They put Kriya in the interrogation cell where she waited. Officers were watching her from the other side of the long glass pane, as if trying to find an expression on her. But her face remained calm. Not even a wince on her forehead. Her behavior was confusing them.

Two officers walked in the room finally. She turned and smiled to greet them. "Karan Mallik, F.B.I. and this is my partner, Sylvia Chester" He introduced himself and his partner.

"I would shake hands, but..." She held up her hand-cuffed hands. Her response intrigued him further.

"You're aware why you are here?" It was a question but it came out more as a statement.

"Apparently, as the officer over there claims, I have kidnapped somebody."

"Do you accept or deny it?"

She scoffed. He looked at her to see what about that was so funny. "Is my answer going to change your opinion?"

Sylvia chuckled at her reply, impressed. "You're one smart woman."

"Thank you, but apparently not smart enough if I was caught on camera." She challenged the two.

"Is that a confession?"

Kriya scoffed. "Try all the twisted manipulation you've got, Detective. I know my rights."

"Look, why don't you just tell us where you've kept her."

"You know what I'm wondering?" Kriya asked. "You say you already have evidence. Why not charge me with the crime already then?"

Sylvia told Karan, "She won't talk. We're running out of time."

Karan swore, getting frustrated. "Alright. Since you know your rights, do you have a lawyer? Or should we get you one?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. She's already on her way."

"We haven't allowed you a phone call yet." Sylvia wondered out loud.

Kriya smiled, "Since you guys claim you're running out of time, how about you stop wasting your time with me, if you aren't going to arrest me, and go do your job? Find whoever it is that you're looking for."

Karan's cell phone rang and he answered it. Ending it, he looked at Kriya once. "You look surprised?" She asked.

"What's your name?"

Kriya smiled. "I think you just found out, didn't you?"

Kriya was getting on his nerves as she wouldn't answer the questions and instead question him back. "Answer." He slammed his hands on the table.

Sylvia spoke in a warning tone, "Karan."

Kriya sighed, not wincing back at his outburst. "Since you're being as stubborn as a five year old, I'll reply. My name, is Kriya Rai. But you already know that."

"I don't know what you're hiding, but I will find out." He promised her. She laughed, as if to mock him. If he was trying to intimidate her, it wasn't working in the least bit. He pulled her up by her arm, rougher than necessary, and took her out. "Un-cuff her." He instructed the officer who had cuffed one of her hand to the chair.

"But..."

"I said, un-cuff her." He repeated with more dominance in his tone. Or was it agitation?

Seeing Swayam outside, she smiled and walked to him. Karan followed. "Whatever did you say to him? He's pissed." She told Swayam.

Karan rolled his eyes, standing right besides Kriya, while Sylvia watched being a silent spectator. "For a criminal, you seem to be enjoying this." Karan commented.

"Things aren't always what they seem to be." Kriya replied back calmly, looking straight in his eyes. Swayam touched her arm to get her attention. She looked at him and nodded, knowing what he meant by that familiar touch. Karan was curious about this silent conversation.

The lawyer came in and presented the papers. "We understand you have evidence against her, but as per these papers, she cannot be treated like a criminal till proven guilty in court."

Karan scanned the papers. "Don't worry. They're not fake." Kriya told him, irking him further.

"See, there's one thing that's bothering me. Why is the owner of RE concerned so much for a mere intern?" He questioned Swayam.

"As far as I know, this is not an interrogation cell," Swayam replied turning his head towards Karan. "So if you have questions for me you demand I answer, get a court order first." He turned to Kriya and opened his mouth to say something but Karan interrupted.

"Swayam, I know you since college times. Least you can do is answer some questions."

Swayam turned towards Karan again, glaring into his eyes, no signs of any past friendship "Detective, this isn't a personal call and neither are you talking to me as a friend. So, you tell me. Why should I?"

Karan sighed. If anything he knew, he knew not to question Swayam when he was in such a mood. He knew that much about Swayam. "Many things don't add up. Highlight being you supporting her. I know you enough to trust the people you trust."

"Apparently not, since you still refuse to believe she's innocent."

"Come with me." Karan said, instead of asking. Seeing neither of them move, he asked, "Please?"

They followed him to his desk, where he nodded at Sylvia. She handed Swayam a letter bagged in an evidence bag.

"A ransom note?" Swayam asked after reading it.

"Yes, with her fingerprints all over them." He said, pointing towards Kriya. He then dropped a picture of her on the desk. "A 6 year old girl, Swayam. Six years old! She's just a child."

Kriya picked it up. "What's her name?" She asked looking at her, smiling at the camera while it was being taken.

"Keisha Smith."

She gasped. "No..."

Swayam turned to her, "What is it?"

