Looking at Raja, Vikram thought that he did not obviously lead a very healthy life as he was fat, bordering on obese. He clearly liked his food too much. He also wondered what a nurse was doing in the middle of so many doctors. Why was he entertained in spite of being relatively junior in rank?
Reddy asked, ‘Can you describe what happened exactly?’
Reddy had expected Kiran Chanchu to answer as he appeared to be senior most among the doctors. However Raja, who seemed to have designated himself as the spokesperson of the group answered, ‘We had been playing cards and had been drinking together after lunch. This was supposed to be our last round. When Amit sipped his drink, he said it tasted bitter. We thought that maybe he had too much to drink and he could not differentiate the taste as we found our drinks to be okay. Then after he took the second sip, he stood up suddenly. He was swaying, and said with great difficultly, that he could not breathe. Then he vomited and crumpled to the ground. We tried to resuscitate him, but he was dead. So then we called the police.’
‘But were you not drinking from the same bottle?’ Vikram asked.
‘Oh no. A waiter came in to ask what drinks we preferred and after we ordered, he served the drinks according to our orders,’ Kiran said.
‘So our random killer, who was aiming to kill a doctor, had put the poison in one of the glasses. Dr. Amit had the misfortune of picking up the poisoned glass. Actually, any one of you could have been poisoned! ’ Vikram exclaimed.
The three men looked at each other with shocked faces as the thought just struck them after Vikram’s comment. Raja gave an involuntary shudder and his entire body shook like jelly. A look of fear passed through Nitin’s face making him look suddenly old and ugly. Kiran’s face had also stiffened in fear. Vikram looked at the various display of emotions with interest.
‘Anyway, never mind that now. Where are the glasses from which you were drinking?’
Kiran looked confused. He said, ‘I do not know what happened to the glasses. They must have been cleared away by the catering folks.’
Reddy immediately called the catering manager and enquired about the glasses. The manager confirmed that the glasses had been taken away and washed. When asked about the waiter who served the drinks, he seemed to have vanished in thin air. He had been a temporary help that the caterer had hired. The man had come to his office looking for a job and he had given him this work. After dispensing with the caterer, Reddy turned back to Kiran, ‘Did you notice the waiter? Maybe he is the random killer.’
Rajagopal spoke up, ‘I did notice the waiter.’
Reddy looked extremely happy. Finally some lead about the random killer, he thought to himself.
‘Can you describe the person?’ he asked eagerly.
‘He was tall, fair and good looking. Must have been in his thirties. He also looked like a drug addict.’
‘How can you say that he was a drug addict?’
Raja smiled and said, ‘After nursing so many addicts every day, I can easily identify an addict.’
‘If our artists sit with you, can you describe him well so that we can do a sketch of him and circulate?’
‘Sure –I’ll do anything that will help you to catch Amit’s killer….I am a good observer and am sure that I can help you to get a very good sketch,’ he replied confidently.
Reddy raised his brows at Vikram to check if he had any more questions. Vikram shook his head.
‘Thank you for answering our questions so patiently. We will get in touch with you soon. You can all leave now and we will let you know if we need further information. So do not leave the city or the country without informing us,’ Reddy commanded.
Once the three men had trooped out of the room, Vikram started to laugh. Reddy gave him a half amused half irritated look. ‘What is so amusing?’
‘You noticed the look on their faces when they realised that they themselves could have been the victim.’
‘Yes.’ Reddy said, in an amused voice. ‘But you would have been scared too, if you had realised that you could have been the potential victim of a random killer.’
‘True. But the rehabilitation centres are not effective and are filled with quacks. These kinds of doctors are of the worst kind. And because the patients want anonymity, there is no statistics on how many people really get cured. I was reading an article in The Washington Post. They say that the Americans are “addicted to rehab. It doesn't even work.” The Indian rehabilitation centres are based on similar principles. And they charge indecent amounts of money from the desperate relatives.’
