The COMPLETE Siya Rajput Crime Thrillers (Books 1 to 4)

by UD Yasha

  ‘It’s the second time you’ve asked me that question. I told you I was assigned it.’

  ‘Why are you so interested in the girl?’

  He had asked me about the girl before as well. I wondered why. I said, ‘Because she is just eight years old and still out there. She has a health problem. I don’t know if she’s okay. Her life could be in danger. I just hope she’s safe wherever she is.’

  Silence.

  I said, ‘If you’re indeed as innocent as you claim to be, why aren’t you telling me the truth for the girl’s sake?’

  ‘I don’t know anything about her.’

  ‘You’re clearly hiding something.’

  ‘Let me assure you that it has nothing to do with the girl.’

  ‘That’s hard to believe considering all the lies you have told me.’

  ‘I think we’re done here.’

  I felt helpless. I was close to getting to him a few seconds back. I heaved a sigh of frustration as I got up to leave.

  ‘You know where to reach me if you change your mind,’ I said and paused near the room’s door for a beat. ‘I’m going to find out what happened, why you’re lying and what this is all about.’

  ‘It seems like you're more hell-bent on finding the girl than proving my innocence,' Manohar said in a deadpan tone as he stared out the window again with his back to me.

  I gulped hard and left, even more confused than I was before.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I waited on the second floor for Atharva and Malini. A junior officer told me both of them were still speaking to Rathod and the ACP. They had been inside for a while, so I was expecting them to come out at any moment. Most conversations with a victim's family did not last this long. Maybe Malini was sharing something useful.

  I also needed to find out where Manohar had gone last night. Most times, a father would not break the promise he had made to his eight-year-old daughter unless he had a good enough reason.

  I pulled my phone out to call Sheila, only to realize it was almost two at night. I hesitated, but only for half a heartbeat. Her husband had been arrested for four murders. She was not going to get any sleep for the next few days. I tapped on her number from my call log.

  ‘Did you speak to him?’ Sheila said, even before I could say anything.

  ‘He didn’t cooperate much,’ I said and heard a gasp escape her mouth.

  ‘Why would he be doing this? Doesn’t he know how this makes him look?’

  Sheila was even afraid to say the word ‘guilty’. Her words came back to me. He would have had a good reason to lie. Manohar’s reply when I had mentioned his wife was also on similar lines. I was protecting her. Were they in some kind of danger? I wanted to know the kind of man Manohar was. As much as I sympathized with Sheila, I did not want to waste time harping on the same issues.

  ‘I called for a specific reason. I wanted to know if Manohar had close friends,’ I said.

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Can you please send me their names and contact details? I would like to speak to them.’

  ‘Sure, I will WhatsApp them to you right away. Do you think they will be able to help you?’

  I was not sure. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. ‘I think it will. I’ll be waiting for your message,’ I said and clicked off.

  I tried to think if I had missed out on anything so far. A corroboration between the logs from the Gunshot Detection System and nearby CCTV feeds could prove whether Manohar was present in the house when the gunshots were fired. But the latter was going to take time. Manohar's car was also missing, provided he was telling the truth. If he was, there was only one explanation. The killer had taken Rucha in it. Given the level of preparation, I was sure it would have been dumped in a deserted area by now.

  A hand on my shoulder. I turned around with a start. It was Atharva. His sister, Malini, was next to him. I recognized her even though I had last seen her some fifteen years back. Her hair was longer now and there were some strands from which her mehendi had faded. She was in a pink salwaar kameez. She looked nowhere close to her real age of around forty but much older—I reckoned, from the extreme stress she had been under; as if her young daughter's health issues weren’t already enough, her life had been brought down in just one evening.

  Malini Sinha recognized me as well. She nodded to acknowledge me. She stepped forward, touched my arm and whispered, ‘Atharva told me you’re trying to help us. Thank you.’

  I didn’t know what to say. I took her hand and squeezed it. ‘I’ll let you know everything that happens. I’m going to do my best to get your daughter back.’

  ‘We’re heading to our cousin’s house,’ Atharva said. ‘We’ll be staying with them for a few days.’

  I felt a pang of disappointment. I had not thought of their staying arrangements. They certainly could not have gone back to their house. I had just assumed that Atharva would be staying with us. I also wanted to speak to Malini. I wondered when the right time would be.

  Atharva said, ‘My cousin stays near SB Road. I'll text you the exact address. Malini had a rigorous session with Inspector Rathod. Maybe you can come home to speak to her.' Atharva looked at Malini. ‘Yeah, please come. Whatever it takes to get Rucha back.'

  ‘I'll see you soon,' I said. I would have just gone with them but as I opened my mouth to say it, I saw Rathod raising him arms behind Atharva to get my attention. I was confused momentarily but realized he wanted to speak to me alone. I watched Malini and Atharva walk to the elevator.

  Rathod walked past me, heading straight for the stairs. I followed him ten seconds later to CID parking lot. Rathod was leaning on his car and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt when I got to the bottom of the stairs. He had that grin on his face. One that reeked of the happiness that he experienced after finding a new clue.

