Greed: The Cave, #1

By M. K. Fana

Trisha's eyes open in the pool of blood. Her father's body lay next to her, however, apart from her, no one else is in the room. ASP officer Aditya interrogates her, she fails to remember the events of the attack.

 

Trisha being the mayor's granddaughter, without proof, Aditya can't arrest her, and without an arrest, he won't get the promotion he wants. As he digs deeper into the case, he finds out about the cave where Trisha and her friends have been a few days ago. At every step a series of homicides haunts him. Every person who dies has been to the cave that day. Though Aditya doesn't believe in tales, he has to look into the story of a goddess, and her greed for power, to stop the murders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. K. Fana
• Release date: Oct 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215060438

Book preview

1. Trisha

Acoppery smell assaulted Trisha's nostrils as she lifted her chin. Her palms slipped on a sticky liquid, crashing her against the floor. The splash of blood covered her face, a few drops entering her brown eyes. She gasped and stared at her father, laying in a crimson pool.

Dad. Her breaths turned heavy as she pulled herself together and crawled near him. Getting on her knees, she touched his cold hand. Dad, she called, but he didn't respond.

A knife had impaled his heart, staining his yellow t-shirt red. Trisha took off her denim jacket and covered her father's chest with a hope it would stop bleeding, but he wasn't bleeding anymore. All his blood was on the floor.

She touched his neck, searching for a pulse. There was none. Despite his absent heartbeat, she had to get him to a hospital. The doctors would be able to help him. No one could bring back the dead, yet she had to try. She wasn't ready to lose her father again.

Dad, she screamed, and scanned the dim house.

Moments ago, they were having lunch. Apart from them, no one else was around.

Trisha's head hurt as she stared at the empty dining table. Some shards of broken plates were near it, but nobody was on the chairs; there were no traces of anyone else in the entire house.

She looked down at her blood stained hands and cotton shirt. It could be anyone's blood—hers or her father's, perhaps both. White puffs formed around her lips as she spun her head in all directions, searching for the culprit.

The remains of her shattered mobile were near the wall behind her, and her father, Sameer's, phone was nowhere to be found.

Without immediate medical attention her father would die, but they were forty-two kilometres away from the city, from any hospital. This was her grandparents' house. Her grandparents weren't alive anymore, but every once in a while her father brought her here for hiking.

Her bones cracked as she got to her feet, and a stinging sensation rose up her body.

Ignoring the pain, she stepped forward. Rays of the dying sun glinted on the dried blood matting her brown hair as she barged out of the door, onto the empty porch, and stood near their car.

Is anyone here? She stumbled and looked around at the green field. Apart from the silent mountains, no one was nearby.

Trisha's father was in no condition to get up, and with her injured, petite frame, she wouldn't be able to carry him. She needed assistance. Her heart throbbed as she dragged herself towards the barren road ahead. Help, she shouted, hoping someone was close.

Somebody, help me, she shouted with all the strength in her lungs—but no one responded. Tears burnt her eyes as she scanned the area. Is anyone here? My father is hurt. I need help, please!

Her voice bounced off the mountains. She was the only listener of her misery.

Spinning around, she dashed towards the house. No one was going to help her. She would have to take her father to the hospital by herself. She entered the house and walked next to her father in the centre of the room. Kneeling, she searched his jeans for the car keys. Something hard hit her palms. She found the key in his right pocket.

Dad, can you hear me? her voice shivered as she spoke. Her eyes flitted between his face and his chest.

The knife was still in his chest. If she pulled it out, she might worsen his wound. It could kill him, that was, if he was still alive. She grabbed his tawny arm and put it around her shoulders. Everything will be fine, she muttered, not believing her own words.

With all her strength, she tried to pull him up, but her small frame failed her. Her father, Sameer Shinde, was a professional weightlifter turned businessman, who still had big muscles of his youth, and she was just an ordinary college girl.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't move him. Resting his arm down, she stepped back. She had to be careful. If she moved him too much, she would do more damage than good.

Getting towards his head side, she grabbed both his arms and pulled him towards the door. Her back ached as she tried to drag his dead weight.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, the muscles of her hands tightened, and her legs burnt as she took a step back. A trail of blood painted the floor, following the path on which she was pulling her father.

Little by little, she managed to get him near the exit, but to put him in the car, she would have to pick him, something she had failed to do before.

