‘It’s decided then. Use the study or the library for your discussions, whichever suits you. If there is anything else you need, tell Manu or me. Sebastian will be away for most of the day, I suspect.’
‘Thank you.’ Athreya swept the anxious faces with his gaze. ‘I would like to speak to each of you in the study. I have no preference for the order in which I speak to you. For now, I need you to tell me about your movements last night as accurately as you can. Take your time if you want to gather your thoughts. I’m happy to wait, but I’m now ready to start with the first person.’
A long, pregnant silence followed. People looked nervously at each other, but nobody spoke. After a few awkward moments, two people spoke up simultaneously.
‘I–’ Varadan began, but stopped since Dora also started to speak at the same time. He glanced at her and gestured to her to continue.
‘I don’t know about the others, but I want to speak in public,’ she said. Her usually affable face was puckered in unpleasant rumination. ‘I agree with what Uncle said. There is nothing worse than the suspicion of my being a murderess hanging over me. I’m on this side of thirty, and have a life to live. I still have to make my name in the world. I can do without a cloud hanging over me.
‘I am therefore insisting–I repeat, insisting–that I speak in public. I have nothing to hide, and want to talk about my movements openly. Anyone–not just Mr Athreya–is welcome to question me. I promise that I will take no offence.’
‘Now, girl,’ Bhaskar growled. ‘There is no call for–’
‘With respect, Uncle, allow me to interrupt you. Being the youngest, I have seldom claimed privileges. I mostly do as I am told. I fall in line; you know that. But this is a privilege I do wish to claim. I insist that I go first and tell everyone what I have already told Mr Athreya. May I, sir?’ she asked, turning to Athreya.
‘Please,’ he said.
‘If I remember right, dinner finished at around 11 p.m. last night. We hung around till about 11.15 p.m., after which we split up into smaller groups. After exchanging small talk for a while, Manu and I went to the rose garden a little after 11.30 p.m. I don’t know the exact time, as I didn’t look at my watch.
‘We talked for close to an hour, and I returned to the mansion at 12.27 a.m. I remember the time because I looked at my watch. I met Mr Varadan on the walkway outside the mansion’s front door. He had just come out, and I was going towards the front door. On entering, I went straight up to my room and went to bed a short while afterwards.
‘Some noise woke me up at about 7 a.m. this morning. I now realise that it was the thumping of the staff quarters’ door. I freshened up and came down at around 7.15 a.m. After speaking to a distressed Bhuvana, I went outside at 7.30 a.m., where I met Sebastian and you.
‘Now, those were my movements, Mr Athreya. Some of the timings are approximate and some are precise. I’m sorry, I can’t make it more accurate than this. Do you want me to tell you what Manu and I talked about?’
‘Not now, Dora. Maybe later. This is consistent with what you had said earlier in the morning. Were you in your room from 12.30 a.m. to 7.15 a.m.? Did you leave your room at all?’
She shook her head firmly.
‘No. I was in my room the entire time. I didn’t step out even for a second.’
‘Did you hear anything unusual during the night?’
‘Nothing out of place. I’ve been thinking about it, but I don’t remember hearing anything unusual.’
‘No sounds of doors opening or closing?’
‘That, I did. I often do. I am a light sleeper. But there is no way I can remember any of it, or the time. Such sounds just don’t register deeply enough for me to remember them in the morning.’
‘Thank you, Dora. That’s all for now.’
But Dora was not done. She looked around at the circle of faces and asked, ‘Any questions? Seriously! I won’t take offence. Ask me!’
When nobody responded, she shrugged and looked deflated.
‘I guess I’m done then,’ she said.
‘With your permission, Mr Varadan, can I go next?’ Manu asked. ‘Because what I have to say corroborates with what Dora just said.’
‘Sure, Manu.’ Varadan nodded. ‘Go ahead.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ Manu turned to Athreya. ‘I endorse all that Dora said about our chat last night. I can go further and confirm the time we went to the rose garden because I happened to look at my watch then. It was 11.35 p.m.
‘What I have to add is this: After Dora returned to the mansion, I went for a walk to clear my head and to wind down before going to bed. The others will tell you that I often do that. I must have walked around for about fifteen minutes, and then returned to the mansion through the front door. My best estimate of when I entered the mansion is about 12.40 a.m.
‘I went straight to bed. I noticed that there was no line of light under your door or Sebastian’s. I assumed that both of you had retired by then. I checked Dad’s door too, as I always do. His light was off too.
‘Unlike Dora, I am a deep sleeper. I didn’t wake up during the night, and didn’t hear anything either. I woke up only when Murugan started banging on the door of the staff quarters, which was around 7 a.m. I went to the back door immediately, and saw Sebastian opening it. I remember noticing that Dad’s wheelchair was not in its usual charging point beside the back door.’
He stopped and looked at Athreya enquiringly. ‘Questions, sir?’
‘None. Thank you, Manu. That was quite comprehensive and concise. Who
