“Ram, I would like to talk to you after this. Where can I find you?”
He turned around and asked cautiously, “Talk? Regarding, sir?”
Paras intervened. “That’s okay, Ram. Stay in the kitchen till he calls you.”
That settled it. The general had ordered the valiant soldier to stand in front of the firing squad. Ram took a half-bow, and left.
“How is your head?” I asked Paras.
“It’s a minor scratch.” He pointed to my sunglasses. “How is your eye?”
“Playing rainbow. It has already changed three colours. Should be back to the normal colour soon.”
“Vimal told me what happened yesterday. It was very brave of you to apprehend Leo. Babu called this morning. Leo was speaking the truth. He has more than six witnesses who saw Anil return the locket to Leo that night. What can this mean?”
The old man smelt of deception. He knew precisely what it meant. I played along.
“Well, it would seem that someone planted the locket to frame Leo. Probably the murderer. He must have got nervous.”
Paras got up slowly from the rocking chair, and walked towards one of the book racks. He picked up a book and glanced through it. He put the book down, came back, and sat down on the rocking chair. He rocked the chair for a few seconds, building up suspense.
“Yes. You are probably right. When Shalini remembered she had heard some noises outside the gate, and Babu found the locket, it gave me hope. But if Leo is innocent, then it can only mean one thing.”
He said the last sentence with resigned acceptance, and looked at me, anticipating some comment. I raised my eyebrows questioningly. He rocked his chair for a few seconds, and then said firmly, “This is going to be complicated. I assumed you would want to speak to Shalini today.”
“Yes, I was planning to start with her.”
“Do you suspect her?”
“No. Do you?”
He looked at me in disbelief. “You don’t suspect her! Then why do you want to interrogate her?”
“Not interrogate; talk to her. To start with. I would like to talk to each family member subsequently.”
He stared at me. “Why don’t you start with me?”
“I have nothing to ask you now, unless you want to tell me something on your own accord.”
“Hmm … how old are you … if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Nope; age I am okay with. Just don’t ask what my salary is. I am twenty-eight.”
“You are smart for your age. I was surprised when you showed up at the farmhouse. I asked Sunil, and he mentioned that you had been classmates.” He paused. “She is a beautiful girl. You must be regretful.”
I was glad I was wearing sunglasses, and the old man couldn’t see the wild movements of my eyeballs. I said in a mind-your-own-business-tone, “Forgetful, not regretful. How did you know?”
“A guess. I noticed Sunil was not particularly fond of you when you showed up at the farmhouse that day. That drove me to grill him about you. You can always tell with your kids”.
“Well, I don’t have the luxury of having grievances against my clients. Bad for the business.”
I didn’t want him to digress from the topic. “Okay, sir. I want to start with you, ask some basic questions. Tell me, what is bothering you? Do you have a gut feeling about who the murderer is?”
He stared at me for a long time. It was an intimidating stare, used to make people nervous. I stared back. Finally, he said in a weary voice of a sixty-year-old man, “Yes, I have suspicions. And so do you, young man. Maybe we suspect the same person. Anil had his shortcomings, but no one would want to murder him. And yet everything suggests that he was murdered by one of my own. If that is the case, then that person is Shalini.”
He said it as a matter of fact, devoid of any anger or resentment.
He continued, “I want to tell you something that will help you put things in better perspective. Anil was our first-born, and we pampered him. He was very close to his mother. When she died, I immersed myself in work and could not give him the time and attention he needed. Let us say he had a misunderstood adolescence. The others were still young when my wife died, so they were easy to distract. Anil was a rebel. He was always creating problems. Some were big problems.”
He was silent again, and I waited for him to continue.
“I tried to make a last effort to change him. You know about Leo?”
I nodded, and he said, “It was very hard for me to come to terms with the fact that Anil was a … you understand?”
He continued, “Mayank has been my accountant for more than twenty-five years. His wife died when Shalini was just two years old. I treated Shalini like my own daughter. She went to the same school that my sons went to, her birthdays were celebrated with equal pomp as my sons, and I sponsored her college education.
“The point I am trying to bring forth is that I loved her like a father. And I felt prouder than Mayank when she turned out to be such an intelligent and mature lady. When I found out about Anil’s preferences, I panicked, and asked Shalini to marry him.”
He waited for my reaction. I nodded in encouragement.
“She refused. She was in love with someone else. I was being unfair. Of all my sons, Anil was the least deserving. But I was desperate. It was a cruel joke on me. I was sure physical contact with a woman would reform Anil. He was my blood after all.
“I tried to make Mayank coerce Shalini into marrying Anil. He was a loyal employee. Perhaps too loyal. She refused. I showed my displeasure towards Mayank. He was a weak man, and easy to manipulate. I am ashamed, but I admit that I was instrumental in the deterioration of his health.
“After his first heart attack, I went out of my way to ensure that Mayank got the best treatment possible. I saw it as my chance to convince Shalini to marry Anil. When Mayank recovered, I asked for my reward and got it. Shalini married Anil. I won.”
