The Day The State Split Asunder - 33

'Sir, we received the call data from the mobile network company for the past two months. Vineetha's number is also in the list. I already asked her to come to the station,' said Inspector Imtiaz.

'Nice. At least we can get some clarity,' Arjun said.

'Sir,' Vineetha came into Arjun's room.

'Hello ma'am? Please take your seat,' Arjun said. He then gestured to Imtiaz to bring the watchman.

She sat on the chair with no hint of nervousness. 'Why did you ask me to meet?'

A lady constable dressed in khaki sari entered Arjun's room and stood exactly beside Vineetha. This made Vineetha uncomfortable.

'Madam, as you already know that one of your news reporters Suresh has been murdered. We just want to know whether you are suspicious of anyone?' Arjun asked.

'You asked it yesterday and I had already given you the answer. What's your purpose behind asking me to come and meet at the station just to ask the same question again?'

'Relaxe madam just tell me about your relationship with Suresh?'

'What relationship are you referring to? Are you suspecting me?' 

'Madam you are over analysing too much. Relationship in the sense, I am referring to the professional relationships in the workplace,' Arjun replied in his calm and polite tone.

'He is just my colleague and nothing else more.'

'When was the last time you have seen him?'

'A month ago,' she replied instantly.

Inspector Imtiaz walked into the room along with the watchman of 'The Golden Moon' apartment.

'Is she the same woman that you saw along with Suresh?' Imtiaz asked the watchman, pointing his finger towards Vineetha.

The watchman looked at her and in a split second he said, 'Yes sir! It is she.'

'Ok! You can leave,' Imtiaz said to the watchman and asked him to leave.

'So Madam Vineetha, three days ago that watchman saw you quarelling with Suresh outside the apartment and he said you even threatened to kill Suresh? Is one month equal to three days in your language?'

Vineetha fell silent and clutched her handbag tightly.

'Sir is asking you only!' the lady constable yelled at Vineetha.

'Madam please tell us the truth, else we may need to include your name in the report and take you into custody. Tell us why did you kill Suresh?' Arjun demanded.

'I didn't kill him! I didn't kill him!' she repeated twice, banging both the fists hard on the table while tears erupted from her eyes. 'I didn't kill him sir!'

'If you didn't kill him then who? When I asked you when was the last time you saw him you said one month ago?'

'Sir, why will I kill him? We love each other and also want to get married,' she said sobbing.

'Then why did you threaten to kill him?'

'Sir, that watchman didn't listen to the entire conversation. Suresh hasn't been talking to me properly for more than a month. Whenever I called him he used to say "I am busy and will call you later". My parents on the other hand are looking for a match and they want a rich guy and they won't be ready to accept Suresh who hails from an average middle class.'

Arjun placed a glass of water in front of Vineetha and asked her to drink. She drained it in one sip. 

'So Vineetha, is this the reason you were fighting for, or, did you have any doubt that he might have found someone else?' 

'Sir, actually I thought the same and that's the reason behind meeting him three days ago. He said he was on leave as his father wasn't feeling good and everything was fine.'

'Did you notice anything suspicious in his behaviour?'

'Nothing sir!'

'I see! Does this watch belong to Suresh?' Arjun showed her the watch. 

'No sir!'

'You seem to be confident.'

'Sir, I once gifted him a wristwatch but he didn't accept it. He doesn't like watches and moreover this is an expensive watch.'

'Then do you have any idea who used to wear it?'

'No idea.'

'Don't worry. We will definitely catch the criminal. But we need your cooperation.'

'Definitely Sir!'

'You can leave now.'

The lady constable then escorted Vineetha out of the station.

'Sir, if not she, then who is the culprit?' Imtiaz asked.

'That is what we need to find. Let's now focus on the external clues. As far as I remember, there is only one way to reach the apartment right that is only through Gachibowli-Kondapur main road?'

'Yes sir, that lane has only one entry and exit. I personally patrolled that area a number of times.'

'Then in that case the attacker must have gone through the same route and also there is a petrol filling station at the turning. Try to get the CCTV footage if possible. That may come into handy at any point in time.'

'And also in the notepad I could see he had written addresses of five persons all belonging to different districts,' Inspector Imtiaz pushed the notepad towards Arjun. 'We even have the bus tickets and I got to know from his father that he has no relatives in those districts.'

'I think this case is going to get complicated soon. One day let's go and enquire about each and every resident living in Suresh's apartment. At least one person would have seen something. Let us backtrack all his activities.'