The inspector turned back. ‘What do you mean?

  ‘Jyoti. She is the younger of the two housemaids …’

  ‘I am aware …’ said the inspector, impatiently. ‘What exactly did you find suspicious about her behaviour?’

  ‘Yesterday when I was going to Esha’s room to talk about those balance sheet numbers, Jyoti was in the study room. She was standing outside Esha’s room with her ears almost glued to the door. As soon as she saw me, she started collecting plates from the table. I asked her to leave the room and do the housekeeping later. She acquiesced, left the plates on the table and started heading towards the exit while I went in Esha’s room.’

  The name had piqued inspector’s curiosity. He gazed intently.

  Pranav paused as if recollecting the moment. ‘When I was coming out of Esha’s room, she was still standing there. And then at once she left the room, as quickly as she could without looking back.’

  ‘That is strange.’ The inspector made a mental note of this statement. ‘Thank you, Mr Pranav. I will see you around.’ He turned and left the room.

  The trio walked into the living room. The inspector wiped imaginary sweat off his temples and said, ‘Phew! Your brother is one tough nut.’

  Rishabh offered him a fake smile. His mind was someplace else. It was quite unusual for Pranav to not question Rishabh and Arya’s involvement in what seemed to be more of an interrogation than discussion. He could think of two reasons. One was grief. The passing away of a dear one had made Pranav nonchalant to the presence of anybody else. Second was guilt. Perhaps, Pranav was suppressing some facts and so he was just focussing on keeping the secrets within him. Which one was it?

  The inspector reached into his pocket for his cell phone, looked into it and gave a sigh of exasperation. ‘Battery is dead. Once again.’ He pointed towards the phone near the television cabinet and said, ‘Does that work?’

  ‘It sure does,’ Rishabh replied confidently.

  ‘I have to call Navpreet. We are supposed to meet the owner of the Bailey’s disc at one. Then, I must deal with two other cases, one with sheep being stolen from the Gaddi woman up in the hills. The other one is the case with equipment being stolen from the Agricultural University.’ There was another sigh.

  Rishabh cast a see-I-told-you glance towards Arya, referring to his doubts about the amount of time the inspector would dedicate to this case, while asserting that joining hands with him was a good idea.

  ‘What time is it?’

  ‘Almost half past eleven,’ Rishabh replied.

  ‘So I have one and a half hours approximately. That will do I guess. I can manage three people in this duration. Can we use your room, Rishabh?’

  ‘Sure, be my guest.’

  ‘Arya, would you mind calling Jyoti. I would like to have a chat with her.’

  Arya nodded and walked towards the kitchen. The inspector moved towards the telephone.

  The inspector turned abruptly. ‘Arya … If you could also ask Naina and Meera to be ready? Half an hour slots. Others, I will tackle in the night before heading home.’ The inspector started punching in the numbers on the telephone. The notes the inspector took ran as follows.

  Pranav’s relationship with victim – strained. Jyoti, suspicious movements. Why wouldn’t she move away from the door. Something else is going on here.

  Chapter VIII

  The Pool of Tears

  The inspector played the different techniques he could employ to handle Jyoti in his mind. He had two lines of attack; one was through the expensive piece of shopping she had done at Solan, and the other about the last evening when she went snooping near Esha’s room. But, he was not going to confront her directly. The idea was to scare the truth out of the young housemaid. He did this twice every day in the police station. Fear was his ally.

  With a little help from Rishabh, the inspector had converted his room into an interrogation room. Four chairs with a small coffee table at the centre was placed right in front of the window. The room was blazing with winter sunlight and tiny worm-like particles could be seen against the rays, floating in midair. The variety of glass items sparkled from all the corners like secondary sources of light.

  I must squeeze a confession out of her, the inspector thought, biting his lip.

  Arya walked in through the open door and occupied the chair to the right of the inspector, leaving the one in front of the inspector empty. When Jyoti finally appeared, Inspector Rashid gave a sadistic grin and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.

