‘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 toward 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.
‘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 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 also off.
‘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 would like to go next? You don’t have to do it here just because Dora and Manu chose to do so. We can talk in the study.’
‘Perhaps Mr. Varadan would like to go next,’ Manu suggested. ‘It seemed as though he wanted to go first, but Dora and I stalled him.’
‘That’s quite all right, Manu,’ said Varadan, smiling. He turned to Athreya and went on in his own slow, precise manner. ‘Anticipating this interview, I prepared a note for you and the police. Shall I read it out to you? I am perfectly willing to have this in the public domain. In fact, I’d prefer to.’
‘Yes, Mr. Varadan.’ Athreya nodded. ‘Please proceed.’
‘My contribution to the investigation is limited,’ Varadan began as if he were giving evidence in a witness stand. He had opened a folded piece of paper. ‘The timings I have detailed are my best estimates. I am prepared to swear to them in court if need be, but only after some additional contemplation. I left the mansion at 12:27 a.m. and reached my room in the annex at 12:55 a.m. As Dora mentioned, I met her on the walkway outside the mansion after I had come out of the front door.
‘Much of the twenty-eight minutes between my leaving the mansion and entering my room was spent talking to Michelle. I met her en route, and we walked around the rose garden a few times, talking. I am not at liberty to disclose the contents of our discussion at this time.
‘Once I reached my room, I
