Where There's a Will

(Previously published in The Best Asian Crime Stories 2020, Kitaab, Singapore)

Inspector Vohra sighed as he saw more OB vans pouring in. From his vantage point in the balcony of Kashyap mansion, he could see the gathered reporters strutting about the compound wall with their cameramen. The officers stationed at the gates were under strict orders to not let any of them breach the barricades and enter the mansion.

“As you can see, right behind me is Dhanraj Kashyap’s residence,” he heard a K-TV reporter say, “it was this very morning that the head of Kashyap Constructions was found dead up in his room,” she pointed randomly at a window. “The police have confirmed poisoning to be the cause of death and they suspect foul play. The motive and identity of the murderer is still unknown. Right now Kashyap’s family and associates are in there, under Inspector Vohra’s lens. We’ll bring you the story as it unfolds. With cameraman Surjeet Singh, I’m Fiza Khan.”

News does spread like wildfire these days, Inspector Vohra thought.

Hearing footfalls he, turned and walked back into the study.

“Dhanraj Kashyap died of Oxycontin poisoning, sir! That’s what the post mortem report says,” a young officer burst in. “We should just arrest whoever cooked his meal!”

“First deductions are never the best, Runwal,” said the inspector, sitting behind a large mahogany desk.

“But sir –” Runwal stopped mid-sentence when he saw two constables enter with a puny looking man in tow.

“You are Vishnu?” Inspector Vohra asked.

“Mr. Kashyap’s caretaker," the man nodded.

“Right. Now tell me who all came to the Kashyap mansion today? And when?”

“His doctor came for a check up at about 7, much as usual. Sahib has been ill for the past month, you see. She had only just left, when his lawyer showed up. They spoke for some 15 – 20 minutes. After he was gone, I served sahib breakfast. Then he went off to his room, telling me not to disturb. Around 9, the doorbell rang again and I was surprised to see memsahib! Then –”

“Why were you surprised to see her? She’s his wife after all,” the inspector interjected.

“Well she never visits, sir. They separated ages ago, they don’t really get along.”

“So why did she visit today?”

“She said she had heard of his illness and gone to the Ganesh temple to pray for his recovery. She came here to give him the prasad.”

“I see. And did she give it to him?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And to you?”

“No, sir. Only him.”

“Alright. Continue.”

“About 12,  sahib’s son, Abeer baba came in. Not even a minute had passed when the doorbell rang again and Kaavya madam entered.”

“What then?”

“Tension grew, sparks flew. What else could happen with the wife and mistress under one roof? Kaavya madam told memsahib to get out of her house. Memsahib snapped back that the house was her husband’s. The bickering continued. Finally they decided to take the matter to sahib and all three of them went up to his room. And then the two women screamed. I rushed upstairs to his room to see sahib lying still, eyes all white and mouth all bloody.”

“Is that all?” Inspector Vohra asked.

“Yes, sir”

“Very well, then. You may leave.”

Vishnu hurried out.

“Bring in Mrs. Kashyap,” the inspector ordered one of the constables.

The man left promptly and returned in a few moments, followed by a lady constable and a middle-aged woman in a black saree. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, a wreath of small, white flowers encircling it.

“Please sit down,” Inspector Vohra said.

She sniffed and dabbed at her bloodshot eyes as she took her seat opposite him.

“Mrs. Kashyap, when did –”

“It’s Kaavya,” the woman muttered, a savage look on her face.

The inspector arched his eyebrows.

“Yes, it’s her. That vixen. She’s paid off his assistant as well. She added something to Dhanraj’s food that would cause his illness. She kept doing it for a month in the hope that he would succumb to it. But when he didn’t, she finally finished him off. I should have come back to him, the moment I heard of his illness!” she burst into sobs. “I wish I’d been there earlier. It might have made all the difference. So all I can tell you is why he was murdered. He was murdered because he placed his faith in a woman who only loved his money and became so possessed by it, she wanted it all to herself. I’m sure she tried to get him to change his will. And when he didn’t, she murdered him! Kaavya has a cold, stubborn heart – she’ll go to any lengths to get what she wants.”

