Murder under a red moon, p.19
Murder Under a Red Moon, page 19
A dog with a litter of pups swarming around her gave a mournful howl from outside the window. Anandi jumped.
Narsamma cackled. ‘The old bitch agrees with us! It was a male who got her into this mess.’
Everyone laughed, but uncertainly. Not for the first time since meeting Mala, Kaveri felt a deep sense of discomfort with herself. She tried hard, but feared she found she could not understand how different the lives of these women were from her own, relatively well-ordered ways of living, with societal structures that kept women like her safe. She had never had to fear going hungry or thirsty or worry about the ever-present danger to her body or mind posed by strangers, which women like Mala had experienced from an early age. Kaveri wished with all her heart that she could find a safe shelter for women like them, a place where they could be free to live and breathe with comfort, and just be themselves.
Mrs Ismail passed a plate of Mysore paak to Anandi, who continued her story, looking around at the women as she spoke. ‘I sleep in the maid’s room, which is at the end of the corridor near the drawing room. The very first night, I was half asleep when I heard a noise. It took me a while to realise what it was. Someone had opened the windows in the drawing room.’
Anandi looked around the room, holding everyone’s eyes. ‘I opened the door and tiptoed down the corridor, peering into the room. I saw a dim figure, only faintly visible in the light from the street lamp outside, wearing a large, loose shirt, pants and cap – all black.’
‘And then?’ Narsamma’s eyes were large and rounded.
‘The person turned around, and I felt scared, so I ran back on my tiptoes to my room and closed the door,’ Anandi continued. ‘I was lucky, for I managed to reach my room without making any noise, and I don’t think the person realised I saw him. The branches of the tree outside the window rustled, followed by a heavy thump, as though someone had jumped onto the road wearing heavy boots. After a short while, I came out of the room and found the window ajar and swinging in the wind, but there was nobody there. I waited for a while, but then worried that I would be seen, and returned to my room. Then…’ Anandi paused dramatically before she continued, ‘Then I felt thirsty, and drank a glass of water. Immediately after that I felt very sleepy. I closed my eyes, only planning to sleep for a short while. When I woke up, it was morning, and the window was closed.’
‘Somebody drugged the water?’ Mrs Ismail looked at Anandi.
‘My mother-in-law told me that Shanthi and Chitra had been given sleeping draughts by their doctor. Perhaps they slipped one of those in your water,’ Kaveri said.
‘Maybe. I made a very stupid mistake. The next morning, I raised the issue with both my mistresses. I told them that I’d had a really bad dream the previous night, that I’d heard someone’s footsteps in the night in my dreams and thought there was a thief – and I was very relieved to wake up in the morning to see that the house was safe, and no robber, no dacoit, had entered.’
‘And?’
‘Neither of them said anything. They looked at me with impassive faces, and I could not read their expressions. But ever since I told them this, I find that I am also bolted into my bedroom at night. Someone comes and unbolts it early in the morning, but I am too scared to open the door and see who it is.’
Mrs Ismail looked across the room at Anandi. ‘Be very careful, Anandi. Don’t drink the water again, if you think they may be putting something in it to make you sleepy. You might find yourself addicted. My husband says that that there are a number of addicts in Bangalore, addicted to all kinds of stimulants.’
‘After that night, I haven’t drunk the water,’ Anandi reassured her. ‘I pour the water out onto a tree before I go to bed, and pretend to be fast asleep. Every night, I hear the sound of someone stopping outside my door, and their heavy breathing as they listen for sounds in my room. I stay still and pretend to be asleep. The person then bolts me in, and I hear them moving around in the drawing room. After a while, I hear the window being opened, and someone jumping down onto the street below. I have been too scared to mention it again to either of my two mistresses. I can tomorrow, if you want me to.’
‘No, Anandi, you must be careful,’ Kaveri warned her. ‘There is a ruthless killer who has already committed one murder. We do not know whether they would hesitate to commit a second, if it comes to that.’
‘Perhaps I should ask my husband to station a policeman outside the house,’ Mrs Ismail suggested.
