The Cosmic Clues by Manjiri Prabhu Read Free Book Online Page B

Ultimately, I did succeed in convincing him and he was willing to co-operate. It was their family gynecologist, from Mumbai, who furnished the information we needed.
    “Ajay is not the present Mrs. Patkar's son but the son of Mr. Patkar's first love, who died in childbirth. To avoid a scandal, Mr. Patkar had to marry immediately. Alka—the present Mrs. Patkar—was a needy girl from a poor family. After their marriage, the matter was hushed up because Mr. Patkar always wanted his son to believe that this was his real mother. But that is exactly what Mrs. Patkar could never be—a real mother! She despised him, because he reminded her of her husband's first love and because she could never have a child of her own. So she threw herself into social activities, parties, and mounting debts, leaving the child in the care of Yamuna Maushi.”
    “Whew! How did Ajay take this news? I'm sure I would have been shattered to discover that my mother was not my own!”
    “Oh, he'll come to terms with it, I suppose.”
    “But what about the motive? Why would she want to kill Ajay? And with Naresh's knife? What enmity could she possibly have with Naresh?”
    “The age-old greed for money. Inheritance. The old Mr. Patkar, knowing his wife's squandering capacity and intense dislike for his son, left everything to Ajay, and after Ajay to Mrs. Patkar. But he made a joint nominee in Naresh, whom he liked and trusted. Mrs. Patkar was neck deep in debts and her debtors were constantly hounding her. She had no control over her husband's money and she hated asking Ajay for it. So she decided to go the whole hog—to kill Ajay and incriminate Naresh so that she could kill two birds with one stone. Or to put it literally, with one paper cutter! Then the inheritance would all be hers! On Tuesday, when two of her rather unpleasant debtors paid Mahesh Uncle a visit and threatened her life, she decided she must act fast. She knew that Mahesh Uncle would be away at the farm that night. She decided to seize the opportunity. Unfortunately, her plan misfired and her knife took the wrong life!”
    “But what about proof? And are you going to inform Inspector Divekar about this?”
    “Inspector Divekar is at the Patkar house right now. He's positive that he'll get the truth out of her. As for evidence . . . A deep and vicious stabbing always leaves some stains on the clothing of the killer. I am sure a thorough search of Mrs. Patkar's room will reveal a spotted nightgown!”
    There was a knock on the door and Inspector Divekar—a tall, broad man with a receding hairline, attired in a brown uniform—strode in, a beaming smile on his lips.
    “I can't believe it, Sonia, you did it! A little pressure and Mrs. Patkar went to pieces, confessing all! And we found that nightgown, too! Brilliant work! And you mean to tell me that it was a ‘horoscope' which gave you the lead?”
    “Absolutely, Jeevan Uncle, believe it or not!”
    “I'm beginning to believe it!” Inspector Divekar smiled.
    “Gosh, I'm hungry. Jatin, I thought I told you to order lunch!”
    “In a jiffy, Boss,” Jatin remarked with a grin.
    “Where's Ajay Patkar?” Sonia asked the Inspector.
    “Struggling with hard truths. But he'll be all right. He should be here soon. Hello! Who's this on the cushion?” Inspector Divekar stroked the cat.
    “Nidhi—my lucky charm!” Sonia laughed, and Nidhi meowed in agreement.

Lightning streaked across the darkness, ripping the sky open with its brilliance. The thunder followed with such an earth-shaking rumble that Sonia shuddered. Jatin, too, looked a little startled, pausing over his meal. Inspector Divekar merely concentrated on his Chicken
Biryani.
A light drizzle fell outside the restaurant, like soft fountain water.
    “What a night!” Sonia remarked. “Though I do hope it pours. It's been such a dry season this year that we almost feared a drought situation. But not anymore, I hope. We need the rain for the crops and the