Seduced by Murder

by Saurbh Katyal

  After a little while, I returned to her. “I know you were not at this scene, but it would help if you could remember where you were between eleven and one today.”

  “I was with Dad,” she said in a trembling voice. “The doctors were conducting tests. We were in the hospital all the time.”

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “Yes. Of course. Dr Khanna and the lab attendant.

  They were with us all the time.”

  “Good. A lady called Rajesh to the zoo. The call was made from your mobile. Are you carrying your phone?”

  “No. My father-in-law borrowed it. He said that his phone had broken, and he was expecting some urgent calls.”

  I knew Paras had confiscated her phone to preserve the SMS from Rajesh.

  Suddenly, Paras spoke up. “Why don’t you arrest them, Inspector, and end this? This has gone on long enough!”

  Babu looked at me and said hesitantly, “Maybe Shalini was standing at a distance, like Paras sir said. Or maybe she was instructing him on phone from the hospital.”

  I shook my head. “That is not my point. I am wondering how her earring got here. Especially, since I am sure Anjali was attacked by a man and not a woman.”

  “How can you be sure that Anjali was attacked by a man?” asked Babu.

  I signalled to them to follow me. I walked towards the hedge and knelt near the trampled patch of grass. I looked up at them.

  “Anjali entered through the hedge and stood here. The man came from behind, struck her with a blunt object. It was a single blow, inflicted swiftly and powerfully. From the angle of the wound, it was someone much taller than her. She was probably unconscious after that. From here, the attacker picked her up and carried her to the fountain. Not dragged, but carried. Shalini couldn’t have carried her. She weighs less than Anjali.”

  Babu came closer to me and asked, “Carried her from here?”

  “Yes, there is at least a distance of twenty feet to the fountain. Anjali was about two inches taller than Shalini, and weighed more. She was carried by a man.”

  Babu knelt down beside me. “How do you know all this?”

  I pointed to a few red stains that were a contrast on the green grass.

  “This is blood from her wound when she fell to the ground.”

  Babu looked down, noticed the blood stains, and said excitedly, “Oh, it is blood!” He checked himself, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. “But it could be a stray animal’s or even a bird’s.”

  “There is a fistful of grass pulled out of this spot. The murderer pulled out those strands while picking Anjali up. There were strands of grass stuck in the wound. It must have come from here. Watch.”

  I stamped my right foot on the grass with great force. When I lifted my foot, the grass remained stamped. I pointed to the bloodstained trampled patch.

  “You can make out the outline of her body. This is where she fell. If the murderer had dragged the body across the fountain, the grass wouldn’t have remained erect, and the blood would have trickled down. So he lifted her and took her to the fountain. She was still unconscious. He must have held her under the water effortlessly until she drowned. That is why there is no evidence of any struggle.”

  I got up and walked towards the fountain with an imaginary body in my hand.

  “He lifted her and placed her gently in the fountain. He positioned the body correctly and then applied force, taking his time. She was unconscious and hence, didn’t fight him. The earring was placed conveniently in her fist. Why? That is what I am trying to figure out. Rajesh would not want to put the earring there because if Shalini was caught, he would be caught.”

  I picked up a rock and hurled it into the fountain. Water and mud splashed out, with droplets falling on everyone who was within four feet of the fountain. I repeated, “There was no struggle. If a woman is being drowned, she gets wild and kicks. She kicks her sandals off. The only reason Anjali did not do so was because she was unconscious. That blood you see in the water trickled from her head.”

  Babu walked over and observed Anjali’s wrists and feet. He took a bigger rock than the one I had picked up, and threw it into the fountain. Water splashed in all directions again, wetting everyone within six feet of it.

  Paras had been watching me like a hawk. “Great!” he said immediately. “Now we know how Rajesh murdered the poor lady. Right, Inspector?”

  Beads of perspiration appeared on Babu’s forehead.

  “I have a feeling that the doctor and the lab attendant will confirm Shalini’s alibi. And, sir, you confiscated her mobile yesterday. Where did you keep the mobile?” I asked Paras.

  Paras looked surprised.

  “It’s kept on the mantle in the … wait a minute. Are you now implying that someone made that call to frame Shalini? How can you be so sharp one moment, and infinitely dumb the next? She could have used the hospital phone to direct him here. Maybe she made the call on the sly. How does it matter, for God’s sake?”

  Babu looked at me and said uncertainly, “Maybe Shalini stood at a distance, like Paras sir said. Or maybe she gave instructions over the phone.”

  I pressed my forehead to comfort the migraine.

  “That doesn’t explain her earring. There can only be one explanation, if Shalini hasn’t been at the murder scene. Shalini and Rajesh planned the murder in advance. Rajesh murdered Anjali, and then, for some reason – maybe he panicked – he tried to frame Shalini by planting the earring. That is the only theory that seems logical to me. Then Shalini wouldn’t have to be near the fountain, and her jewellery would be accounted for.”

  Paras said excitedly, “That’s a perfectly valid explanation. Her boyfriend panicked after the second murder, and tried to frame her.”

  Babu nodded appreciatively and said, “Very probable. It will be easier to make him confess now.”

