It took Ryan five minutes of driving in his rented Enfield before he could arrive at his first target, the nearest traffic post close to Kaizermagus Central Library. He had earlier interviewed all the traffic policemen assigned to man traffic posts on the route the lady assassin drove through.
They hadn't noticed anything special concerning the lady, apart from some of them who claimed to have seen a cap-wearing lady driving a car. The last traffic post came by mid-day, yet not a big crowd was passing! Having seen a few cigar shops around, Ryan asked the various owners if they ever saw any gray car or a cap-wearing lady drive past on the said date. Surprisingly, they did not notice anything, which made Ryan wonder if these people just see without noticing anything!
The next traffic post turned out to be a very busy one and many government offices around had CCTV cameras on the walls. On enquiry, Ryan discovered that apart from two cameras, the rest were not functioning. He sought permission from the respective officers concerned to view the footages of two previous days, but this request was turned down.
He could barely see the car in one camera and only its glass door in the other camera, but he was not discouraged as he moved to the next post where he saw few lanky children wearing torn sweaters and trying to sell flower bouquets to passers-by.
Ryan became joyous when he realized this was what he was looking for. He parked his vehicle at a lonely place, waited till the crowd dispersed and then walked up to the children who were depressed because no one from the crowd bought any flower bouquet from them.
As he approached the lankiest boy amongst them, the boy who altready had a quizzical expression on his face cheerfully asked, "Sir, do you want some flowers?"
As others people curiously gathered around the boy, Ryan responded, "No, not some flower bouquets, but I will need all the bouquets you are selling right now."
The children cheered, "Hurrah!"
Ryan handed over two thousand bucks to the boy in exchange for all the flowers and then carried the flowers to the traffic police standing nearby. After introducing himself as an Inspector, he requested him to keep the flower bouquets for him for a few seconds. The traffic police saluted him and took the flower bouquets. Ryan rushed back to the children and because they saw how the traffic police saluted him, they saluted him likewise and in unison said, "Thanks, Sir!"
Then he said, "Children, I have a task for you."
The children asked, "What is that Sir?"
Ryan who was having some pictures of the lady assassin's gray-coloured car showed same to them and asked, "Did you see this car crossing this traffic post last Thursday?"
"No Sir," they replied.
Kicking the ground in frustration, Ryan declared to them, "Don't lie to me."
The boy in the group said, "No Sir, we sell flowers here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Another group sells flowers on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. And Sunday is a holiday for all."
"Take me to that other group then."
"Ok Sir; please follow us."
They led Ryan to a nearby filthy ghetto that had a terribly offensive stench oozing out everywhere. Initially, Ryan could not decipher what that pungent smell was all about, until he later realized it was some industrial waste wafting out and immediately concluded that the place for unfit for human habitation.
The boy ran into a small hut to fetch one skinny boy whom he introduced as Sam, the children's leader on Thursdays and Saturdays."
Almost immediately, a lady, perhaps Sam's mother who was wearing a patch work shirt emerged from the same house with a smile, in response to Ryan's cheerful disposition. Ryan said to her, "I am a policeman Madam."
Ryan's introduction of himself as a police officer unsettled the woman, making her wonder if her son was in some kind of danger. Ryan read her face and said, "Nothing to worry Madam. On this Thursday, a gray car crossed this traffic post and ran over some people. That is why we are asking kids around here some questions regarding the car. Nothing more!"
Sam's mother appeared relieved and went inside. Then Ryan showed a photo of the gray sedan to Sam and asked, "Did you see this car last Thursday?"
Sam intelligently responded, "Yes Sir; the driver was a lady wearing a cap and a pair of goggles. I remember her."
"Good. Can you give details of her face, so that I can draw a picture of her?"
"Sure Sir."
Ryan got his notebook and a pencil out of his pocket.
Sam said, "She had a long face, a prominent chin."
Ryan drew a long face and a prominent chin.
Sam continued, "As she was wearing a pair of goggles, I could not see her eyes. So I cannot give any detail about her eyes."
Ryan drew a pair of goggles on the frame of the face. Then he asked, "What about her ears?"
"She almost had a rabbit's ears," Sam said.
Ryan drew the ears accordingly and asked, "And hair?" "Bob cut."
Ryan was able to sketch a near female rabbit-eared version of John Trevolta within a few minutes. "This is it," Sam said.
Coming out of the house, Sam's mother offered Ryan a cup of tea which he politely declined, claiming that he didn't like drinking tea." Then he ruffled Sam's hair and gave him a hundred bucks' note and said, "Use this to buy some chocolates, ok! It is a gift for your good memory. Bye."
Sam looked as if his name had been enlisted in the Guinness Book of World Records!
"Little kids," Ryan said with some excitement before leaving the stinking ghetto. He crossed the traffic, mounted his bikem, started the engine and zoomed off.
The traffic police present at that post was shouting at him, "Sir, you have forgotten your bouquets. What will I do with them?"