Tanya decided to walk to the supermarket to pick up some ingredients for the soup she waspreparing for Sameer. It was a pleasant day and a brisk walk would do her good. She had left Sameerpropped up in bed sipping tea. Suddenly her way was blocked by two burly policemen."What is it now?" she said with some asperity.

"The Inspector wishes to speak with you. Please come with us to the Station.""I want to speak to my husband."

"You will be allowed to do so from the Station."

She was whisked away in the Jeep. "I am afraid, Madam, we shall have to detain you forquestioning in the Bank Robbery case."

"I have been captured and physically hauled to the Police Station on trumped upcharges...Come and rescue me immediately."

Sameer catapulted out of the bed and hurried to dress to get an Anticipatory Bail order from amagistrate.

Tanya was roughly led to a cell and pushed inside. As she refused to answer any questions shewas searched and then summarily locked up.

"If you don't answer questions, you could be here for months." said the Inspector, giving herthe once over. "Don't expect to be bailed out as this is a murder case." His ominous words werehighlighted by deep rumblings of thunder from the south. Heavy black clouds were rolling in withflashes of lightning.

"How do you assume it was me that was involved?"

"Oh, we have our ways - you will talk in a couple of days when you are starved and forced tokeep awake continuously." The Officer clanked the door shut and strolled to the back-room where hewould have a cup of tea with the other men. The weather was turning nasty rapidly and some hot teawould be most welcome. Before they could finish their cup of tea, the loud crash of thunder was aroundthem. From the rear window of the small room they could see heavy rain advancing to swiftly envelopethe Station.

"Shit, it's a mother of a storm!" said the Inspector and the two men nodded. Just then there wasa mighty crash and blinding light. The three men covered their heads with their hands and cowered.Was the Station hit? When the reverberations cleared the men went warily to the front room toinvestigate. What they saw left them stunned. The cell door was hanging ajar on one hinge; but strangerstill, Tanya had, nonchalantly and as if without a care, walked through the Station, into the heavy rainand was rapidly disappearing behind a curtain of intense rain and descending gloom.#

The Inspector was the first to recover. He raised his hand and pointed to Tanya's hazy figurenow almost out of sight behind the sheet of rain.

"Did you see that...did you see that?" He was almost incoherent. "What the hell ~what wasthat?" The other two Policemen were speechlessand stood there staring out at the rain. The Inspectorsaw he was not going to get much help from that area. He went to the cell to investigate and found thedoor open, hanging by one hinge; just as it had happened to the Armoured Van. An involuntary shivershook him and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

The rain, just as rapidly as it had come, was as swiftly lessening and turning into a light drizzle.The Inspector sat at his desk quite flummoxed. How would he explain any of this without soundingridiculous? He thought for a long time chewing the end of his pencil. Then at the hour when shadowsstarted to lengthen he came to a conclusion. He called the two policemen into his office."Not a word of this is to go out. Not a word to anyone, you hear? I'm going to ignore the caseand maintain that we never found the culprits. If they don't believe me, or charge me with derelictionof duty and hopefully transfer me out, I'd be a happy person. I can't understand this - it's too spooky."Did you two jokers hear what I said? Take care, make sure no word of this ever goes out oryou two can start calculating your superannuation. Maybe I'll have to as well."The two nodded their heads - their eyes were still glassy.

"O.K. call the local work-shop and get someone to come across and weld the cell doorhinge...go on, go on, dammit, move it, don't just stand there."

At this point Sameer entered the Police Station. "Where is Tanya?" He enquired."She left." said the Inspector in a tremulous voice.

"What do you mean she left? Didn't you take her into custody?"

"Yeah, but she is gone. We set her free."

Sameer spun on his heels and was off without another word ~ well if she is gone, she is gone hethought with relief. He had not been able to get bail - the courts were very busy. He headedhomewards. That was a strange atmosphere at the Police Station, he recalled- surreal almost!#

Mandeep walked in a little later - a bit apprehensive as to what kind of reception he would getafter the unsolved Armored Van incident.

The Inspector saw him and his jaw fell open and then he nearly fell out of his chair in alarm. Helooked around wildly, his hands shook and his mouth opened and shut as he tried to say something. Hesuddenly shot out of his chair and saluted Mandeep. Now Mandeep nearly fell over backwards; hestood gaping! What was going on here? "I, I....err..." he managed, "I came to report the theft of mycar. You see...."

"Yes, Sir," said the Inspector bending forward obsequiously," we'll find it for you right away,Sir."

"You know...err...I had parked it in front of the Supermarket just before the rain came...and,and..."

'Don't worry, Sir, we'll find it. Our jeep will drop you off at Mr. Gulprasad's place. You don'tworry about it at all. We'll bring it to your house the moment we locate it...which will be soon; Ihope...I mean it will be soon." Mandeep just stood with his hands hanging loose by his side notknowing what to make of it.

The driver was summoned and a totally befuddled. Mandeep was whisked off to Gulprasad'shouse in the Police jeep...with the siren wailing like a Banshee!"Whew! That was close." The Inspector passed his hand over his face, "I thought he would hexus for detaining Tanya. Send word out, we want that car, Mandeep's car, returned ASAP. Don't letthem dismantle it in any way."

#

Tanya let herself into the house and drew a hot bath. She was soaked through and cold. But shewas very happy she still had the power with her. She smiled at herself in the mirror over the washbasin.Though she had not looked back at the Station, she knew the Inspector was looking at her walkingaway. That he didn't do anything told her he was stunned and completely confounded...and maybe alittle frightened...hopefully a lot frightened.

She lay submerged in the hot tub - wiggling her toes to make little ripples and took deep breathsthat made her erect nipples break surface.

Where the devil is Sameer, she thought languorously, if she depended on him she would still belanguishing in that bloody Police cell. A thought came to her. She whooshed out of the tub and steppedon to the bath mat dripping water all over it. She would leave - enough of this slouching aroundmaking soup for Sameer.

She walked down the street lugging a duffle bag and hailed a taxi, "Put my bag in the boot."