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♪ Beyond the distant miles ♪

♪ Are you waiting there? ♪

♪ O star, for the night to finally arrive? ♪

♪ To look down upon this earth below? ♪

♪ Beyond the distant miles Are you waiting there ♪

♪ O star, for the night to finally arrive? ♪

♪ To look down upon this earth below? ♪

♪ When the veil of sunlight fades ♪

♪ And the streetlights begin to glow ♪

♪ O star, do you yearn ♪

♪ To see these streets below? ♪

♪ When the silent sky falls asleep ♪

♪ Why do you stand there all alone? ♪

♪ Don't remain there Like a tiny speck upon the sky-wall ♪

♪ Come down and see the night ♪

♪ Let us wander through these Beautiful streets ♪

♪ A thousand sleepless eyes ♪

♪ Will sparkle like pearls ♪

♪ Within them, We shall sow the seeds of desires ♪

♪ There is another world Hidden deep within them ♪

♪ Filled with longing and tender sorrow ♪

♪ Even as you burn, You still shimmer and shine ♪

♪ I turn your weeping face Into a tender flower ♪

♪ And here I wander, Riding the chariot of dreams ♪

Hey man! Are you blind?

You'd be dead right now if I hadn't hit the brakes on time.

Huh? You're just gonna walk away?

Hey!!

Is he dumb?

Hey!

Or just high?

Dude, are you high? Huh?

I was high too, but that sudden brake sobered me up real quick.

Let's grab a drink together.

I've got booze in the car. Shall I get it?

I was actually looking for some company.

Got whiskey, got a glass...

I'm going to get my silent friend completely drunk tonight.

Hey! Are you ditching me? Huh?

It's the first of the month, I'm offering you free booze,

and you're throwing attitude?

Show me attitude,

and I'll run you over right here.

It's pitch dark, not a soul will ever know.

Scared now, aren't you?

Come here, brother!

Come on over, nice and slow!

Come, come, come.

I'm getting you totally drunk tonight!

Bless me, my forefathers!

What the hell is this, man?

What?

'CRIME STORIES'

Boban, a businessman, was brutally murdered on the street.

You just watched our investigative report on the incident.

Now, let me draw your attention to a similar case.

Justin, a young man, was murdered at this exact same spot,

a few weeks ago.

Justin, who was riding a bike, was found dead

his head violently smashed against a concrete post.

The striking similarity between the two murders,

and the police suspecting that

both were committed by the same person,

makes this case highly mysterious.

Are these incidents pointing towards a serial killer?

Maria is on a roll today.

Boban's case is also being handled by the special investigation team...

Hey, turn it off.

Ied by Circle Inspector Christy, who is also handling Justin's case.

Listen,

you better catch the culprit soon.

How's the investigation going?

I just updated your brother.

Now I have to report to you as well?

Hey, make me your special ginger tea, please.

Food is ready. Let's eat.

Not now. Gotta make a few calls first.

Hello, Christy.

I caught a bit of your program. It was good.

The full episode drops on YouTube tomorrow.

I'll send you the link.

Okay, I'll check it out.

Listen, I'm worried I'll get in trouble for sharing investigation details with you.

Why? I haven't revealed anything sensitive on the show.

We can't officially confirm it's a serial killer yet.

Think about your viewers.

Do you realise how much this could panic them?

Of course.

They watch "Crime Stories" for the thrill of it.

Besides,

my viewers are just the new-gen version of the readers

who made my dad's crime novels a hit.

To them, it's purely entertainment.

Come on, is a TV show the same as a novel?

Your dad, Stephen, only based his books on cold cases.

I don't think my show is going to affect your investigation at all.

Plus, I firmly believe it's the work of a psycho killer.

Hmm. Alright.

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.

- Is everybody here? - Yes, sir.

Sojan was on night duty, right?

Yes, sir. But he waited back for the meeting.

Okay, let's get started.

Sojan sir, wake up.

Sir is here. You can go home and sleep after the meeting. Come on.

Yes.

Shoot.

We cross-checked all the numbers from the cyber cell's report.

We don't think the killer used a mobile phone.

We questioned several people around both crime scenes.

Checked their backgrounds too.

But, we found no one suspicious.

Sir, the team has a suggestion.

After a lot of effort, we've identified six people connected to Justin's murder.

But we haven't been able to bring them in for questioning yet.

Look, these six are suspects in the Justin murder case.

We have evidence pointing to the same killer in both cases.

That's why I asked you to hold off on questioning them.

What we need to know now is,

if any of these six suspects have links to Boban.

I asked you to look into it, but you came up empty.

It's not that, sir. If we interrogate them properly,

we might get a solid lead.

Sir, should we bring them in?

- Jenny, did you get Boban's call logs? - Yes, sir.

Who was the last person he spoke to?

A woman named Anitha was the last person he called that night.

They used to speak regularly late at night.

Anitha's husband, Jayan, used to be Boban's driver.

What's his background?

Well, sir...

Our team is heading there today to question Jayan and Anitha, sir.

But there's no evidence linking them to Justin so far.

We need a suspect list for Boban, just like we have for Justin.

We have to cross-check for any common links,

rule out the rest, and narrow down the list.

Then we catch the killer.

Rounding suspects up blindly won't help.

- Sojan, we need to step up night patrols. - Sir.

Deploy more men across the city.

- Identify buildings with CCTV cameras. - Sir.

Explain the gravity of the situation, and secure the footage.

I'll coordinate with Manoj sir for the official clearances. Okay?

Alright, get to it.

Hello. Where is driver Jayan's house?

Jayan's? Go straight and take the second left.

Second left, got it.

Justin had a lot of enemies in town.

But Boban was the exact opposite.

People generally spoke highly of him.

His only flaw was his heavy drinking.

What if the same killer was hired to murder both of them?

Even then, the fingerprints would match.

Are you suggesting a contract killer?

If the people who hired the killer aren't connected,

we won't be able to link the cases, right?

It's unlikely to be a seasoned criminal.

We didn't find any fingerprint matches in our database.

If one more head gets smashed, the whole game changes.

We'll lose control over the case. You know that, right?

Sir, we really need to step up the night patrols.

We're going to need more manpower and vehicles.

We are doing our best to prevent another murder.

Don't worry about the logistics.

I will make the arrangements.

