SUSPENSE STORY WITH THRILLER

                                                "IN HARM'S WAY"

Chief Inspector Dougan lifted the teabag from his cup with the help of a spoon and laid it delicately on the saucer. He was seated outside on the front porch of his host’s double-storey villa, legs stretched out before him as he tried to absorb the cool breeze wafting down from the single overhead fan.

It was mid-May and Goa was at its hottest. But Mumbai would be scorching at this time, and Dougan had taken time out for a well-deserved break, and he had yet another two weeks of blissful relaxation to look forward to.

“Can I get you another cup of tea?” offered his host, retired Inspector Jeremy Kouton (JK to his friends) from his chair less than one foot away. The dark-skinned man was bald and rake-thin, which made him look about ten years younger. He lived with his wife in this house, situated inside a walled property of two dozen similar structures, all put up by the same builder over six years ago. The internal road the porch overlooked separated this villa from another that was its exact replica, right down to the paint.

“Later…” murmured Dougan, wiping his brow. He had preferred the porch to the inside, mainly because the ladies were there, and some of the cases he and JK were discussing were sensitive in nature. He noticed a young man in a white shirt and tie approach their gate. The youngster looked to be in his twenties and he waved out cheerily at the two men on the porch.

JK frowned. “Damn salesmen…” He muttered, in a low voice. Standing, he pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. “Sorry, not interested.” He saw the salesman about to launch into a spiel and shook his head even more firmly. “Look, whatever you are selling, I’m not interested. Thank you.” His tone had become distinctly unfriendly at the final words and the expression on his face reflected it.

The salesman nodded and turned way. He paused for an instant and then crossed the road after checking both ways. Both men watched as he swung open the gate of the opposite residential unit and strode up the path.

Vikram adjusted his tie and swore at the sweat stains at his armpits. He could feel the sweat trickling down his sides. He had consumed a whole bottle of water in the last one hour and he still felt thirsty. The weather was murder and walking around like this in such conditions was inhuman. To make matters worse, his sales stats for the day were far below par, which was why he was still out in this infernal weather. He saw a curtain near a front window twitch and he cursed again. If the house wife had seen who it was, she might not even open the door. Aware of his marketing skills, he knew that if the door opened to him, half his battle was won. His slick tongue could win over even the most reluctant home-owner. The trick was getting a foot into the front door.

He rang the bell and stood back, certain that there was little chance the door would open. To his surprise the door opened and a man stood there. He was stooped and graying and peered out at him with a squint, as if he had been in the dark for a long time. Before Vikram could even introduce himself, the man opened the door some way in and told him to enter.

Vikram was so taken aback that he forgot what his next move was supposed to be. Moving out of his frozen state, he picked up his large bag and entered. The elderly man closed the door and pointed to the sofas in the reception room. “Sit.” He instructed him. “Let me go fetch my reading glasses.” He went to the staircase and walked up slowly, one step at a time. Vikram sat and opened his case. Glancing around, he saw the furniture was sparse, not what he would have expected from the grand exterior.

Upstairs, in the privacy of the master bedroom, the man hurried to the bedside phone and dialed the number for the police. He wrapped a folded pillowcase around the mouthpiece, hoping it would disguise his voice in case the police actually recorded these conversations. “Hello, police? I want to report a crime. I don’t want to give my name, but I saw something serious and you need to come.” He cut off the voice asking a question. “I saw a salesman force his way into the house; a woman opened the door for him, and he attacked her and he shut the door. I don’t know what happened later.” He gave the address. “This happened just two minutes back…” He cut the line and put the receiver in the cradle. He used the pillowcase to wipe the sweat that had suddenly appeared on his brow. Looking at his hands, he saw they were shaking. He gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. It was too late to turn back now; the call had been made. He wondered how long the police would take to respond. Ten minutes was a safe bet, he thought, which meant he had no time to waste.

He picked up a black felt zip-case next to the phone and slid it into his pocket. Careful to assume his stooped posture, he walked out onto the upstairs landing and called out to Vikram, who was still seated. “Hello!” Catching Vikram’s eye, he gave him a distraught look and asked him to come up to help him find his glasses.

Vikram was taken by surprise for the second time, but the thought of losing a commission because the old guy had misplaced his spectacles was too much and he hopped up and hurried upstairs. The man bade him to follow him into the master bedroom, hobbling along. “I know they are in here but I just can’t remember where. Can you see if they have fallen under the bed?”

