Let's End Your FEAR

Chapter 4

"So we heard" he said, pulling out a pocket notebook and pen.

"Anybody else here this morning besides you and Mrs. Singh?"

"Couple of employees- I sent them home but also told them to stay put that you would be checking in with them before the day was out. "

"We appreciate it Imran", Nakuul said, wishing he could walk away from this
one. Anushka Singh had lost her husband and Nakuul didn't know how one survived that kind of tragedy. Asking her the questions he had to ask suddenly seemed like an appalling act of cruelty.

"You think Anushka will be able to talk to us?"

Imran managed a half smile. "She's not falling apart if that's what you mean ,Anushka doesn't do that."

He glanced toward the main entrance 

"She is in there, I tried to get her go to the house - but it's not about to happen until they take Vivaan away."

Shetty nodded. "Forensics are on the way. They'll do a little on-site before they move him. I don't think you want her around for that."

"Hell no. I don't. But Anushka will be wherever she wants to be. That's just the way she is."

He took a deep sigh and continued

"There's something else."

Shetty and Yadav waited quietly.

"After she got here, she washed him. Changed his clothes. Maid had already cleaned the rest. He's lying in there on one of the tables."

Yadav closed his eyes briefly, trying to hold his temper in check.

"That's not good, Imran."

"Tell me about it."

"I mean, her dad was a cop. She had to know she was destroying evidence.'

"It is what it is Viraj. The man is missing his head, there's a dog's head kept on him. She just lost it. Searched for his head like a frantic. Sorry buddy."

Shetty made a note to have the crime scene techs collect the clothes the dead man had been wearing.

"Anything else you can think of that might help us out here?" he asked

Imran's laughter was short and bitter. " You mean like who'd want to kill him? Sure. Look for somebody who'd  do the same to Mother Terese. He was a good man Nakuul. Maybe even a great one."

Yadav waited until Imran Syed was out of earshot before whispering to Shetty,

"This is frustrating I am telling you, We are gonna regret taking up this case."

"No regrets whatsoever Viraj."

They walked over to the front table to take a closer look at the dead man's decapitated body. His arms were crossed on his chest. Legs carefully positioned. Viraj asked the team to turn over the decapitated body. A number was scrawled on his back with a sharp object.

" 5? What is that suppose to mean?" Viraj enquired

"As if I know. I get a feeling that we are dealing with a serial killer here." said Shetty.

"NO! That changes the direction of entire investigation my friend. 5 here can mean anything."

"But his body - decapitated and was replaced with that of a dog, look at his legs, they are carefully positioned. Arms stretched, and now a number scrawled on his back." said Nakuul.

"His wife must have done us the favour." grunted Viraj

Shetty turned around towards the maid ,who had moved the body alongside Anushka and had brought it on the table.

"Did she do this? With his legs and arms?"

"No sir, we carefully lifted him up. His legs and arms was tied right from the start by a bare wire to avoid it  from moving. Ma'am insisted on removing it but police arrived till then."

"Oh thanks to the Almighty for today and for putting some common sense into these people"  said Yadav immediately.

Shetty turned back to Yadav with a questionable look on his face

"He was quite a famous singer, 58 years old, running his own business, taking care of his family.  Who'd want to kill an old man like this?"
 
Yadav shrugged, " Maybe an old woman."

"You're pissed because she moved the body."

"I'm suspicious because she moved the body. I'm pissed because you made me come here in short pants."

"Viraj, I feel this is something sinister."

They both took a step away from the table when Imran came through with a lady, brown hair cropped close to her head. She wore a long-sleeved white blouse under child sized bib overalls, and glasses magnified her dark eyes making her look like YODA.

A tough YODA- Nakuul decided as she drew closer. There was no sign she'd been crying, no surrender to despair.

An elderly man who followed in her wake was a different story. Grief was weighing him down, pulling at his puffy, red eyes and a mouth that trembled.

"Inspector Nakuul and Viraj, this is my brother in law's wife, Anushka Singh, and this is Vivaan's and Alisha's father Shikandar Singh."

Anushka Singh stepped up to the table and laid a hand on her dead husband's chest, "And this is Vivaan.",she said, frowning at Imran as if he'd been rude to exclude his brother in law from the introductions, simply because he was dead.

"Imran tells us your husband was a wonderful man. Mrs. Singh, I can't imagine what a terrible loss this must be for your family. And for you too Mr. Shikandar." Shetty added, because tears were running freely down the old man's face now.

Anushka was staring at Nakuul intently.

"I know you."

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Guys. I know the chapters are big but trust me I am trying my best to make it interesting, and funny at the same time.

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