Dharmesh took a deep breath, and then leapt in the air. He crashed on Krishna, and within a few nanoseconds, he had locked his arms around his throat. Every Investigator had received basic training in physical combat.
“What?” Krishna choked.
“I don’t recall telling you about the cigarette butt on the window sill. How could you know that unless you had only planted it.”
Krishna’s efforts to break out of the lock tripled after that.
“Tonight you didn’t act as a translator. You were simply taking advantage of my unfamiliarity with Tamil, and telling me stories so that I considered Saranganathan guilty. I am certain that if I call a proper ‘translator’ I will get very different results.”
Krishna tried to make some noise, but then thought better of it. No Investigator had ever accepted a bribe.
“Everyone is pretty sure that the gem isn’t inside the Aashram. It is logical to conclude that it was smuggled outside. As far as I know, only one person had exited the Aashram to call me. It was a brilliant plan, except you made one mistake. You called the wrong guy; you attempted to fool Dhar…”
Dharmesh felt the wind knocked out of his lungs. Krishna had wriggled his hand free out of the lock, and struck him in the chest.
Dharmesh’s grip loosened and Krishna wrestled free.
Krishna grabbed the first thing his hand could and attempted to use it as a weapon.
Dharmesh’s hand was struck by a heavy metallic candle stand. He felt his bone break. Another blow whisked close by his head. Dharmesh swung his other hand blindly. It connected with Krishna’s face, and he went down.
Dharmesh kicked Krishna with all his strength before slipping out of conscious.
Dharmesh eyes opened in a hospital. He was told that the Aashram people had called for the police, and the police had located Krishna’s partner in crime.
Dharmesh glanced to his left. The victory had come at a price. His hand was plastered, and he would remain bed-ridden for more than a week.