Running out of the house, she unlocked the car and returned next to her father. She knelt beside him and moved her hands behind his back, grabbing him from both sides. Somehow, she picked his upper body up but failed to get him on his legs.

Her lungs burnt as she gently placed him back on the floor. Dad. She huffed. Dad, please get up.

She puffed her cheeks and glanced back and forth between the car and her father. The distance was about ten metres, yet it felt thousands of kilometres away. She placed her hands behind his back and managed to lift his torso up again but couldn't get him on his feet.

The jacket she had placed on his chest slipped, revealing the knife inside his heart.

Trisha knew he was gone, but she couldn't abandon him there. Though he was not her biological father, he raised her like his own daughter. Tears flooded her eyes as she strained her muscles to get him up.

Dad, wake up! she yelled. Nothing she did was working. Wailing, she dropped to her knees. Please, Dad.

She placed her arms around his back. and got to her feet, trying to pull him up. Please, Dad, I need you.

Drenched in blood, sweat, and tears, she kept shouting the same thing over and over again, asking him to help her one last time.

Her arms ached as she dropped to her butt and hugged him. All of her efforts were wasted. She couldn't move him to the car by herself.

Placing him down, she rested her head on his shoulder. We have to leave. Her voice gurgled as she spoke. I can't do this without you. Please, Dad, wake up.

Trisha, a feminine voice called her.

Startled, she left her father and spun around. Moments ago there was no one in the house. Her heart raced as she searched for the face of the voice, but failed to see anyone inside or outside the room. She looked back at her father's dead face.

He can't help you, the voice said again.

Gasping, she jumped to her feet. Her breaths turned heavy as she twisted her head in every direction. Who's there?

Come close, I can help you, it said.

Trisha looked everywhere in the empty house. Where are you?

An orange light sparked near the dining table. Here, it said.

Peeking under the table, she saw a fist-sized orange gemstone, shining like a tiny star.

Come here, the stone said. I can take you home.

Trisha crawled near the gemstone and grabbed it. A hot sensation travelled up her hands. Within a second, a light flashed in front of her eyes. The world turned blank, and she froze. It was as though time stopped for a while.

Someone shook her. Trisha, are you alright? It was her mother's voice.

Trisha, talk to me. She shook her violently, pulling her out of the light.

Trisha blinked her eyes tight and looked around. Her mother, Anamika, was standing next to her in a white room. Her eyes were flooded with tears. There were several people in aprons around, and her father was in front of them laying on a bed.

Anamika wiped her face with the end of her red saree. Are you alright? she asked between her sobs.

Seconds ago, Trisha was at her grandparents' house, unable to get her father up. Now, she was standing next to her mother. Her head felt heavy as she looked at the room. Everything from curtains, tiles to the mattress her father laid on was white. There was no knife in his chest anymore, but a few bandages were covering his wounds.

Trisha touched his arm. Dad, what happened?

Your father is no more. Her mother hugged her and bursted in tears.

What? Trisha's eyes widened as she pulled away. No.

I'm sorry, Trisha, one of the men in the apron said. Your father was already gone when you brought him here.

Her jaw dropped as she faced him. What do you mean by, when I brought him here? How did we even get here?

The man's brows knitted. Trisha, you drove here about thirty minutes ago. We declared your father dead and called your family.

It was impossible. Trisha didn't remember driving there. She wasn't even able to lift her father. A couple of seconds ago, she was hugging him and asking him to get up. Her head hurt and breaths turned shallow as she stumbled back and scanned the room. None of this made sense.

Trisha, do you not recall any of it? the man asked.

His words dissolved into her ears. No, she didn't remember any of that because it never happened. Something was not right. She was not supposed to be in a hospital. Maybe she was dreaming.

Trisha, she heard her mother's faded voice.

Everything turned dark in front of her eyes. Her feet felt heavy, and she collapsed to the floor.

2. Aditya

(Part 1)

For months, Aditya had been looking for a case that would get him promoted from assistant superintendent of police to the superintendent of police. He had been stuck at ASP's post for five years now. He would turn twenty-nine next month, and his goal was to become SP before he turned thirty.

Solving a high profile case would surely help him get promoted; however, he didn't expect to work on Mayor Bhanuk Gaikwad's son-in-law, Sameer Shinde's murder case.

