Watched: Don't Say a word

by Preeti Singh

  “Hmmmm”, he managed to say thoughtfully.

  “So, may I be friends with you? I can help you solve cases; you know and enter tiny places you can’t. Please take me in your team and I promise I will be a good agent, cross my heart,” pleaded Maggie, on her knees folding her hands at Amber.

  “Yeah...you have a point there, Maggie. But you have to pass my scrutiny and if I feel you are loyal enough, you can join our team. But we won’t tell Kinjal yet, you have to go through me first. It’s not easy for us agents to trust anyone easily.”Amber said firmly, sitting upright.

  “Done! I promise to be an important asset to your team. Muuuaaaah”, Maggie kissed Amber on his nose, taking him completely aback. What’s it with the women in this house; they seem to be so fearless!

  “Ok ok, it’s time for me to rest now Maggie, tomorrow is an important day for us, Goodnight,” he said curtly shutting his eyes, trying to hide his emotions of enjoying so much attention by a female!

  “Goodnight, dude!” scurried off Maggie, into the tiny hole in the room corner, after giving a flying kiss to Amber.

  He quietly opened his one eye watching her leave. But he sat up to do some introspection. Why the hell didn’t he feel like killing or chasing her like all sane dogs would? And then his inner voice answered... I am trained to grab and attack crime committing human beings, not self surviving innocent animals. Hmmmm...I think I can give her a chance, but I better make sure my dog clan does not know about this or else they will simply hate me! Maggie’s eyes were beautiful too... She seems sweet, rest... time will tell, he thought as he slept with a smile on his lips. He felt loved and that surely felt good.

  And while he took his forty winks, he was being watched too, by Maggie and also someone else, curiously.

  CHAPTER 3

  Being Watched

  The Joshis’ Villa

  Sector 12 Panchkula

  “Look, Amber, you have to understand, you cannot go with me on every field task. I know you care for me, honey, but today I am going to the deceased Mrs. Choudhary’s house to speak to her family. There will be a sombre atmosphere with poojas etc going on and they would not like to have a dog around. Please try to understand”, Kinjal was trying her best to convince Amber to stay back, as she swallowed her glass of juice.

  After sleepily opening the door to the boring milkman, Kinjal woke up Amber and told him to stay on guard while she would be away on duty. And now Amber was grumbling because she refused to take him along and Milan was asked to escort her instead.

  “But I am not a dog, I am an Agent, don’t you understand that?” Amber sounded upset; his ego tremendously hurt.

  “I understand that, Amber, but all humans do not, na. In fact, few days back I also disliked you ...but after staying with you for a couple of hours, believe me, you are adorable,” Kinjal said as she gave him a warm hug. “Now, be a good boy and lap up your milk in which I have put two large spoons of Bournvita, and after that I need you to do something for me.”

  Amber was all ears now; after all she had confessed she likes him. “Yes, KJ, What do you want me to do?” Amber asked excitedly.

  “KJ is my new name now?” asked Kinjal as she tucked in her gun in its holster, quickly applied her kajal and was set for the day.

  “Yeah...well..I learnt it from a friend..er....recently and KJ sounds more cool and not aunty types, you know”, chuckled Amber at Kinjal while she zipped up her knee length boots.

  Maggie was peeping from behind the curtains and smiling to know Amber also began calling Kinjal ‘KJ’. She was all excited to be with Amber all alone at home.

  Wow...soooooo romantic!

  Milan walked in right then to go with Kinjal. She offered him some juice while she briefed Amber, “Now look, Amber. You have to sit in my office, observe the clues on the three white boards , do some brainstorming and find any link which we may have missed...anything at all that can help us find our killer, okay ? The maid will come, clean up the house, feed you and leave. I know you will secure yourself well because you are the best agent we have!” she said planting a peck on his forehead and boosting up Amber’s morale.

  Amber blushed and nodded happily as she left.

  “Come on, Milan...wheels moving in two; Move it....Move it....Move it!” Kinjal called out to Milan grabbing her keys.

  Within minutes they were on the road heading towards Mrs. Choudhary’s residence in sector 35, Chandigarh.

  “Coffee for you, Ma’am”, Milan offered excitedly, trying his best to break the ice with this ice maiden!

