“He works for Shashank Malhotra, you bungling idiot. Malhotra was getting rid of the girl. It would have been ascribed to thieves. The martyr issue is only if we, the Indian civil services, killed her, not Malhotra.”

“What should I have done? I was trying to follow your orders. Why didn’t you tell me Malhotra was going to take care of her?”

“Because I didn’t know. At least I didn’t know for sure.” Ramesh rubbed his face vigorously. “Clearly, now everything’s worse. Now she’s warned she’s been targeted. Where is she?”

“She went back to her hotel.”

“What happened at the site?”

“The shot caused a general panic. She fled with everyone else. I stayed at the site to help the local constables restore order and get the victim’s ID.”

“Did she come back and talk to the police and to you?”

“She came back and was accompanied by an American man. I don’t know where or how they teamed up. But she didn’t talk to the police, which is somewhat strange. I thought about pulling her in, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

“That just shows how suspicious she is.”

“Maybe she will just leave after such an experience?”

“Wouldn’t that be nice, but not according to her grandmother’s case manager or the CEO of the hospital. For whatever reason, this young woman is motivated no matter what happens.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?”

“Have you had any luck in regard to finding out who is the source providing the material to CNN?”

“I put two people on it this morning. I haven’t spoken with them since.”

“Give them a call while I call Shashank Malhotra. Also, there was another death but at the Aesculapian Medical Center. Once again, CNN got it extremely early.”

Ramesh picked up his phone. He was not looking forward to talking with Shashank Malhotra. Despite what he said to Naresh, Ramesh knew that he was ultimately responsible for Dhaval Narang’s demise. As Naresh said, he should have been informed.

“I hope you are calling me up to thank me for solving your problem,” Shashank said when he came on the line. His tone was neutral. It wasn’t as cheerful as it had been the day before, nor as menacing.

“I’m afraid not. I’m afraid there’s an additional problem and an extension of the old one.”

“What?” Shashank demanded.

“First, Miss Hernandez has talked the spouse of the third patient into wanting an autopsy. And second, Dhaval Narang was shot and killed this morning in the Old Delhi bazaar.”

“You’re not serious?”

“Did you send him to talk to the Hernandez woman, to get her to leave India?” Naresh asked.

“He’s truly dead?” Shashank questioned, with anger and disbelief.

“I have it from a good source.”

“How could this have happened? He was a professional. He was no amateur.”