I was on duty when a man in his early fifties came into my office. His face was crinkled up with worry.

“Mr., I have reported the police department near my house about my wife’s missing but they don’t seem to be taking any action. Please do something. She’s been missing since 8 PM last night”.

 

“When did you report?”I asked.

 

“Well, at three this morning. I waited a long time for her to arrive and then I lost my patience.”

 

“Where had she gone?”

 

“To work”.

 

“Where?”

 

“At the Oklahoma restaurant”

 

“Near the station, right?”

 

“Correct”.

 

“Your good name please?” I asked.

 

“Marcos. Marcos Saint”.

 

“Take us to your house”, said I.

Marcos and I along with my fellow colleague, Garful, left for Marcos’ house.

 

While driving to Marcos’ house, I decided to drop in at the local police department. I went in and asked the person in charge about the proceedings of the case. They told me that they did not get any clues till now.

 

I gave them the instructions that they better start searching for clues or else their job would be in danger. We then went to Marcos’ place, which was more like a farmhouse.

 

We went in. It was a huge and a beautiful house, well furnished and lavishly decorated.

“You have a good house I must say, Mr.Marcos”, said Garful.

“Well all the credit goes to my wife. She used to keep everything in their proper places and everything neat and clean. Oh I miss her” he started sobbing.

 

The scene touched my heart. I comforted him with a beer.

 

“Why did your wife go to work when you have such a huge house?”asked I.

 

“Well, she used to get bored sitting in the house idle. So I asked her to work at the restaurant”, replied Mr.Marcos.

 

“Well, if you don’t mind, can I know your wife’s age?”

 

“Sure”, he replied with some hesitancy, “she was in her early thirties.”

 

“That’s all for now Mr.Marcos. We’ll keep you informed. Don’t let your heart down. We are going to the Oklahoma restaurant”.

 

While leaving for the restaurant, I noticed an imprint of a palm on the window of the car formed due to fog outside.

 

I went near the car and tried to peek in, when Mr.Marcos interrupted me.

 

“Yes Mr.Claire, anything of your interest?” he asked.

 

“No. Nothing”.

 

Then we made for the restaurant.

 

‘THE OKLAHOMA RESTAURANT AND BAR’, with the Las Vegas lights on, read the board over the most posh restaurant of the town.

 

We went in and spoke to one of the bartenders.

 

“Excuse me, do you know anyone named Mrs.Saint?” asked Garful.

 

The man did not answer. He rather stared at us and growled “No”.

 

We went to a waiter and asked the same question.

 

“Yes, Mrs.Laura Saint. She hasn’t come today.”

 

“Then why did that man lie when we asked about Mrs.Saint?” asked I pointing towards the man we talked before.

 

“He and Mrs.Saint are having an affair”.

 

“Since when?”

 

“Its been two months. That lady has no concern for poor Mr.Marcos”

 

“We are from the police department and we’d like to talk with you for a moment”, said Garful showing his batch.

 

“About what?” asked the waiter with curiosity.

 

“Come to the local police department at 3.30 afternoon tomorrow and we’ll tell you everything”.

 

“O.K”.

 

“Well, what’s your name?” asked I.

 

“Mike…Mike Russo.”

 

“And what about Mrs.Saint’s boyfriend?”

 

“Harry James”.

 

We went out of the restaurant. The tall man was still staring at them through the glass window.

 

Suspicion arose in my mind.

 

Was her extramarital affair to do anything with her missing? Was her boyfriend involved in it?

 

I gave Garful some money and asked him to stay there, but out of Harry’s sight, and keep an eye on him.

 

I then went back to the headquarters and spent the night there, sleeping in the couch itself.

 

At eight in the morning, I was awakened by a telephone call. I picked up the receiver. It was Garful on the other side. He told me that there wasn’t any sign showing Harry’s link with Mrs.Saint’s missing. Just as I kept the receiver down, the phone rang again.

 

This time it was Fraser, the incharge at the local police department.

 

“Sir, we have found a body near the railway crossing near the Oklahoma restaurant. It might be…”

 

“O.K. I’ll be there in a few minutes”.

 

I drove to the railway crossing where a lot of cops had already gathered. I met Fraser and he guided me to the crime scene. It was a woman’s body. She had been murdered in a cruel manner, all her body parts cut into pieces.

 

“Sir, there was a chain saw lying nearby with blood all over it. So, it can be made out that the woman was chain-sawed”

 

“Any clue, who she is?” asked I.

 

“No. But we’ve got a golden bracelet”

 

“Call Mr.Saint” I ordered and they did the same.

 

Marcos arrived within half an hour at the crime scene. He admitted that the bracelet was his wife’s and broke into tears. The scene was unbearable. Marcos was taken to his house. I told him that I had called Mike, the waiter at the restaurant as he had some important information to give.