Listen,

if the pressure from the top gets too much,

identify a couple of suspects we can bring in to manage the situation.

And...

Look at this as a chance to clear your bad reputation.

Solving high-profile cases like this makes you a star.

Sir.

If you succeed, I can take some of the credit

as long as I am in the department.

But if you fail, I won't be able to protect you.

Especially since you're my brother-in-law.

You understand, right?

I worked for him for almost four years.

He's the one who paid for my son's treatment.

Did Boban visit you here?

Yes, he didn't have children, so he was very fond of my son.

Come here.

You say Boban was such a great guy,

- yet you're working for Safar now? - Yes.

From what we gathered, Safar was Boban's only enemy.

That's not true, sir.

Boban sir could sort out an issue with anyone over a drink.

Didn't matter who it was.

When Safar needed a reliable driver for long trips,

Boban sir himself recommended me.

There was no bad blood between them.

He used to call my phone just to talk to my son, madam.

He loved him dearly.

My son has been devastated since he heard about Boban uncle's death.

He still cries about it.

What about you? Aren't you sad?

You'll see a signboard for "Marakkudi" on your right.

It's barely a kilometre from there.

I've shared my live location. Just follow that.

Okay.

Is this the place you mentioned?

Yes.

This house was in the news 10 years ago

as the crime scene of the 'Marakkudi' mass murder case.

['Bekarar Karke Hume' song from 'Bees Saal Baad' playing]

He trespassed into the house and killed four people,

including six-year-old Fathima who was playing in her room.

The police caught the culprit on the sixth day itself.

A man named Nawas.

He is still in prison.

What was his motive?

What do you think, Christy? Tell me.

Theft?

There was no theft or assault. Any other guesses?

Could be a financial dispute or an extramarital affair?

Even Nawas doesn't know why he killed those four people.

He didn't even have a petty case against him before this incident.

Which means, Christy, a crime doesn't always need a logical motive.

If it's a psycho killer, even they might not know why they're killing.

- Where is the superintendent? - Over there.

After his conviction, he was under treatment for two years.

He's been normal since then.

He has a chance at parole now.

He'll be able to see the outside world.

Should we really drag up the past at a time like this?

It's for a new case, sir.

If I could just speak to someone like him…

By the way, what's that guy's name?

The one who used to smash the heads of people sleeping on the streets.

- What was his name? - Suresh, sir.

Yes, let's call him.

Go ask him to come here.

I will try, sir. But it all depends on his mood.

No, sir. Let's not force anyone.

I need someone who is willing to cooperate.

Nawas is a good man.

He will cooperate.

But... should we...?

It's okay, sir. I understand.

Nawas, the culprit in the Marakkudi case, was caught by

a police officer named Swamy.

Let's try to find him.

He must have a lot of experience with such criminals.

My dad worked with him on an old case.

My dad says Swamy is crazy.

Who wouldn't go crazy dealing with such criminals?

Heard he got fed up and quit the force. Anyway, let's see.

Sir, if the killer is a psycho, we need to dig deeper into this mindset.

Having someone like him would be a huge help.

Will the killer just sit tight while we study and figure things out?

He will strike again.

Sir, both incidents happened at night. In deserted areas...

Neither victim used that route regularly.

It doesn't look like the killer planned this and waited for them.

It seems more like the victims accidentally crossed paths with him.

In that case, we need to increase patrols in all isolated areas.

Sir.

Question anyone who looks suspicious.

Don't spare anyone.

I don't want him slipping through our fingers again.

Understood, sir.

Looks like you've done your homework.

Sir, Maria from "Crime Story" gave me some files.

Her father, Stephen, has studied many psycho killers.

Most of his novels are based on his research.

I'm not sure if reading novels is the right way to investigate a case.

These aren't novels, sir.

They are psychological studies.

Okay.

Don't dismiss anything.

- Look into it anyway. - Yes, sir.

- If I track down Swamy, I'll let you know. - Okay, sir.

The stories about Swamy are exaggerated.

He solved a case by pure luck,

and the media blew his image out of proportion.

But he caught Nawas in the "Marakkudi" case in just six days.

I heard a rumour that he uses black magic to solve cases.

He probably just tortured all the suspects until someone confessed.

Back in his day, that was standard procedure.

The Marakkudi case wasn't like that.

A six-year-old girl was murdered.

So Swamy investigated recent deaths of kids around that same age.

That led him to Nawas,

who was severely depressed after his own daughter's unexpected death.

Nawas was a plumber.

All four victims were hit on the head with a pipe wrench.

The facts lined up perfectly, and the case was closed.

That's exactly my point, sir. It was just lucky guesswork.

Making the right guess that quickly is a skill in itself, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

We will step up the night patrols, sir.

The killer might just walk right into our hands.

Yes. Good night.

Sir.

Have you confirmed it's a psycho killer?

Not yet. We're keeping all options open.

Anyway, my brother Manoj is very impressed.

I know you'll crack it this time. I'm sure.

I wasn't making fun of you.

Even a cop can make a mistake, right?

It's not a mistake. I just can't stand the sight of blood.

It makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach.

And I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

Sir.

Sir, we caught him with a bottle of booze during the night patrol.

This is Vijeesh. He's a suspect in Justin's case.

I questioned him, and it turns out he knew Boban, too.

He runs a small shop near the school.

Sir, Justin beat the crap out of me a month ago

right in front of the girls near the school.

I was so pissed off that I sent him a message.

But how am I responsible if someone else kills him?

What exactly did you text him?

We have it noted down, sir.

"No one has ever dared to lay a hand on me."

"Consider yourself dead, you piece of trash."

Is that not enough?

Who did you hire to kill Justin and Boban?

Maybe Boban was killed by mistake.

He wasn't a nuisance like Justin.

How do you know Boban?

He was a gem of a guy.

- Everyone in the market knows him. - Tell me how ♪you-know him.

Althaf!

He...

He treated everyone as equals, sir.

He'd buy us drinks in the evenings,

share his booze, and sing songs.

That's how I ended up hanging out with his group.

Hanging out for what?

Sir, he'd call me when they ran out of liquor.

I'd usually have a couple of bottles handy.

Wait! I don't mean I was selling it...

Sir.

Look into this fight he had with Justin near the school.

And find out if he peddles weed like Justin did.

I don't buy his story, sir.