He smiled bitterly at me. I debated over switching on the tape recorder. This was too much information to process. I looked at Paras’s grief-stricken eyes and decided against it.
“It has been one year since Shalini married Anil. It has also been a year since I saw her smile. She hasn’t smiled since she entered this house. Can you believe it? She has become a ghost. She just reads, and takes her father for walks. Reads and walks! Both father and daughter have reduced to vegetables in front of me. There is nothing I can do.
“So you see Vishal, I am guilty. They are my kids, and I have failed. I have failed as a father and as a protector. That is a very big guilt to live with. You will understand when you are a father.”
I was tempted to tell him that the only way I would be associated with the term father would be if I renounced the world, embraced Christianity, and became a priest. He was silent now.
“Thank you for telling me this, sir. I understand now. You believe Shalini murdered your son, but you are morally haunted by your own guilt, since you believe she was driven to such dire straits by her forced marriage. Right?”
He nodded. “Her mental balance is affected. She is the only one who had a motive.”
“I am still not clear about her motive. What would make her hate Anil so much as to murder him?”
“Anil was responsible for Mayank’s second attack. That attack brought him to this unfortunate state. Anil, in a fit of anger, had pushed Shalini down the stairs once. Mayank tried to intervene. Anil … shook him up. Mayank had a heart attack right there.”
“When was that? The second heart attack?”
“Around three months ago. Is that enough of a motive?”
“Maybe. Is there anything else that might have added to her hatred?”
“Anything else?”
“Did he harass her, or abuse her physically?”
Paras looked at me with infinite sadness. “I wouldn’t know, son. I wouldn’t know. I hope not. But if he did, I never witnessed it. He didn’t consummate his marriage though. He told me that just to spite me. He m
arried Shalini only because I had threatened to cut him out of my inheritance.”
Paras’s lips quivered, and I thought he was going to break down, but he maintained his composure and said, “When you talk to Shalini, please remember not to be harsh with her. I want one promise from you.”
“What is that?”
“When you do discover the identity of the murderer, the information should not go out of this house. You will tell me, and disappear from this household forever. I will deal with it. I hope that is okay with you.”
“Okay. Sure.”
“No one. Not the police, not your friends, not anyone. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Thank you. I am indebted to you forever.”
“Don’t be. I take cash.”
“It’s not about the money. We need you much more than you need us.”
“How come?”
“It would be difficult for me to confront Shalini unless I have proof. You have to break her. God knows she is a tortured soul, but Anil was my son. I can’t have her in the house. But I won’t let her go to jail either. I have spoken to some of my psychiatrist friends, and there are lots of places where she can live peacefully.
“All I want you to do is get her to admit to my son’s murder, so that we can put this behind us and get on with our lives.”
The headache was distracting me. The old man was leading me to believe that Shalini was the murderer.
I said, “Mr Kapoor, do you believe that someone from the family could be involved in the murder?”
He was taken aback and seemed confused. “Yes, of course. You have already established that. I had begun to hope again that you may have been wrong when we got a lead on Leo yesterday. I hoped he was the murderer. I hoped desperately that he was the murderer, because that would’ve helped me hide my failings as a father. But we know that the entire thing was fabricated, to throw us off the track.”
“And you are telling me that Shalini is the murderer?”
He nodded sadly. “Of course! That is evident.”
“Mr Kapoor, let me get this straight. Whatever you have told me just now is with the intent of attributing a motive for Shalini to murder your son?”
“It is for your benefit, Vishal. You have to know this to get a confession out of her.”
“Do you have any proof that Shalini murdered your son?”
He looked surprised. “Proof! What proof is needed? There is no one else who could be involved!”
“There is unaccounted-for cash in Leo’s apartment. Are you aware of that?”
“Yes, I wanted to thank you for helping us recover that.”
“You are welcome. My point is – have you accounted for that money?”
“Yes, we know how Anil got the money. You don’t have to know the details. It is not related to his murder.”
“Anil called Leo the evening he was murdered, saying that he had hit a jackpot. I think I need to investigate this further.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Paras said firmly.
“Okay, then please tell me what jackpot Anil was referring to.”
“There was no jackpot. The friend of his is lying. Anil realised that he didn’t want to leave his family, and had a change of heart at the last moment.”
The old man stared at me stubbornly.
“The five crores in cash? How did he get that?”
“That is immaterial to your investigation.”
“I was told he had forged your signature to sell some of your assets in the past. Did he forge your signature this time too?”
He maintained an obstinate silence for a few seconds, sighed, and then said in an exasperated tone, “Yes, he did. He forged Sunil’s signature. That fool! He undersold one of our best-tenanted properties … at half the price.”
“That was how he got the money?”
“Yes.”
“What was the total amount of the transaction, if I may ask?”
“He sold it for sixty crores. I had offers for ninety crores for the same property.”
“Sixty crores? But we found five.”
“A certain component of the amount is always paid in black to save on tax. I checked with Mr Asrani, the buyer. In this case, Anil had asked for fifty percent black and fifty percent white.”
“That means he got thirty crores in cash?”
