The arranged murder?️

chapter 8

Thank you for letting us come,’ I said. Four days after the funeral,

Saurabh and I had accompanied Inspector Singh to the Malhotra residence.

Singh rang the doorbell.

I didn’t have a choice. You made Rana sir call me,’ Singh said.

‘We are only here to help you, sir,’ I said.

'I’ve managed to do my job all these years without your help,’ Singh

said.

A maid in her early twenties opened the door. She recognised Saurabh

and let us in.

‘What’s your name?’ Singh said.

‘Gopika,’ the maid said.

‘How long have you worked here, Gopika?’ Singh said.

‘Three years,' she said, somewhat surprised.

‘You like it here?’ Singh said.

‘Let me send sahib,’ Gopika said and scurried out of sight.

'So sorry for your loss again, Ramesh ji,’ Singh said as Prerna’s father

entered the living room.

‘Thank you,’ Ramesh said. ‘Hello, Saurabh. When did you come?’

‘They came with me,' Singh said.

‘Oh,’ Ramesh said.

‘I just had some routine questions,’ Singh said in an extra-gentle, fake

voice.

‘Sure, tell me,’ Ramesh said.

‘The media is saying she fell. Like in an accident,' Singh said.

‘I read the news,’ Ramesh said.

'Do you think that is what happened?’ Singh said.

Ramesh took a deep breath. His eyes darted across the room as he

looked at Saurabh and me in quick succession. Fifty-year-old Ramesh

Malhotra, with his henna-tinted white hair and stubble, looked older than

his age. His wrinkles looked more pronounced on his fair skin. He slouched

on the sofa and adjusted his loose shirt.

‘No idea, Inspector sahib. All I know is I lost my daughter,’ Ramesh

said. He turned his eyes to the floor.

Gopika came in with a tray carrying several cups of tea.

‘Thanks for allowing the post-mortem,’ Singh said.

Ramesh nodded.

‘Did the post-mortem reveal anything?’ Saurabh said.

Inspector Singh looked at Saurabh, surprised and slightly upset. Who

was Saurabh to ask all this?

‘We’re still awaiting a full forensic report. However, the cause of death

is injury to the head. There isn’t much else at the moment. Some minor

scratches on arms and neck upon an early examination, but that’s it.’

‘Scratches could mean struggle, right?’ I said. The inspector glared at

me.

‘Minor scratches, I said. Could be due to the pebbles on the road as

well.’

‘Okay,’ Ramesh said.

‘I told you. The forensic report is awaited. It will tell us if there was

someone else with her. Fingerprints, DNA, we are checking everything,’

Singh said.

‘That’s good,’ Saurabh said.

‘Oh, so now you will tell me what is good or not?’ Singh said.

‘No, sir, I was just appreciating the thoroughness,’ Saurabh said.

‘These two have a detective agency as well, Inspector sahib.'

Saurabh nodded.

‘This is a serious case, Mr Malhotra. Investigating if the maid stole a

cell phone is different from a potential murder,’ Singh said.

‘Murder?’ Ramesh said, surprised.

‘What else if it is not an accident?’ Singh said.

‘But murder? Who will kill my little girl?’ Ramesh said.

‘Investigation will find out,’ Singh said. ‘My investigation, that is.’

The inspector glared at us. We weren’t welcome, clearly.

‘Saurabh knew Prerna. He can help you, sir,’ I said.

‘And you? What’s so great about you?’ Singh said to me.

I became silent. Singh turned to Ramesh.

‘They went to my senior. Inserted themselves in the investigation. ACP

Rana said they can be useful, but I don’t really see how' Singh said.

‘It’s okay. Let them be involved. Saurabh is like our own' Ramesh said.

Saurabh nodded. I was not one of their own, but I half-nodded as well.

I need to talk to everyone in the house. Take their statements' Singh

said.

‘Sure' Ramesh said.

‘Can we join you?’ Saurabh said.‘No' Singh said.

‘But Rana sir told you—’ I said and Singh interrupted me.

‘Tell Rana sir I said no. You can read the statements later. If you want to

work with me, it will be for me. You don’t dictate terms. I tell you what to

do' Singh said, his voice loud.

Saurabh and I nodded.

‘Don’t be upset, Inspector sahib. Have your tea' Ramesh said.