  Paras agreed. “Damn right. Arrest them, and let’s get on with our lives.”

  Babu hesitated again. “I can’t get a warrant for Shalini’s arrest right now. But I am arresting Rajesh because he was found at the scene of the crime.”

  Paras called his sons to him, and announced, “Vishal has just figured out how they did it.”

  Something didn’t feel right. I had one of those feelings that keep gnawing at your gut, telling you that something is wrong. I walked away from the crowd, and sat down on a bench. I opened the flask and took a generous sip of whisky. The drink hit me hard. I gulped down some more and closed my eyes.

  The humming of insects receded, and my senses gradually became numb. And suddenly I knew what was bothering me. Neither Shalini nor Rajesh fitted the profile of the murderer I had in mind. We were dealing with a sharp and incisive mind that planned everything meticulously.

  Both the murders were planned and executed with cold detachment. Shalini and Rajesh seemed too impulsive, too transparent, to be able to execute the murders in such a manner. The murderer had calculated each step, and minimised the risk of getting caught. Something didn’t add up. And yet, Shailni’s behaviour made her culpable. Shalini did plant Leo’s locket outside the gate, and then made sure Babu found it the next day. She had almost confessed when I interrogated her in her room. And then there was the SMS from Rajesh I had found in her phone.

  On the other hand, the very facts that the murder happened so close to the hospital; that Rajesh was found loitering at the scene an hour after Anjali had arrived; and that Shalini did not enter the zoo, and yet found her earring clenched in Anjali’s fist, added up to a frame-up.

  One thing I was sure of was that Anil and Anjali had been murdered by the same person. The patterns were similar. Both the murders were planned in detail. In both cases, there was reason to believe that there was a third party involved. In Anil’s case, it was made to appear as if a villager had committed the murder; and in Anjali’s case, it seemed as if Rajesh had committed the murder. In both cases, Shalini was a suspect, and her behaviour intensified suspicion. In both the cases there were clues that
pointed towards Sunil’s involvement: first the knife, and now the cigarettes.

  I felt the headache invade my head deeper, and opened my eyes in frustration, to find Aditi staring at me. Her eyes showed intense torture that reflected my own state of mind. It was as if she could read my mind. I stared at her, finding her more attractive than ever. I diverted my eyes.

  It was the whisky that acted as the catalyst. It came suddenly and completely, making me sit upright, propelled by sudden buoyancy that came from within. The feeling of impatience that had been gnawing at me came to rest. A faint recollection of a remark made by Malti yesterday, and seconded by Paras that morning, came to my mind. It was all so evident that I was surprised I had missed it.

  I turned the theory over in my mind, and all the loose ends were taken care of. Everything I had learnt while working on this case fell into place. I remembered the first and most crucial question I had asked the Kapoors at the farmhouse. And I remembered the answer Paras had given. The last piece fitted into my theory as the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle. I was conscious of a warm feeling of elation, and the knowledge that I had solved the mystery at last. The money and the murders had to be connected, and now I knew how.

  I looked up and saw the murderer observing me with speculative interest. I smiled, realising how beautifully he had played with everyone, including me. He seemed confused by my smile. I pointed two fingers towards him, and shot him with an invisible bullet. I saw the awareness and terror in his eyes. He knew that I knew.

  The hospital staff were lifting Anjali’s body from the fountain. Now that I knew who did it, I knew what I was looking for. I could feel his gaze fixed on me, as I requested the staff to put the body down and let me take one last look. I knelt down and observed the wound on her head once again. Babu walked towards me, looking uncomfortable.

  “What happened?” he asked me.

  I felt silly for having missed it all along.

  “This is how the blow would have been inflicted,” I said, casually swinging an imaginary blow at Babu’s head. Only one pair of eyes understood the import of my actions; everyone else seemed amused.

  Babu was not pleased.

  “Now, do you want to carry me to the fountain to drown me?”

  “You are a mind-reader.”

  “What?”

  “Can you get one of your men into the fountain for me?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  He thought for a moment, made a decision, and called a junior cop. The cop took off his belt and shoes, and got into the fountain.

  Then I said to Babu, “Imagine you are the murderer. Anjali is semi-conscious in the fountain, and you want to drown her. Remember, you don’t want her to move or struggle, or else you will get water and mud on your clothes.”

  Babu tilted forward, put his right hand on the head of the cop, and pretended to exert force. He looked at me and asked, “What now?”

  “There were some marks on her neck. I think he held her by the neck. That would give you more force too.”

  He removed his hand from the cop’s head and put it around his neck.

  “You don’t want to get wet. Her legs are free. She may kick you. You would want to hold those too.”

  He brought his free hand on the cop’s right knee, and stood there, pretending to exert pressure to drown him.

  “Thank you. That’s enough.”

  “Now, I insist that you tell me what you’ve been thinking.”

  “Come here. Check this out.”

  On Anjali’s skirt, near her left knee, there was a small tear, a circle no more than half a centimetre in radius, probably made by the finger that tore the fabric in the process.

  “So?”

  “So we know who did it.”

  “How?”

  “You just showed me.”

