A Painted Gate - Part 1!

A PAINTED GATE

PART 1:

Advocate Gowtham read the case history once again, took notes every now and then and finally nodded his head satisfactorily before shutting the casebook. Inspector Rajeev, his best friend, who was watching him keenly so far, asked, “So everything is all right?”

“This case is going to be a piece of cake. Tell me again, why do you want me for this case? Any lawyer can do it.” Gowtham made for the refrigerator, poured himself a stiff Scotch, and came back to his seat.

Rajeev scowled, jiggled his right foot. “There is pressure from higher authorities, Gowtham. If Sravya won’t be pinned for this murder of Jason, the doubt will fall on the others who attended the party – and one of them is Karthick – Minister Janarthan’s son.”

“But Karthick didn’t kill Jason, right? Or did he?” Gowtham tossed the liquid down his throat with a desperate motion.

“He says that he didn’t. But there might be something that would go against him. And so…”

Gowtham looked annoyed. “Please, what are you afraid of? What is Janarthan afraid of? What is Karthick afraid of? Stop bluffing and give me a direct answer!” He exploded despite himself. The fact that he was made to work for 24 hours consecutively for two weeks and still he missed something irritated him.

For all he knew, the case was very, very straightforward. After New Year party dinner, Jason was choked to death – later the doctors found morphine in his stomach. The same morphine was found in his food contents and in the champagne he drank. Sravya cooked that particular item and the champagne bottle was her New Year gift to Jason - all the other people in the party were witnesses to both the occasions. Could anything be better than that?

Rajeev heaved a deep sigh and then answered. “Detective Vijay.”

“Well?” Gowtham sighed, rolling the frosty glass along his brow.

“Vijay thinks that the girl is innocent,” said Rajeev.

Gowtham had set the glass down. “Don’t build it up for me. This isn’t a suspense program. Let him think whatever he wants. He might be a genius in solving a murder case but he is not a lawyer – whatever evidences that he collects never matter till a lawyer shows them to a judge. And another lawyer can still object and break them.”

Rajeev smiled a little. “That’s exactly why Janarthan needs you – a lawyer who is very good at breaking evidences. Karthick’s name and Janarthan’s fame shouldn’t be spoiled. The press is already calling this as sensational news – just because Karthick was in the party.”

“Why not buy Vijay and put off the whole thing?” Gowtham suggested.

“Buy Vijay? What are we supposed to offer him? Money? Women? Drinks? Hell, you know him.” Rajeev let out a bitter laugh. “He is just like you. No one can buy you and no one can buy him. And above all, Sravya is his best friend’s sister and he is close to their family for more than twenty years.”

Gowtham smiled a little. “How is this even possible? He himself is 27 and he grew up in Boston till 18. Come on, beast, say something sensible.”

Rajeev gave him a tentative glance. “See, I never read his biography if there is one. The thing is that he is adamant – he is trying very hard to get her out.”

“Just like I am trying very hard to put her in. Damn, I didn’t sleep for eighteen hours straight, you know? I have to go to my house to find out if I am still married.”

Rajeev chuckled. “I called your wife Vaishali. She is okay. She understands.”

“Understands, my foot,” grinned Gowtham. “She will jump up and down as soon as I hit the calling bell.” He mimicked his wife. “Gowtham, who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? Do you remember me? Where the hell have you been? No phone calls, no messages, no mails – Gowtham…”

Rajeev laughed out loud. “Come on, I know Vaishali isn’t that bad.”

“Yeah, right, she is worse. And I hope Indhu gives Vijay a hell too.” Gowtham gulped a third of the contents of his glass.

“Okay, coming back to business…”

He rose and walked to the fridge once again to set the glass back in its original position. “Why not kidnap this woman – Indhu, I mean – and ask him to forget the case?” He asked casually while he was on his way.

“Gowtham, don’t behave childish now. Can’t you beat him?”

Gowtham glanced at his friend sidewise. “I can. But in this stupid case, I don’t even understand why Janarthan needs me. I am just pointing out that there are number of ways that this case could’ve been dealt instead of wasting my time. I don’t find it challenging.”

“But Mr. Janarthan chose this way and we better stick to it,” said Rajeev cautiously.

