The Pearl of Bengal (6 page)

Rudyard was the first to respond. “We understand your pain, as a friend of the family,” he tried to reassure Captain Deshpande, “but tell me, these suspects, are they in jail? Have you put them behind bars for interrogation?”

“The law doesn’t allow me to take them into custody, Professor Mistery,” the captain replied, sounding miserable. “I’ve taken their statements and ordered them not to leave the village, at least until we find my dear friend Amitav, who I pray is still alive.”

“Very wise,” said Agatha. “But what makes Naveen Chandra the prime suspect?”

“He returned to Chotoka ten days ago, insisting he had to make peace with his father, who’s never forgiven him for pursuing an acting career,” explained the captain. “On the afternoon before Amitav disappeared, they had a huge fight. That night, several people claimed they saw
Naveen prowling around his father’s house. None of the witnesses could be sure it was him, because it was pitch-black.”

“So you don’t have a reliable witness and can’t incriminate him,” Dash deduced. He had hoped they’d arrived on the brink of solving the case.

“Thank you for your assistance, Captain Deshpande.” Agatha rose from her chair. “To help you pursue this matter, we have three simple requests.”

“Of course, Miss.”

“First, we need all the suspects’ sworn statements.”

“I’ll make you a copy, he said, calling an officer into his office and handing him the papers What else?”

“We’d like your permission to question them further.”

“Agreed. And the last thing?”

“To conduct a thorough investigation, we need to examine Amitav Chandra’s home, and the Temple of Kali.”

Captain Deshpande shook his head. “Unfortunately I cannot allow that,” he said stiffly. “Both locations are under lockdown by the forest guard until further notice.”

“But—” Dash started.

Agatha held up her hand. Instead of arguing, she grabbed the copies from the returning officer and shook the captain’s hand firmly. He rose to his feet with the aid of his bamboo cane.

“That’s all for now, Captain Deshpande,” she said with a disarming smile. “If you need to reach us, we’ll be at the Tiger Hotel.”

C
hotoka’s main street—really more of a wide, muddy path—cut the village in half. At the far end loomed the Temple of Kali, nestled into a distant green hillside. On both sides perched a jumble of houses and open-air shops, where women and children in brightly colored clothes worked in silence—except for the loud chatter of monkeys and tropical birdcalls. Most of the buildings were wood and bamboo with thatched roofs.

“They build them on stilts because of the danger of flooding, right, Uncle?” Dash asked as they walked down the street, dodging puddles.

“Not just that, Dash. It’s also to discourage visits from dangerous animals.”

“Like…?”

“Oh, scorpions, snakes, crocodiles, leopards, tigers!” Rudyard replied cheerfully. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the scents of the jungle. “This is a magical spot!” he exclaimed. “Can’t you just smell the adventure around us?”

The others just stared at him. His enthusiasm seemed out of place after their tense conversation with Captain Deshpande.

“What I’d love to smell is a nice cup of tea,” said Agatha, checking her watch. It was a little past five in the evening—time for high tea in London.

They arrived at the cast-iron gate of the Tiger Hotel. The two-story bungalow formed an L shape around an orderly English garden. There was no need to ring the bell under the hotel sign,
because an Indian girl, a bit younger than Agatha, was already hanging over the gate waiting for them.

“Your luggage, if you please,” she said politely in English. Taking the wheeled suitcase and bags from Chandler’s huge hands, she loaded them onto her shoulders and headed toward the front desk.

“Wait! What’s your name?” Agatha called after her, but she’d already vanished between garden hedges. Resigned, Agatha told the butler, “Please give that girl a big tip.”

“As you wish, Miss Agatha.”

They went through the gate and walked down a white gravel path. Tourists sat at tables around the garden, and Agatha’s eagle eye took them in at a glance: an old gentleman in a linen suit reading the newspaper through pince-nez glasses, a dark-haired young couple conversing intently, and finally a handsome Indian man in a
blue satin tunic who sat with a cigar, watching the smoke rings he blew rise up into the air.

“Three out of these four we know,” whispered Agatha, who had already glanced though the folder of witness statements and photos of suspects.

“The two Spaniards and Naveen Chandra,” replied Dash, whispering into his cousin’s ear. “But who’s the dapper old gent with the
London Times
?”

The mysterious figure puzzled them both. Why had Captain Deshpande not mentioned this mustached man who looked so quintessentially British? Was he a local or just passing through as a tourist? He didn’t look like someone who’d come here for wilderness treks.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Agatha promised shrewdly as they stepped inside.

The reception area consisted of a simple counter with a half-filled guest register and
several posters of tigers on the wall. “I took that beauty’s portrait last fall,” Uncle Rudyard said proudly, pointing to an especially fierce-looking beast.

“Welcome to the Tiger Hotel, gentlemen, Miss,” a cheerful Indian boy greeted them, bowing with his hands clasped in front of his chest. “How many rooms will you require?”

“Two double rooms, preferably with mosquito nets and a ceiling fan,” replied Agatha as she bowed back in the same way.

Uncle Rudyard squirmed. “Not for me, niece,” he said. “I won’t need a hotel room. I always bunk right in my plane!”

