Veronica did not like the idea of sitting beside the man who had attempted to murder her. It was taking too much of her nerve to remain calm. She was feeling like stabbing a pen or something sharp to the throat of the old man. But what could she do? She was in the police station and was sitting before the Inspector who she felt had an affinity toward these Malkhan people.
Her mobile phone rang. She stood up and took the mobile phone out of her jeans pocket and saw the screen. It was an unknown number. She received the call.
"Hello," she said.
From the other end a young man's voice filtered in as a whisper, "This is Matthew. Do not shout. Do not take my name. Just listen."
She did not say anything. She listened.
"Come out of the police station," Matthew said.
She did not say anything for a few seconds. Her silence meant: How to go out of the police station? The inspector is sitting just before me. And I want to listen what the Malkhan man has to say about Andrew, that man in the photo.
Perhaps Matthew understood her silence and said, "Just complain about the network problem."
Veronica looked at the Inspector and said, "Perhaps network problem. I should go out of the room and not disturb your interrogation."
"Please," said the Inspector and pointed her out of the room. When she came out of the police station, she could see Matthew standing before a food truck and waving at her. She cut the call and reached Matthew. He was drinking a cup of tea. He asked, "Do you want a cup of tea?"
"No, thanks. I must go inside," she said.
"Why?"
"Because we are not done yet. Perhaps our interrogation is not over. The police have not told us to go."
"Oh!" Matthew said taking in his last sip of tea. Then he looked at the exterior of the police station. No policeman was standing there at the outside. He said, "Look there is no policeman outside the police station."
She said, "Perhaps everyone is engrossed with listening the Malkhan man's story. I want to hear that too. Perhaps he is going to reveal some facts about the man in the photo I showed you."
He asked, "Who is the man in the photo? What will you get if you get to the man? Tell me."
She said, "I have told you. He is my inspiration."
"But why are you searching him?"
"It is personal. Who are you to ask me? Let's go inside the police station."
He laughed.
She asked, baffled, "What is the matter?"
"The Malkhan man has nothing new to reveal about the man in the photo. He was clearly telling everything before he was going to execute us. He was telling that that man in the photo is Andrew; and Andrew and he were good friends. But Andrew betrayed him in some way. Nothing more. This is why he was angry upon Andrew. And that anger was directed toward us. That was why he was angry. – I had noticed that you were very hopeful that you would find some clue about Andrew, but I am sorry to disappoint you."
The color on her face flew away – she looked crest-fallen. She supported herself by leaning on a chair before the food truck.
He said, "Come on, control yourself Veronica. It is ok. You have to take the next step. If you stay here, stay near the police station, the tribal-man-loving Inspector is going to sue you falsely for instigating tribal people to violence, which is a very serious case indeed. And you may be sent to jail for a long period. So just let's go. Escape. Leave this place. The police Inspector wants to be a hero among the locals and the tribal people. You can not trust him. Let's leave this place as soon as possible."
Then he suddenly grabbed her hand and started running. They saw a vacant taxi on the path. Matthew pushed her inside the taxi and he also entered it. Then he asked the driver to drive to the bus stand.
"What has happened?" asked Veronica. "Why, did you see a police looking for us?"
Matthew just nodded his head.