Part 4
Morning donned upon the Ill-fated inn, sunlight streamed through each of the occupant's window. Eyes blinked open some too sleepy and some bright awake but everyones heart sat up when they realized that this was the day. The police were coming.
Loud banging of the inn door caused it to shake in its hinges. The knocking continued till one of the prakash brothers unlocked the door. His heart was jumping yards scared to see the uniformed men, but he consoled himself that they were here for the murder and not him. Hari Prakash leaped in from the counter to see the visitors but on seeing the police he leaped back from where he had come. He wasn't as brave as his brother.
From amongst the uniformed junior policemen a casually dressed but handsome man took a step in. any one could say he was the man incharge here. He pulled off his gloves and extended his hand to Om "Inspector Aman". Om shook his hand and replied back "Om Prakash. I and my brother run this inn". "was it you who called in the murder?? "he questioned to which Om replied "No sir, one of the guests did it". Aman turned to two of his juniors and instructed "I want a list of all the guests here and run a baground check on them. Quick. While the rest of you follow me, we have a murder site to investigate".
Aman covered his nose with a hanky as he bent down to the body. His gloved hands ran across all the wound marks. His men were searching the room for any kind of clues. He walked around the room taking in all the things around. All criminal however smart they are they all leave behind some clue, maybe small or big, but something always was there. All he needed to do was find that one clue. He noticed the window latch to be broken. The lock was useless now, the window could be shut but not locked. So there were two ways the criminal could have got in the window or the door.
At noon, the entire guests were gathered in the dinner room, each looking at the other wondering who must have done it. The prakash brothers were also summoned to be a part of the gathering; they too stood frightened in the corner. The door opened and Inspector Aman entered with few of his men and scanned the guests seated. Another thing about criminals was that the first timers usually get nervous in such situations and always did some or the other mistake. It was only the professionals who knew how to act calm and composed in a investigations. He wanted to see each ones reactions. One of his man passed the guest list into his hand, Aman looked down at the names.
First a Mrs. Gayatri Devi, had to be the old woman who else would call herself Devi, so it couldn't be the other two woman, he thought. Next Mr and Mrs. Jha, he looked up at the frightened woman in a sari holding the man next to hers hand tight, ok so tick off. Next Arnav Singh Raizada, he looked up again in surprise the business tycoon?? The man he had seen in magazines was sitting right there in front of him. But his looks wernt as the magazine portrayed him. The man before him was dressed in a creased shirt and jeans, not properly shaved and bathroom slippers. Not at all the type of personality he imagined. Next Khushi Gupta had to be the last lady of the group who pleasantly had taken the time to dress up for this.
"k people, we all know why we are here so we better get on with business. If any one of you know anything which you wish to say please do so and it would be pleasant if one of you own up to the crime, saving my and the others time which of course I think no one will do, so moving on." He pulled a chair and seated him self on it. Taking papers which his man had collected in the morning, he turned to page 1. "so which of you would like to start on how and when they knew the deceased? ".
Arnav raised his hand "Lavanya was my girlfriend. She had done a few modeling assignments for my company that's how I met her. We were going out for a year now. She came here for a short holiday".
Aman turned to the page containing arnav's story and nodded his head. "whose next?".
Shyam looked around at the people then decided to speak "none of us knew the lady other than him".
Aman "are you sure? Lying wont help".
Shyam became angry "you mean to say I am lying?".
Aman : no just asking you to think a bit harder you never know what may pop up. He turned to the other guests. "any volunteers".
Anjali's hands were shivering. She was scared to say. It wasn't right to lie also but she was in a predicament. Her shivering hands caught the eye of Aman who asked "Mrs Jha do you wish to say something". Shyam turned to his wife, it was then that he noticed the hands. Anjali looked into her husbands eyes searching for some heavenly answer as to should she or should she not reveal.
Shyam "my wife is a bit nervous that's all". Aman nodded his head and looked down.
Aman referred to his papers then spoke "if any one of you recall about a year and a half ago, a case which went quite public was flashing in the papers. It was filed against a retired supreme court judge Kishan Malik. Rings a bell in someones mind?