Reddy looked at Vikram, ‘You know that this is Kaliyug. We are all trying to make money anyway we can. We can be a rat in rat race and make a lot of money. We can make enough money to be called a winner by society. But we will still be a rat - a winning rat. As Einstein once said, “Try to be a man of value.” And I think that you need to be successful in your own way to add value to society.’
Vikram remembered his last few cases which he had taken up purely for the money. He had the grace to look ashamed. Then he said defensively, ‘But I had warned my industrialist client that catching the dealer would not cure his daughter’s addiction problem! If he ignored my advice, what can I do?’
‘Well, I am sure these people also put in terms and conditions that keep them legally safe if the patient is not cured.’
‘Let us not discuss this anymore – by the way there is a Dadu’s here which is famous for Chaat. Why don’t we go there and have a snack?’ Vikram suggested.
‘That sounds like a great idea. I have missed lunch and am ravenous. And changing the topic will not make you feel better about yourself. But I must remember to get hold of the artist tomorrow and get a sketch done of the waiter and circulate it everywhere with more posters in Begumpet and Charminar area. What do you think?’ Reddy responded.
‘Absolutely! I think the case will break soon. The killer had been lucky so far. But by the law of probability, the luck should soon turn in our favour. I am sure there will be some eyewitness who may have seen something suspicious. After our snack, let us go over to Amit’s apartment. Maybe we can get some more clues about Dr. Amit and his link to the killer, if any. Your colleagues must have already sealed his apartment right?’
‘Yes – after his death I remember we had confiscated the keys of his house which were found in his pocket. Let me call up my colleagues to find out about the key,’ Reddy said.
After making a few calls, Reddy found out that the key was with the police. He instructed his colleague to come over to Amit’s apartment with his keys.
After having Dahi Puri at Dadu’s they went to Amit’s apartment. The apartment was overwhelmingly masculine. The large drawing room was decorated in grey and consisted of a large grey expensive sofa set and a small table with chairs of modernistic design on the side. There was a well-stocked bar unit in the corner. Amit was obviously fond of his drinks. A large wall mounted 42 inch TV set along with a sophisticated home theatre system adorned the wall in front of the sofa set. The flat consisted of two bedrooms.
Amit occupied the master bedroom. This again was luxuriously furnished. It consisted of a king size bed and another 42 inch TV unit was mounted on the wall along with a DVD player. On opening the fitted wardrobe, they discovered rows and rows of suits, expensive shirts and blazers. There was a dozen pair of shoes in the bottom cupboard. Another drawer was full of designer sunglasses. The man obviously used to dress like a movie star. Some of the drawers were full of porn DVDs. He clearly loved to have a lot of fun in his life.
‘Hmm...he seems to have led a lavish life. Wonder how much he earned from the Asha Foundation.’
When searching they found an older model of an Android phone in one of the drawers. Amit obviously preferred to carry the latest model with him. Reddy seized the phone and decided to send to forensic lab to recover messages.
They left the place after finding nothing more of importance. After he reached office, Vikram called Murali in his office,
‘I have some important assignments for you. Dig out all information about Dr. Amit, his equation with Dr. Chanchu. Also find out more about Dr. Nitin. Check his alibi during the times the murders of Padma and Dr. Renuka. Investigate Dr. Chanchu, what was his equation with his colleagues in Asha Foundation. I believe that Dr. Amit had been born and brought up in Delhi. Go there and try to dig out some more information on Dr. Amit. His student life, his childhood anything else you can find out. Book your tickets as soon as possible. I have a hunch that we will uncover important information from Delhi.’
8
SATYA’S NARRATIVE
FRIDAY, 29TH APRIL 2016
AFTERNOON
I board the MMTS from Lingampally to Begumpet. As it is around noon, the stations are deserted and there are plenty of seats available. I sit in my favourite window seat and look at a street dog panting in the heat in the shelter of a bench on the platform. Lucky dog! I think bitterly, no addiction problem. The last two days had passed in a blur while I binged on alcohol and crack and cocaine. I had not gone for work. Now I was out of money and out of drugs. Desperate, I got in touch with my contact. After much pleading and begging, he agreed to help. He said that he had a job which would pay immediate money. I would have to work as a waiter in an engagement ceremony. I was ready to do any work which will get me some money for my next fix. He promised to give me some cocaine on credit provided I paid the money back after Saturday’s work. I agreed. What else could I have done?