Though the homicide took place forty-two kilometres away from the city, in Talsar, it was a special case, and DCP had asked the best police officer in Solewar, Aditya, to work on it. According to the DCP, the culprit was definitely not from Talsar. As it was an isolated village with a few hundred people, Aditya believed him, yet they couldn't rule it out completely.

Puffing his cheeks, he stepped out of the police vehicle accompanied by Constable Rane. People in white attire were sitting with their backs facing the iron gate. Aditya pulled the handcuffs hanging to the side of his khaki uniform and passed it to Rane. Put it in the car, he said, and faced the bungalow. I don't think we will be arresting anyone here.

Rane threw the handcuffs on the seat and closed the car. His fat stomach almost pinched between the door and wall of the vehicle.

Careful, Rane. Aditya placed both of his hands on his narrow waist. Your wife won't recognise you without your belly.

Rane's grey moustache curled up as he grinned. That's right, sir. After twenty-five years of seeing me with a portly stomach, she wouldn't let me inside the house without it.

Unlike other people, Rane had no issue joking about himself. That was the reason, Aditya liked him. Shaking his head, Aditya pointed at the bungalow. Let's see if anyone in here recognises the killer, with or without a belly.

He opened the gate and trudged on the concrete pavement in the centre of the grass lawn. Rane followed him. People sitting on either side of the pavement stared at them as they moved ahead.

Aditya stopped near the white wall where two women were sitting in front of Sameer's picture. One of them was in her forties and the other was in her twenties, supposedly Sameer's wife and daughter. The younger woman's head was covered in bandages. Out of both of them, the older woman was crying holding the young one, who was awfully quiet. Next to them sat the mayor, Bhanuk Gaikwad.

Sun glinted in Bhanuk's round spectacles as he glanced at Aditya and Rane. They saluted him. Bhanuk got to his feet and gestured towards the chairs at the end of the wall, away from the mourning crowd.

Following his direction, Aditya and Rane darted to one corner and stood near the chairs.

Bhanuk moved close to them. His cotton shirt creased as he crossed his arms and stared at them wordlessly.

ASP Aditya, sir. Aditya extended his hand to greet him. I'm the investigating officer of this case.

How can I help you? Bhanuk ignored Aditya's handshake. His demeanour was more grey than his hair.

Despite losing his son-in-law a day ago, he seemed unfazed. Aditya pulled his palm back and moved both his hands behind his rear. Sorry to trouble you during this difficult time, sir, but your granddaughter is the key witness of the case. I have to ask her some questions.

Trisha has already given her statement, Bhanuk's cracked lips curled down as he spoke. He spun around, perhaps to check on his granddaughter.

Following his gaze, Aditya looked for the girl, but she wasn't near her mother anymore.

My granddaughter just lost her father. She is in shock. He faced Aditya. I'd like to keep her away from the investigation.

Being a mayor, Bhanuk should have known better than to keep a witness away from a murder case. Aditya shook his head slightly. Sorry, sir, but that can't happen. According to the reports, Trisha was the only person present at the time Mr. Sameer Shinde was killed.

He paused for a while. Perhaps the mayor wouldn't like to hear the rest, but Aditya had to say it. She's not just a witness, sir.

Bhanuk's nostrils flared. Are you accusing my granddaughter of killing her own father?

I'm not accusing her of anything, sir. He looked at Rane, sweating next to him, and back at the mayor. She's just a suspect. Innocent until proven guilty.

For a moment, there was a pause. None of them uttered a word. Though Bhanuk was the mayor, Aditya had to do his job, and he couldn't do it with Bhanuk interfering in the interrogation of the prime suspect.

After a few seconds, the mayor dropped his shoulders and turned around. He gestured to one of the men near the entrance.

The man came running near him. Yes, sir.

Go get Trisha. Bhanuk pointed at the door. She must be in her room.

Okay, sir. The man sprinted towards the bungalow.

All of them waited in silence while the man was gone. In a few minutes, he walked out of the bungalow with Trisha.

The mayor had resisted his granddaughter getting interrogated. If this continued, Aditya wouldn't be able to ask her tough questions. Sir, may I request one more thing? he asked, and without waiting for the response continued, can I interrogate Trisha alone?

Why? The wrinkles on Bhanuk's forehead deepened.

Like you said, the girl is in shock. Aditya looked