‘No,’ Kaveri said immediately. ‘The constables are too conspicuous. Someone will see them and talk – the beggars on the street, the vendors… someone, and then word will spread, and the person who is sneaking out will know we are onto them.’
She turned to Anandi, remembering something. ‘But Anandi, how did the person you saw jump from the tree to the wall? When I went to the Sharma home, I saw that the wall was protected by sharp glass pieces embedded along its length.’
Anandi nodded. ‘I checked that spot the next day, pretending to be dusting the window as I looked out. There is a tiny spot to the left of the window, just below the tree. There, three of the glass shards have been neatly removed from the concrete where they were embedded, and placed back onto the wall. You can see that they are loose, and can be removed – but only if you look carefully.’
The clock chimed, and Anandi jumped. ‘Eleven already! I must leave.’
‘What do you plan to do, Kaveri?’ Uma aunty asked.
‘I will think of something,’ Kaveri told her. She was sick of resting in bed, and was itching to get back to the case. She planned to stand watch herself that night, outside the window, disguised in a man’s clothes. There was no point telling the women, who would only attempt to dissuade her. They would not understand how suffocated she was beginning to feel, with Venu and Mala checking in on her hourly, and Ramu, Bhargavi and Rajamma fussing over her as though she was an invalid. So she sat quietly, listening to the women exchange farewells as they left, plotting what she would wear that night.
27 A Midnight Escapade
‘Absolutely not!’ Ramu’s voice was forceful as she explained her plan to him over lunch.
Kaveri looked at him. ‘I will dress up as a man, you will be with me and we will hide in the shadows. What is there to fear?’
Ramu groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘It is not safe, Kaveri. You almost got killed a few days ago because someone tried to sabotage your car, and now you want to risk your life again?’
‘We have to solve this murder fast,’ Kaveri said, looking into his eyes. ‘Don’t you see? The next time, and I’m sure there will be a next time, I may not be so lucky as to escape unscathed. We need to find out who is behind all this – the embezzlement, the murder of Mr Sharma, the attack on me – and put them in jail.’
‘Why don’t you just ask Ismail to pull the lot of them in for questioning again? Kumar, Mrs Sharma and Chitra. A few days in the lock-up and they’ll be falling over themselves to tell him who planned the attack on you.’
‘They’re too well connected, and we have no evidence against them,’ Kaveri argued. ‘You know as well as I do that even if Inspector Ismail does manage to put them in jail, Shanthi and Chitra will be out in less than an hour. Soon after, the Inspector will be out of a job. The only one left in jail will be poor Kumar, and he may or may not be the real innocent here. All we will achieve is to drive their activities further into the shadows and then we’ll keep living in danger, always wondering where the next threat may be coming from.’ She gave Ramu a pleading look. ‘I cannot live like this.’
‘Why can’t you stay at home while I stand watch with Venu?’ Ramu started to say, then stopped himself, looking at Kaveri. ‘That won’t work, will it? What am I to do with you, Kaveri? You are a stubborn woman, and a curse and a plague on my life.’ But he said it softly, placing his hands on hers.
She gave a little squeal of delight. ‘Then you will come with me?’
Ramu gave her fingers a little shake, still holding them tightly. ‘What choice do I have? If I say no, I am sure you will do it anyway as soon as my back is turned. This way, at least, I can keep an eye on you. But what will we do about my mother? She will want to know where we are going at night, and may tell Shanthi.’
‘I have an idea.’ Kaveri looked at Ramu a trifle hesitantly. ‘I have already organised it in fact. Unless you object.’
‘What is it?’
‘I asked Uma aunty to stay back after the women’s meeting, and told her of my predicament, asking if she could think of some way to keep Bhargavi athe preoccupied. It turns out that she knows just the thing! Her sister-in-law’s daughter is getting married, and she had been asking Uma aunty to come over for a couple of days and help her with the shopping, writing of invitations, and the other last minute details that need to be done. Uma aunty asked Bhargavi athe if she would be willing to go along with her and help. Athe jumped at the idea. You know, I think she is really looking for things to do. We need to give her an occupation, something she can do where she feels useful.’
