by UD Yasha
‘I’m Sucheta,’ the woman said, just as I noticed she was wearing a yellow saree and a white blouse. ‘I’m sorry for this,’ she said.
‘What’s happening?’ I asked as my heart thudded loudly.
‘They threatened me,’ she said and covered her face with her hands. She broke down. She sobbed and said, ‘I killed my husband. It was me. He’s dead because of me.’
I put a hand on her back. ‘Who threatened you?’
‘A couple of men had come to my house. I know them from the local gang. I’ve seen them beat up people. They said they’ll kill my son. He’s only eleven. He’s the only person I’ve remaining whom I can call mine. I couldn’t let anything happen to him.’
‘What did they ask you to do?’
‘They gave me a small plastic bag and asked me to give it to my husband. They said it was not drugs or anything illegal. They also offered me money for it. Fifty thousand rupees. They said it was a bonus. A gift other than keeping my son alive. They said I just had to give it to Dhruv for my son to stay alive.’
‘When did this happen?’
‘Two weeks ago.’
‘Did they ask you to do anything else?’
Sucheta stayed silent, thinking back to the time, shaking her head. ‘That’s it. That’s all they asked me to do.’
‘Do you know which local gang the men who spoke to you belonged to?’
‘Yes. They are MLA Nana Shirole’s people.’
I knew the name far too well. Nana Shirole was a politician notorious for smuggling, harassing and contract killing. He was loved in his constituency and had been elected to parliament since 1994. He was known for smuggling drugs and alcohol. He was also heavily into betting in cricket matches. It was suspected he had also ventured into fixing cricket matches in smaller leagues across the world. Despite all of this, he was also considered a loving leader by the people of his constituency. There were several charges against him but no one came forward to testify, either because they disappeared altogether or Shirole bought them out with money or promises. There were whispers that he had connections with the Dawood Ibrahim’s notorious D Company. His gang was untouchable. Zakkal could have hired Shirole’s services at a cost. A high one but that would have guaranteed anonymity. If anyone knew Sucheta had revealed her deal with Shirole’s men, there was a high chance she and her son would be found in the gutter the next day.
‘Did your husband say anything to you when you gave him the pollen grain?’ I said.
‘No. He just accepted it.’
‘Did he not ask to whom he had to give it?’
‘No. He said he already knew. I don’t know how. He told me to stay safe and follow the instructions given to me.’
‘Did I get him killed?’ Sucheta said, tears flowing down her cheeks.
I told her the truth. ‘Not at all. Once Shirole chose your husband, there was little that you could do. Anyway, he had a death sentence signed against his name even if you had not given him that parcel. Then it would have been Shirole showing his might by killing you all just to prove a point to the others. By giving him the parcel, you at least saved yourself and your son.’
That seemed to calm Sucheta for a spell. She wiped her tears. I stepped forward and hugged the woman. ‘Please tell me if they come again. You’ve my number,’ I said in her ear. ‘I’m very proud of you. You know Shirole, but you still came forward and told me what you knew. Very few people have that kind of strength.’ I pulled out of the hug. ‘Thank you,’ I said, admiring her courage.
I returned to our car. Though Sucheta’s confession did not help me directly in finding out more about the Bedroom Strangler or Zakkal’s plan, it confirmed my theory that Zakkal had planned this for a while. Either his lawyer or the Bedroom Strangler had helped him set up the entire operation. They knew their plan could not be traced back to its source if it was routed through Shirole’s men. They had picked a harmless family living in the slums and threatened them to help achieve their objective. For no fault of his own, Dhruv Kataria had been killed. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sometimes the difference between life and death is just that, however unfortunate.
I told Radha and Rahul about the meeting as we drove back home. I checked my mobile phone. Having amped up the security at home had made me more comfortable. None of the sensors had been triggered while we had been away.
We picked up shawarmas on our way home. By the time we finished eating them, my phone was buzzing on the dining table. It was Rathod. He must be calling with updates from the crime scene. I answered his call, feeling hopeful that the Bedroom Strangler had made a mistake.
‘We just finished analyzing the crime scene,’ Rathod said. ‘The victim’s name is Tarla Raheja. From the looks of it, she was killed by strangling as well. She was thirty-four years old. Lived alone. We found anxiety medications in her house. Her friends said she hardly stepped out of her house. She missed her appointment with her psychiatrist so she sent someone over to her house and they found her dead on her bed. There was another message left behind this time apart from the warning he gave you.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
I held the phone harder on my ear. ‘What was it?’ I said.
‘It was written under her bed in her blood. It said—"This is starting to get fun. I was under her bed for three days. I even had the same food and tea she had.”
My hands trembled. He wanted everyone to feel the fear. Even though the killer was far away from me, my mouth went dry. I could not let him get anywhere near Radha or Shama. ‘What else did you find?' I said.
‘The entire room was wiped with bleach. The ACP is confused. He wonders why there is no blood this time. He flirted with the idea of it being a copycat because someone had leaked photos from the previous crime scene to the media.’
‘Come on, that’s ridiculous.’
