The Pearl of Bengal Read Online Free PDF

are they in jail? Have you put them behind bars for interrogation?”
    “The law doesn’t allow me to take them into custody, Professor Mistery,” the captain replied, sounding miserable. “I’ve taken their statements and ordered them not to leave the village, at least until we find my dear friend Amitav, who I pray is still alive.”
    “Very wise,” said Agatha. “But what makes Naveen Chandra the prime suspect?”
    “He returned to Chotoka ten days ago, insisting he had to make peace with his father, who’s never forgiven him for pursuing an acting career,” explained the captain. “On the afternoon before Amitav disappeared, they had a huge fight. That night, several people claimed they sawNaveen prowling around his father’s house. None of the witnesses could be sure it was him, because it was pitch-black.”
    “So you don’t have a reliable witness and can’t incriminate him,” Dash deduced. He had hoped they’d arrived on the brink of solving the case.
    “Thank you for your assistance, Captain Deshpande.” Agatha rose from her chair. “To help you pursue this matter, we have three simple requests.”
    “Of course, Miss.”
    “First, we need all the suspects’ sworn statements.”
    “I’ll make you a copy, he said, calling an officer into his office and handing him the papers What else?”
    “We’d like your permission to question them further.”
    “Agreed. And the last thing?”
    “To conduct a thorough investigation, we need to examine Amitav Chandra’s home, and the Temple of Kali.”
    Captain Deshpande shook his head. “Unfortunately I cannot allow that,” he said stiffly. “Both locations are under lockdown by the forest guard until further notice.”
    “But—” Dash started.
    Agatha held up her hand. Instead of arguing, she grabbed the copies from the returning officer and shook the captain’s hand firmly. He rose to his feet with the aid of his bamboo cane.
    “That’s all for now, Captain Deshpande,” she said with a disarming smile. “If you need to reach us, we’ll be at the Tiger Hotel.”

C hotoka’s main street—really more of a wide, muddy path—cut the village in half. At the far end loomed the Temple of Kali, nestled into a distant green hillside. On both sides perched a jumble of houses and open-air shops, where women and children in brightly colored clothes worked in silence—except for the loud chatter of monkeys and tropical birdcalls. Most of the buildings were wood and bamboo with thatched roofs.
    “They build them on stilts because of the danger of flooding, right, Uncle?” Dash asked as they walked down the street, dodging puddles.

    “Not just that, Dash. It’s also to discourage visits from dangerous animals.”
    “Like…?”
    “Oh, scorpions, snakes, crocodiles, leopards, tigers!” Rudyard replied cheerfully. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the scents of the jungle. “This is a magical spot!” he exclaimed. “Can’t you just smell the adventure around us?”
    The others just stared at him. His enthusiasm seemed out of place after their tense conversation with Captain Deshpande.
    “What I’d love to smell is a nice cup of tea,” said Agatha, checking her watch. It was a little past five in the evening—time for high tea in London.
    They arrived at the cast-iron gate of the Tiger Hotel. The two-story bungalow formed an L shape around an orderly English garden. There was no need to ring the bell under the hotel sign,because an Indian girl, a bit younger than Agatha, was already hanging over the gate waiting for them.
    “Your luggage, if you please,” she said politely in English. Taking the wheeled suitcase and bags from Chandler’s huge hands, she loaded them onto her shoulders and headed toward the front desk.
    “Wait! What’s your name?” Agatha called after her, but she’d already vanished between garden hedges. Resigned, Agatha told the butler, “Please give that girl a big tip.”
    “As you wish,