Blood Feud

by Brenda Donelan

  Sameer’s manner softened a bit. “No. The family has gathered tonight, and we will have the funeral tomorrow.”

  “Is the funeral a private, family matter or can others attend?”

  “We prefer just family since there are so many of us, but thank you for your concern and sympathy,” Sameer replied. “And now…,” he gestured toward the entrance of the home.

  Ignoring him, Marlee asked, “What happened to Raj? I talked to him the day that he died, and he said he was on the mend and would be back at work soon. I just don’t understand what could’ve happened to him.”

  “It is a shock to all of us. We also thought he would recover without any serious repercussions.”

  “But what did the doctor say was his cause of death?” Marlee persisted in her line of questioning, even though she knew it was in poor taste.

  “I suppose it is from the severe beating he sustained on campus. We think Raj had an internal injury, such as a ruptured spleen, which caused him to die,” Sameer said.

  “Will there be an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death?” Barry asked, his plate empty now that he’d finished his multiple servings of goat.

  “No! Never would we have Raj cut open. That is an insult to his body and his spirit. In our religion, we do not slice people open just to satisfy our own curiosity.” Sameer’s temper flared again, and Marlee knew they only had moments before being forcibly shown the door.

  “But you and your brother Ajay beat Raj on New Year’s Eve. He told me so himself. Then later that night, both of you chased me back to my apartment and pounded on my door. Those aren’t the actions of innocent men. I think you and Ajay killed Raj, and I’m going to do everything in my power to prove it!” The claims coming out of Marlee’s mouth were wild and accusatory. She wasn’t sure if she even believed them herself but knew they would elicit a strong response from Raj’s middle brother.

  “I will not listen to you defame me or my family! Please leave!” Sameer shouted as he walked away from them.

  With a raised eyebrow, Marlee said to Barry, “Let’s walk around a bit and see if we can get anyone to talk to us. If someone physically escorts us to the door, then we’ll leave.” Barry nodded in agreement.

  As they meandered their way through the packed room, Marlee felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Meena, the department secretary. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see her since her husband was a cousin to Raj.

  “I saw you talking with Sameer and overheard what he said to you,” Meena commented. “Do not pay him any attention. He is grieving over his brother and is not in his right mind.”

  “Thank you, Meena. Can you tell me why Raj died? What is the family saying about his death?” Marlee asked.

  “Complications from the violent attack which landed him in hospital. There is no suspicion of anything else. Also, no one thinks his brothers assaulted him. It is believed that someone, possibly a stranger, attacked Raj on campus, and he stumbled back to the faculty lounge in the Lotus Building where he fell unconscious. After you found him, and he was transported to hospital, he appeared to get better. The family believes he was released too early and died because of something undetected by the doctors,” Meena said.

  “How would he get back into the building if it was locked? He had me use my key to let him in after he was assaulted the first time,” Marlee said.

  “What do you mean? Raj had his own set of keys to the building and could have made his way to the faculty lounge without the help of anyone else. All of the graduate students have keys to the building. He told you he did not have keys?” Meena asked. “That is very puzzling.”

  “Yes, it is, Meena. And I need to ask you about something else. You were telling me about the other professors in the department and you mentioned Eleanor Appleton. I met her, and when she heard of Raj’s death she vomited in the meeting room. Professor Patel said he thought she was pregnant and Raj was the father. Later, I went to check on Eleanor to make sure she was feeling okay and told her what Professor Patel said about her. She completely denied having an affair with Raj and said she had been helping him with his graduate research project, but that was all,” Marlee said. “What do you know about all of this?”

  Meena looked over Marlee’s shoulder, then at the floor, then over her shoulder again. “I do not know anything about any of this. To my knowledge, Eleanor and Raj were only working on his research.”

  “I don’t believe you, Meena. You know more than you’re saying. I know you’re afraid and you want to protect your family and the university. I promise I won’t say anything, just tell me the truth about Raj and Eleanor. Please, tell me. It could make a world of difference in understanding why Raj died.”

  Meena shook her head side to side and covered her mouth with both hands. “I don’t know anything. I have to leave now.” She ran from the room, her dark sari flowing behind her as she rounded the corner and ran outside. A platter clattered to the floor as Meena brushed against a man carrying a tray with tea cups.

  “So much for blending in,” Barry said as he left Marlee’s side to revisit the buffet.

  Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun.

  Indian proverb

  Chapter 17

  “We know one thing for sure,” Marlee said to Barry once they were back at her apartment. “Meena knows something. Now I need to figure out how to get her to spill the beans.”

  Barry made himself right at home, grabbing a Kingfisher beer from the miniature refrigerator, kicking off his shoes, and flopping onto the bed. “Ugh, this has been a long day, and I don’t think we accomplished anything at all tonight. Raj’s mother was too grief-stricken to talk very much, his brother didn’t reveal any new information, and his cousin’s wife fled from us.”

  “We know there won’t be an autopsy and that Sameer denies that he and Ajay assaulted Raj the second time on campus. He never did deny that they assaulted him at their home earlier that evening.”

