Chapter 4 - Well done Parasu

The policemen took some time away from the remaining group, discussed amongst them.
After 20 mins, Parasu asked Pachai, “Sir, do you often get to see birds in your garden?”
“Of course I do sir. Some come over to the garden that I work” he replied. “How about fake plastic ones?” he asked smiling. Pachai was surprised. Others too were astonished at the weirdness of the
question. It seemed out of context.
After a long pause, Parasau continued, “Subbramaniam sir, I think we have the person identified.”
“Really? Who is it? Please tell me sir. Everything is at stake for me.” said Subbu with raised eyebrows.
“Ïts your own Pachai who has done it. Let me explain. Sometime this afternoon, Pachai came over to Kailasam sir’s house to cook. Not sure what came over him, he opened the gas knob, and the windows to let the gas out completely so as to not cook. He needed some
time to perform his act and the best time was when you were away with your son. But he did not want to get caught. So..” He paused.
“So?” asked Subbu in complete bewilderment.
Parasu continued, “So, he came over to Kailasam sir’s room, saw that he was sleeping. In an attempt to implicate him, he came over to take his coat around 2.05pm. You see the fresh soil particles on
the floor around the coat stand? Well, that’s proof for that. So far it went as per his plan. He then came over to your house, picked the key from behind the mirror, deliberately left the piece of coat
cloth at the nail, finished the job and placed the key and the coat back to the right places and went back.”
“But sir, how do you know it's him?” asked Subbu in disbelief.
“Sure sir, coming straight to that. Earlier this evening, we found a piece of what we thought was a shiny object in the newly dug soil in your garden. It is nothing but the missing button from Kailasam
sir’s coat.” He said showing it to the larger group.
“And what about the birds?” Subbu asked.
“Ha ha they have a role too.” continued Parasu. “After Pachai was done with the job, he came back to place the coat back at 3pm, 30 mins before he said he finally came to check if Kailasam was
awake. At 3pm, as Pachai was placing the coat on its stand, Kailasam sir’s favourite cuckoo clock chimed up. This startled him that he moved a bit, hit himself in the dressing table adjacent to the
stand, and that’s when Kailasam sir’s hair dye dripped onto his legs. This, sir was our vital clue that helped us identify your man. The first time he was here, when he came in at 2.05 the birdie had
done it's chiming already, hence he did not know about it” He concluded.
Sure enough, there were hair dye stains on Pachai’s dhoti and his legs that he had not noticed.

“Cha, why did you do this?” asked Subbramaniam sir in frustration. “I know you needed money for your granddaughter’s treatment. You could have just asked me. Give me the coins and then just
leave.”
“Thank you so much gentlemen for your help. You are wonderful. And Kailasam sir, I am extremely sorry
to have thought of you this way. I owe you one. For now, all of you please join me for dinner at my place, especially Kailasam, since you have not had your lunch”, said a smiling Subbramaniam sir.