'These are smruggled drugs.' said Sathvik wearing his fierce look, 'The forensics are on their way.'
I stood still in the room glaring at the drugs. He hurried out of the room as soon as his phone rang. I'd almost explored all the house except an empty room and so I went there. There was a trail of muddy footprints on the floor that started from the door and led outside, but went no further.
'Found something?' said Avani as she walked into the room. I pointed at it. She stared at it for a minute.
'Its a man. He must have broken in through the window.' She said and looked at the windows and debunked it, 'Perhaps through the front door and cleaned it later. What do you think?'
I continued staring, least bothered to reply.
'I don't think so.' Vikram joined, 'This place is crowded. Just coming through the front door is simply too vulnarable.'
'Then how did he get in?'
'The windows. Maybe he replaced them ASAP.' Then it was made to look old'
'It does not seem like that.'
She turned towards me, like she just did not want to argue.
'What are you thinking?' she asked
'Why is there mud? There has been no rain for a week in Bangalore.' I replied
'He probably came from outside the city. There have been rains in the surrounding area.' She looked at it closely and debunked it again, 'You're right, somethings fishy.'
'The mud seems like the one typically found in sewers. Is there a sewer nearby?'
'Yes, there is one not far from here.' Said Vikram.
Avani and Vikram began arguing and I spaced out into my theories. How did he break in? All the windows are intact, no signs of break in on the doors.
I looked at the balcony door of the room. There was something missing. I checked the other doors, but the feeling just increased. I felt like I was missing something which was right infront.
I inspected the door. There was a top bolt, a lockset in place and a bottom bolt, all locked; the other doors were also in the same order, but this huntch did not settle. Then I closely inspected the door and got back to the door in the room where they were still arguing, and compared it.
It was pointless. I sighed. Suddenly I realised it. The bottom bolt-head of all the doors pointed upward while one door pointed straight in ninety degrees. Furthermore, all the windows were like the same, which was the pecularity.
'How do you think he broke in and out?' said Avani breaking off their argument.
'Why do you think he broke out?' I asked
'What?' she said
'He certainly broke in but did he go out?' I paraphrased.
They both looked at each other and then back to me.
'Is he still here?' she asked.
I nodded. They immediately looked around for hiding places. The place had barely anything to hide in, which left the room with the drugs. I told them to go there. Subsequently, Sathvik came into the room. I gestured him to stay quite.
I crept across the pile of drugs and carefully peered. There was a pillow and a used cup, but no one there. Sathvik hissed to catch my attention. He gestured to come to the other corner, like he found something.
There was a man sleeping on the ground and empty beer bottles around. He was drunk. I could smell it.
Few hours later, the man gained conciousness. He was cuffed to the grill of a window outside the room. He struggled and pulled the cuffes. It was a futile attempt to break free.
'I'll ask you this once. Who are you?' Sathvik asked with authority.
He looked at him with a straight face, as though he'd murder us all. Sathvik sighed, looked down and held his forehead, trying to control his temper. Then, in one fell swoop, punched him on the face. He gave a short screem and looked back at us. He spit out his teeth with blood.
'No.' He spoke after a long wait, 'I won't tell you shit.'
I looked at his attire. He wore a casual shirt ripped at the right shoulder and his trousers had a tiny hole in the knees; he maintained his look, despite the pain, eyes red and teeth yellow.
'Who do you work for?' I asked
He gave the same look, but this time with more sharper glare.
'You surely work for somebody. Who is it?' I asked again
No answer. Just staring.
'A drug mafia.' Avani said, 'Thats what seems to fit.'
'There was a drugs racket recently brought down.' Started Sathvik in a low voice, 'They targeted young teenagers and got them addicted to drugs. They were sent for rehab. Some escaped but nobody saw this man there.'
'Are you?' I asked
'I can't tell you. Or they will kill me.' He said
'If you don't tell us, we will kill you.' I said
He looked at us. That look on his face had eroded.
'I used to work for them for six months. I ran away and kept my family safe in Bangalore, but I was late. They got to them before me. Now I'm blackmailed.' He said.
'Tell us where these drugs are from?' he asked
'Kerala. They are supposed to be transfered to somewhere else today.' He said.
'Where?'
'I don't know.'
Sathvik pulled his radio reciever and requested for his department.
My work was done. I wondered whether Mary could have been involved into this. I did not believe in that, but objectively, there was a possibility, especially after the absurd events at Maxam Hospital. It could be that Doctor Khan was involved into this.
I departed the place with four of us in my car, droping them back. My next clue was to find Doctor Khan. But before that I had to visit the church, which means I had a long way to drive to Reidle Amines.
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