Word is, weed is easy to score from the shops in his area.

He might be dealing, too.

Tell Binu to lock him up on suspicion.

- And, Basheer. - Sir.

Get his call records and tower locations ASAP,

for the day Boban was killed.

- We'll deal with the rest later. - Sir.

Basheer, come here.

Hold him at the station, understood?

Stop, stop, stop.

Where are you headed so late at night, sir?

We need to inspect your vehicle.

What's the matter, Vipin?

What's going on?

- Go check the car. - Yes, sir.

Where are you going, sir?

I was just heading over here.

Is that old lodge at the junction still open?

We can check on that later.

It's not safe to be travelling around here alone at this hour.

What brings you here?

I came to visit an old friend.

- Sir. - What?

Sir... He has a gun.

I have a permit for self-defence.

I'm an ex-police officer.

Name is Swamy. Plenty of people in the department know me.

I've been asking around about him.

I even dropped a message in the senior officers' WhatsApp group.

But I didn't expect him to just show up like this.

Where is he now?

I've instructed Sojan to bring him to the station.

I'm heading there now.

Don't take him to the station.

We can't officially involve him in the investigation.

But we need his expertise.

Here's what you do.

Isn't Uncle Franci's house empty right now?

Take him there for the time being.

We'll figure out the rest in the morning.

Understood.

Sir, this is my relative's place.

I was going to stay here when I got transferred.

But my wife and I decided we prefer living in the city.

- It's a pretty big house. - Yeah, it is.

Sir, you said you already ate.

But if you need any food, we can arrange it.

- No, I'm fine. - We know restaurants nearby.

Get some rest, sir.

We'll be back in the morning.

We'll talk to Manoj sir and figure out the rest.

- Okay, good night, sir. - Good night, sir.

- Sir. - Yeah?

Yeah, hand it over.

Sir.

- Shall I leave, sir? - Alright.

Come here, come here.

What's your name, sweetie?

Awww!

Come on. Come.

You stay right there.

Two murders in a short span.

Both executed in a similar way.

Thank you, sir.

The fingerprints from both crime scenes belong to the same person.

Have you heard anything about this case?

Ever since I retired, I purposely ignore such cases.

Ruins my peace of mind.

Sorry, we aren't trying to drag you into this investigation.

We just want some advice based on your experience.

Actually, to help with this case,

I've been studying the cases you solved and your methods.

It's really helpful to have you here right now.

I've heard you have a knack,

for correctly guessing the culprit right at the crime scene.

Basically, what we want to know is

if we are dealing with a psycho killer here.

We need your guidance to know if we're on the right track.

- This happened quite a long time ago, right? - Yes, sir.

These are the kind of insights you get

only when you visit the crime scene right after the incident.

Sir, we have all the reports and photos here.

It would be great if you could take a look…

So, I need to go through all this, right?

I've heard that back when you were in service,

you used black magic to catch culprits.

In the old days, doctors used to diagnose and prescribe medicine

just by looking at a patient and checking their pulse.

But think about today.

They can't even diagnose a severe illness without an X-ray or a scan.

We didn't have mobile tower tracking back then, Althaf.

And it would take days for forensic and postmortem reports to arrive.

Right.

So, investigators had to use their brains.

It wasn't black magic or witchcraft, like you think.

The killer is shorter than the victims.

The exact spot and details of the head injury in the postmortem report

along with the crime scene evidence, prove that.

I'm not sure if you guys noticed that.

The killer hasn't used any weapons.

And the victims didn't put up a fight.

That's what's confusing us.

Sir, does that mean

the killer was known to the victims?

We can't say that for sure.

What if the killer has an innocent face? Someone who doesn't look threatening.

The victims might not have realised they were in danger.

Even the killer might not have known they were about to kill.

It could have been a purely impulsive attack.

For the victims to collapse from the very first blow,

the killer's hands must be incredibly strong. Right, sir?

That could be a sudden surge of strength one gets during an unstable mental state.

From that, we can confirm the killer is a psycho.

Do you have anyone short and innocent-looking

on your suspect list?

Yes, sir, we have one guy like that on the list.

But he's a dwarf, sir.

He wouldn't have the strength to pull this off.

Think about Boban's case.

He got out of his car and walked towards them.

Justin's body was found near an electric pole,

but his bike was parked perfectly on its stand.

So, sir, like you mentioned, an innocent face

perhaps a woman or a kid?

Sir, I don't think a woman or a child would be roaming around at that hour.

Althaf, we aren't talking about a normal person here.

Even so, how could a kid have that kind of strength?

What if it's an athlete? Someone who plays badminton or tennis.

Or a kid who plays cricket.

The power needed to hit a six is more than enough to smash someone's head.

By the way, these are just my assumptions.

Don't discard any of your own findings.

Just keep these points in mind while you investigate.

You might get a solid lead.

We went through all the case files involving women and kids in our jurisdiction.

We've requested them to hand over any suspicious files.

Didn't you say you found something?

I followed Swamy's instinct that the killer could be a cricketer.

It's from a case Binu handled.

A kid was beaten up by four others at a cricket ground.

Did you get the details?

Some politicians got involved and settled it off the books.

But Binu says they are troublemakers.

There is drug dealing happening in schools,

and he says these kids are involved.

Then gather all their details immediately.

Already done, sir.

These kids have a connection to Justin.

This is an Instagram post from one of them, Amit. Take a look.

Sir, these four kids play cricket together.

And just like you said, they're all shorter than the victims.

At first glance, they look pretty innocent in these photos too.

Although most kids their age do.

We found out these kids are definitely linked to Justin.

Also, Boban is a distant relative of one of them.

We're looking into that as well.

Justin was using them as carriers to peddle weed in schools.

That's the information we got.

Since they're minors,

Manoj sir instructed us to bring them in only if we have solid evidence.

What do you think, sir?

The killer isn't one of them.

Sir, how can you be so sure?

That is exactly the difference between you and me.

We are looking for a killer who operates entirely alone.

If we were looking for a gang of kids planning a murder together,

you would have caught them easily.

That's not my point, sir.

What if drugs turned one of them into a killer?

Violent video games, thriller web series, hanging out with criminals

all of this can mess with a kid's mind.

Contrary to what you think, a person doesn't just wake up one day

as a psycho serial killer.

They are born with that instinct.

