Till Human Voices Wake Us: Last Part: Page 175 - Page 77

Originally posted by: zooni20

Are u goin to update today??

Chapter 24:

"Why did you agree to Mal's plans?" Emily asked. Geet denied of knowing anything about Sasha or Anjali being under private detective surveillance. Geet thought for moments.

"At first it was exciting, for both of us. We spent most of our time planning and reading about it. And then it was something I could do for Mal. Neither of us thought that it would turn out the way it did."

"Isn't it odd that she told you about the stalker and not the reason she didn't trust Sasha or Anjali?" Maan asked. Geet stared at him for a moment and chuckled. The three police officers exchanged startled looks.

"Are you for real? You doubt my intentions if Mal tells me something and you doubt me when Mal doesn't tell me something. She was an adult, a grown woman who knew how to keep secrets. To be quite honest if you feel that keeping a secret from friends is something of a great improbability that would make you quite dumb," Geet said amusedly. Maan flushed.

"Ask me what you want directly. I don't like the subtle implications that you keep pushing at me," Geet harshly said looking at Maan.

"Are you lying about not knowing about Mal's hiring of private detective agency to keep an eye on Sasha and Anjali?" Maan said flatly. "Don't forget if you lie to me one more time I will ensure that you will spend every penny you earn on the lawyers you are going to need." Maan didn't hide the threat in his voice. Emily looked at Satya, startled.

"I am not lying ACP Maan. And please, tell me one lie I have told you which you can prove it as a lie since you have started interviewing me. The story about the stalker was told to you by Mal and not by me. Everything else I have told you is the truth. So I would like to see you implicate me on this one," Geet replied calmly.

Gone was the woman who looked tired and scared at the onset of her best friend's death. It was replaced by someone she always had been – strong and independent.

"Geet, Maan, this isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's move on from this, okay?" Emily interjected the two. "Geet, can you think of any reason why Mal would have distrusted Sasha and Anjali?" Emily asked getting back to the investigation.

"Mal distrusted everyone. There was no specific reason why. She disliked Sasha more than distrust. Sasha was her competitor in everything. They worked for two prestigious architecture firms of this country and they both were extremely ambitious about their career. Both had chosen the sales part of the work meaning they vied the same opportunities."

"You think that's a reason enough for killing Sasha?" Emily asked softly. "Geet, I know that Mal is your best friend and you cannot think of her as a killer. But rationally, is it possible or not?" Emily asked. Maan and Satya looked at Emily in admiration. She knew exactly how to get information.

"I don't know Emily but I guess it is possible or then again maybe it isn't. She was being herself around me but whenever Sasha was around, I could see the subtle shift in her character. It was like she was under constant observation or evaluation by Sasha and making a wrong move would fail her somehow. She didn't make it obvious about the trust issue but I spoke to Sasha once and told her that Mal didn't trust people very easily. Sasha was a good sport and she understood it completely. Outside these little misfit issues, us three were pretty tight. That is why I can't believe that Mal could kill her." Geet finished in confusion.

"Geet, it is okay if you don't believe that Mal killed Sasha and Anjali. But please help us find the truth, okay?" Emily said and Geet nodded.

"We believe that Mal killed Sasha because of the jealousy and competition that was brewing between them continually." Emily added.

"So detectives were hired to get information on or from Sasha that could help Mal achieve whatever she wanted. Even though it is farfetched in general but knowing Mal it may as well be possible. What about Anjali?" Geet asked. Emily looked at Maan. He nodded.

"Anjali was having an affair with Vikram and Varun. Varun was Mal's friend and boyfriend. " Emily said one breath and watched Geet's reaction. Geet's eyes widened and stared down at Emily. She opened her mouth couple of times to say something but closed it again thinking otherwise.

"Wow." Geet said and rubbed her eyes vigorously. Betrayal was surely a bitch.

"Did you know that Mal was preganant?" Satya asked. Geet looked at him and shook her head.

"I thought she and Varun were just good friends. They used to hang around a lot and I didn't give much thought to that. It takes Mal months to trust someone and when she found a friend in Varun, I was really happy for her. She needed someone other than me to talk and hang out with."

"But she always told you everything, right?" Maan asked.

"Not really, no. She didn't tell me about many things that happened at work or even the arguments she had had with Sasha. I came to know about them much later. She was a very private person and believed that anyone can betray her; including me."

"Isn't that a difficult way of living?" Emily asked.

"I asked her about it but her paranoia made her disbelieve in everything. I was the closest thing she could trust without second guessing."

"Thank you for your time Geet. We will be leaving now," Maan said getting up. Satya and Emily looked at him in surprise.

"But I am not done…" Emily started but was cut off by Maan. "You are now, let's go," Maan said and walked out of apartment. Satya and Emily mutely followed leaving behind a speechless Geet.

"Well?" Emily asked Maan as they walked back to the Jeep.

"Emily, you told me that you have conclusive proof that Mal was in Anjali's house during the time of murder?" Emily nodded at that. "Can you find out what her location was when she made call to Geet next? Geet mentioned that she got a call from Mal somewhere around midnight. Also, we need to relook at the detective reports for the last two years." Maan said.

-- Friday 4 PM, Police Station --

Emily saw that Satya and Deshmukh were already seated in Maan's cabin and was waiting for her.

"Mal was at her home when she made the call to Geet. She also made a call to Varun right after that." Emily said.

"And where was Varun when Mal spoke to him?" Satya asked.

"Not anywhere near Anjali's apartment," Emily said sighing.

"What about Vikram's alibi?" Emily asked.

"It checked out. He was not in the city and the cellphone co-ordinates matched. We also checked the hotel and they reaffirmed that Vikram was indeed staying there." Satya said.

"This morning I got call from the police station that handled Geet's stalking from her college days and they also faxed me the sketch of the man who went there." Maan posted the man's sketch on the murder board.

"Who is he?" Deshmukh asked.

"I have no idea. But it's best if we circulate this around the offices where the three women worked and also wherever Varun and Vikram worked. Maybe someone could recognize him," Maan said.

"Could it be one of the detectives?" Emily asked. Everyone looked at her. "I mean a detective from that agency would know almost everything about these women, correct? If it's the same detective who has been around since Mal first hired them, then he would fit. The motives are of course unknown till now, but at least he would have complete access to those women and knows their daily routine." Emily said.

"If that is the case then what is the need of going to the college now? The person could have known about it well in the beginning itself, isn't it? Evidence degrades over course of time and people's testimonies and witness accounts changes with time. Being in that profession he would know that the information he was going to receive maybe tainted. So why wait all these years?" Satya countered. Emily hummed and was lost in her thoughts for moments.

"It could be someone who was appointed to the case more recently or at least few months before Sasha was killed. They had surveillance on both the women and in none of the photos there is anything that would give us an idea of the women being stalked. If it's the detective himself, then obviously no one would come and he would know everything about the women by watching them for most parts of the day," Emily said.

"But what about Geet? Mal didn't have her under surveillance. And besides he left cookies and hot chocolate for Geet after slicing Anjali. How would he know that?" Satya again asked.

"If he has read Sasha's blog, then he would. She once baked walnut cookies when she lived with Mal and Geet and it had turned out real bad. Geet being Geet had still finished them saying how she loved them." Emily answered again.

"How did he know about the blog then? Surely Mal didn't know about it now, did she?" Deshmukh asked.

"I don't think so. Sasha ensured that it stayed private. Someone really took trouble finding out her online activity and discovered her blog, unless of course she told them about it explicitly." Emily answered.

"What are you thinking?" Emily asked Maan who was quiet.

To be continued.