A Painted Gate FINAL

A PAINTED GATE : FINAL

PRE-NOTE:

Kindly excuse correct the grammatical mistakes. Thanks in advance. :-)

PART 12:

There was a little tap at the door, and before Vijay could say "Come in" it was pushed open and Indhu entered. He half crossed the room to meet her, and kissed her tenderly.

"I didn't know you were back until—" she said; linking her arm in his.

"Until you saw the horrible mess my mackintosh has made," he smiled. "I know your methods, Watson!"

She laughed, but became serious again. "I am very glad you've come back. We have a visitor," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "A visitor? Whoever came down on a day like this?"

She looked at him a little strangely. "Mr. Gowtham," she said.

"Gowtham? How long has he been here?"

"He came at four." There was nothing enthusiastic in her tone. "I can't understand why you were mysterious about something; do you two know who really killed Jason?" rallied his wife.

"Maybe," he replied, a little curtly for him. "Anyway," said Vijay, after a moment's thought, "his arrival is rather opportune. Where is he?"

"He is in the drawing-room."

The Priory drawing-room was a low-ceilinged room. Cozy armchairs, a grand piano, an almost medieval open grate, faced with bright-green tiles, a brand new carpet and two big silver candelabras were the principal features which attracted any newcomer. There was in this room a harmony, a quiet order and a soothing quality which made it a haven of rest to anyone.

Gowtham rose to his feet, as Vijay entered and crossed the room with an easy carriage. "I had to talk to you,” he said, "so I thought I'd run down on the off chance of seeing you." The two men shook hands warmly.

"You'll stay to dinner?" asked Vijay.

Gowtham glanced round with a smile at Indhu. She sat uncomfortably upright, her hands loosely folded on her lap, her face devoid of encouragement.

"If Mrs. Vijay doesn't object," said the Advocate.

"I should be pleased, if you would," she said, almost mechanically; "it is a horrid night and you won't get anything worth eating this side of Chennai and I doubt very much," she smiled a little, "if the meal I can give you will be worthy of that description."

"What you can give me will be more than sufficient," he said, with a little bow, and turned to her husband.

In a few minutes they were deep in a discussion of cases, and Indhu seized the opportunity to make her escape. From cases in general to Vijay's cases in particular the conversation flowed. "I've read about every one of them, you know," said Gowtham.

Vijay made a little face. "Poor devil," he said sardonically.

"On the contrary," said Gowtham, "I am not to be pitied. There is a great criminal lost in you, Vijay."

"Thank you, I guess" said Vijay.

"I am not being uncomplimentary, am I?" smiled the Advocate. "I am merely referring to the ingenuity of yours. But unfortunately lawyers are being ungrateful."

Vijay looked at him in surprise and was somewhat piqued. "I hope now is the time that you will tell me the purpose of your visit," he said.

“It’s my conscience. Did I really send an innocent behind the bars? I have never done so before and so I’d like to verify it.”

“Will you do something about it?”

“Yes, if you convince me with a better answer for my questions.”

Vijay nodded. There was the light of interest in his eyes and he would have pursued the discussion further, but at the moment dinner was announced. It was not a particularly cheerful meal because Indhu did not as usual join in the conversation, and it was left to Gowtham and to her husband to supply the deficiencies.

After the meal, she got up and shrugged. "You will have your coffee in the study, I suppose," said Indhu, "and I know you'll excuse me; I have to see my maid on the mundane subject of laundry."

She favored Gowtham with a little nod as she left the room and touched Vijay’s shoulder lightly with her hand in passing.

Vijay’s eyes followed her graceful figure until she was out of view, then: "I am ready to take your questions," he said, "if you will give me five minutes."

"You can have five hours, if you like," said the other, easily.

They went into the study together; the maid brought the coffee and liqueur, and placed them on a little table and disappeared.

Gowtham sat and said casually, “The police missed important evidence like the morphine bottle itself. I began to question their efficiency for the first time. Yes, all the others have alibi. But why not? The police must have missed something.”

“Yes, they did.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Tell me again: why everyone has an alibi?”

“Because they could not have mixed the poison. It was a very well established fact.”