Add a troubled childhood, early trauma,

with no one to love or care for them…

They become lonely and detached…

Slowly evolving into a psychopathic killer.

Understand?

That's how it works.

The first murder usually has a clear motive.

But then they start enjoying the thrill of it.

That's when they start killing again and again.

These kids are from affluent families. They live comfortably.

They haven't faced those kinds of dark circumstances.

What about the kid who was beaten up by them at the cricket ground?

Did you look into him? Is he happy?

After that incident, he was transferred to another school.

He doesn't live in this town anymore.

He's the one you need to question first.

See if your profile matches him.

He's the one who took the beating, right?

What's the matter?

Sir, we came to see the Circle Inspector.

Please wait there.

Sir.

- Ask them to wait inside. - Okay, sir.

I'll be right there.

Sir, the boy's father is Vinayan.

He used to be a carpenter.

According to the Neighbors, he doesn't work anymore,

and just stays at home all day.

The mother's name is Kavitha.

She is an insurance agent.

She also works at a small embroidery unit.

Adityan is their only son.

That's all the background we have.

His mother is waiting outside.

Keep it friendly and try to get maximum info from them.

Okay, sir.

I have a soft spot for cricket.

You are Adityan, right?

Hello.

Batsman or bowler?

Why was I called here?

I heard you're a great cricket player.

Just thought I'd meet you.

Hey, don't be so quiet.

Say something. Come on.

My mother has to go to work, sir.

We've been waiting here for a long time.

I heard your dad is unemployed.

You could have just come with him.

The mess he made at the station last time hasn't been resolved yet.

I'm aware of that incident.

Those other kids beat you up, right?

What happened on that day?

That's in the past.

But we need to know everything about you right now.

That's why you're here.

You didn't answer my question.

Batsman or bowler?

Both. I'm the team's fast bowler.

Adi, stop it.

You should speak respectfully to your dad.

Dad, my foot!

Is he of any use to anyone?

I'm getting nowhere with my studies.

I want to play cricket.

I'm definitely going for training when it starts.

You have to give me the money for it.

What are you saying? How much money do you need?

Tell me, how much does a cricket kit cost? Huh?

There are plenty of people in this world living peacefully without playing cricket.

What's the big deal if you don't play?

Go inside.

I don't plan on letting my son sit idle at home like you.

Just remember that.

"Fixed deposit interest rates slashed by 1.3%."

"8.5% for senior citizens. 8% for others."

- Is he back? - He came back and went out again.

Kavitha,

the interest on our treasury deposit has dropped by 1.3%.

That means our monthly income is going to take a hit.

You're bringing this up because I sent him for cricket coaching, right?

If I start the same, things will get ugly.

The money in the bank is from selling my jewellery.

It's not your hard-earned money.

Let him become a successful cricketer.

That's the only way our lives will improve.

But...

What's wrong with our lives right now?

Oh yeah, no problems at all!

Everyone who worked with you owns timber mills and furniture showrooms now.

They drive around in luxury cars. And look at us.

But it's just the three of us.

Isn't a bike enough for us to get around?

Bike! Fine, go and pick him up.

Otherwise, he'll take an auto.

And then you'll complain about that expense too.

Go now.

Hey, move. Get out of the way.

Stop right there!

Dad, start the bike!

Stop right there!

Go faster, Dad. Faster!

Catch them!

- Go faster, Dad. Faster! - Who are these guys?

Hurry up, Dad! Hurry!

Come on.

Get off.

- Move. - Bring them here.

Don't stop. Keep walking!

Whose bag is this?

Not ours, sir.

Then how did it end up in your cricket kit?

I don't know, sir.

Did it magically appear in the kit on its own?

- Who is he? - My friend, sir.

Where does he live?

Near the market, sir.

Why are you shaking? Stand straight.

Hold on. Stop writing.

This is a drug case. Go wait outside.

Look at him! Is he your ringleader?

Come here.

Why on earth did you bring your son here?

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get out of a mess like this?

Someone was selling illegal booze near my nephew's place.

He begged them to stop. They didn't listen.

He filed a police complaint.

The police filed a case and destroyed all the booze.

You know what happened next? The case just vanished after a few days.

No one was arrested or charged.

The police and the bootleggers were hand in glove.

My nephew couldn't live there anymore.

His daughter was preparing for her medical entrance.

But they had to sell their land for pennies,

and flee to Nagercoil to save their lives.

The girl who wanted to be a doctor is working on a farm now.

These politicians

they bring the police and the drug dealers together.

In the end, it's common people like you and me who suffer.

Come on, man.

- What happened? - What happened to him?

They've taken him to the hospital.

Dad is waiting outside. Let me...

Wait.

Get on.

You think you can just bust my friend's head open and walk away?

I'm letting you go for now only because we're at the police station.

I'll come to your house and settle this.

Do you know him?

No.

- Have you ever seen him? - No, I haven't.

He wouldn't lie, sir.

You sent him to your sister's place in Kayamkulam

on the very day of the incident.

Is this his first time back since then?

Or has he visited before?

What is there to think about?

Wouldn't you know if your own son came home?

It's not that, madam. He came twice.

But he didn't come to the house.

He came for his cricket matches.

He met me at work.

What date was that?

The date...

Madam, I don't remember the exact date.

It was sometime last month.

The first match got cancelled because of a death.

Madam, don't you remember? A boy was murdered on the street.

He arrived the day before that.

Why did he visit only his mother without letting his dad know?

Hi, sis.

You didn't need to take Adityan to your place right now.

It was just a petty fight between the kids at the playground.

And you know how Vinayan reacts to these things.

Listen, Adityan hasn't eaten anything.

Please call me as soon as he gets there.

I'll call you back. Vinayan is here.

- What is it? - Go inside.

Who are those guys?

Just get inside.

You hid him, huh?!

Come on, get inside.

Come out here!

Come out!

Get in!

Throw it at his head.

Come out!

We'll deal with you later.

I told Binu sir everything.

But there's a problem.

All the kids involved in that case are from rich families.

That's why the Sub-Inspector got involved and settled the matter.

Binu sir won't be able to reopen that case.

But he suggested something else we can do.

Stating that local goons are harassing you, and you need police protection,

write a new petition and take it to the Circle Inspector.

Binu sir has promised to help us out.

