Family Ties (Part Two)

Posted on | Friday, September 2, 2011 | No Comments

Part Two 

Kim faxed him all the information he needed that very evening. It was just as he had suspected; Ruben was behind on his car loan payments by three months. He had also taken a RM50,000 personal loan from I---- Bank and was behind on those payments too. Seth was willing to bet Ruben’s gambling habit had spiraled out of control.


Later that evening, Seth called Timothy Chan, his uncle’s lawyer. According to Chan, Vikram Damodar had confided in him his plan to change his will after finding out that his son was up to his neck in gambling debts. He had help pay some of his son’s gambling debts but refused to help him after he couldn’t make his loan payments.

“They had a huge argument two days before your uncle died. Your uncle called me in a state of fury; he wanted to change his will as Ruben was currently the sole benefactor of his estate. Vikram wanted to choose a new successor to the business,” Chan explained.

“What changes did he want made?”

“He wanted to leave the estate to his wife and the business to you, Seth.”

“Me? But we hadn’t spoken in twelve years!”

“Your uncle was still fond of you, Seth. He had kept tabs on your career throughout the years and was proud that you had followed your own path in life. But he secretly hoped that you would take over his place in the family business someday,” Chan said. “In fact, he was supposed to meet me at 11.00am the day he died to sign the new will.”

“So Ruben is still his heir.”

“Your uncle left the business to him, as well as a large sum of money for your aunt to see her through her old age.”

Seth arrived at his uncle's place at a quarter to seven the following evening. Ruben's car was not in its usual spot on the front porch.

He'd just locked his car when a cheerful female voice called his name. It was Mrs. Veloo, the Damodars' long-time neighbour and his aunt's closest friend. She was wearing a wide straw hat and a pink batik dress that fell to her ankles. One hand was curled around a pair of gardening scissors while the other was on the small of her back.

He smiled a little reluctantly at her. She had been kind to him when he was a little boy, however she was notoriously long winded and a bit of a gossip.

“Hello, Aunty. How are you?” he said, squeezing out a friendly smile.

“Same as always, my dear,” she sighed. “My hands hurt badly in the morning; Dr. Krishnan said it may be arthritis.” She shook her head sadly.

“Sorry to hear that, aunty. Is my aunt in?” he asked, his smile turning sympathetic.

“They're not home. Ruben has taken Janagi for her medical checkup. They'll only be back around noon,” she said.

He heard the creak of a door opening and saw a tall man dressed in a grey t-shirt and faded jeans walk out of his uncle's garden shed. He was deeply tanned and looked a few years older than Seth. There was something oddly familiar about the man, although Seth was certain they hadn't met before. He startled a little when he saw Seth but recovered quickly and smiled briefly at him.

Seth's heart started to pound as he observed the man's shoes. They were mud-encrusted worker boots which looked to be a size ten. They could have easily made the prints Seth had found outside his uncle's study. The man walked around to the back of the house and out of sight.

“Aunty, who was that man who just came out of the garden shed?” Seth asked Mrs.Veloo.

The old lady looked up from her roses. “That's Nathan, the new gardener,” she whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “You know, I think there is something going on between your aunt and the gardener. Every time your uncle and Ruben were out of the house, she'd invite him into the house.”

Seth eyed her incredulously. “You can't be serious, why he's young enough to be her son!” Still, it was odd that his aunt was so friendly with the hired help.

The old lady lifted her chin defensively. “I asked her about it when she came over to tea last Saturday, but she went very red and told me to mind my own business. I dare not say anything to her after that.”

“I see. Maybe Aunty Janagi has her own reasons,” he said, hoping he sounded convincing. Because he sure didn't feel it.

The older woman shrugged. “He had an argument with your uncle the evening before he died. Janagi had gone to the temple with Ruben.”

“What were they arguing about?” Seth asked, frowning.

“I couldn't hear what they were saying, but their voices were raised. The gardener handed you uncle a large envelope. Your uncle seemed to read something from it and then he grew furious, threw the gardener out. He took the envelope with him and stormed back into the house.”

“I see. Did they get along before the argument?”

“I never saw them speak more than two words to each other until that evening. Maybe your uncle found out he was seeing your aunt,” the older woman wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially.

“If he was seeing my aunt,” Seth replied. His suspicions about the gardener were stronger than ever, and he was disturbed by Mrs.Veloo's insinuations. The thought that his aunt had been unfaithful to his uncle was bewildering. On the other hand, it could be something very innocent. Then there was his cousin Ruben who was no angel, either.

“Seth, what you're suggesting is highly improbable,” Dr. Krishnan said as he poured tea into a ceramic coffee mug and handed it to Seth.

“I know it sounds far-fetched. But what if someone poisoned my uncle to make it look like he had had a heart attack?”

“And you think your aunt and the gardener had something to do with it?” Dr. Krishnan raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Maybe. I don't know. It could have just as easily been Ruben; he was the only one in the house when it happened and being a doctor, he has access to dozens of possible poisons,” Seth said.

“You think he killed Vikram so he wouldn't be cut out of the will?”

“If he did, he didn't leave any evidence behind. My uncle's body was cremated yesterday so there's no way an autopsy can be done either. I'm sure the gardener is involved, but I don't know how yet.” Seth related all that Mrs.Veloo had told him that morning.

“I wouldn't trust that old bag's words if she were the last human on earth, but she may be right about the argument between your uncle and the gardener. I called him the night before he died to discuss our next golf meet and he told me he was firing the gardener,” Dr. Krishnan said.

“Did he say why?”

“No, he refused to say anything more. He was quite angry about something.”

“I wonder what was in the envelope he gave my uncle. I'm positive that the killer took whatever was inside of it.”

“Seth, I think you may be on to something, but you are going to need solid proof that your uncle didn't die of natural causes. Poisoning is difficult to prove, more so when there is no body to speak of,” the older man cautioned.

Seth nodded. “Convenient for whoever is behind this. For now.”

The old doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “First we'll need to find out what poison your uncle came into contact with and how. The easiest way would be through food or drink. When are you going to his house next?”

“Tonight, after I get off work,” Seth said.

“When you're there, get a sample of the coffee your uncle drank. I have a friend who works in the police lab. Put the coffee powder in here,” he said, pushing a small plastic bottle across the table to Seth, who put it in his jacket.



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