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Authors: G. S. Dutt
Tags: Muder at Crescent Point
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her claim.’
Blood drained from Mrs Taneja’s face. ‘What else did the inspector tell you?’ She asked. Nikki informed her, ‘He told me that once his enquiries are over in Sangalina Hills, he will come to Somabad.’
Mrs Taneja started sobbing. She said, ‘Yes, it is a fact that the woman came to see me. She made a preposterous claim about some child swapping. I thought it must be the usual blackmail stuff and asked her to leave. That evening I asked my husband about it but he flatly refused any child swapping. He advised me not to let her in again. But she called me again after two days and implored that she just wanted to come for five minutes. At first I refused, but then hearing her pleas I softened and allowed her to come. This time she said that she just wanted to see Jyoti and wanted her address. I told her to go away. She seemed highly disappointed and left.’
Nikki asked, ‘If the woman had come to your house twice, why did you tell the inspector that you had never seen her earlier?’
Mrs Taneja said, ‘You are like my daughter. Please keep this to yourself. Before my delivery, the doctor had told me that the baby was not in good condition. When this woman talked about the child swapping, a doubt crossed my mind that she might be telling the truth.
When I saw her dead body, the first thing which occurred to me was that maybe my husband was behind her death and I did not want to create complications for him. To be honest, I thought at the time that if I recognise the woman, it would open up a Pandora’s box. We would be asked a lot of questions which we were not in the right frame of mind to answer.’
Nikki kept quiet. She felt that Mrs Taneja was telling the truth. But this did not explain the payment of 10 lakhs to the woman and ‘the big black car’ which Lakshmi had seen Asha Sayal in.
The next morning, Nikki decided to talk to Jyoti’s father just as he was getting ready for work.
‘Uncle, can I speak to you alone?’
Mr Taneja looked surprised. ‘Well…why don’t you come with me to the office? If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.’
Nikki ran to put on her shoes and coat. When they had settled in his room, he ordered two cups of tea.
‘Now, tell me...what’s on your mind, Nikki?’
Nikki said, ‘Uncle, you will recall when we were leaving Sangalina Hills, Inspector Rajan was also in the hospital. He told me something which I thought I must share with you.’
‘Yes, go ahead,’ said Mr Taneja, encouragingly.
‘Asha Sayal told someone in Sangalina Hills that you paid her 10 lakhs to abandon her claim on Jyoti. Is this true?’
‘Yes,’ Mr Taneja responded, ‘I did not want to pay anything but Mr Khanna persuaded me to pay the money so that the matter could be closed forever.’
‘This opens up another angle. If having got the money, the woman did not abandon her claim and still went to see her daughter in Sangalina Hills, someone would be quite upset.’
‘But that someone would not plan the murder of his own daughter for whom he had paid the money.’
Nikki kept quiet. Mr Taneja felt sorry as he saw her crestfallen face. After a pause, he smiled and said, ‘If that is all you wanted to know, may I go on with my work, my dear?’ Nikki, lost in her thoughts, was suddenly awakened and nodded at his question. ‘I will have Mr Khanna ensure you are dropped home. You may look around till then if you want. Talk to my secretary, Miss Mary. She was quite fond of Jyoti, like everyone else.’
‘Sure, Uncle,’ said Nikki.
Mr Taneja spoke on the intercom, ‘Mary, could you ask Mr Khanna to come in?’ When Mr Khanna entered, he was introduced to Nikki. ‘This is Nikki, a friend of Jyoti’s. We asked her to spend the winter holidays with us.’
‘Yes, I met her yesterday,’ Mr Khanna said.
Mr Taneja continued, ‘Could you please ensure she is dropped home safe? She will wait with Miss Mary while you are ready.’
‘Okay. Please come, Miss Nikki.’
When
Blood drained from Mrs Taneja’s face. ‘What else did the inspector tell you?’ She asked. Nikki informed her, ‘He told me that once his enquiries are over in Sangalina Hills, he will come to Somabad.’
Mrs Taneja started sobbing. She said, ‘Yes, it is a fact that the woman came to see me. She made a preposterous claim about some child swapping. I thought it must be the usual blackmail stuff and asked her to leave. That evening I asked my husband about it but he flatly refused any child swapping. He advised me not to let her in again. But she called me again after two days and implored that she just wanted to come for five minutes. At first I refused, but then hearing her pleas I softened and allowed her to come. This time she said that she just wanted to see Jyoti and wanted her address. I told her to go away. She seemed highly disappointed and left.’
Nikki asked, ‘If the woman had come to your house twice, why did you tell the inspector that you had never seen her earlier?’
Mrs Taneja said, ‘You are like my daughter. Please keep this to yourself. Before my delivery, the doctor had told me that the baby was not in good condition. When this woman talked about the child swapping, a doubt crossed my mind that she might be telling the truth.
When I saw her dead body, the first thing which occurred to me was that maybe my husband was behind her death and I did not want to create complications for him. To be honest, I thought at the time that if I recognise the woman, it would open up a Pandora’s box. We would be asked a lot of questions which we were not in the right frame of mind to answer.’
Nikki kept quiet. She felt that Mrs Taneja was telling the truth. But this did not explain the payment of 10 lakhs to the woman and ‘the big black car’ which Lakshmi had seen Asha Sayal in.
The next morning, Nikki decided to talk to Jyoti’s father just as he was getting ready for work.
‘Uncle, can I speak to you alone?’
Mr Taneja looked surprised. ‘Well…why don’t you come with me to the office? If I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.’
Nikki ran to put on her shoes and coat. When they had settled in his room, he ordered two cups of tea.
‘Now, tell me...what’s on your mind, Nikki?’
Nikki said, ‘Uncle, you will recall when we were leaving Sangalina Hills, Inspector Rajan was also in the hospital. He told me something which I thought I must share with you.’
‘Yes, go ahead,’ said Mr Taneja, encouragingly.
‘Asha Sayal told someone in Sangalina Hills that you paid her 10 lakhs to abandon her claim on Jyoti. Is this true?’
‘Yes,’ Mr Taneja responded, ‘I did not want to pay anything but Mr Khanna persuaded me to pay the money so that the matter could be closed forever.’
‘This opens up another angle. If having got the money, the woman did not abandon her claim and still went to see her daughter in Sangalina Hills, someone would be quite upset.’
‘But that someone would not plan the murder of his own daughter for whom he had paid the money.’
Nikki kept quiet. Mr Taneja felt sorry as he saw her crestfallen face. After a pause, he smiled and said, ‘If that is all you wanted to know, may I go on with my work, my dear?’ Nikki, lost in her thoughts, was suddenly awakened and nodded at his question. ‘I will have Mr Khanna ensure you are dropped home. You may look around till then if you want. Talk to my secretary, Miss Mary. She was quite fond of Jyoti, like everyone else.’
‘Sure, Uncle,’ said Nikki.
Mr Taneja spoke on the intercom, ‘Mary, could you ask Mr Khanna to come in?’ When Mr Khanna entered, he was introduced to Nikki. ‘This is Nikki, a friend of Jyoti’s. We asked her to spend the winter holidays with us.’
‘Yes, I met her yesterday,’ Mr Khanna said.
Mr Taneja continued, ‘Could you please ensure she is dropped home safe? She will wait with Miss Mary while you are ready.’
‘Okay. Please come, Miss Nikki.’
When
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