"We could start with habits, I guess. Anything that could help us predict where your son might go next or who he might target."

Mrs Prasad rubbed her chin in thought. I could picture the gears turning in her head as she brought up memories from times long past to give us something, anything as a lead for our investigation.

"Well... I think I might have told you this before, but my ancestors used to eat other people. That's a stereotype our generation is trying to avoid. But, if I had to suggest something... Hm. I remember my grandfather telling me stories about how his grandfather had hunted. Isolated his victims, usually just the one person. They never targeted sick or the elderly, something about their meat not tasting good or being worth the risk."

She wrung her hands together as she talked, clearly nervous about the subject matter we were discussing. But it was pertinent information. If anything could lead us to Benjamin, it would be his mother. Or at least so we hoped.

"I...just want my son back, detectives. I don't want to talk about him like he's some sort of monster. He's my son!"

"I know, Mrs Prasad. We're doing our best to get him back. It's why we have to ask you these questions. I know it's difficult, but we need as much help as we can get to find him."

Evelyn spoke softly and I watched as she reached over to put a hand on top of Chandri's and gave it a reassuring pat. Mrs Prasad nodded to Evelyn, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"I understand, detectives. It's just that all of this is very hard on me and my husband. We want our son back. That's all."

She sighed and her hands went back into her lap, worriedly wringing her fingers together and fiddling with a gold ring on her left ring finger.

"I get that, Mrs Prasad. I do. Is there anything else you want to tell us about rakshasa that might help in locating your son?"

She paused for a moment, brow furrowed in thought. Then she shook her head, affixing us with an apologetic look.

"Not really, no. I'm sorry, detectives. A lot of what we rakshasa used to do just doesn't really apply to the modern day any more. I wish I could help you."

I exchanged glances with Evelyn and she nodded to me. Then I turned back to Chandri and leaned forward a little, elbows on my knees.

"It's alright, Mrs Prasad. You've already given us a lot. We'll continue our investigation with what you've given us. Thank you very much for your time."

Evelyn and I stood up to leave, but Mrs Prasad stopped us with her hands on our forearms. At first I thought she was going to ask us to find her son again, but...

"Wait, detectives! At least let me compensate you for your time and effort. Can I convince you to stay for lunch?"

And now I felt like I was some sort of fortune teller. I nudged Evelyn in the side and inclined my head to Mrs Prasad.

"Well we were a little interested in what exactly smelled so good from outside. I was just telling Evelyn here that it was making my belly grumble at me. Think we have some time for a quick bite?"

"Since you insist, Daniel. I was getting a little peckish anyway."

Lunch was probably some of the nicest Indian food I've ever had. And not like the generic curries they served in those dime-a-dozen places on Park Avenue South. This was authentic home cooking. Mutton tandoori with rice? I could've fallen asleep after that meal. We thanked Mrs Prasad for her generosity and kindness and left. After all, we had work to do.

The next stop on our to-do list was Connie's library, once again. Despite the help we'd gotten, consulting someone that was more in tune with history in general would do us better. I pulled my bike up in front of the Red Brick Library and killed the engine as Evelyn stepped off and got alongside me. We walked to the door and I gave it a firm knock, waiting to hear those familiar footsteps ambling up to greet us.

Connie answered the door not a few moments later, greeting us with a warm smile.

"Detectives! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"

I gave Connie a smile back as I extended a hand for her to shake, which she reciprocated warmly while holding the door open for us to step in.

"Connie. We're here to get a bit more reading material for our case. We still need more understanding about what rakshasa are and how they hunt if we're going to find our perp."

"Well come in, come in! No use standing out in the cold like that."

I let Evelyn enter first, following right after her. Not a few moments later, we were seated in the librarian's study, a pot of piping hot tea on the table and cups set in front of us. Connie came in after we took our seats, placing a few books and manila binders on the table.

"Right. This is all the research work I have on rakshasa. I've compiled it over the last week and a half, give or take. I'm not sure how much of it you need, but it's all here. Shall I leave you two to it, or do you require my assistance?"

