The Hospital That Refused to Treat – Chapter 15

In The Hospital That Refused to Treat – Chapter 15, Joseph D’Mello joins the investigation as someone secretly watches them.

Read part 14 here.

The Hospital That Refused to Treat – Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Joseph D’Mello

Joseph D’Mello arrived ten minutes late.

He was tall, lean, and in his late seventies, with neatly trimmed white hair and a walking stick he seemed to carry more out of habit than necessity. A canvas satchel hung from his shoulder, bulging with newspapers and notebooks.

“I’m late because the bus driver believed every red light was optional,” he announced as he reached their table.

Prakash burst out laughing.

“Some things never change.”

Joseph shook hands with him before turning to Shalini.

“So, you’re the lady who’s been asking uncomfortable questions.”

Shalini smiled politely.

“I didn’t realize word travelled so fast.”

“It does,” Joseph replied, settling into his chair. “Especially among retired journalists. We have more time than deadlines these days.”

Prakash briefly explained everything—the accident, the hospital, the frightened nurse, the newspaper report, and the mysterious message that had disappeared from Shalini’s phone.

Joseph listened quietly, his expression growing more serious with every passing minute.

When Prakash finished, Joseph remained silent for a while.

Finally, he asked, “What makes you believe the young man’s death wasn’t just a tragic accident?”

Shalini met his gaze.

“It wasn’t one thing.”

“It never is,” Joseph said.

“It was the way everyone behaved. The administrators. The nurse. Even the police. They all seemed afraid of something.”

Joseph nodded slowly.

“Fear leaves a trail. You just have to know where to look.”

He reached into his satchel, pulled out a small notebook, and wrote down one name.

Aditya Kulkarni.

Then he closed the notebook.

“If we’re going to do this,” he said, “we’ll do it properly. No assumptions. No wild theories. Only facts.”

For the first time since the accident, Shalini felt they had someone who knew how to search for the truth.

What she didn’t know was that someone else had already noticed the three of them sitting together.

And from across the café, unseen eyes were watching every move they made.

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Portable Power Bank

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To be continued…