"They were terribly frightened of a wooden monkey."
"What nonsense!"
"That's why I said not to ask about the events... I doubt Colonel Sahab's mental state." Imran said.
"Even then, you all let him go out alone."
"His mental state was perfectly fine." Arif said.
"Why are you still spouting nonsense?" Anwar scolded him in Urdu.
Colonel Dixon glared at Anwar.
"You people seem very mysterious." he said.
"These two are indeed quite mysterious." Imran said with a smile. "Today, they spent the whole day shooting flies with an air gun!"
Martha burst out laughing at this.
"You're more mysterious than them!" the Colonel remarked sarcastically.
"Yes!" Imran nodded slowly. "It was my idea to shoot the flies."
"Look, let me explain!" Sophia said. "I don't know much about the situation... One day, Daddy received a parcel from an unknown sender. Inside was a small wooden monkey, and from that moment on, Daddy seemed distressed! That night, he paced around till morning, fully armed. The next day, he hired eight hill guards who patrolled around the house all night with rifles! Daddy only told us that he sensed some kind of danger."
"And what was the significance of the monkey?" Bartosh, who had been listening silently until now, asked.
"Daddy never told us about it. If we insisted too much, he would get upset."
"But why did you hide this from us?" Dixon asked.
"Daddy's orders! He said that spreading the word would only increase the danger."
"Strange!" Dixon mused. "Can I live peacefully under this roof with these circumstances?"
"I think the danger was only for the Colonel." Imran said.
"You're an idiot!" Dixon snapped. "I'm not talking about the danger; I'm worried about Zargham."
"Confucius said..."
"As long as I'm staying here, don't you dare mention Confucius, understand?" the Colonel roared.
"Alright!" Imran nodded like an obedient child, pulling a pack of chewing gum from his pocket and tearing off the wrapper. Martha laughed again.
************
In a room at the police headquarters, Inspector Khalid was seated at his desk, opening his mail. He was a robust and youthful man who had once served in the army. After the war ended, he was absorbed into the detective department. Being a man of sharp intellect, he had no difficulty adjusting to his new role and was well-liked due to his performance. His features were sharp, giving an impression of detachment from his heart. Though his face had the sternness of a hard-hearted man, his behavior didn't reflect that harshness.
After reviewing his mail, he leaned back in his chair when the phone on his desk rang.
"Yes," he said into the receiver. "Oh! Alright, I'll be right there."
He left his room and headed towards the Deputy Superintendent's (DS) office. He pushed aside the beaded curtain on the door.
"Come in!" the DS said, gesturing towards a chair.
Inspector Khalid sat down.
"I've called you for a private matter."
"Please go ahead."
"I received a personal letter from Captain Fayaz of the Federal Department."
"Captain Fayaz!" Khalid mused. "Yes, I think I know him."
"One of his men is here. They want us to provide whatever assistance he needs. His name is Ali Imran, and he's staying with Colonel Zargham."
"Why is he here?"
"You'll have to find out from him. Here's his photo," the DS said, handing over a picture from his desk drawer.
"Very well," Khalid said, studying the photo. "I'll take care of it."
"Now, onto the second matter," the DS said, filling his pipe with tobacco. "What's happening with the Shifton case?"
"It's a constant headache." Khalid sighed deeply. "I don't think we'll crack it anytime soon."
"Why not?"
"We don't even know if Shifton is a single person or an organization. Many people have received threatening letters from Shifton, but so far, they're all alive, and none of them have reported any money being extorted. I think it might be someone with a mischievous nature trying to create a sensation. Almost every prominent person in the city has received such letters, all demanding large sums of money."
"Is there anyone who hasn't made such a complaint?" the DS asked with a smile.
"I think hardly anyone is left," Khalid replied.
"Think hard."
"Maybe someone might have been overlooked."
"Colonel Zargham," the DS said, smiling. "He hasn't reported receiving such a letter, even though he's a very wealthy man."
"Oh—"
"And now try to understand.!" the DS said. "Colonel Zargham hasn't reported any such threat, and the superintendent of the Federal Department is asking us to assist someone staying with Colonel Zargham. Do you understand?"
"Then there must be something special."
"Very special," the DS said, removing the pipe from his mouth. "I think you should meet this man... what's his name... Imran."
"I certainly will! But I don't know who he is or what kind of person he is."
"Well, that will only be clear when you meet him." the DS said, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk.