Dreamy Red

Episode 2 - The 'Missing' Case

Karan took the body to the forensic lab while Armaan was taken to the police station where he was asked to stay until the investigations went on. Ravi and Arush stayed back to help me gather clues at the villa. The most surprising thing was that, unlike every other neighbourhood in India, in spite of all the chaos, none of the neighbours thought of sneaking in to see what was happening.

Arush was inside the Villa while I and Ravi were sealing the huge gates with police tapes so that no one would trespass on the crime scene. Just before we could complete it and get inside, a fair-skinned lady wearing a white silk nightgown approached the gates. She seemed distraught. She waited impatiently outside the gates until we were out. She looked at Ravi from top to bottom, cleared her throat and then questioned him in a melodious voice, "Sir, are you a police?"

Huh! What kind of a question was that, I thought. Though he didn't look like one because of his attire, a short-sleeved green t-shirt with khaki cotton trousers and brown rubber slippers, at least his physique should have revealed that he should either be a policeman or a wrestler. Maybe not that huge to be a wrestler. So, actually, I think such a question was acceptable. Ravi nodded and the woman's face turned red. She asked him with anticipation in the same melodious voice, "What happened?" Ravi told her that Nishanthi was dead. The lady was astonished. She said that she had spoken to Nishanthi around ten the previous night to discuss the matter of her son gone missing.

She was Mrs Aishwarya Kannan, a close neighbour to the Ghoshs. As she spoke, I realised that she had actually approached us to complain about her missing son and not to know about what had happened in her neighbour's home. She didn't seem to have been affected much by her neighbour's death. Her only concern was her missing son. According to her, Naveen, her only son had left home late evening around six to meet his friend named Sid whom she had no idea about. "Naveen usually returns back home before ten in the night wherever he goes", she said sadly. Ravi asked her to go home and come to the station in the morning to register a complaint officially. She scowled and turned to leave.

While she was turning to leave, an old man wearing a white dhoti and a white shirt appeared from the same direction. She shouted warmly at him, "Appa, why are you out now? Look at the time! They are police it seems. I have complained about Naveen. Let's go!" And they both left. I found her suspicious mostly because she was ignoring me throughout the conversation and she never actually made eye contact with Ravi. She became my suspect #1!

At that moment, it grasped my attention. "Ravi, how is it that there is not even a single watchman to look after the humongous villa at least during the night hours?" I asked him intuitively. "Have a little patience, Bibbi. I will explain everything", he replied calmly. Ravi made Arush guard the gates and we walked inside.

Ravi and I sat down on a dirty park bench in front of the scary banyan tree. Some of its creepy roots fell on the bench making it very uncomfortable for me to sit. Ravi explained, "I got a call from the station around 12:40 AM that there has been a murder at Nishanthi Villa. So I immediately came to the spot with Arush. Only after three continuous knocks, Armaan opened the main doors that too, limping. His left leg was injured and his right palm had a deep cut," Ravi said with gestures. I nodded attentively. "Armaan had a photo of his wife clutched tight in his wounded hands. His night dress was soaked in blood. It looked as though he had a fight with someone. The hall was in perfect shape then, not like how it is now, except for the body on the sofa and a broken red vase near the stairs. And Armaan explained what had happened." Ravi showed exasperation. I listened to him meticulously.

"Both of them had gone to bed around 11:00 PM. 'Nishanthi was normal as ever', Armaan told." Ravi mimicked Armaan as he spoke. Though it was a bit funny, I tried not to laugh and gave a gentle smile. Yet he felt embarrassed and continued in his normal tone, "Armaan says that he clearly remembers shutting the window of their bedroom. But around 12:20 AM, he saw that the windows were open and couldn't spot Nishanthi. He peeped down the window but found no clue. The interesting fact to note is that the door was locked from the inside. And all the entrances of the villa were also locked from the inside", Ravi explained. 

I gave it a thought. The killer must have found some other entrance to get inside the building like exhaust fan vents or a chimney. Ravi carried on, "Armaan said that when he was running to check the ground in case she had fallen, he got an anonymous phone call. But it was hung up as soon as he received it. He says that when he was sitting on the ground in despair, he spotted her body underneath the sofa. He then placed her dead body on the sofa and called the police."

"So, did u check for any forced entry? Any intrusion?", I interrupted. "Yes, we checked. But, there was no sign at all. That's why I called you. You have got to solve the mystery, Bibbi!", he said x. I gave a flashy smile when he said that.

Ravi continued ignoring my pretence, "Armaan says that he doesn't know anyone who would want to kill her and that too that brutally. He says that she didn't even have a foe. She was easygoing with everyone. But he was sure that many had their eyes upon her because of her beauty." I saw Ravi wince while speaking. Maybe he got reminded of the state her face was when he saw her. "I asked him if he did notice any behavioural changes in her and for that, he told me that she was unwell the past week but had refused to go to the hospital", Ravi said disheartened. "When I asked about the servants, he told me that all of them had gone to their native. Manohar and Nethra, the main watchman and the head maid who were a couple were supposed to return this evening. But as a small accident broke Manohar's leg, they couldn't come. Fishy, isn't it?", he questioned avidly. "Indeed", I responded.

"So, do you suspect Armaan?" I asked him gingerly adding Armaan to my suspect list as suspect #2 because why would someone enter such a huge villa, kill the lady, take no money and place the body back inside the house that too without the knowledge of a guy sleeping right next to her and all at the time when there was no one else at home.

Ravi spoke with bitterness, "I thought so too. Armaan was saying kinds of stuff in favour of the murderer like he must be a genius to plan such a killing and so on. He behaved like a maniac. I was angered by his actions and then I slapped him." I chuckled and asked, "Is that what made the hall to that condition?" But Ravi's face was serious and his temper was at the zenith. He said in an austere tone, "No. That's the reason why I stopped you from speaking to him and sent him to the police station" I was bewildered. "What?!", I exclaimed.

"No, no. He couldn't have murdered her. Though he is a crazy man, I don't think he would dare to do such a thing." Ravi had caught my mind's voice. "When I slapped him, all of his emotions took over. He started throwing all the stuff here and there, which angered me even more", Ravi said with actions. "I felt like he was scared of getting caught and to conceal evidence, he made all the fuss. Again I shouted at him. Then he went into a depression and fainted. Totally weird", he said with exasperation. I too felt that it was weird. There were extreme changes in Armaan's sentiments in a flick of time. Ravi continued after taking a deep breath, "Then I gave him some water. And he started blabbering that he loved his wife so much and he wouldn't even hurt his dog and blah, blah, blah."

As Ravi was speaking, I saw something move behind the banyan tree. Ravi's attention turned over there too.