Picture Imperfect by Saradindu Bandyopadhyay

Author:Saradindu Bandyopadhyay [Bandyopadhyay, Saradindu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789351187912
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Byomkesh handed Bidhubabu the note and said, ‘I think there is no reason now to hold Sukumar prisoner any longer. His sister must be informed too. I think she is still in her room. Come on, Ajit.’

About a week or so later the two of us were sitting in our living room, sipping our evening tea in companionable silence.

Over the last few days Byomkesh had been going out every afternoon without fail. He didn’t tell me where he went and I didn’t ask either. Sometimes he got cases that were to be kept a secret, even from me.

I asked, ‘Are you going out today?’ Byomkesh glanced at his watch and said, ‘Yes. ‘ A little diffidently, I asked, ‘Is this a new case you have taken on?’

‘Case? Yes—but it’s top secret.’

I dropped the matter. Instead, I asked, ‘Is everything cleared up for Sukumar?’

‘Yes—he has applied for probate.’

I said, ‘Byomkesh, tell me, exactly how did Phoni commit the murder—give me the details. I am still unable to untangle the whole mess.’

Byomkesh put his empty teacup down and said, ‘All right, let me narrate the incidents in their proper sequence. That afternoon Motilal had a row with Karalibabu. In the evening Sukumar heard about it and went to reason with Karalibabu. He got thrown out of there and stayed in Phoni’s room until about seven-thirty in the evening; he then had his dinner and went off to the movies. Till here there is no confusion, right?’

‘No.’

‘Between eight and nine at night—when Satyaboti was in the kitchen, Phoni pilfered the thimble and the needle from her room. He had anticipated that Karalibabu would change his will again and this time he would be the beneficiary. He decided he wouldn’t give the old man another chance to change his mind. Phoni could not stand Karalibabu; handicapped people are often very sensitive about their deformity. They can be very vindictive towards people who taunt them about it. Phoni had probably been contemplating the murder for quite some time.

‘From the statement given by the cook, we know that Motilal left the house sometime around eleven-thirty. Under the influence of opium, people often have no sense of time. That’s why the cook was so uncertain. According to my calculation, Motilal left the house at exactly twenty-five past eleven. He always had that weakness—he hardly ever stayed home at nights.

‘After Motilal left, Phoni came out of his room. Motilal’s room was right below Karalibabu’s. Phoni did not want the noises to alert Motilal—hence the wait. It took him about five minutes to get Karalibabu under chloroform. Then Phoni pierced his neck with the needle, ineptly. It took him three tries to get it right. If it had been a medical student like Sukumar, it could never have taken him that long.

‘After that, Phoni went into the next room and took Karalibabu’s last will out of the safe. His guess was right; the will was made out in his name.

‘All this took him a total of ten to twelve minutes.

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