“You said that Mr. Janarthan didn’t want scandal. Now what would happen? Vijay on one side and I am on other side – we both are overhyped obviously – and the press will burn now. If Janarthan wants to hold the fire, the better way is to hire a not-so-popular lawyer.”

Rajeev’s shoulders drooped. He turned around and put his hands in the pant pockets and said, in a hopeless sort of way, “So you’re not going to…”

“No, no, I am in. After all my efforts now, I am not backing up. I just wanted to know whether Janarthan knew what he was doing. So shall we go through the case once?” Gowtham came back, sat down again, opened his notepad and tapped it with his pen sincerely.

Rajeev brightened. “Yes, please. I have to submit a report to Janarthan that everything is going all right.”

“Right. Here we go – it all started with the JK chit funds – Jason’s and Karthick’s joint venture. Like all the other chit fund guys, these guys also had some eye-catching advertisements and the greedy people are willing scapegoats. The guys default; people complain to the police; police files a case of fraud against Jason and Karthick; Jason disappears; Karthick says that Jason has all the money and escapes. Right?”

“Yes. No one knows whether both the guys are fraud or whether it is only Jason like Karthick told the police. But he was never brought to the court – thanks to the power of Mr. Janarthan.”

“I am very sure that Karthick got half the money and it was their plan all along,” smiled Gowtham. “That’s what Mr. Janarthan is afraid of. In the course of finding clues to a murder, Vijay might just get evidences against Karthick in the other fraudulent case and that would lead to the reopening of that case which will spoil the reputation of Janarthan. That’s why he needs me.”

“Even I believe so. But what about the murder? Do you believe that Karthick didn’t kill Jason?”

“I am very sure that he didn’t kill Jason for my own reasons.”

“Go on.”

Gowtham’s eyes dropped to his notepad once again. “Alright. So like I said, Jason disappeared – in the event of doing so, he made several other mistakes. He broke his engagement with Sravya and the last phone call was made to her to convey the same before he destroyed his sim card. The police got hold of her and what they did to her was obscene; they believed that Sravya knew Jason’s hideout place but she didn’t.”

“That’s right. She didn’t. Poor girl – they even put her through third degree treatment which she didn’t deserve.” Rajeev bit his lips.

Gowtham’s voice was still unemotional. “Vijay came to her rescue and she somehow managed to get out. Karthick was questioned too but it was all eye-wash and that’s the inside story that we know.”

“Yes. Only if Vijay had come a little earlier for the rescue…”

Gowtham lifted his eyebrows. “That’s a question. Why didn’t he come forward at first?”

“He didn’t know – he was in a vacation in France – his birthday.”

Gowtham made a face. “If at all, I am jealous of him for one reason, this would be it. The guy practically visits four countries a year. Well, anyway, Sravya’s brother Vimal acted as her lawyer and put up a brave fight – he did everything at that time trying to prove that Sravya didn’t have any contacts with Jason; the poor guy spent every minute outside the jail while she was harassed inside.”

“And he was harassed too by Janarthan’s bullies – yet he didn’t give up saving his sister. Vimal is her lawyer in this case too, Gowtham. You’re up against him – a guy who would never give up. He is talented too – you remember his arguments in Pallavi’s murder case, right?”

Gowtham dropped the pen on the desk and snuggled deeper into the cushions of his armchair. “I have no doubt that he is intelligent. But his client is his blood relation and I am a free agent. It is always an advantage. For all you know, I can be ruthless and he can’t be.”

“Yes. But with Vimal as advocate and Vijay behind him…”

Gowtham leaned forward, looking chagrined. “Forget Vimal, will you? No, don’t forget. How exactly did Vimal manage to save Sravya last time?”

“Money, of course. Vimal paid to everyone who opened an account in JK chit funds and so people withdrew the case.”

Gowtham’s jaw dropped and he gaped at Rajeev. “Are you serious?”

“What else could he have done?”

“But still paying all the money…”

“Ah, the entire gang is rich – they are seven friends. Vimal was rich himself – but lost all his money trying to save his sister. Anyway the other six guys in the gang and their six rich wives of them helped him to get out of the mess. But do we need all that history now? Can’t we just get back to our case?” Rajeev reminded him politely.