  ‘You wouldn’t believe what Malini Sinha told me,’ he said.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Like always, Rathod had parked his car around the tightest corner in the entire parking lot. I had first noticed that he always parked at the same spot on our second case together. I had even asked him about it. He had told me that it was the only blind spot in the entire building, making it the perfect place for a CID officer to speak with a criminal defence lawyer inside the premises. What I didn't know about him then was that it was also his way of revolting against the system. That and assisting me with cases. So, as I followed him down to the parking lot, I knew that as a defence lawyer I was not meant to know what he was about to tell me.

  Rathod said, ‘You said Shaunak Manohar didn’t have a motive to kill them. I just found one.’

  He held his car’s back door open for me and slid in after me.

  ‘Malini Sinha was a gynecologist. Nine years back, the Manohars went to her for a consultation. Shaunak's wife Sheila could not conceive. Malini recommended two phases of treatment. Sheila Manohar got pregnant after the first. During the second trimester, Sheila reacted badly to the treatment and lost her six-month old baby.'

  I gasped, ‘What?’

  ‘Yeah, and that’s not all. Shaunak threatened to sue her. But they were just starting off. They neither had the money nor the energy to follow through. Malini told me Shaunak Manohar had threatened to harm her and her family.’

  ‘What were his exact words?’

  ‘It was something on the lines of “I will have my revenge and you and your family will pay for it.” He had apologized for it later, but she was extremely scared when it had happened. She told me she still remembers the way his body shuddered with anger.'

  ‘I met Sheila Manohar two hours back. She told me she had been treated by Malini, but she skipped the part in which she had a miscarriage.’

  ‘I wonder why.’

  I told Rathod about my conversations with both Sheila and Shaunak.

  ‘They’re both lying. They’re hiding something big,’ Rathod said and paused. ‘I’m sorry to bring this up. But she doesn’t even have an alibi. They could’ve
done it together. We can’t rule out there being two perpetrators.’

  ‘At first, I thought it was just Shaunak. He even admitted to me that he lied to his wife about going somewhere last night, and again this evening. She’s no saint either. But does that make them murderers?’

  ‘I’ll run a full background check on her. I’ll have an officer follow her. She could try to get out of town for all we know. I’ll also get a warrant to search her house and tap her phone.’

  ‘You’ll have a tough time getting the phone tapping warrant.’

  ‘Let's see what the search yields then. If they murdered those people, or even if only Shaunak Manohar was involved, there has to be some more evidence.'

  ‘How much of the traffic camera footage have your officers gone through?’

  ‘About thirty minutes. There are many angles. To make matters worse, the feed is grainy. They won’t finish anytime soon.’

  ‘Also, the medicine Rucha requires is rare and it needs to be specially ordered. The tracking system is pretty thorough because the Indian Government subsidies it by almost ninety-five per cent. So, a detailed record is made of every purchase. You can only buy it with a valid prescription.'

  ‘Prescriptions can be forged. Also, check for first time buyers in the past year. That's an overkill but this was planned in advance. Doesn't hurt to err on the side of caution.'

  ‘I’ll let you know what happens.’

  ‘Did anything else stand out while talking to Malini?’

  ‘No. The ACP took the lead and the questioning was tough on her just like it was on the ACP. He first wanted to explore if she was behind the murders and the kidnapping. But she is clear. She has multiple alibis.’

  ‘She could’ve hired someone.’

  ‘That’s possible but not probable. We’re looking into that angle and checking her finances.’

  ‘Despite everything we've found, something tells me Manohar isn't our guy. I keep saying this, but it doesn't make sense. Why would someone who disables CCTVs stay on at the crime scene for six additional minutes?'

  ‘I thought of the same earlier. It doesn't add up logically. But that's beginning to change. Our initial background check on Manohar makes him seem like a nice and normal guy. Nothing eyebrow-raising. No prior offences. But what Malini revealed about his wife’s miscarriage changes everything. Manohar was angry. His family had been harmed, and for most people that is worse than getting hurt themselves. Humans do funny things when they are inspired by rage. Maybe he wanted to take revenge and that’s why he killed the Sinha family, took Rucha and then froze when he realized what he had actually done. The best athletes freeze on the biggest stage at crunch time. Manohar was a rookie. I'm still not convinced because the evidence is yet to come in. But going by what we know, I feel Manohar is the guy.'

  Chapter Sixteen

  My phone buzzed as I entered the car. A text message. Atharva. He had sent the location of his cousin’s house. It was nearby, even closer than my house. I reached there in eight minutes.

  Atharva’s cousin stayed on the top floor of a ten-storeyed building. As I entered the elevator, I thought about what I wanted to know from Malini. More than anything else, I wanted to let Malini know that she could trust me. I was expecting her to say little right now that would help me directly. I was glad I was meeting her at her temporary house because at times, the ambience during a police interrogation and the presence of inspectors can make a person forget some things. It happens to the best, especially if they are directly affected by the crime. On the contrary, a familiar setting can ease the nerves and make you remember something you could have forgotten earlier.

  I rang the bell. Atharva opened the door. He had changed from earlier into black shorts and a grey T-Shirt. He guided me into the bedroom where Malini was lying down. I sat next to her on the bed.

