Theft or What?

Reema Kumar was bringing the house down with her hysterics. Her pearl necklace was missing. Her favourite, precious pearl necklace. "Don't you ask me to calm down," she aimed a loud volley at her husband. "The south sea pearl necklace, it's invaluable," she wailed.

Of course Deepak knew how valuable it was, it cost him a fortune. He tried his best to pacify her, but Reema was being Reema. It is difficult to mollify her once she gets going. They had checked everywhere possible. Sarada and Pooja, the helps, went through the room with a fine toothed comb. They couldn't find anything. 

Finally, Deepak called Inspector Das. When the inspector came, he found an eerie silence in the house as if someone had died. As soon as Reema saw him, she let loose a monologue. "You have to do something inspector. My necklace, my pearl necklace is missing. I have not misplaced it. I am very sure of it. I am very careful with my jewellery, with all my jewellery. I don't leave my things here and there. I always keep them in the safe. This is the first piece of jewellery that I have ever lost. It's an exquisite piece. This necklace is very dear to me. Its also very expensive. I tell you, you have to find it. It is...." 

She would have kept on talking had Deepak not led her aside. He put his arms gently over her shoulders and firmly took her in. "You need to rest Reema. Please get her a cup of tea," he addressed Sarada. After seeing to it that she was settled, he returned to Inspector Das. 

"Sorry for that. She's very disturbed. I hope you understand," he said to Das. Das merely nodded his head. But in reality, he didn't understand the whims of the rich, nor he cared much. He was here to do his job. He concentrated on that. He knew this case came with added pressure because Deepak Kumar was a wealthy man and had friends in high places. Moreover this might be one amongst the many thefts that have taken place recently. Whoever this thief is, he is causing big headaches, cursed the inspector under his breath. Aloud he said, "Please tell me the sequence of the events."

"Reema had this pearl necklace. She kept it in the safe. Today morning when she opened the safe, it was missing. She's very sure that she hasn't misplaced it. We have looked everywhere possible. The dressing area and the bedroom have been searched thoroughly. But we couldn't find it. I have even asked the helpers. They, of course deny any knowledge of it. And I can't be too stern with them." Deepak said, then added, "It's an expensive piece of jewellery, costs more than a lakh. I would be grateful if you can locate it."

When people are asked to give a sequence of events, they tell from only one perspective, theirs. In the event of a crime, It is the job of the police to ask the right questions and fill in the blanks. Inspector Das attempted to do the same. 

"Is there anything else missing besides the necklace?"

"No."

"When was the last time Mrs.Kumar had seen the necklace?"

"Yesterday morning. Almost every morning she opens the safe to check on her jewellery. As there have been many thefts recently, she is concerned about her jewels. When she checked yesterday, the necklace was present."

"Who was around when Mrs.Kumar opened the safe?"

"I was there. My mother-in-law too was there."

"And today when Mrs.Kumar opened the safe, were you present? Your mother-in-law?"

"I was there. Not my mother-in-law. She had returned to her home yesterday night."

Inspector Das asked if he could see the safe. Deepak readily took him to it. The safe was not broken in. There was no sign of any forced entry. So whoever took the necklace, used the key to open it. Das got busy noting down in the small notebook of his. From the corner of his eye he noticed that Reema had joined them. She looked calmer, but was seething inside.

"Do you think you will be able to catch the thief?" Reema asked flatly. Apparently she had little or no faith in the inspector. The recent thefts and the failure of the police to nab the thief had tilted the balance against Das. Deepak jumped in to smooth the situation.

"Of course, they will. We will get your necklace back." Deepak seemed apologetic of his wife's rude tone. But Reema wasn't. She gave Das a look, and he was left thinking that she could scald anyone with that stare of hers. Wish that blasted thief could come face to face with her. 

"You are going to question the staff, aren't you? Maybe one of them stole it. Or they let the thief in. Either way, one of them knows about this, I'm sure."

"I will question them, madam. But first, please tell me who has the keys to the safe?" Das asked.

"We both have a key each," Deepak replied.

"Any of your keys missing?"

"No. I have mine right here," Deepak pulled out a bunch of keys from his pocket. "Reema too has her key with her. You opened the safe today morning with your keys," Deepak said, addressing Reema.