Gowtham nodded, moving his rolling chair forward to look at the notepad once again. “Oh yes, yes. I was just curious. So all this happened in September. And in December, the disappeared prodigal son returns.”

“Exactly. Just before New Year. Sravya was recovered now but the scar remains.”

“Yeah, everything she and her brother went through was because of Jason and he never once showed his backbone. He let her suffer. He deserved to be killed, you know?”

Rajeev snorted. “We’re deviating from the point again.”

Gowtham permitted himself to wear a sheepish grin. “Oh sorry. How exactly Jason was welcomed in again and how Indhu called him to her New Year party are all mystery. We just know that Jason returned and met the family that he betrayed on this party at Vijay-Indhu’s house. And we know what happened at the party – like I said already, Sravya cooked that particular dish and she gifted the champagne to him; no one else could’ve tampered with either of those things. So only she could’ve killed him. Am I right?”

Rajeev gave a tiny nod and looked at Gowtham sternly. “Yes, do you have all the evidences to prove this?”

“Of course – we have the statements of the people in the party – Indhu, Karthick, Karthick’s girlfriend Priya, Vimal and Vimal’s wife Vrunda. Though they didn’t use the words only-Sravya-could-have-killed-Jason, all their confessions point to the same.”

“When they gave the statements, they didn’t know that we would arrest Sravya. They were naïve. Even this girl Indhu – her statement was like ‘Sravya and I were in the kitchen. Yes, we cooked the food. No one came in – I am sure, I am very sure. I have no idea how morphine got into that dish.’ See? She didn’t know that she was putting herself and Sravya in danger by making that statement. You could’ve seen her face – she was simply surprised about the fact that the morphine was in the food.”

“She was up for more surprise when you arrested her friend.”

“Well, my point is that everyone made their statements in that way. They will be careful now.”

“Anyway they can’t contradict their recorded statements now. Even if they try something of that sort, it is Gowtham who is going to cross-examine them – they will be puppets in my hands.”

“Are you sure?” There was no humor in his voice and the look on Rajeev’s face was grave.

“Come on, Rajeev. You can’t seriously suspect my reputation. There are three things needed to be proved in any murder case – opportunity, motive and means.

Opportunity - I just now showed you, according to the statements of the people from the party – one of them is her brother himself – only she had an opportunity to mess up with the food and the drinks.

Motive – can anyone else have a stronger motive than Sravya? Yes, Vimal has a motive as he had lost money and Jason had betrayed his sister. But I don’t think that he would kill for this – even if he would, no sir, definitely not in Vijay’s – a successful detective’s house. For Sravya, it fits nicely. She was outraged seeing him there appear – the man who had simply destroyed her life – and she had lost her head.

Means – how she got hold of morphine. It’s easy enough – her sister-in-law Vrunda is a doctor and her medical kit always had morphine. Fingerprints of Sravya were found on her kit. Fair enough?”

“I am satisfied. My hand, sir?” Rajeev bowed and extended his hand solemnly.

“Now, get out,” said Gowtham lightly, smiling.

*********

“Finally I get a chance to meet the Devil’s Advocate himself – hello Gowtham,” said the handsome young man, smiling down at him, hand outstretched.

“Why, Vijay,” said Gowtham, with delight in his voice. “I trust these failing eyes of mine aren’t playing tricks. Sit down, Vijay. What’s the celebrated detective doing in my place? Is it not true that you’ve given up the whole detective thing after marriage? Or is it possible that Indhu has changed her mind? How...”

“Have mercy, Gowtham,” said Vijay. “Do not treat me like the victim standing in front of you in the witness box in the court. One question at a time, please,” chuckled the young man, dropping into the chair opposite him.

Gowtham offered him drinks but Vijay politely refused. He went out, came back with a coffee tray and put it in front of Vijay on the desk. When Vijay was mixing the sugar, Gowtham said softly. “Tell me, Vijay. I thought you disliked me because I let the criminals wander around in the streets when they ought to be behind the bars. No?”

Vijay smiled. “I disliked what you did, not you.”

“Fair enough. I return the favor,” smiled back Gowtham. “I think I’d like you better if you stay in your territory.”

Vijay raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”

“We both are at the top of the food chain, Vijay – tigers for example. But we shouldn’t be in the same food chain – because there can’t be two tigers on top of the food chain. You play your little tin god role in the crime scene and I play my little tin god role in the court. Let’s not cross each other’s lines.”