“Yes, they could not have mixed the poison in the prawns and in the champagne before Jason’s death.”

Gowtham widened his eyes. “Wait, what? You mean that it was done after Jason’s death? What’s the point?”

“To frame Sravya. Those things wrote a story itself, didn’t they?”

“Then how did Jason die?”

“The police didn’t bother to examine the other food items, did they? They got what they wanted already. They had a case already. Why to look for more evidence?”

Gowtham snapped his forehead. “I didn’t even think that way. It is possible. Yeah, it is a party and he’d have tasted something else as well.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s a very simple crime then.”

“Simpler than any crime. The killer mixes the poison in his own food, passes on to Jason at some time during the meal and clears the plate. Then he proceeds to do a little setup after he chokes to death which is mixing the poison in the only two things that would’ve sent Sravya straight to the hanging.”

“How did I not see it?” asked Gowtham, surprised.

“You didn’t want to.” The host retorted.

“Now I can. You addressed the killer with a pronoun that means our poor male gender. But you should be wrong.”

“How?”

“Karthick doesn’t have the guts. Vimal should never have framed Sravya.”

Vijay smiled a little. “Oh yes, it’s a woman.”

“You didn’t turn in that woman to the police yet. You chose to live with your guilty conscience and you would not do that for Priya. It can’t be Indhu as she doesn’t have motive. It’s Vrunda, isn’t it?”

Vijay gave a tiny nod, looking at Gowtham.

“WHAT?” They heard a stunned voice at the doorway and turned around to find Indhu staring at them. “That’s one thing that I’d never believe. “I’ll never believe Vrunda framed Sravya for Jason’s murder. I couldn’t be wrong. She is a member of her own family. It just can’t be, Vijay.”

“Wow, calling me by my full name? I should be in trouble.” Vijay smiled a little.

“Oh yes, you are in big trouble, Vijay, if you don’t give a proper explanation for that accusation.” She crooned.

“Look,” said Vijay, trying to pacify her. “A friend may become a greater enemy than an enemy. Sravya was Vrunda’s family, and Vrunda was Sravya’s. When Jason fell, she was furious with Jason; and so long as she thought Sravya was Jason’s victim, too, she remained her friend.”

“But on New Year’s eve, Sravya and Jason were talking about money. Yes, Sravya was sarcastic but Vrunda didn’t know, did she? She simply overheard their conversation and was not watching them. She went mad; after all the trouble that Vimal went through, it was the moment that all of them fell flat or well, she thought so. She didn’t think Sravya as family. Not if she doublecrossed them by pretending to be broke while she had always been in touch with Jason and had 500 millions to keep her warm against a rainy day. Vrunda is a primitive soul and she didn’t stop to ask questions. In her mind they two became—two crooks who had defrauded her of her life’s savings.”

He continued. “She planned things then and there. I asked her to administer morphine to Caesar as he was sick and so she carried some with her in her handbag. That’s how she managed to…”

"How did you manage to find out?"

"The painted gate."

“But ever since Sravya was sent to jail,” cried Indhu, “she’d been so damned, so damned solicitous! She couldn’t have been acting.”

“She wasn’t. She knew that she had made a terrible mistake immediately after the crime. I proved that Sravya was innocent. Vrunda saw what an awful thing she’d done. But it was too late. The crime, the frame-up, were faits accomplis. There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t give herself up. No, she just had to sit and take it. Every emotion of her since then has been genuine. That's why she tried to create doubts in Gowtham's mind by sending the morphine bottle to him.”

Indhu was speechless for a few minutes and then finally nodded. “I think she had to live with that guilt for years and that is enough punishment. I am just gonna pretend that I never found out that she did it.”

Vijay smiled. “Me too. I don’t want to cause more pain to Vimal and Sravya.” Indhu hugged him and sobbed against his chest.

Gowtham stood up. “Well, you two love birds, I won’t keep you up for long. I have work to do, remember? I gotta work on a sensational case to defend a poor girl. The public would spit on me though, for attacking her last time and defending her now. I don’t mind. I will win.” He extended his hand. Vijay rose and shook it, knowing that he would win.

The End. :)

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Lavanyaa