Meena nodded in agreement. “I know our culture seems peculiar to you, but we have many things in common.”
“We have many more similarities than differences,” Marlee said with a smile. “What are the sanctions imposed by a fellow family member who killed one of their own?”
“The shame the person would have to carry would be intense. Knowing that members of their family knew what they did would be a heavy burden to carry. They would also lose any status they had in the family. If Ajay is responsible for Raj’s death, then I am sure the parents will strip him of any authority he has in the family, including over his own children.”
“Really? Other family members would dictate what happens with the children?” Marlee was enthralled with the inner workings of Indian families.
“Yes, if Ajay killed Raj, then their parents will make the ultimate decisions affecting the children. That includes school, discipline, and future marriage arrangements. His wife will also have input, but the grandparents will have the most influence over the children from now on. If he is responsible for Raj’s death, that is.”
“But he could just lie and say he had nothing to do with it. You said you overheard the parents questioning Ajay about poisoning Raj and he denied it.” Marlee felt like ice water was running through her veins. Back home, lying was easy. People did it all the time and with little fallout. But the situation might be different in India. Raj lied to her multiple times, and she suspected his brothers lied to her as well. Was this normal or an aberration? Or was it acceptable to lie to strangers but not family?
“He might lie initially, but it would be very, very difficult for Ajay to maintain the lie. Parents always know when their children are lying. It would be harder for most Indians to carry on with a lie to their family than it would be to admit to murder,” Meena said.
“This is all really interesting. Thank you for telling me about it. What I’m wondering is why Raj was blackmailing Professor Patel and what he was doing with the money. I think that should be the next thing I try to figure out. Do you have any tips for me on how to deal with Professor Patel? He has been quite nasty to me, even by academic standards. I think maybe I should just barge into his office, shut the door, and tell him I know Raj was demanding money from him so as not to disclose Professor Patel’s secret. What do you think?” Marlee asked, genuinely interested in Meena’s take on the situation.
Meena rested her head on her chin, thinking for a moment. “That will not work. He will deny everything and send you away from his office. Professor Patel is a very proud man and believes he is smarter than everyone else. I think the best thing to do is speak to him and insinuate that Raj told you the secret.”
“Let me think on it a bit, and I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Or at least try to talk to him. He’s such a jackass!” Marlee exclaimed a bit louder than she intended.
Meena put her hand to her mouth, trying to conceal her laughter. “I could not agree more!”
The next morning, Marlee awoke with her plan fully intact. This would be the day that all the pieces fell into place and the mystery of Raj’s death came to a conclusion. Well, if not today, then tomorrow. She was very close to finding out the answer and just needed to press the right buttons to produce the information she needed.
Before she left the apartment, she called Barry. He’d been sick for days now, and she hoped he’d be well enough to participate in her investigation of Raj’s death.
“Seriously, I can’t leave the room,” Barry said. “I don’t know if this is a virus, food poisoning, or not being adjusted to the food here. What I do know is that I need to stay in this room for at least another few hours. Nothing good can come from me going out and asking questions. I still feel sick, and you’ll either have to do the work on your own or else wait until I feel better. In fact, I think you should wait for me.”
“Look, Barry, just because you have explosive diarrhea doesn’t mean I’m going to stop asking around about Raj and trying to figure out who killed him. As you may recall, I was working on this before you took it upon yourself to come to India and try to help me. I’m sorry that you’re sick, but there’s no way I’m just going to sit around and wait for you to get better before I ask any more questions,” Marlee said, feeling a bit guilty, but not that guilty.
“You know everything there is to know about everything, so go ahead!” Barry snarled.
“Jeez, Barry, you don’t have to be so mean about it. All I’m saying is that I’m not going to put the investigation on hold until you feel better. It might be this afternoon or several days from now before you feel well enough to leave your hotel room for a long time. If the shoe were on the other foot, would you act differently than I am right now?”
The prolonged silence led Marlee to believe Barry had fallen asleep. When he finally spoke, it was in a hushed tone. “Look, I understand what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. What I don’t understand is why you think you should handle this alone. You haven’t changed a bit since you were in college. You thought you could deal with everything by yourself, and you still act the same way.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Barry, I’ve been on my own and have to deal with everything by myself. You might be here today to help me, but I can’t depend on you. I can’t depend on anybody. That’s why I handle things on my own. I can always depend on myself!” Marlee shouted into her cell phone. “So, don’t even try to make me feel like I should rely on you or anybody else.”
The click on the other end of the line said it all. Barry was as fed up with Marlee as she was with him. She’d entertained the idea that they might actually get together, but that was out the window. Clearly, he was someone who needed to rescue women, and she was not a woman who needed rescuing. At best, Barry was a friend and nothing else. He wasn’t husband or boyfriend material. Plus, he could be a real peckerhead, and Marlee had no intention of putting up with him or his bad attitude.