Vijay rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I am sorry but I have to. The girl that you’re trying to put behind the bars is someone very close to me, Gowtham. So…”

“You mean that the girl that I am going to put behind the bars?” Gowtham leaned forward, placed his arms on the desk and watched Vijay keenly.

Vijay stiffened. “Gowtham…”

“The case is straightforward, Vijay. Usually I choose the losing side and make them win. But for the first time, I am in the winning side because of my friend Rajeev. You know why he wanted me to take this one? Because he thinks that you’d confuse it.”

“I am not here to confuse anything. I am here because I know Sravya didn’t murder Jason.”

“Then who did?”

Vijay looked pained. “Unfortunately I didn’t find that one yet.”

Gowtham coughed a little. “Do you realize that your wife was part of the crowd?”

Vijay didn’t answer.

“Vijay, if you’re going to finish the case saying that your wife killed the guy out of sheer frustration, I am ready to give up the case.” Gowtham grinned.

“That is a bad joke of the century,” said Vijay, not betraying any emotions.

“I am sorry. But if you’re going to ask me to withdraw…”

“No, definitely not. If not you, someone else is going to do it. I just came here to ask you not to take anything into your heart – not to take it too personal if I manage to beat you.”

“That’s kind of you,” said Gowtham, still smiling. “The media is going crazy. I wanted to call you upon this matter myself. Same thing – when I beat you, don’t take it too hard.”

Vijay rose and held out his hand. “We’ll see.”

Gowtham didn’t rise but seized Vijay’s hand and shook it. “You’ll see.”

*********

Vijay, his shirt-sleeves rolled up, shook his head and went to the window. The window of his beach house was open wide; the waves were turbulent as though they were reflecting his mind.

“Vij,” said Vimal, regarding Vijay’s silent back, “what do you think?”

“I’ll tell you what he thinks,” said Priya, crossing her legs. “That we can’t beat Gowtham.”

Vijay turned sharply, “Why do you say that?”

The uppermost leg of her crossed legs swung in an impatient arc. “The case is very weak.”

Vimal flushed angrily. “It’s all because of you – why did you bring Jason to that party that night?”

“I told you million times. Jason was innocent – it is my future father-in-law, you know? He needed funds for election and he used the guys’ money. Jason didn’t vanish from the face of the earth – he was locked in my boyfriend’s own house, I tell you. He was framed for embezzlement. When Sravya went through a great deal of trouble, it was the same for Jason as well. If you had to accuse one person, it had to be Vijay – he found all this. Not me.”

Vijay began indignantly, “But I…”

“I spoke to Karthick when Vijay revealed the truth to me and to my surprise, Karthick accepted it. I was ashamed of him, for him. I broke up with him at first, but then what good would it do? He himself did not have the power to go against his father. He was a puppet himself. Finally I did the best I could think of – I thought of getting Jason out and bringing Jason and Sravya together again. I told Karthick that it is the only way that he is getting me back and he said okay. I don’t know how he managed but he released Jason from his father’s bullies’ custody somehow.”

She continued, “I spoke to Sravya and she was happy. I thought it would be too tough to convince her; but she hugged me immediately as though she would break my bones. She wept and asked where Jason was. I told her that I would bring him soon to her house. But she said that you were so angry on him, Vimal. She also said that you’d never believe it. And then I gave an idea – if you’d believe one man, it would be Vijay. Hence I arranged it in a way that I could bring him to Vijay’s New Year party. That’s our plan – not just mine, but your sister’s too.”

“She always trusted him,” said Vimal bitterly. “Even when the JK chit fund fraud case was going on, she kept telling me that Jason couldn’t have betrayed her. I was the one who was furious on him – not her, never once had she believed that.”

Vijay put in sadly. “The irony is that, Vimal, Gowtham is building a case with an exact opposite to what had happened. He says that Sravya hated Jason for letting her down and killed him when he showed up again.”

“But how on earth am I going to prove in court that my sister always loved Jason, no matter what?”

Vijay looked away and swallowed. “Until and unless I find evidence against the original murderer…”

They all avoided each other’s eyes. It was one of them.

To be continued.