I woke at six-thirty the following morning as my bed-tea arrived. But Feluda appeared to have risen long before me. ‘I’ve been for a walk. Went to see the town,’ he told me. ‘What did you see?’ ‘Oh, a lot of things. The main thing is that now I’m convinced our visit isn’t going to be a waste of time.’ Lalmohan Babu entered the room at this moment and declared that he hadn’t slept so soundly for a long time. ‘I think the old lady upstairs also slept well last night. She got up much later than usual this morning,’ Feluda remarked. ‘How on earth do you know that?’ ‘Ananta told me. He said she was late for her visit to the river. Normally she goes to the ghat at six every morning.’ The three of us were sitting on the veranda. Mr Chowdhury joined us in ten minutes. He had had his bath, and looked quite fresh. ‘I’m afraid I’ve been recognized,’ Feluda told him. ‘Your old classmate knows who I am.’ ‘What!’ ‘Yes. You were right about him. He knows much more than he lets on.’ ‘So should I tell everyone else the truth, do you think?’ ‘Yes, but if you do that, you’ll also have to tell them why I am here. I mean, your secret can no longer remain a secret, can it?’ Mr Chowdhury began to look worried and unhappy. But before he could say anything, Mr Kanjilal and Mr Roy appeared together. Almost in the same instant, a car tooted outside the front door. Feluda, Lalmohan Babu and I went with Mr Chowdhury to see who had arrived. The other two remained on the veranda. A black Ambassador with a red cross painted on one side was standing outside. Dr Sarkar and Jayanta Babu got out and came walking towards us. The wound on Jayanta Babu’s head was now dressed. Some of his hair had had to be shaved for this purpose. ‘I am so very sorry,’ he said to his cousin. ‘I ruined your birthday, didn’t I? Actually, my blood pressure—’ ‘Yes, Mr Chowdhury is aware of the details,’ Dr Sarkar cut in. ‘You’re fine now, and there is no cause for concern. But no more roaming in the sun for you.’ ‘You’ll stay for a cup of tea, won’t you?’ invited Mr Chowdhury. ‘Yes, a cup of tea would be very nice, thank you.’ ‘Where are the others?’ asked Jayanta Babu.

‘They’re on the veranda.’ Dr Sarkar and Jayanta Babu went off to join the others. Mr Chowdhury was about to follow them, but Feluda’s words stopped him. ‘Wait, Mr Chowdhury, there’s something we need to do before we go back to the veranda,’ Feluda said. There was something in his tone that made Mr Chowdhury look up in surprise. ‘What is it?’ ‘You said your aunt had the duplicate key to the chest in her room. Would she give it to us now?’ ‘Yes, certainly if I asked her for it. But—’ ‘I need to open it and see what’s inside. Yes, now.’ Without another word, Mr Chowdhury led us upstairs. We found his aunt getting ready to go for her bath. ‘What!’ Mr Chowdhury exclaimed. ‘How did you manage to get so late today?’ ‘God knows. I just overslept. This doesn’t happen very often, of course, but sometimes . . . I don’t know . . .’ ‘I need the duplicate key to the chest.’ ‘Why? What have you done with yours?’ ‘I can’t find it,’ said Mr Chowdhury, a little helplessly. His aunt opened her wardrobe, and found a large bunch of keys which she handed to him silently. Then she left the room. Mr Chowdhury went to open the chest. For some odd reason, Feluda stopped for a second to pick up the hand grinder from the floor and inspect it briefly. ‘Oh my God, I don’t believe this!’ Startled by Mr Chowdhury’s scream, Lalmohan Babu dropped the book by Salim Ali he had been carrying under his arm. ‘That little bag of gold coins and the ivory box have both disappeared, I take it?’ Feluda asked calmly. Mr Chowdhury swallowed, unable to speak. ‘Lock up your chest again, Mr Chowdhury, and then let’s go downstairs. The time has come to reveal the truth. Please tell the others who I really am, and also tell them that I would be asking them a few questions.’ Mr Chowdhury pulled himself together with a supreme effort, and we trooped down to join the other guests on the veranda. ‘I’d like to tell you something,’ began Mr Chowdhury, and spoke briefly about what had happened on his previous birthday and what he had discovered only a few minutes ago. ‘I could never have imagined that one of my close associates would do such a thing in my own house,’ he finished, ‘but there is no doubt at all that a gold coin was stolen last year, and now other things are missing. I am therefore asking Mr Mitter, who is a well-known investigator, to make a proper investigation. He would now like to ask you a few questions. I hope you will be good enough to answer them honestly.’ No one spoke. It was impossible to tell what each one of them was thinking. Feluda addressed his first question to Dr Sarkar. It came as a complete surprise to me. ‘Dr Sarkar, how many hospitals are there in Panihati?’ ‘Only one.’

‘Does that mean that was where you took Jayanta Babu last night and that was where you rang from?’ ‘Why do you ask?’ ‘I’m asking this question because I went to that hospital this morning. Jayanta Babu hadn’t been taken there.’ Dr Sarkar laughed. ‘But I never said I was calling from the hospital, did I, Mr Chowdhury?’ ‘Well then, where were you calling from?’ ‘From my house. Jayanta Babu regained consciousness in the car, which meant that his injury was not as serious as I had thought and there