“Okay,” I said dully.
“I don’t want to tell…”
“It’s okay. I will. Just let him know it’s a family emergency and identify me as Diya’s fiancé from the US”—it was how the Prasads had introduced me—“and ask him to call me.”
“I’ll do it right now,” she said on a wash of relief.
My phone rang with an incoming call only two minutes later, despite the fact that—per my phone’s world clock—it was very early morning in Perth.
The sick feeling in my stomach bloomed to burn the back of my throat. This was it. I had to destroy someone else’s world now. That was when it struck me that I had no idea of Shumi’s status; for all I knew, my sister-in-law was already dead.
A cold wind whispered across the back of my neck as, in the fardistance, someone’s phone played a ringtone that sounded like wind chimes.
Chapter 6
Private notes: Detective Callum Baxter (LAPD)
Date: Dec 3
Time: 08:10
Spoke again to Jason Musgrave. Man doesn’t appear to have slept all night, but he was calm and reasonable until I indicated the possibility that the accident might not have been straightforward. I focused on a possible medical event rather than interference with the vehicle, but Jason zeroed in on the latter.
He immediately began to shout that his mother was healthier than he was, and that if the accidentwassuspicious, we needed to look at “that fucking Romeo who conned her out of at least a quarter of a million! He probably thinks he’s in her will!”
Per Jason, Virna Musgrave’s estate was in the realm of fifteen million dollars while she was alive. Have made a note to confirm this with her attorney, but an initial search of available databases shows her as the owner of multiple high-value properties.
Case remains on hold until the pathologist gets to her—if she had a heart attack, that ends it. Morgue says she’s at the top of the queue since thegangs are having a few days off from shooting each other, and the mayor’s made a special request.
Also per Jason, the name of the “Romeo” is Tavish Advani.
Chapter 7
“Is this Tavish Advani?” a male voice demanded.
“Yes, sir.” One hand clenched tight on my knee, I somehow managed to keep my voice steady as I told this stranger that his daughter was in the hospital with severe stab wounds and that her husband and parents-in-law were most likely dead as a result of a catastrophic house fire.
“Is this some type of prank?” Shumi’s father’s voice rose. “What kind of sick bastard are you?”
“I wish it was a prank.” I stared at the hard-wearing carpet on the floor of the waiting area. “The fire’s made the news, so you can look it up online, or just call the police here. They’ll confirm. I’m really sorry, sir.”
It was easy to default to formal politeness, keep this small distance between us so that his anger and grief didn’t mingle with my own to leave me locked in a state of panic. “Diya and Shumi are both here, at Rotorua Hospital. They won’t tell me anything about Shumi because I’m just her brother-in-law.”
I wasn’t surprised when he hung up on me. He’d be checking thenews, calling the cops, trying to prove to himself that I was just some dickhead getting my rocks off by making up this horrible story.
I was still staring unseeing at the floor when he called back a bare ten minutes later, and this time, his voice was rough and unsteady. “I spoke to the police. We’ll be on the first flight back that we can get on. Ajay—my son—is trying to find seats now. What ward of the hospital should I call? The officer I spoke to didn’t have the information at hand.”
After I told him, he said, “Thank you, Tavish. I apologize for—”
“There’s no need,” I interrupted. “This is a nightmare. Just take care of your family and get here soon. Shumi will need you.”
“Yes, I’ll message you our flight details as soon as we confirm them.” A pause. “You’re alone there, aren’t you, beta?” Concern, care in the term used for younger members of the family. “Your family’s in the States?”
“Yes.” I had one casual friend, a guy I’d met at the local rock-climbing club, but I’d only managed to get to four meetings so far, so even he was more acquaintance than friend, if I was being honest.
“I’m sorry I don’t have any contacts in Rotorua these days that I can ask to help you,” Shumi’s father said. “We’re based in Christchurch, but we’ll be there as soon as we can. Until then, I’m sure Rajesh and Sarita must have colleagues who’d be more than willing to help—you know how to get in touch with them?”
“Yes, I have the contact details of their clinic.”
