Parvaticharan had been struck on the head with a heavy instrument. The Haldars’ family physician said his death must have been instantaneous. He wasn’t in very good health, apparently. His blood pressure often fluctuated and his heart wasn’t in good condition either. The police arrived soon afterwards. The inspector in charge of the case turned out to be Inspector Hajra, who knew Feluda. Unlike some other police officers, he did not look down upon private investigators. He seemed to like and respect Feluda a great deal. ‘We’ll make all the usual enquiries, and let you know if we find anything useful,’ he offered. ‘Thank you. Have you formed any idea regarding the weapon?’ ‘No, there’s nothing in the room that might have been used, is there? The murderer must have taken it with him.’ ‘Paperweight.’ ‘What? You think it was a paperweight?’ ‘Come with me.’ We followed Feluda and Inspector Hajra into the study. Feluda pointed at a portion on Parvaticharan’s desk. There was a thin layer of dust on the green felt that covered its surface. In one corner, there was a circular mark, free of dust. It wasn’t immediately noticeable, unless one looked carefully. ‘I checked with Amitabh Haldar,’ Feluda said. ‘He said there used to be a large and heavy Victorian glass paperweight in that corner. Well, it’s missing now.’ ‘Well done, Mr Mitter.’ ‘But what about the chief suspect? Did he really vanish into thin air?’ Feluda asked as he came out of the study. ‘We have his name and a good description. It shouldn’t take us long to find him. Besides, he had applied for a job here, hadn’t he? So we can easily get his address. No, my own suspicion is that the chowkidar isn’t telling us the truth. Maybe he had left his seat for a few moments, and that’s when the culprit slipped out. But then, who is the real culprit, anyway? Didn’t the victim see a visitor before Sadhan Babu turned up? This other person is just as likely to have killed him.’ ‘How can you say that? If the old Mr Haldar was already dead when Sadhan Babu walked into the room, surely he’d have raised an alarm?’ ‘You have seen the room, haven’t you? Doesn’t it look like a curio shop? Assuming that Sadhan Babu is dishonest and a crook, what do you think he’d do if he walked in there and found the owner dead? Wouldn’t he simply help himself to whatever he could and disappear with it?’ Feluda turned to Parvaticharan’s present secretary, Hrishikesh Datta. We had been introduced by this time. He said he had gone out to the post office just before ten o’clock to send a couple of cables

abroad. On his return, he had found us rushing down the stairs. ‘If something valuable was missing from that room, would you be able to tell us what it was?’ Feluda asked him. ‘Yes, probably. I have a good idea of what is displayed outside.