It was after 8:00 a.m., so the restaurant in the Empire Hotel wasn’t very busy. It was her usual dining spot, located in the hotel where Barry was staying. Marlee ordered her usual; jasmine tea plus toast and eggs. Her main complaint with not only India, but most foreign countries she had visited, was that the eggs were too runny. She only ate scrambled eggs, and they needed to be cooked well done or else she would not eat them. Slimy or runny eggs were about as appetizing as plate of mucus.
The plate of well-done scrambled eggs and the accompaniments arrived at her table. She smiled when she saw a blue toothpick placed in the eggs, no doubt to signify to everyone that they were cooked to order. As she was finishing her coffee and eggs, Marlee observed Barry walking past the restaurant toward the front door. He was striding along with a purpose and did not seem to be sick at all.
She debated calling out to him, but knowing Barry, he would feign illness or try to lie his way out of what he was really doing. He wouldn’t be expecting anyone to watch him, so it should be relatively easy to follow along without him noticing. After she paid her bill, Marlee began her surveillance of her not-boyfriend.
What the hell is he up to? Why did he tell me he was too sick to leave the room when he looks healthy as a horse? Marlee didn’t know what to make of Barry’s lies and knew he wouldn’t be forthcoming if she confronted him. She wasn’t very good at following people. Her instinct was to get as close to them as possible, so she didn’t lose them. That had the result of alerting the person being followed that they were being followed. Against every urge she had, Marlee held back and waited for Barry to cross the street. She watched as he turned the corner, and then she left the hotel.
Barry was a man on a mission. Had he been lying the whole time he was sick or just today? He boarded the bus and Marlee was able to hop on at the last minute, pulling her scarf up over her head and turning her back toward him. It made no difference. She could have tap danced in front of Barry, and he wouldn’t have noticed. The stop where Barry departed was a familiar one. He was on his way to visit Raj’s family!
What does he want to talk to them about? And why doesn’t he want me here? Marlee thought as she walked the familiar route to Raj’s family’s house. Barry was a long-time friend, but she’d never known him to be an outright liar. Normally, he would just tell her if he thought she was being an idiot. And if he did something without her knowledge, he would own up to it later. What is he up to?
That was when she decided to set a trap.
Better to have a diamond with a few small flaws than a rock that is perfect.
Indian proverb
Chapter 24
When he emerged from the Sharma home, she was waiting for him. As he exited the property Marlee jumped in front of Barry, causing him to jump. “I see your diarrhea cleared up,” she snapped.
“Uh, I felt better and decided to go for a walk,” Barry stammered.
“I know you lied to me about feeling sick this morning. I followed you over here from your hotel. What gives?” Marlee stared at Barry as he fished around thinking of the proper words to say.
“I wanted to talk with the Sharma family by myself. They didn’t seem to like you all that much when I was there with you. I thought I’d have better luck talking to them alone. No offense, but you really seem to irritate Raj’s parents.”
“So, you used your status as a police officer to get information out of them? Isn’t that illegal since you’re a law enforcement officer from the United States?”
“I sort of led them to believe I had some legal authority in India,” Barry said, hanging his head.
“What the hell, Barry! I’m really pissed that you tried to exclude me from the investigation. I met with Raj’s parents again, and we’re on good terms now. What makes you think you can get information from them that I can’t?” Marlee asked.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m a sergeant with the police department and have over twenty-five years of experience in interviewing people,” Barry said. “You’re not the only one who knows how to ask questions!”
Marlee took a deep breath. Then she took another. “I don’t doubt your qualifications, Barry. What I really want to know is why you lied to me. How can I ever trust you again?” Her voice trembled, against her will. She’d rather eat a dustpan full of dirt than let Barry know he’d hurt her feelings.
“I didn’t want you to set off Raj’s parents. Look, I like you and know you’re a good person, but sometimes you come on too strong when you’re asking questions. And that’s in the United States. Here in India, you’re coming off as a psycho. I didn’t want you to mess up my interview with Raj’s family,” Barry said in a low tone as if trying to be sensitive.
If cuss words were worth something, Marlee would have been a millionaire. She did her best to suppress her real feelings, but that lasted all of five seconds. “Who the hell do you think you are, Barry? This is my case. The only reason you know anything about it is because I confided in you. That’s right, confided. I didn’t ask for help. I just told you what was going on in my life and you decided to come to India. Then you decided to interfere in what I was doing. Are you up for a promotion back home? Is that why you’re so intent on finding out what happened to Raj? So that you can get a commendation from the police department in Delhi?”
“I came to India because you called me more than once crying about how difficult it was for you here. Forgive me for trying to help. I’ll never make that mistake again!” Barry shouted as he turned to leave.
“For the record, I wasn’t crying to you about my problems. I was merely sharing with you what was happening in my life. Big difference! You were married, so surely you know the difference between asking for help and commiserating.”
Barry’s expressionless face let Marlee know she’d gone too far. When he was really upset, he showed no emotion, which was what he was doing now.
“I’m sorry, Barry. That was a low blow, and I apologize. It’s just that I’m so upset to see you over here at the Sharma family home without me. Can’t you see how much that bothers me?” Marlee asked in an uncharacteristic show of vulnerability.
