by
Athoy
ring cring! Cringcring! The telephone rang up.
Suman answered, " Hello!"
He heard a serious voice, "Hello Suman, this is your Reza uncle. I want to talk with your father. Is he in the house?"
" Yes, hold a minute", saying this Suman went to call his father. But he saw father coming towards the telephone. Father asked, " Whose phone?"
" Who everyday phones you," said Suman, "Reza uncle. Might he will give you an another case."
Suman's father, Mr. Hasan was a very famous private detective. Reza uncle, who was a police, always took his help in the hard cases. Mr. Hasan received the telephone and talked with Mr.Reza for a few minutes. Then he placed the receiver in the telephone.
" Dad, you're a very famous detective. I want to watch your espionage." Suman said.
" Well, then get ready." Father answered.
After getting ready, Suman got into their car with father. Father started to drive the car. Suman asked, "Now dad, tell me. What's happened? What is the case about?"
"Well," father starts, " It's about a diamond. Have you heard the name of Mr.Sharif Khan?"
" Mr.Sharif Khan? You mean that famous businessman?"
" Yes, you're right. The diamond was his. He was going to sell the diamond to a foreign businessman tonight. But today, in the morning, he found that the diamond has theft. And so they call the police and the police called me."
" To find the diamond and catch the thief?" Suman asked.
" Yes." said father. " Here we come!"Suman saw their car has come in front of a three-storied building. There was also a police car. He saw Reza uncle. Reza uncle came to them, "Come, Mr.Hasan, we were waiting for you. Suman has come too! Well come along with me."
Father went with Mr. Reza. Suman followed them. Soon they entered the living room. A man was sitting on a sofa in a sad face. Suman understood he was Mr. Sharif Khan. Seeing Mr. Hasan, he stood up. He said, "Thanks for coming, Mr. Hasan. Please help us to find my valuable diamond! Hope you have heard all from Mr. Reza."
"Yes," replied father, " But I want to know details. How you came to know that the diamond had lost?"
Mr.Khan said, " Today, in the morning, at about 7a.m. I opened my chest of drawer to see the diamond. And then I saw my diamond had lost."
" When did you see the diamond last?"
" Tomorrow, in the night."
" What was the time?"
" About 9.45 p.m. And I placed the diamond in the drawer again at about10p.m."
" How many people knew about the diamond?"
" Not many. The diamond was so valuable that I didn't tell more people about it. Only my wife, the foreign businessman, my two tenants and me knew about the diamond."
" Well, why you let your tenants to know about the diamond?"
" Because one of my tenants, Mr. Haider Ali, helped me to buy the diamond. He is very interested in diamonds. He doesn't collect them but like to have photographs of them. He has many magazines with interesting news on diamonds. In such a magazine, I saw a news of that diamond and Mr.Ali helped me to buy it."
" And what about the other tenant?"
" The man who sold the diamond to me, was a cousin of him. So he easily came to knew that I bought the diamond from his cousin."
" Well, can you doubt who has theft the diamond?"
"No. May be any thief entered the room and...."
" Was any window or door open in the night?"
"Only one window was open. But the grille is o.k. Nobody has broken the grille in the night. I also didn't see any suspicious thing too."
" Then how the thief entered the room?"Mr. Reza said, "Mr. Hasan, we have searched everything. It's impossible to the thief to enter the room without breaking the grille of the windows."
" That means the diamond has stolen by somebody who lives in this house or who came to this house in the night or in the morning. How many members are in your family, Mr.Khan?" father said.
" Only two, My wife and me. Our only child, Faria studies in London. So she lives in there."
" And in the first and second floor of this building live your tenants?"
"Yes."
" Did anybody visited your home between 10p.m.in the night and 7a.m.in the morning? It is clear that the thief stole the diamond between this time."
" Yes- two of my tenants came. Mr.Ray came to phone his friend at 10.15p.m, Mr.Ali came to talk with me at 10.30p.m.Then Mr. Hasan, Who could steal my diamond you think?"
" Well, anyone can did it. Now I want to talk with your wife."Mr.Khan's wife came after some minutes. Father asked, " Mrs.Khan, have you notice any suspicious thing today in the morning or in the night? Can you doubt who is the thief?"
" No, and I don't suspect anybody."
"Don't you have any servant?"
"Yes, but she is in holiday."
