‘Didn’t this area have mats too, Sebastian?’ he asked.
‘Two mats,’ Sebastian confirmed. ‘Four by eight feet in size—same as all the other mats.’
‘Were they there last evening?’ Athreya asked.
‘I can’t say for sure, we didn’t come over here. We went down the aisle to the dais and back to the door. I did glance around, but I didn’t see anything amiss. Mind you, it was already getting dark, and we had switched on the lights over the dais and aisle only.’
‘Is the chapel always left unlocked?’ Athreya asked. Sebastian shrugged. ‘Mr. Fernandez wanted the chapel to be available to everyone at any point in time. Sometimes, people make private visits here and pray alone, especially when their minds are in turmoil. Mr. Fernandez believes that they should be free to do so, without having to ask someone for a key.’
‘How often is the chapel cleaned?’
‘Every day, usually in the morning. One of the boys does it.’
‘Does he also oil the doors and windows?’
‘Whatever for?’ Sebastian threw a baffled glance at Athreya.
‘Is the front door of the mansion also kept unlocked?’ Athreya asked, switching tack.
‘No. Murugan usually locks up before retiring. But last night was different. With so many guests in the mansion and the annex, we left it unlocked. People were going in and out after dinner, and several of them were taking strolls in the garden till late. We wanted to let them have complete freedom to come and go as they wished.’
‘And the back door? Was that left unlocked too?’
‘Not really. Murugan would have locked it with his key before retiring to the staff quarters. Thereafter, it would not be possible to open the door from the outside without a key. But from the inside, you could turn the knob and open it.’
‘How was it when you woke up this morning?’
‘As usual. The lock had been clicked into place. I opened the door by turning the knob.’
‘One final question, Sebastian. Where is the wheelchair kept at night?’
‘Next to the back door at the very end of the gallery. At the corner, where the rear wall meets the wall of Mr. Fernandez’s room. You will find a set of electrical outlets there for charging the wheelchair batteries at night.’
The chapel door flew open and a voice thundered through it.
‘What’s going on here?’ it demanded. ‘Sebastian! Manu! Are you here?’
Athreya spun around and gasped. Bhaskar was standing on his feet, unaided! Except for a walking stick, he had no support. As Athreya watched, the man he had thought was a cripple walked in, rocking from side to side on unsteady legs, and stood glowering at the three men.
Chapter 9
As soon as Bhaskar was apprised of the situation, he took charge. Standing with a pale and drawn face, taking the support of his walking stick with one hand and holding the wall with the other, he barked out orders. Sebastian was dispatched with instructions to say nothing to anyone and to fetch a lock to secure the chapel. Nobody, Bhaskar declared, would enter the chapel, except on legitimate investigative business. He would permit no morbid ogling at the crime scene or the dead man.
Simultaneously, he sent Manu to fetch a spare wheelchair. He himself stepped out of the chapel after peering at Phillip from across the length of the building.
‘Everyone is a suspect now,’ he said to Athreya once Sebastian and Manu left. ‘Including me. I haven’t been inside the chapel for days, and don’t want to enter now and leave telltale signs of my being inside. The key will be in your custody, Mr. Athreya, and yours alone. Any spare keys the lock will also be given to you.’
‘Why do you rule me out as a suspect?’ Athreya asked mildly. ‘After all, I have no corroborated alibi for last night, and I was the one who discovered the body. I had a full fifteen minutes alone inside before Manu and Sebastian came.’
‘Be that as it may, you are the only outsider. You didn’t know Phillip or me when you came here. You are the least likely to have a motive, even if you had the opportunity.’
‘What motive do the others have to kill Phillip?’ Athreya countered.
‘I admit that I don’t know. But I can’t overlook the fact that Phillip was sitting in my wheelchair. Our builds are similar, and he too has—had—a greying head and beard.
‘But all that is beside the point. I am handing over charge to you, as far as the investigation is concerned. At least till the police arrive. The rest of us, bar none, will do as you say.’
‘Okay. For now, let’s not tell anyone about the murder. I want to see their reactions when they hear it for the first time.’
‘Good idea.’
Bhaskar sighed as Manu returned with another wheelchair, a simple, non-motorized one. ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my room. I don’t think I can stay on my feet for much longer.’ He slowly lowered himself into the wheelchair as Manu held it in place. He looked up at Athreya with a faint smile. ‘By the way, I noticed your surprise when I came in. Seeing me in a wheelchair, people assume I can’t walk. I walk four times a day, fifteen minutes each time. The legs need some exercise if they are not to atrophy.’
‘Manu,’ Athreya said as Manu began to wheel Bhaskar away. ‘Can I borrow your bicycle?’
‘Certainly. I’ll have Gopal—one of the boys—bring it to you.’
By then, Sebastian had returned with a lock. Athreya locked the chapel and pocketed the key. Then, with Sebastian in tow, he made a quick circuit covering Sunset Deck, the annex, the inner lawn and the rose garden. They found nothing out of place.
‘If you’ll excuse me,’ Sebastian said, ‘I
