Seduced by Murder (26 page)

“He is? But we don’t know where he is. He’s disappeared.”

“He’s in hiding until he gets what he wants – tonight. And then he’ll leave the country tomorrow.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I will tell you later. You got to do me a favour.”

“What?”

“Just for tonight, you need to post two of your men outside the Kapoor residence, and ensure no one leaves the house. Can you do that?”

“Uh … I can, actually but only if you tell me what it’s all about.”

“Listen, Babu, I have a hunch. I need solid proof. If I am right, I will hand over the proof to you, and you can make the arrest. That way, you are protected from brickbats in case I am wrong, and will get the bouquets if I am correct. Deal?”

He thought about it.

I said, “But I assure you this is big.”

“Okay. I trust you. None of them will leave their house tonight.”

“Great.”

We walked towards the group. I announced for everyone to hear, “I am going to a party tonight at Kandhari Hills. Anjali was supposed to pick up something from someone there.”

I locked eyes with the murderer, and he paled.

T
he sky was dark. The rain was playing drums on the roof of my car. The trees on either side of the road blurred past as I sped along the lonely highway. It had been more than half an hour since I had seen the lights of another car.

“Are you sure about the route?” I asked Pranay.

He looked at the map on his lap and nodded.

“Yes. Got it from the Net. We are near the place.”

He looked thoroughly confused. I peeped at the map on his lap, and saw a handmade diagram that showed sloppy lines representing roads, marked with arrows that went everywhere.

“What’s that? The diagram of the impaired blood circulation to your brain?”

He said excitedly, “Look, I see a car in front of us. Finally.”

I saw a blue Sonata drifting ahead of us. I had a hunch that it was heading to the same place. We rounded a sharp bend, and saw the bright lights at a lonely bungalow just off the main road. The Sonata followed the road that led to a big iron gate. I moved in closer. The headlights of the Sonata flashed on the gate.

The driver sounded the horn three or four times. A man dressed in a raincoat ran towards the car. He seemed to be
a security guard. He looked inside the window, flashed his torch, nodded to someone, and let the Sonata pass.

He jogged towards my car and knocked on the window. I rolled it down and he barked, “Invitation?”

I took out the card I had found in Anjali’s bag, and showed it to him. He let us pass. I followed the Sonata into the parking lot, and counted six cars already parked next to each other. At the entrance to the parking area a man stood with a bunch of umbrellas. He handed one to the occupants of the Sonata, and one to us. I parked next to the Sonata. A couple got out of it and ran towards the house, huddled under the umbrella. We got out of the car and followed the couple into the bungalow.

I kept the umbrella at the porch, and queued up behind the couple. A huge man wearing a yellow tie over a red shirt, green trousers, and brown shoes, stood at the doorway. His hair was greased back, and a friendly grin was stuck upon his face. He checked the invitation card of the couple standing ahead of us. The porch was well-lit.

I observed the man and the woman. The man was of medium height, stocky, unshaven, and dressed in formals. The woman arrested my attention right away. She was tall and thin, built like an athlete. She was wearing a black, backless gown, with a slit that ran up to her thigh. A pair of black stilettos added to her seductive power.

The rainbow with the greased hair let them pass, and extended his hand towards us. He ran a critical eye over my clothes, and muttered a disdainful greeting. He looked over my shoulder, glanced at Pranay.

“This is a couple pass,” he said, sounding confused.

“So?”

“Aha…sir…you are stags.”

I looked at him with hatred, took Pranay’s elbow in mine, and said angrily, “Don’t be impertinent.”

The guard mumbled an apology and let us pass. We entered a dimly-lit enormous living room. I stood near the doorway letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. The only sources of light in the room were some shaded lamps placed strategically in all the corners. There was some kind of Sufi music audible from invisible speakers, and the sweet smell of incense lingered in the air.

This was a room meant for relaxation. People were sitting in groups of three or four, on sofas and divans. I counted five groups. I walked around the room inconspicuously, trying to spot Leo. He was not in the room. No one paid any attention to me, and people spoke in soft voices only with members of their own group. A bar fitted with stools stood at a corner in the room. I looked at Pranay and pointed at it. We walked up to it and sat down on the stools. I had an excellent view of the door, and could see anyone entering or exiting the room.

The bartender was dressed in loose clothes that did nothing to hide his paunch. He fiddled with his ponytail.

“Hi, I am Johnny,” he said. “What can I serve you?”

I ordered Scotch, and Pranay ordered rum. Johnny did a few fancy tricks, throwing the glasses up in the air and catching them. I was in no mood for entertainment, but I applauded dutifully.

Pranay whispered, “Weird party. Looks more like a conference. Did you spot Leo?”

“Haven’t yet.”

“What made you sure he would be here?”

“He was supposed to meet Anjali here tonight. He doesn’t know she’s dead. He should be here to collect some big cash. He’s leaving the country tomorrow.”

“Big cash, huh? So what do we do when we meet him?”

“Beat the hell out of him and snatch a CD.”

“A CD?”

“Yeah.”

“Similar to the one we saw at Abhijit’s apartment?”

“Hopefully.”

I finished my drink, and Johnny refilled my glass promptly. Pranay waited until Johnny was out of hearing range. “Why was Anajli interested in the CD?”

“Because it had the murderer in the frame.”

“No kidding! Shalini is in the video?”

“No.”

“Rajesh?”

“No.”

“You said that it has the murderer in the frame.”

“It has.”

“When did you decide that Shalini is not the murderer?”

“Stop talking and start drinking. Be on the lookout for Leo.”