“Hmm...,” looking her in the eye, Inspector Vohra got straight to the point, “Mrs. Kashyap, what all did you do at the Kashyap mansion today?”

“As soon as I reached there, I hurried to Dhanraj’s room and gave him the prasad. Then for old times’ sake, I went to the kitchen, Abeer’s old playroom and finally to my old room.”

“That’s it?”

She paused for a moment. Then nodded.

“Thank you, Mrs. Kashyap. You are free to leave.”

“Kashyap’s will got him killed, then?” Runwal said, as soon as Mrs. Kashyap was gone.

“That, I don’t know. But I do know that Mrs. Kashyap is lying,”

Runwal looked at him with an enquiring frown.

“She also went to Kaavya’s room. But chose not to let us know.”

Seeing the young officer’s frown deepen, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, white flower.

“This was lying in Kaavya’s room. It’s fresh. As fresh as the others from the wreath adorning Mrs. Kashyap’s hair.”

Before Runwal could respond, the inspector ordered a constable to bring in Abeer Kashyap.

Moments later, a handsome young man in a suave three piece suit walked in. He took off his jacket before seating himself in front of the inspector.

“Mr. Kashyap you don’t call on your father frequently, am I correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Then why did you visit today?”

“I was in my office with our investment bankers, going over a prospective acquisition and wanted to discuss its valuation with Papa. But before I could even talk to him, he was already…” his voice trailed off. Then the look on his face hardened. “I wish I’d been there earlier. It might have made all the difference. So all I can tell you is why he was murdered. Papa’s younger brother, Balraj is such a terrible drunkard and a gambler, he’s gone completely broke now. He was desperate for money and Papa certainly seemed like a treasure trove. Plus, he knew Papa was ill. So all he needed to do was worm his way into Papa’s will. I bet he sneaked into the mansion and threatened Papa to change his will. When Papa didn’t budge, he lost his mind and murdered Papa.  And have you noticed,” Abeer gave a hollow laugh, “he’s the only family member who hasn’t showed up here?”

“Indeed,” Inspector Vohra nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Kashyap. That would be all.”

“Has his brother murdered Dhanraj Kashyap, then? And again, for his will?” Runwal burst out as soon as Abeer was gone.

“As to that, I cannot yet say. But what I can say is that Abeer had no prior intention of seeing his father today and he certainly wasn’t at work when he left for Kashyap mansion. In fact, he was at the Marina Beach Resort with a girl. And he probably wasn’t fully dressed.”

Noticing the look of utter bafflement on the young officer’s face, Inspector Vohra smiled.

“There was white sand on his shoes – there’s no other place in the city where you’ll find that kind of sand. A light red lipstick patch was visible on the sleeve of his white shirt. So he had been with a girl. His shirt was also heavily wrinkled, which suggests he had taken it off, so he hadn’t been fully dressed - at least for a while. Lastly, his tie knot was badly done and lopsided – quite obviously done in a hurry. Which means he did not have a prior plan of going anywhere.”

“Right,” nodded an amazed Runwal.

“Now get Miss Kaavya,” the inspector turned to a constable. The lady hurried out and returned promptly, followed by a lissom young woman in a red dress that just made it to her thighs, a scarf draped around her neck.

“Miss Kaavya,” he began, as she sat opposite him, “where were you this morning?”

“I was out shopping. Around 11:30, I called Vishnu to ask him whether Raj, that’s Mr. Kashyap,  had taken breakfast. Which was when Vishnu told me Raj’s wife had come to visit him. I knew right then something horrid was going to happen. So I immediately started for Kashyap mansion. I was really quick, but I guess not quick enough,” she sighed heavily. “I wish I’d been there earlier. It might have made all the difference. So all I can tell you is why he was murdered. Raj’s wife has always considered herself his rightful successor. And she wanted his will to reflect it. I’m certain she came here today to have him change it in her favour. But when he refused, she got mad at him. And the hag murdered him!”