"What-what's her father's name?" She didn't wait for Karan to reply. "Is- is it Joseph? Joseph Smith?"

"Uh, yea." Sylvia replied. "You know them?"

Kriya let out a silent tear. "Swayam... you remember Mr. Joseph?"

He nodded, "How could I ever forget him? He took care of you like his own daughter. This can't be him, surely? Joseph is too common of a name."

"Yes... but Keisha isn't. It's not a coincidence. I know he named his daughter Keisha because I liked the name. She was only two when I last saw her." She turned to Karan, "Where is he?"

"We cannot let you meet the victim's family. You are our prime suspect." Sylvia answered.

Kriya ran her fingers through her hair frustrated, before composing herself and pleading, "Look, I know the procedure and how it all works, okay? But screw them. That little girl's life is on the line right now and somehow, I am supposed to know where she is. I don't know but let me meet them. Maybe that's how I'm supposed to help. Please! I won't be able to forgive myself if something happened to her because of me."

Karan and Sylvia shared a look before Karan nodded. They took her to Joseph and his wife, while Swayam followed. Kriya let out a low breath upon seeing them. It had been years, and whilst she always imagined meeting them again, this was not the scenario she had in mind. A tear blurred her vision, before it trailed down her cheek. She quickened her pace and threw her arms around Joseph's neck, hugging him tightly.

"You shouldn't be here." He whispered to her after returning her hug with the same level of emotions. She wiped her tears and slapped his shoulder.

"I damn well should be here! What is wrong with you?"

He sighed, "I love Keisha, okay? She's my daughter! But so are you. The danger you get in by being here is far worse than the danger Keisha is in."

She shook her head, "No, don't say that. She's your daughter Joseph!"

"Kriya..." Swayam spoke up, rubbing her arm softly as an act of affection.

Before he could continue, Kriya held his hand. "Swayam, please. We have to find her. This isn't fair. Joseph doesn't deserve this." Kriya sighed and turned to Sylvia and Karan. "Can we have some privacy, please?" The two of them left them in the room alone. Once the door was shut behind them, she turned to Swayam and tried to make him understand. "Swayam, we both know who is doing this. I will not let her harm Keisha! Or Joseph. We need to find her. Fast."

"I know," Swayam agreed. "I will find her. But that doesn't mean I will let them arrest you! You've done nothing. You are not staying here a second longer than you have to. I am definitely not going to let them hold you here. You know what will happen once they file a report against you."

Kriya nodded, "Yes. You know though the only way we can do this right is for you to let me stay here and you find Keisha. If they are pinning this kidnapping on me, getting me out of here will make them mad. They could hurt Keisha. I am not going to risk that, I know you don't want to either. So please, just let them hold me here. They can hold me for 72 hours without charging me with anything."

"But..."

"No, listen to me. I promise you. I won't say anything to them. Without any confession, and no definite evidence other than my fingerprints, they don't have a probable cause to arrest me. It's better this way. For Keisha. Please."

"I won't leave you in here, knowing what they think of you."

"But you have to." Kriya said. "I'll be safe here. I can't say the same about Keisha. So, just please, find her for me. You know Sharon best."

Swayam, reluctantly, gave in. "48 hours. That's it. Not even a second more than that." Kriya smiled. She very well knew he wouldn't let her stay more than that, even if they would have 72 hours.

They walked out, to see Sylvia and Karan pacing by their desks. Swayam told Karan, "You know I can post for her bail, pay, and get her out of here right this second, right?"

Karan nodded. He knew that best. Swayam didn't have to say anything more to them.

Kriya held his hand in her. "This'll all be over before we know it. How's Vicky?"

"He wanted to come but I didn't let him."

Kriya nodded. "You did the right thing. Tell him I love him and that I'll be home soon. So better keep it clean."

Swayam chuckled, nodding. "I will." He looked at Karan while saying the rest, "You won't answer any of their questions without Lyla there."

"I know." Kriya replied. She didn't plan on answering any. She just hoped that by staying, they would believe that she was innocent, and instead of trying to get answers out of her, spend their energy into finding Keisha.

Before leaving, he gave her a hug and caressed her hand which bore red marks due to them being cuffed. A flash of anger overshadowed his pale face as he glanced to his side towards Karan.

Seeing the worried expression, she pressed his hand on her to get his attention. She assured him. "I'm fine. Go." With a last look, he left. When he was out of sight, Kriya shed the tear she had been holding back and let the huge gulp down. Holding it in was no less than the feeling of choking. Then, trying to hide it from Karan, she quickly wiped it. He had seen it. The girl for him was becoming a mystery.

"So, take me to my temporary new home?" She asked him containing her normal voice.