But think twice before you make a decision.

I'm afraid they might attack me to get back at my son.

I haven't had a peaceful night's sleep in days.

I will file the petition.

Having the police on my side will give me some courage.

Alright.

'I humbly request you to grant me police protection.'

Yes, sir?

Hey, that Vinayan case has landed back on our desk.

Didn't we settle that case out of the station?

Is that the case involving those kids, sir?

We already settled it, sir.

It was all sorted out.

But he's come back now!

I'll go and look into it, sir.

Has he left?

No. Let me have a word with him.

Alright.

Hey!

What are you doing?

How dare you touch the files on my desk?

Get up! Get up!

Get out!

I said, get out.

Why is my photo in a police file?

It must be someone else.

You must have been mistaken.

I saw it with my own eyes, Kavitha.

Have you noticed?

Those goons haven't bothered us for the last two days.

That file probably has my photo in it too.

From now on, it's the police who will be harassing us.

You're worried about those boys, aren't you?

Adi must have taken care of them.

They won't come around here again.

Just eat your dinner and go to sleep.

If goons come after us, we can at least complain to the police.

If the police are after us, who do we complain to?

They can frame us for anything,

lock us up, and beat us to a pulp.

You know how many people they've killed like that in the past.

We don't have any other way out.

Let's just die.

Brilliant idea! Let's just die.

It's better than living this pathetic life.

This is exactly how the story of every coward ends.

If only you had a fraction of your son's courage!

What about our son?

What about him?

Even if we die, the police might still catch him.

He is not a coward like you.

He is a brave boy.

If you ask him to die with you,

he'd probably just kill you and go to jail.

But we have to do something about him…

Here's what we'll do.

Let's call him home.

And we'll poison his milk or ice cream.

After that, we'll kill ourselves.

Now, go and get some milk.

Get two packets. There's no point in saving money now.

Let's have a nice, creamy cup of tea.

We're going to die anyway.

We don't have to worry about the interest.

Here's your tea.

Look at him.

It's hilarious.

See?

Now he's going to hand me exactly 23 rupees and ask for one packet of milk.

Just wait and watch.

Two packets of milk.

Well, this is a surprise.

Expecting guests?

Want me to give you some banana fritters for the change?

No. Just give me some ice cream.

Ice cream?

Here you go.

Kavitha has been an insurance agent for the last four years, sir.

Okay.

If this boy is the killer, I feel terrible for this woman.

That boy is completely lying.

Do you think the woman is trying to cover for him?

No, sir. But given how her husband is,

she probably tried to raise her son to be courageous.

So she might just support him no matter what.

She probably can't even imagine him doing something like this.

Why are you keeping me here for no reason? Can I leave?

Who said there's no reason?

Sit down.

Sit.

Come on.

Beat me first.

Based on what you've told me,

if he wanted to kill someone,

he has the nerve to pick up a weapon, look them in the eye, and kill them.

The guy you're looking for

it's not him.

All six cases Swamy sir handled were extremely complicated.

But he solved all of them in record time.

Anyone who solves such cases with ease has to be a little crazy themselves.

I really don't think you are crazy enough.

Maybe that's why you're taking so long.

Even a simple Google search on serial killers will drive you insane.

The ones who kill 10 people, 250 people,

the ones who target only women, doctors who kill their patients,

and worst of all,

those who kidnap, assault, and murder children. Sickening.

Food is ready.

Okay, thank you.

Serial killers don't necessarily have to kill people

at regular intervals, do they?

Even they might take a break.

Christy, you know something?

In Europe, a 65-year-old man was arrested for murder.

It brought to light 9 other murders he committed 20 years ago.

In our case, there's no sign of that kind of waiting or planning.

I've read about two classifications: "act-focused" and "process-focused."

This case looks "act-focused" to me.

Let me explain "act-focused."

While driving, you might get a sudden urge

to ram the car in front of you.

Or if you have a stone in your hand,

you might feel the urge to smash it against someone's head.

Or say

you're holding this stick.

You just feel like smashing that glass.

We all get these fleeting thoughts.

But we don't act on them, because we are sane.

From what I've gathered

these killers revisit the crime scenes over and over again.

They replay the entire episode scene-by-scene in their heads.

There's another type who seek out deserted places where no one

else goes, and just sit there all alone… for hours.

It could even be the crime scene of some other killer.

Or it could be a cemetery.

Experts say they get a kind of orgasm out of it.

In their suppressed mental state,

if it makes them feel superior, it gives them a high.

You're losing track of time these days.

Don't you want to eat?

Come on.

Haven't you left yet?

I asked, haven't you left?

Where is he supposed to go?

What's your problem, Dad?

Isn't this my house too?

I am not going anywhere.

Please make him understand.

It's better for him to stay away from here.

The police ordered him not to leave town.

Even if the police hadn't said that,

Dad is just trying to scare me for no reason.

I am starting my cricket coaching tomorrow.

I've somehow managed to settle all those old grudges.

They are all good friends of mine now.

It won't end well if he stays here, I'm warning you.

If you're so uncomfortable, why don't you just leave?

- Adi. - Anyway, this is my mom's house.

Adi, stop. That's enough.

He has teamed up with Amit and is planning to start a small business.

He'll earn the money he needs for cricket on his own.

Why are you getting so worked up?

Just eat.

Take a break, Christy.

Just take your mind off duty and this case for a bit, and try to sleep.

You can handle the rest tomorrow.

Yes, brother.

I have a doubt.

What makes you think the psycho is a local?

Someone from outside could have come here and committed the crime.

While we are beefing up patrols around here,

what if he kills someone in a completely different area?

People will say we were careless even when we knew it was a serial killer.

Psychos like this never commit

their first crime too close to, or too far from, their own home.

There are studies confirming this.

Because we stepped up the night patrols,

the killer is unable to step outside.

That's exactly why no new murders are being reported.

He is right here in this town.

Bullshit! Do these killers have some sort of rulebook or what?

With dos and don'ts?

Your method of investigating by reading novels is making me nervous.

Do one thing.

Hold a press meet tomorrow, and spread fear over the public.

Please don't confuse me.

I will report to the office tomorrow, okay?

Good night.

Should I come there now?

No, don't do that, man.

The place under the bridge is swarming with cops.

I'll send the stuff to your place.

Is it? Alright then.

