‘You can’t believe a conductor. What do they know?’
‘They know their customers,’ Chupplejeep said. ‘So why were you in Goa a day earlier than you purported to be?’
‘But I called her and told her about her father,’ Talika said. ‘She said she would come immediately from the university.’
‘You called her at the university?’ Chupplejeep asked.
Talika shook her head. ‘Her mobile.’
Roshni played with her hands. ‘I came to see Father. He wanted to have a chat about this inheritance.’
‘Ah, so you knew about your father’s properties before he died. You told me you only found out after his death. Another lie.’
Roshni exhaled deeply. She narrowed her eyes at the detective. ‘Daddy had confided in me. The day he died he was supposed to meet me at the bus station in Panaji. We were going to go to the Locomotive Café close to the station to have a chat. I didn’t tell Mother because I didn’t want to see her. I just wanted to have the conversation and go back. He didn’t show up and he didn’t have a mobile. I assumed he didn’t want to have that talk after all. So I went to the parlour,’ she said, touching her recently threaded eyebrows. ‘I had my hair cut and spent the day shopping in town. I stayed at the Panjim Inn, and I was going to go back to university the following day when Ma called with the shocking news.’
‘Were you worried your father was going to tell you he was donating his inheritance to a local charity? That was something your father was likely to do, wasn’t it?’
‘What rubbish?’
‘Were you so scared of losing this new wealth that you were prepared to kill your own flesh and blood for it?’
‘I went back to Belgaum and returned the following day when mother called me,’ Roshni shouted.
‘You didn’t go home to Toem Place after your father failed to turn up?’
Roshni shook her head.
‘So you weren’t worried about your father?’
She continued to shake her head.
‘And you didn’t want to see your boyfriend?’ Chupplejeep asked, looking at her groom.
Roshni made a face. ‘I called him. He was busy.’
‘Indeed,’ Chupplejeep said. ‘You have no alibi for that night and you were already in Goa.’
Roshni ignored him. ‘Why are you picking on me, Detective? It’s my mother who has the big secret.’
‘Ah, your mother’s secret,’ Chupplejeep said. ‘I soon realised what it was after she came to see me yesterday, despite her continued silence.’ Chupplejeep looked at Talika. ‘What had you done that was so terrible? Yesterday, by the jetty, you made a paltry confession regarding the jewellery being taken from your house in the first burglary incident. However, that wasn’t what you originally intended to tell me. So what confession did you really want to make to me? That you killed your husband? Subduing him with alcohol and then attacking him?’
Talika looked away. There were tears in her eyes. Chupplejeep looked at Roshni, whose face held a sinister smile.
‘No,’ Chupplejeep continued, twisting one end of his moustache. ‘That wasn’t your terrible secret. Your secret was about an affair. One you were having. After you visited me yesterday, I realised this. It was an affair that no one knew about, not even my good friend here, the village gossip.’ Chupplejeep looked at Dilip, who quickly looked away towards the large banyan tree at the edge of the gardens. ‘But Jackpot’s confidante knew. I called Sneha to confirm my suspicions. She told me that Jackpot went to see her to discuss this affair you were having. Sneha, it seems, liked to keep people on her side.’ Chupplejeep looked up and saw Sneha standing at the back of the crowd, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. When she heard her name, she looked towards him and stared. She wasn’t the serene yoga instructor today. He continued, turning back to Talika, ‘Sneha was a good friend to Jackpot and a friend to you. I saw how she looked after you when Jackpot’s body was found, wringing out your skirt, calming you down. She was helping Jackpot through his troubles, but she still kept your indiscretions safe.’
‘Indiscretions? Her? An affair? With who?’ Roshni said, stifling a laugh.
‘With him,’ Chupplejeep said, looking up at Roshni’s groom.
