The rest of the week passed eventlessly. What happened after that came as a bolt from the blue. The following Tuesday, Someshwar Burman rang us to say that one of his oldest servants, Avinash, had been murdered, and the little statue of Krishna had vanished! It was a double tragedy. Feluda called Lalmohan Babu immediately, and told him to go straight to Mr Burman’s house. We left in a taxi. By the time we got there, the police had arrived. Inspector Ghosh knew Feluda. ‘A case of burglary, nothing else,’ he said. ‘The murder was not premeditated. Avinash happened to see the burglar, I think, and the burglar realized it. So Avinash had to go. The main aim of the culprit was to steal that statue from the safe. There’s been another case of burglary recently.’ ‘But no one except the people in this house knew about the statue.’ ‘In that case, someone in this house is involved, I should think. There’s Mr Burman’s son, his secretary, his friend, the artist—Ranen Tarafdar, isn’t it?—and the magician, Surya Kumar. He arrived only yesterday. Any one of them could be guilty of the crime. If that is the case, our job becomes so much simpler.’ ‘When did the murder take place?’ ‘Between one and three o’clock in the morning.’ ‘Did the bearer try to stop the intruder?’ ‘That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it?’ We went into the house. Someshwar Burman was sitting in the living room on the ground floor, clutching his head. Also present in the room was everyone else in the house. Some were sitting, others standing. ‘Will you please tell me what exactly happened?’ Feluda asked Mr Burman. ‘How long had this bearer worked for you?’ ‘Thirty years. He was totally devoted to me. I cannot believe he is no more.’ ‘Where was he killed?’ ‘On the ground floor. Perhaps Avinash woke up just as the thief was making his escape with the statue of Krishna. Then he tried to catch the thief, so the thief stabbed him with a knife.’ ‘Can you tell me what the sleeping arrangements are in this house?’ ‘You’ve seen my bedroom. Animesh and I have our rooms upstairs. All the other bedrooms are on the ground floor. Yesterday, when Surya Kumar arrived, I gave him a guest room, also on the ground floor.’ ‘I see. No one outside this house knew about that statue, is that right?’ ‘Yes. Yet, I cannot imagine anyone from this household getting involved in such a thing.’

‘Whoever did it would have had to take the key from under your pillow. How come that did not wake you?’ ‘I take a sleeping pill every night, and sleep very soundly.’ ‘What happened to the key to the safe?’ ‘It is still there. It was left hanging from the lock.’ ‘Has the murder weapon been found?’ ‘No.’ Inspector Ghosh walked into the room at this moment. ‘I have questions for all of you,’ he said. ‘Would you mind if