" Thanks you a lot, Mr.and Mrs.Khan," father said. " Now I want to cross-examine your tenants. It's a part of my job."
Mr. Khan said, "Of course! Go upstairs and do your job."
Father went upstairs. Suman followed him. On the first floor lived Mr.Ali. They knocked his door. Footsteps came to the door. The door opened by a man. Suman understood he was Mr.Ali.
Father said, " Mr.Ali?"
"Yes, but you...."
" I'm private detective, Kamal Hasan. Mr.Khan has appointed me."
" O------ you are that famous detective! Please come in!"Mr.Ali took them into his living room. They all sat down in the sofas.
" He is your son-am I right?" Mr.Ali asked pointing Suman.
" Yes," father said, " Then Mr.Ali, I want to ask you some questions. Do you know that the diamond of Mr.Khan has stolen?"
" Of course! When I was going to have morning walk, I heard a cry from his home. I went to there and heard everything. Then I telephoned police."
" Who do you think stolen the diamond?"
" I can't say but might someone has done this who know very well about Mr.Khan's diamond and where he keeps the diamond."
"You know that too I think!"
"That's right, because we are very good friends. But I didn't do the thieving...well, say what will you like to have? Tea or coffee?"
" Umm----tea."Mr.Ali called his servant and asked to bring some tea and biscuits. Then he began to talk, "Mr.Hasan, now have you understood who stole the diamond?"
" No. Mr.Ali, who else live with you?"
" My wife and son. My father-in-law is ill, so they are staying with him in Rajshahi; my father-in-law lives there. I am going to there tomorrow."
" Well, what's your profession?"
" I'm a government employee."
" Don't mind, your income?"
" Not well."
" Then you are in money-problem. For solving this problem you can had done the theft!"Mr.Ali didn't feel nervous. He said, " Mr.Khan is my friend. Why will I do this? I'm not such a man you think. --------- Now start!"
Suman saw the servant has brought tea and biscuits. He started eating biscuits. He was excited. Will his father be able to solve the mystery?Mr.Ali began to talk again, "And your police have searched the whole house, also Mr.Ray's home. They haven't found the diamond. So if I have stolen the diamond, where can it be? We, the tenants of Mr.Khan, couldn't go anywhere since the coming of police. And before the come of the police we didn't go anywhere. I was consoling Mr.Khan and Mr.Ray was sleeping deeply. I called him to wake but he didn't. By much difficulty I wake him. So it is clear that I didn't have any opportunity to bring the diamond away from house. And the diamond is not in my house, too. So you see, I am not the thief!"
Father took a draught of tea and said, " That's a good alibi! Well, I think you have much friendship with Mr.Ray! "
" Oh yes," Mr.Ali said, " But He is a very peculiar person. He doesn't like crowd of people. When the police went down after searching, he cleaned his room very much because he is very fastidious. He has hysterical mania for cleanliness and sanctity."
"O.K. Mr.Ali, thank you. We are now going upstairs to cross-examine Mr.Ray. Good bye."Father went away. Suman followed him.
At the third floor, on the door they saw there is the name "Mohon Ray" in a nameplate. Father knocked the door. A man opened the door.
"Mr.Ray?"
"Yes! But you..."" I'm private detective Kamal Hasan. Mr.Khan has appointed me to find the stolen diamond. So as a part of my job, I have to ask you some questions."
The face of Mr.Ray said that he was disturbed and didn't like the coming of Suman and his father.
" And who is this boy?" Mr.Ray pointed Suman.
"My son."
"O.K. Come inside please! But I won't be able to give you much time. You have to do your job in a short time."
"O.K." father entered the room, Suman too. He was feeling nervous. Father said, " What were you doing Mr.Ray?"
Suman saw Mr.Ray seemed nervous. But father didn't notice it.
Mr.Ray said, " I? I was reading book...Well now please come with me and sit in the chair of balcony. The fans of the living room are damaged. But the balcony is full of air...now come!"
Suman and father went with Mr.Ray. There are some flowerpots and some chairs in the balcony. They sat down in the chairs.
"Now Mr.Ray, how many members are in your family?"
"Only me."
"What were you doing between tomorrow night 10p.m. to today's morning 7p.m.?"
