ArShi FS: Cloaked Murderer Last part pg 30 - Page 5

Part 2

Next morning.

When ASR entered his office that morning he found Aman already sitting there, analyzing some file. On hearing the door open, he smiled though still lost in the file thus acknowledging his friend's arrival.

"Anything interesting, Aman?"

"Yeah, but sit down before, there are many things about this case that you need to know."

He sat down on the chair beside Aman and the latter continued, "This case is not as easy as we thought!"

"And why do you say so?" asked a confused Arnav who found the idea of the case being difficult ridiculous.

"Let me begin with the autopsy report first, she has been stabbed 5 times in total by a normal long kitchen knife; one being the most penetrating which also damaged severe blood vessels while the others were minor stabs. And well, you were right about the chloroform thing and yes the burns were indeed caused by an overdose of chloroform. Apart from the burnt area around her mouth and nose, there are no other marks on her body. Did you understand the meaning of all this?"

"Yes" replied a confident Arnav, totally getting what Aman was trying to convey.

"Good, there was no other unusual fluid or evidence from her body. The time of her death is estimated to be between 7.00 and 9.00 pm."

"Ok, Khushi said that she went into the room at around 8.30 pm, which means that the murder was committed between 7 and 8.30."

"That was for the autopsy report," he discarded the file and picked another one. "The experts were investigating the crime scene the whole night, and what they found is pretty weird'With all the evidence they got they confirmed that the murderer came up through a pipe found at the back of the house. They also found dust of mud on the window sill. Shocking as it may sound, the footprints does lead from the ground to Anjali's room but the officers are damn sure that there aren't any foot prints leading the murderer back to the ground again."

"This makes sense because Khushi confessed that she heard the sound of a door and it was only then that she went upstairs to only find the corpse of Anjali"

"So this rules Khushi's chances at being the murderer."

"No Aman, at this point we cannot judge who the murderer is and who is innocent. Don't forget that evidence may be implanted as well."

Aman merely nodded.

"Now about Anjali, she is a powerful businesswomen and the sole proprietor of the business. The business has been passed on from her father to her. Her business has been flourishing since the past few years and this may mean that she has some enemies who do not want to see her bagging all deals."

"And so the murder'.no, I don't think this is a possible element. The way she was murdered doesn't seem to be out of just business rivalry. Even if the murderer happens to be one of her business rivals, there must be something else that triggered this murder," Arnav finished thoughtfully.

Finding Arnav's plausible explanation Aman continued, "And maybe here Akash comes into picture."

Bewildered at the new found point, Arnav gestured Aman to continue.

"Akash is the step brother of Anjali. Anjali is elder than him and when her mother died, her father married another woman who is the mother of Akash. Akash and Anjali share a very strained relationship, in fact they don't even consider the other as their own siblings. According to our sources, they loathe each other enough to kill them, in fact, 5 years ago Akash even declared that he couldn't tolerate Anjali and could even have her killed if necessary."

Aman paused for a breath and then continued providing the essentially information again. "The bitterness in their relationship intensified when Anjali inherited 75% shares while Akash got only 25% from his father. Feeling deceived, Akash sold all his shares and started a new business. His business was doing good, however when Anjali's business took force, his began to collapse. Where Anjali was bagging every deal, Akash failed at doing so. Now Akash is in a big debt; he can't pay back his loan, investors are not reading to invest in his company seeing his financial situation."

Arnav cuts in "and this gives him a good reason to murder Anjali. His jealousy, the fact that he felt cheated on and since they were at loggerheads, might give him a big reason to murder his own sister in such a brutal manner."

"You are right ASR, and maybe if Anjali dies Akash may be handed over Anjali's business since he is her brother, or might it be that Anjali wrote a will that if she dies Akash gets the property or something, because as much as they hate each other I don't think Anjali is stupid enough to let all her money go in the trust. Also, she has a daughter and thus she may have made Akash her guardian and handed him over her property so that he may take care of her daughter as well. So, conclusion, Akash knew about the will and he killed Anjali."

"You might be right here, since murdering Anjali would mean getting the business, her money which can save him from getting drowned in debts and he could also take his revenge on Anjali."

"And yeah, Akash normally resides in London and he abstain mostly from coming to India, but guess what?"

