Heather gave Steve a break. “We were left with a body and a group of suspects. Everyone either had alibis or couldn’t have committed the murder. We knew we’d missed something. I talked to Victor Yancy’s lawyer in San Francisco. He implied that the judge scheduled to hear Lewis Chan’s case would be no problem. The attorney also wasn’t opposed to the idea of gaining control of the entire Yancy fortune. All it would take would be an unfortunate accident happening to Tabby. Even better, her being sent to prison would muddy the probate waters. All the while, he could siphon off funds.”
Heather looked around the room and saw startled expressions on some, but not all, the faces. She pressed on. “We also took into account the attorney had sufficient resources to hire a professional hit man to take care of Victor. For the time being, we decided to put that investigation on the back burner. We dug deeper and discovered who stayed in Cassie New’s and Badrah Patel’s rooms the night prior to their checking in. That proved to be most interesting. Steve will tell you about it.”
Eyes shifted to Steve. “In Badrah’s room a young pharmaceutical rep from Atlanta stayed the night prior to Badrah checking into that room. We found no link between her and Victor. She was singing at a karaoke bar back in Atlanta when Victor was killed. Next, we looked at who stayed in the room adjoining Badrah’s the night before Cassie New checked in. That’s the room that’s been determined as the place Victor was drugged and pushed off the balcony. A man by the name of Durain Rana was registered to that room the night before Cassie. His website and hotel registration put him as hailing from San Francisco. We had a connection, but not a strong one. I’ll let Heather describe him to you.”
Again, the heads turned to Heather. “Video from when Mr. Rana checked in showed him approximately five-feet-six-inches tall, slumped shoulders, and thin. He had sharp features, dark complexion, and dressed in baggy cream-colored linen pants. A long light-colored matching top came down to his knees and completed the traditional Indian garb.”
Steve cleared his throat and eyes shifted back to him. “When Heather and I first interviewed Badrah Patel, Heather asked a question I thought irrelevant. She asked Badrah what her first name meant.” Steve nodded to Badrah. “What does Badrah mean?”
“It isn’t important. Your time is up. I have a plane to catch.”
Lieutenant Blankenship broke in. “This is getting interesting. You’ll stay until we’re finished. If need be, I’ll have a patrolman make sure you don’t miss your flight.”
Heather looked around the room. “One meaning of Badrah is to be early or ahead of others. That name fit her well. She graduated early from high school and college and attained her graduate degrees in a short amount of time.”
Steve spoke next. “That got me to thinking. If Badrah fit her personality, what could the name of the person who occupied Cassie New’s room the night before mean? Heather did the research. Durain means double. Rana means eye catching.” Steve put it together for those who didn’t catch the importance. “An eye-catching double.”
“What does Badrah have to do with anything if a man stayed in Cassie’s room the night before?” asked Michelle.
“A person dressed as a man stayed in that room,” said Steve.
“I’m confused,” said Tabby.
“Hang in there,” said Steve. “We’re coming down the home stretch. The key to this has to do with adjoining rooms. When we first interviewed Badrah, we asked her who was staying in the adjoining room. She said she could care less. That was the furthest thing from the truth. The only way the murder could have taken place was for Durain Rana to disable the lock on the door in Cassie New’s room. That way, when Cassie went to take her late night walk, Badrah Patel, who is also Durain Rana, called Victor. She told him to come to Cassie’s room. She drugged him, put his fingerprints on a glass, and planted the hypodermic in the couch. Then, she moved him to the balcony, put his thumbprint on the railing and waited.”
“Waited for what?” asked Dirk.
“For Cassie to come through the atrium from her walk and enter the elevator. Badrah watched her ascend in the elevator from the balcony of Cassie’s room. At the last moment she heaved Victor over the railing and scooted back to her room through the adjoining door.”
“I want to make sure I’ve got this straight,” said Michelle Chan. “Durain Rana, who is Badrah Patel, checked into what is now Cassie New’s room on Wednesday. She monkeyed with the lock on the door to the adjoining room. The next morning Durain Rana checks out of the hotel and that afternoon Badrah Patel checks into the room adjoining Cassie New’s? Is that right?”
“Holy smoke!” exclaimed Tabby.
Heather had to cover the smile that crept across her face.
“One more thing,” said Steve. “Badrah, you said you heard Victor scream as he fell. How could he do that when he was either unconscious or already dead?”
She remained mute and rigid.
Heather broke the silence. “Badrah Patel and Durain Rana are the same person. It’s all in the names, and on the hotel video recordings. The eye catching double who arrived early is Badrah Patel posing as Durain Rana.”
Steve said, “We wanted to make sure. Leo checked the lock on Cassie New’s side of the adjoining rooms in the wee hours this morning. It’s been tampered with.”
Leo took his turn. “The only thing left to do is search Badrah’s luggage. We should find the man’s clothes, a wig and the glasses Badrah wore when she checked in a day early.”
Lt. Blankenship had heard enough. He motioned to Heather with his head. She moved to the door, opened it and asked the officer in the hall to come in.
“Cuff her, and take her in,” said Leo. “I’ll be down later to question her.”
