immediately and came over.

“Are you the Inspector in charge of the case?”

“Yes, that would be me. My name is Michael.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Could you give me some update on the lover's peak victims?”

I almost regretted saying that the moment it left my lips. These names tend to stick. I could just hope that the Doctor didn't notice it.

The Doctor looked visibly upset. I started preparing for the worst

“The girl didn't make it. She had already passed away before they brought her in.”

I tried my best not to show the panic on my face.

“And the boy?”

“He looks like he'll survive. But it's too early to say for sure. He was stabbed in the back. But that was not a serious injury. He has a deep wound on his head as well. We are worried about that.”

“How long before you say anything for sure.”

“We should be able to tell something by another day. I'm just hoping that the head injury does not leave any other problems.”

“I understand. Please do your best, Doctor and let's pray for his best.”

I finally had some hope. If the boy survives, the case could be much better than I hoped for.

There could be no better eyewitness than the victim himself. Even if the killer had worn some kind of mask, there is a lot you could get from the description like gender, height and body build, etc. I guess I could only pray at the moment.

I realized that the Doctor was still around

“Any idea when you can release the girl’s body?”

“It will need some time. Since it is a murderer, I'm sure there would be a lot more protocols on the same.”

“Ok. Do keep me posted.”

I decide to leave for the Station.

The day went fast. There was not much we could follow, and we had pinned our hopes on the boy's survival.

At the end of the day, we got a call from the Doctor saying the boy was past the critical stage and was recovering.

Guess God was finally giving us a lifeline.

I couldn't wait for him to wake up and meet him.

The next day I got the call from the Doctor. He asked me to meet him at the hospital.

I reached the hospital as soon as I could and found the Doctor's room.

He was waiting for me.

As soon as I entered, he asked the nurse to leave.

“I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that the boy is finally awake and seems to be recovering fine.”

“And the bad news?”

The Doctor let out a long sigh.

“The bad news is that the wound to his head did leave some unforeseen effects. The boys can't seem to remember anything.”

I suddenly felt my mood souring.

“Is it a normal occurrence?”

“Not exactly, but it isn’t unheard of either.”

“Any idea how long it will take before he remembers everything?"

“Could take from couple of days to few months or years. And in rare cases, people never recover them.”

I was starting to feel very angry at the boy whom I had never met.

“Can I meet him? “

“Sure.”

“Also, Doctor, for the time being, don't let this news leak and also don't let in any visitors. If anyone asks, tell them that he is still recovering. “

We met the boy next. He was not how I had expected. He seemed timid and quiet.

It was clear on his face that he had no idea what was going. I watched the Doctor talk to him. After that, I introduced myself. I was feeling more lost with each passing moment. I felt like I was wasting my time. But I still had to try.

During the next few days, I kept visiting the boy but with not much benefit.

I realized at some point, I might need to work on other angles rather than depending on just the boy to regain to remember what happened.

But unfortunately, we didn't have any other leads so far.

I even allowed his friends to visit him after some time, hoping it might help with his recovery. But nothing seems to help, at least not the way I expected.

And to make it all worse, today, he gave an interview to the press while getting released. I don't know why he did that. It made everything worse. I was pissed at the situation. I guess I need to work harder and without depending on him. Maybe that's what the kid wanted after all. Smart of him.

I decided to visit Priya’s parents. Something that I have put off for some time now. One of the constables had already met them. But I guess it’s time I visit them personally. I just hope it goes better than I imagine. Things haven’t been going the way I wish for lately. But I could always hope.