The Pearl of Bengal (9 page)

The room echoed with cheers.

“That’s quite a punch, big man!” exclaimed Uncle Rudyard. “Why did you ever retire from the ring?”

Dash was grinning from ear to ear.

Agatha knelt to check on their unconscious assailant. She pulled up one eyelid. “Look here,” she breathed. “Take a good look at his eyes!”

They weren’t Naveen’s striking peacock blue, but plain brown.

“He’s the spitting image of Naveen Chandra in all other ways. Maybe he was his body double in his movies,” she reflected. Touching her nose, she added, “And I think I know why he came to the village disguised as a pilgrim.”

The others looked blank. Agatha started to fill them in, but stopped short as she noticed the time. “It’s already eleven thirty. We have to get to the dock before the police come for Naveen!”

Chandler threw the unconscious man over one shoulder, and they hurried away.

Twenty minutes later, an unusual group arrived at the village steps: two burly men, one lugging an unconscious pilgrim; two English children; a white Persian cat; and a Bengal tiger on a leash.

Captain Deshpande was chatting with a police officer while a handcuffed Naveen Chandra was being led up the gangplank onto the police boat.

“Stop!” shouted Agatha. “You’ve arrested the wrong man!”

They all turned to stare at the new arrivals. The policeman watched as Chandler lifted the pilgrim’s face. The resemblance to Naveen was unmistakable. Turning to Captain Deshpande, he asked, “What’s going on? Is this some kind of joke?”

“It’s nonsense!” the captain replied in an arrogant tone. “Forget these young pests! They think they’re some kind of detectives. They just want to look good for their bosses!”

“Oh, we will look good, Captain!” Agatha smiled, slowly descending the stairs. “Especially after this nice police officer arrests the man who’s actually responsible for kidnapping Amitav Chandra and stealing the Pearl of Bengal!”

Deshpande exploded with fury. “Are you crazy? Who’s going to believe a word you kids say?” he shouted. “This is the Kolkata police! You’re
obstructing an investigation!”

The officer touched his arm. “Something’s not right here, Captain,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear from these two young detectives.”

On the riverbank, surrounded by policemen and forest guards, Agatha and Dash began telling their story.

“Our agency received a call from Amitav Chandra, the temple custodian,” said Dash, clicking open an audio file on his EyeNet.

The officer listened to the recording with a skeptical expression.

“At first, we thought Mr. Chandra was asking his friend Deshpande for help, but listen carefully to the last part.” He pressed the rewind button.

“If anything happens to me, tell my dear friend…KSSHHH KSSSHHH…Deshpande!…BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP…

The name “Deshpande” sounded as if it was uttered in shock, as though Mr. Chandra had
been caught by surprise by the captain himself.

“This means nothing,” the captain interrupted abruptly. “We have several witnesses who saw his son Naveen break into his house!”

“Of course you do,” said Agatha calmly. “Only it wasn’t Naveen, but his body double, who’s been hiding among the pilgrims all this time! He was the person the neighbors spotted that night, and that’s how you managed to pin the theft on Naveen. Am I right?”

“That’s a despicable charge,” snarled Deshpande. “Arrest these children!”

“Wait just a second, Captain,” the officer interrupted drily. “I want to hear how this story turns out. Go on, kids.”

Agatha took a deep breath. “The body double and Captain Deshpande led Amitav Chandra to the temple at gunpoint, trying to force him to open the door with the key combination that only he knew,” she explained. “When he wouldn’t,
they broke the lock. Once they were inside, they couldn’t figure out how to get the Pearl of Bengal down from the statue’s hand. Captain Deshpande started pushing the cup with his cane and finally caused it to fall.”

She looked at the captain, who leaned crookedly on his cane. “We found chips of bamboo in Kali’s hand, Captain,” she added, unfolding her palm to display them. “I’m sure the police will be able to match them.”

“And then?” the officer urged.

“Then Deshpande hid the pearl and Mr. Chandra in a safe place and calmly began his investigation,” said Agatha, beaming. “All he needed to do was find enough witnesses to point the finger at Mr. Chandra’s son. But we spoiled his plans!”

“How so, Miss?”

“When we arrived, he gave us a list of fake suspects as a ploy to keep us busy. But he forbade
us to see Chandra’s home or the Temple of Kali, putting both under guard.”

She paused, then added indignantly, “He even organized a search party on the river to show us how much he cared about his missing friend, when all he was doing was finding a fisherman who could support his lies!”

“I’m with you so far, Miss,” the officer said. “But tell me, where is Mr. Chandra hidden? Where is the Pearl of Bengal?”

Agatha winked. “If I were a policeman and not some ‘young pest,’” she said calmly, “I would start by inspecting the captain’s house. You might even find some costumes used by his accomplice, Naveen Chandra’s body double.”

At that moment, Deshpande tried to bolt, lurching toward the steps. But his path was blocked by Chandler, Uncle Rudyard—and a hungry Bengal tiger.

He dropped to his knees in surrender. “I just
wanted to retire in comfort,” he sobbed, slumping his shoulders. “As soon as the excitement died down, I would have freed my friend Amitav. I didn’t murder anyone!”