  “I think he forgot to deny it because in the same breath you went on to accuse him and his brother of beating Raj to death,” Barry said. “Did you see the look on his face when you said that? I thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head!” He took a deep drag from the green beer bottle and laughed. “Even if we didn’t find out much, it was still a fun night.”

  “Glad you enjoyed yourself at the gathering of Raj’s grieving family.”

  Barry blushed, once again caught with his foot in his mouth. “I didn’t mean that. I just meant that it was interesting to see how people here dress, and where they live, and what they eat. I didn’t mean any disrespect to Raj.”

  A small smile crept across Marlee’s lips, a signal to Barry that he had redeemed himself after his thoughtless comment. “Speaking of food, what did you think of the buffet?”

  “It was all really good, especially the stewed beef and tomato dish. I had several helpings of it even though I wasn’t hungry when we first got there. You said they didn’t eat beef here very much, so I was surprised to see it.”

  She wasn’t upset with Barry anymore and saw no need to let him know he ate at least a pound of goat meat. Marlee decided to save that little tidbit until she was really angry with him and wanted to get in the last word. The look on his face would be priceless, and she fought hard not to tell him right then.

  As agreed upon the night before, Marlee met Barry at the restaurant in his hotel for breakfast. He was already seated at a table enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper printed in English. Very few people were in the restaurant; most of the university crowd had eaten and were now at work while the guests of the hotel either slept in or had departed. When Marlee made her way in, the concierge spotted her and ran behind her.

  “You are having breakfast with us this morning, Miss? Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked, pulling out her chair.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Would you like me to have more of your special wine waiting for you when you are f
inished, Miss?” the concierge mouthed the words ‘special wine’ apparently not wanting to alert the breakfast crowd that drinkers of alcohol were on the premises.

  “No, the six bottles plus the beer you added was enough to last for a few days, but I know where to come when I need more.”

  With a smile, he turned and left Marlee and Barry to their meals. “I think that guy has a crush on you,” Barry said.

  “I don’t think so. He likes the tip I give him when he sells me wine from the bar. It’s an under-the-table type of thing, so I make it worth his while,” Marlee reported.

  “Why can’t they sell it to you legally?”

  “I don’t know. Some type of law here. You’re not going to rat me out, are you?”

  “I’m an officer of the law when I’m in the United States. Here, I’m just another dude sightseeing.”

  “Here’s what I think we should do today. Let’s go to my department, and I’ll try to talk to Eleanor some more to see if she tells me anything new about her and Raj. Then I’ll invite her and her husband, who’s also a professor on campus, to meet us for supper somewhere. While we’re at supper, let’s separate Eleanor and her husband to talk to them individually.

  With a plan in place, they enjoyed a full English breakfast minus the blood pudding and then took their time getting to Marlee’s department. She pointed out some of the buildings, repeating the same facts Raj told her when he gave her the tour. Marlee’s heart ached a bit when she thought of the fun and laughter she shared with Raj.

  What she didn’t like thinking about was the possibility it was all an act just to get something from her. Some of it had to be real, but how much? Since he wanted her to help him gain earlier citizenship in the United States by marrying him, Marlee couldn’t decipher what part of Raj’s personality was real and what was fake. She’d been hurt by his attempted manipulation of her, but what galled her the most was that she’d been fooled by him. Marlee prided herself on being able to read people, and Raj had fooled her more than once.

  Eleanor sat at her desk, which Marlee noted was at least four times bigger than hers. Her back was to the half-closed door, and she was speaking on her cell phone. “I told you I’m not having this conversation again! It’s just a rumor. You know I had nothing to do with him in that way. I’ll talk to you tonight.” Eleanor clicked off her phone and threw it in the multi-colored satchel next to her chair.

  Marlee and Barry waited a full minute before getting Eleanor’s attention by knocking on the door frame. “Oh, Marlee. Hello. So nice to see you again. And you have a friend with you?”

  “Eleanor, this is my friend Barry from back home.” Per usual, Marlee gave a few details about each person to the other in hopes they would find something to talk about. “I’m showing him around campus, but before he leaves to tour on his own, we wanted to invite you and your husband to supper with us at the Empire Hotel tonight. Can you make it?”

  Eleanor seemed taken aback but regained her composure quickly. “That is lovely of you to ask us. Yes, of course we will meet you. I just need to talk to our nanny to make sure she can stay late.”

  Barry left to continue exploring the campus and surrounding area. Since he was in dire need of shaving cream and Doritos, Marlee gave him directions to the shop where she found snacks and toiletries the day after she arrived.

  With Barry out of the picture, she felt there was a better chance of getting more information from Eleanor. “Last night Barry and I went to Raj’s home and met with his family and extended family. They were having a get-together, and I’m afraid we didn’t make a very good impression on some of the family.”

  “Oh, dear. What happened?”

  “One of Raj’s brothers tried to turn us away when we arrived at the house, but his mother let us in. Then later, we were talking to another family member, and she made a dramatic exit.” Marlee purposely omitted the name of that person since she was the department secretary. “I feel like there’s a lot more going on that anyone is saying. What do you think?”