Badrah came to life when the officer reached for his handcuffs. She sprayed the room with invectives in two languages but proved to be no match for the officer, Leo and Lieutenant Blankenship.
After she’d been escorted out, Tabby asked, “Why did she do it? Why did she kill Victor?”
Steve settled in a wingback chair. “We can only speculate, but I think I know. Victor and Badrah had a fling in high school. To most Americans it wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans. Not so for Badrah’s family. They practiced arranged marriages and part of the agreement is that the bride be unsullied. She’d been pledged since she was eight years old. When her family found out she’d been intimate with Victor, they were honor bound to notify the groom’s family. This resulted in the cancellation of the marriage and Badrah’s family disowning her.”
Heather picked up the story. “Badrah reacted by becoming Americanized. We don’t know what made her want to kill him. Perhaps it was when Victor contacted her and asked her to do some work for him. It could have triggered a longing Badrah had for her family and culture. It could also be that the idea for the initial project was hers. Those are our theories of why she killed him. Lieutenant Blankenship and Leo will try to get more information out of her.”
“Are you sure there’s enough proof?” asked Dirk.
Lieutenant Blankenship responded. “It will be a combination of the things Steve and Heather said. Also, we’ll try to trace the drugs in the hypodermic back to Ms. Patel. We should find the evidence, now that we know where to look. We’ll also be checking with the airlines. She either flew to Houston as Badrah Patel or as Durain Rana.”
Heather added, “It may be as simple as finding an empty vial in her luggage.”
With the killer in custody, it seemed as if the air had been let out of the balloon. People looked at each other as if to ask, “Is that all?”
“There’s one loose end for the police to handle,” said Steve. “It’s possible Tabby’s attorney in California worked in concert with Badrah.”
Heather looked at Lieutenant Blankenship, grinned, and said, “We wanted to make sure you felt included.”
“Thanks.”
Tabby turned to Lieutenant Blankenship. “I’ve something to say to those who Victor invited, if that’s permitted.”
The lieutenant spread his arms wide with palms out. “Go right ahead.”
Tabby stood. All eyes, with the exception of Steve’s, of course, locked on her. “Heather and I had a bit of a slumber party last night. After they worked out the details of who killed Victor, we looked at Victor’s computer files. We found one that had to do with the reunion and why Victor wanted you here early.”
Dirk mumbled, “Probably to show off.”
“Would you shut up!” said Michelle.
Tabby waited with hands clasped. “Dirk, he wanted you here because he was grateful for what the team did twenty years ago. He intended to show his gratitude.”
“Yeah? Was he going to give us a free battery charger?”
Tabby shook her head. “No, Dirk. He wanted to give the members of the team a million dollars each.”
Gasps filled the room. Tabby allowed the monetary figure to settle in but didn’t allow enough time for the members to form questions. “I plan to honor his wishes, with some provisions.”
“What do you mean provisions?” challenged Dirk.
Tabby smiled at Heather. “Would you tell them?”
Heather looked at the couple on the couch but directed her comments to Dirk’s wife. “Michelle, Tabby has asked me to administer the dispersal of your million dollars with the following provisions: First, you are to bring any outstanding debt to my office and I’ll pay everything you owe. Next, I’ll handle payments for the college education for your son, which will also include a fair amount for normal living expenses.”
Dirk had moved to the edge of his seat.
Heather looked at Michelle. “I’ll disperse funds to you if you can present pay stubs from Dirk’s job.”
“What?” shouted Dirk. “You can’t do that.”
Heather issued a stare of cold steel. “I can do it, and I will do it. You’ve been a parasite on your wife far too long. If you don’t work, she won’t get the money. It’s your choice.”
Heather raised her hand to quell a repeat of the complaint. “One more thing, Dirk. You have to stop drinking and go to counseling. Michelle must provide written proof that you’re going to weekly meetings. No documentation, no money.”
Dirk stood and pointed a finger at Heather. “If you think for one minute you’re going to tell me how I’m to live my life, you’re nuts.”
“Sit down and be quiet,” said Michelle. She turned to Heather. “What if I divorce him?”
Dirk looked as if he’d been run through with a lance.
“That’s your call,” said Heather. “Is that what you want to do?”
Michelle looked at her husband. Her voice softened. “I don’t want to, but I can’t stand living with a lazy drunk any longer. I’ve loved you since middle school, but you have to change.”
“One more stipulation,” said Heather. “If you two decide to stay together, you must go to marriage counseling.”
Dirk sat down. He turned to Michelle. She took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “We can do this.”
Tabby looked at Lewis Chan. “Victor had intended to give a million dollars to Badrah. That’s changed. I’ve decided to give you a million dollars instead, but with one provision. You must drop the lawsuit.”
Heather said, “I’m telling you there is no chance you will prevail in court. If you don’t agree, you’ll wind up with nothing.”
Lewis looked to his sister. Michelle nodded. “I’ll make the phone call to his attorney as soon as we get back to the room.”
Tabby seemed to glow. “I wish Cassie New was here so I could see her when she learns she’s a million dollars richer.”
Lieutenant Blankenship reached for his phone. “I’ll have her here in less than an hour.”