Black Clouds

17. Dheeraj Malhotra

"That man's name is Dheeraj Malhotra. He is a wealthy businessman who lives in Delhi and comes here every year. He has been a loyal customer of this hotel for over five years and had great friendship with Mr. Ashish.

He is also our suspect #2."

Akshay told me, while eyeing the said man caught on camera.

"... Wow. How did you even..."

I trailed off, raising an eyebrow his way, questioning him silently about his extensive knowledge about this mystery man. He seemed to comprehend my expression and responded immediately, although with an air of slight haughtiness. Don't ask me how I came to know about that, it's just my ability.

"From the assistant manager. He is a young lad eager to take off some load off his chest. It was easy."

I said nothing afterward. In this profession, you needed to be skillful and resourceful to become successful. And by taking even a cursory glance at this man's career and present post, it was enough to get acquainted with his skills. He was resourceful as hell, and it was slightly giving me a complex, knowing that he didn't need my help anymore.

I tried to stop my brain from veering in that direction and forced it to focus on the more imperative task at hand. The rational part in my convolutions knew that it was futile to be competitive with your partner, who's not gonna be your partner after just a few more days. It just didn't matter when we were eventually going to separate paths and never work together again.

And so, when he pressed play on the screen and resumed the video, I turned back to it and engrossed myself like a true professional, and was I exceptional at it.

The video continued to show Dheeraj's seething expression while Ashish, the manager cowered and tried to find a way to evade the inevitable conversation. After looking around and unsuccessfully trying to find something or somebody to help him, he turned towards the older man, utter defeat etched perfectly on his face.

In a jiffy, he stowed the fear and defeat away and proceeded to paint his signature professional smile on, but the jittery expression in his eyes  still told me that he was somehow wanting to get saved from this man.

'Why does this man have him so afraid? What is the real matter?'

As he neared the businessman, the man started talking, apparently without any formal greeting. It looked like he really was a regular customer, or even more than that, by the way he was conversing with the manager. It was as if they were.... friends. They were talking now, similar expressions over their visages, but I couldn't hear a thing. Maybe it was because of the fact that the lobby is a crowded place and they were talking very softly.

It must have been only two minutes since they started talking and it looked like the businessman was already losing his temper. Ashish was trying to pacify him all the while looking around him to ensure others weren't aware of this heated exchange, but people had now started to give their ears to them subtly.

Soon, the voice on the camera cleared and I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Dheeraj's tone was increasing steadily until it was too loud and everyone in the lobby could hear them easily.

"What did you do with my money Ashish? I told you to get it ready when I come around this time. Why didn't you get me my money?!!"

He was shouting with all his might, his voice taking over a raspy tone, close to completely abandoning his throat. But little did the man care. It looked like I was right in my initial assessment of this man - he was a tightwad, shrewd, and materialistic person who must have lent the manager some money and now was asking for it every chance he got.

And then I heard the last, very vital piece of information before he walked away indignantly.

"You.... you better get my money ready somehow while I'm still here, or the consequences won't be good for you. You have to feed a family, remember that."

He was very openly threatening Ashish. And it was now possible that the murderer could be him. He was far too gone in his fury to even know what he was speaking. And if that must have happened another time when they were all alone in the store room with all sorts of things to attack someone with, when the floor was having a black out, I do not see any reason why he wouldn't grab that golden opportunity.

I turned to Akshay who was already looking at me. We didn't utter a word yet I knew that he understood my gesture and I, his. We knew this suspect would have a hard time onwards, and that is something he brought upon himself.

We didn't say anything in front of the guard, and thanked him for showing us the footage. We then left the surveillance room to head to our next destination, to look for the man on our mind.

As we reached the similar lobby seen on the camera, I felt an odd sense of deja vu. Seeing the same setting just a couple of minutes ago under different circumstances was doing things to my mind. As Akshay talked to the concierge, I looked around, and riveted my gaze on the couch, where that conversation had taken place. I could only picture the businessman's angry expression and the manager's timid one. I was trying to picture their angry conversation when I was disrupted by Akshay.

"Shreya?"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Dheeraj Malhotra is out for business. I think we will have to wait till the evening."

"Oh, okay then."

I wanted to say much more than that, but couldn't bring myself to say it. When I looked up at him, I could see the same hesitation in his eyes too. Was he.... nervous? What was he nervous for? I was trying to clear the clouds of confusion from my mind when he asked me a question that froze me completely.

"Do you... maybe... want to get lunch with me? We could wait for him together if you're free today."

'So that's what he was nervous about?'

"Um, alright. I'm actually free now."

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