Crush - KarEena

Chapter 31

"That's him. Do you recognize him?"

Karishma looked into the interrogation room, "Never seen him before"

"I hadn't either," Santosh said, "Not until he came in here the other night ready to hand over the goods on Ramesh Redi AKA Ricky Roy"

"I've got the goods on Ricky Roy. My great-aunt Bharti got the goods on Ricky Roy. Where Roy is concerned, 'the goods,' have been there for a long time. Trouble is, they're worthless"

"Calm down," Santu said, "I know you're upset about Dr Malik's horses"

"Damn right I am"

"Nobody could've predicted he would do that"

"Why wasn't someone watching her house?"

"It's not in our city"

"Don't give me any bullshit about jurisdiction, Santu. You staked out Goa cops at my house there"

Santosh dragged her hand down her tired face, "Okay, maybe it was an oversight. How is Dr. Malik bearing up?"

"She insisted on going back to work today. Said that's what keeps her grounded. We drove in early from her ranch. I dropped her at the hospital just before coming here"

"Hmm"

Karishma gave her a sharp look, "What?"

"Nothing"

"So okay, let's see what this bozo has to say"

As she reached for the doorknob Santosh caught her by the arm, "Hold up. Don't go charging in there with steam coming out your ears"

"I'm cool"

"You're anything but cool, Karu"

Everyone in the Mumbai police headquarters knew that Karishma Singh was among them that morning. Everybody, at least all the homicide detectives, knew that Santosh Sharma's scheme to attract Roy to Goa had been a gloomy failure. While Karishma Singh and the lady surgeon were playing footsie on the beach, Roy had doubled back and killed her stable of fine horses.

Karishma was aware of the attention she had attracted. If she'd had a bull's eye painted on the back of her shirt, she couldn't have felt more salient. It hadn't been easy for her to enter the Area or even to walk into police headquarters. She had felt right at home and ill at ease at the same time.

Since her departure, the turnover of personnel hadn't been that considerable, so she knew many. Some spoke to her and even shook her hand as though genuinely glad to see her. Others looked at her presence and kept their hellos low-key. Karishma understood. A police department was as political as any other bureaucracy. Everyone watched their own back. A friendly greeting to an officer on indefinite leave might be misinterpreted by those who recommend advancement. Anyone concerned about their next promotion wouldn't jeopardize their chances by mingling with bad news like Karishma Singh.

As though validating her paranoia and self-consciousness, it seemed that everyone on the entire third floor, upon hearing her and Santosh's raised voices, had stopped what they were doing and were watching with frank interest to see how this scene between the former partners was going to play out.

Karishma threw off Santosh's hand, "I said I'm cool"

"I just don't want-"

"Are we gonna do this or not?"

Santosh glanced over her shoulder at their attentive audience, then opened the door to the interrogation room and waved Karishma in. Chintu Kichlu was seated at the far end of the small table. He was jiggling both legs, his bony knees bobbing up and down as rapidly as synchronized sewing machine needles. His teeth were doing a number on a fingernail.