An attractive girl gets up at Borabanda. She is tall, slim and beautiful. Looks similar to the woman I met in Charminar – rather like my wife… Now, what was her name? Yes, Padma! I saw her for the first time when I was admitted to Asha Foundation for rehabilitation. It was before my marriage. She had been kind and full of empathy. I was drawn to her from that very first day. But she rejected my advances. She should not have led me on if she was not interested. I was so disappointed.
Around three years back, I heard that she was going out with one of the doctors in Asha Foundation. She was an ambitious social climber. I was just not good enough for her. I was so frustrated. And, so angry! I still remember that feeling.
The train arrives in Begumpet station. I get down and start walking towards the stairs to take the overbridge to Platform Number 1. The tea seller calls out, ‘Hey! Where are you going in such a hurry?’
I smile at him. Occasionally, I buy a tea and Samosa from him. Friendly chap. Gives me tea on credit sometimes, if I am out of money. But today I do not stop. I need my fix – immediately.
‘Talk to you later,’ I mumble and hurriedly move on. The tea seller looks at me oddly. But I do not care.
I meet my contact, snort up the drug in a pay and use toilet and feel better. He is waiting for me outside. He tells me to report to Eden Function Hall in Himayatnagar at 8am sharp, the next day. I nod my head silently.
‘And look neat and be punctual,’ he snaps at me as he hands me two small packets - my fix for two more days- for free.
I nod again. I will be neatly dressed and be there at the Function Hall tomorrow at 8 am sharp even if it kills me. I cannot afford to antagonise my contact…..
9
ASHA FOUNDATION
The sketch of the waiter was made by the artist very promptly. After that the police had circulated the picture in TV, newspapers, and also in the form of posters. The public was repeatedly warned about the killer and how dangerous he was. People were asked to come forward with any information that they might have. Also the public were warned not to go near lonely isolated places.
Commissioner Sanjay Kumar was not a happy man. The press had been hounding him and lampooning for his perceived inaction. He had been venting his frustration on Reddy, who was in turn, relating his tales of woes to Vikram. Vikram had obviously chosen a bad time to visit Reddy in his office this morning. He wanted to find out from Reddy if the killer had been identified from the photo that the police had circulated.
Reddy had been raving and ranting against the Commissioner, the press and life in general. Vikram was listening with a patient, faintly saintly expression on his face. He knew that Reddy needed an outlet for the pressure created on him by this case and as a good friend, this is the least he could endure. Now he adroitly turned the conversation back to the case. ‘Did anybody recognise the picture that we have circulated?’
‘We have so many so called witnesses calling in about the sketch. All of them have led to precisely nothing so far. People either come in with false tales as they want attention, or are genuinely mistaken,’ Reddy said.
Vikram made sympathetic noises. Reddy sighed, ‘So much manpower wasted. We are sending the boys out on a wild goose chase. I am getting very frustrated. Sanjay is following up with me every day. What can I do? There is no apparent link between the killings. The killer is running rampant all over Hyderabad. He is not restricting himself to any particular location or type of people. First, he killed a young woman, and then he said that he would kill an elderly woman, which he did. Then he said that he would target doctors. He is utterly confusing me. There seems to be no pattern in the way he is killing his victims.’
Vikram said now, ‘There is something about the third note that is different from the other two notes. Somehow I am unable to point my finger at the discrepancy. Did you notice anything?’
Before Reddy could answer, a constable brought a man Reddy’s office. The constable said, ‘Sorry to interrupt sir, but I wanted you to meet this man. This is Thapa. He is a tea seller in Begumpet Station. He has come in with some information about the killer which seems to me as very genuine. That is why I brought him to meet you.’