Hello.

Sir, strictly based on your intuition, please answer my question.

Sir, do you honestly think I am capable of solving this case?

What happened?

If a more experienced officer were investigating this

they might have solved it by now.

At this point... aren't we just playing with innocent people's lives?

You need to find the thrill in the investigation itself.

You have to look at it that way.

Treat it like a mind game.

You have to enjoy the process in order to win the game.

You aren't finding that thrill in this case, are you?

Every time I manage to dig up a clue

you shoot it down with a different perspective.

You haven't even given me a strong hint so far.

No one is going give you hints, Christy.

The clues might be right in front of us. We're just missing them.

The more I dig into this, the more complicated it gets.

I feel like... I've hit a dead end with this investigation.

I have a strong feeling that the culprit is very close.

You will find him. I will help you too.

Just keep moving forward without losing hope.

Okay, sir.

How did it die?

It was playing around here.

I found it dead this morning.

If I don't bury it right away

those so-called animal lovers will show up

and accuse me of killing it.

I'm not joking, sir.

Last month, a dog was found dead near my shop.

Probably got run over by a vehicle.

Those "blogger kids" showed up

and posted it on the internet claiming it was a murder.

Where is your shop? What do you do?

Nothing big, sir.

I run a milk booth at Koonanmukku.

My banana fritters are pretty famous.

Those kids posted about that on the internet too.

This is about a pending case inquiry.

A man named Ramesh hanged himself in his apartment.

Kavitha's number was one of the last calls he made.

Her number was saved on his phone as "Kavitha, Koonanmukku".

Why does this woman's name keep popping up in this case?

- Go to her house and look into it. - Okay, sir.

Keep an eye on her house and the surroundings.

- Try to meet her husband as well. - Okay, sir.

Sir, if the killer is actually based near Koonanmukku

then the geographical rule you mentioned is spot on.

Yes, sir. Justin was found dead near Koonanmukku.

And the spot where Boban was killed is barely a kilometre away from there.

We explored those possibilities quite extensively.

As a team, we've conducted several studies.

They were all correct.

But the harsh reality is that

we haven't made any real progress on this particular case.

We are right back at square one.

Starting today, we are going to take a different approach.

- First, call off the night patrols. - But sir...

Wait, I'm coming to that.

Instead, we shift to covert night surveillance.

We'll observe them directly, and through hidden cameras.

We will see everyone. But no one will see us.

That means... the killer will strike again...

Exactly.

Let the killer step out without fear

and start hunting for his next victim.

But this is a dangerous game.

If we slip up even a little, it's game over for all of us.

It's a solid plan, sir.

It's the fastest way to crack the case.

We will execute it flawlessly, sir.

Sojan sir, Basheer, are you guys on board?

I'm in.

Good.

Ensure all the other investigations continue at the same pace.

Basheer, step into my office. Deepu...

Hello.

I rewatched your episode on the Boban case.

You recreated the murder to look like

the killer attacked because Boban provoked him.

Why did you script it that way?

I thought it would make the show more interesting.

Besides, the circumstantial evidence pointed in that direction.

But our investigation shows that Boban was completely innocent.

There's no way he provoked anyone.

What if the killer was even more innocent?

What if he got scared of Boban at that moment and killed him on impulse?

Moreover, Boban was drunk.

Anyway, psycho killers don't need reasons.

That's true.

And Christy, when someone strikes out of fear,

the first blow is always the hardest.

To avoid getting hit back.

So you think the killer is a coward and he's scared.

Right?

That's a strong possibility.

Maybe he's killing one person after another

just to overcome his own fear

like a form of self-appreciation.

What are you doing here?

Oh, you seem to be hanging around here all the time these days.

Today is Sunday.

According to your schedule, it's the day to buy chicken.

Adi will get the chicken.

You go buy the other groceries.

Some of his friends are coming over.

They are planning to make Biryani.

You go. I'll clean the floors.

I'll clean the floors. You go ahead. Put the broom down.

Buy the groceries before you start cleaning up.

Does he not sleep at night or what?

This is the one I told you about. Try it, sir.

Mhm.

Hey.

He claims he was in the military.

But apparently, he just handled the laundry there.

He's made a ton of money. Shops like crazy every day.

Who all lives at his house?

His wife and her relatives.

He doesn't get along with his own relatives.

Sir, are you planning to write a story about Koonanmukku?

Well, they say every person has a unique story…

"Convict gets parole after 10 years."

"Marakkudi mass murder case."

"The chilling memories of the Marakkudi house."

What's the matter, sir? Adi went out to play.

Come here.

How are you connected to that Ramesh guy who committed suicide?

Why do you ask, madam?

He bought some saplings from me.

But you never mentioned this business earlier.

I run a small nursery here.

People buy saplings from me sometimes.

I also help people find rental houses.

I just didn't bring it up that day.

You are one of the last people who called Ramesh before he died.

We're here to investigate that.

Please come in. I'll get you something to drink.

No, thank you.

Where is your husband?

He went to the shop, madam.

That's the only help you ever get from him, isn't it?

I admire you.

Anyone else would have left a man like that long ago.

He is my cousin, madam.

When he was young,

his father killed his mother and committed suicide.

He had to witness the whole thing.

After that, my dad took him in.

Since Vinayan was his late sister's son,

my dad decided a long time ago that I would marry him.

Vinayan won't have anyone else to support him if I leave too.

Okay. I will handle Ramesh's case.

He is a harmless guy, sir.

He's terrified of everything.

Do you remember me telling you about a dog?

Until it died, he was too scared to even walk down this road.

Where was this dog found dead?

You see that pipe over there? Right next to it.

"Convict gets parole after 10 years."

Sir, I'm only accepting this parole because you worked so hard for it.

To be completely honest,

I'm a bit terrified to go back into the real world.

Why are you scared, Nawas?

You'll feel better once you go out and see your people.

You had so many friends back home, right?

Once they see you, they'll be fine with you. Just go have a good time.

Okay, then.

Brother

do you remember the small dirt road near your house?

It's a tarred road now. A lot of new houses have come up.

The whole place has changed completely.

You might not even recognise it.

The change is so drastic.

I was just thinking that you haven't changed a bit after all these years.

Really?

Look at you. You haven't changed either.

Just pretend you were working abroad, say in London,

and now you're just coming home for vacation. That's all.

