by ARKOPAUL DAS
‘Even kill anyone else’ Alicia added.
‘Yes, that’s also probable. Because they’re completely out of their mind when they suffer from this’
‘That’s what the people of the asylum said’ Alan said.
‘Yeah, most of the doctors will say the same thing’ he said then again it seemed like he remembered something. ‘Oh another thing. My tests on Mr. Brown’s body are all complete. So I will soon release the body. But if there’s no one there to take care of the body then I will keep it for some more days in the storage chambers as it is in our rules’
‘No problem with that. Do whatever you need to do’
‘Hey I’m just curious’ said Alicia. ‘You said a mental disease can affect both mentally and physically’
‘Yes I said it’ Dr. Taylor nodded.
‘So how does it affect physically?’
‘It does. For example, say someone is suffering from insomnia. He will mainly have lack of sleep. If you can’t sleep at night you feel like sleeping in the morning. Still you will not be able to find sleep. So you will be tired all the time, and will have problems trying to fall asleep. You will not be able to work and everything, so you see these kinds of disease affects the social life too and of course the physical one. Surely schizophrenia is a lot serious than insomnia. Even people doesn’t quite say that insomnia is a mental disease’
‘I see’ Alicia found this thing interesting.
Suddenly Ryan and Kevin came out from the elevator and interrupted them.
‘Got some new information’ said Ryan looking at them.
‘What?’ asked Alicia. ‘What information is there left for us?’
‘There is. And quite a flummoxing one’ Ryan didn’t want to smile. This was serious, he thought.
‘Go ahead then’
This time Kevin answered. ‘Just like Alan had instructed us, we did some research and we got some information about McRae’
‘Yeah, what about him?’
‘As it turns out McRae was at a local pub Sunday night’
‘What?’
‘Yes, we sent some uniforms do get some information about McRae. But we got it all ourselves. He went to the Beekman at 12 am and he was there all night. And between 3 to 4 am McRae was still in the pub, the bartender confirms that. So does another 25 or more people who were also there that night and had seen him and can identify him. He was there till 5 in the morning, after which someone decided to drive him home’
‘But how’s that possible?’ Alicia just couldn’t digest this new piece of information so easily. ‘If he was at the pub for the whole night then how did he kill Jade Carter?’
‘We will have to assume that he didn’t’ Ryan nodded calmly.
‘But when you’ Alicia pointed at Kevin. ‘Asked him where he was that night, why didn’t he say this himself?’
‘Of course he was not in the condition to remember anything’ Ryan said. ‘If you know what I mean’
‘So then you are telling me that he’s not the killer?’
‘He can’t be the killer’ said Kevin. ‘His alibi is solid as hell’
‘What if he came out for sometime in the middle killed the man and then went back to the pub? He will get enough time to do so right?’
‘We thought about that. But that’s also not possible too’ said Kevin. ‘He chatted nonsense with the bartender the whole time he was there. There is no way he could have gone out in the middle. Everyone there will ascertain to that fact.’
‘Ok then if he’s not the killer then who is the killer?’ Henderson asked hoping anyone would give an answer.
‘That’s what we will have to find out’ said Ryan weekly.
‘So ostensibly, we are back to square one, huh?’ Alicia was becoming frustrated.
‘Pretty much’
‘So what should we do now?’
‘No idea, except that we will have to release McRae right away’
‘Are we ever going to crack this case?’
‘Right, well no, doesn’t seem so’ Ryan always had negative answers.
‘So everyone stop talking shit and think of a way to get out of this’ said Alicia.
‘We need a logical conclusion first’ Kevin suggested.
‘Everyone, hang on a minute’ said Alan as all of them turned to look at him. ‘Dr. Taylor, you were saying something about insomnia right?’
‘Yeah, insomnia, right’ Dr. Taylor sat upright.
‘Tell us more about it’ said Alan as everyone became angrier thinking what insomnia has to do with all this.
‘Well I’m not really a specialist in this so it will be tough to tell you the details. But as I said this is a sleeping disorder...which will leave you tired, raw and exhausted even if you’re not working. It will gradually deteriorate your health’
‘And how can you cure this?’
‘People use expensive steroids and everything but they doesn’t really cure this, and they does have a lot of side effects , so no doctor should recommend those things .But now a new herbal medicine is available which is known as the valerian root . This valerian is actually a plant and parts of it are useful. Like sometimes the flowers or the leaves, which can be eaten but the root is the main thing. You can create a soup kind of thing with it and drink it. People are saying that this is quite effective, though I don’t know for sure’
‘So what’s the colour of the...say the flowers?’
‘Pink and purple, mostly’
‘And the roots?’
‘Well when you mix the roots in the water and make the liquid, the colour usually comes as chocolate. And another thing is that it’s often called a bubblegum from Jupiter, because it has a taste which is real hard to define. And the smell is really awful, that’s why most people avoid it. It smells of sweaty socks or maybe...the kind of smell you get in a sewer’
‘And this insomnia’ Alan said. ‘Does it leave people with a hung over look and with dark circles under their eyes?’