"He is in India, right?" Arnav asked though he knew the answer of his question.

"Yeah he came here, yesterday morning for some PERSONAL reason."

"Call him here, and I don't want 'no' as a response. And yeah call all the people who were there yesterday, I want to question them again as yesterday they were a little been shocked with the happenings and all so now they would be a little better I guess"

"Sure ASR! Well, you asked me to find out other details about Anjali and well she was married and her husband died in a car accident. She has a daughter named Divya. Currently, she is having an affair with her manager, Mr. Shyam Manohar Jha. She is a loner and has almost no friends except Payal who supported her at every step of her life. She works from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 to 5 and after this she drops Payal to her house and brings Khushi who takes care of her child. In the morning, the wife of Mr. OP handles the baby and in the evening it is Miss Khushi. On Monday, since the OPs doesn't work, Khushi stays there the whole day. Anjali has not much interest in her baby as such and it is only on Sunday's since it's a public holiday which means no work in her firm, that she stays at home and spends some time alone with her daughter. Whatever happens, on Sunday's she doesn't leave her daughter alone for one second'maybe on Sunday's her motherly instincts get the better of her" Aman finished and chuckled at his own stupid joke.

"Ok, anything more?" asked Arnav.

"She is a very full of herself, arrogant type. And yeah, she considered herself as superior, and bosses everyone around."

"Ok, this is it so'ask those people to come here, I need to interrogate them."

Aman got up from his chair and was about to go outside, when the loud "wait Aman" of his friend stopped him.

He turned back only to found a doubtful Arnav.

"Aman, you have OP's mobile with you right, show me Anjali's message in it."

Aman handed over the phone, still not understanding why Arnav asked for it when clearly it had no other important clue.

Arnav, on the other hand, read and re-read the text. He then looked at Aman with his confident and self-satisfactory smirk and Aman could guess that he had found something vital regarding the case.

"What is it ASR?" asked an impatient Aman.

Here, read this message again.

He read it but his brain couldn't detect the oh-so-important clue ASR found.

He read it aloud again.

OPji, can you and your wife please come at my place at eight by tonight? I need to discuss something important with you. Sorry for the inconveniences.

"ASR I'm not getting it."

"You said that Anjali is someone very bossy and arrogant, right?"

Aman nodded confusedly.

"Look at the message again; it is very polite and courteous. Someone as arrogant as Anjali seems to be can't possibly request a servant to come at her place and words like "please" and "sorry" doesn't sound apt for her character."

"OMG, ASR, you are so right, maybe it's the murderer then who sent this."

"It's not Maybe, Aman, I'm very much sure it is the murderer's work!"

"Check the time when this message was received."

"11.45'and this time she normally goes out to have lunch."

"Ok, so we need to find out with who she was at that time and yeah ask the police inspectors if they found out Anjali's phone at the crime scene. We can get other clues from her phone. And, ask those person to come here as quick as possible specially that Akash and Shyam."

Aman nodded and went back to his work while Arnav sat in his cabin thinking about this case. The list of suspects was only increasing and he had very valid reasons to suspect each of them.

***

As much as he was trying to think about the case, his confusion level increased. Today's interrogation session got him more puzzled rather than leading him to the actual criminal. OP and his wife and Khushi's statement was the same. They didn't offer any more clue to him.

However, the other conversations proved to be very important.

~Flashback~

Aman came back in his cabin, bringing with him a tall lean man wearing spectacles.

"Arnav, this is Akash" said Aman introducing both.

"Sit down!"

The man complied immediately. From his looks, Arnav could guess that he was scared. But scared of what; of being involved in this case, or scared of him, or was he scared of being caught!

"So, I hope you know what happened with Anjali"

"Si'.sir'.i'.swe'swear'I di..didn't ki'll her" he finished his sentence stammering all the way.

"Getting on the defensive, are we?"

"Si..rr'.."

Arnav cuts in, "If you are not guilty, then you should not stammer or look so scared as if I'm going to eat you alive!"

Akash took a moment to compose himself, then he continued. "I have nothing to do with this case or with Anjali, sir."

"Come on mate, we know it's you, we have evidence against you" said Arnav using the tactic he used most of the times to make the criminal accept.

But Akash was more wise than he could think "If you have all the evidence and still think it's me, why aren't you arresting me?"

