‘What–’ Manu began, when Murugan interrupted him.
‘Somebody locked us in, sir,’ he said in Tamil. ‘I’m sorry to wake you up, but we had no other choice.’
‘Who?’ Manu demanded. ‘Who did this?
‘I don’t know, sir.’
Athreya stepped forward and took charge.
‘Murugan,’ he instructed briskly, ‘before you or anyone else comes out of the staff quarters, I want you to go back inside and make a list of everyone who is inside now. I need you and your wife to physically check if everyone is there, and tell me if anyone is missing. Don’t take anyone’s word for it. Check with your own eyes that each person is accounted for.’
‘What–’ Manu began again, but Athreya cut him off.
‘I’ll explain shortly.’
Three minutes later, Murugan and Bhuvana returned with six young people in tow, and the news that everyone was accounted for. Every member of the staff who was expected to be on the premises was inside the staff quarters.
‘Okay,’ said Athreya, nodding. ‘When did you discover that the door had been bolted from the outside?’
‘About fifteen or twenty minutes before you came, sir.’
‘But you began banging the door only five minutes ago. Why was that?’
‘I tried to get one of the boys to climb out though a ventilator, sir. So that he could open the door from outside. I didn’t want to wake up the household after the late party last night. But the ventilator was too small. We had no option but to call for help.’
‘Did you or anyone else hear the door being bolted?’
‘No, sir.’ Murugan glanced enquiringly at his wife, who shook her head.
‘Talk to the others later and find out if any of them heard anything–either during the night or early in the morning. I also want to know if they heard any unusual sounds.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Athreya pulled out his mobile phone and nodded at Murugan.
‘Ask the staff to come out one by one,’ he said. ‘Nobody is to stay back inside. Once I have photographed them, you are free to go about your work.’
Athreya shot a video as Murugan, Bhuvana, three young women and three young men filed out of the staff quarters. He returned his mobile phone to his pocket, and gestured at Sebastian and Manu to follow him.
‘Try not to touch anything,’ he said softly as they approached the chapel.
‘What happened?’ Manu asked, now clearly alarmed. ‘Why are all the lights in the chapel switched on?’
Athreya did not reply. The subliminal feeling that had been bothering him was growing clearer. He strode towards the chapel door, and stretched out his hand to stop Manu and Sebastian as he reached it.
He stood by the closed door for a second and then opened it. It opened smoothly … too smoothly. He realized what had troubled him. The door had creaked when Manu had opened it last morning. Today, it opened soundlessly.
He stepped up close to the door and studied its hinges. They were all shiny, and tiny rivulets of clear liquid had flowed down from each of the six hinges.
They had been oiled. Less than twenty-four hours ago.
Athreya stepped back and took a deep breath. He turned and looked at the two troubled men behind him, watching their expressions. Sebastian was clearly alarmed, and was trying to peer around Athreya into the chapel. Manu was restraining himself and was trying to be polite in the face of Athreya’s bewildering behaviour.
‘What is it?’ Manu asked. ‘Why are all the lights on?’
‘I switched them on,’ Athreya replied.
‘Why? What happened?’
‘Murder. Your father’s fears have materialized.’
‘Murder! Where?’
Athreya stepped back and pointed towards the corner where the wheelchair stood, now clearly visible as the full set of lights had been turned on.
‘There. In the wheelchair in the corner.’
‘Wheelchair?’ Manu gasped. A second later, he recognized the wheelchair and the grizzled mane of the bearded man in it.
‘Dad!’ It was a plaintive wail. ‘No! Dad!’ Manu pushed past Athreya and ran down the aisle.
‘Can’t be!’ Sebastian called after Manu, following him and taking longer strides than usual. ‘Manu, your father was in his room when I came out. The sound of Murugan banging on the door had awakened him.’
‘Thank God!’ Manu paused and threw a look over his shoulder. Relief had flooded his face. Immediately, puzzlement followed and he resumed his sprint towards the wheelchair. ‘Then who?’ he asked to nobody in particular. ‘This is Dad’s wheelchair!’
A moment later, he had almost reached the wheelchair. A yard or two from it, he stopped and recoiled at the gory sight. His face had gone white.
‘It’s Phillip!’ he whispered hoarsely. ‘But how? Why?’
‘I must inform Mr Fernandez,’ Sebastian said, turning towards the door. He had examined the dead man to confirm that it was indeed Phillip. ‘He would be waiting for a report. The banging on the door had woken him up too.’
‘In a few minutes, Sebastian,’ Athreya interrupted him, laying a hand on his shoulder to stop him. ‘Before we let more people tramp all over the chapel and destroy any evidence there may be, please look around and tell me if anything is out of place. You both know the chapel well; I don’t. Let’s start with the dais and work our way towards the entrance.’
‘The candlesticks,’ Manu said immediately, as they climbed on to the dais. ‘They have been moved.’
‘And these floor mats,’ Sebastian added, pointing to the floor behind the altar where two mats were askew. ‘They were not like this last evening.’
‘Are you sure, Sebastian?’ Athreya asked.
‘Absolutely sure. Dora and I were here last evening. The candlesticks were in their places too.’
‘What time were you here?’
‘About half an hour before the party began … or forty-five minutes. Dora wanted to check something in the storage cupboards.’ He gestured to the two large cupboards at both ends of the dais.
‘What were you wearing?’ Athreya asked.
‘Wearing?’ He looked perplexed.
Athreya nodded. ‘Try to remember.’
‘Oh, I remember perfectly. I was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.’
‘Colour?’
Sebastian’s face grew more puzzled. ‘Khaki shorts,’ he said, nevertheless. ‘You could call it fawn, I suppose.
