The Murder Suspect

by Rani Ramakrishnan

  ‘I am alive. Enough reason to celebrate, I should think.’

  ‘Absolutely! You are luckier than Mr Piyush Gokhle, in any case.’

  ‘I refuse to comment on that.’

  ‘Or are you feasting yourself in honour of his demise?’

  ‘I think it’s a possibility.’

  ‘I agree.’

  How dense could this man be? Sarcasm evidently flew over his head. Or was he being irritating on purpose?

  ‘Piyush and you were close.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then why did you kill him?’

  Blood rushed out of my brain, sharp needles prickled my sensitive skin, and my voice trembled with shock. ‘Somebody killed him?’

  ‘Even after seeing his blood all over the hotel room, you assumed he died of natural causes?’

  ‘I did not think he was dead, damn it. Tell me, was he murdered?’

  ‘It is a possibility,’ he replied with the same sarcasm I had shown earlier.

  ‘I did not kill him.’

  ‘Why should we believe you?’

  ‘I had no reason to kill him.’

  ‘You had every opportunity. You were on the island with him. His room was right next to yours. You were one of the first people on the scene that day. You alerted the hotel. You steered the investigation away from him towards his brother-in-law. You manipulated everyone, and yet you claim innocence.’

  ‘All that is true, but why would I kill him? He was my best friend.’

  ‘Maybe you had a reason to murder him.’

  ‘Maybe you could tell me what that reason was.’

  ‘His untimely demise fits in your plan nicely.’

  ‘What plan is that?’

  ‘To defer IndeGen’s proposed initial public offering.’

  ‘What rubbish. Why would I want that? We are all thrilled about the IPO.’

  ‘But not so thrilled about your so-called best friend.’

  ‘What is that supposed to mean?’

  ‘Did you tell the board that it was time for Piyush Gokhle to step down? Did you tell them that he was no longer the best man for the job?’

  Realisation dawned on me, bringing with it great relief. ‘Yes,’ I replied confidently. Now I understood where all this was coming from. I felt at ease and in control for the first time that night. The tension and fear that had built up due to the accusation eased out gradually.

  ‘After he announced plans for the IPO to the world?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because he was not the best person for the job.’

  ‘He built the company from nothing to its current position. You are suggesting Piyush Gokhle was a bad leader. How could he become inadequate overnight? Who are you kidding here? Do you take me for a fool?’

  ‘He was an excellent leader. When he commanded, people followed blindly. I happened to be one of them myself.’

  ‘So how was this job beyond his abilities?’

  ‘Piyush was too close to the company.’

  ‘That is bad, according to you.’

  ‘Yes, it is bad sometimes.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, really!’ I was beaming now. My logic had convinced IndeGen’s board members who were staunchly loyal to Piyush. Making this CBI officer accept my perspective would be child’s play.

  ‘We need someone who is a professional CEO to run this company now—somebody who has transformed start-ups into giants. We are bringing outside stakeholders aboard with this IPO. They will demand returns and judge our credibility by how well we live up to their expectations. That can happen with objective choices and focus on the right product mix. It’s time for IndeGen to scale up. That would have been difficult under Piyush.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because he shares an emotional connect with the company. For him, IndeGen is... was a baby, his own baby. In reality, it’s no longer a baby! The company is moving from being one jumbo family into becoming a multiracial village with complex associations. It’s time for a professional to come in.’

  ‘I thought IndeGen was all about emotional connections.’

  ‘It is, but after the IPO it will compete on a bigger stage. The stakes are higher and so are opportunities. It’s not about compromising our present values. It is about absorbing new ones, and that can happen smoothly when we bring in someone who has been there and done that.’

  ‘Is that why you had to kill him—because he would not understand?’

  ‘I did not “have to kill him”, especially not for this.’

  ‘What other reason did you have to kill him?’ he said immediately.

  ‘That is what I am also trying to figure out.’

  ‘Keep acting over-smart like this and we can go on talking forever.’

