13. The Cryptanalyst

The next day, James was called by Steve and informed that a cryptanalyst named Jeffery Francis would be joining me to assist me in my case and he was an expert in solving ciphers.

James was eagerly waiting for the arrival of Jeffery Francis. While waiting, he was trying to solve the clues found at the place of Angelina’s murder.

Clock inside a mirror will show the time as 3 hours 40 minutes.

This meant that the time would be 12.00-3.40=8.20. It might be 8:20 AM/PM. And, that would be on a prime day, means it could be either a week day or a prime number day. That’s when James noticed that the previous two murder dates were 3rd and 5th which were prime numbers. It could very well mean that the next prime number day would be the date chosen for his next murder by SOS.

While James was thinking all this, Jeffery Francis arrived at his home. Jeffery Francis, was six feet tall and he had a pointed nose, the one that reminded Sherlock Holmes to James. He didn’t sport a moustache, he had it well shaved. He looked to be a man with immense confidence.

He introduced himself to James and asked him about the case details. James explained about all his observations, inferences and the clues given by SOS. Jeffery told him that he needed a day’s time to work on those clues and left the place. James was worried that the media was giving an unnecessary hype over this SOS case so that the whole Chennai city was afraid of the serial killer. They had pressed the panic button in the city.

Press, especially the news channels, tries to make money with the hot burning issues which were made hot due to them.

News channel like Swim tone was running polls like:

Who will SOS’s next victim be?

A. Celebrity

B. Common man

C. Can’t say

Will police arrest SOS before his next murder?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Can’t say

James was hugely disappointed with this attitude of the press. But he couldn't help it. The next day there was a hearing for the case of DD handled by Rudran. Rudran was preparing for that case. James asked him the chapter on which he had to argue. It was the chapter ‘What is God?’ and ‘Non-Muslims in Islamic society’ which he was to argue and missed out due to his father’s death. James started to read the chapter ‘What is God?’ so that he may help out Rudran on it. He finished reading that chapter and the chapter next to that was ‘Non Muslims in Islamic society’