Watched: Don't Say a word

by Preeti Singh

  The modus operandi (MO ) of the killing had been the same. The second victim, Mrs. Bhatia, also had been killed in exactly the same way, with the same clues left behind. She was a slightly slimmer woman and was killed in the staff room of the college, where she was a professor. She was found on her chair, with wrists slit and blood splattered over the papers she was checking. She was wearing a suit and her dupatta was used to strangle her, as well.

  “Have you spoken to the families, Milan? What clues could the police gather from them?” she asked as she examined the noose marks on the necks of the victims. It seemed, the killer had first strangled them, slit their wrists to make it look like a suicide and then sat patiently, perhaps enjoyed his pizza, while they bled to death.

  “Yes, Ma’am we did. Mrs. Choudhary’s family is still under shock and could not speak much and we didn’t pester either. We will have to meet them again, after the funeral. But Mrs. Bhatia was a widow and stayed with her parents. She was the only earning member of her family and her old parents are too unwell to speak. She was killed just yesterday, Ma’am, and is survived by a son living abroad, who will be landing today.” Milan replied.

  “Was any jewellery, cash or anything valuable missing from the crime scenes?” Amber broke his silence and asked Milan.

  “No, none at all. It seems a personal agenda for the killer. In fact, wedding preparations were going on in Mrs. Choudhary’s house and it was laden with jewellery but nothing has gone amiss. Even Mrs. Bhatia’s purse and mobile have been untouched, Ma’am. We have all the items in our custody. The same photograph piece was also found near Mrs. Bhatias’s body and the same song written on a whiteboard in the staff room” Milan read out from the files.

  “Who discovered Mrs. Bhatia’s body, Milan?” asked Kinjal as she observed the second victim’s finger nails. She was not wearing any nail polish previously, as her nails were not yellow like Mrs. Choudhary’s, but yet the killer had used the nail polish remover on her, as per the coroner’s report.

  “She was found by the college Principal, Ma’am, when he was taking the final rounds. Apparently, Mrs. Bhatia was working after college hours, checking exam answer sheets. She was alone in the staff room and probably one of the last ones to leave the college premises. The Principal notified the police; but using his connections, he’s denying speaking to the police as his college reputation is at stake.” said Milan.

  “No worries, I will speak to him. Collect the evidences, Milan, we work in my office now and go over each clue in detail. Let’s go”, said Kinjal as she discarded her gloves and moved rapidly, while Milan and Amber tried to keep pace with her.

  “Thank you for your co-operation, Sir. We are done and would request you to please hand over the bodies to the families; we shall take it from here, now.” Kinjal thanked the coroner and left, signing the necessary documents.

  “Come on, guys, let’s move. We have work to do! Milan come with us”, Kinjal shouted over her shoulder at Amber and Milan who barely jumped in the jeep, catching their breath.

  This woman is crazy, man, she moves too fast for my old bones! Thought Amber; watching Milan, totally in awe of this lady. And why does he look at her like a hungry puppy! HUH! Growled Amber, deliberately rubbing is hairy back on Milan’s khakhee uniform so he could dirty it galore!

  The Joshis’ Villa

  Sector 12, Panchkula

  After a quick lunch, Kinjal put up all the clues on the white board of her office at home. She had built a mini lab at home so she could ponder over cases in late hours and come out with solutions. Over the years, this way, she had solved many difficult crimes and the authorities let her do so, due to her efficiency and loyalty towards the CBI.

  “Open your laptop. Milan. We need to run a background check on both these women. What was common about them that the UnSub attacked them specifically?” asked Kinjal.

  “UnSub means?”, Milan asked innocently as he started his laptop.

  “Unknown Subject, dumbo !” answered Amber licking his paws after a hearty meal; the alloo paranthas were indeed yummy; much better than the insipid burgers of USA, he felt.

  “Milan, I want their first names, college data, marriage details, job info, social media profiles and everything you can find about them. And I need it ASAP. Today evening we need to be armed with some information before we meet the victims’ families.” she ordered, as she put up the photographs of the victims’ bodies and crime scenes, onto her white board.

