“There is something more to it, I guess. There has to be, or else she wouldn’t be wasting her resources at this,” Ishaan said.
“But we have nothing to with the murder that was committed that night. We were the prime witnesses, period. End of the story,” said Kaajal geting breathless and leaving the kitchen.
“Issey kya ho gaya?” wodered Ishaan.
As Kaajal was leaving the kitchen, one of the constables entered and said, “Madam ne sabko living room mein bulaya hai.”
Everyone had gathered in the living room. Vibha shut the windows because dense black clouds were hovering over the villa, indicating that a storm was due. Everybody was comfortable in their places, and that’s when Erika entered with Avinash. She sat on the chair, facing everybody in the living room.
“This case seemed like an open and shut case, and it still does, if you read the file,” said Erika placing the file on the table. “A full proof case where there was even a conviction. Hence the case was closed,” Erika added.
“Exactly what we have been telling you,” said Nishant.
“But there is always more than what meets the eye, Nishant.” “A dreadful night. A house party. A dead body. A bunch of prime eyewitnesses and a suspect followed by a conviction. Now that’s what I would call a perfect, cliché setting for a novel,” said Erika.
Everyone sat frozen in their seats, wondering what Erika was trying to get at.
“The doors locked, the windows shut tight. No one had entered or exited. No signs of forced entry. Nothing. Crime in an airtight environment. Now that’s intriguing,” said Erika. “Not always do we come across such crimes,” she added.
“That’s why we had a suspect, who was an insider right? The housekeeper. It was the work of an insider. Hence the perfect crime,” said Ishaan.
“The fact that we have re-opened the case means that all the conclusions that were drawn earlier are not true anymore, due to the emergence of the new pieces of evidence,” informed Avinash leaving Ishaan shocked.
Erika bent down, took out a newspaper from her bag, put it on the table, and said, “This is a Times of India newspaper dated back to 24th September 2000. Read the headline on the third page”.
Kaajal picked up the newspaper from the table. Turning to the third page, she read, “Daughter of MLA Sikandar Sandhu abducted” she continued, “The 20-year-old female has reportedly gone missing since last night, that is 23rd September. The police have registered a FIR and have started an extensive search for her”.
“When is your birthday Abhimanyu?” asked Avinash
“23rd of September” Abhimanyu replied.
“Oh! That’s a coincidence now, huh” mocked Avinash.
“And you had thrown a party on the same night, right?”
“Yes, obviously I had” he replied.
“And on the same night we find a dead body with a massacred face. In no way the body could have been identified. And all you need is a careless investigation for messing up the case,” Erika said.
“Vibha tell me how much time does it take to reach from the outskirts of the city to the villa by a cab?” she asked.
“Around 10 minutes,” Vibha answered.
“Could it happen that someone who left from this villa but never reached their home at the outskirts?”
“What rubbish! What is this? A joke?” snapped Nishant as Vibha sat clueless as to what to answer.
Erika called the constable and whispered something in his ears. The constable went to the door and brought a couple along with him.
“This couple lives near the outskirts of Bardez, and their son hasn’t returned home since the past twenty years,” Erika said.
“Was he a guest at the party?” Ishaan asked
“Yes, he was. He left the party but never reached his house”, answered Erika.
“That’s odd. Do we know his name?” he asked. “And how is this connected to the case?” added Ishaan.
Avinash bent down and took a printed photo, and handed it to Ishaan.
“This is the same photo you guys showed us that day during the interrogation,” he said. He eventually realized whom they were referring to as the son in the photo. His eyes widened, and Ishaan looked up in amazement.
“Like how is that possible?” asked Ishaan.
“Yes, it was Vivek, the missing piece in the puzzle. He was there at the party but not on the guest list, hence was never interrogated that night,” Avinash said.
“Yeah, he was there. Richa had brought him along if I am not wrong,” said Ishaan. “But he was only there at the party for a very short time,” he added.
Erika thanked the couple and signalled the constable to take the couple to their house.
There was no stir in the air, as all the occupants in the villa sat silently, wondering if whatever the police said had any truth in it. The dark clouds that had engulfed the estate, were a signal that a storm was at bay. And just then, there was a sharp bolt of lightning followed by a rumble of thunder. Implying that the storm had already arrived, and there was no escaping it now.
“Vibha, where were you on that night after the party wrapped up? Which was around eleven,” asked Erika.
“That is too specific. I might be around here only somewhere. Can’t remember, though,” she replied
“Fair enough. So let me help you jog your memory,” said Erika asking Avinash to give her a photo from his bag. “Here you go. This is from a CCTV camera from a nearby villa, and this is you in your casual t-shirt and jeans helping a man carry something.”
“It seems like a heavy sack to me,” said Avinash pointing at the photograph.
“But I never left the villa at all,” said Vibha. “I was… I was in the bedroom.”
“Bedroom, huh. What is that you were up to? Like a moment back, you couldn’t remember anything, but now, that is quite specific,” Erika said, getting up from her chair.
“Even I vaguely remember not finding Vibha