  “Thanks. Fill me in, Milan. We better make use of this 30 minute drive. Tell me A to Z about this case, the victim’s family ...everything”, instructed Kinjal, sipping the coffee, as she drove with expertise, amidst heavy office hour traffic.

  “Ma’am, they were a happy couple with no marital discord as per the neighbours, friends and servants. The husband is a property dealer who leaves home at 10:30 am daily towards his office at Kharar and returns by 9 pm. He does not have much of a social life and is quite a family man”. Milan said.

  “Okay ...does he drink heavily or has any other bad habit that he can kill his wife?” Kinjal asked.

  “No, Ma’am. We checked it out; Mr. Choudhary goes to the Chandigarh Golf Club with his friends occasionally and has a drink or two. He is a good, quiet and God fearing man and we have no reason to doubt him,” replied Milan.

  “Okay...what about their two kids?” Kinjal asked as she halted at the red light.

  Milan dug into his file and replied, “The son is a 23 year old Software Engineer working in a company in IT Park. He has a clean past record, except he was caught by the police once, for over speeding. He leaves for work on his bike at 9 am and returns home by 7 pm daily, but sometimes late also, if he is out with friends. The daughter is 26 years and is engaged to an architect from Ludhiana. Her marriage was scheduled for the end of this month but now it may be postponed. She is an interior designer by profession and works from home. But the day her mother died, she was away on a holiday since a week to Dalhousie, with her friends; a pre wedding getaway”.

  “Okay”, Kinjal said and put an end to the conversation. Now she was thinking while she drove and didn’t want to talk further. Milan understood and sat quietly too, watching her sideways. She had such lovely hair flowing in the wind and her delicate hands were driving the rough jeep with such expertise. He was in awe.

  ***

  Meanwhile back home Amber climbed on Kinjal’s office table and was glued to the white boards. He was fully concentrating and scanning each clue, each snap of the crime scene from each angle, carefully. He wanted to be ready with some results before Kinjal returned. In between, he would lap up some Bournvita from his bowl, dropping milk drops on Kinjal’s table, carelessly, and would get back to thinking again.

  He was deeply studying the boards when Maggie crept up on his shoulder.

  “Hey, dost.What’s up?” she asked curiously.

  “Not now, Maggie.....I am working”, Amber said seriously, though he loved the attention she was giving him.

  “No problem, sweetheart, you think and I will just watch you thinking. You look so handsome that way,” she said shyly from under her lashes.

  Amber turned beetroot red and blushed profusely but refused to let her know. He was on duty and no female could divert him. No. None, at all.

  That was it! Female!

  Amber found an answer and he barked in glee! Maggie almost fell off the table, at his sudden outburst but was happy to see him overjoyed. Amber excitedly lapped up the entire Bournvita milk and his eyes were gleaming, as though he had found a treasure! He was now eagerly waiting for Kinjal and Milan to return.

  Mrs. Anita Choudhary’s Residence

  Sector 35, Chandigarh

  “I don’t know what to say, Madamji. Our lives have turned upside down ever since Anita ....” Mr. Choudhary broke down, trying to stifle his tears.

  Kinjal and Milan spoke to all the family members incl
uding the maid, who found the body. The husband, son and daughter were all out of the house at the time of her death, but Kinjal would not believe anyone without verifying their statements.

  “Ma’am, my mother did not use the mobile much. She was not very tech savvy and just knew how to receive and make calls. She had an old Nokia phone with just our numbers fed in it”, the daughter spoke up while the son nodded.

  “Okay...and your mother used the internet; I mean communicate via emails with anyone or her friends?” Kinjal asked.

  “No, Ma’am. Like I said, Mummy hardly understood technology. She did not believe in social media sites either and preferred calling everyone directly on phone.” the daughter added.

  “Everyone who?” Kinjal was quick to catch.

  “I mean her friends, Ma’am, or anyone for that matter. Mummy had few friends with whom she met occasionally for kitty parties....but I don’t remember their names”, the daughter looked confused.

  Kinjal took out a recent photograph of the 2nd victim Mrs. Bhatia, from her files. “Was she one of them, dear?”