‘It's not a theory we're actively working on. Just something that crossed the ACP's mind. But for all purposes, we're considering this to be a new victim killed by the Bedroom Strangler. Sonia's expediting the autopsy. She'll compare the marks on Supriya's neck to that on Tarla's neck to confirm if it was the same killer.'
‘Did you find any relation between Supriya and Tarla or even any one of Zakkal’s previous victims?’
‘None so far. I’ve got an officer looking for one. I’ll inform you if we find anything new.’
‘Can you please send the crime scene report and photos?’
Rathod hesitated. ‘Give me some time. The ACP doesn’t want these photos to be leaked. He’s keeping track of where they’re going,’ he said.
‘What happened to Anil Verma of Smart Tech?’
‘We’re going to head to his house now. Manoj Bedi, one of Zakkal’s pen pals will also be questioned soon. We’re trying to locate the other—Shaam Pundlik,’ Rathod said.
I told him about my meetings with Zakkal’s lawyer Karve and Sucheta Kataria.
‘I suspected he would be an aggressive ass. He’s a freaking lawyer after all. He’s also the lawyer of several members of the Shirole gang. There could be a connection there. We can do very little about it though. Let’s see if we can learn anything more,’ he said and hung up.
Rahul and I decided to go through the remaining letters from and to Zakkal. We sifted through them for the next three hours. Radha got coffee and biscuits for us. We took a break when she got us tea at four thirty. I went out with my teacup and walked in the garden to clear my mind and walk Shadow.
An uneasiness crept up on me. I was frustrated to not have made a breakthrough yet. My mind kept drifting to the pollen grain. It was pivotal to Zakkal’s plan. Two women and one man had been murdered because of it. He would not have gone that far if it was not something important. I was done waiting. I pulled out my phone and called Dr. Raghav Barve. He answered the call on the fifth ring.
‘Hello, Siya. I was expecting your call. How are you?’ an old man’s voice said.
Dr. Barve was nearing eighty years of age and h
ad a hard time hearing so I spoke loudly. ‘Good evening, Dr. Barve. I’m alright otherwise but I’m getting worked up on the pollen grain that Zakkal gave me.’
‘I’m still working on it. You know how it is with such things. They take time. I’m doing my best. I can tell you one thing though.’
I pressed the phone harder to my ear.
Dr. Barve continued. ‘Wherever this pollen was found is a ripe place for a particular type of worm. I noticed its faeces on it.’
‘Where do you normally find them?’
‘Mostly on lands undisturbed by humans. And yes, they are normally found underground.’
Deserted area and underground. I did not like the sound of that.
‘And this isn’t the analysis on the pollen grain,’ Dr. Barve said. ‘This is just what I found on it. I’ll be able to give you the exact location once I get a match for it against a recorded sample.’
‘Can you tell how old the faeces of the worm are?’
‘Mostly a few days old.’
‘Alright, thanks,’ I said and hung up.
I returned inside, thinking about the innumerable places that could fit Dr. Barve's findings. Zakkal had given the pollen for a specific reason. He was directing us to some place through the pollen so he expected us to find it. I reckoned it was only a matter of time before Dr. Barve would find the place.
I wondered who Dhruv Kataria could have passed the pollen grain to. Either it had to be routed to Zakkal through someone who was already in the jail or he would have had to leave it in some area where Zakkal was allowed to go to.
I called Rathod.
‘What places is Zakkal allowed to visit in Yerwada?’ I said.
‘Just two. His cell where he spends most of his time and an open area within the jail premises where he is allowed to get sunlight once in a week for ten minutes.’
‘Is he alone then?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did Dhruv Kataria have access to the same open area?’
‘Yes. He was allowed open time with about fifty more inmates.’
‘How often?’
‘Every day.'
Silence.
‘The most violent ones are allowed in once a week.’
‘At the same time as the others?’
‘No. They have separate times.’’
‘How is the security there?’
‘Tight. But fights still break out. The guards break it up and detain the participants according to their role in it.’
‘I want to know if there’s a possibility that Kataria left the pollen behind and then Zakkal picked it up.’
‘I cannot deny the possibility.’
‘Is the area searched regularly?’
‘Technically, it is monitored every second anyone is out. But with around fifty inmates present at the same time, it can get tricky.'
‘What about afterwards?’
‘It is supposed to be cleaned.’
‘But it doesn’t always happen, right?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Just like there aren’t enough doctors or hospitals in India, there aren’t enough guards to man the jails. Both are problems present across the world, but more so in developing countries.’
I had gotten my answer. ‘One quick question. Who all did Zakkal meet in the jail during the past six months?’
‘I’ll send you the list right away after getting it from Warden Shetty. The ACP is putting pressure on him to cooperate as possible murders have happened under his watch. A murderer may also be communicating with a serial killer from his prison. Those are not the certificates he wants against his name.’
‘Thanks,’ I said and hung up.
I returned to the dining table to join Rahul to resume our effort to read letters. I remained distracted. I tried to fight through it and concentrate but I gave up half an hour later. It was almost seven and the sun had set. My phone buzzed again, drawing me out of the spiral my mind was going into.
A text message. It was Rathod.
Dr. Sonia said she’ll give her autopsy report in half an hour. Come to the CID office.
