The Blue Bar (Blue Mumbai #1)(57)

Trust no one.

Blue sequins. Tara’s sequins matched the photos on his screen. Maybe it was the same saree over decades, maybe not, but a police officer as the culprit made sense. A senior police officer would know how to evade notice and stall investigations.

From his own experience, Mumbai police officers didn’t cut a heroic figure. Joshi hadn’t investigated Asha’s rape. Mhatre had ordered him to ignore what was clearly shaping up as a serial killing, because of Taneja’s clout. Shinde collected haftas like a mob goon, went out with bar girls despite being married, and had not disclosed recognizing a murder victim.

Shinde didn’t return, nor did he pick up Arnav’s calls. Amid the agony that was his shoulder, worrying whether Tara would go back to Shetty, and mulling over what Shinde had told him, Arnav wished Naik would show up soon. He could get her to sort Shetty out.

And name the devil, he murmured to himself, because Naik knocked and came in.

Anyone else would have started off with asking how he was, and whether they could help. Not Naik.

“Good to see you awake, sir. There’s an update on the black van.”

He liked her ability to come straight to the point.

“Located it?”

“Yes, sir. Our constable has identified it. Forensics are processing it now. The van was washed, but the team says they’ve detected traces of blood under the floor mat in the back.”

“I’ll make a call and hurry them up,” Arnav said. “Any arrests?”

“We’ve rounded up a few suspects for questioning. We don’t know who was driving the van yet. The constable who chased it says one of the suspects is a match. Similar height and build to the man who dumped the suitcase. Walks with a stoop.”

“What about this suspect’s call records?”

“We’re looking them up. We’ve also confiscated his phone.”

While Naik gave her account, Arnav mulled over ways to keep Shinde and Tara out of this, at least for the moment. To protect Tara, he must tell Naik about her role as a victim and witness. He would hold on to Shinde’s misdeeds for a while—at least until he’d had a more detailed chat, discovered the extent of his transgressions.

“I have an informer who says we need to look at Shetty,” he finally said, “the owner of the Blue Bar.”

“Should I set a tail on him, sir?”

“Bring him in.”

“We have nothing to link him to this case.”

“We know the victim was Neha Chaubey. The informer says she was a dancer at another of Shetty’s bars. Check the missing persons records for her name. He’s still sending out women in blue sarees.” He handed over the sequins to Naik.

“We have a witness?”

“Yes, I’ll get her to testify.” He hoped Tara would agree.

Naik made notes as Arnav told her about Tara’s accounts of her assignments, and that she was staying with Nandini.

“Interrogate Shetty. You can take Tara’s statement tomorrow. Don’t tell him we have Tara, though. And nothing about the blue sarees.”

“I understand, sir.” Naik glanced about the room. “Should I place a request to move you to a government hospital?”

The department would pay for his expenses at a government hospital, but that would also make him far more accessible to anyone aiming to finish the job.

“No, thank you, Naik. The doctor says I should be discharged soon.”

“Right, sir.”

“Show Shetty Neha Chaubey’s body. Keep him talking all night.” That would ensure Tara’s safety for now. “And send some women constables to speak to a girl who works there. Mithi. Ask her and the other women if any of their colleagues disappeared, or returned to their villages.”

“Sure, sir.”

Naik seemed happy to follow orders, even though she must know Arnav had been asked to step back from the cases. He told her he hadn’t accepted Joshi’s offer of promotion.

“You might yet be rid of me,” Arnav added. “Mhatre sir may not give me a choice and make me move to Bandra.”

“Congratulations, sir,” Naik said with a forced grin. She looked crestfallen for a second, which puzzled Arnav.

“You don’t seem to mean it.”

“No, no, sir,” Naik said. “It is sudden, and I was surprised—that’s all.”

“I’ll understand if you’d like to back off from the Aksa beach case, given what I’ve told you. And the Versova case wasn’t ours to begin with—I was assisting Senior Inspector Shinde.”

“I owe you, sir.” This time her smile was genuine. “Besides, I’d like to solve the Aksa case—the killer won’t stop unless we catch them. Other women might fall prey.”

“For now, keep the case low profile.”

“Mhatre sir has left for the day. Shinde sir has requested everyone to support you, so we should have few problems.”

So Shinde had been active. He used to be at Malwani Police Station before his transfer with promotion to Versova. He’d helped most of the Malwani staff at one time or the other—with a delayed application for leave or a home remedy for a cough.

Naik finally asked the question she seemed to have held back all along: “How did your accident occur, sir?”