crime, of course. But he seemed to care genuinely about their plight and to be willing to battle the brass to save them.
“My family,” Chudasama had said. Not “my parents.” His dying mother. His father? Grandparents? Brothers and sisters? Aunts and uncles? Children?
ELEVEN
Eleanor and Nick didn’t stay long at the Prthnavis’ after Scumble left. Lois was still deeply distressed by the whole affair, though relieved that the patient’s removal from Launceston meant that her husband would not be called upon to go out again that night to examine him.
Rajendra was grave. Showing them out, he said, “Confusion is a common symptom of concussion. We must hope the young man spoke of a dream, a nightmare, or something he had read. A film or television, perhaps. However, I’m glad the inspector is taking it seriously.”
“Mr. Scumble can be extremely irritating,” said Eleanor, “but he’s a good detective, for all that.”
They repeated good nights and she and Nick went on out to Jocelyn’s car.
Nick drove in thoughtful silence as Eleanor navigated back to the main road. Once he knew where he was and where he was going, he said, “Given that Scumble is a good copper, don’t you think it’s odd that he repeated aloud all—or most—of what Megan told him? Almost as if he wanted the rest of us to know.”
“You’re right, it was odd. And I don’t believe that man ever does anything without a reason. Could he have been hinting that he wants us to do a bit of investigating?”
“Come off it, Eleanor! After all the times he’s warned us off? You won’t catch me giving him an excuse to arrest me again.”
“You weren’t actually under arrest.”
“It felt like it. Anyway, if you ask me, he was aiming at Dr. Prthnavi.”
“Rajendra? Why?” Eleanor asked in surprise.
“Because he thinks—or thought—he might be involved somehow, that the people in the cave, if they exist outside the chap’s imagination, could be relatives of the doctor trying to get into the country. Didn’t you notice how closely he was watching him? Of course doctors have to perfect the poker face, so he didn’t have much luck. Though I suppose detectives must get good at reading poker faces.”
“Really, Nick, as if Rajendra would abandon relatives to die, in a cave or anywhere else! Or any one else, come to that. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.”
“I’m not suggesting he would. Not even that Scumble believes him capable of it. Just that, Indians being thin on the ground in these parts, it crossed Scumble’s mind that there might be some connection. The doctor might have known of such a plan without having any part in it, or any knowledge of when it would take place. So he wouldn’t be worried about their not appearing, but when he heard…”
“I suppose so. It sounds much too complicated. Besides, having been born here, couldn’t he bring relatives in legally?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m sure you’re much better up in immigration law than I am.”
“That’s even more complicated. I doubt anyone really understands the implications of every detail, even those who wrote the new law. But that’s beside the point. If people are in danger and I can do anything at all to help them, I don’t give two hoots what Scumble has to say.”
Nick sighed. “No, you’re right. Though I can’t see what we can do that he can’t do a thousand times better and faster. He has the resources.”
“But we, between us, may have local information he doesn’t. You’ve taken thousands of photos of the coast—”
“Dozens. Hundreds, perhaps.”
“Lots. Didn’t you once go out in a fishing boat to take pictures from the sea?”
“More than once,” Nick admitted. “Including Bossiney Cove. I had to pay for that trip. Neither fishermen nor lobstermen like it. Tricky rocks and currents.”
“Bossiney Cove—is that where Rocky Valley comes out? I’ll have to look at my map. I know how to get from
“My family,” Chudasama had said. Not “my parents.” His dying mother. His father? Grandparents? Brothers and sisters? Aunts and uncles? Children?
ELEVEN
Eleanor and Nick didn’t stay long at the Prthnavis’ after Scumble left. Lois was still deeply distressed by the whole affair, though relieved that the patient’s removal from Launceston meant that her husband would not be called upon to go out again that night to examine him.
Rajendra was grave. Showing them out, he said, “Confusion is a common symptom of concussion. We must hope the young man spoke of a dream, a nightmare, or something he had read. A film or television, perhaps. However, I’m glad the inspector is taking it seriously.”
“Mr. Scumble can be extremely irritating,” said Eleanor, “but he’s a good detective, for all that.”
They repeated good nights and she and Nick went on out to Jocelyn’s car.
Nick drove in thoughtful silence as Eleanor navigated back to the main road. Once he knew where he was and where he was going, he said, “Given that Scumble is a good copper, don’t you think it’s odd that he repeated aloud all—or most—of what Megan told him? Almost as if he wanted the rest of us to know.”
“You’re right, it was odd. And I don’t believe that man ever does anything without a reason. Could he have been hinting that he wants us to do a bit of investigating?”
“Come off it, Eleanor! After all the times he’s warned us off? You won’t catch me giving him an excuse to arrest me again.”
“You weren’t actually under arrest.”
“It felt like it. Anyway, if you ask me, he was aiming at Dr. Prthnavi.”
“Rajendra? Why?” Eleanor asked in surprise.
“Because he thinks—or thought—he might be involved somehow, that the people in the cave, if they exist outside the chap’s imagination, could be relatives of the doctor trying to get into the country. Didn’t you notice how closely he was watching him? Of course doctors have to perfect the poker face, so he didn’t have much luck. Though I suppose detectives must get good at reading poker faces.”
“Really, Nick, as if Rajendra would abandon relatives to die, in a cave or anywhere else! Or any one else, come to that. You’re letting your imagination run away with you.”
“I’m not suggesting he would. Not even that Scumble believes him capable of it. Just that, Indians being thin on the ground in these parts, it crossed Scumble’s mind that there might be some connection. The doctor might have known of such a plan without having any part in it, or any knowledge of when it would take place. So he wouldn’t be worried about their not appearing, but when he heard…”
“I suppose so. It sounds much too complicated. Besides, having been born here, couldn’t he bring relatives in legally?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m sure you’re much better up in immigration law than I am.”
“That’s even more complicated. I doubt anyone really understands the implications of every detail, even those who wrote the new law. But that’s beside the point. If people are in danger and I can do anything at all to help them, I don’t give two hoots what Scumble has to say.”
Nick sighed. “No, you’re right. Though I can’t see what we can do that he can’t do a thousand times better and faster. He has the resources.”
“But we, between us, may have local information he doesn’t. You’ve taken thousands of photos of the coast—”
“Dozens. Hundreds, perhaps.”
“Lots. Didn’t you once go out in a fishing boat to take pictures from the sea?”
“More than once,” Nick admitted. “Including Bossiney Cove. I had to pay for that trip. Neither fishermen nor lobstermen like it. Tricky rocks and currents.”
“Bossiney Cove—is that where Rocky Valley comes out? I’ll have to look at my map. I know how to get from
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