"You and Vicky...?" He began to ask.

"Not related to this case." She shot back before he finished.

"I can't believe you're innocent till you answer my questions, Ms. Kriya."

Kriya stayed silent and entered the tiny cell he opened for her. He paused to look at her, hoping she'd answer the question. "I'll answer when you ask the right question." She told him before turning around and sitting down on the bench. Locking the cell, he left.

××××××××××××

Karan entered the briefing room where other officers looked over the case file. The one who had hand-cuffed Kriya, Scott Martin, questioned. "Why is she un-cuffed?"

Karan gave him the papers. "Orders from the court." He sat down on his chair. "This girl is full of mystery. From what I've gathered so far, she's smart. Organized. Intelligent. Too intelligent for her to leave finger prints carelessly like this."

"Perhaps, she was in a rush?" Scott suggested.

Karan shook his head, dismissing the possibility. "She's in custody right now, and yet so calm. I doubt in a hurried state, she would lose control of her actions. We are looking at two different' profiles here. She's not innocent. Not entirely. We cannot ignore all the witness reports we have."

"We have them. Why can't we just arrest her?"

"Being present in public isn't a crime, you know that Scott." Sylvia said. "We have no hard evidence. And from the way she reacted to knowing who the father was, it doesn't look she's the one behind this. She cares about them. She was desperate to save Keisha."

Karan sat down on an empty chair. "Then why not help us?" He asked the question. After a second of thinking, he ordered, "Find out as much as you can about her personal life. Someone with a vendetta against her could be doing this, by using people she cares about." Scott left immediately left to do so.

Karan put a photo of Swayam and Vicky on the billboard as well. "Them?" Sylvia questioned.

"Swayam and Vicky. Cousins. Both know Kriya. Almost too well for Swayam to go beyond himself to help her. Swayam, the owner of RE."

Scott came back, "He was there when I went to arrest her. Seems quite a man." He said, almost tauntingly.

"From what I heard just minutes before, she told Swayam to tell Vicky she loves him."

Scott scoffed. "One smart girl for sure."

Karan was confused at his comment, "What? And back so soon?"

"There wasn't much after all. Kriya Rai does not exist. No tax records, credit cards, bank accounts, medical insurance, nothing. Not even a car registered in her name. Or house, apartment. Nothing."

Sylvia and Karan looked at each other. "Alias?" She asked.

"Her photo is in our system. That is how we found her work place."

"Yes, and I double-checked. There is nothing on her other than where she works, which is available for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Her whole file is confidential. By CIA. Out of our jurisdiction."

They slumped down on their chair. Another dead end. "I'm going to need answers before I go crazy!" Karan swore. Then he paused to think calmly.

What is it about her that the CIA themselves is getting their hands dirty in keeping her information confidential. One girl could not so much be a case of national security for them to go to such heights.

"If we can't find out about her, then dig into our contacts and try to find out how and why CIA is involved in all of this. And look for any connections between RE and her, besides just working there. Talk to her co-workers. Anything they can tell us about her personal life." He ordered.

××××××××××××

When Karan entered her cell, she could see just how frustrated he looked. "Tough one to crack?" She mocked. He motioned her to walk and took her back in the interrogation cell. Her lawyer, Lyla, was present.

"Where were you last night?" Karan questioned taking a seat on the opposite side of Kriya.

"Didn't your witnesses tell you where I was?"

"I will be the one asking questions." He implied. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he continued, "When did you start working for RE? This time, I want a straight answer."

"Approximately two weeks back. You can check their records for exact date."

Lyla looked at her with concern, but she dismissed it. She knew this was a piece of information she could give, for they already knew that.

"How is it that only in two weeks span, your boss, Swayam Shekhawat, is so sure that you're innocent?" She let out a shrug, knowing she could not answer this question. He continued, "RE is a big company, yet the CEO knows you. You are just an intern there. Still? And you call your boss on first-name basis?" Again, she gave no answer. "Vicky is Swayam's cousin. How do you know the brother of your boss? That too, so well to say you love him?"

"Asking me these questions is not going to help you solve your case." She replied.

"Then how about you truthfully tell me where you were last night. I want to hear it from you."

"Home."

"Where's home?"

"Come on, you know where I work. Don't tell me you don't know where I live." She commented, judging whether to be disappointed or not. She had thought he was one of the Class A officers, smart and perfect in their approach.

"See Ms. Kriya, that's the thing I don't get. What past are you hiding that your whole life's case is kept confidential? By CIA themselves?"

She looked him right in the eye. "Officer, that's for you to find out."

Karan thought he saw a flash of shock pass through her and her face get pale. As he blinked, he saw her previous composure and doubted it to be his imagination.

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