Athreya had a number of questions to ask, but he decided not to do so in public. He would speak to her separately later.
‘Thank you, Michelle,’ he said. ‘If you remember anything else, please do tell me.’
‘I know that my account is vague and my timings, imprecise,’ Michelle persevered. ‘But, honest to God, I had nothing to do with Phillip’s death. Do you believe me, Mr Athreya?’ It was almost a plea.
‘Cut it out, girl,’ Bhaskar interposed gently. ‘How do you expect him to answer that question?’
‘But I am telling the truth, Uncle.’
‘I’m sure you are, Michelle. But don’t embarrass Mr Athreya by asking questions he can’t answer.’
‘We’ll go next,’ Ganesh butted in, to everyone’s relief. ‘Jilsy and I. There isn’t much to tell, but I’ll go first and Jilsy will add to it. That okay?’ he asked his wife.
She nodded silently.
‘Honestly, I don’t remember when or how I got to my room,’ Ganesh went on. ‘I must have had a drink too many. That doesn’t happen often, you know. I can hold my rum. It must have been the cognac I had after dinner. But it was a wonderful cognac, Mr Fernandez. I must try it again tonight.’
Jilsy nudged him. For a moment, he gaped at her uncomprehendingly. Then he continued.
‘As I was saying, I don’t know when or how I reached my room. The last thing I remember is enjoying the cognac. The next thing I knew I was waking up and looking at the clock. It was close to 8 a.m. I had slept like a log! Good food and good drink have to be matched with good sleep. Thankfully, I’m blessed in that department. Sleep like a baby, I do.’
He grinned and turned to his wife, gesturing to her to add her bit.
‘There isn’t much more,’ she said in a small voice, her eyes on the floor. ‘Richie helped me get Ganesh to our room. After that, I locked the door and went to bed. I woke up a little before Ganesh, but I just lazed about in bed, and got up when he did. Then we came here.’
She looked up briefly and flashed an imploring glance at Athreya. It seemed to him that she was entreating him not to cross-question her. He obliged and nodded. After a pause, Abbas cleared his throat and spoke.
‘That leaves Richie and me, I guess,’ he said. ‘Let me go first. Listen, I never once looked at my watch all evening and all night. What’s the point of attending a party if you are going to be a prisoner to time? That’s not my style. I’m not going to pretend that I know what I did when or what time I went to bed, for the simple reason that I don’t.
‘I wandered out of the mansion about fifteen minutes after we broke up, and must have walked around for an hour or so. I was feeling full after the feast, and had to walk around a little bit before hitting the sack. Sometime in between, I met Michelle at Sunset Deck, and we chatted for a while.
‘After she left, I wandered around for a little more and smoked a ciggy or two before returning to my room. It was a great party, Mr Athreya, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. It’s truly unfortunate that Phillip has been killed, but there is nothing I can do about it. A nice man, he was. My neighbour, you know. He lived across the mud road from the resort. I’ll miss him.’
‘Where all did you wander, Abbas?’ Athreya asked mildly.
‘Oh, here and there. All over the place. It’s not a huge place, you know, and the fog was impenetrable. I stuck to the walkways because I knew that they would lead me back to my room, even if I could see nothing else.’
‘Never stepped off the walkways?’
‘Don’t think so.’
‘Did you happen to overhear any conversations? We have just learnt about two conversations, apart from the one you had with Michelle.’
‘If I did, I don’t remember. Listen, there were voices here and there, but I didn’t eavesdrop.’
Which meant he did, Athreya thought.
‘Your cigarettes,’ he asked, ‘do you have them on you now?’
‘Sure!’
Abbas pulled out a packet of More cigarettes and showed it to Athreya. The cigarettes were slim and dark brown in colour.
‘Did anyone borrow your cigarettes?’ Athreya asked.
‘No, why do you ask?’
‘Just curious.’
‘The only other person who smokes is Ganesh, but he prefers stronger stuff. He says mine is ladies’ stuff.’
‘Do you know if Phillip smoked? I thought you might know as he was your neighbour.’
‘No, he didn’t. Said he had been a chain-smoker in his younger days, but he cut the habit seven years ago when he moved here.’
Abbas’s eyes were searching Athreya’s face, but the latter kept it pleasantly expressionless.
‘Thank you, Abbas,’ he said and turned to Richie expectantly.
‘I have nothing to say, Mr Detective, if that’s indeed what you are,’ the younger man drawled. He was leaning back nonchalantly in his chair, with one leg draped over an armrest. ‘You threw me a wager, and I have decided to take it up. Then why should I help you win?’
‘Richie!’ Bhaskar snapped.
‘I know what you are going to say, Uncle,’ Richie responded, turning towards Bhaskar. ‘But I have no information of any value for Mr Athreya. After escorting Ganesh to his room, I returned to the mansion and went to bed.’
‘You?’ Bhaskar demanded. ‘To bed so early?’
‘Why not, Uncle? It had been a busy day. Besides, I had no intention of falling into the stream and breaking my neck in the fog. Like that Englishman who died.’
‘And you stayed in your room for the rest of the night, Richie?’ Athreya asked mildly.
‘Of
