Day 2. 10AM

"Why am I being held here?" Prakash Gawda snapped.

Mohit and Vinay shared a glance. 

"We aren't holding you. ACP Kelkar just wanted to talk to you once," Mohit said plainly.

"Is this how you treat someone you want to talk to? Making them wait for you to grace them with your presence?" Prakash asked, his nostrils fuming as he looked at Mohit.

"They are with Mahesh Rao and Dinesh Hebbar right now. They were quite shaken after seeing the body," Mohit reasoned.

"And you think I wasn't? Why Dinesh first? Because he is Vishnu's brother?" Prakash scoffed, "I was more his brother than Dinesh ever will be."

Mohit opened his mouth to speak, but shut it as quickly. 

Prakash Gawda huffed at Mohit's reaction, shaking his head vigorously. 

The door clicked open and Kelkar walked into the room along with Lobo. Mohit and Vinay quickly got out of their chairs, nodded at the two and walked out before Kelkar could get a word edge-wise. Lobo bit a snort as he got into the chair.

Prakash leaned back into his chair and watched the two, arms crossed in front of his chest. 

"Sorry about that," Kelkar said, "We came over as soon as we could."

"I have been waiting here for close to an hour now," Prakash bit out.

"We wont keep you back too long in that case," Kelkar replied, nodding at Lobo.

"It is not as though I am not trying to help, but this disrespect is a bit too much," Prakash grumbled.

"Doctor, you are an intelligent man," Lobo said leaning forward, "We don't want to keep anything from you," he said sharing a glance with Kelkar. 

Kelkar nodded.

"We could use your help," Lobo said clasping his hands on the table in front.

Prakash Gawda quieten a bit and looked at the two men in front of him cautiously, before nodding, "How can I help?"

"Vishnu Hebbar's body was thrown into water after he was dead," Lobo said quietly, "We could use some names of people who could do that to him. Can you think of anyone?"

Prakash's eyes widened. He looked between Kelkar and Lobo. "Was he ....murdered?"

"We are not sure yet. But it could very well be an accident," Lobo said.

Prakash slumped into his chair. "I ...I don't understand. This does not make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?" Lobo asked as Kelkar watched Gawda. Kelkar wanted Lobo to take lead in this conversation.

"Anyone trying to harm Vishnu," Prakash flapped his hand in the air.

"Why?"

Prakash looked at Lobo with a pitying expression, "There would be a lot to pay for trying it, for one. And Vishnu was a cautious man. He didn't trust easily. He would never meet someone he didn't trust alone."

"So who could harm him among those who he trusted?"

"No one," Prakash replied.

"But someone did," Kelkar cut in speaking for the first time in a long while.

Prakash looked at Kelkar with a somber expression on his face, "Someone harmed him before he was dead?"

Kelkar looked at Lobo before turning to Prakash, "So you are saying that someone found him dead and panicked?"

"I don't know," Prakash admitted, "But no one he trusted would have hurt him. I know that for sure."

"And who did he trust?" Kelkar asked.

"Sadhana," came Prakash's quick reply, "His children. Mahesh to some extent."

"You?" Kelkar asked.

Prakash nodded.

"He trusted Mahesh?" Lobo asked 

"Do you think otherwise?" Prakash asked raising his eyebrow.

"Dinesh Hebbar said they have been having arguments recently," Lobo said watching the man closely.

"Which family doesnt have fights? That doesnt mean they don't trust each other," Prakash put put bluntly, "Mahesh Rao is a straight forward man. If he is not okay with something, he will tell it to your face."

"What about Dinesh Hebbar?" Lobo asked.

"He was in it just for money. Vishnu said it many times. On his face even."

***

Day 2. 11:15AM

"Let me make it clear. I am not happy about this. Sadhana has been through enough already. She doesn't need to go through your questioning," Mahesh Rao gritted out as he sat next to his sister in his plush Peddar road flat, holding her hand. 

"Its okay," Sadhana sniffed, her eyes red and swollen.

"No its not," Mahesh said firmly.

"We will make it quick," Kelkar assured him.

Mahesh threw a nasty look at Kelkar but stayed silent.

"Mrs Hebbar, your brother might have told you the situation already," Kelkar said glancing at Mahesh once before turning to Sadhana, "Usually wives know more about enemies than anyone else."

Sadhana spoke softly with downcast eyes, "Not all wives."

"He never mentioned any names with you?" Lobo asked in a gentle tone.

She shook her head, "He kept business matters away from home."

"Was there anything different about him when he spoke to you or left for Mumbai this time?" Kelkar asked.