The officer nodded to his colleagues on board the police boat. They took the handcuffs off Naveen Chandra, arresting Captain Deshpande and his accomplice instead. “That’s some fancy detective work, kids,” he said, turning to Dash and Agatha. “What is your agency called?”

“I’m not at liberty to say, sir!” exclaimed Dash, hugging Agatha happily. “But I’m called Agent DM14!”

The two cousins realized that the whole village had gathered around the steps, bursting into applause when the mystery was solved.

“We did it!” Dash repeated, heading into the crowd to embrace Uncle Rudyard. But instead, he bumped into an elderly gentleman holding up the
London Times
.

He was wearing a linen suit and pince-nez glasses.

“Wh-who are you?” Dash stammered.

The gentleman lowered the newspaper, looking him right in the eye. “Hello, Agent DM14,” he said. “I am your fieldwork observer. I wanted to congratulate you in person. Eye
International wants you to know that you did an excellent job. You passed the test with flying colors, Agent.” This said, he disappeared into the crowd without so much as a ripple.

Dash stood frozen, his eyes wide, until Agatha shook him. “What’s up, cousin? You look a bit dazed. Too much excitement?” she asked cheerfully.

His cousin was right, as always. Dash was filled to the brim with excitement and a joy beyond words.

T
he police found Amitav Chandra bound and gagged inside a large closet in Deshpande’s house. The Bengal Pearl was hidden inside the toe of an embroidered boot. Brahman Sangali was notified immediately, and he gathered the whole village to take the sacred pearl back to the Temple of Kali in a grand procession.

Amitav Chandra and his son, Naveen, also joined the colorful, festive parade, having finally reconciled.

Right behind them were Agatha and her companions.

“Why don’t you come back to Mumbai with me?”
Naveen Chandra asked the kids. “I could give you both walk-on roles in my next blockbuster. You’d have a blast! Mumbai is a wonderful city, and there’s nothing more fun than the set of a Bollywood movie.”

Dash was about to say yes when Agatha reminded him of their promise. “I’m sorry, Naveen, but we’re going straight to New Delhi,” she said, loosening the garland of marigolds around her neck, a gift from the people of Chotoka. “We’re going to surprise my parents!”

Naveen seemed quite moved. Evidently the events of the past few days had made him rethink things. “Never forget how important your parents are, kids,” he said solemnly. “And listen to their advice sometimes. Every so often, they’re right!”

Dash and Agatha nodded and laughed.

Behind them, Uncle Rudyard was asking Chandler’s advice about boxing, miming
punches in the air. “Should I hold my shoulder like this? Or like this?” he asked over and over. “Like this, right?”

The butler nodded in silence for the hundredth time. He couldn’t take it anymore; Rudyard had been grilling him on his best punches all day.

As the sun went down over the river, the festival turned into a banquet, with course after course of delicious food. Everyone happily stuffed themselves with local delicacies.

Without even pausing to lick his whiskers,
Watson devoured a plate of fish, fresh from the Ganges.

Uncle Rudyard was full and almost asleep on his feet. He had made quite a long trek through the jungle to bring Maya back to the tiger reserve. Then he’d flown back in his seaplane.

“You can be the lead pilot this time, slugger!” he told Chandler, seating him at the controls. “Do you know how to take off from on the water?”

Dash changed his mind about the earlier flight. This was the worst takeoff of his life.

The Canadair shaved the tops of the trees like an incompetent barber for the first mile or two, then drifted between the brilliant stars toward New Delhi.

The children awoke at dawn when Watson began yowling for breakfast.

“Have we been flying all night?” Agatha asked, stunned by the pink glow of sunrise.

Uncle Rudyard turned around in the cockpit, as lively as ever. “I dozed off for a bit, and the big man got lost,” he shouted. “We’re just passing over the Himalayas!” he laughed. “Say hello to Mount Everest!” Then he started to sing at the top of his lungs, oblivious to Chandler, who’d fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

They touched down in New Delhi at eight in the morning.

“Hello, Mom?” said Agatha into the EyeNet’s speakerphone.

“Why, Agatha darling! How are you?” replied Rebecca Mistery.

“I’m great! Listen, I have a surprise for you and Dad.”

“Oh good, what?”

“I’m here in New Delhi, Mom!” Agatha told her. “With Dash, Watson, and Chandler. And Uncle Rudyard, too!”

This was greeted by sounds of distressed rumbling on the other end of the phone. Dash moved closer to listen.

“What’s the matter, Mom? Is there a problem?” asked Agatha.

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear…Just a bull elephant having a bit of a tantrum!”

“An elephant?” Dash squawked.

“We have a free day today,” Mrs. Mistery continued. “So we thought we’d take a day trip to the Taj Mahal on elephant back! Your father is doing a wonderful job with the steering…”

Agatha laughed while Dash covered his face in despair.

“Would you like to join us?” her mother asked in a bubbly voice.

“No, say no!” whispered Dash frantically. “Right now, all I want is a hotel with a swimming pool, a cold drink, and some time to chill out!”

“We’d love to join you!” Agatha replied. “I can’t wait to see the Taj Mahal!”

Dash slumped back, clutching his head. There was no such thing as time to chill out when your last name was Mistery!