  “Yes..Yes....this is Karuna Aunty, Ma’am. How do you know her?” the daughter asked.

  “She was killed yesterday in the same manner as your mother. We have reason to believe, that the killer is same”, Kinjal spoke, while all heard her voice in a chilling silence.

  “Can you tell me your mother’s other friends’ names, dear?” Kinjal asked the shocked girl, gently.

  “ I ...I don’t know Ma’am. Mummy always went shopping with Karuna Aunty, but yes they would often talk about their college gang of girls. We never met them, but Mummy had said she would call everyone for my wedding...but...” her voice trailed off.

  “It’s okay, dear. We will find out, no worries” Kinjal calmed down the girl.

  “May we see Mrs. Choudhary’s room please?” Kinjal asked the family.

  “Yes, Ma’am, please follow me. The police had sealed the room after the incident. Everyone, please stay here till we are back”, Milan instructed the crowd, while he led Kinjal to the room upstairs.

  Kinjal and Milan wore their gloves and scanned the room in detail. After Mrs. Choudhary’s body was taken to the hospital, the room was sealed with everything untouched. The blood stains on the bed sheet belonged to the victim but no fingerprints, other than the family members’ could be traced. The UnSub had very smartly used gloves.

  The writing on the wall was sprayed by paint which meant the killer had access to spray colours. Kinjal searched the room and found the unfinished bottled spray in the dustbin. There was an old radio of the 70’s in the corner of the room. Kinjal switched it on and some news was on air. It confirmed the fact that Mrs. Choudhary was not tech savvy and was still stuck in the radio era.

  Kinjal looked around further and found a broken statue of the Laughing Buddha on the floor, near the bed. It seemed the victim had struggled with the UnSub, while he strangled her. On the wall, behind the bed, where the victim was found dead, there were some scratch marks; which conveyed, probably she was trying to stop the killer but instead clawed on the wall itself.

  “Seal the room, Milan” Kinjal said pocketing her gloves.

  “Okay then, Mr. Choudhary, we shall take your leave. We are sorry for your loss but hope to seek your help in further investigations. Kindly keep my card; if any of you can think of any tiny information...anything at all which can help solve the case, do call us... we would be grateful”, Kinjal said.

  “Madamji, please do anything to find my wife’s killer. All members of my family will co –operate with you”, Mr. Choudhary said, folding his hands as he saw Milan and Kinjal to the door.

  Pressing the accelerator, Kinjal zoomed on the road. “Milan, get me the call records of Mrs. Choudhary’s phone number, since the last one month. Someone probably called her on her mobile, to meet her and if you noticed there was no landline in their house; each member has their own mobile. I also want to rule out the possibility of Mr. Choudhary having an affair or something that could have triggered a murder. Scan his mobile, email and social media accounts.....everything.... for any clues at all,” she instructed Milan.

  “Yes, Ma’am. But it’s also possible someone rang the bell and entered the house without calling her?” reasoned Milan.

  “Yes, quite possible, but that would be clear after the call records. Are there any CCTV cameras showing who could have entered her house between 11am to 11:30 am, Milan?”

  “Ma’am, I looked into that already. The CCTV cameras are not there in this residential area, so we are at a dead end there” Milan said.

  Kinjal didn’t believe in wasting any time. Each second was precious and life was short, her mother’s death had taught her that.

  “Milan, I am going to the police station and running a check on any insurance on Mrs. Choudhary’s name. Let’s not rule out foul play by any family member. Once they are clean, we can look beyond family,” she said.

  “Yes, Ma’am. Meanwhile, please drop me round the bend; I shall get details and meet you at your house by the evening”, Milan requested.

  The Joshis’ Villa

  Sector 12 Panchkula

  He jumped onto her as soon as she entered home. Kinjal almost tripped when Amber put his paws on her midriff, throwing her off balance and licked her face. Urgghhhhh!

  She had heard from dog owners that when they returned home, they were always welcomed with such unconditional warmth and love by their dogs. Kinjal felt it today. She didn’t resist and let Amber climb all over her. She sprawled on the floor and let loose, letting him do what he wanted.

