I doubt Sherlock Holmes would have been the best detective if it wasn’t for his assistant, Watson. For that, after the discussion, I got on the job of finding myself an assistant. I got a brilliant fellow named Jerry Watson appropriately. He is quick, bright-witted, can also find concealed objects and follows orders very well.

The next day, 31st December, was New Year’s Eve. So, I bought cakes for my American friends, waited up to 12 AM, shouted “Happy New Year” etc...

New Year’s Day 2020 was filled with unpleasant surprises. This day, I got another case related to the first case. This one happened in the 6th house of 22nd Street in Little India. Again, Dr.Palmer and the SFPD were present. This time, the victim was identified as Mr. Bali who died of illness due to which he died of suffocation.

Dr. Palmer said “Even this was caused by a genetically modified virus different from that of the Kapoor case.”

“Two cases of two viruses in the same place. Strange!” I said.

“That’s why we need you to find out what has happened.”

“OK, I got a lead in the case. Let’s name the virus Corona Virus.”

Over the next week, several cases of several viruses we named as Beta Virus, Gamma Virus, Hanta Virus, Edna Virus etc. started popping up all over Little India. Very strange! Either this must be a pharmaceutical company trialling on humans for bio-weapons or these are viruses yet not discovered in the present. Not getting any clue whatsoever, I started to pull the specs on the life history of the people affected. Then I noticed a thing. The personal doctor for Mr. Kapoor, Mr. Bali, a Mr. Yadav who died due to infection from Edna Virus and all the other cases is Dr.Palmer!  Very, very strange! Then I started learning about their younger life. All these guys had different personal doctors but then changed to Dr. Palmer on March 2018. All these guys had problems similar to what they experienced during their death, only less painful and easy to bear.  Too strange! This isn’t just a coincidence! I’ve got to inquire him about this. But for some reason I did not like taking Jerry to the clinic. So I went to his clinic alone. When I inquired him about this, he replied “Maybe they thought I was a good doctor or somebody in Little India recommended me”. But I saw fear in his eyes, that he is hiding something. I asked “Which company’s drugs do you usually prescribe to your patients?” “Sime Pharmaceuticals. I find it very trustful.” he said.

So after these questions, I left his clinic, suspicious that he was somehow involved in all these deaths. Soon after I went home, I asked Jerry to do me a favour. I asked him to go to Dr.Palmer and act as if he had a fever and needs some medicine.  After he went, I took my old electron microscope out of the attic. Simply. After Jerry came, I asked him the method of treatment. “He just took his stethoscope, checked my lungs and just gave the drug. It was manufactured in Sime Pharmaceuticals. He didn’t even charge me that much. Just $3.” I told Jerry that he had done me a great favour and that I owe him one. I rushed to Mr.Kapoor’s house and tore the house apart with my gloves on.  Then at last I found it. The drug. There was only a tablet. But I can manage. I immediately went home and put my gloves on, crushed a tablet, mixed it in water and put a drop on a slide. Then I looked at the slide through my microscope. It looked something like this- a virus between a bunch of water and drug molecules. 

Then I hugged Jerry. I was surprised! If every tablet contains this virus, then at least they take one every day and the virus multiplies every minute, so there is enough virus to make a dangerous invasion in the body and to kill them. I must make an appointment with the CEO of Sime Pharmaceuticals, Harry Bane.

I telephoned the reception of the company. I said “I am Vincent Patel. I need to inquire how his tablets are going ‘viral’ and are prescribed for many patients”

{Get it?  ‘Viral’?}

The receptionist replied “OK. Let me book an appointment for you. Let’s see, at 11’o clock”

I replied “Thank you.” That was the start of my master plot. I would blowtorch him to death if he doesn’t tell me the truth. But that was it. I don’t know how to bring the truth out of him. I went to his office at 11 am.

The CEO, Harry Bane started like this “I know you are a detective and I know you are here to inquire about the virus in my tablets.” Then I started recording, without him knowing, because I’ve seen a lot of movies and when the villain starts like this, you get enormous information without knowing. He said “You are thinking that every virus in each case was different. But it is the same virus which was inside every human body. It makes acute problems into chronic problems and chronic problems into death. All of them had chronic problems. So, it killed them. Only thing, their problems were different. So, some of them haemorrhaged, some of them suffocated and others had different problems. Dr.Palmer didn’t know this when I persuaded to sell only my tablets to his patients, when I gave him money. It was my men who recommended Dr.Palmer to people living in Little India.”

“Hmmm. Let me guess. The invention is yours. You threatened people that they’ll lose their job if they didn’t put the virus in the tablets and you were trialling whether the virus does its thing or not. Right?”

“Yes. You’re doing your job well, Detective. But you won’t be alive to say all these before the jury.”

“OK guys. You heard him. Do your job.”

“What’s this?”

“Didn’t expect this, did you? I just got some 10 police members just in case I need backup.” I said proudly. I told y’all that I will solve my first case. So, this matter was brought to the court and they gave him lifetime imprisonment for killing about 15 people and for creating a bio-weapon so dangerous that it will kill all the old and unhealthy people in Little India. Kind of like Hitler killing all the Jews. And the factory was shut down and sealed.

Soon, my photo came all over the news paper. I made the first page! And maybe even the photo of Harry Bane counting bars. Every Indian (and the Americans) praised me.

So, for me this story is a flashback. Now, I am a veteran detective with lots of experience (and lots of paparazzi and people who want to learn how to be a detective). Today, I am happy with being a detective. But one thing still stumps me. How did he create a virus which killed everyone? How did he have the idea of hiding it in a life-saver?