  Jyoti slowly approached the empty chair, while the inspector studied her through his narrow eyes. She was almost thirty, brown-skinned with hair tightly tied back to make it look straight, which it definitely wasn’t. She was wearing a yellow sari and there was a heavy gold chain around her neck. It wasn’t imitation jewellery. She even had a hint of makeup on her face. The inspector eyed her with curiosity, the obvious question – Does someone apply makeup after murdering in cold blood? Perhaps a shrewd opportunist does …

  ‘Jyoti, please sit here,’ the inspector said, pointing towards the chair.

  Once she was seated, the inspector shuffled through his notes – his head down. No one said anything for the next two or three minutes.

  Silence causes an urge to talk. An urge to talk could transform into an urge to confess. Basics of Interrogation.

  ‘I have not murdered Esha madam,’ Jyoti said desperately. ‘I swear on my dead mother. You must believe me.’

  ‘I never said you have,’ the inspector said tonelessly. More silence followed.

  ‘You know … I was watching this thing on Discovery channel last week,’ the inspector turned towards Rishabh. ‘Amazing stuff … the honey badger versus the King Cobra. This badger fellow, he weighs about ten kilograms and his head rises about thirty centimetres above the ground. And then there is the cobra. Five metres long and a venom so poisonous, it can strike down a full-grown elephant with a single bite. No one confronts a cobra … But this small fella, the honey badger is afraid of nobody. The snake hisses and bites but it doesn’t scare the badger. The snake goes into the hole and the badger waits; the snake hides in the shrubs and the badger pokes it from behind, and when the snake climbs up a tree, the badger follows it relentlessly and finally,’ the inspector turned, his piercing eyes riveted on Jyoti, ‘the badger gets hold of the snake’s head … and bites it off.’

  Indirect intimidation. Another interrogation classic.

  Jyoti’s face had lost all its colour. She looked at the inspector incredulously, her heart beating like a drumroll. In the silence that seemed like an eternity to her, the inspector kept shuffling through his notes. Finally, he said, ‘I am getting bored here in Palampur. I am seriously considering moving to Solan. But, then you need to first have a place to live there. Now how do I’ – the inspector stopped and turned curiously towards Jyoti. ‘You will be able to help me with this house situation … won’t you?’

  ‘I … How will I …’ Jyoti replied breathlessly.

  ‘You should be knowing that stuff,’ said the inspector slyly. ‘I heard your brother has bought a three bedroom flat in Solan. Before he goes and buys a flat, I’d assume he’d consult his big sister.’

  ‘He … is just a caretaker there,’ Jyoti said, nervously.

  ‘I see … What was I thinking? Whoosh!’ the inspector chuckled at his apparent mistake and tapped his fingers on his temple. ‘He must be taking care of the house while the wealthy owner might be living somewhere else … Correct?’

  ‘Yes … The house belongs to Akhil Shah. He is …’

  ‘Paaaah.’ The inspector burst out laughing. ‘Yeah … what was I thinking …’

  ‘He is a businessman …’

  ‘SHUT UP YOU SCOUNDREL,’ roared the inspector. ‘You think, you can sit here and lie to my face?’ The inspector was at the edge of his seat, his eyes bulging out as he wagged his index finger at Jyoti.

  Jyoti let out a short wail. Her chair slid back a few inches. ‘I am – I am – I am not lying.’

  The brothers watched, bewildered by the inspector’s sudden change of demeanour. Jyoti’s face had turned white with fear. She started sobbing. Immediately, as if someone had opened the tap to a reservoir.

  The inspector settled back in his chair, his eyes glowing red with anger. ‘Do not play the farce of the wrongly accused. I have done my research before coming here. The flat belonged to Mr R Satish, the famous Telugu singer. He has a summer house here in Palampur and you were a live-in housekeeper-cum-caretaker there. And somehow his flat in Solan now belongs to you. Isn’t it a bit strange? I want an explanation and I want it right away.’

  ‘It was a gift from Mr Satish. Honest to God, sir. He has a very big heart. You can call him and confirm. He is in Palampur right now. I can give you his number?’

  ‘No that won’t be necessary,’ the inspector declared. He decided not to press any more. The initial scare had worked, and he could see tears rolling down her eyes at a constant pace.