This whole area was overgrown with bushes.

I cleared it up as much as I could.

All the plants Zeenath planted were dead.

So I planted some new flowers over there.

All the old vessels in your kitchen were completely rusted.

I've arranged a few new ones for you to use for now.

But except for your PVC pipes and a couple of taps,

all your plumbing tools were ruined.

I dumped them all in that corner.

Come on in.

Brother, shall we eat?

Okay.

My wife made some really good beef curry and rice.

And I brought some of Mom's tuna pickle.

Brother

you should go and see Zeenath tomorrow.

If she is willing, bring her back here.

You only have a few days.

Make them memorable.

What if Zeenath is still terrified of me?

If she's scared, won't seeing her just make things worse?

Then why did you even come home on parole, brother?

Just to see me?

Brother, a screw just came a bit loose in your head back then.

It's all fixed now. We all know that.

Zeenath knows that too.

That is all in the past.

Go wash your hands.

- Akbar… - Yes.

You said the news of my parole was in the newspaper, right?

Then Zeenath must know I'm back.

Yes.

I am not going anywhere.

Let Zeenath come here if she wants to.

Don't you think that's better?

Brother

when you were in prison,

you had doctors and officers to take care of you.

Think about Zeenath.

She was left all alone, through no fault of her own.

Don't think I am taking her side just because she's my relative.

You should go see her.

Help her get over that fear.

If Nizar and Uncle are your problem, I will talk to them.

Let them come visit you when you go back to prison.

I am not coming again.

I mean it.

My dad needs help just to go to the toilet.

He won't let anybody else.

Otherwise, I would have stayed here.

It's alright.

Just come over tomorrow after work.

I just want to go out. I've been longing to see the outside world.

I'll take care of that. I should get going.

Okay.

Do you remember me?

Swamy sir, right?

I knew you would never forget me, Nawas.

But sir, why are you here at this hour?

I came to see you.

It's been a long time.

A cop can't just visit a convict during the day when people are around.

I heard you resigned from the police department.

There was one more case left pending.

I came here to close that one too.

Hmm. I heard about that case.

If you are the investigating officer, it will be closed soon.

Please come in, sir. I'll make some black tea.

No, Nawas. Come for a drive with me.

We can roam around a bit.

We can talk, and I can get some work done too.

Circle Inspector Christy tried to meet you in prison,

but the superintendent didn't allow it.

Why did he want to meet me?

I think he wanted to study your mental state at the time of the crime.

The current case also involves a psycho killer.

What can I say about my mental state?

I just lost my mind for a moment. That's it.

When I saw that little girl on the balcony

at first, I thought it was my daughter.

Then I realised it wasn't.

I felt like I was possessed.

That's the only reason I am in this situation today.

You got proper treatment and you are completely normal now.

So what?

Will normal people ever trust me?

They will always be terrified of a man who killed four people.

Can the people who loved me

and people closely with me ever look at me the same way?

Do you know why that is, Nawas?

A regular criminal can stop committing crimes if he simply decides to.

But that's not the case for a psycho killer.

Even he doesn't know when he might lose his mind again.

Do you think I'm going to lose my mind again?

I received the best treatment possible for two and a half years.

The doctors and the prison officials are

very confident in my recovery. That's why I am here now.

I wasn't talking about you, Nawas.

I'm talking from my own experience.

Yours was the sixth psycho case I investigated.

While you were in prison,

Ayyappan, the convict from my very first case

was released after treatment because he was deemed a mental patient.

The very first thing he did was try to kill me.

I quit my job and left town out of pure fear of him.

Let's drop this topic now.

Let's talk about something else, sir.

When I was granted parole, the superintendent strictly told me

not to listen to or discuss things like this.

Actually, you should be doing the exact opposite.

You should see everything.

You should listen to everything.

You need the self-confidence to know that

you won't lose your mind no matter what you face.

That is exactly why

I brought you here, even though you might hate it.

I wanted to visit this house before returning to prison.

I thought you'd be furious with me for bringing you here.

Why would I?

Usually, nobody has the nerve to revisit their own crime scene.

I don't have the nerve either.

But I felt so, somehow.

Then go inside and come back.

We'll find out the truth right now.

Find out what truth?

When you step inside that house

if you feel a sense of euphoria

then that psycho is still alive inside you.

But if you feel overwhelming guilt and regret

then you are completely cured.

Nawas

there is absolutely nothing wrong with you.

You are perfectly normal.

Your mind is clean.

But…

- Good morning, sir. - Good morning. Come, let's sit inside.

Have you come across someone named Vinayan

at any point during your investigation?

Vinayan?

Yes, a man whose name came up

at various stages of our investigation. But we just ignored him.

There is a kid named Adityan on your suspect list, right?

It's his dad. Vinayan.

We did look into them,

but we couldn't find anything suspicious about the family…

I asked around about him at Koonanmukku.

Just as we thought, he is short,

and he has an innocent face that wouldn't scare anyone.

He is terrified of everyone.

There was a dog that used to bark and scare him

it was found dead, with its head smashed against a rock.

A few days later, Justin was murdered in the exact same way.

I know about the feud between Justin and Adityan.

But there's one thing I don't understand.

Just because of an issue with his son,

would someone this terrified kill a guy like Justin?

What if Justin was just another dog that was barking and scaring Vinayan?

He killed the dog out of pure fear.

But what about Boban?

That is for you to figure out.

Anyway, I'll keep an eye on him.

Anyway, I'll keep an eye on him. Your intuition is never wrong.

Find out if he has a habit of wandering around alone at night.

I already looked into that.

Then how come your cameras haven't caught him yet?

We will review the CCTV footage again, sir.

He'll try to kill anyone who frightens him.

So arrest him immediately and see if his fingerprints match.

Will do, sir.

We can't just put an ad in the paper saying we've stopped night patrols.

Sir, I think the killer is still spooked by the police and won't come out.

Sojan, hold on.

Hello.

Hello, Kavitha.

This is Jenny.

The police officer who visited the other day.

Yes, madam.

I need a few saplings.

Can I swing by after work? Will you be there?

You don't need to come all the way here for that.

I will bring them to the police station this afternoon.

Why can't I come home?

Are you upset that I questioned you the other day?

There's no need for that. I was just doing my job.

It's not that, madam.