Arjun Chopra looked up from under his pink turban before lunging for the detective.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Chupplejeep sidestepped Arjun, who he had been keeping an eye on. The writer had held his clenched fists close to his sides, and Chupplejeep had anticipated his reaction. Arjun almost fell forward, his weight behind him as he tried to attack the detective. Chupplejeep was about to apprehend him when he saw a figure dart from the crowd towards the writer. It was Sofia, and she was wielding her flick knife. In one deft move, she held the blade against his neck, and Arjun took a breath, putting his hands up, palms facing the crowd.
‘Get this crazy woman away from me,’ he shouted.
Chupplejeep gently put his hand on Sofia’s forearm and moved it away from Arjun’s face. Once it was a safe distance away, he removed the knife from her hand.
‘Thank you,’ he said to her. ‘But I think I have this under control.’ Sofia struggled to release her arm from his grip, then when Chupplejeep loosened his hold on her, she stepped back.
‘Give me my knife back,’ she said.
Chupplejeep looked at her, then looked at the weapon in his hand. ‘How about I hang on to it for now. I’ll keep it safe and return it in some time,’ he promised before pushing the blade back inside its sheath and slipping it into his pocket. He still held the knife he had retrieved from Talika, and it wasn’t wise to be holding two knives.
Sofia eventually nodded.
‘He’s not a criminal,’ Roshni said. ‘Whatever my mother’s said, it’s lies. She’s been determined to stop this wedding since I announced our engagement, already insinuating something like this. She will not have her way. You think someone like Arjun would look at an old woman like her?’
Chupplejeep looked at Roshni and continued, ‘When I asked Sneha about Arjun Chopra, she said to look for his lover at Jackpot’s house. Everyone knew of the failed date between you and Arjun. I assumed she was referring to this, so I didn’t question it at the time. But later I recalled the way your mother had been watching Arjun the day I stopped by at your villa. He was doing press-ups on the jetty, and both you and your mother were watching him with fascination. It was strange to see mother and daughter both staring at Arjun with such intent. Your mother’s new hairstyle, the changed behaviour, the look of confidence and the talk of a confession to me just yesterday evening were all I needed to know what she had done, to know what she was about to do.’
Chupplejeep turned to Talika, whose tears had dried. ‘That scratch on your neck. It wasn’t from a rogue branch from a rose bush like you’d told me. It was a scratch made in the heat of passion. It was why your cheeks coloured when you told me. It was why you felt shame every time you remembered it.’ Chupplejeep looked at the knife he had taken from her, the blade glinting in the yellow light from the fire. ‘It was the reason why you were overheard fighting with your husband weeks before his death. You picked fights with him to hide your shame.’
‘I found reasons to fight with my husband before he passed because I was angry, angry that he had this inheritance that he hadn’t told me about. He had a secret that I had to find out for myself.’
‘You were angry with him.’
Talika clenched her fists and shook them. ‘I was furious with him. We could have had a much better life with that money. Why didn’t he tell me?’
‘You were always fighting with him, that’s why. You always want to fight,’ Roshni said. Chupplejeep looked at the bride. ‘That’s why you are here, to fight with me. Why did you come here with a knife?’
Talika looked away, her head held high.
‘She wanted to confide in me yesterday about her affair, about finding the letter, about everything that had happened,’ Chupplejeep said, ‘but for so
me reason she didn’t. Not knowing what to do, she decided the only thing she could do was to come here and kill the man who had betrayed her to marry her daughter.’
Talika looked back towards the detective and let out a deep sigh.
‘You’re not entirely to blame,’ he said, looking at Talika. ‘Perhaps you were seduced. Jackpot knew about your affair; he had already told Sneha of it.’ Chupplejeep looked for Sneha, worried she had left with all the commotion. It was her resort; the waiters who were acting as security would let her sneak out if she wanted to – after all, she paid their wages. He caught her eye and stared at her. Sneha stood, looking at him with defiance, challenging him to accuse her of the crime. He looked back at Arjun. ‘Jackpot also knew that Arjun had dated his daughter. This knowledge, along with his recent inheritance, had stressed the boatwalla no end, which is why he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders in his final days.