 

I glanced at my watch. It was showing 2 PM. I decided to rush back to my headquarters.

 

I kept on waiting for Mike but he did not show up.

 

At seven in the evening, Garful called and told that nothing new was happening. I told him about the murder, which startled him. I asked him to keep Harry under continuos vigil, as the case now was not about a missing person but a murder.

 

I then called at the restaurant to ask about Mike. I was told that he left early at 3 PM.

 

I wondered why he didn’t make it to the headquarters. At 8 PM, Fraser called me and said there was another bad news.

 

“A man’s body has been found in a car parked roadside near the restaurant. His I.D card says ‘Mike Russo’, a waiter at the restaurant” Fraser continued, “Do you think he has any connection?”

 

“…Yes”, I said after a long pause, “ He might have had a connection. But now he doesn’t. Any way I’ll be there as quickly as possible.”

 

I rushed to the scene. Cops had gathered near a car inside which was the body of Mike. His neck had been cut with a wire.

 

‘No wonder why he couldn’t make it to the headquarters’ thought I.

 

I went near Fraser and said, “Fraser, you are doing a good job. Just contact me if you see any thing suspicious around here.”

 

“Definitely, sir”

 

“Did you get any fingerprints on the chain saw which you found near Mrs.Saint’s body?”

 

“No, sir. I think the murderer must have used gloves.”

 

“Any way, keep on looking out for clues.”

 

“Yes, sir”, was the reply.

 

The case was twisting towards Harry, the main suspect. Why wouldn’t he do it? He was Mrs.Saint’s boyfriend. He must have forced her to do something that she would have refused to. Even Mike had some news about their affair.

 

Who else would do it?

 

It could be Mr.Marcos as his wife had extramarital affair. But why he’d kill Mike? There wasn’t any answer for that.

 

I was driving to my headquarters when my mobile rang.

 

It was Garful on the other side. He was trembling as he spoke.

 

“Claire, listen to me carefully. It isn’t Harry. It is a bit confusing. Iam talking from a zip phone near the local police department. Fraser is…”

and the line went dead.

 

I started worrying. Was Garful all right? What was he saying about Fraser? What happened to Fraser? Questions were heaping in my mind.

 

I at once made for the police department. When I entered into the station, I was astonished to see Mr.Marcos pointing his gun towards Fraser. Even he was surprised to see me there.

 

He suddenly started shouting “Mr.Claire, Fraser is the man behind all this. He loved my wife and he forced her to divorce me but she refused. So, he killed her. Let me punish him, Mr.Claire. For gods sake, let me punish him.”

 

“No”, spoke Fraser, “He is behind this. He had made a foolproof plan and I admit I was with him in murdering Mrs.Saint. Now as his job is finished, he is trying to kill me.”

 

I was totally confused. Who is the real killer?

 

“Believe me, Claire. How can I kill my own wife? Why will I kill her? Believe me, please”, pleaded Marcos.

 

I could see his innocence in his eyes while he pleaded. I took the revolver out of my pocket.

 

Just then Garful came in limping with both his hands covering the wound in his stomach caused by a gunshot.

 

“Fraser is right”, he shouted.

 

Just then Marcos turned towards me and shot me on my shoulder before I could point him. I went down with pain. Blood was now oozing out of my shoulder.

Fraser tried to make a move when Marcos shot him on his leg which him also fall to the ground. All three of us were on ground.

 

Marcos passed a notorious smile and started laughing.

 

“Yes…Yes, it was me” he spoke “I killed my wife because she was having an extra marital affair. I did not kill Harry, as I would be the prime suspect. I used Fraser to keep myself out of trouble. I guaranteed him lot of money if he’d help me.”

 

“Why did you kill Mike then?” I asked

 

“Well, when you told me that Mike was coming over to your place to give you an important information on the case, I got scared and decided to kill him. Your friend, Garful was peeking his nose into my business. So I thought that he is getting suspicious about me. He overheard my talks with Fraser. So, I asked Fraser to get rid of him too.”

 

“And then you decided to kill me as your job was done” said Fraser.

 

“Yes” Marcos spoke “and now its time for you to die, Mr.Claire”

 

He pointed his gun towards me and was about to press the trigger when a gun was fired and Marcos laid down dead. Behind him was Harry. I sigh with relief.

 

I confessed to Harry for doubting him.

 

“I doubted Marcos from the very first day of Laura’s, Mrs.Saint, missing.” He spoke.

 

“Thanks, Harry. I would not have been here any more if you had not made it at the correct time. I will try to bail you out on the grounds of saving my life.” Said I.

 

I also thanked Garful for risking his life for me.

 

Garful and I were taken to the hospital were we recovered from our wounds in a weeks time and Fraser was arrested and put behind bars for helping Marcos.

 

After being discharged from the hospital I thought to myself. Marcos would have escaped if he hadn’t come to my office to seek help. Well he called for his own doom.