The Psychopath

The cops were troubled. They did not understand and were simply not able to comprehend what to do about the increasing crime in the city. To be more precise, blatant and brutal murders. The best officers of the police department along with external detectives - official and unofficial were working on the case. It seemed as though, a serial killer has barged in out of nowhere and just aims at the devastation. The condition in which the bodies were obtained could not be fathomed even by the best forensic experts. They had never before seen such a brutal and unusual manner of killing where the victim's internal organs had been completely devastated without a single incision at those vital places. And yet, they lay in a pool of their own blood.

The first body was found 3 months prior near a dumpster. A corpse lay in lots of blood with skin as pale as porcelain. The killings continued and today they found the 10th victim. 10 murders in 3 months, without a single clue. It was as though, the murderer just knew what had to be done and executed the intended crime effortlessly.

But today, there was something different. It would have gone unnoticed if ACP Verma had not observed the body at a microscopic level. She saw a small piece of paper embedded in the victim's long nails, folded in such a manner as though it had been snatched away by the victim or to be more precise grabbed. Perhaps, while trying to resist the murderer. She had the forensic take it out for inspection. It seemed to be a newspaper of some sort on the primary investigation.

"Ma'am, there's something unusual with this newspaper. This paper, I haven't seen it before. Like we have a lot of newspapers here, across the globe, the paper types they use are fixed. This paper, I feel, I have never seen it before. Also, the content written on it, albeit very limited, is really suspicious. And I am telling this to you after a lot of research and talks, opinions from my seniors, in fact, also some experts around the globe. I just don't know what to do about this.", the forensic scientist Dr Rajan told ACP Verma in a really exasperated tone.

Her brows furrowed in confusion and suspicion at his words.

"What are you trying to imply Dr Rajan?"

I am not trying to imply anything. I am trying to tell you that all of this is really perplexing, something which probably none of us has seen before. Not just the mannerism of these murders but this paper, this entire aura around these crimes, all of it does not seem to relate to anything we know in this area. Especially in regards to the crimes we have solved to date."

"Myra, please put these samples away. I will look into those later.", Dr Rajan informed his assistant.

Myra smiled politely and did as she was told.

"This mystery needs to be solved, doctor. This serial killer or should I indeed say psychopath, we are dealing with needs to be put behind the bars and we need to work for it at a war footing."

ACP Verma stated in a solemn tone.

Myra heard those words while leaving behind the discussing pair in Dr Rajan's office.

She smirked internally and shook her head.

'Like hell, you will.', she thought to herself sarcastically.

Later that night, she opened the time travel portal in her apartment to get some things for her planned murder. She had to travel to the year 2240 to get those things for her. That's where she was originally from. After being declared the globally most wanted murderer for killing nearly a hundred people, she decided it was time for her to play with some other people, in a different era.

And it was really simple for her. Times machines and times portals were quite the norm in 2240 just like smartphones of the past. Almost every person possessed them.

She got the serum and other devices required for taking her plans to completion. She could store it here, in her apartment, but the thrill of going to the future and escaping from where she would be killed the moment spotted just excited her psychopathic tendencies. She had fun seeing Dr Rajan exasperated over that tiny bit of newspaper. He would never be able to figure that out. A newspaper from 2240 was nothing but a tiny fragment of paper which could be elongated after connecting to the global network. It was discovered in the year 2220 and such publications were made available to the public from the year 2236 onwards. Myra simply loved them. And now, she had a confused police force and forensic force lurking around what they thought was evidence, but was in fact, the most useless bit of a clue. That's why she had deliberately planted it in her latest victim's fingernail. With the sole intention of perplexing the investigators even more.

'These fools could not even venture near that global network.', she chuckled with an evil glint in her eyes.

She got ready for her eleventh kill today. The psychopath that she was, she had not decided the victim yet. Just knew, she had to kill someone, as though it was a hobby. And it was for her.

"Best option. Let's kill ACP Verma. Why keep her alive? In fact, if I kill her the police will be warned to not indulge in the affair of the so-called serial killer or else even they could be killed. Oh yes, after that I could kill Dr Rajan as well. It would be nice to also have the forensics off my back. Not that they could hinder my favourite job much. The fools that they are.", she said aloud to herself in an excited tone.

Just then her phone started ringing.

"Stupid devices. So worse than the in-built brain chips we use back home. Oh, I must say, far ahead in time at home.", she muttered to herself.

"Yes, Dr Rajan. Yes, I will be on time. Don't worry. The post-mortem reports are in your office. Alright. Take care.", she replied politely.

"Imbecile man. Hmm, take care, all while you can. After I murder that police friend of yours, you are on my list. Just wait.", she said, clenching her teeth.

She then started organizing her things for her visit to the ACP that night. Who would have thought, the polite and well-mannered smart assistant of Dr Rajan was in fact a psychopathic time traveller from 2240, who had settled here 2 years ago only to unleash her murderous devastation over the past three months? No one knew, and perhaps, no one ever will. And if they do, wouldn't Myra simply travel to yet another year with her time portal? Only time can tell. Farther ahead in future or somewhere back in the past? No one knows.