‘Arjun, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind sleeping with both mother and daughter. There are plenty more fish in the sea, you told me the day I asked you about Roshni. I think you’re a well-experienced philanderer, Arjun, but tell me: why were you so dead set on these two women?’
Arjun stared at Chupplejeep and then at the thick-set waiter who had positioned himself close to him. He remained silent.
Chupplejeep turned to Roshni. ‘Your mother realised what was going on as soon as you declared your marriage proposal. The announcement came a little too soon after your father’s death, but I suppose Arjun had forced your hand. Perhaps he told you some story of having to marry or going elsewhere, and you didn’t want to risk losing him.’
Roshni looked away.
‘It was Arjun who you met that day at the lake, wasn’t it? I recognised the voice not long after I spoke to him the other day at the clearing, when he was spying on me and Vadish under the false pretence of working out amidst nature.’
There was a small gasp from the crowd at the mention of the infamous local thug. ‘That day at the clearing he said something about me looking out for everyone, making sure things were done properly. He said the same thing to you at the lake that day, and it was this statement that got me thinking.’
Roshni looked nonplussed.
‘Talika had seen the letter Ms Ajuha had sent to Jackpot. She realised his intentions when you discussed your wedding, and soon made the connection as to why Arjun had seduced both her and you, the reason he wanted to keep both of you sweet, and that is why she came here to kill him.’ Chupplejeep looked at the writer. ‘Feel free to make any corrections, Arjun. You’re very quiet.’ Chupplejeep paused, waiting for a response. When he received none, he continued. ‘If you don’t want to tell your story, I will.’
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
‘Arjun Chopra,’ Chupplejeep started. ‘The writer from Delhi, who settled here at Toem Place about a year ago. Nothing wrong with that. I can imagine the lake provides a beautiful setting for a novel. Being somewhere so tranquil, like our lake, is inspirational and heals the soul, does it not?’
‘There’s no crime in that, is there, Detective?’ Arjun said, his bride still standing by his side.
‘Not at all. What are you writing at the moment?’
Arjun shifted. ‘This and that,’ he said.
‘And your published works – when was your last book published?’
Arjun was silent.
‘Some ten years ago,’ someone reported from the crowd.
Chupplejeep nodded towards the voice from the audience. There would always be someone who knew someone else’s business in a village as small as Toem Place. He could guarantee that half the guests at the wedding would have looked online to see the author’s sales, reviews and ratings.
‘Ten years ago, and you are still living off the royalties?’ Chupplejeep asked.
‘No chance,’ the same voice in the audience said.
Arjun looked away, head held high.
‘You must be doing well to pay the rental rates around here. Can I ask how much it costs to rent a lakefront property?’
‘What’s your point, Detective?’ Arjun said.
‘The other night I went out with my girlfriend and her new friends. This new friend of hers, Bhumika, mentioned that she and her husband were going to have dinner the following day with someone called Arj, who I assume was you. There’s nothing wrong with that. You are, of course, free to have lunch, dinner, breakfast with whomever you choose.’ Chupplejeep looked at Bhumika and Nilesh. Christabel’s friend was holding on to her husband, leaning into him with one eye on the exit, which was still guarded by the waiter. He turned to Arjun again. ‘But something else Bhumika said really got me thinking about this meeting between you and the Patels. When Bhumika found out that her husband, Nilesh, was Jackpot’s half-brother, she said – another brother! This bothered me slightly. Not enough to act on my instincts straight away, but it niggled at me, an irritation, something under the skin. I stored this piece of information and carried on with my investigation. Then later, by the lake, when I had stopped to photograph a butterfly, I saw Vadish, the local goonda, leave your house, and I knew then what was bothering me. I called my girlfriend, and she confirmed that Bhumika, when she first met her, had told her that Arjun Chopra was Nilesh’s brother.’
When Chupplejeep had called Christabel yesterday, she had indeed confirmed Bhumika’s relationship with Arjun. It was a throwaway comment made by Bhumika when they first met, but Christabel had remembered it well, hoping her friend would arrange a meeting. She had never met an author before, and even though his novel wasn’t a bestseller, he would do. Chupplejeep caught Christabel’s eye, and she scowled at him. She didn’t want to be brought into this palaver that was unfolding.