Thapa was a typical Nepali. He was a youngish person in his twenties and looked quite sharp and intelligent though a little nervous at the thought of talking to a high ranking Police Officer. He had an ingratiating smile on his face and with folded hands said, ‘Namaste Shaab.’
Seeing that the man was nervous, Reddy tried to put him at ease. He smiled benevolently at the young man and said, ‘Sit down. Do you want a glass of water or something?’
When Thapa accepted the offer of a glass of water, Reddy sent the constable to fetch the same. Then turning to Thapa he said, ‘Where do you stay?’
‘Shaab I stay in Brahmanwadi, close to Dr. Renuka’s home. I came to India from Nepal with my parents when I was 10 years. My father worked as a security guard in Gitanjali School.’
‘Have you stayed in Brahmanwadi since you were a child?’
‘Ji Shaab. My father built a small house in Brahmanwadi, which I inherited.’
‘You did not study?’
Thapa smiled, ‘Shaab – I was a naughty child. My father tried to admit me to Gitanjali School where he was a security guard. But I would not study. The teachers also tried to help. But I had no interest. Finally he helped me to open up a tea shop in Begumpet station.’
‘So you have seen this person in the sketch?’
He folded his hand and said, ‘Shaab, I have seen this person in the sketch running to catch a MMTS train from Begumpet to Lingampally station on the day that Dr. Renuka was killed. He had a wild look on his face and blood spatters on his shirt front. I again saw him a few days back in Begumpet station. I tried to stop him, but he seemed to be in a hurry.’
‘Did you know who this person was?’ Vikram asked.
‘No Shaab – but he uses the MMTS regularly and I have seen him around Begumpet station quite frequently.’
‘Did you notice anything unnatural about this person?’
‘Shaab, he seems to be a friendly person and definitely does not look like a mad killer, but in this day and age one never knows. I think this guy is a travelling salesman. I saw him once carrying plastic boxes, bottles and other storage containers similar to Tupperware. I think that his name is Satya.’
‘How do you know his name?’ Reddy asked now.
‘Shaab – one day he called someone over his phone and introduced himself as Satya – over the phone.’
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br /> ‘This person is a possible violent killer. He is highly dangerous. Be extremely careful in his presence. He might turn violent any time.’ ACP Reddy cautioned.
‘Ji Shaab, I understand but still I will help you in any way I can. Dr. Renuka gave us money during my sister’s wedding. I am forever indebted to her. I will do anything to help you find her murderer.’
‘How did you know Dr. Renuka?’ Vikram asked curiously.
‘Everybody knows Dr. Renuka in our area. She was a God fearing person and took care of poor folks like us. She did not take any money when my daughter was delivered. I live in the low-income area near Brahmanwadi, close to where she used to stay. Whenever we had any medical problems we would go to her and she would treat us for free. She had always taken care of the poor and helpless, but after her son’s death she helped even more. She sometimes paid for the medicines as well. She used to say that with her son now dead, she had no use for money. She was like a God among us.’
Reddy gave his personal mobile number to Thapa and said, ‘Okay Thapa – I believe you have given us some very useful information. Do not hesitate to call us, in case you remember anything else about the killer. Let me know immediately if you see this person again in the Begumpet station.’
After Thapa left, Reddy and Vikram went to the Commissioner Sanjay Kumar to update him on the latest development.
‘At last we have a lead.’ Sanjay Kumar said. He looked happier than before. At last he had something solid to talk about in front of the press.
‘We know that he is tall, attractive and in his thirties. We also know that he is a drug addict and his name could be Satya.’
‘If Satya is the same guy as our random killer then, he is also a travelling salesman who sells kitchenware.’ Vikram said.
Reddy looked excitedly at Vikram and said, ‘I remember the empty plastic containers that were lying in the Manepally’s kitchen. Maybe Padma had just bought the plastic jars! We should ask if someone had seen this Satya in Charminar area. What do you say?’
A Season for Dying: A Vikram Rana Mystery (Vikram Rana Series Book 2) Page 6