Episode 9

Death at Midnight

Episode 9: The Mastermind’s Move

The night air was thick with tension as Inspector Aryan Mehta leaned against his desk, replaying the call in his mind.

"The real mastermind isn’t behind bars… yet."

The words sent a chill down his spine.

Anjali Malhotra had been arrogant, confident—even in custody, she hadn’t shown an ounce of fear. But now, a mysterious caller was telling him she wasn’t the true mastermind?

Then who was?

And more importantly—why had they killed Patel?

Aryan needed answers. Now.

A Trail of Blood Money

"Sir, I got the financials you asked for," Constable Rakesh announced, rushing into the office with a thick file.

Aryan took it and flipped through the pages. Patel’s transactions were all there—legal and illegal. But something caught his attention.

A massive deposit had been made into Patel’s account just two days before his death.

₹50 lakh.

Aryan’s pulse quickened. "Who transferred this money?"

Rakesh hesitated. "Sir… it was funneled through multiple dummy accounts. But the final source was a company called Malhotra Enterprises."

Aryan’s grip on the file tightened.

Malhotra Enterprises—Karan Malhotra’s own business.

Which meant the money had either come from Karan himself before his death… or from someone else inside the company.

"Get me a list of everyone who had access to Malhotra Enterprises' financials in the past year," Aryan ordered.

Rakesh nodded and hurried out.

Aryan’s mind raced.

If Patel had been paid off before he died, that meant someone had either silenced him… or framed him.

But why?

And who inside Malhotra Enterprises had the power to pull this off?

The Meeting in the Dark

His phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

Aryan exhaled sharply before answering. "Who are you?"

The same distorted voice replied, this time slower, calculated.

"You’re asking the wrong questions, Inspector."

Aryan clenched his jaw. "Then what should I be asking?"

A pause.

"Who benefits the most from all of this?"

Aryan frowned.

Karan Malhotra was dead. Anjali was arrested. Patel had been silenced.

That left only…

His breath caught.

"Are you saying this wasn’t just about revenge?"

The voice chuckled softly.

"Money and power, Inspector. Those are the real motives. Not love. Not betrayal."

Aryan’s blood ran cold.

Anjali had claimed she killed Karan out of revenge—for his affairs, for using her like a trophy.

But if this caller was right…

Then Karan’s death wasn’t about a wife’s fury at all.

It was about something much bigger.

"Meet me at Hotel Sapphire. Room 306. Midnight."

Click.

The call ended.

A Deal with the Devil

At exactly 11:58 PM, Aryan arrived at Hotel Sapphire, a high-end business hotel in the city. He kept his gun holstered but ready.

Whoever this was, they clearly had information. But were they an ally—or another enemy?

The hallway was empty as he reached Room 306. He knocked once.

The door creaked open slightly. No voice. No movement.

Hand hovering over his gun, Aryan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit. A figure sat in the shadows, dressed in a dark hoodie, their face hidden.

The air smelled of cigarette smoke and expensive whiskey.

Aryan shut the door behind him. "Start talking."

The figure leaned forward slightly, their voice still distorted.

"Do you know who runs Malhotra Enterprises now, Inspector?"

Aryan frowned. "With Karan dead and Anjali arrested, the company should be under legal review."

The figure let out a slow, amused breath.

"Wrong. Someone already took over."

Aryan’s heart pounded.

"Who?"

The figure slid a folder across the table. "See for yourself."

Aryan hesitated, then flipped it open.

And what he saw made his stomach drop.

A legal document.

A company takeover agreement.

And at the bottom—signed in bold ink—was the name of the new owner of Malhotra Enterprises.

"Rohan Malhotra."

Karan’s younger brother.

The one who had stayed out of the family business.

The one who had always been overshadowed.

The one who now, conveniently, controlled everything.

Aryan’s blood went cold.

"Rohan planned this?"

The figure leaned back.

"Now you’re finally asking the right questions."

The Puppet Master

Aryan felt his hands clench into fists.

If Rohan had orchestrated this, it meant he had played everyone.

Anjali’s anger had been used. Patel had been silenced. And Aryan had been chasing the wrong killer all along.

But before he could say anything else—

A gunshot rang out.

The window behind the hooded figure shattered, and blood sprayed across the wall.

The figure collapsed onto the table, motionless.

Aryan spun around, gun raised.

But the shooter was gone.

Footsteps echoed down the fire escape. A glimpse of a black trench coat disappearing into the night.

Aryan’s heart pounded. The only person who could’ve known about this meeting…

Was the person trying to bury the truth.

Rohan Malhotra.

The Hunt Begins

Sirens filled the night as Aryan knelt beside the dying informant. Blood pooled beneath their hoodie, their breathing ragged.

Aryan pulled off the hood—but he didn’t recognize the face.

Just a regular man. A hired hand? A former insider? He had no idea.

The man coughed, struggling to speak.

Aryan leaned in. "Tell me. Tell me who you are."

The man gasped for air.

"I was… his fixer…"

Aryan’s heart pounded. "Rohan’s?"

A weak nod.

"Why are you helping me?"

A faint smirk. "Because… he… betrayed me too."

The man’s breath hitched—then stopped.

Aryan clenched his jaw.

Rohan Malhotra.

The name burned in his mind.

A man who had waited in the shadows, using everyone like chess pieces.

And now, he was cleaning up his tracks.

But Aryan wasn’t about to let him get away with it.

He stood up, his grip tightening on his gun.

This wasn’t just about murder anymore.

This was about justice.

And Rohan Malhotra was about to learn that the game wasn’t over.

Not yet.

To Be Continued…

(Next episode: Episode 10: The Silent Heir—where Aryan confronts Rohan Malhotra and unearths a secret even darker than murder.)

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