There was some activity in the centre of the room. The biggest group in the room had six members. I narrowed my eyes to concentrate. A man was holding a glass bowl. He stood up and offered the bowl to a woman. The woman picked up what looked like a piece of paper from the bowl, unfolded it, read out something, and there was excited laughter. The woman, who had picked up the piece of paper, got up and exchanged her seat with another woman from the group, so that they were sitting with different companions.

“What kind of game is that?” Pranay sounded confused.

“Well, it is definitely not Tambola.”

“That couple who was in the Sonata,” said Pranay again. “Behind you. The lady in black has been eyeing us for some time.”

I turned around on my stool to see her. The lady in black, and her companion were sitting near us with another couple – a short, fat man; and a shorter, petite lady. I could not see the faces of the new couple, since their backs were towards us. There was a notable difference in the body language of the two couples. The lady in black and her companion were gregarious and talkative. The other couple appeared uptight, occasionally nodding their heads.

After a few minutes, the companion of the lady in black leaned back on the sofa and stopped talking. The lady in black continued talking animatedly, definitely the centre of attention in the group. She nudged her companion in the stomach playfully, attempting to draw him into the conversation, but he ignored her. After a few minutes, she stopped talking. I sensed inactivity in the group. She glanced at the bar casually, and our eyes met. I lifted my glass to my lips and took a sip, staring at her all the time. She broke eye contact and leaned back to her companion.

Then there was silence in the group again. She looked up and found me still looking at her. I pretended to be captivated by her. She broke eye contact again, and started swaying to the music. She was aware of being watched. I smiled at her. She smiled back. She got up and said something to her group, pointing to the bar. Her companion made a half-hearted effort to get up, but she pushed him down again. She walked towards the bar slowly.

She stood beside me, leaned on the counter, and said in a husky voice, “Johnny, some wine, please. White. Where are Sangeeta and Vinod tonight?”

“Oh, you know how they are, ma’am! They throw the party, but are terrible hosts. Late as usual.”

She smiled and shook her head in amusement. Johnny poured her a glass of wine. She took a sip, standing at the bar.

I sniffed the air, tilted my head in her direction and said, “Nice fragrance.”

She looked up, gave me a predatory smile, and said huskily, “Thanks. You like it?”

I pretended to be nonplussed. “Pardon? I was referring to Johnny’s cologne.”

She gave me a nervous smile. I offered her my hand. She was an attractive lady, but her beauty was cold, not warm. She shook my hand, turning towards me on the stool, so that her gown slipped a couple of inches further up a supple thigh.

“You guys look lost. New on the circuit?”

I didn’t know what circuit she was referring to, but I blabbered confidently, “Yeah. Just came back to India. Vinod invited us over to…you know, test the circuit.”

She leaned towards me with some sarcasm.

“Yeah, right! We have been frequenting the circuit for three months now. No luck.”

“We?”

“Me and my husband. He’s sitting over there.” She pointed to the driver of the Sonata. “Where are you guys from?”

“Oh, we were travelling. Returned from Europe recently.”

“Nice! I keep travelling to eastern Europe all the time. You been there?”

My knowledge of geography did not permit me to distinguish Eastern Europe from eastern India, so I gave her a cryptic reply, “Yeah. Been there, done that.”

She glanced towards Pranay, took a sip, and asked, “You guys a couple?”

“What do you think?” I let my eyes rest on her bare thigh for a few seconds.

She smiled and said, “I think you were being cute with the bouncer.”

“Yes, I was.”

She spoke with excitement. “I knew it. You bulls?”

I thought of all the possible permutations of the word
bull
that came to mind. Bull-shitters? Chicago Bulls? The animal known for its virility?

I looked at Pranay, and smiled at her. “As bull as they come.”

She leaned forward, put her hand on my knee, and said in a seductive voice, “Hmm, I thought so. Never wrong with my men.”

She finished her remaining wine in a single gulp and asked Johnny for a refill, “Don’t get authentic bulls in India. The imported ones are always the best.”

I did not know what she meant, but I laughed aloud. She laughed with me. I kicked Pranay, and he laughed too.

Her eyes seemed impatient and urgent. “Listen, I don’t have much time. I am Dia. What’s your name?”

“I am Paras, and he is Babu” I said, pointing at Pranay.

“Okay. As I said, my husband and I have been frequenting the circuit for the past three months. Not happening at all. We are bored out of our wits. That couple sitting with us was
referred to us by Vinod. Nice people, but not my kind. You know what I mean?”

It dawned on me what this entire set-up was all about. I asked her, trying to sound casual, “Your husband a bull too?”

“No. At least not by preference. He is more the watching type. But it’s not like abroad. All the single men we have met here are perverts, ugly, or uncultured. So we stick to couples.” She paused and looked doubtful. “You okay with that? Being watched?”

“Was always an exhibitionist.”

She grew even more excited, and slid her hand further up my thigh. “Great! Let me think of a way to make those people scram. Will have to be polite. They were referred to us by Vinod, after all.”

“I would hate to see them hurt. Vinod is a great guy.”

She offered me a cigarette. “Do you smoke?”

“Only passively.”

She tapped my crotch, looking naughty. “Good for your virility. I hope you will not be a disappointment, and finish your charge in six seconds like the last so-called bull.”

“We won’t know until we try, will we?”

“What about your friend?”

“Well, he prefers drinking, and will not mind.”

“Oh! I meant … you guys have never done it together? One woman?”

It was my turn to finish my drink in one gulp and said, “Oh yes. We prefer no holes-barred sex. All puns intended.”

She looked at Pranay, whose face had turned a deep shade of red.

“Well, the more the better. But my hubby will be watching all the time. You guys are okay with that, right?”

She stared at me wickedly, and I could smell her arousal. I squeezed her hand. “Not a problem. What about the shorty and his wife?”

She gulped down her wine and got up from the stool.