CHECKMATE

VIHA THUMAR

No.8, 3rd Cross Street,CIT Colony, Mylapore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu-600004 Copyright © Viha Thumar All Rights Reserved. ISBN 978-1-63669-388-0 This book has been published with all efforts taken to make the material error-free after the consent of the author. However, the author and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or omission, this publication is being sold on the condition and understanding that neither the author nor the publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any person by reason of any mistake or omission in this publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work. For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy of this work then available.

To SMVS, my spiritual gurus and parents.

Contents About The Author

vii

Inspiration

ix

Prologue

xi

1. Reporting 2019, Incident: Denver’s Case Case

1

Number-206 Epilogue

193

v

About The Author Viha, a 15-year-old student from Surat, is a dedicated reader of mysteries from around the world. While flipping pages of several mystery books, she has now filled one with her own story. Mystery stories be it books, movies, tv shows or series have been a constant companion to her. Viha is the founder of ScrapWings, a project to empower women and the co-founder of Let’s Engage which aims to engage youth during Covid-19 period. In her free time she expresses her emotions in the form of art and enjoys listening to music.

vii

Inspiration “Doing anything is easy, only if you like it. Mysteries have been a part of my life since childhood. I’m an ardent fan of it. It is the several engaging authors and their amazing books, who have inspired me to write this book. I love thrillers and suspense, thus I thought of sharing my passion with others with my story. Books have no limitations, it is a universe infusing boundless imagination to every sentence that the author writes. With only one story in a book, millions are created in the heads of the readers, making it unique for each.”

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Prologue A slender figure stood amidst the darkness of the kitchen. Her sleek, black night gown camouflaged with the gloom, ominously. With a knife in one hand, she exited the kitchen, the apple simply staring at her. The thunder stole the light from her house, the lady –now -a walking shadow. Intoxicated, she mistook her bedroom for the study room, unsteadily lumbering in the dark. Further and further, until she bumped into someone. Consciousness struck her to turn her lights on. The lights defined a body. It was Denver she encountered. The knife was no longer in her hand, instead pierced into Denver’s wrist. Dead? Shocked! Now horrified. With gloves on, she withdrew the knife and placed it near his wrist. It was quick. Now, running out, away from Denver.

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CHAPTER I

Reporting 2019, Incident: Denver’s Case Case Number-206 The time was 1:03 AM, it was dark as coal. The clouds bawled their eyes out, the constant shower of their tears formed puddles all around. The waves were crashing against the walls of the houses, carrying mud along with it. The raindrops were attacking the glass panes and the roofs like bullets. The clouds were growling and roaring, increasing fear among the residents of LA. The lightning was a frequent guest, consequently editing the scene. Clouds crashed against each other as if there was a war going on: they fired water bullets which struck hard on the umbrellas swimming below them. The sky wore a black mask today and it thundered and thundered and thundered. Suddenly, a woman’s scream was heard, it’s magnitude was higher than the roaring clouds. Stating the harsh conditions outside, something even worse had taken place inside The Pacific Ocean- the high rise, luxurious apartment. THE DEAFENING SCREAM CAME WITH A SCANDALOUS REASON, LEAVING A SOLID MYSTERY BEHIND IT. The scream was no less than the thunder at the scene. People feared the reason for it. As minutes passed by, a swarm of people kept adding to the crowd. The crowd placed itself right before the door of 1001 from where the scream had originated. There was hustle and bustle, there was chaos, there was confusion, there was a fearful curiosity. The neighbours’ heart raced, there was panic 1

CHECKMATE

among them. They slid questions to each other with fear hung on their faces. Adults made up of the crowd. A few towering men stood at the back while the short ladies were trying hard to elevate themselves, by stretching their toes to the maximum, to grab a look at the 1001 door. The door 1001 remains shut as if blocked from all the innumerable answers for the numerous questions rushing inside the strangers‘ heads. The neighbours were confused and craved for the answers. A lady knocked at the door of 1001. All ears waited patiently. There was no reply. They signalled her to knock again. New layers added to the crowd. She knocked. She heard someone weep inside. The crowd did not care about privacy issues, and they all barged inside the apartment. It was dark. No lights. No movement, only hysteric weeps. A few went further in following the hysteric weeps. The weeps were their navigator for the destination of the crime scene.Flashes pranced inside the apartment, advancing closer and closer to the weeps. White sparkles halted before the study room, the torch bearers cast as ghosts. As their phones swayed inside, Marisa was discovered, crying. As the focus shifted, a knife- a bloody knife. Next to it, Denver whose six foot tall sturdy body laid there, stationary. His blue eyes were frozen lakes that stared at the ceiling, emotionless. “Why is he sleeping on the floor?” “I don’t think he is sleeping.” “Wait.” A beam of light scanned his body from top to bottom. Blood. As the light shifted, cut marks were spotlighted on Denver’s wrist. The crowd gasped. 2

VIHA THUMAR

All eyes were fixed in one place. They did not make any noise, but they also were not internally calm. They all were petrified! Surrounding his body was a pool of red blood that gradually increased its diameter. His body was floating in the red sea, his hands wide open, perpendicular to his body. No one advanced as if there was an invisible boundary created around them. No one would dare to. Half of the crowd faded, horrified. One of the tall figures called the ambulance and the police. Within the silence among the crowd, the weeps created a thundering effect. One of them whispered, “I think she killed him?”, there was no answer. Persistent silence. “Did his wife kill him with this knife?” “Why is she crying, if she killed him?” “Or is it a suicide?” “I am not staying here, this woman seems dangerous.” “Yes, let us get out. This monster might kill us as well.” People found it safe to leave the crime scene isolated but right before that, Marisa overwhelmed with shock and horror, bolted out of 1001 with tears streaming down her cheeks. One hand, wiping off her tears, while the otherclenched. People marginalized as if to make way for her, or were perhaps scared to stay close to the “Murderer.” They gave her way, not out of respect but fear. A few flashes, now highlighting her black eyes and sweaty hair. Marisa was Denver’s dear wife and Denver was Marisa’s dearest husband. Marisa did not care about the crowd. She already had a lot to care about. Her senses were incapable of interpreting the strenuous news of the death of her beloved husband. Consequently, her heart of glass was shattered into fine 3

CHECKMATE Is everything you see believable? Everything you hear believable? If yes, then that is not the case in L.A. It is a city of secrets, unknown truths and falsified evidence. Almost like an illusion. Murders pile murder, but can the police arrest the real criminal?Just because there is a difference between solving a case, and solving it rightly.

Viha, a 15-year-old student from Surat, is a dedicated reader of mysteries from around the world. While flipping pages of several mystery books, she has now filled one with her own story. Mystery stories be it books, movies, tv shows or series have been a constant companion to her. Viha is the founder of ScrapWings, a project to empower women and the co-founder of Let’s Engage which aims to engage youth during Covid-19 period. In her free time she expresses her emotions in the form of art and enjoys listening to music.

Price 205