‘Ramesh ji, what exactly is the living arrangement in this house?’ Singh

said as he took out his notepad.

‘Myself, my wife Neelam, son Ajay on the second floor.’

The inspector scribbled as he spoke.

‘Prerna too?’

‘Of course ... My brother, Aditya, on the third floor by himself. My

mother, sister Bindu and niece Anjali on the first floor. That’s it.’

‘Any staff?’

‘One full-time domestic help, Gopika. My driver Anwar. He doesn’t

stay here though.’

The inspector wrote everyone’s name in his little book.

‘And who were the important people in your

daughter’s life?’ Singh said.

‘Saurabh can tell you that better. But I would say Saurabh and her

business partner Namrata.’

‘Business partner?’ Singh said.

In Eato. Her startup company' Saurabh said. ‘She co-founded it with

Namrata.’

‘Namrata who?’

‘Namrata Taneja, my own partner’s daughter, actually' Ramesh said.

The inspector jotted down her name as well.

‘Good. Let’s start the family testimonies tomorrow?’ Singh said.

Ramesh hesitated a little. ‘You know we are in mourning, but you do

what you have to.'

‘I am sorry, sir. Only doing my job,’ Singh said.

‘I understand. I won’t be the most cheerful company right now, but may

I offer you a drink?’

Singh looked at Saurabh and me.

‘I can stay for one. But we don’t need these two for that.’

‘Ass,’ I said as we stepped out of Prerna’s house.‘Insecure,’ Saurabh said.

We walked along the main road outside Prerna’s house as we searched

for an auto rickshaw.

‘Why can’t we sit in during his interviews? We could ask some

questions he might miss,’ I said.

‘Shall we talk to Rana?’ Saurabh said.

‘We can’t keep going to him like cry-babies,’ I said.

‘She fell here.’ Saurabh pointed to a spot on the road.

‘Did they find her phone?’ I said.

‘Someone found it on the other side of the road.

Smashed. Nothing can be retrieved from it.’

‘Other side? That’s weird,’ I said.

We went past a few houses and reached the end of the road. A woman

from the last house called out to Saurabh.

‘Hello, how are you? Remember me, Mrs Goel?’

She wore thick spectacles and looked over seventy.

'Son-in-law of the Malhotras, no?’ she said.

'Hello, yes, Mrs Goel,’ Saurabh said, placing her at last. ‘You came for

the roka and engagement.’

Saurabh and I greeted her with a namaste.

‘So unfortunate what happened,’ Mrs Goel said.

Saurabh nodded.

‘Newspapers are saying she slipped,’ Mrs Goel said.

‘The police is investigating,’ Saurabh said.

‘Good.’ She paused and then said, ‘I don't want any trouble with the

police.’

‘What do you mean?' I said, one eyebrow up.

‘This is Keshav, my friend,’ Saurabh said quickly.

‘I don’t like talking to the police. But... I heard her that evening.’

‘Heard her?’ Saurabh said, surprised.

‘I was on my terrace to take the dry clothes down. I heard screams and

yelling. The Malhotras are three houses away. Considering what has

happened, I’m now sure they came from the Malhotras’ house.’

We looked down the road. The three houses between the Goels and the

Malhotras were at a lower height than theirs.

‘What did you hear?’ I said.

‘Just yelling. I couldn’t hear the words.’Saurabh and I looked at each other.

‘Please don't get me involved with the police. I shouldn’t have said

anything,’ she said in an anxious voice.

‘There will be no trouble, Aunty,’ Saurabh said. ‘Thank you. This

helps.’

‘Actually,’ I said, 'may we see your terrace?’

We climbed up the stairs to reach her terrace. The evening light gave me

a good view of the neighbourhood.

‘I can see the Malhotra terrace from here. You didn’t see anything?’ I

said.

‘It was much darker that day. And after my cataract, it’s hard...’ Her

voice trailed off.

‘You heard her?’ Saurabh said.

‘I heard yelling. And a scream. Definitely a scream.’

‘What time?’

‘Between 7.30 and 8. My TV serial starts at 8, so it was definitely

before that.’

‘Male or female voices, Aunty?’ I said.

‘I couldn’t tell. Sometimes you just hear a noise.’