  ‘Atharva told me what you’re doing. It really means a lot,’ Malini said.

  ‘Anything to help you. I still remember how kind you were to us when maa and dad had disappeared. Rest assured that I’ll do everything I can to get Rucha back,’ I said and paused. ‘Can you tell me something about the friend she was visiting today?’

  ‘They are the Mittals. Vasu and Asha Mittal. Their daughter is Janhavi. She goes to school with Rucha.’

  ‘When was the day planned?’

  ‘Probably yesterday or the day before. You know how things are with these young girls, right?’

  ‘How many people knew about where Rucha would be?’

  ‘Everyone at home. Maybe some friends at school.’

  ‘Why did Rucha come back early?’ I said, knowing the answer to it already but I wanted to make Malini feel comfortable.’

  ‘She wasn’t feeling well. She has a lung problem. She has a condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia. It’s a chronic disease that causes her lungs to get inflamed. It has led her to have asthma. She starts feeling breathless without warning.’

  ‘And who knew she was going to be back home early?’

  ‘Asha Mittal tried calling me, but I had bad connectivity in Mahabaleshwar, where I had gone to conduct a workshop on women’s reproductive health. Then they called Daksh. So, I am guessing he and my in-laws at home knew. Why are you asking me this?’

  ‘The attack was premeditated and I think it had been planned much in advance. When was your workshop scheduled?’

  ‘About two months back.’

  So they had time, I thought. I said, ‘Could anyone have known that Rucha would not be at home?’

  ‘No, this plan was made just a couple of days back at most.’

  Then the killer did not care whether Rucha was home unless he found out about her plans somehow, I thought.

  ‘Can you think of anyone who wanted to harm your family?’

  Malini teared up. ‘No, not at all. Why would anyone do something like this to anyone?’ she said and broke down.

  Atharva rushed to her side and Malini hugged him.

  ‘I don’t know. We didn’t even have much money at home for this to be a robbery. And the police officers at CID said nothing was missing from home. Why would anyone want to kill them?’

  I had never thought this was about a robbery, not after a child had gone missing.

  Malini went on. ‘Rucha needs to take her night-time medication. She was already not feeling well. She’ll feel worse if she doesn’t take the medicines. I just want to tell whoever took her to please give her the medicine even if they don’t return her.’

  Atharva hugged his sister tightly as she broke down completely. He patted her back to calm her down. But only her daughter's safety and safe return were going to make her feel any better. I was afraid to know what would happened to Malini if we did not get Rucha back.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It was almost three thirty by the time I returned home. Radha, Rahul and Shadow were still awake, waiting for me. Radha hugged me tightly the moment I got in. I knew she was afraid that this case would push me over the edge. Especially as a child was involved. I did not fault her. Somewhere deep down, I was afraid myself. I was thankful that the bouts of energy came at just the right times to lift me up. At other times, like these, a few minutes with my lovely family sent dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin fluttering through my brain.

  I knew that the day I would not be afraid anymore would come eventually. I would never forget what had happened, but the scars would heal. I was content with that thought. Happiness is oftentimes about being hopeful for a better future. We feel better knowing that things will get better.

  Only in that moment of calmness and love for my sister did I realize how tired I was. I had been out for almost six hours. I rested my head on her shoulder and wanted to stay in that comfort. But then I pulled out of the hug because Shadow started jumping on me. I petted him for two whole minutes and gave him a small treat from the kitchen. While he got busy eating it, I told Radha and Rahul what had happened.

  ‘Manohar would’ve had to use a vehicle to go wherever
he went last night,’ Rahul said. ‘If we can find his car, I can look for particulates that would hint where he could’ve been.’

  ‘I think his car was used to take Rucha. So, my guess is we won’t find it easily. It could be burnt or torn apart in a junkyard by now. I’m interested in getting data from his mobile phone. I will summon the court to give us a working copy of all the data. It can give us some interesting information.’

  ‘Let me know whatever is required,’ Rahul said.

  Radha and Rahul exchanged looks. I got goosebumps, knowing she was going to tell me something I did not want to hear.

  ‘What is it?’ I said.

  Radha inhaled deeply. ‘Maa was asking me where you were.’

  My heart sank. I felt hollow in the pit of my stomach.

  ‘I don’t know how she got to know about it. I think she must have heard or read about the press conference ACP Shukla gave.’

  I froze, unable to say anything. We had just given maa an iPad to watch movies and read books. She was fascinated by it as the world she had last been exposed to was back in 2003, when mobile phones were only used to make calls and were as big as bricks. She found some images and videos on the Internet really amusing. She also wondered why certain stories were even covered by websites given how pointless they seemed to her. Like the articles that described what celebrities wore at airports, or how our state Maharashtra’s Chief Minister going to a dentist was a newsworthy story, or the sensational headlines on most websites that were written just so that people would click on the article. I wondered if she had browsed a news website and gotten to know about the case.

  Radha said, ‘She asked me if you were involved. But she already knew. She must have connected the dots. She remembered Malini and Atharva, and then she knew you were out.’

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘She was concerned obviously. She wanted you to wake her up once you were back. She wants to speak to you.’