‘Oh that’s for sure. It does’
‘Thank you Dr. Taylor, you helped us get the killer’ he said and everybody made a face like “What the hell are you talking about?’’ but Alan ignored the faces and said ‘We checked all the facts on everyone, but we missed someone too. If we had checked in on him, we would have got him, the killer. And you, Ryan, you Alicia and Kevin, you should have got him by now. How can you even forget about him? It was your job to do so because I wasn’t even here at that time...huh, you all are total idiots!’ Alan stood up and everyone still had that “What the hell” look in their faces.
Alan turned to Ryan and said ‘Okay I need you to break in someone’s apartment, but first come here, check some data on someone. I need you to do some more research for me’
FORTY
‘Seriously man, what are we actually expecting to find here?’
‘No idea. But things were a bit alacritous in the past few days, wasn’t it?’
Ryan fixed the glove on his right hand and scanned the whole room. He was looking for a place to start with. Then he went forward near the mirror, which hung in the front wall. He moved it to see, if there was any hidden chamber behind it or not, but there was none.
In the room, there was a closet of average size and on the table, a water bottle with half water in it and also a plastic flower vase. The ceiling fan was new and looked more like a showpiece than an actual one. And the last of all the bed, a narrow one. Not a queen sized one. The room itself wasn’t so clean, it could be termed dirty actually. And everything seemed to be so cramped, just what you can expect from a cheap place like this.
Ryan first checked the table, felt the rough edges of the wood in his hands then also checked the underside of it. There was nothing. He spilled the plastic flowers from the vase most of which were full of dust then when he found that it had nothing, he kept the flowers back in the original position in the vase, just like it was.
Kevin sat at the edge of the bed and was looking around. Mostly Ryan was d
oing the examination in detail.
‘What?’ Ryan asked when he saw Kevin sitting apathetically.
‘Trying to make sense of all this’ he said still not looking at Ryan, his eyes wondering on the windows, a small tiny one. ‘Do you think we’re gonna find anything here? Or do you think that this guy can be a killer?’
‘I don’t know and neither do I wanna know’ said Ryan as he went over to the bedside. ‘I’m doing just what I’m told to do’
‘And what exactly we’re trying to find out? Don’t you wonder why we’re told to do this?’
Ryan turned his face back at the mirror and saw himself in it. ‘Man, I look cool!’
‘Yeah, as cool as our case’
‘Shut up’
Then Ryan went down on his knees and checked the grounds and also the platforms of the bed. Which was also a small one so there was not much place available to hide anything; still he wanted to be sure about it.
Ryan at the end moved towards the closet and studied the exterior portions quietly. He held the handle and also wiped his hand on the front. He was not sure himself what he was doing but he did it anyway. Then he pulled the handle back in order to open the closet. The door was jammed up first, as Ryan realised that his own knee was in the middle, not letting it open fully. So the next time he moved his leg away and the door flung open.
For a moment, Ryan was quiet, looking at the belongings then after a second or so he mumbled. ‘O, Christ!’
‘What?’ asked Kevin casually.
‘I see something here’
‘Like jeans, shirts and suits right?’
‘Something other than the clothes’
‘Let me guess, a belt? A wallet?’
‘Shut up and see’
This made Kevin sprang up, as he pushed Ryan out of the way with a little irritation and he looked more closely inside the closet.
‘Whoa, you got to be kidding me’ Kevin exclaimed.
It was a nylon wire, or better say a cord. Not more than 3O cm long but the nylon was quite hard and some at places it was also a little slippery .There was also some dry blood marks in the middle, so Kevin held the end avoiding the bloody area and let it hang from his hands.
‘Dude, looks like we just found our murder weapon’ Ryan smiled.
* * * * *
Alan ,Alicia , Kevin and Ryan all four of them walked up to the house and before Alan could yell Ryan pushed the door bell and he thought it would be better to wait for a minute without informing the neighbours that there was police in the neighbourhood.
As soon as he pushed the doorbell, a nice melody began playing in the background. Was it the same melody they heard the last time they came? They couldn’t quite remember.
The breeze was steady, calm and cool but it was full of humidity so it could easily make you perspire. The sky was turning red and the afternoon sun was like a red deuce ball .They could only see one of the stars in the sky along with the moon, but they were quite far away from each other. After the melody stopped, the background now got filled with the chirping of the birds and the car horns. They knew that there was no sign of rain till now, which everyone was longing for. But before they could see any more of the nature, the door opened and they found the same man the last time they came into Mr. Carter’s house.
‘NYPD’ Alan said with a firm voice.
‘O, right’ the man said ‘You must be looking for Sally. But well she is not home now’
‘Where is she?’
‘Just went out a few minutes ago to buy some groceries. She will come back soon for sure; maybe you can wait in here...’
‘No that’s fine. We don’t wanna talk to her. Rather we would like have a quick chat with you’ Alan smiled.
Jacob looked confused at first. He wore a pair of formal pants, a coat over a white T shirt with not much design in it. The sewer kind of smell was still there in the place and his eyes were dark and depressing. His hair was combed but it still showed some signs of bushiness. His face also showed some signs of tiredness.
