The Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers Books 1-3 (Where Are They Now / Finding Her / The Bones Are Calling)

by UD Yasha

  Zara Shroff was a medical examiner. I used to consult her when I practised law. I pulled out my phone and tapped its screen twice to call her. I had last spoken to Zara Shroff soon after I had quit. I had only told her that I needed time away from law and I was going through something. She had not pressed me to tell her what had happened but had instead offered to be there for me if I required her. As the phone rang, I felt guilt tug at my heart for not having spoken to her since then. I had only a few close friends back then and I promised myself to start speaking to them once we found Rucha.

  ‘Siya Rajput?’ Zara’s said in an excited tone.

  ‘Dr. Zara Shroff,’ I said as calmly as I could.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ She was still speaking in an excited tone.

  ‘Long story. I owe you a big apology. I also need your help right now. It’s pretty big.’

  ‘Only on the condition that you tell me the long story later.’

  ‘Promise.’

  ‘Superb, what do you want me to do?’

  ‘I’m investigating a case and I can’t turn over a dead body to the police. He was a good guy. Got caught up while trying to bust something. He was just killed. Can you please take him in?’

  ‘Text me the address,’ Zara said. ‘I’ll send someone over.’

  I said thanks, feeling guiltier than before, and then hung up. Rathod was giving me a questioning look.

  ‘She’s an old friend. We go back a long way. We went to the same college. She studied medicine while I studied law. She's now a big shot medical examiner at a government forensics centre that looks at covert and high-profile cases concerning national security. You didn't hear about any of this from me, by the way.'

  We went to the other room. It was also a huge mess. Like Rathod had described it, everything in it had been broken. We looked around but found nothing of interest.

  I could not stop thinking about dad’s name being present in the file. My head still ached. I closed my eyes. I knew I could not afford to think about it now. Not at this juncture when the stakes had shot up high after both Manohar and Mule had been killed. I decided I would deal with it later. But, the more I tried to push it away, the more difficult it became to focus on anything else.

  I walked around to distract myself. I wanted to know what Mule was up to. The coloured files were clearly extremely important as they were kept in a secret chamber. Mule had retired from the police force a long time back. It looked like he had taken up a gig with a company called Secure Point. I decided to visit Secure Point’s office `the next day.

  We took one final look around the apartment before leaving. We took all the files with us. I left the front door open so Zara’s people could get in. I held the file with dad’s name tightly.

  ‘Rathod?’ I said when we stepped into the warm night air again.

  His eyes glinted in the moonlight as he looked at me.

  I said, ‘Please don't tell Radha or Rahul about Mule's bribe list. Especially that dad's name is on it. I'll tell her later myself.'

  ‘Of course. I also wanted to tell you that you can count on me being there whenever you decide to look into your father’s disappearance.’

  I said nothing in response. We got back to the car and told Radha and Rahul what else we had found in Mule’s house.

  ‘Here’s one thing I take from the papers you found,’ Rahul said. ‘One was a map. It was in Mule’s possession. We know Manohar has been there. There’s a real possibility that one of them could have drawn it for the other.’

  ‘The place isn't there on popular navigation maps. I can find the roads around it though,' Radha said. ‘I can also check if the handwriting on the papers is similar to that of the remarks that Manohar made on Natasha Gill's file for Ad Astra. I have photos of it. That way we’ll know if Manohar wrote any of the notes.'

  Why was dad’s name in the file? What had he done? I shook my head in an attempt to shake away the distraction.

  I said, ‘What about the blueprint that we found?’

  ‘Could it be the same as the place circled in the map off the Pune-Solapur highway?’ Rahul said.

  Radha shook her head. ‘The dimensions of the two are very different. The blueprint is of a really big place—almost like an extremely large warehouse. The place off the Pune-Solapur highway is much, much smaller.’

  I said, ‘Considering that they were looking at the blueprint, there’s a possibility that they were scoping out the building, looking at the location of different rooms inside, entry and exit points and general directions of passages and windows.’