“Yes. We haven’t been able to find the rest. I am trying to look in all the places. Twenty-five crores have vanished.”
“And the remaining thirty crores, the white component?”
“That would have been credited to the company’s account. Anil had asked Mr Asrani to deposit the amount on Thursday.”
“That was the day he was leaving with Leo?”
“Yes.”
“I think I need to investigate the forgery and see what I can find.”
Paras said threateningly, “Don’t dig into his past! Let his soul rest. You know as much as I do who the murderer is. That is why you wanted to speak to her today. So speak to her and break her!”
“Yes, I suspect her,” I said politely. “But I have a hunch that the money could give us a better understanding of why Anil was murdered. Not to forget, we have no proof that can incriminate Shalini.”
Paras’s nostrils flared. “Don’t talk like a damn fool! There is no proof needed. This is my family, and we know what happened.”
He was fuming. If looks could kill, he would have killed me. I rubbed my temples to subdue the headache.
“Mr Kapoor, unfortunately, the justice system in our country does not count intuition. Nor do I. You are implying that Shalini is the murderer, and you have provided a motive too. But unless you have seen her committing the crime, or have some tangible proof, please don’t use terms like ‘breaking Shalini’. All I want to do is have a chat with her.”
“Don’t get carried away, Vishal,” he said, trying hard to control his anger. “You know perfectly well that Shalini is the murderer. She had a nervous breakdown when you reconstructed the murder at the farmhouse. We all saw her.
“What about the locket? Only Shalini could have had access to it. Now, for God’s sake, go in and get a confession from her. I can’t stand her being in the house.”
“Shalini is a suspect,” I admitted controlling my own anger. “But unless I prove her guilty, I look at all the people present in the farmhouse on the day of the murder, with equal suspicion.”
He closed his fists and leaned towards me threateningly. “If the murderer was at the farmhouse that day, it has to be Shalini. It would be crazy to even suggest that someone else committed the murder.”
His eyes sparkled ferociously. “Crazy! You understand? I know my family better than you do. So prove Shalini guilty and make my task easier, like I have made yours. Then take your fee and leave. No need to get carried away.”
Headaches always made me impatient. I snapped.
“Well then, old man, you don’t need me. You need to hire a truth fairy. It would be easy for her. She will just wave her magic wand over Shalini’s head and … Poof! … you have your confession. After that, you can hire the angel of death to execute her. You can hang her from the stout mango tree I saw in your garden. That can become the Kapoor Tree of Justice.”
I got up and walked purposefully towards the door. I had just opened the door to make my exit when there was a cry for help.
“Please stop! Please!”
I turned around and raised my eyebrows. He smiled.
“I am sorry. I guess it was wrong of me to impose my version on you. Please continue your investigation in a manner you find suitable. Just let me reiterate what I believe, and then I will not repeat it. Okay?”
I nodded and he continued, “I am one hundred per cent sure that we will see eye to eye on the identity of the murderer before the end of the day. You are a smart man. I am sure you will be able to think of the right way to make her confess. I have full faith in you.
“Let me assure you, you will spend very
little time with Shalini. I know my sons and their wives, Vishal. They are my flesh and blood. They cannot be murderers. The only person who had a motive was Shalini. That is all I wanted to say.”
He smiled, and made a gesture of zipping his lips. I was still standing at the door. I had almost stepped out, when I turned back and told him, “You are right, sir. Everyone has a motive. Sometimes it so subtle that the person cannot see it himself.”
“Everyone has a motive? Nonsense! What about my motive?”
“You may have a motive for wishing to believe that Shalini may be the murderer. If she is innocent, and the murderer is someone else, you would have failed as a father again. And as you said, the guilt can be unbearable. I will see you around.”
I left the distraught father staring into infinity, and went in for my long overdue chat with Shalini.
I walked across the living room, and towards the kitchen. My heartbeat doubled as I caught a whiff of her fragrance. I realised I had been hoping to see her since the moment I had entered the house.
“Hi, Vishal.”
I turned around slowly. Aditi was wearing a short red terrycloth bathrobe. Her feet were bare on the cold marble floor, and her hair was wet. She looked as though she had just got out of the shower. Her long, sculpted legs were visible below the robe, which ended about three inches above her knees. The curves of her breasts were perceptible through the robe. She was wearing nothing underneath. Her breasts heaved softly as she started walking towards me.
“I just had to see you! I heard about your eye,” she said in a concerned voice.
Her expression was serious, but her eyes were laughing, daring me to resist her.
I grinned. “A good thing you came too. That’s a sight for a sore eye.”
I knew she must have planned her entry. She lifted my sunglasses and observed my eye. I felt her breath on my face. She was as tall as I was, five nine, making her tall for a woman. She was lithe, slender, and it made her look even taller. I was broad, by virtue of years of hitting the gym, and it made me look shorter.
“That must hurt, baby,” she said removing my sunglasses, and gently blowing cool air at my eye, almost challenging me with her pink, shapely lips. Her face was devoid of any make-up, and her natural beauty bewitched me. It was happening again.
Seduced by Murder Page 8