Vikram obligingly dropped to his knees and peered beneath. It was too dark to see clearly and as if the man had guessed what he was thinking, he said: “You need a torch. Wait. Let me get a torch.” He stopped at the doorway and turned. “Check under my pillow or the sheets, also. I’ll go get the torch.” He didn’t wait for a reply and went down the steps.

In the reception room, he turned to check that Vikram was not in sight then went to the salesman’s bag and pushed his zip-case into it. He looked at his watch again. He wondered if he would have to go up again and find some other way to keep Vikram’s attention diverted but then he heard the sound of tyres screeching outside the front door. It was time to run.

Hurrying, heart thumping loudly, he scooted to the back of the house and exited through the back door.

Dougan and JK stood up in surprise as they saw the police vehicle skidding to a halt outside the villa opposite. They watched as two constables and a senior officer got out and hurried to the front door and began ringing the bell.

JK put his cup down. “I know the inspector. His name is Govind. Shall we go see what’s happening?”

With a nod, Dougan followed and they quickly crossed the road.

Govind saw them coming and greeted JK. “Distress call.” replied Govind, in reply to JK’s query. “Caller said he saw a salesman shove the lady who answered the door into the house and then close the door.”

Both JK and Dougan exchanged startled glances. They had seen Vikram enter and then forgotten about it until now.

“No answer, sir.” said one of the constables grimly.

“See if the door is locked.” suggested Dougan, before Govind could issue the next order.

JK quickly introduced Dougan. Govind gave a single, curt nod; it was clear he had not appreciated the input. He turned the handle and the door swung in. At the rear, JK gave Dougan a swift frown by way of warning.

The five men surged in, and finding no one, Govind ordered his men to search the house.

They found the woman downstairs, gagged and bound to a chair. Freeing her, Govind ordered the men to check out the rest of the house. At that moment, Vikram emerged from the master bedroom, hearing the noises. He stared, wide-eyed, downwards at the group of uniformed personnel. His mouth fell open. The look on his face was one of sheer bewilderment.

Govind was the man in charge and he quickly sized up the situation. The lady who they had found was obviously the victim and this startled youngster dressed in a tie and shirt and looking out of place was a salesman which meant he was the criminal. “Grab him!” He yelled.

Vikram was in no position to resist and he was marched down the steps and to the sofa where the woman was. JK had recognized her as Lina Edward, the owner of the house and he had brought her a glass of water.

She was telling her story: “Two men were waiting when I opened the door. It was about two thirty. I didn’t even get a chance to say a word. The one in front attacked me, grabbing me by the shoulder and pushing me inside. He threatened to kill me if I shouted and then tied and gagged me.” She looked at the faces around and then stopped at Vikram who was staring at her, stupefied at what he had just heard. “Who are you?”

Govind frowned. “Don’t you recognize him? Is he not one of the two men who assaulted you? We found him upstairs.” He added helpfully.

Lina’s shoulders sagged and she looked confused. “It happened so fast that I didn’t even notice the person standing behind that horrible man.” She shook her head. “I can’t say if he’s one of them…”

Govind looked clearly disappointed and he scowled at Vikram. “What were you doing upstairs?”

Vikram was pushed forward by one of the two constables. He looked uncomfortable and Dougan saw his hands, at his sides, kept opening and closing. The salesman told his story in short bursts, aware that he was in a bad situation. His voice was far from confident and as he spoke, he stumbled over his words, as if realizing how ludicrous his tale sounded.

“And where is this man now?” asked Govind, with a sneer. “The man who called you upstairs to the bedroom and then went to look for a torch.” He cast a searching eye about. “I don’t see any man with a limp around, do you?”

Vikram shook his head, despair clear in his voice. “No, sir, I don’t know where he went, but I’m telling you the truth!”

Dougan addressed Lina. “Can you check if anything is missing?”

Govind flashed Dougan a look of displeasure, and JK winced. One of the constables spoke up: “Sir, when I was searching upstairs, I saw a cupboard was open in one of the rooms.”

Lina got up with a start. There was a look of alarm on her face. “No!” She rushed over to the steps and climbed to the upper level, vanishing into one of the rooms.

She emerged a few minutes later, her composure shattered as she blurted out: “They took all my jewellery! Every single piece of it!” She came down the steps slowly, gripping the hand rail tightly.