“Here comes the will again,” Runwal muttered.

“But Vishnu said she was here to give Mr. Kashyap some prasad?”

“Nonsense!” Kaavya scoffed. “It’s been two weeks since Vishnu told her of Raj’s illness, but she never bothered to come by. And today, all of a sudden, she shows up to give him prasad? Absolute crap!”

“Okay, Miss Kaavya. That would be all. Thank you.”

Runwal’s eyes followed the woman’s retreating figure.

“Who goes shopping when their partner is gravely ill!” he remarked once she was out of sight.

“She hadn’t gone shopping. She was out doing something she didn’t want to be seen doing,” said Inspector Vohra.

“But she just said -”

“She was lying. Did you notice her scarf, Runwal?”

The young man nodded.

“When a woman wears a designer dress like that and yet drapes an unseemly scarf over it, the only purpose she needs it for, is hiding her face.”

“So she didn’t want to risk being seen, wherever she was,” said Runwal thoughtfully.

“She was at the Marina Beach Resort. With Abeer,” the inspector stated flatly.

“How can you -” began a wide-eyed Runwal.

“Kaavya’s lipstick had gone off at the right corner. It was a faint red, the same shade as that on Abeer’s sleeve. And do you remember Vishnu saying that Kaavya rang the bell just moments after Abeer had come in? The two came to Kashyap mansion together. Rather than walk in with him, Kaavya decided to stay back in order to avoid raising doubts. But knowing Mrs. Kashyap was right inside, she grew impatient and rang the bell as soon as she saw Abeer step in.”

“So Abeer is seeing his father’s mistress, then?” asked Runwal.

Inspector Vohra nodded.

The young officer let out a low whistle, “I don’t know what to make of this.”

“Good,” said the older man. “Because you shouldn’t make anything of it. Not just yet.”

“Now,” he turned to the constable, “for Mr. Kashyap’s doctor.”

Soon, a woman in her mid-thirties walked in, cell phone in hand and a white coat tucked under her arm. She adjusted her glasses as she took a seat.

“How long have you been treating Mr. Kashyap, doctor?”

“Not long,” she answered. “I started only a couple of weeks ago.”

“I see,” the inspector nodded. “And what were you treating him for?”

“You see, I specialize in pain management. As to the nature of his malady, I’m afraid I’m not the best person to say. Dr. Shukla was looking into that matter. I could give you his contact number, if you wish,” and she switched on the cell phone that she had placed on the inspector’s desk. As her lockscreen wallpaper flashed onto the screen, she began typing in her password.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Not now, at least,” said Inspector Vohra.

“Poor man,” the doctor sighed. “He was so lonely. A demanding mistress, an estranged wife, an indifferent son – no one really cared about him. His lawyer was the only true friend he had, but then recently they too had a fallout.”

“Why?”

“It was over...what term did Vishnu use, let me recollect” she thought for a moment. “Yes, power of attorney!”

 “What about it?” the inspector asked.

“I don’t know. That’s all he said.”

“Alright,” Inspector Vohra nodded. “Thank you, doctor.”

She smiled, picked up her cell phone from the desk and left.

“Bring in Mr. Kashyap’s lawyer,” the inspector ordered.

A primly dressed man with greying hair walked in.

“Advocate Mehta,” Inspector Vohra began, “please sit down.”

The man quietly took a seat.

“Why did you visit Mr. Kashyap today?”

“He wanted to see me regarding an important matter,” the man answered stiffly.

“What important matter?”

“His will.”

“What of it?”

“He wanted to change it.”

“Why? And what changes did he want made?”

