I caught Byomkesh quietly sneaking out with his umbrella and exclaimed, ‘Hey! Where are you off to?’

He didn’t reply. He returned home at a half past three. ‘Are you abstaining from meals today as well?’ I inquired.

‘Certainly not,’ he replied, ‘I feasted on khichdi and the roe of the hilsa at Cafe Shahjahan.’

‘Suppose Nepal Gupta or Dr Bhujanga had spotted you?’

‘The chances of such an eventuality were slim. If either of them had tried to leave the farm, they would have been arrested.’

‘So you have tightened the noose at that end. What’s new on this side? Where did you go this afternoon?’

‘First to the Calcutta Corporation office. I was curious to find out who the owner of No. 19 Mirza Lane was.’

‘And who was it—Bhujangadharbabu?’

Byomkesh shook his head, ‘No, a lady.’

‘Where else did you go?’

‘To Ramenbabu’s. I have picked up two more photographs of Sunayana.’

‘What else did you do?’

‘I went to the city’s China town, in search of teeth.’

‘In search of teeth?’

‘That’s right. Didn’t you know the Chinese were very good dentists?’ He didn’t wait for an answer as he made for the bathroom. I sat there thinking that it wouldn’t be long before the curtain came down after the play’s fifth act. Why, then, had I still not managed to recognize the hero and the heroine?

The next morning, sunlight streamed forth and the sky was bright and clear. Byomkesh laid down the newspaper he was reading and said, ‘It’s almost eight o’clock. Come on, then. Dress me up in my bandages again. I must make an appearance at the farm.’

‘Are you going there alone?’

‘No, you’re coming too. The criminal stalking me has been apprehended. But one can never be too cautious. An escort is indispensable.’

‘When was the villain apprehended?’

‘Last night.’

‘What is our purpose in visiting the farm today?’

‘I have to retrieve the envelopes I had handed out. The day of judgement is at hand.’

I tied the bandages on him. Just before we left, he called Pramod Barat. I carried a thick staff with me. Barat was present at the Mohanpur station. He began to chuckle when he saw Byomkesh’s get-up.

‘Laugh all you want,’ Byomkesh told him, ‘but you have to lay out the bait to reel in the fish. By the way, do you know what my villain is called? Sajjandas Mirzapuri. Keep it in mind, in case it comes up. I found that name in the newspaper this morning. The police in Belgachhia nabbed him last night.’

‘I’m impressed! You’ve even come up with a suitable villain!’

‘The names of a few such criminals feature in the news every day.’

We arrived at the farm. A makeshift police outpost was in place at the main gate. A few guards loitered near the wire fencing. The air was thick with tension.

We parked the van outside the gate and went in. Almost instantly, our eyes fell on Bijoy and Bhujangadharbabu sitting on the porch of Nishanathbabu’s house. Bhujangadharbabu was reading the newspaper. He laid it aside when he saw us. Bijoy frowned in annoyance. When we were a little closer, he asked in a harsh voice, ‘We demand an explanation, Byomkeshbabu! You are incapable of apprehending the culprit and choose to place the entire farm under surveillance, instead! We are being held captive on the farm since day before yesterday!’

Byomkesh didn’t take his curt manner too seriously and replied with a smile, ‘You know the saying about smoke and fire? There’s bound to be some inconvenience at the scene of a murder. Look at me, for instance.’

Bhujangadharbabu said, ‘You seem to have perked up today. Has your ruffian been put away?’

‘Yes, Sajjandas has been caught.’

‘Sajjandas … The name sounds familiar. Oh! It was in the papers today. So … this gentleman was your villain, was he?’

‘He was. The police nabbed him last night. Which is why it’s relatively safe for me now to be out and about.’

‘So then …’ Bhujangadharbabu gave him an inquiring look.

‘Well, yes,’ Byomkesh said, ‘let’s go to your cottage. I need to discuss some business with you.’

We accompanied Bhujangadharbabu to his cottage. ‘I have come down to take the envelope back from you,’ Byomkesh told him.

‘What a relief that is!’ Bhujangadharbabu said. ‘I feel as though a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I was afraid of eventually having to play detective. Just a minute …’ He went into his cottage and came back in a minute with the envelope.

Byomkesh took it from him and asked, ‘I don’t suppose you opened it?’

‘No, I didn’t. I must confess I was tempted to, but I controlled the impulse. After all, I gave you my word I wouldn’t. Tell me something, Byomkeshbabu, have you drawn any conclusions about this case?’

‘This much I know—it involves a woman.’

‘Really?’ He stared at Byomkesh curiously as he scratched the back of his head in confusion.

‘Well, thanks. We’ll probably be back in the evening.’ Byomkesh turned towards Nepalbabu’s cottage.

‘Where are you headed that way?’ Bhujangadharbabu asked.

Byomkesh flashed him a smile and replied, ‘I have some confidential business with Nepalbabu.’

Something flickered for an instant in Bhujangadharbabu’s eyes. But he didn’t say a word and continued to stroke the back of his head with a bemused smile on his lips.

Nepalbabu was in his cottage, solving some chess riddles. On seeing Byomkesh, he glared, as if the sight of him alive and well had displeased him no end. When asked to return the envelope to Byomkesh, Nepalbabu brought it out without a word, tossed it in front of us and went back to his puzzle.

We crept away in silence. As it is Nepalbabu didn’t get along too well with the police. And now he had left us in no doubt that Byomkesh’s behaviour had infuriated him.

We came straight back to the police