  While Milan was scanning the net for information on the victims, Kinjal pulled out her mother’s file. She touched her mother’s ring on her neck with a heavy heart, sighed and went through the documents. She had to do this now and DIG Uncle had said all three cases had some similarity. It was time to unravel the truth. Mom’s soul needed justice and it was on Kinjal now to grant her that.

  In Mom’s case, the writing on the wall, the slit wrists and the dupatta evidence was the same but there was no nail polish removing and no sign of a Dominoes’ pizza box at the crime scene. But then she realized, maybe in those days, pizzas were not so popular and easily available.

  In Mom’s case the song was written in a blue pen, engraved on the bedroom wall and once again the murder weapon used to slit the wrists, was a kitchen knife. It disturbed her why the killer had struck again after 5 years now; if the killer was the same who killed her mother. What was he doing these 5 years? Why did he wait for so long and immediately butchered two victims in quick succession? Maybe all three cases were not connected and she was just barking up the wrong tree. But the MO used in all three cases was the same...each clue...each method of killing was exactly the same or could it be someone who knew details of her mother’s death and was copying the same? Kinjal was confused now.

  But, not for long.

  “Hey! What’s this?” Amber was barking profusely at the last shelf of the cupboard near Kinjal’s office table. It was a familiar smell he had picked up, from earlier in the day.

  “What’s it, Amber ?”, Kinjal asked, remembering DIG Uncle had said, never to ignore Amber’s strong smelling sense ,which had helped solve many a case.

  It was an old, yellow faded photograph of her mother with her college friends, all much thinner those days, of course. There were six young women posing in front of a college building. Mansi Joshi, Kinjal’s mom, was standing first, but the next two women in the snap too, seemed slightly familiar.

  “This photograph has the same smell, which those pieces of photographs we found in the coroner’s office today, Kinjal, and my smell sense is rarely wrong”, proudly said an excited Amber. Each time he found any vital information; he would wag his tail excitedly, getting an adrenalin rush!

  No wonder those women looked familiar, thought Kinjal. She had seen today itself, the same pieces of photograph in the evidence packets of both the victims; Mrs. Choudhary and Mrs. Bhatia.

  Kinjal’s heart was beating fast as she realised that Amber had just found the most vital link between her mother’s death and the two dead victims today. She quickly compared those pieces of photographs with the one of her mother’s. The pieces of the photograph were torn from the main snap, like the one she held in her hand This photograph was a vital clue which had ‘Raj Studio Sec 6, Panchkula’ written behind it. That’s it!

  Milan left his laptop and joined Amber and Kinjal.

  “Kinjal, the UnSub has the same photograph, I am sure. That is the reason he cut their pictures and left those pieces at the crime scenes,” concluded Amber.

  Kinjal bent down to hug Amber for finding such an important piece of evidence. She then realised he was not a mere dog, but truly an SSS agent who deserved the accolades he had won. Milan shook Amber’s paw as well, in appreciation.

  Seeing Kinjal’s mother’s file open, both Milan and Amber gathered this case is going to be a tough one to solve, for the lady. It was not going to be easy for her, to keep her emotions aside and find the killer. But both decided to stand by her and help her in her goal.

  I
t took a minute for Kinjal to digest the truth. Her mother and all the women in the photograph were college friends. DIG Uncle was right, that both these murders had a link with her mother’s death. Now, she put up a third white board and put up evidences from her mother’s case onto it too.

  It was about time, she unpeeled the truth.

  “Ok now guys, let’s get serious. We need to crack this case soonest. Milan, just scan this photograph and zoom it; I want to see the college name in the background. Maybe these ladies belonged to my Mom’s college itself; we need to find out any and every clue possible. Meanwhile, let me go to Sector 6, Panchkula and find the photographer who clicked this snap” Kinjal declared.

  “Amber, wheels moving in 5! Move it ...Move it....Move it!” she called out conveying to Amber to join her as she would be on the road in five minutes. Not delaying a second, Amber jumped in the open air jeep, while Milan got down to work, trying to zoom the picture as clearly as he could.