"Wise. Ok, but I still need to ask you some questions."

"Go ahead!" mumbled Akash in a confident tone.

"Why did you suddenly come to India when you hate coming here?"

"I don't wish to answer any personal question."

"I fear this personal reason of yours is not anymore personal."

"I still don't want to answer this and you can't force me either."

"Ok'.your business is'"

Akash cuts in "I don't see how my business can be linked with Anjali."

Arnav tried to calm down his volcanic anger. This man was irritating him and as much as he hated his answers he couldn't underestimate his smartness.

"It can very well be linked Mr. Akash, your business is undergoing a very difficult phase and It' s partly because of Anjali'"

"No comments"

"Maybe because, you would be able to get your revenge from Anjali, because of the share difference both of you got and in this way you would have no direct competitor since Anjali was your main business rival."

"No comments."

"Do you understand that these ambiguous answers you are giving can lead you to trouble?"

"No comments."

"Fine. Do you have anything else to say?"

"Not at this time."

"Fine, you may go now but I fear next time you will have to answer my every damn question."

"Next time won't come!" said Akash with a smirk while leaving Arnav's office.

The nerve of this Man. Messing with Arnav Singh Raizada will cost you Mr. Akash. Now that he had talked with Akash, Arnav guessed that Akash was hiding something.

He had a secret which he didn't want to reveal.

He was still lost in his thoughts when the soft knock on the door broke his trance. He was surprised to see Payal there. He gestured her to come in and take a seat.

"I'.wanted to'say'something" confessed Payal whilst fidgeting with her stole.

"Go on" said an alert Arnav.

"Actually I am very close to Anjali and the day before her murder when I met her at the office she told me that she was going to change her will."

"She made a will" said a perplexed Arnav. At such a young age, people rarely made will, and if Anjali made a will it meant that she was maybe anticipating her death.

"Yes, and she wanted to change it too. I don't know much about that, but I do know that according to her previous will, Mr. and Mrs. OP would be given the charge of her baby. The money gained from the business and the house would be entrusted to Mr. and Mrs. OP who will handle them before Divya turns 18. After that, she will take the sole responsibility, so in a way OP and his wife would act like a guardian though they won't get access to the money or the house. They would only receive a pay rise for handling Divya and they would be allowed to stay at Anjali's mansion till Divya turned 18, after that Divya would decide about them."

"But why a servant?" asked a genuinely confused Arnav.

"Because they have been loyal to her and Anjali knows them for a long time, and they were the only ones Anjali could trust. Apart from Anjali, OP's wife is the most closest to Divya and she knows how to handle her perfectly. She has been looking after Divya from the time she was born."

"But she has a step brother, right?"

"Yeah, but she would have never include him in her will. She hates him a lot."

"Ok, but you have any idea why she is changing the will?"

"No, I don't know"

"Ok Thanks Payal, I will contact Anjali's lawyer, maybe he could help me."

Payal nodded and left the room.

This was becoming hell confusing for Arnav. Now the needle was turned towards OP and his wife. Maybe, they got to know that she was changing the will and that's why they murdered her. Of course, either they wouldn't have an opportunity to usurp Anjali's money but still if the older will was the same, they would live like a king and queen in that house!

'Knock knock'

"Come in"

Shyam entered and sat opposite to Arnav.

"Sir, I am Shyam!"

"Ok, where were you when Anjali was murdered?"

"I was in Birmingham. I went there for a conference on Sunday and on Monday night I had a conference with our Birmingham associates. You may check it if you want'"

"Ok, any idea who could have murdered Anjali?"

"She has many enemies so it is difficult to guess that sir,"

"Anything else?"

"No sir."

"Ok, you may go."

He nodded and went.

~End of flashback.

Aman knocked and came in.

"Arnav, that Shyam guy, he is not lying. He was at a conference at that time."

"Ok, but we cannot rule him yet, though I do feel that he is not involved in this."

"Tring Tring!"

Aman answered his phone immediately. Gulping the information he received, he hang up the call and looked at ASR.

"Bad news, ASR."

Pfff that was long...I hope i dint bore u😲

Any gasses who the murderer is?😆

Keep on gassing until i come with the next one!

Will be waiting for ur feedbacks😳