  ‘What about bathroom breaks?’

  ‘Do I look like I am playing games here?’ he roared. ‘A man was murdered and you are the main accused. Do you understand?’

  ‘I understand that you think I killed Piyush.’

  ‘Correct.’

  ‘You only “think” that. You have no proof.’

  ‘I will get proof.’

  ‘By talking to me?’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Is “maybe” good enough?’

  ‘Stop being cheeky,’ he growled, his face inches from mine. ‘I was sitting and speaking to you politely because I thought you were an educated woman. ’

  ‘You are treating me worse than you would treat any lady, but you cannot lay a finger on me because you have no proof. ’

  ‘How dare you sit in my office talking back at me?’ He was furious. I could smell victory.

  ‘I offered to come tomorrow. You were the one who insisted on meeting me today before you had time to review all the facts...’

  ‘You wanted to throw your boss out. You are talking to a CBI official as though he is a street-side ruffian. I’d say, madam, you can do just about anything.’

  ‘I agree. I can do anything I set my mind to.’

  ‘So you murdered him.’

  ‘No, I had no need to.’

  ‘Why, was he willing to step down?’

  ‘He was upset, but he agreed to do it.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, he did.’

  ‘He told you?’

  ‘Before we left for our trip, on New Year’s Day, he emailed the board and marked a copy to me, stating that he was prepared to meet potential candidates who might replace him as CEO.’

  ‘I will need a copy of that mail.’

  ‘You will need a warrant to access the document.’

  ‘I will have one in the morning.’

  ‘Great. I want to help.’

  ‘Really.’

  ‘Yes, it is very important to me that you find his killer.’

  ‘Why is that?’

  ‘We were friends.’

  ‘What kind of friend goes behind his back and recommends that he should be sacked.’

  ‘I did nothing of the sort. He would have continued to be the chairman. Only the CEO would be new.’

  ‘Still, you are a traitor.’

  ‘He saw things differently.’

  ‘My colleague will take you home. You will have to come again when I have more questions.’

  I nodded and rose to leave.

  ◆◆◆

  The lady officer who had accompanied Choudhary dropped me home. She drove in silence. That suited me. I spent the time worrying if I had gone too far. Piyush would have been thrilled to hear us sparring. But I still had the nagging feeling that I had bitten off more than I could chew.

  So, Piyush had not died of natural causes. Pity. Things would have been easier had that been the case. But he had the habit of making things interesting. He strived for it every time. My worry was if matters were on course to becoming too interesting for my comfort. Within a matter of hours of taking over the case, the CBI had my grocery list. What else would they have by morning?

  Would they fin
d traces of my guilt or that of others? That thought troubled me the most.

  Chapter 10

  Alone at home later that night, I let memories of that last day with Piyush wash over me. He had planned the weekend just for me, including all the fun stuff I yearned for us to do together. Filled with unexpected surprises at every turn, the whole day had been idyllic.

  Right after bungee jumping, when we returned to the Jade Wing for breakfast we received our next surprise as soon as we entered its restaurant, a cosy affair that could seat twenty people. Even the resort owner’s boasts hadn’t prepared us for what we saw.

  The delicious, warm smell of freshly baked treats wafted from the buffet table to our right, and the tastefully decorated circular room offered a colourful feast for our eyes. But what took our breath away lay beyond the circular glass walls of the room: an exquisite waterfall streaming down a green hillside dotted with shrubs and flowering plants. The water cascaded into a pool at the base surrounded by smooth slippery rocks.

  Forgetting our hunger, driven by a different longing—an overpowering need to plunge into the pool and shower in the waterfall—we trooped outside, inhaled the fresh, misty air, and listened to the mild music of the waterfall. I was lost to the world within seconds. The gentle spray of water on my skin, the soothing sound of water falling fast and hard onto the rocks, the birds chirping away, the cool water making my toes tingle as I gently wet my feet in the clear pool—I was in heaven.