  Eleanor’s pale face flushed. “What do I think? Why would I think anything about any of that? I mean, of course I’m mortified that Raj died, but I don’t know enough about the circumstances of his death to form an opinion about the words and actions of his family.”

  “No, of course not,” Marlee said, bullshitting her way through the conversation. Eleanor had plenty to say, but just wasn’t ready to say it. “I need to do some things in my office, but I’ll see you at 7:00 tonight.”

  “Thank you for the invitation. We look forward to it,” Eleanor said, turning her chair back toward her computer.

  It was a good idea to wait until that evening to meet Eleanor’s husband, but good ideas were not Marlee’s forte. She made her way to the building which housed the engineering faculty and perused the faculty directory on the main floor. There was no professor with the same last name as Eleanor, so Marlee located the main office. “I’m looking for a professor of engineering who is married to Eleanor Appleton. She is a professor of sociology. Can you help me?”

  “But of course. You want to speak with Professor Crispin Kingsley. He is located on third floor,” said the elderly woman at the front desk. “His office is next to the water cooler.”

  Marlee hoofed up the three narrow flights of stairs, pausing at the top to catch her breath. All of the office doors were closed, and the hallway had a dismal feel, partially due to the dim lighting and the pale-yellow paint. I’d hate to work here, Marlee thought as she looked for the water cooler.

  Professor Kingsley’s door was closed, but Marlee knocked anyway. The door swung open, and there stood Meena from her own department, flushed and her sari askew. “Marlee, I did not know you were on campus today. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to introduce myself to Eleanor’s husband,” Marlee said, gazing past Meena to get a view of Professor Kingsley.

  “Hello, Professor McCabe. My wife just called and told me of your invitation for dinner tonight. It was most gracious of you to make that offer.” The small, rotund man said, as he straightened his tie. Crispin Kingsley had a bad comb-over and a ruddy complexion consistent with someone who drinks alcohol on a daily basis.

  Marlee walked into the office and extended her hand. “So nice to make your acquaintance, Professor Kingsley.”

  “Please, call me Crispin. It makes me uncomfortable when someone my age and rank call me professor. Not that you’re anywhere near my age,” he said, attempting to be charming but mostly just looking like an ass.

  “I’m familiarizing myself with the campus before classes begin next week, and since I was in this building and knew we would be having dinner tonight, I just thought I’d introduce myself,” Marlee said. “I see you already know the secretary in my department.”

  Meena had already rushed out of the office, no doubt in embarrassment at being caught in some type of indecent behavior. Marlee held Crispin’s gaze, intent on determining the type of relationship he had with the secretary from his own wife’s department.

  “Meena and I were just discussing an upcoming event on campus. Notification and details will be coming out to the faculty shortly,” Crispin said, not blinking an eye.

  “I’m surprised that any kind of festivities would be forthcoming given that Raj Sharma just died.” Marlee continued to hold Crispin’s gaze. In her experience, people gave themselves away in various forms, one of which was the eyes.

  Crispin took a deep breath, giving nothing away in his speech or body language. “It’s so saddening to have a death on campus. I didn’t know Raj well but had heard so many good things about him. Eleanor worked closely with Raj on his research project in the Sociology Department. She’s been devastated by his passing.”

  “Have you heard what caused his death?” Marlee asked, hoping to get something other than the non-committal comments she was receiving from everyone else on campus.

  “The first thing I heard was that he was beaten within an inch of his life, and you
were the main suspect. Of course, I knew there had to be another answer, even though I didn’t know you at the time. The Indian police can be a bit hasty in jumping to conclusions, I’m afraid. Later, I heard Raj was attacked by unknown assailants and that’s why he was hospitalized. None of this was brought to my attention until it was known Raj had died.” Crispin pulled at his tie, either a nervous tic or a way of keeping himself fashionable. “Such a distasteful business.”

  “I don’t want to take up any more of your time, Crispin. I’ll see you tonight at the Empire Hotel.” Marlee walked from the building and was on her way back to her department in the Lotus.

  “Marlee, wait up!” Meena hurried toward her in as wide of a gait as she could muster in her sari.

  “Hello, again.” Marlee stopped and faced the department secretary head on. “I was surprised to see you in Eleanor’s husband’s office. It appeared as though I interrupted something.”

  “I did not want you to get the wrong idea. There was nothing inappropriate going on in Professor Kingsley’s office. Their anniversary is coming up, you see, and he asked me to help him get Eleanor the perfect gift,” Meena said, her voice punctuated by heavy breathing.

  “Really?” Marlee asked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you two had something going on.” It wasn’t a possible affair that bothered Marlee. Eleanor, Crispin, and Meena were all new to her, and she didn’t have any particular attachment to any of them. She was just so tired of everyone lying to her. For all she knew, Meena had told her a pack of lies along with everyone else.

  “No, not at all. I was just very surprised to see you at Professor Kingsley’s door. I did not want you to think badly of me or to say anything to anyone else.” Meena’s eyes pleaded with Marlee and she knew that there would be dire consequences if any hint of impropriety between Meena and Crispin were to be made public.

  “Of course,” Marlee said with a laugh, knowing full well that the dealings between Meena and Crispin were of a romantic nature. “I was just joking when I said that.”