Nani looked away not wanting to remember. Anjali looked puzzled as ever and arnav seemed to re trying to recall where he had heard this name. Just when Khushi jumped up "Yes Yes. Some one was claiming to be the grandchild of that judge and wanted a share in the wealth of the family. The case was taken back when the Judge suffered a heart attack in the courtroom and died en route to the hospital". It was then that the story clicked in Arnav mind and he realized where he had heard it. The rest of guest seemed alien to the story.
Aman smiled "Yes you are right Ms Khushi. Well can you recall who that person was who filed the case?". All this while Aman's eyes were watching the one person who he knew was involved it this. He wanted a reply from that person.
Khushi shook her head in ignorance, no she didn't know the name. Arnav knew quite well but didn't want to say. Aman pushed a newspaper clipping in Shyam's hand and questioned "recognize it?". All eyes turned to Shyam, thinking him to be the culprit. Anjali managed to ask Aman "you mean he did it?". Aman smiled and replied "no but he was a part of it. He was the lawyer in the case".
Shyam decided that he had enough. 'You don't expect me to remember all my clients do you? Now as you reminded me yes I recall who it was".
Aman: Name please.
Shyam frowned and muttered: Lavanya Kashyap.
Aman : A little louder Mr Jha.
Shyam repeated it a little louder, but there was no reaction from the other guest except Khushi who suddenly connected two and two. "You mean the murdered lady" khushi questioned. Aman nodded in agreement.
Anjali wasn't shocked, she knew about that case and so did she about Lavanya. Arnav had heard about it from lavanya and didn't react. But nani was the mystery here. Why didn't she react?
Shyam : so how does that connect to the murder? I was just her lawyer.
Aman: yess…..
But before he could continue Anjali decided to say the truth "she was his girlfriend too". All eyes turned in shock including Aman's. Shyam widened his eyes in shock, how did she know? Aman turned to Anjali wanting to know more about the new information.
Aman: yes Mrs Jha continue.
Anjali(crying) :They were having a affair. I paid her to leave my husband's life and go away. That's all he didn't kill her.
Aman : oh!! Any other revelations?? * he scanned the room"
Khushi had her shocked look while arnav was shocked this time. Lavanya was with this idiot?? She had never told him this. Maybe that's why he had been blaming me last night.
Aman had another ace up his sleeve. He hoped this would bring about more revelations as his last ace had. He had two suspect so far Shyam who maybe killed her for revenge or Anjali out of jealousy. Now for the next trick. He turned to nani.
Aman: would you care to state your name.
Nani: Gayatri Devi.
Aman: Full name.
Nani hesitated, Aman caught this. "Gayatri Malik".
Aman: Let me state it for you. Gayatri Kishan Malik wife of late Judge Mr Malik. The man against who the late Mrs Lavanya filed a rights case. Am I right?
The whole room was silent. Even Shyam was shocked. She was the lady? Oh my god this was getting trickier. Khushi was still shocked with what ever was happening around. Arnav was trying to take in all he heard. First the lawyer Shyam now the wife of the Judge. It seemed like a conspiracy here. Next they will say khushi was lavanya's long lost twin sister. Arnav wondered at the possibility of his random thought then shooed it off. Couldn't be these two were poles apart.
Nani responded "yes". Aman was delighted. "So Mrs Malik would you care to elaborate". Nani stared back in anger " There is nothing else to the story. She had filed a wrong case against my husband, and this caused my husband to suffer a heart attack which took his life." .
Aman: But rumors were that a out of court settlement occurred which caused her to take back her case.
Nani: They were rumours Inspector. Nothing of that sort happened.
Aman: then why did she take the case back??
Nani: I don't know.
Aman didn't want to go further till he had evidence. He was going to get to the end of this. "Lastly the finger print reports of you all are back. It seems two of you all's fingerprints match the one we found in the room. He was looking for reactions from the two but found none.
Aman "One of Mr Arnav, 8 arnav stood up to protest* which I assume are because you resided in that room with the deceased's murder but surprisingly the second belongs to Ms Khushi.".
Aranv turned to khushi surprised that how could she have been in that room and when. ? Khushi was dumbstruck. How could she have been that stupid. Now all will know she had been there.
Aman: Ms khushi what were you doing in that room? Khushi didn't answer. He repeated his question again staring at khushi "why are your fingerprints in that room no. 7?". Khushi fumbled out "Because I was there last evening'. All gasped.
Precap: Nani said" Because Lavanya was my granddaughter."
comment:
p_commentcount