  Rathod said, ‘Makes sense. Because that large a structure has to have good security and plenty of CCTV cameras.’

  ‘Then there is also that note behind the blueprint,’ Radha said. ‘Four hundred people equals four million dollars. I’ll look through the account statements and other files that you found. Maybe it has some answers.’

  With that we went silent. It was a chilling figure. Four hundred people. Were they in danger? Who were they? What was the money being paid for?

  My mind drifted. I played my last conversation with Manohar in my mind. His exact words came back to me. You have to know that you cannot trust anyone. Even any law enforcement authority. Especially the people right at the top of the hierarchy. Corruption is rotting the system. I made the mistake of approaching the police the first time around. That's why I wasn't sure I could trust you. Even right now, I am going out on a limb when I tell you this. But this is the closest I'll come to trusting anyone. You may call me paranoid but what the hell.

  Manohar had the biggest issue trusting me as well. From the way he described it, the operation was huge. Now we knew, at least four million dollars were at stake.

  I wondered, how then, had he come to trust Sitaram Mule in the first place? How had they met? The more I thought about it, the clearer my next step became. If I found out how Manohar ended up with Mule, I would know exactly what this was all about.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  The clock on the car’s dashboard told us it was one in the night. We drove in silence. I kept trying to find connections between Manohar and Mule. I stopped after a spell when I realized I needed to know more about Mule to proceed. The best way I could think of was to visit his workplace at Secure Point which I was going to in the morning after getting some sleep.

  The city petered out the further we drove. It was funny to see the sizes and density of buildings on either side of the road reduce. It got less bright and the roads became narrower. The road was good. We could tell it was newly made, which was not a surprise as the General Elections had taken place recently in India. Infrastructure and development activity saw a spurt twelve months before the elections. The ruling parties across the country hoped that one massive undertaking would get them votes—and they were not wrong most times. We motored ahead for a while. Radha kept updating us with our location and route.

  ‘We’ll be there in five minutes.’

  We zoomed past large trucks that carried freight at night. There came a point when the civilization around us almost dropped off a cliff. Only street lamps lit the road. There were farms on either side. I made up my mind to go to such a calm and quiet place with everyone once all this was over.

  We turned right off the Pune-Solapur highway, onto a completely dark road full of potholes. We could only see as far as the car’s headlights. We inched forward as Rathod lowered the speed. There was no scope to go faster.

  ‘It’s going to take more time with this road,’ Radha said.

  We went along the same road for the next ten minutes before taking another right. We were far from the highway and a large stretch of farms separated us from it.

  ‘Okay, slow down now. We’re almost there,’ Radha said.

  ‘If we go any slower, we’ll start going backwards, babe,’ Rahul said, only to earn a playful punch on the shoulder from Radha.

  ‘Pull over,’ she said.

  Rathod stopped at the side of the na
rrow road, blocking it almost entirely. We stayed inside. It was four in the morning.

  ‘Are you sure this is the place?’ Rathod asked.

  His question was legitimate. Tall maize plants towered around us. They were all we could see.

  ‘Where is it?’ I said.

  ‘About six minutes if we walk.’

  ‘Let’s start,’ I said.

  ‘Are all of us going?’ Rathod said.

  ‘Yeah,' I said. ‘I don't know what this place is. But I feel that staying in the car is more unsafe. The road is wobbly so Radha and Rahul can't get away quickly if there's any danger. We’ll be stronger and safer together.'

  All of us stepped out of the car. The night air was cooler here and our nostrils flirted with the smell of fresh corn. Rathod picked four torches from his trunk along with headbands for them. He put twelve backup batteries in the front pocket of his jacket. He handed me three extra rounds for my Glock. He had an extra gun. He glanced at Radha and Rahul, deciding who to give it to.

  ‘She is a better shooter,’ Rahul said.