  ***

  An hour later, Kinjal and Amber returned disappointed.

  “My search reached a dead end, Milan. The studio was destroyed two years ago to build a mall and no one knows where the shop owner lives”, Kinjal sounded upset.

  “But Kinjal, maybe someone else took the photograph and gave it to the studio for developing. In those days, no digital cameras were there, remember?” reasoned Amber intelligently, after lapping up some water thirstily, from his bowl.

  “Amber has a point, Ma’am. I managed to scan the photograph well. It’s the MCM DAV College for Women in Sector 36 Chandigarh, and incidentally it’s the same college in which Mrs. Bhatia was murdered.”, Milan sounded positive. “I also ran a background check on all the dead women, including your mother, Ma’am. They all studied together in the same college and passed out in the year 1980, which is the same year when the photograph was taken, if you notice. The other three women, I have still not been able to identify; maybe the college records can tell us something.” Milan suggested and Amber nodded in unison.

  Kinjal’s mood improved. At least some ray of hope was there.

  She twirled her office chair and looked up at the three white boards again. By now they had gathered, that all the three deceased women were friends, belonging to the same college and approximately the same age. It also seemed the photographer was known to them, the fact that they were so carefree in clicking the snap. But who was it who knew them so well, yet had enough hatred in the heart within, to kill three of the women, so brutally? Most importantly, was the UnSub the same who killed her Mom or was it someone totally new, striking after five years?

  “Milan, were there any signs of any sexual abuse on any of the victims?” asked Kinjal nervously, while scanning through her mother’s file as well.

  “No Ma’am, that factor was ruled out first itself. They were not raped nor in any way sexually assaulted but were brutally killed with a personal agenda, careful planning and leaving no fingerprints. But yes, Ma’am there was one thing that got me thinking as well.” pondered Milan, thoughtfully.

  “What was that, young man?” asked Amber curiously.

  “The autopsy results of both the deceased revealed, that they had coffee about 15 minutes before their death but the surprising part is that none of the women ever liked coffee, as per their families, Ma’am”, said Milan.

  “Neither did my mother, but nothing strange in that, Milan. Often we drink something to give company to guests, even if we don’t like it, don’t we?” reasoned Kinjal wondering what was Milan concluding.

  “That’s it, Ma’am! That means the guest was someone known to them, with whom they drank something comfortably, even if they didn’t like it. Moreover, at the crime scene no coffee cups were found!” Milan revealed.

  “That could mean that the UnSub brought coffee with him, conversed with them, killed them and took the coffee cups with him?” Amber put in his wisdom.

  “Most likely that’s what happened, Ma’am”, Milan concluded.

  “Well done, Inspector Milan. We were to meet the families of the victims at noon, but I think they must be performing the last rites today. Let’s give them a day and then question them tomorrow. I am sure, you could use some rest too, today”, she smiled softly. Kinjal was not a harsh team leader and understood her team’s limitations. Milan smiled back in gratitude.

  Sigh! Her smile with those subtle dimples had shot right through his heart and she didn’t even know it! But Amber knew and wagged his tail, thinking...pitega beta...ek din tu toh pitega !!

  “Please go home and get some rest, Milan. We have a long day tomorrow. Goodnight”, Kinjal said as she left her colleague at the door.

  “Goodnight, Ma’am....thank you”, he smiled as he looked at her, before looking at the full moon above. Both seemed so beautiful...so flawless, he thought as he embarked on his bike and rode dreamily towards home.

  It had been a long day for Kinjal. She and Amber had a quiet dinner. Too much was on her mind and Amber didn’t know how to make her smile; especially after she had opened her dead mother’s case today. But he could trouble her a bit less, at least.

  “Today, I will go for my stroll myself, Kinjal, you rest, pretty woman.” Amber said softly after dinner, putting his warm paw over her palm.

  And she rewarded him with a kiss on his forehead. She truly was exhausted today.

  After a quick shower she snuggled into bed, to speak to Vikash V. Shrivastava, her best friend. They had met in medical college at Dehradun, but had to part ways when she chose to become a CBI officer at Chandigarh and he pursued his medical studies. It had been five years now and he had joined the same hospital as a physiotherapist where Kinjal’s father was admitted, ensuring her Dad got the best treatment.