"Umm...In the night 10a.m., I came home from my office, at about 10.15 I went to Mr. Khan's house to phone my friend, because I have not any phone. Then I went back home and went to bed. In the morning at about 8 a.m., I wake up hearing Mr.Ali's calling and heard everything about the thieving. Then I had my breakfast. After that I had been read books since you came. I couldn't go outside this house after the coming of police. They didn't let us to go outside for their job."
Suman wanted to tell something to Mr.Ray. At last he said, " I heard your sleep is very deep! Really?"
Mr.Ray smiled, " It's true. My sleep is so deep that even ten bells won't be able to wake me up!"
Suman amazed, " How unbelievable!"
Mr.Ray raised his hands and said, " Well, well, now I have to answer the questions of your father. You know I haven't much time to give your father!"
The famous detective Kamal Hasan didn't notice but Suman did. Why Mr.Ray told lie?Father asked a few questions to Mr.Ray then. But Suman didn't listen to them. Because he had found out the real thief of the stolen diamond!
Father went down after sometimes. Mr.Khan was seemed ruined. He said, " Have you found the thief?"
Father said, "No!"
They went to the garden. Polices were finding clues. They are not letting anyone to enter the house. At last Suman said, " Don't worry, Mr.Khan, I have found the thief and I know where is the diamond!"
Everybody surprised. "What have you say?"
Suman said, " I have found the thief. And he lives in this house!"
Father said angrily, " What are you saying? I haven't found him but you..."
Mr.Khan said, " No Mr.Hasan, I think he is right. Suman, my boy, who is the thief?"
"I will tell everything but first everyone in the house must gather in your living room."So everyone sat in the sofas of living room. Mrs.Khan said, "Now my boy, start!" So Suman starts, " First I thought the diamond was stolen by him who doesn't live here. But I understood the real fact after going upstairs with father. The thief is one of your tenants, Mr.Khan!"
Father said, "What are saying? How it could be?"
Suman said, " I will give you the prove. But first let me tell the name of the thief. The thief is Mr.Ray!"
Mr.Ray stood up angrily, "What are you saying, disrespectful boy?"
"Why are you getting encouraged?" Suman said, " I'm right. You are telling lie."
Father said to Suman, " But what's the reality of your speech?"
"I will say but first guard him by the police. He can try to escape."
Father did what Suman said. Then all said, "Now tell!" They were very excited.
Suman started again; "Father was cross-examining Mr.Ray. In a period, Mr.Ray raised his hands. I saw some soil were covered his fingers and hands. Father didn't saw it but I did. Then I thought how soil covered his finger? He was in the house from the morning. He didn't go to the garden. If he did, the police had seen him. But they didn't, so that it is clear that he didn't go to the garden and hold the soil. He didn't hold the soil at night because if he did, he would wash his hands; he has historical mania of cleanliness and sanctity. That means there is soil in somewhere in the house. But where? Then I remembered there is soil in only one place in his home. Do you know where? In the earthen pots of flower plants! Then it's clear to me that he was doing something with the soil of the pots. But I remembered then, when father asked him what was he doing, he said that he was reading books. That means he told lie to us. But why?
Was he planting plants in the pot? But it's not anything to be hidden. That means he was doing something secret. What it could be? Then I understood everything. He stole the diamond some way and hid it in the pot of flower plants. He was again hiding it properly when we come to his door. Father is a detective, so that Mr.Ray told lie. He didn't wash the hands too, because if he did that, we would understand everything. Am I wrong Mr.Ray?"Mr.Ray's face became pale. He tried to escape but the police caught him. Mr.Khan praised Suman and said, " You are very clever boy! Such as your father! Thanks very much, Suman. But Mr.Ray, why you do the thieving?"
"I was in a money problem. I went to phone my friend tomorrow in your room where are your chest-of-drawers, Before entering your room once I saw you entering the diamond-case in the chest-of-drawers. At a period, you went to your living room and I did the thieving. The keys of the chest-of-drawers were in your table. Then I went to my home and hide the diamond in the flowerpots. In the night I couldn't hide it well, so I was hiding it in the morning. I hid it but before washing hands Mr.Hasan came and Suman spoilt everything."
Mr.Khan was very angry. Police went out with Mr.Ray. Mr.Khan went to Mr.Ray's home and found the diamond in the flowerpot. Everybody was glad with Suman. Father felt very proud of him. After two hour, they got into car and went home. It's clear after telling the story mother will be sink in happiness! Now Suman has started solving mysteries as a detective. If you have any you can call him!!!!!!
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