Flirting can be Dangerous! (Part 3)

Part III

“I tell you, inspector. I did not kill her.” Radha pleaded. She had been taken to the police station. Just then, Shyam entered the station. “What are you doing here?” Radha demanded.

“I called him here,” Inspector Sinha admitted.

“What have you gotten you into, Radha?” Shyam regretted.

“Radha? Her name is Katherine.” The inspector was flabbergasted.

“No. It’s Radha.”

“Please don’t say a word more.”

“No, I will,” Shyam went on to tell the inspector a cock-and-bull story of her parents being against him and about their secret marriage the previous day. “Since Caroline was the only person, who knew about us and was on our side, she suggested this action and we returned to her place together for dinner.”

“But, there were only 2 people eating,” Inspector Sinha asked, suspiciously.

“I can explain that,” Radha blurted. “I was fasting yesterday since it was Tuesday.”

After a bit of thinking, the officer said, “I will let you both go. But, you will not leave Mumbai until the case is solved.”

“Ok, Officer. But why did you arrest us, in the first place?” Radha asked.

“The post-mortem and the forensic reports say that the dal she ate contained arsenic, a deadly poison. Mr. Arora, did you eat the dal?”

“No. I hate dal, so I didn’t have it. But what’s that got to do with our arrest?”

“Only 2 people were dining, so obviously my suspicion went to the sister. Her husband could have been an accomplice.”

“But officer,” Radha explained. “You are missing one detail. If we had killed her, we would have been miles away by now. It was I who informed you of Caroline’s death.”

“That is why I am letting you go.”

Shyam had to leave his car in a parking lot just opposite to the police station on the other side of the road, since the road was in a no parking zone. While crossing the road, the couple stood on the divider until a group of vehicles passed by. They started walking. Suddenly a blue Toyota came straight for them. Quickly, Shyam caught hold of Radha and jumped on to the side of the road.

“Sorry,” he apologized and took her to the car.

On the way to the office, Shyam stopped at a fast food restaurant to buy some burgers for them. All the while, Radha was deep in thought. As they stepped out of the car to enter the office, Radha asked, “Do you have any enemies? Who could go to any extent to kill or defame you?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“Do you know of any will in which you have been nominated, with a clause that if you die, the inheritance will go to someone else?”

“Why? To think of it. My grandfather’s will says that when I get married, I get all his property and money, which totals up to a lot of money. If I get killed before marriage, it will go to my cousin, Vipin. But why do you ask?”

“Murders are usually committed for 4 reasons – 1. woman, 2. money, 3. property and 4. to keep a secret or for revenge. We can eliminate the first and the last and zero in on the murderer.”

“I don’t understand, Radha. We are talking about Caroline’s murder, aren’t we?”

“No. The arsenic was meant for you. So was the speeding car. Your cousin is trying to kill you!”

“How can you say that?”

“I saw him in the car. It is the same man, who came to meet you last week before…before you went to Delhi with Ms. Verma, isn’t it?”

“Yes. That’s right. I’ll call the police, right away.”

“Don’t bother, Shyam,” a voice called from behind them. They turned and saw Vipin in the doorway, holding a gun in his hand. “I don’t intend to fail in my attempt to kill you this time!”