  “What?”

  Everyone had surrounded us, so I whispered to Babu, “I know who did it and why. It’s not Rajesh or Shalini.”

  “What!” he exclaimed loudly.

  “Shh…listen to me. I should be able to get the proof tonight. Anjali had some information from Leo. Those facts could have linked the real murderer to Anil.”

  I thought for a moment and continued, “If Anjali has been murdered, Leo is next.”

  “He is? But we don’t know where he is. He’s disappeared.”

  “He’s in hiding until he gets what he wants – tonight. And then he’ll leave the country tomorrow.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I will tell you later. You got to do me a favour.”

  “What?”

  “Just for tonight, you need to post two of your men outside the Kapoor residence, and ensure no one leaves the house. Can you do that?”

  “Uh … I can, actually but only if you tell me what it’s all about.”

  “Listen, Babu, I have a hunch. I need solid proof. If I am right, I will hand over the proof to you, and you can make the arrest. That way, you are protected from brickbats in case I am wrong, and will get the bouquets if I am correct. Deal?”

  He thought about it.

  I said, “But I assure you this is big.”

  “Okay. I trust you. None of them will leave their house tonight.”

  “Great.”

  We walked towards the group. I announced for everyone to hear, “I am going to a party tonight at Kandhari Hills. Anjali was supposed to pick up something from someone there.”

  I locked eyes with the murderer, and he paled.

  The sky was dark. The rain was playing drums on the roof of my car. The trees on either side of the road blurred past as I sped along the lonely highway. It had been more than half an hour since I had seen the lights of another car.

  “Are you sure about the route?” I asked Pranay.

  He looked at the map on his lap and nodded.

  “Yes. Got it from the Net. We are near the place.”

  He looked thoroughly confused. I peeped at the map on his lap, and saw a handmade diagram that showed sloppy lines representing roads, marked with arrows that went everywhere.

  “What’s that? The diagram of the impaired blood circulation to your brain?”

  He said excitedly, “Look, I see a car in front of us. Finally.”

  I saw a blue Sonata drifting ahead of us. I had a hunch that it was heading to the same place. We rounded a sharp bend, and saw the bright lights at a lonely bungalow just off the main road. The Sonata followed the road that led to a big iron gate. I moved in closer. The headlights of the Sonata flashed on the gate.

  The driver sounded the horn three or four times. A man dressed in a raincoat ran towards the car. He seemed to be a security guard. He looked inside the window, flashed his torch, nodded to someone, and let the Sonata pass.

  He jogged towards my car and knocked on the window. I rolled it down and he barked, “Invitation?”

  I took out the card I had found in Anjali’s bag, and showed it to him. He let us pass. I followed the Sonata into the parking lot, and counted six cars already parked next to each other. At the entrance to the parking area a man stood with a bunch of umbrellas. He handed one to the occupants of the Sonata, and one to us. I parked next to the Sonata. A couple got out of it and ran towards the house, huddled under the umbrella. We got out of the car and followed the couple into the bungalow.

  I kept the umbrella at the porch, and queued up behind the couple. A huge man wearing a yellow tie over a red shirt, green trousers, and brown shoes, stood at the doorway. His hair was greased back, and a friendly grin was stuck upon his face. He checked the invitation card of the couple standing ahead of us. The porch was well-lit.

  I observed the man and the woman. The man was of medium height, stocky, unshaven, and dressed in formals. The woman arrested my attention right away. She was tall and thin, built like an athlete. She was wearing a black, backless gown, with a slit that ran up to her thigh. A pair of black stilettos added to her seductive power.

  The rainbow
with the greased hair let them pass, and extended his hand towards us. He ran a critical eye over my clothes, and muttered a disdainful greeting. He looked over my shoulder, glanced at Pranay.

  “This is a couple pass,” he said, sounding confused.

  “So?”

  “Aha…sir…you are stags.”

  I looked at him with hatred, took Pranay’s elbow in mine, and said angrily, “Don’t be impertinent.”

  The guard mumbled an apology and let us pass. We entered a dimly-lit enormous living room. I stood near the doorway letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. The only sources of light in the room were some shaded lamps placed strategically in all the corners. There was some kind of Sufi music audible from invisible speakers, and the sweet smell of incense lingered in the air.

  This was a room meant for relaxation. People were sitting in groups of three or four, on sofas and divans. I counted five groups. I walked around the room inconspicuously, trying to spot Leo. He was not in the room. No one paid any attention to me, and people spoke in soft voices only with members of their own group. A bar fitted with stools stood at a corner in the room. I looked at Pranay and pointed at it. We walked up to it and sat down on the stools. I had an excellent view of the door, and could see anyone entering or exiting the room.

  The bartender was dressed in loose clothes that did nothing to hide his paunch. He fiddled with his ponytail.

  “Hi, I am Johnny,” he said. “What can I serve you?”

  I ordered Scotch, and Pranay ordered rum. Johnny did a few fancy tricks, throwing the glasses up in the air and catching them. I was in no mood for entertainment, but I applauded dutifully.

  Pranay whispered, “Weird party. Looks more like a conference. Did you spot Leo?”