Seeing Ramu sit silently, Kaveri paused, giving him a look of appeal. ‘Are you annoyed with me, for plotting to send your mother away?’
Ramu got up, pacing up and down. ‘Ever since my father died, my mother has been withdrawn, anxious, on edge. I scolded her for going to the ashram, but what else did I offer as an alternative? Perhaps that made her feel valued, a part of a community, where she introduced other wealthy women to the Swami and thought she was contributing to a larger cause. Now that my sister and I are both married, and don’t need her as we used to, she must feel there is a void in her life.’
He sat down next to her again, putting an arm around her. ‘No, Kaveri, how can I be annoyed with you? I should have thought of this myself. And it will be good to have the house to ourselves for a couple of days.’ He smiled, a boyish grin that lit up his face, caressing her shoulder as she blushed.
‘You know,’ Kaveri dropped her voice to a whisper, moving closer to him, even though she knew Bhargavi was not in hearing range, ‘I saw Bhargavi athe playing with Putta, and taking him for a walk. Putta has some new toys this week, including a small wooden horse that has become his new favourite chewing toy. I suspect she has been secretly buying him things to play with, though she will never admit it.’
‘So, Putta has worked his magic on her! My mother, who I thought was anti-dogs for life, seems to be re-thinking her attitude towards pets.’ Ramu rubbed his hands in glee. Kaveri looked at him, lounging in his elegantly cut suit against the sofa, and jumped up. ‘We need to organise men’s clothes – not just for me, but for both of us. Your clothes are too well cut – if you walk around at night dressed like this, you will attract the wrong kind of attention, from thieves and scoundrels.’
She hurried through the kitchen to the courtyard behind, calling out, ‘Rajamma! Rajamma, can you rush home and bring us two pairs of your husband’s oldest clothes?’
* * *
‘Cheee!’ Later that night, Kaveri wrinkled her nose in disgust, trying to hold the soiled shirt she wore as far away from her nose as possible.
She could see a flash of white teeth in the dark as Ramu grinned at her, pulling her close and whispering, ‘Rajamma’s husband must have gone on a drinking spree.’
‘How can you bear the stench?’ Kaveri whispered.
Ramu shrugged, pulling her away from a stray dog sleeping on the pavement. ‘I am used to this, Kaveri. I see drunks all the time in the hospital.’
They stopped at a safe distance outside the Sharma house, near the large Garuda motif gates. A man stood next to a small cart piled high with crumpled clothes at the side of the gate. He was opening a large istri, an ironing box, and placing lit coals inside.
Kaveri looked up and down the street. No one else was there. They weaved to and fro like two drunk men as they passed the man with the istri, who paid them no attention.
They settled down near a tree, where the istri man could not see them. The light of the moon filtered out faintly.
‘That’s the spot where the tree reaches the window.’ Kaveri pointed. ‘That must be the section of the wall where the person climbs down.’
The istri man ironed five saris, yawning loudly, before he pushed the cart away, done for the night. Kaveri’s eyes felt heavy, and she closed them for a second.
Ramu pressed her head onto his shoulder.
‘Sleep. I’ll keep watch and wake you.’
But just as she made herself comfortable, they heard a rustle of branches. Kaveri squinted, unable to see clearly in the dark. Was that an indistinct figure climbing down the tree?
The figure carefully levered itself onto the wall, removing a set of glass pieces and keeping them to the side, then looking around onto the road. Ramu and Kaveri shrank back into the shadows.
The figure squatted, then jumped onto the road, landing on their feet. The light of a street lamp fell on the person, silhouetting their figure.
‘That’s not a man,’ Kaveri whispered, leaning close to Ramu and speaking directly into his ear. ‘It’s a woman. But is it Chitra, or Shanthi?’
They looked at the figure closely, but at that distance, and in the low light from the street lamp, it was impossible to make out. The figure moved closer to them, and Ramu pulled Kaveri up from the pavement, whispering, ‘Let’s move ahead of her, otherwise she’ll suspect we are following her.’