Sadhana shook her head, still refusing to meet their eyes. She sniffed some more into the tissue in her hand. Her son, Shridhar sat on her other side. He was slumping, his gaze far away lost in his own world. With his hands clasped between his legs, he seemed to be shrinking into himself. 

"Do you have any properties here in Mumbai?" Kelkar asked.

Sadhana looked up, her face slack, her eyes wide.

Mahesh tried to come to her rescue, "What has that–"

"We haven't found the place where the accident happened. We don't know where Mr Hebbar went to, after check out. But if he had properties here, it is conceivable that he might have visited one of them," Kelkar said. 

Sadhana sighed and closed her eyes, "There is a flat at Kemps Corner.  We also have an old bungalow in Marve."

"Can we check those out?" Kelkar asked

Sadhana nodded, even as Mahesh clenched his jaw, glaring at Kelkar.

***

Maria cut the phone.

Mohit looked at her expectantly. They were standing outside Hebbar's Kemps Corner flat.

Maria nodded, "We can get inside."

"And you couldn't say this sooner because?" Mohit shot at her.

Maria rolled her eyes, "Can you focus on why we are here?"

Atul Shirke, from forensics, who was with them, looked at them through the corner of his eyes as he quickly opened the flat with the keys collected from Heritage company's Mumbai office.  He was smart enough to know when to shut-up and stay-out.

"What do you think I was trying to do?" Mohit complained.

"Why are you doing this to me!" Maria muttered looking up in the air.

"What? I haven't don't anything to you," Mohit frowned, looking at her with innocent eyes, " ...yet"

***

Vir's phone buzzed. He checked the message. "We have a go ahead."

Dr Vidya Mohile nodded, signalling Suresh to check the backyard of the Hebbar bungalow in Marve. She and Vir in meantime, walked around the perimeter of the house in Marve examining it.

"Looks well-maintained even though they never stay here," Vir said as he followed behind Dr Mohile.

Dr Mohile nodded casually, her complete focus on her surroundings. They met Suresh in the backyard. 

It was a closed space surrounded with trees. The wall marking the boundary was good 7 feet high. The lawn had been mowed. A stone road led outside to the beach behind. Flat grey stone squares lined the immediate vicinity of house, making a rustic pathway. 

Dr Mohile walked along the stone path and looked back at the house. The house itself was one storied with a terrance at the top. Her eyes traced the faced and the windows before landing on the ground. She looked at Suresh and nodded. 

Suresh took out a spray from his kit and started spraying it around. He flashed a UV light at intervals. Sun light made it the use difficult at best, despite the shadow in this part of the house. His hands stilled someway through into the exercise and he looked back at Dr Mohile.

Dr Mohile and Vir walked over. Suresh flashed the UV light again. Patterns of color emerged. Vir looked at Dr Mohile, who was looking serious. 

"We might have our incident spot."

***

"You cancelled your Mumbai trip this time?" Lobo asked.

Sadhana's eyes snapped up, "How ..." She shook her head and sighed, "Manisha, our daughter, was down with fever. I couldnt leave her alone."

"You joined your husband during his Mumbai visits," Kelkar said.

Sadhana shook her head. 

Kelkar scrunched his eyebrows, glancing at Lobo who had his mouth open. "You didnt join him during his trips?" Kelkar asked again, schooling his expression quickly.

"My husband was usually busy with work during these trips. He didn't like to be disturbed."

"When was the last time you spoke to him?" Kelkar asked, ploughing ahead.

"4 maybe 5 days ago," Sadhana said creasing her brows, lost in thought, "No. It was 4 days. When Manisha fell sick. I remember now."

"You did think it odd that he didnt talk to you after this?" Lobo asked.

"Inspector, stop pestering my sister," Mahesh cut in before Sadhana could answer.

"Its okay, Anna," Sadhana said softly, "They are doing their job."

"Job. Right!" Mahesh muttered but stayed silent after that.

"You didnt think anything was wrong?" Kelkar asked, "You didnt check with his company or file a missing person's report?"

"Missing persons report?" Sadhana asked looking at Kelkar with eyes wide open. 

"He was missing for more than a day," Kelkar said plainly.

"For a day?" Sadhana repeated again, her mouth open, "But he has been messaging me till yesterday afternoon. I don't understand ..." She looked at her brother.

Kelkar went rigid hearing her, he looked at Lobo who was staring at him wide-eyed. Kelkar turned to Sadhana, "Are you telling me that you have been receiving sms from your husband's phone yesterday?"

"Yes."

Thanks so much for reading. I hope the story is starting to get more exciting for you. As always, I would love to hear from you on what you think about this chapter and about the story in general. 

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