"Yes. My key is with me." Her eyes got wide with excitement, "So do you mean, someone stole the key from me, then opened the safe and stole the necklace, then replaced the key?" Inspector Das couldn't help but think that the lady has a lively imagination. He choose to not comment.

"There are only two keys?" Das asked. 

"Yes." Deepak said.

"No, Mama also has one," Reema said suddenly.

"Your mother? Where is her key? Will you please find out if she has the key with her? She was here yesterday, right?" Das enquired.

"Yes, she was here. She has gone home. But what has she to do with all this? She wasn't even here today," 

"I want to ask about the key, madam. As the safe has not been broken into, it can be concluded that a key has been used. First I want to make sure that all the keys are accounted for. Is there any way we can make contact with her?" Das explained patiently.

As if in answer to his summons, an old lady breezed in violently. She was Reema Kumar's mother, there was no mistake of it. As soon as she entered, she went straight to her daughter, "Reema, is it true? Your pearls are stolen? Oh my God!" Then she turned to Deepak and demanded, "So what are you doing about it?"

"Inspector Das is here," Deepak pointed to Das.

"Are you sure?" She took one look at Das and turned to Deepak, "Are you sure police can find out the thief?" Then she turned to Das, "The recent thefts haven't been solved yet." Das opened his mouth to answer, but shut it back again. At times, it is best to lay low. 

"Mama, he wants to know about the keys to the safe. Where is the key that I gave you?"

"The key is with me, safe and sound. It should be somewhere here," she dug into her oversized handbag, and miraculously produced a single key. "What do you want the key for?"

"Mama, inspector says that the thief might have used a key to open the safe. So he wants to make sure we are not missing our keys." Das was glad that Reema did the explaining.

"But you don't need a key to open the secret panel, do you? You just need to push it open," she said. "I don't understand what he is asking the key for. These people, they go round in circles." She said to Deepak, but her comment was aimed at Das.

On any other day, Das would have replied back in as many words, but not today, not now. The first sentence of hers had grabbed his attention. Even Deepak sat up. The men looked at each other in disbelief. Each wanted the other to confirm that he had heard it right. 

"The secret panel?" Das got his voice back.

"Yes! The secret panel. What kind of policeman are you?" She thundered at Das. "The pearls have been stolen from the guest bedroom's wardrobe and you are asking for the keys of the safe?" Das tried to ask her a question, but she wouldn't let him. She kept talking about incompetence and much more.

Finally, Reema was able to cut her monologue short. Her voice trembling, she asked "What do you mean by the wardrobe, Mama?"

Mama rolled her eyes, "That's where I kept the pearls."

Shock reflecting in her face, her eyes wide with alarm, Reema ran out of the room. Deepak got up and signalled Das to follow. The old lady was left standing in an empty room and wondering whether all these people have lost their marbles at the same time.

Reema's hands shook as she opened the door to the wardrobe. "Where is it?" she cried. Secret panel is supposed to be just that, a secret. 

"May I?" asked Das. Reema reluctantly made way . Das let his fingers run along the inner panneling, knocked a few times here and there. At one point, he stopped. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the area gently. They heard a click. Das slid the tiny opening aside, put his hand inside and pulled out something. Reema was desperately trying to look over Das' shoulder. When Das turned, he had a jewellery case in his hand. Reema almost but snatched it from his hand.

"My precious pearls!" Reema exclaimed as she opened the case and a string of pearls looked back at them, the most beautiful pearls Das had ever seen. Deepak, on his part, was finding speech difficult, "How....when....," was all he could manage.

"Oh! The pearls are right here! Why did you say they were stolen?" The old lady was standing behind, her hands on her hips, demanding an answer.

At last, the clouds of confusion cleared. The previous day, when Reema was checking on her jewels, she mentioned to her mother, her dread of them getting stolen. Her mother too was concerned. She thought hard and using her key, took out the pearls from the safe, and placed them in the secret panel of the wardrobe. The old lady, in her eagerness to ease her distraught daughter, forgot to tell her what she did. She thought she was helping her daughter, but ended up creating chaos.

A perfect anti-climax, thought Das. A theft that wasn't. Wish all thefts would solve themselves.