Episode 1: The Barking Dog
“I had been parking my car inside the garage when I heard the noise upstairs. But I had to fully lock the shutter as it was raining like cats and dogs. And speaking of which, my dog began to bark as soon as the screaming was heard. That’s when I confirmed it was in my home. Then I rushed to the room to see her dead,” she whimpered and pulled out a tissue from nearby and wiped off her tears.
I asked her, ‘But you never saw the killer jump and run away from her balcony? Even though how fast the killer might’ve gone, you should’ve noticed, right?.’
The lady replied with a confusing tone — “No sir! You think I wanna kill her and accuse someone I don’t know?”
‘Your words Mrs. Deephika! Not mine.’
Jeffrey Wilson intervened — “Don’t be rude, Sangeet! She lost her wife. Why is it that you always treat civilians as bad people? Can’t there be some innocents here? But anyhow, Mrs. Deephika. After the incident, you called the police and per reports, they arrived 15minutes later. Assuming you never touched the body, but you took out the knife. Am I right?”
Deephika was puzzled now. She fumbles for words as she said, “She was suffocated under a pillow. I saw that she was stabbed only after the police were taking her out of the bed. I panicked when I saw my wife stabbed with the same knife I bought her as a gift when she became a head chef. It was all of a sudden I pulled the knife out. My mistake!”
I stood up from the chair and walked outside to smoke.
Jeff arrived and stood by my side. As I stared at the mountains that resided this house and a few other houses nearby that were resembling Jeff’s Pinterest timeline.
‘Wilson! What do you think of this case?’
Jeffrey — “Well, Hasan! I have no idea because I was at the yard talking with the inspector.”
‘The killer never left the house until we arrived. The killer knew I’d arrive. So, they left me the evidence. Deliberately! I wouldn’t call it evidence but it is a love note from a killer to the detective. Or as you say for every other murder case, my arch-enemy’s souvenir.’
Jeffrey gave me his joint while I took the lighter outta my pocket — “What kind of love note Sangeet?”
‘Who do you think you are? Snoop Dogg? We’re with the police, you understand that? Keep that thing inside before they arrest you and give me my cigarette.’
Jeff — “What kind of person smokes a Cigarette that is elaichi flavored?”
‘I would never know who else, but the killer definitely smokes Chocolate flavored. Must be a fancy person and took out the arch-enemy Souvenir.
Jeff clamored and drew the inspector’s attention towards us. “Dude! This could botch the entire ongoing investigation. Let me get that for you to the inspector.”
‘No Jeff! This could be evidence but this is a note. The murderer is trying to convey something to me. Let’s try to solve it first. Then the case will absolutely fall in its place like a puzzle piece.’
Jeff — “Wow! Look at the man who hates cliches. You just said a typical detective sentence man.”
Chuckled and put my arm around Jeff and we walked towards the car while Deephika was standing near the entrance and looked at us.
‘Jeff, you do one thing. You take this..’ handing him over the chocolate cigarette in a Ziploc bag and continued — ‘Take this to Faiyaaz’s lab, off-records and ask him to analyze for prints, DNA, and all the other crap. While I have a business to attend to. Thank you!’
As Jeff departed, I came back to the house and spoke to Deephika.
She asked — “You think you can help me, sir? Please?”
As I was consoling her, the forensic doctor from Faiyaaz’s lab came rushing downstairs and called out to Inspector Rams.
“Inspector Ramasamy. You have to come upstairs. This is crazy. Sangeet Sir! You too, please.”
She followed me and I stopped her — “Stay downstairs until I ask you to come. Trust me!”
We rushed to the bedroom and the doctor showed a pulse in the dead person’s body. They said that the person could be OD’d with drugs and that she needs to be immediately rushed to the Emergency.
Deephika came running upstairs in panic and asked what was happening. I explained everything to her and she expressed grief, happiness, and fear in one go.
Inspector Rams said to me as they took the victim in an ambulance with her partner Deephika and rushed — “Hasan Sir! This is very strange. How come they have a pulse now? It was probably a zero when my team looked into it.”
Smiled as I replied in a polite way to Rams — ‘No offense Inspector. But people excel in their field better than those who aren’t’
Rams thanked me for the contribution and asked who will be in forensics.
‘Faiyaaz will be a running point in Forensics. I’ll immediately call you once the report arrives.’
He shook his head which he always does while he speaks. Such an expressive inspector. “Yes, Mr. Hasan. Thanks for staying on our side.”
‘And Mr. Rams! This needs to be off-books. Check with the doctor if the victim had been drinking last night. The whiskey glass on their table is already collected for a DNA test. I wanted to know who was intoxicated last night. Whether it was the victim or the killer.’
As he moved along, I immediately caught hold of his hand and asked — “Where’s the dog?”
~to be continued