Ever since that incident, Vinayan has been terrified of the police.

Especially if you show up in a police jeep...

Well then, I'm definitely coming over.

Let's help him get over his fear.

Is he there?

Yes, madam. He's here. He's still sleeping.

Does he not sleep at night?

Just text me his phone number.

I'll summon him to the station.

You can send the saplings with him.

We can't go easy on him.

He doesn't own a mobile phone, madam.

He has no one to call.

Please just tell me what you need. I'll bring them to you.

It's fine. I'll call you and drop by another day.

Okay, madam.

When you visited Kavitha's place, her husband wasn't there, right? - Yes.

Were you able to get any info on him?

Like his background, childhood… anything like that?

His father murdered his mother and hanged himself when Vinayan was a kid.

He was raised by his uncle.

By uncle, I mean Kavitha's dad.

Kavitha was forced into marrying him because he's her cousin and an orphan.

I think Swamy's intuition is spot on.

We lost him, even though he was right in front of us.

We haven't lost him yet.

Jenny, you and Basheer stake out his house and stay there.

- Sojan and his team will get there by night. - Yes, sir.

Like Swamy said, you need to see if he sneaks out of the house at night.

If he steps out, nab him immediately.

Okay, sir.

Any updates from Basheer?

It was the woman next door who reported it after seeing the door open.

- When did it happen? - Last night.

- Have you identified the body? - It's Nawas, who was out on parole.

- His friend Akbar identified the body. - Is the forensic team here?

They are at another crime scene. They'll be late.

There's no power here.

So we've asked them to get here before dusk.

Won't Swamy sir come?

It would be good if he did.

He won't show up because of the media.

Even otherwise, these overhyped guys are useless in a real crisis.

- Sir... - Yeah?

It'll be blood all over. Should I go check it out?

- No. Just check the perimeter. - Yes, sir.

And see if there's any evidence of someone visiting here regularly.

Will do, sir.

The pattern matches.

A frontal attack.

No signs of a struggle from the victim.

It's exactly the same.

So you think it's the same killer?

I'm just wondering how the old psycho and the new psycho

ended up in this house together.

Call the forensic team and tell them to rush the procedures.

- Yes, sir. - Call them right now. - Yes, sir.

We need to cross-check the fingerprints from all

three crime scenes to draw a definitive conclusion.

But for Justin and Boban, Vinayan is still our prime suspect.

We can bring him in, sir.

By the time the fingerprint reports come in

I want Vinayan in custody.

Yes, sir.

Sojan sir…

The Marakkudi mass murder.

Based on what you said, the killer we're dealing with is "act-focused."

But Nawas' murder was clearly premeditated.

Someone who has been waiting for Nawas for ten years did this.

Maybe the victims' relatives finally took their revenge.

No, Maria.

I'm seeing the makings of another serial killer in this case.

Let me explain.

Swamy told me about a very specific feeling you get

when you observe a crime scene with an open mind.

I experienced that for the very first time today.

While I was examining Nawas' body and the area around it,

I had an intuition.

Someone familiar with the methods used in the Justin and Boban murders

someone brilliant enough to manipulate a police investigation,

and someone who personally knew Nawas.

I can only think of one such person.

Swamy.

But why would Swamy kill Nawas?

Nawas is the sixth psycho Swamy caught.

The first one was Ayyappan.

Do you know the history of Ayyappan?

- The guy who murdered his own wife and child? - Yes.

I know he was released after his treatment because he was classified as mentally ill.

Ayyappan tried to murder Swamy the moment he was released.

I read in this file that Ayyappan's body was later

found on a railway track under suspicious circumstances.

I have studied all six of Swamy's cases in detail.

It's not just Ayyappan and Nawas.

Not a single one of those six men is alive today.

Just because these six people died under suspicious circumstances

how can we jump to the conclusion that Swamy killed them?

Most of these killers end up like that once they are released from prison anyway.

Yes.

No matter how they die, the investigation is just a formality.

There's no one to even speak on their behalf.

Swamy took advantage of that and killed those five,

and now Nawas.

Why is Swamy waiting for them just to kill them?

What's his motive?

Sir, his problem is fear.

He is terrified that the culprits he arrested when he was

in the service will kill him once they are released.

That's his issue.

When the first convict came to kill him,

Swamy panicked, resigned, and ran away.

He won't even stay in one place for too long because of his paranoia.

Even when you tried to track him down for our case, you couldn't find him.

That's why he showed up here at the exact time of Nawas' parole, right?

When he was caught during our routine check,

he told Sojan he came to visit a friend.

He played everyone perfectly - the police

department, the situation, and above all, me.

By the way,

we didn't form a special team just to investigate Swamy.

If we don't close the Justin and Boban case,

will anyone believe a word we say?

What happened to the suspect you mentioned?

We are bringing him in tonight, sir.

Sojan and Basheer are staking out his house.

Along with him, if you give us permission to arrest Swamy as well…

In Swamy's case, it's all just your assumptions and guesses.

But if you are that confident

go ahead.

Thank you, sir.

Hello.

Hello, sir. We aren't waiting for the forensic report on Nawas.

We are going to arrest Vinayan based on the clues you gave us.

That's good.

Along with the news of the third murder,

let the photo of the culprit hit the newspapers as well.

For solving such a complicated case,

Christy and his team will earn a solid reputation.

Sir,

this is the first time I'm feeling that thrill during an investigation.

You taught me a lot.

Wishing you the best in solving many more unresolved cases. Congratulations.

Sir, it's too early for congratulations.

If the fingerprints from the crime scenes don't match Vinayan's,

I'll be back to square one.

The fingerprints from all three crime scenes will match Vinayan's.

I am absolutely sure.

Hmm. Okay, sir.

Sir, let me explain. If they know each other, it's extremely dangerous.

Their common trigger is fear.

So we can't predict who will kill who.

- We need to find them immediately. - The police will take care of catching them.

We have passed the information to all stations and check-posts.

Before dawn, both of them will be in our custody.

Will the police hurt me?

No, don't be afraid.

I'll have to spend a long time in prison, right?

Will the court hang me? Huh?

No. Never.

Will they give me three meals a day in prison?

Food?

In that case

I can live peacefully in prison without fearing anyone.

Without fearing anyone.

But

my peace of mind will be ruined until then, right?