  ‘Jyoti, more often than not people have found you standing by a door. They tend to believe eavesdropping is your favourite pastime. Is that true?’

  Jyoti was staring at the inspector with her mouth agape like a batsman eying the umpire after a wrong decision. For a moment her crying stopped. ‘No sir. Please believe me. It is totally a matter of coincidence that people have seen me outside doors. It is because I am a housemaid and it is my duty to keep the house clean and provide for the people here.’ She started sobbing again. ‘And believe me sir, I am trying to do only that. I am trying my best. Believe me.’

  She wiped her tears with the loose end of the sari.

  ‘Tell me about your movements yesterday from about 4.30 pm.’

  ‘I served tea to Mr Anubhav, he was watching television in the living room. Then I went to Mr Dhruv to give him his tea. We had a small chat and …’

  ‘What did you two talk about?’

  ‘Mostly about Solan. He used to live there in the nineties and as you know now I have some experience about Solan too.’

  ‘Fine. What did you do then?’

  ‘A little after five, I left his room and went to collect the plates from the study room. There was a meeting in the afternoon and all the plates were just lying there. It was while I was collecting the plates there that Pranav sahib walked in. He asked me to leave and collect the plates later.’

  ‘So you left?’

  ‘Yes, I did. But then I remembered that I forgot my handkerchief there. Just when I reached there, Pranav sahib walked out.’

  ‘What did you do then?’

  ‘We left the study room together and Pranav sahib went to his room. I went straight to the kitchen and prepared coffee for Miss Esha and at about 5.30 I went to Esha madam’s room and then …’

  She started sobbing hysterically. The inspector was feeling irritated; it was the same kind of irritation a person felt when there is food stuck between his teeth and repeated attempts to get rid of it fails.

  ‘Did you touch anything?’

  ‘No sir. I didn’t.’ The sobbing continued.

  ‘That’s enough from you. Can you send in Miss Naina? Thank you.’ The inspector rushed through the words and busied himself taking notes. Jyoti was still sobbing as she pulled herself up. She turned and headed for the door. The inspector had a few more questions to ask but he simply couldn’t stand the moaning and the crying anymore.

  ‘Jyoti,’ the inspector roared.

  Jyoti turned. ‘Yes.’ The tears were wiped off, and her eyes glowed with excitement, like a runner nearing the victory lap. The act was complete, or so she thought.

  With his brows furrowed, the inspector said, ‘You know Jyoti, even the most poisonous cobra should be wary of the honey badger.’ He asked her to leave with an imperious wave.

  The glow in her eyes disappeared instantly, she turned and left the room.

  ‘She lied to us all the way,’ the inspector said irritably.

  ‘What makes you think that?’ Rishabh inquired.

  ‘Experience, my friend. No superstar, however big a heart they have, gifts a flat to a housekeeper.’

  ‘I bet he has something to hide,’ Rishabh said.

  ‘Maybe … but I still need a confirmation. Perhaps I will meet this big-hearted superstar sometime tomorrow.’

  There was a moment of silence as Rishabh ran the facts in his head.

  ‘Inspector,’ said Rishabh politely. ‘You think Mr Satish has something to hide and he gave away his expensive flat to safeguard this secret?’

  ‘Yes, it is probable.’

  ‘If he is indeed hiding something, do you think he will open up to you, a police inspector?’

  ‘Hmm! You make a very good point Rishabh. If he is withholding a secret and its importance is in proportion to the flat he donated, surely he will not talk to me.’

  ‘May I suggest an alternative?’ Rishabh asked, a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘Will it be totally improper if Arya and I pay him a visit?’

  ‘I don’t see any downside to this.’ The Inspector looked down into his notebook and thought – The chances of him opening up in front of two grieving brothers is higher.

  His note from the interrogation was:

  Jyoti – lying through her teeth.

  Confirmation required from Mr Satish.

  Would an industrialist chit-chat with a housekeeper for twenty minutes?

  Chapter IX

  The Charming Accountant

  The door opened and Naina walked in. She was lean and graceful, her long black hair, tipped with golden streaks, floated in waves till her midriff. Her sharp nose and mascara-coated lashes accentuated her allure and her tight blue top accentuated her firm body.