‘With me?’ he said.
‘Yes, if there is no problem’
‘Ok, no problem. Come in anyway’
He led them inside the ground floor living room as Alan and all them wanted to finish their jobs quick so they avoided the stairs.
‘Okay then, maybe we should get started’ Jacob looked at them with questioning faces.
‘Let me have your name first’
‘Jacob Grant’
‘Okay Mr. Grant from how long are you suffering from insomnia?’
There was a moment of thought in him after which he replied ‘Two years or so...’
‘Very well, and what kind of medication do you take in order to keep this in control?’ Alan’s questions were inscrutable yet so simple. Just like a perfect cop or detective should ask.
‘I used to take a lot of steroids which was not so effective, so recently my doctor recommended me the valerian root and it doesn’t taste good , but it’s good I must say’
‘So you use valerian root now?’
‘That’s right’
‘Good, now tell me why did you kill Mr. Carter?’
The question hit him like a way a truck running at 80 miles per hour, hits a Mercedes. That would have done a lot of damage to the Mercedes just like it did damage to his mind. At least, puzzled him a lot. It was all written over his face.
But he quickly regained his composure and said ‘What?’
‘Why did you kill Mr. Carter?’ Alan’s voice was hard.
‘I didn’t kill him...’
‘Yes you killed him’
‘This is ludicrous’
‘This isn’t, trust me’
‘Well no I didn’t kill him’
‘Cut the crap Mr. Grant. We have enough evidence with us to prove you the murderer right now. So why act?’
‘What should I say then – that I killed him?’
‘Yep. Then you can give the reason for that’
‘But I’m not going to say what I didn’t do’
‘Mr. Grant look’ now Alicia spoke. ‘The first time I came here we got a nasty smell in this house’
‘That must be the smell of the valerian root. So what can I do about that?’
‘You don’t have to do anything about that’ said Alicia and continued pausing for a brief second. ‘Your coffee was also off chocolate colour so it was actually not coffee but it was the drink that people drinks mixing the valerian buds and the roots’
‘Okay? I still don’t see how this makes me the killer?’
‘These were just some facts Mr. Grant. Let me tell you the main thing. We have also found a bloody nylon wire from your house when we searched it’
‘What? You searched my house?’ There was more concern in Jacob’s voice than anger.
‘Yes, and by the way that’s not really your house, it was a cheap motel room which you rented last week’
‘But you can’t search anyone’s house just like that’
‘Yes you’re right we can’t. And we will talk about it in a minute. But for now let’s focus on the main topic. At first we didn’t suspect you, or better say we completely forgot about you but something made us remember about you, and then we did some research on you’
‘Research?’ Jacob was getting more and more confused by every minute.
‘And the results were positive for us’ Alan continued. ‘You were kicked out of the office quarters where you lived for free. You even worked in the trade centre for a few months but you started selling goods to illegal parties ,and added to your misery the share market failed heavily and you were......’ Alan let that word hang and went over to the next sentence. ‘That’s why you rented a room in that motel, but you thought no, things can’t go on like this. You killed Mr. Carter, in the middle of that night. You waited in his car so that when he comes in the morning you will kill him and abscond. But it was lucky day for you of course so when your target came right at the edge of the dawn you strangle
d him and escaped without anyone noticing you because of the power outrage and even the patrol cops were not so alert about anything. You knew if Mr. Carter were dead, you would be one-step ahead of taking control over the house. You knew there were no will, no spouse, and no children. You could have easily killed Mrs. Carter or even if you didn’t she would have let you live here for free just like you are now’
Then Alan stopped and studied him for some minutes letting him absorb the words, while he lowered his head. Then suddenly he looked up and said ‘No, it was not how it happened.’
‘Then how did it happen?’
‘It was Sally who provoked me to do this. When I lost my job and everything Sally first gave the idea that we can kill this man and take over the house then we can sell it, live somewhere else, and begin a new life with the money we get. There was no other way. I also thought that Sally is right that is the best thing to do. So I did it...that’s it’
‘Great! Your story is absolutely beguiling’ said Alan. ‘And let me tell you something, thanks. Thanks for clarifying my mistake or else would have been wrong for ever’
‘Hey Ryan’ said Alicia and Ryan knew what to do; he came forward and cuffed him although they knew that surely the man would not try to escape now. But still...
Then before they could go out Kevin came forward rested his hands over his neck as if they were buddies then said ‘Seriously man who the hell keeps a bloody murder weapon in his house for over a week?’
‘I shouldn’t have kept that’ Jacob said weakly.
‘Of course you shouldn’t have. You should have got rid of it...maybe burnt it or something at soon as you finished your job’ said Kevin and patted on his back.
Just then, Sally Carter entered the house with a few bags and looked at everyone with awkward faces. ‘What’s going on?’
Alan and Alicia first went near the door, then Alan turned back and said ‘Nothing Mrs. Carter, it’s just that Mr. Grant needs to pay a visit to the precinct. And I trust you will also accompany us there if it’s okay with you?’