  Rathod tossed it to Radha and said, ‘Here are two extra rounds for it.’

  We put on the headbands and clipped our torches to it. Rathod told us about a switch that could change the light beam’s strength or completely turn it off.

  ‘Let's do this,' Rathod said. ‘We don't know what's inside. So, don't hesitate to shoot if you think your life is in danger. We want to know what's inside, but our priority is to come back alive. Be alert constantly. Radha and Rahul,' he turned towards them, ‘Your job is to only indulge if something goes wrong. Otherwise, you will only be watching. Do you understand?'

  ‘Yes, sir,’ the two of them replied in unison.

  ‘Follow my lead throughout. If I go down, Siya takes over. If she goes down, the two of you try to get the hell out of here and report it to the CBI, the CID and the local police. Then go back home and stay safe. I’m telling you all of this because we have no idea what to expect. Eyes on me everyone. We need to understand this is a rookie team and far from ideal for such an operation. So, we will try to stay together.’

  Rathod led the way. I was at the back with Radha and Rahul between us. Radha had memorized the rest of the way. She directed Rathod. We first hung a left, entering an even narrower path that our car would not have been able to get on. The maize around us was tall.

  Three minutes later, the land cleared. A massive area, about the size of half a football field, lay in front of us. It was surrounded by fifteen-foot maize plants. The leaves around us fluttered ever so slightly.

  There was a big house in the middle of the clear land. It had a big porch and an even bigger sloping roof. Square windows from two bedrooms faced us. The house was completely dark.

  Rathod and I exchanged glances.

  A chill ran down my neck as we started for it.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Our torches painted away the darkness as we moved forward. The still air made us conscious of even the slightest of sounds. We walked slowly. The dry maize crunched under our feet ever so softly.

  ‘Stop here,’ Rathod whispered.

  He broke away from us and approached the house. The porch creaked when he stepped on it. He swirled his fingers, asking us to split up and move to either side of the porch.

  Rathod examined the door of the house. ‘It’s locked from the inside,’ he said in a soft voice. ‘Someone should be in there. Check if there’s a back door.’

  I lowered the beam of my torch and began walking to go to the back of the house. Plants were growing wildly around it. The person who was looking after the maize was not paying attention to the shrubbery and flowers growing around the house. I peeped around the corner first and then turned at the edge.

  No one.

  There was no door at the back either. I completed a full circle around the house just to be sure that a door was not present anywhere else.

  I reached the front of the house and gave a thumbs down to Rathod. He slammed his fist on the door and said, ‘Is there anyone inside? I’m from the CID. I have reason to believe that something illegal is happening inside. I’m going to count to five. If you don’t open the door, you will leave me with no other choice but to break it down.’

  Rathod motioned us to stay put by holding his palm up.

  Five,’ Rathod yelled.

  No movement.

  ‘Four’.

  A bird chirped somewhere. It was time for them to get up. Or maybe we were disturbing them.

  ‘Three.’

  I inhaled deeply. My gun was ready to take a shot. I turned to Radha and Rahul. They were together on the other side.

  ‘Two.’

  Dead silence resounded. Even the birds had got used to disturbance.

  ‘One.’

  I watched the door for any movement. It stayed closed.

  ‘Your time is done,’ Rathod said, stepping back three paces. He lurched forward and kicked the door. It was old. One solid tap was all it needed.

  The lights in the house turned on the moment the door was broken down. A man stepped in the door frame.

  ‘Put your hands up,’ Rathod yelled, aiming his gun at the man. ‘Who are you?’ he screamed. Part of it was to induce fear, the other part was adrenaline.

  ‘Jaggu Shelar,’ the man said, putting his hands up.

  ‘Come outside. Take slow and small steps,’ Rathod said.

  Jaggu followed the command. He was probably around forty years old. He was thin and of average height. He was wearing a T-Shirt and a dhoti.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘I look after this house.’

  ‘Who does it belong to?’