  Talking to Vikash daily, gave her the tranquiliser she needed. Her daily activities, each case she solved or failed at solving, Kinjal discussed with Vikash. He was a good listener and gave her the best advice she needed. They rarely met due to their busy routines but talking daily at night, was a must for Kinjal, at least.

  While talking to him, when sleep took her over, Kinjal didn’t realise. Vikash always had that effect on her.

  It was Amber who walked in quietly and saw Kinjal fast asleep with her mobile on her chest. This woman will drive us all nuts...why can’t she rest for sometime? He murmured angrily while he switched on the AC with his paw and turned off the lights, ensuring she slept well, comfortably. The front door had a self lock system which was convenient for Amber, but still he felt Kinjal was very careless where her security was concerned. He had to be alert while being asleep, else this child like woman will surely get us killed, Amber thought, while adjusting himself on the sofa, leaving Kinjal’s door open, ajar. He needed to nap but also keep an eye on her.

  Something stirred near his paw. Amber stiffened. He knew the signs of an intruder; his ears stood up, the hair on his back rose, and he was alert. Now, he had to protect his new lady, he realised, as he sat up and looked around, trying to adjust in the dark.

  “Heyyyy, I am here...how are you?” a squeaky voice made Amber turn his head. He jumped on seeing a tiny, grey mouse sitting on the sofa edge. More than the mouse, Amber was terrified that, why wasn’t the mouse scared of him, a dog!

  Amber narrowed his eyes suspiciously and spoke, “Hi...I am good...who are you now?” for a fraction of a second he realised how Kinjal and Milan must have felt on seeing him at the DIG’s office. Boy, what an eventful week it was. He licked his lips and decided to take this on too. He was a brave agent, after all!

  “I am Maggie!” the mouse said, extending her tiny, dainty paw for a handshake.

  “Maggie ? As in the noodles ‘Maggie’? The banned Maggie?” asked Amber, a bit bewildered and totally unsure whether he should shake hands with this creature or was it some midnight dream !

  “Yeah! The same Maggie, who is banned! We mice are also banned from being in houses, you see, so my mom named me Maggie! But this is India, and bans are uplifted after sometime, you know�
�, she giggled settling herself closer to Amber’s paw.

  “Okay...Hello Maggie. But why are you not running away from me? I mean...I am a dog and can kill you in a jiffy, you know?” Amber asked suspiciously, trying to clear his doubts.

  “Look, dude! I am a spiritual being, like you and KJ; I call Kinjal ‘KJ’, sounds more agent like, you know! So I was saying, I do not fear anyone, except my karma, so why fear a dog like you. You are a peaceful, beautiful soul like me”, Maggie smiled with a glow on her face.

  “Ohhhhh ! And why do I feel that you are following the Brahmakumaris or something?” asked Amber rather curiously.

  “Well, you see it’s like this. Ever since my parents died, eating rat poison Kinjal had put in the drawers about a year back; I took to spirituality and surrendered myself to God to take care of me. It’s not easy for us women to live alone in this nasty world, you know.” She said shyly lowering her long lashes.

  “Oh...so you are also a lady. Hmmmm. And does Kinjal know you live here? I mean, won’t she ensure you also vacate her house?” Amber asked frankly, though he felt good that he would have to protect two ladies now. Phew...tough job, but a chivalrous one!

  Maggie sighed and replied apologetically, “I would blame my parents for that. They would mess around the house too much, get into her drawers and gobble her expensive clothes and trouble Kinjal when she needed to sleep. But I keep to myself and just go into her library to read all the crime novels I can’t resist; you will find holes in those,” Maggie chuckled “But other than that, Kinjal does not know I exist. You know, I kind of like her because we have similar lives; single women with no parents, you see. So I don’t trouble her, but help her find her keys each time she loses them...like when she drops them under the bed and is searching, I push the keys closer to her and help her that way. I am a good girl, I am”, Maggie said flashing her long lashes at Amber who was listening attentively.