All eyes turned to Vikram and he visibly shrunk back, shaking his head, horrified at the implications.

“Where’s James?” asked JK. “He should be here.”

Lina turned to him at the mention of her husband. “He has gone to Panjim. I don’t think he’ll return so soon.” She shook her head. “He will be devastated at the loss of our jewellery. Most of it was gifted to him by his mother…”

JK offered to call him but she shook her head. “He will rush back recklessly.” She sank into a couch. “Thank God we have home insurance!”

“We’ll take this fellow into custody, madam.” declared Govind, eyeing Vikram menacingly. “And we’ll get the information out of him, even if it takes me all night.”

Dougan cleared his throat. “Both JK and I saw the salesman enter the house. It didn’t look like he was breaking in. He walked in through the front door with his bag.”

Govind’s stare was far from friendly. “Maybe his accomplice opened the door for him.”

Dougan was not daunted by the look. “Then why abandon him like that? You said you got a call summoning you here. Why was he left here to be found when both of them could have escaped undetected?”

Govind gave a careless shrug. “Maybe the other thief wanted to keep all the jewellery himself.”

Dougan shook his head. “If this fellow is an accomplice, it makes more sense for him to be ditched later, not left here to be caught by the police, who will make him give up the accomplice’s ID. Judging from what we saw from across the road, I’d say that Vikram was lured in by the actual robber and then left behind as a scapegoat.” He turned to Vikram. “Where are you from?”

“Mumbai, sir.”

Dougan’s eyes widened on hearing that. He nodded. “I need some details from you if we’re going to sort out this mess. I want your name and full address. Also, contact details for your parents.” He looked at JK. “I’ll make a few calls to my station-house.” He took out his phone and made a call to Mumbai.

Govind glared at Dougan then looked at JK. JK sighed and shrugged and looked away. While Dougan spoke, Lina asked Govind if she could give him a list of the missing jewellery. The insurance company would probably expect that at the very minimum. She went in search of paper and pen.

Dougan hung up and looked at JK. “The boy’s father is an eminent educationist. One of his sisters is a doctor and Vikram himself is a graduate. He’s here on a project for a company he joined up with a month ago. I fear you’ve got the wrong man, Govind.”

Govind went up close to Dougan. “Look, you might be some big officer up in Mumbai, but you are out of your jurisdiction here. I don’t appreciate your interfering like this.”

Dougan returned his look with an icy one of his own. “And I wouldn’t have to interfere if you possessed the most basic investigative skills. It should be obvious to anyone that all this boy is guilty off is being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He squared his shoulders. “I would strongly advise against taking him in.” For some moments, the two men stared at each other. Govind finally backed off, and Dougan led Vikram to the side. “You’re can leave now, Vikram, but stay in town until I let you know otherwise…”

Vikram nodded gratefully and picking up his bag, departed. He walked all the way back to his quarters on the outskirts of the municipality. Thoughts of what had transpired kept running through his mind, making him shiver with fear and quiver with anger in succession. He was outraged by the way he had been set-up, and furious that Govind had been so keen to nail him. Thank God that Dougan had been there, and had realized what had really happened. If it hadn’t been for him Vikram might now be behind bars, at Govind’s mercy.

Sitting himself at the single table in his rented quarters, his first thought was that he should call home and tell them what had happened. But a part of him felt humiliated, not just by the situation into which he had been sucked but by the way in which he had been treated by Govind. That man had been out for blood, anyone’s blood. He hadn’t even seen fit to try to analyze the facts and see if his theory was flawed or not. Vikram had simply been a scapegoat. He couldn’t get that thought out of his mind and finally he realized that the best thing to do was fill out his sales reports for the day. If he wanted to keep his job, there was no avoiding that.

With a sigh he opened his bag to take out his forms. He saw the black case inside and drew it out, frowning. It was heavy and there was a name on it. Edward. His frown disappeared as he recognized it as the name of the woman in whose home the incident had occurred. What was this, he wondered and unzipped the case.

He gasped when he saw a gold necklace. It was exquisite, and inlaid with precious stones. How on earth had it landed inside his bag? Thinking about it, he concluded that the only person who could have put it there was the thief who had lured him in. But why?