“He said he knew his end was near. He wanted to leave without any burden weighing his soul down. “I want to absolve myself of all sin,” he said. And then he told me to draft a new will, bequeathing all his property to the Amity Hospital. He even made me promise that I would personally look into its reconstruction.”

“That’s a strange request,” remarked Runwal.

“Isn’t Amity Hospital the one that was built by Kashyap Constructions? And then the building collapsed a couple of years ago, owing to the use of substandard material, didn’t it?” the inspector asked, brows furrowed.

“The building collapsed, yes” Mehta answered, “As to the use of substandard materials - it was merely an allegation that we have already disproved in court.”

“Yeah, right.” Runwal smirked.

“Runwal,” said Inspector Vohra, “look for details of the Amity Hospital case.”

The young man promptly set his sources to work by making a few phone calls.

“Is my work here done?” asked Mehta, his voice dripping with contempt. “Because I have more important things to do.”

“I’m sure you do, Mr. Mehta. And yes, your work here is done,” as the man rose to leave, Inspector Vohra added, “for now. But we might need you again. So you’ll quietly sit outside like everyone else.”

Giving him a seething look, the man stalked off.

In a few minutes, Runwal called out, pointing at his computer screen.

“The Amity Hospital collapse was a major accident, sir – there were 50 deaths and 90 casualties. They’ve emailed me a list of the victims.”

The inspector moved towards the computer screen, displaying the list that included names and photographs of the deceased. He began scrolling through it. And suddenly, he froze. Staring up at him, from the list of dead visitors was the face of a man - a face he had seen barely an hour ago.

Ashwin Dixit read the name beside the photograph.

And suddenly, all pieces of the puzzle fell in place. Inspector Vohra now had the entire picture and it was crystal clear.

“Come on, Runwal,” he said. “We have the culprit.”

He signalled two constables to follow as he walked briskly out.

Seeing Inspector Vohra come out, everyone rose up in anticipation.

The inspector stood before them, eyeing each one minutely.

“Arrest her,” he finally said pointing at the doctor.

There were gasps and exclamations as two lady constables hurriedly handcuffed the doctor who stood transfixed, gaping at the inspector.

“How?” she finally breathed. “How did you know?”

“Firstly, it was the post mortem report – it said the poisoning had occurred due to an overdose  of Oxycontin – a type of opiate, basically a sedative. Being a pain management specialist, you were in the best position to procure it. Which is why I began suspecting you. Then you told me you had heard about Mr. Kashyap’s power of attorney dispute from Vishnu. But there was hardly a chance of Vishnu knowing that specific a legal term, let alone relaying it to you verbatim. Which made it obvious that you were cooking up a story. But finally, it was Mr. Kashyap’s will that showed me the way. It brought up the Amity Hospital issue and I began looking through the list of victims, when I saw a familiar face - the face of Ashwin Dixit. It was the very same face that I saw on your lockscreen wallpaper when you were typing in your password.”

“And you connected the dots,” she said, a mad glint in her eye. “Yes, I killed Dhanraj Kashyap. I administered the opiate overdose so that he would be dead within the next 7 hours. Yes, I killed him! I killed the man who destroyed Amity, destroyed hundreds of lives and got off with it. He knew his men were using substandard materials, he knew the building ran a risk of collapsing, he knew people could be crushed under it. He knew, but he didn’t care. Because he also knew that he could buy his way out, no matter what happened; no matter who died,” tears welled in her eyes. “I killed the man whose callousness ruined hundreds of  lives, the man whose indifference murdered my husband – my Ashwin. If you would have my life for it, it’s yours to take,” she sobbed as she was led out to the police van.

As the crowd parted for the van, Runwal saw a shabbily dressed, drunken man swaying unsteadily before a camera.

“I’m Bal...Balraj Kashyap. They say my brother’s been mur...murdered,” he slurred into a mic labelled K-TV. His face fell. “I wish I’d been there earlier. It might have made all the difference. So all I can tell you is why he was murdered...”

“Like hell, you can!” Runwal chuckled.