Chapter 53

"Rohan, even I am taken aback by Stella's action. I will be talking to our legal team on how to take this forward, and whether this case can go forward in Stella's absence. So just wait for a while till I clear this up. As for Stella missing, Inspector Abdul Kaiser is leading the case investigation and he is one tough guy to deal with. It seems he is leaving no stone unturned to solve the mystery. A dead body which resembled Stella was found on the outskirts of City M near a farmhouse; however, her head is crushed. The thing that intrigues them is that a kerchief was found on which R&S was embroidered. While this doesn't prove anything, the inspector is trying to sew up the case as soon as possible. And with Stella filing a case against you, things have become dirtier. All fingers point to you."

R&S? He remembered Stella showing him that hanky which she had embroidered. "What is R&S?" "Stupid! That stands for Rohan and Stella!" He smiled and even felt important at the time.

But right now he felt dismayed. He was about to mention that incident to Mr Gupta, but refrained from it.

"You know, sir, that this is ridiculous," he said. "I have plenty of evidence that suggests that I had gone to Langkawi. Before that I was in Jodhpur. However, I am not worried about the evidence of my whereabouts for the past few days. I am more worried about this damn case. My reputation is at stake. We were mutually consenting adults. She was as much into it as I was. I did not take advantage of her in any way. We worked in different departments. It was not as if I was offering her promotion or better employment within the company. So this case stands void," he added firmly.

"It doesn't matter, Rohan. You have to be present for the hearing if the dates are announced, even if Stella isn't there. But again let me talk to our legal team about it."

After discussing some more important points, they left the restaurant. Gupta had to sort out this mess carefully. He had to answer to his bosses, as he had recommended Rohan for the promotion and transfer to San Francisco. He had to understand the legalities involved in the case. He didn't like Abdul, who would every other day call to enquire about Rohan. Dealing with Abdul was not easy.

Rohan, on the other hand, was contemplating meeting Inspector Abdul. By the time he reached his apartment, he was convinced that this was a bad idea. Instead, he thought of investigating the case himself. But where should he start? What was Stella doing in the outskirts of City M? Murdered?

He thought of calling Sneha and checked his mobile. It was quarter past eleven. There were five missed calls from her. He didn't call her back…

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She moved slowly in the backyard towards Sneha's bedroom. There were dim lights coming through the window. She could see that Sneha was sitting on the bed leaning against the headboard. She was looking at her mobile and trying to call someone. The call wasn't going through and she was clearly disappointed.

Where is Rohan? She waited for him to show up.

It wasn't easy breaking into the retired police officer's house. She was wearing black leggings coupled with a black full sleeved shirt. She had to take advantage of the night. While the boundary walls were not too high to climb, she had to be extra cautious so that no one noticed her when she was climbing it in order to enter from the back of the house.