  ‘I don’t know. I just work here. I get paid every week.’

  ‘Stop lying to me.’

  ‘I’m telling you the truth.’

  ‘Are you alone at the house right now?’ Rathod said.

  Jaggu looked back, rubbing his hands involuntarily.

  ‘Don’t look back and answer my question. Are you alone?’

  Jaggu said nothing. Rathod marched to him. Jaggu sensed what was in store for him and he stepped back, shivering. Rathod grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him to the nearest pillar. It had hooks for a swing. Rathod pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pockets and cuffed Jaggu to the hook.

  He turned to me and jerked his head towards the house. ‘Let’s go in. I wonder what he’s hiding inside.’

  I followed Rathod inside. I looked around. The ground floor had a big living room and an open kitchen. It had the usual furniture you would find in a house. Rathod moved towards the first and only door he saw. It was open. Rathod peeked in first and then stepped inside. He came out twenty seconds later.

  ‘Clear,’ he said.

  There was no other room on the ground floor. A spiral staircase led to the second floor of the villa. We saw two doors as we climbed up. One was open while the other was closed. Rathod walked towards the open door.

  ‘Wait here,’ he said under his breath and crossed to the open door.

  He disappeared inside for twenty more seconds and came out shaking his head. ‘It’s empty,’ he said.

  We walked to the closed door together. When we got near it, we saw it was bolted shut and had big fat padlock on it.

  Silence.

  ‘That guy…Jaggu…he might have keys on him,’ Rathod said to me.

  I ran down. As Rathod had said, I found a bunch of keys clipped to Jaggu’s dhoti. I took them upstairs and handed them to Rathod.

  ‘Stand back, lower your weapon but be ready to take a shot at the same,’ Rathod said to me in a low voice.

  He inserted a golden key into the padlock. Turned it. The door swung open to darkness.

  Rathod and I stepped in. I saw a small yellow night lamp burning to my right. My hand found a switch on the wall next to the door. I flipped it on.

  The room was massive but our eyes fell on something right in front of us. A gasp escaped my mouth when I real
ized what the room was being used for.

  Rathod stepped forward, but I put a hand on his back. He turned around.

  ‘I’ll take it from here,’ I said and goosebumps spiked up all over my body. I wondered if what I was looking at was real.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Further inside the room, a girl was sleeping on a mattress on the floor. She had a thin quilt on top of her. Her body rose and fell steadily.

  I recognized her right away.

  Natasha Gill. I recognized her from her picture on the Ad Astra file. I hoped she was dreaming about something nice. She looked even more innocent in real life than in her picture. Why was she held captive here?

  The girl no one had reported missing had been found.

  I walked up to her and tapped her on her shoulder. ‘Wake up, Natasha,’ I said. ‘You’re safe now.’

  Natasha opened her eyes wide and stared at us. She moved back suddenly. Her breathing turned haywire.

  ‘We’re here to rescue you,’ I said.

  But Natasha moved backwards once again. She did not want me to come near her. I stood still. Her eyes had turned red and her face had become white. She closed her ears and started crying. I remembered that the doctor had given her very little time to live. She must be scared. Was she feeling sick?

  I turned to Rathod who was also wondering what was happening. Natasha was terrified to see us. My heart went out to her. What had she seen to feel so afraid? I raised my arms, hoping she would understand that I did not mean any harm. Given the way she had reacted before, I did not expect her to. She kept crying and ran away from us, deeper into the room.

  ‘What do you want to do?’ Rathod said.

  ‘I have never seen a child get so scared. Maa might know,’ I thought out loud, wondering if what maa had experienced would enable her to handle such a situation better.

  Anything was better than what was happening. Natasha sat far from us and buried her face between her knees. She was still covering her ears.

  I nudged Rathod and conveyed to him through actions to not make a sound. We stayed still. Silence resounded in the cool night air. Stepping on my toes, I gradually walked up to Natasha.