Deadly incidents- 6

Read part 5- here 

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‘She was bare faced and sweaty that morning from the gym.’ the couple that insisted on finishing each other's sentences had informed Pavil the next day. 

If there was any Hercules or another such mystery guest in her life the Bedi’s knew of it little because they’d never known her to be a person who knew life outside of her own home and work.

The old man had refused to open his doors for Pavil and it didn’t seem decent for a policeman to keep ringing a senior citizens bell especially that early in the morning.

But Pavil was resolved on another meeting and of that he’d apprised Mr Gor through locked doors.

Pavil had lingered around the apartment building to learn of any other ways to access the house, but despite there being a separate stairway for fire exit, there was only one entry point to the house, that was the main door; which meant that someone could bypass the main entrance of the building but there wouldn’t be another way to enter and if that simplified things or complicated them at this juncture, Pavil couldn’t say.

He sat in the empty house, regarding the couples photo like it would whisper some answers, for he had little luck with finding the dead woman’s phone.

If it wasn't near the body, if it wasn’t in the house, then there was only one place it could be.

No sooner had Pavil finished making a phone call that he heard a thud coming from the floor above and listened carefully because it seemed to travel towards another room. Pavil followed the soft scraping noise from above that settled into the bathroom where it disappeared for a while and then started again towards the living room. 

The old man wasn’t wrong about the walls being thin, at least in this case where one could actually hear if one bothered to listen intently the barely audible noises that did seem to travel through the walls, but would someone living upstairs hear the ongoings below? 

Sure loud music was one thing but what if someone fell or even screamed?

Another thud indicated the shutting of a door and the sound of painful dragging of feet now made their way on the staircase.

Pavil knew who was coming and intended to intercept him on the way and find some answers even if it meant giving Mr Gor a stroke.

Pavil fixed a stance outside the apartment in a way of being unabashedly noticed, however, the old man ignored him like he did his failing health and would have walked right past him had his movements not been so disinclined towards walking.

Pavil extended an arm to block his way and he intended it to be polite but it met with an incoming umbrella and the policeman nearly pulled him by the scruff of his neck but restrained his annoyance by standing in Mr Gor’s way and murderously smiling. 

‘What do you want?’ 

‘I just want to finish our conversation.’ Pavil looked squarely at Mr Gor and spoke noticing for the first time how ancient and milky the man’s eyes looked. 

He’d put on new wrinkles in the span of few hours since they’d met and seeing how he carried a small duffel bag Pavil deduced he was going to his daughters. 

‘Sir, I could drop you where you need to go.’ Pavil smothered his statement with kindness. 

‘Who the hell are you?’ Mr Gor sounded his usual chirpy self and Pavil had not the patience to repeat everything again. He sorely wished Khar had been with him but that was just a wish and here he was standing in front of a man armed with an umbrella.

‘Did you hear any noise coming from this house’ Pavil pointed at the door behind him ‘yesterday morning?’

Mr Gor tried putting one foot in front of another as a way of indicating that he meant to continue climbing downstairs, but Pavil was having none of it. ‘please, sir.’ Pavil sincerely requested, ‘it’s important and can help resolve certain issues.’ 

The fossil exhaled, perfuming the air with his decrepit smell.

‘I might have heard something, I could not be sure. My hearing aids aren’t what they used to be, though my daughter bought them from Canada. Do you know the import duty they levy on these things here? I think my daughter bought me a cheaper pair too, or maybe it was her fool husband who suggested she save money on buying her old man something useful. I knew him to be a no-good idiot the day I saw him. Bloody rascal hates me around their house, but I won’t relent.’ and Mr Gor sneered most obnoxiously, revealing his yellowed teeth.

Pavil shifted the weight on his feet uneasily and Mr Gor made to move again. ‘Sir, he spoke sharply this time. Did you hear some noise from this house yesterday morning?’ he stressed the last words to drive his point home and the old man’s voice came out in wheezing rattles. ‘Get out of my way, you’ and Pavil relented letting the irritable man take his leave who looked momentarily stunned at this gesture.

 He dragged his feet on the stairs and muttered ‘there was a crashing sound before I left for my walk. Someone threw a sack against the wall or something. It vibrated through the tap in my bathroom. Can’t let an old man stay in peace, bloody idiots.’ he seemed to be muttering to himself.

‘What time was it?’ 

The annoyed veteran mocked him by derisively imitating him and shakily held up his left hand indicating the watch and kept trudging.

It was almost quarter past nine.

Pavil met Khar outside his home and breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the beloved tea flask protectively tucked under Khar’s arm. 

‘You’re my guest at the station’. Pavil spoke to an imperceptible nod from Khar.