“I thought the best way to approach Raj’s family was on my own. My actions really had very little to do with you and were mostly about doing what it took to get information from the direct source. Once you cool down, I think you’ll realize that,” Barry said with a heightened degree of earnestness.
Had he shut his trap before the last sentence, Marlee would have forgiven him. The comment about her cooling down was both patronizing and offensive. “Look, Barry. I’m not going to argue with you anymore about this. I think what you did was really shitty, and I think you know it too or else you wouldn’t be so anxious to convince me otherwise.”
“Whatever, Marlee. Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘the ends justify the means’?”
“Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘don’t be a dick’?” Marlee turned and walked away from Barry, no longer concerned with what he was doing. She would’ve liked to know what he learned from the Sharmas, but she’d rather crawl a mile on broken glass than ask him.
“That’s really mature, Marlee,” Barry shouted as she walked down the street toward the bus. “In case you’re wondering, I think I know who killed Raj and why.”
Marlee turned to face Barry. Against her better judgment, she really wanted to find out all that Barry knew about Raj’s death and the rest of the Sharma family. “I seriously doubt that you found out anything I don’t already know. But okay, I’ll bite. What did you find out from Raj’s parents and brothers?”
Barry smiled, but it was anything but mirthful. “Not much from the family, but I found out quite a bit from the staff that cleans the home and works in the kitchen.”
“Like what?” Marlee asked, forgetting her disdain for Barry in an effort to find out what happened to Raj. There were always so many people in the home that she hadn’t realized the Sharmas had domestic help.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Barry asked as he strode past Marlee on the sidewalk and made his way to the bus stop. “And don’t bother going up to the house and asking a bunch of questions. The staff already told me they don’t like you. I had to assure them that we really weren’t friends, otherwise they would not have talked to me so candidly.”
Taking a deep breath, Marlee said, “Barry, I’m not sure why we’re on such bad terms right now. I think we want the same thing; to find out who is responsible for Raj’s death and why he was killed. We’ve both lied and misled each other. I propose that we work together to figure this out. If we have to make each other the bad guy in the eyes of the family or others, so be it. But there’s really no reason we can’t work together.”
“Agreed,” Barry finally said after moments of contemplation. “Let’s work together to find the answer. I think we’re both very competitive, especially with each other, and that makes us want to outdo each other. Let’s just find out who killed Raj and why and let everything between us go by the wayside.” He extended his hand in a gesture of good will.
Laughingly, they shook hands, glad to be on good terms again. She hated being on the outs with anyone, yet she ended up there with Barry way too often. Some people’s relationships thrived on drama and conflict, but Marlee couldn’t handle the constant bickering. It had been crystal clear back in college that she and Barry were not a good match. Since they had reconnected, there were numerous indicators that love was not in the cards for them. But it wasn’t until this exact moment that Marlee realized she and Barry would never go beyond friends. He probably realized it too by now.
“So out with it! What did you find out from the staff? You said you knew who killed Raj.” Marlee couldn’t believe that she’d let the feud with Barry derail her concentration on the case.
“Remember when you said Riya told you Raj had many girlfriends?” Barry asked. “Well, apparently one of those girlfriends was Chandra, Ajay’s wife. He had an affair with his sister-in-law and may possibly be the father of her youngest child.”
“Whoa! Now we know
why Ajay tried to poison him. His parents said Ajay can’t stand the sight of blood, so they didn’t think he could have assaulted Raj. Of course, he could have paid someone to do it,” Marlee surmised. “This is the most screwed-up family I’ve ever met. They should have their own reality show.”
“The maid who told me this said she saw Chandra leave Raj’s room very early in the morning several times. No one else was up yet, and the maid has her own key, so she can come and go. A sister-in-law would have no reason to be in Raj’s room in the middle of the night unless they were having an affair.”
“Was there anything other than the time of the so-called affair that led the maid to believe Raj is the father of Chandra’s child?” Marlee asked.
“She didn’t mention anything else. Raj and his brothers all look quite a bit alike, so it would be difficult to distinguish which of them was the father of any of the children in that family,” Barry said.
“That’s true. I hadn’t thought of it until now, but Raj could be the father of several of the children. Or the two older brothers could have been involved with each other’s wives and fathered their children. Wow, this gets really complicated. Back in the 80s, did you ever watch that show called Dallas where the parents, two adult children, and their families all lived together on a ranch? It reminds me of Raj’s family.” Marlee recalled watching the show every Friday night with her parents trying to figure out what the evil brother would do next.
“Yeah, I watched it. Everybody I knew did. And the Sharmas do seem like the Indian version of the Ewing family,” Barry chuckled. “But instead of ‘who shot J.R.?’ we have ‘who killed Raj?’”
“Not the best tag line, but it’s the same scenario. As I recall, it was one of J.R.’s girlfriends who shot him. Raj had multiple girlfriends, some of whom were already married. Any one of them or their husbands could’ve had Raj beaten up. I don’t know how we can find out about every woman Raj was seeing.” She was discouraged knowing that Raj likely broke hearts all over Delhi, and some of them would be mad enough to kill him.
Blood Feud Page 19