And then, that also became apparent to him: to incriminate him… He felt rage surge within as he thought how completely the thief had planned to frame him. After freeing the woman and finding him upstairs, the police would then have searched his bag. If Dougan hadn’t stepped in… He shivered, and put down the necklace.

He had to return this to the police, of course. But the thought of meeting Govind was unnerving. He was still afraid of him despite everything, and that fact made Vikram angry. The episode of how he had been treated had left an impression and he wondered if he would be able to look at a police officer again without cringing inside.

He remembered he had Dougan’s number and took out his phone. His finger hovered over the call button and he hesitated. The man had been like a guardian angel, saving him from a terrible fate. He didn’t want to call and disturb the man simply to return a necklace. Vikram would do it himself. He would go to the station house and give it to Govind. But first he would send a picture of the necklace and send it to Dougan’s mobile, with a text of how he had found it. Call it insurance, thought Vikram.

He tracked down Govind’s base over the internet and when he reached the station and asked where his office was, he was directed to the second floor. He found the section and an officer at a desk told him to take a seat outside Govind’s office as somebody was already inside.

Vikram sank into a chair against the wall. He was feeling tired and realized he had skipped on at least one major meal. He wasn’t actually feeling hungry but that wasn’t surprising considering how his day had gone. His head went up as he heard voices and he realized that Govind’s visitor was leaving. A woman emerged from the cabin and walked away. Vikram saw it was Mrs. Edward. Facing the other way, she didn’t notice him as she left.

Vikram stood, steeling himself now that he was about to step into the lion’s den. He stopped when he heard another voice. There was still someone in Govind’s cabin. Then a man came out and walked past him without pausing.

Vikram caught the door-frame, feeling the room whirl. He thought his knees would buckle, and he lowered himself to the chair. The man who had just left Govind’s office was the one who had opened the Edward’s front door! He was wearing glasses now and he had no limp, but it was the same man…

Before he had time to consider what was going on, his mobile rang. It was Dougan. “I received your text and the picture of the necklace. You have to bring the necklace to the police station right now.”

“What- I-” Vikram was still dazed by what he had seen.

“I need you to look at a picture of James Edward.” Dougan was saying. “Vikram, do you understand me? No thief would have left such a valuable piece of jewellery behind just to incriminate you. I saw Mrs. Edward’s list of stolen jewellery. There were smaller items that could have been kept in your bag. We believe the only possible reason for leaving behind the necklace is that the thief knew he would get it back.”

It was as if a curtain had been lifted from in front of Vikram’s eyes. Edward was the thief! He and his wife had set up the whole affair. “Sir,” said Vikram slowly. “I am already at the station…”

The couple in question had reached the car park outside the police station. James Edward opened the door. He waited for his wife to get in before exploding. “Your plan has gone all wrong! It wasn’t supposed to happen like this!”

Lina Edward looked around carefully to see if anyone was nearby. “We’ve gotten away with the ‘robbery’, haven’t we?” she retorted. “Judging from the way the conversation went, Govind has no clue we are involved.”

“But you said that he would arrest that salesman, and that didn’t happen!”

“Thanks to that interfering Mumbai policeman.” She shook her head angrily. “If it wasn’t for him, they would have found the necklace and we would have got it back! It was a perfect plan: everything was in readiness for the proper opportunity. And when you saw the salesman roaming around, that was our signal to go ahead. Still, nothing is pointing to us, right?”

He nodded, suddenly hopeful. “And you’ve given them the list of what I ‘stole’. When do I start selling it?”

“Depends on how long it takes for the insurance to cough up, obviously. We need the money and if they stall, then we’ll have to start selling it off.”

“All but the necklace. I kept that in the salesman’s bag like you told me, to incriminate him.”

She made a face. “That was stupid of me… I can’t imagine why I told you to keep the necklace of all the damn things. Probably because it was big and it would be found easily by the cops.”

His phone rang. He listened, and instantly he brightened. He hung up. “It was Govind. He said the salesman returned a case with a necklace, and it was sent to his office. We can collect it after identifying it.”

They walked back to Govind’s cabin with long strides, thrilled by this stroke of good fortune.

Govind was behind his desk and when he saw the couple he took out the necklace. “Is this yours?”

Lina beamed, unable to hide her relief and James Edward nodded with a wide grin.

A sound at the door behind them made everyone turn at the same time.

“Hello, James…” said Vikram.

–END–

PUBLISHED BY-OURHELLO.COM