  Too soon, Piyush caught my elbow, gently dragged me out of the pool, and steered me towards a table. He drew a chair for me and forced me to sit. Chirag joined us and so did Devyani Shinde, our cyber security expert. Following our lead, the others too returned.

  While waiting for our orders, we raided the buffet table and helped ourselves to cereals, juices, fruit salads, and savouries. This by itself was much more than I normally ate. But when my bacon and eggs arrived, I found space for it along with toast and coffee. I felt fuller than I ever had in my life.

  I was busy tucking in when Chirag finished his meal. He excused himself and made rounds of all the tables to ensure that everyone had what they wanted. His actions made me smile. Our Chief People Person was on duty even when he was on holiday! Seeing him welcomed warmly at every table brought a strange sense of achievement, of having pulled off an impossible mission.

  ◆◆◆

  After the meal, much to our joy, Piyush informed us that we were heading to the beach. The journey was short and we arrived within a few minutes. The Jade Wing was visible from the beach. A tree-lined footpath wound its way from the resort to the shore. We could have hiked, but I was glad we chose the bus. I was done walking for the next few weeks.

  At the beach, a water skiing team welcomed us. When I spotted the boat and the skis lined up nearby, I forgot myself and let out a whoop of joy! The others laughed at my enthusiasm, but I didn’t care. I knew that this was just for me. I had been telling Piyush forever about my dream to water ski and was thrilled to discover that he remembered. I felt special.

  We had two boats at our disposal so Piyush divided us into two groups. This was to be an exercise in trust and bonding. One person would steer the boat, another would ski, and the others in the group would navigate. The team in which the maximum number of members skied for the full stretch would win. Piyush joined the team that had Chirag to help him.

  Everyone wore lifejackets, and we were accompanied by trained instructors. We did a few trial runs under their guidance, and by half past noon both teams were ready to compete. The competition lasted a full hour, and my enthusiasm rubbed off on my team. We won but only by a whisker. Chirag was the only one in the other team who lost balance and that too a few yards short of the finish mark.

  ◆◆◆

  Snorkelling that afternoon and our dinner together... everything was fresh in my mind. I strained my head to recall all the facts. Things had spiralled out of control after dinner, but had I missed any telltale signs? Memories of how Cy had thudded his way into my slumber and of Chirag’s blood-smeared room flooded my brain.

  We had assumed it was Chirag’s blood. Had it been Piyush’s? I shuddered to think how painful that could have been. I could not recall a knife or weapon of any sort in either Chirag’s or Piyush’s room. Did that mean he had been assaulted elsewhere?

  That was impossible. We had searched every part of the island. If such a place existed, somebody would have found it. The attack happened inside Chirag’s room. The assailant must have taken the weapon with him or her. How come nobody heard anything? The door had been open. Or had the attacker forgotten to close the door while leaving?

  I tortured myself with these unsettling thoughts for a while. Then my focus shifted to the mess I was in.

  What had the post-mortem thrown up? Assuming the CBI were right that Piyush was murdered, I knew I would be the prime suspect. I had proposed that the time was right for a new CEO—a controversial move that only the top management and the board had known about until a few hours ago. Now the CBI knew too. They also knew that my move had made him miserable.

  How long would it take for them to discover that we had been lovers? Had he killed me along with getting himself killed? The way everything was turning out, that appeared a real possibility.

  Life in jail—was that what I was staring at? That was too close to reality for comfort so I buried that idea in haste.

  If I had left the freaking connecting door unlocked that night, would he be alive? I hated that door now. He had told me about this clandestine arrangement at the resort when we were in bed on New Year’s Eve. I remembered every moment of that night. We had been in this very bedroom.

  ‘I need a drink,’ I had said, switching on the bedside lamp to hunt for a cigarette.

  ‘Do you have to smoke in bed?’ Piyush growled beside me.

  I found my cigarette and lit it. ‘Do you have to make a fuss every time?’

