The Astral Alibi Read Free Page A

wouldn’t hesitate to add my voice of caution to Inspector Divekar’s. Forget him. Forget The Owl.”
    Sonia looked into Mohnish’s face and read the concern there. “You really mean that.”
    “Yes, I do. I’m worried about you. And I would hate it if you ever got hurt.”
    “Thanks, Mohnish. But I’m not going to get hurt and Varun Thakur is no threat to me. Now, let’s drop this subject, okay?”
    “If you insist.” Mohnish shrugged. He stood. “I have to leave anyway. I’m going to be out of town for a few days. I’ll see you when I return.” He stared at Sonia for an instant, then left without a backward glance.
    Now she’d done it. She’d upset Mohnish. She sighed. This was all Varun Thakur’s fault, she decided grimly. First he insinuated himself into her life with his bouquets from “A Secret Admirer,” then he manipulated her into finding his diamonds. And lastly he had made his preposterous proposal, thus ensuring a permanent place in her thoughts! The man was truly cunning and charming—an extremely deadly combination. And not in the least for the reasons proclaimed by Inspector Divekar and Mohnish. And for all the well-meant advice that was showered on her, Sonia had no intention of giving up on her revenge.
    Jatin popped his head into the office. “Boss, you have a guest.”
    “A guest?” She noticed that he didn’t say “a client.”
    Jatin appeared a little flustered. “Our new neighbour. She says she’d like to meet you.”
    “Send her in.”
    Sonia rose and placed Nidhi on her colourful cushions, which seemed to be growing in number. The cat curled off to sleep at once.
    “Hello!” a husky voice called.
    Sonia turned to face a slim woman of medium height, in her thirties. A warm smile lit up her sharp features, which were crowned by a sleek bob. She wore jeans and a red shirt which gave off a faint, pleasant scent.
    “Hi!”
    “I’m Devika Bhagat. Your new neighbour. I hope I’m not disturbing you?” The woman stepped into the room.
    “Oh no, please come in.” Sonia found herself responding spontaneously to the stranger’s friendly smile and voice.
    As Devika sat down, she threw a look around the tidy office. “Lovely setup you have here,” she remarked casually.
    “Yes,” Sonia agreed, following her gaze across the room. The room was a mix and match of old furniture. A colourful handwoven Panchgani carpet in the middle of the room gave it more the look of a sitting room than an office. “Though, my colleague Jatin insists that it’s all too feminine for him!”
    Devika grinned, flashing a set of almost crooked white teeth. Sonia noticed that they gave her face an odd, childlike appeal. “I wouldn’t agree with him. It’s a charming room! Oh, you have a cat!” she exclaimed in surprise.
    Sonia laughed. “My best friend, Nidhi. It’s time for her nap.”
    Devika looked at Sonia with frank curiosity. “You’re an Investigator, aren’t you? I read the nameplate outside. But I’ve also heard about you. You solve cases with the help of Astrology. How very, very unique.”
    Sonia smiled non-committally and changed the subject. “What exactly are you planning to do next door?”
    “Oh, it’s going to be a boutique. I’m actually a designer and supply most of my clothes to Mumbai. Got a good market there, rich women willing to experiment and dare. Pune is more conservative in its approach. But I have to cater to all kinds of people. Also, weather-wise I prefer Pune. Couldn’t stand the hot sultry Mumbai climate, it was beginning to affect my health. So I thought it was time for a change of scene.”
    “You must be very talented to do so well. Designing is a very challenging line of work.”
    “It is, but it’s very upcoming in India. I just smartly cashed in on the changing trends!” Devika chuckled.
    “When do you plan to open your boutique?”
    “In another month or so. March, latest. But since I was here to oversee matters, I decided that we really