I peeped into Radha’s room and told her we had to leave. We went downstairs. Shadow sensed from my gait that it was time to go. He rushed towards me with his leash.
Rahul looked up from the table. ‘CID? he said, getting up.
‘Yes,’ I said and took the car keys as Radha emerged from the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Six
We were inside the car within five minutes and at CID’s office in the next twenty. Like in the morning, Radha, Rahul and Shadow stayed in the waiting room while I went to the morgue in the basement. Everyone was already present.
Dr. Sonia smiled at me in acknowledgement. ‘We're waiting for Rathod. He should be here at any moment.'
On cue, Rathod’s lean figure emerged from the stairs with heavy steps. Sonia turned around, beckoning us to follow her, as she went to the morgue. She stood next to a body that was again covered up to its neck with a white sheet.
‘The victim’s name is Tarla Raheja. She died from being strangled. The marks on her neck and the pattern of fracture was similar to what I found on Supriya Kelkar’s neck. I can say with reasonable accuracy that the size of the hands in both cases was similar as well. There’s no other injury on Tarla’s body. There’s also no other evidence at the crime scene. No prints of any nature and no DNA. Like Supriya, Tarla’s vagina has evidence of post mortem sex. The same kind of condom was used once again. Based on the food in her intestine and the state of her body when we found her, Tarla Raheja was killed between twenty to twenty-four hours before we found her.’
‘So, on Monday morning,’ Rathod said.
‘One day after he killed Supriya Kelkar,’ ACP Shukla jumped in.
‘That means he was stalking both the women at the same time,’ I said.
‘That’s right,’ Sonia said.
‘He’s moving fast. Faster than any serial killer I’ve personally investigated. Normally, serial killers get more confident and efficient with each kill, thus prompting them to kill more quickly,’ Rathod said.
‘True. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already selected his next victim,’ Sonia said and paused. ‘It seems strange to me that the Bedroom Strangler is so efficient. There were no other marks on both the women he has killed. The strangling was clean each time. Normally, there are bruises on a victim’s body as they try to resist.’
‘What are you trying to say?’ I said.
‘It’ll be unwise for me to assume.’
‘We’ve nothing else going for us,’ Rathod said.
Sonia turned to the ACP. He nodded his head. ‘Go on. What are you thinking?’ he said.
Silence.
Sonia pursed her lips. ‘As I said, it’s just a theory based on very little evidence. I could very well be wrong,’ she said and paused. ‘I feel the Bedroom Strangler is experienced. He has killed women before Supriya Kelkar.’ Another pause. ‘Or he’s just extremely efficient.’
‘Killing someone by strangling them is the third most popular way to commit murder. There are innumerable cases of it across India. He could have easily slipped under the radar,’ Rathod said.
‘Just like Zakkal did for so many years,’ I said.
ACP Shukla shook his head in frustration. ‘Have we been able to find a link between Supriya and Tarla?’
Rathod said, ‘They were both around the age of thirty. They were alone at home for extended periods of time. They were fairly attractive. Those are just characteristics. Nothing about their profiles except their age and gender is common.’
‘So, we have nothing?’
Rathod shook his head.
‘What did Tarla do for a living?’ I said.
‘She was a software programmer. She worked from home. She has her own company called Bit By Byte. Her laptop was her office. She did freelance work for various clients. Most of them were based out of India according to her bank records. We spoke to several of her clien
ts. They said she was dependable.’
‘What was her routine like? That might give us an idea of when the Bedroom Strangler started to stalk her.’
‘No one apart from her therapist has seen her in a long time. One of her neighbours is nosy. He’s an old man, north of eighty. Even he hasn’t seen her go out apart from the times when she had an appointment with her therapist. We checked her digital wallets and debit and credit cards. She predominantly used her debit card to make online transactions. She ordered clothes, electronic gadgets, grocery and food online. The last time she used it for anything outdoors was a month back when she got her monthly medicines right after meeting her therapist. In fact, that’s the only place she bought anything outdoors.’
‘What did her therapist say when you told her about Tarla’s murder?’
‘She was shocked. She had said Tarla had just started making some progress. She told us that Tarla had started sitting in her balcony for an hour every day, something that was unimaginable before.’
‘Maybe the Bedroom Strangler saw her there,’ ACP Shukla said.
‘Or while she went to her therapist every week,’ Rathod said.
I joined my palms at my forehead, trying to create a timeline. I said, ‘The world wouldn’t have known that Tarla Raheja had died had it not been for her therapist, right?’
Everyone in the room nodded their heads.
‘We found her today morning. Ninety minutes after she missed her appointment. We know he stalks his victims. So, he would have known about her appointment. That means the Bedroom Strangler wanted us to find her today. He would have known that if she missed her appointment, it would sound an alarm. Which is exactly what happened. That led us to find Tarla dead the day and time we did. If you think about it, the Bedroom Strangler could have easily killed her after today's appointment. But that would've meant we would have only found her a week later. He wanted us to find her today itself. He's a step ahead of us.' I turned to Sonia. ‘You're probably right. He's already found his next victim. If the first two murders are anything to go by, he would kill again in the next two days.'