  ‘Hello …’ She almost whispered. Her voice soft yet clear like a small silver bell. The inspector almost rose to offer her the chair.

  ‘Thank you, Miss Naina for coming in,’ the inspector smiled, something Rishabh and Arya saw for the very first time.

  ‘It is not a problem at all. This setup Mr Inspector,’ she smiled, ‘looks exactly like an employment interview. Three people staring at a nervous candidate while she rummages her brain for a pre-rehearsed answer. It is actually quite intimidating.’ She smiled like an air hostess welcoming the passengers on board.

  ‘Are you feeling intimidated, Miss Naina?’ the inspector shot his first question.

  ‘No,’ she smirked. ‘Why should I be? Interviews are dicey affairs. Most of the time, the interviewing panel is not even sure what they are looking for. I have given a lot of interviews; it is all about packaging the answer in a way that the interviewer likes you.’

  The inspector gave his own version of the air hostess smile. ‘It is not an employment interview. This is a very serious matter. And I wouldn’t care for your packaged answers either. All I want is the truth. Do I make myself clear, Miss Naina?’

  ‘Sure. You can call me Naina, inspector,’ she said confidently.

  ‘Thank you. Before we get started Naina, could you just tell me a little bit about yourself.’

  ‘Of course. But before I do so, let me just tell you – this is exactly the question an employer starts an interview with,’ she gave an I-told-you-so smile. The inspector wasn’t amused.

  ‘Naina, I don’t have all day.’ The calmness in his voice had disappeared.

  ‘Sorry,’ she started coolly. ‘Well … my name is Naina Banerjee. I was born and brought up in Lucknow. My father works for a bank and my mother is a housewife. I did my graduation from Shree Ram College of Commerce in New Delhi post which I worked with an accounting firm for a year. It was getting boring and I was looking for a fresh challenge. Arora Cements had an opening and the pay was good. Life at a hill station made the opportunity more inviting. Mr Pranav interviewed me and I was selected. One year down the line, I am here … sitting with you all.’

  In her introduction, she skimmed through a few important traits of her personality. She was hyper competitive and very ambitious in nature. When T. Lakshmi scored more than her in a Taxation and Finance test, she slipped sleeping pills in her fruit juice before the main exam. When the same girl bagged the highest package, she decided to sleep with the placement co-ordinator who promised her big things. She did see big things … but they weren’t exactly the big things she had gone looking for.

  ‘How does your boss treat you?

  ‘He is great,’ she said, flashing her cute air hostess smile. The fleeting image of Pranav peeking down her blouse crossed her mind. ‘He gives me a lot of attention and allows me to take ownership of my work.’

  ‘How about Miss Esha?’

  ‘She was a very talented woman. My interactions with her were quite limited. But, I didn’t like her much.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’ the inspector asked, surprised at her candour.

  ‘Nothing personal,’ she replied plainly. ‘Arora Cements made a few losses and she decided to sell it off. Her lack of courage …’

  Rishabh interrupted anxiously. ‘How did you know Esha wanted to sell the company?’

  ‘I am not an idiot, Mr Rishabh … Mr Dhruv is here … I am consolidating the financial reports … of course the company is being sold,’ she replied sharply. ‘Moreover, your brother told me this way back.’

  ‘Sorry, am I missing something here?’ the inspector enquired.

  ‘There was a secret ballot,’ Rishabh explained. ‘Even if I were to believe Pranav told you that, there was no way for him to know which side Esha voted.’

  ‘There is a way.’ Naina smiled. ‘As you know, the ordinary board members, I mean those who don’t belong to the family, like Mr Anubhav and the five others – their votes have a power of one. Your, Rashmi and Pranav’s votes are equivalent of two votes of an ordinary board member, and Esha’s vote was equivalent to three. The idea to not sell the company got only six votes. Pranav was in this category. Without any doubt, Rashmi voted in the same category as well. That makes four votes in total. Now if Esha would have voted in this category, then Pranav’s side would have amassed seven votes, which it didn’t.’

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22