“Awesome, Uncle!” Dash said with a grin. “Is there room for me, too?”

Agatha gave him a nudge in the ribs. “You need to stay here with me,” she said. “You’re on a case, remember? Besides, you don’t want to be sharing his plane with a water snake.” Dash became quiet.

She turned back to the receptionist. “Change of plans. Do you have any triples?”

“Upstairs?” asked Dash.

The boy passed Chandler the keys to Room 16 and collected their passports. “Take their bags, Parama!” he ordered the girl who’d met them at the gate. She stopped playing with Watson and took off up the stairs like a whirlwind.

“Perfect,” said Agatha, satisfied. “Now we can go settle in and then…a nice cup of tea!”

“I have to unload a few things from the plane,” said Uncle Rudyard. “I was wondering if Chandler could give me a hand with some of the heavy equipment.”

“Of course,” replied Agatha. “We’ll see you at dinner!”

Rudyard took Chandler’s stiff arm and pulled him outside, thumping him on the back. “Come on, big man! Time to unstiffen the old upper lip—you’re in India now! We’re going to have all
sorts of adventures!” they heard him say as the two walked away.

“What a funny pair!” Agatha giggled. “One never talks and one never shuts up!”

“They’d make a great comedy act,” Dash agreed.

They went upstairs to their rooms to freshen up, giving little Parama a tip. She thanked them with a shy nod as Dash checked the corners for scorpions.

When they returned to the garden for tea, they noticed that the Spaniards and the distinguished gentleman had already left their tables.

Only Naveen Chandra remained.

While Dash scarfed down a plateful of cookies, Agatha opened the file and speed-read the famous Bollywood actor’s statement. This was another of her incredible skills. She scanned all eight typed pages in less than a minute. As soon as she finished, she took a sip from a
steaming cup of Darjeeling tea and announced, “I’m ready!”

“Ready for what?” Dash stared at her, his mouth covered in chocolate.

“I want to question Naveen Chandra and verify his version of events.” Agatha tapped her finger on Deshpande’s file and then slid it inside her purse. “Are you coming, or would you prefer to make yourself sick by inhaling more of those cookies?” she asked with a smile.

“Um, sure, yes, I’m coming!” he answered, licking his lips.

Naveen Chandra had long, smooth black hair and luminous peacock-blue eyes. He was movie-star handsome but seemed ill at ease. He was still blowing puffs of cigar smoke and staring distractedly off into space.

He regarded the two cousins without interest. “Sorry, kids, I’ve run out of signed photos,” he said. “If
you want an autograph, you’ll have to bring me a paper and pen.”

“That’s all right, Mr. Chandra.” Agatha sat down at the table. Still holding her cup of tea, she said quietly, “We were so sorry to hear about your situation. We know how much you love your father.”

“Oh really?” he replied bitterly. “You’re the only ones who think so!” Grinding out his cigar, he threw a quick glance at the kids. “Thanks to
Captain Deshpande, the whole village thinks I’m a thief and a murderer!”

“It’s like being a prisoner, isn’t it?” Agatha said, imagining herself in his shoes. “You can’t leave the Tiger Hotel, you can’t help with the search, you can’t go back home. You’re just stuck here, with nothing to do but worry!”

Struck by her compassion, the star began venting his feelings more freely. “I came back after all these years to bring my townspeople a bit of happiness,” he said. “I wanted to start a school, build a new movie theater. The money that comes with success like mine can work miracles.”

“But it can’t buy your father’s respect.” Agatha nodded, sipping her tea.

Naveen Chandra looked at her. “That’s the truth,” he admitted. “I swear I’ve tried everything, but he’s ashamed of me. He’s a deeply religious man. He said that my
atman
, my inner spirit, was
corrupted by money and fame, and he wanted no part of it. He didn’t recognize me as his son anymore.”

“Did you argue a lot?” Dash asked, listening attentively. “I fight with my mom all the time. She says I’m a slacker and a hopeless waste of good groceries.”

For the first time in days, Naveen Chandra laughed. “Three days ago, right before Daddyji disappeared, he shouted at me in the street! I haven’t seen him since.” His expression turned grim and he whispered, “I didn’t steal the Pearl of Bengal. What use would I have for it? I’m already incredibly rich!”

“But several people saw you outside your father’s house on the night of the theft,” Agatha pressed. “What were you doing there?”

Naveen Chandra jumped to his feet. “That’s a lie!” he roared. “I went to bed early that night. The boy at reception can tell you! He was at the
front desk when I went upstairs!”

“But you could have sneaked back out through the hotel window,” Agatha pointed out. “It’s just a short drop to the ground.”

This infuriated him even more. “Are you joking?” he cried. “You think I’m guilty, too!”

He was about to storm away with both fists clenched when the Tiger Hotel gate creaked open. Two forest guards and a fisherman entered. Behind them stood Captain Deshpande.

Naveen Chandra stood in the middle of the garden, watching as they approached.

“Is this the man you saw?” Deshpande asked the fisherman.

The fisherman stared at the handsome Bollywood actor for a moment, then nodded vigorously. “Yes, I’m positive! I saw this man pick the lock on the custodian’s house and sneak inside. Yes, yes, it was definitely him, Captain!”