  It felt nicely strange; she would bathe later. After ages, she felt like a child being pampered and remembered how her mummy used to play with her when she was a toddler. Amber slowly edged onto her chest and reached her cheek, licking it galore as though he was relishing an ice cream bowl. Kinjal couldn’t help gurgling; enjoying every second.

  She then sat up and couldn’t believe she actually let him do that; she really stopped being a serious agent for a few minutes and lived a moment like a child. His golden hair was all over her black jeans and she was indeed a mess, but for the first time, it didn’t deter her; she had loved the attention showered upon her. It was much needed, she realised.

  She kissed Amber on his head in response and said, “Okay sweetheart, out with it. Tell me why you are so happy?”

  “First, I am happy, you are back home and am totally, crazily excited to tell you a clue I have found!” Amber blurted out wagging his tiny tail.

  “Really! Just let me freshen up, and then we will talk, dear”, Kinjal said getting up and feeling suddenly relaxed, happy and excited. Being with a dog was not bad after all; her day’s stress all seemed to vanish in a jiffy, with his unconditional warmth. Her cleanliness freak habit suddenly seemed irrelevant in front of the sudden gush of love he just poured over her.

  ***

  Two hours later Milan joined them with all the info he had gathered. Amber had been waiting patiently with bubbles in his tummy, but he understood the entire team had to be together to discuss each clue, carefully.

  “Fill us in, Amber”, Kinjal said sipping the coffee Milan got for her. “Milan, our Amber has a vital clue he’s been dying to tell us all day; we were just waiting for you”, she smiled as she got Amber’s paws on the table close to her.

  Amber felt important, proud and ecstatic and couldn’t stop his ears from blushing!

  “I want both of you to carefully see the main photograph which has all the six women in it”, Amber asked Milan and Kinjal to focus on the first white board on the wall.

  “Do you see something strange?” Amber asked, confident they both had no clue.

  “No”, both replied in unison, trying their best to scan the snap.

  “From the right to the left if you see, we have Kinjal’s mom, Mansi Joshi standing, then Mrs. Choudhary, Mrs Bhatia and then the rest of the three women. I feel the UnSub is following a pattern, KJ. He first killed your mother and sl
owly he’s killing the women one by one, as per the snap” Amber concluded. “ Not only that, I also feel we should not overlook the fact that the UnSub could be a female, since no sexual assault has been done on the victims and not much force has been used to kill them. Maybe our UnSub is one of the three females surviving in the photograph, given the fact that the he/she was known to the victims and they were all college friends”, Amber sighed.....after his long speech.

  “Wow! Amber, I am truly impressed!”Jumped Kinjal, excited. “You are right; we may be looking at a female killer as well. Gosh! This is getting more and more intense. I am very proud of you, Agent Amber. Well done!”

  Milan also patted him, though he did feel a wee bit jealous why Kinjal didn’t notice his efforts too. Koi nahi...beta Amber..ek din mera bhi aayega.. huh !

  “That means, we now need to pull up our socks and find the other three women. And I mean really.....really fast; because this psycho is probably following a pattern and we need to break it, guys. Milan, could you get the names of the other three women from the net? Any data available?” Kinjal was pacing up and down now.

  “No, Ma’am. Apart from the fact that they studied together in the same college, which I managed to get from old records on the college website, I have no info yet. Problem is, all these women are about 40 plus now and probably not very net savvy” Milan said.

  “Mom always said ‘Life begins at 40’; she was always full of life”, Kinjal smiled softly, getting a bit emotional.

  “Ma’am, I went through the phone records, emails and the social media profile of Mr. Choudhary. He’s clean.”Milan changed the topic to divert Kinjal’s mind.

  “And all the alibis of the Choudhary family have been checked out. The father was in his office, the son was in the company and his phone records show he called his mother at 10 am, as he said. The daughter’s friends too claim she was with them and so does the Dalhousie hotel reception, when I double checked with them. This family is clean, Ma’am, but at 10:45 am one phone call was made to Mrs. Choudhary, a new number which never contacted her before, as per her call records since a month. I have been calling the number but it does not exist now and the location is from Zirakpur. It is registered under a fake address and name but I feel this is our clue, Ma’am. We need to trace this number carefully, as the UnSub must have called her, gained entry in her house and killed her.”Milan concluded.