The Devil's Harem

‘Ullu? Didn’t Jessica and Veronica go there last week?’ Daniel thought, ‘Could something have happened there?’

“Sir... If you permit, can I talk to her?” Daniel asked, pointing at Jessica, “I need to ask her something.”

The officer looked at Daniel and then towards Jessica’s beautiful face, looking at him with hope and helplessness.

“Since it’s you, I will allow it,” the officer nodded, “I don’t think a beautiful girl like her can kill someone. Well, not counting those killer eyes.”

Daniel totally ignored the officer’s comments and made his way toward Jessica, pushing away all those who came in his way.

“What have you gotten yourself into, kiddo?” Daniel asked, helplessly smiling at Jessica.

.....

“I don’t know,” Jessica was clearly panicking with the unexpected charges she was facing, “What murder? Whose murder? They didn’t even tell me.”

“Did something happen in Ullu?” Daniel did not answer her but counter-questioned.

“Wha..h...?” Now it was Jessica’s turn to be startled. She did not expect that cursed Ullu to still haunt her. She thought that what happened in Ullu stayed in Ullu. But clearly, that was not the case.

“What happened in Ullu, Jessica? You need to tell me. Otherwise, I can’t help you.” Daniel could sense the anxiety on Jessica’s face. Something really did happen.

“That...” Jessica was hesitant, and for very good reasons. First of all, that incident, attack whatever you call it, was traumatizing. She did not want to have any inkling memory of it in her mind. And secondly, she did not want to drag Alex into this mess. However, infuriating he was, he had managed to mould a soft spot in her heart.

“What is it? Did he say anything? Whose murder did she commit?” By this time, Francis had also arrived near them.

Daniel looked at Jessica, “That’s what I am trying to find out,” he replied, “Something happened on her trip to Ullu. Now, it’s all up to her to tell me what happened.”

“Ullu?” Francis took a step back and looked at Jessica in blight. ‘Why is that matter coming up? Did he not take care of it?’ Francis thought as he looked at Jessica, trying to see if her expressions could reveal anything.

Daniel nodded, “Now tell me, Jessica. What happened there? And don’t leave a single detail out.”

“That...” Jessica turned to look at her grandfather before making up her mind. She started to narrate everything that had happened since they landed in Ullu. Her meeting with Alex in the hotel, their bickering and how she went underwater diving with Veronica. Up till here, Jessica narrated the events without a single change in the storyline. But from here onwards, Alex was out of the picture. Jessica told Daniel about the leacher who tried to harass her but ran away because of all the people around there. Then came the part where she went to explore the city, throwing the incident from the morning out of her mind as nothing but a pervert trying to take advantage of her.

But it was a mistake on Jessica’s part to leave on her own. Apparently, the incident that morning was a test trial, and the real predicament was waiting for Jessica, lurking in the shadows.

Going further in the story, Alex was replaced by Jessica. Jessica was again attacked by the same man from the morning. A tussle broke out between them, and to protect herself, Jessica was the one who stabbed the man with her hairpin.

“After that, what happened? I don’t know anything. I ran away from there as fast as I could,” Jessica, with her eyes moist, looked at Daniel and, shaking her head, said.

“Was there anyone else who saw this?” Daniel asked, “Is there someone who could be of help to us? Someone who could come to the stand and tell everyone your side of the story?”

Jessica shook her head. She really did not think that anyone would have seen her and Alex there fighting with the man. Both Alex and Jessica did not want to be among the crowd, so they chose to walk towards the most isolated part of the beach, with no people and no CCTV to prove their innocence.

“So, how did they know it was you?” Daniel thought, pondering over the question, “Did you drop something there?”

Hearing Daniel, Jessica looked at him for a while before she gave a slight nod, “I did lose my handbag. I don’t know if it was there or when I was running away from him, but I lost it somewhere that day.” Jessica told them.

“That’s it. I am sure if there is no person or video footage to tie you up, your handbag is the link here.” Daniel clapped his hands and said.

“Is this good or bad?” Jessica asked.

Daniel smiled, “Well, if that is the only thing on their side, it is nothing but a piece of circumstantial evidence. It won’t hold in the court, but we need to be sure that is the case.”

Then Daniel turned towards Francis, “Sir, we should talk to the Mayor now. After that, we should head for the court to get her bail.” Daniel said, “We don’t have much time before the courts close.”

But Francis did not faze, lost on his own thoughts of what happened in Ullu. It was not clear if he had even listened to what Jessica had said.

‘Was this really a coincidence that Jessica is behind bars for something that had happened in Ullu, which he was a part of behind the scenes?’ Francis had his doubts turned toward that man.

“Sir...” Daniel shook Francis, “We don’t have much time. Please talk to the Mayor.” Daniel asked him.

Francis looked at Daniel, then towards his hand on his shoulder, and nodded, “You get the papers ready. We will head out right after I am done talking with the Mayor.”

Francis then pulled out his phone and took a step away from Daniel and Jessica. Daniel also walked out of the police station to make the calls.

Francis pulled out the Mayor’s number and called him. The two of them have been friends with each other for the most part of their life. Francis did not belong to a family with a big business enterprise, but they were pretty well off on their own. The Mayor, on the other hand, had a prominent political background to back him up. His father was in the government, while her mother was one of those powerful social activists who had their fangs around the government.

The two of them have been taking care of each other since their school days. When Francis decided to take up his family business a couple of notched, the Mayor and his family were behind him. And in return, the Mayor had his pockets filled generously. Both of them were very clear on their relationship, and none decided to ditch the other all these years for some petty benefits somewhere else.

But now, the Mayor was not even picking up his calls. Francis had already tried a couple of times, but all he got was that the other party was not available to pick up his call.

Finally, the fourth time, the Mayor picked up and before Francis could say anything, he interrupted, “Listen, Francis. I can’t help you this time. I have already tried before getting your call, but this is totally out of my hand. I got the call from the Additional Solicitor General to not meddle in this affair. I don’t know who have you rubbed the wrong way, but if you know, don’t try to look here and there for help. I suggest you pacify that person in whichever way possible,” the Mayor suggested.

“... Take it from your old friend, businessmen like you can have all the money in this world. But when it comes to real power, you can only buy off small people and get by. Those with real power can shake you to the core with just a signature of theirs.” The Mayor said and ended the call without saying anything further.

‘Offended someone? Those with power?’ Francis was slowly getting a clear picture of everything. Now it was all making sense. Ullu, Jessica, murder and everything. All of this was pointing to only one man.

“Sir, the Judge has refused to grant bail to Jessica,” Daniel walked to Francis and softly broke the news. He had tried to ask why that was the case, but no one he called was ready to talk further about it.

“I know,” Francis sighed, waving his head, “I know... I finally know what is going on.” With weak steps, Francis slowly dragged his feet towards the nearby chair, leaving a confused Daniel behind.

Jessica, who was seeing all this from behind bars, could see her depressed and helpless grandfather sitting there, and she could not help but blame herself for bringing him into this situation.

With everyone in their own dilemma, thinking about what to do next, the crowd in the police station started thinning. And soon, except for the police officers and convicts behind bars, no one else was there.

“This is for you,” the officer in charge walked up to the lamenting Francis and forwarded his phone towards him, “Sir wants to talk to you.”

“Hello,” With shaking hands, Francis took the phone and answered.

“Surprise... Surprise... Motherfucker.”

* * * * *