  ‘Okay, it’s New Year’s, so I won’t deny you a solitary cigarette. But it will kill you sooner than necessary, and I don’t want to lose you, darling,’ he muttered, snuggling closer, his hands roving downwards while he rained kisses across my bare shoulders.

  Blowing him a kiss, I snorted. ‘I am not dying anytime soon. Besides, I will outlive you, you’ll see.’ I could feel his smile on my skin as he progressed further. I gave in to my senses. ‘Smoke and sex...’ I thought dreamily.

  His phone buzzed, breaking the spell. It was 12:15 a.m. I guessed it was Candy Floss calling to wish him ‘Happy New Year’. Piyush stirred beside me, reluctantly disentangling himself from my limbs and reaching for the phone. I checked the image on the mobile.

  ‘Candy Floss!’

  He attended the call. ‘Happy New Year, sweetheart!’ he cooed into the device.

  I got up to pour myself a drink, leaving him alone to complete his conversation. Navigating my way across the clothes strewn on the floor, I smiled. We had been in an impassioned hurry that night, almost like first-time lovers. An excellent omen for the coming year? It had been years since we had wanted each other so badly that we lost control of our senses. It felt good to know that even after all these years our fierce attraction for each other was as strong as ever.

  I made my drink and turned around to ask him if he wanted one. He was staring hungrily at my legs. I felt desire building again. ‘Drink?’ I gestured. He nodded as he listened to Candy Floss on the phone.

  The first time I had called her that, both Piyush and Pandurang had thought I was being mean. Maybe I was. We had been out grabbing coffee, and she had walked into the restaurant. She was surprised to see us, and Piyush had insisted that she sit at our table.

  ‘You are very beautiful, Nalini,’ she had told me as we were introduced, but I couldn’t bring myself to return the compliment even though she was pretty.

  She didn’t notice. She turned to Pandurang and said, ‘Piyush told me that because both of you cannot be absent from the office at the same time, you have cancelled your annual famil
y holiday so that we can go on our honeymoon.’

  ‘Oh, that’s fine. I don’t mind postponing my trip.’

  ‘That is very kind of you, but I insist. You should proceed with your original arrangement. We will plan our honeymoon for after your return.’

  Pandurang was ecstatic to hear this. His kids had been upset about the postponement of their trip. With that one gesture she won him over.

  The waiter brought the package of hot grilled sandwiches she had ordered. ‘Thank you,’ she told him and turned to us. ‘I should go before this food becomes cold.’

  ‘You could have eaten here. There was no need for a parcel, surely,’ Piyush said.

  ‘These aren’t for me. They are for the beggar sitting at the nearby signal. I came here only to buy something for him. He looked in urgent need of a hot meal. This was the only restaurant in sight, so I came here. Got to go now,’ she said and left.

  I christened her ‘Candy Floss’ that day. Who else went to a posh restaurant to buy a hot meal for a person who hadn’t asked for it! She was too sweet, if you asked me. Piyush wouldn’t agree. In his opinion, she was the kindest soul he had ever met.

  ‘Thanks, darling,’ Piyush whispered into my lips, kissing me and taking his drink when I returned. He had ended his call and his eyes told me he was thinking only of me. I smiled and got into bed. Strong arms wrapped themselves around me and held me snugly while we sipped our drinks.

  ‘So, all set to enjoy yourself with the lucky winners of “Weekend with the CEO” this year?’

  ‘Yep, the first time I will be there!’

  ‘We’ll get the whole weekend together this New Year.’

  ‘Hey, it’s not just us, remember. I may not even be able to spend time alone with you.’

  ‘I booked us adjacent rooms.’

  ‘I thought CEOs stayed in elaborate presidential suites,’ I said with a sly smile.

  ‘Ha ha! I normally do, but when I take the best members of my team for a weekend getaway, everyone gets the same accommodation. Even the CEO.’

  ‘So we’ll be neighbours with similar rooms.’ I nodded coyly, my smile refusing to leave my face.

  He grinned. ‘These rooms have connecting doors.’