He broke into a drunken warble, singing an old Kannada song tunelessly in a high falsetto, as he pulled Kaveri along with him, casting a quick glance at the road behind as he sang. The person was moving in their direction, staying in the shadows and keeping behind.
Ramu stopped suddenly, letting out a violent series of oaths. ‘My shoe,’ he said loudly, dropping to the ground. ‘It’s broken.’
He squatted on the side of the road, pretending to squint at his shoes, pulling Kaveri down with him. The figure hesitated, then moved forward past them, breaking into a run.
Ramu waited for a second, slipping off his shoes. Kaveri did the same.
‘Quick, let’s follow.’ The two of them ran, noiseless in bare feet, keeping a few yards behind the figure. But when they reached the corner of the road, they stopped, looking around in confusion.
The narrow, unlit section of the road opened into a larger intersection of four roads. They could not see the person anywhere.
Kaveri went in one direction, while Ramu sped down another. In a second they were both back gasping for breath. They looked at each other, then in unspoken accord, reached for each other’s hands, running down the last road together.
Nobody was in sight. Only the dark streets, illuminated in spots by patches of light from the street lamps, and an occasional street dog. In the distance, a large bandicoot darted across the road, dragging a piece of meat in its mouth. Kaveri shivered.
Ramu took her by the elbow. ‘Let’s go home,’ he said. ‘We can come back tomorrow and find out what buildings lie in this area.’
‘We need to talk to Inspector Ismail,’ Kaveri said. ‘We can go straight to the police station tomorrow. There we can speak to him in private.’
Ramu shook his head. ‘Too many people can overhear our conversation there. You have already got the murderer agitated because of your investigations, and there has been one attempt on your life. I’ll go to the police station tomorrow morning and ask Ismail to come home, to speak to you in private so we can ensure no one else overhears.’
‘You can’t always protect me like this,’ Kaveri argued.
‘Don’t fight me on this, Kaveri. You are too precious to me to lose.’ Ramu’s voice was hoarse with fear.
28 Through the Coconut Grove
‘Shanthi and Chitra are about the same height. It could be either of them,’ Ramu said, looking at Ismail as they sat on the sofa the following morning. Ismail had come to their house as soon as he’d received Ramu’s note. ‘We thought a man was sneaking into the house to meet one of the two women. Instead, one of them seems to be sneaking out to meet someone.’
Mala and Venu looked at them from across the room, having come in as they did every morning since the accident, to check on Kaveri. Even though she had tried to reassure them that she was now fine, they had refused to stay away.
‘But I still think it is Shanthi,’ Kaveri insisted. ‘Chitra has a bad leg, remember?’ She looked at the two men, and held up her hand. ‘I know, I know, you are going to tell me that she may be faking it. But I don’t think so.’
‘The fact that Shanthi is forcing Chitra to marry Kumar is really bothering you, isn’t it?’ Ramu said gently. ‘But that doesn’t automatically mean that Shanthi is the murderer, or the one sneaking out.’
Kaveri swallowed a lump in her throat. Ramu usually agreed with her. Why was he being so difficult all of a sudden?
‘You forget what Inspector Ismail said,’ she retorted, pointing to the large policeman. ‘Shanthi even asked her lawyer if there was any way in which she could overturn her husband’s will to gain control of the entire factory and its operations. She is a scheming sort of woman. Chitra told me she suspects that Shanthi and Kumar are having an affair. Is Shanthi sneaking out to meet Kumar?’
‘If it is Shanthi who is sneaking out, Kaveri,’ Ramu remonstrated.
Kaveri sat up a bit straighter, and gave him a small glare.
Ismail looked from one to the other, and cleared his throat, before stating diplomatically, ‘Where did the woman go when she disappeared? That may tell us something.’ He reached into his capacious pocket, pulling out a folded map, creased and wrinkled from use.
Ramu and Kaveri pulled their chairs closer, opening the map and laying it flat on the table in front of them. Ramu patted Kaveri’s hand pacifically, watching her closely. She swallowed the little lump in her throat again, and gave him a small reluctant smile. Perhaps he did have a point. She should keep an open mind, as a detective’s dharma dictated.