Evelyn glanced at me, then shook her head as she gave Connie a warm smile.

"No need, Miss Gelson. I think we'll be able to do this on our own."

Oh how wrong we were. The amount of paperwork, research material, books and historical texts here could've taken us weeks to go through! There was just so much of it, I felt like I was in high school again, prepping for exams that I knew I couldn't pass. I set down a large tome and ran a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Evey, are you getting anywhere with all this? It's like I'm searching for a needle in a haystack here."

"I'm trying my best, Dan. I'm not exactly sure what we should be looking for."

"We're trying to find anything that might clue us in on Benjamin's whereabouts right now. Hunting habits, behaviours, stuff like that."

Evelyn put down a manila folder full of papers and sighed. I could tell she was just as frustrated as I was, maybe even more.

"I don't know, Dan. It's not like this has happened before. And now that we're neck deep in papers and information that I barely understand, I don't think we can learn much about how rakshasa behave like this. Much less one that's a young man like Benjamin."

"Right... Well this was a fuckin' waste of time then. Sorry, Evey."

"If I may barge in?" Connie's voice echoed from the break room behind us. That made my metaphorical and literal ears perk as she poked her head around the door frame so she could speak again.

"Sorry, detectives. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I thought I'd add my two cents, if that's okay."

I exchanged a look with Evelyn, who shrugged and gestured at me as if to say 'go ahead'. I turned back to Connie and nodded, giving her a thumbs up.

"Sure, go for it Connie."

"Right, well," Connie stepped out from around the wall, holding a glass of water in one hand and a sandwich in the other. "It sounds to me like you're trying to track down a hungry predator. Isolated and alone, separated from everything it's familiar with. If that's the case, then that means it's probably desperate. In need of food and shelter. Two primal urges that every predator satisfies every single day of its life, like how bears have dens and lions seek shade under trees."

I watched her pace around our table as she talked, seeming to be more and more absorbed in her brainstorming. Both Evelyn and I were observing, not so much dumbfounded as pleasantly surprised at how quickly Connie was putting things together.

Who was this woman?!

"So if I were you, I think I'd be watching places of interest to your culprit. Don't treat them as public spaces, more like hunting grounds. If he's running out of places to hunt, then that means he's most likely to strike in a spot where he knows he'll be able to get easy prey. How long did you say he'd been missing?"

"Uhh," I rubbed the back of my head. "About a week, almost a week and a half?"

"Then I'd say he'll be due to strike within the next day or two. Most predators I know can't go more than a week without food. Especially ones like rakshasa."

"Right, Connie. That's a great help. Just one question: how do you know all this?" I asked, affixing her with a puzzled look. She shrugged and had a bite of her sandwich.

"Lots of free time means I get to study a lot. And watch a lot of crime dramas. Not much to do here, really."

"Well you should sign up with the force. Put that brain of yours to good use." I said, giving Connie a little wry smile.

"Nah, no chance. I'm not good at the physical part. I'll stick to watching CSI and reruns of Murder She Wrote, thank you." Connie returned the smile with one of her own and a light giggle. I exchanged a look with Evelyn, then turned to Connie as I stood from my chair so I could shake her hand.

"I suppose then that our work here's done. Except the work wasn't done by us. Really shouldn't be wasting that investigative talent, Connie. Who knows? You might make it work for you one day."

She shook my hand warmly and smiled. "Sure, I'll consider it detectives. Thanks for coming by, even if you didn't get everything you wanted."

We both thanked Connie for her time and we walked to my bike to head back to the office. But as I hopped on and put my helmet on my head, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I suppressed a grumble and took my helmet off so I could answer.

"Hello?"

"Dan?"

"Oh hey LT. We were just heading back to the office. What's up?"

"Don't bother. Head for the Rusty Knot. We just got a 911 call from that location. It's Benjamin, he just attacked the bar."