People in the crowd began to mutter and tut as they came to their own conclusions.
Chupplejeep silenced them by raising a hand. He reached out to Arjun and pulled up his sleeves. ‘That’s a nasty scratch you have on your forearm,’ he said to Arjun. He remembered that when he had seen Arjun working out behind the clearing his arms had been covered. He thought then it was odd to wear such long armbands when it was over thirty degrees outside, but he had let it go, thinking it was fitness-related, something he didn’t know much about. Now he knew better.
‘Training,’ Arjun said.
Chupplejeep was certain the scratch had been made by Jackpot when he tried to defend himself, and Kulkarni could prove it. ‘Arjun Chopra is, in fact, Arjun Patel,’ he said. ‘You’re Nilesh Patel’s brother and therefore Jackpot’s half-brother too. You, Arjun, never quite felt that you fitted in with your family. They were loud and brash, loved their food, didn’t think much about exercise or functional training for that matter. They took what they wanted when they wanted. You, on the other hand, were quiet, reserved, treated your body as a temple, respected others. You couldn’t wait till you were old enough to leave them, to get out and live on your own, or so the people you knew in Delhi have informed me.’
Chupplejeep had spoken to Pankaj’s contact in Delhi late last night, who was happy to put him in touch with a couple of the author’s friends. Arjun had cut ties with Delhi when he moved to Toem Place and so they were only too happy to help the detective with his enquiries.
‘You hated your family so much that when you found your vocation you decided on a new name, a pen name of Chopra. You wrote deftly about the relationship between brothers,’ Chupplejeep said, recalling what he had read in his book The Tide. Arjun couldn’t help but nod at the compliment. ‘The early success you had gave you motivation to change your name officially to Chopra.’
‘Well done, Detective,’ Arjun said. ‘But what does this actually prove?’
‘You lived off your own success, but soon that success dried up. Your second book didn’t make enough sales, your publisher declined your third offering and soon you had spent all your royalties from those initial transactions. But you’re a proud man. You waited it out, pretended you were doing well. From what I hear
, you couldn’t even afford the rent on your place in Delhi. It was then that you contacted your brother. Told him you wanted a change of scene.’
‘My brother.’ Arjun looked at Nilesh.
‘Your brother, yes. The one referred to in your bio, at the back of your book. I didn’t take much notice of it until I realised that Nilesh was your sibling.’
‘Nilesh let him stay in that villa, rent-free,’ Bhumika said. ‘He’s a good man, my husband. Just because he’s a property developer, doesn’t mean he’s a heartless fellow.’
Chupplejeep nodded. ‘You were staying here for free.’ He looked over at Roshni. Her head was tilted slightly as she looked at her groom with fresh eyes.
‘Talika, you knew about the connection, didn’t you?’ Chupplejeep turned to face the bride’s mother. ‘You knew because it was written in the letter to Jackpot from his mother, the personal letter. You didn’t think much of it though, not until Roshni announced her engagement.
‘And you, Roshni, you knew about a letter your father received before he died. You lied to me when you said you only found out about the inheritance after your father passed. Your father had shared the news of his inheritance with you, but I’m guessing he only shared the accompanying solicitor’s letter with you, not the personal one from his mother. Perhaps he only told you about it. You can understand now why he was so against you dating Arjun. The last person he wanted you to date was his much younger half-brother, your half-uncle. And especially as he knew his wife was also having an affair with him. Arjun Chopra was a thorn in your father’s side.’
Roshni’s jaw dropped. ‘My uncle,’ she mouthed, looking at Arjun.
‘Incest,’ someone shouted from the crowd. ‘That’s incestuous. They cannot marry.’ Chupplejeep ignored the comment. It was incest indeed, but incest wasn’t illegal in India. By Hindu Law they could not marry, but Chupplejeep was certain no marriage would take place now.
Jackpot Jetty Page 25
