SILVER CROWN CAFETARIA

The Silver Crown Hospital is in Reed city and has a reputation for good treatment in multi-specialties. My tale is set in SCH’s cafeteria which was an eating place and also housed health foods for patients. It was a large area well lit. The kitchen was set within besides storage areas etc. Early that morning the SCH cafeteria was as usual a beehive of activity. Hospital visitors, staff and so on who sought an early breakfast were already served and were eating. Tom in regulation overcoat of the cafeteria besides gloves wheeled his trolley with diet foods and set off to distribution areas. He was only 18 and always had a smiling face and was popular. He was from a disadvantaged family and had had education only to middle school level. He had joined SCH and had been posted as morgue attendant. After joining duty he had pleaded that he was frightened at the morgue and was transferred to be used by the health food supplier to SCH who ran the cafeteria. The supplier had exclusive use of a portion of the cafeteria for stocking his daily supplies and a corner of that space served as Tom’s living and sleeping space. It was his duty to deliver the diets, later pick up the leftovers and consign them to the hospital’s waste disposal.

After about 6 months of duty, the cafeteria boss said “Tom, SCH has only one entrance with 24x7 security. The health foods have to be here before 6 AM. I’ve been opening that small backdoor every day. Since you sleep here you might do that job as well. This is the key to the back door. Use it and don’t part with it.” Accordingly Tom would get up early receive the supplies and lock the door securely again.

SCH’s own laundry was on the fourth floor and was operated by a female staff named Kala. She was  young and not bad looking. It was said she had been married and that her husband had abandoned her. She had set her eyes on Tom and had befriended ḥim. There were opportunities for the two to be private together in the cafeteria and she wanted to use them. Tom was reluctant and kept his distance from her. Tom wasn’t fickle minded but her incessant attempts to lure ḥim had its effect. During their intimacy he told her about the key which he held to the back door.

A few weeks later, as Tom trundled his food cart in the morning, there was a commotion in one of the wards. A 2 day old male baby was stolen in the night. The CCTV showed that the theft had taken place by someone whose identity was concealed. SCH security moved with utmost speed. Records of all arrivals and departures of the previous 2 days were instantly checked. SCH’s management took the decision to report the matter to the police. That was how police Inspector Helen came into the picture. She was about 35 not particularly attractive. But she had kept the middle aged spread from happening to her by diet and exercise. She was married though they had no children.

Helen came and met the mother of the missing child. She studied the SCH security records. There were no suspicious arrivals or departures.

She next talked to some of the sanitation staff. One of them who was garrulous whispered about Tom and Kala being in love and tittered.

Helen went to the fourth floor where the laundry staff worked and met Kala.

Helen asked Kala “Are you related to Tom?”

“No no! He is just a friend.”

Helen asked around trying to gain the maximum information. Then she was shown the cafetaria’s service entrance and it was pointed out to her that its only key was with Tom. He explained the practice of his opening the service entrance and its closure.

He said “Madam so far I’ve given this key to no one else.”

Helen asked “Could someone have opened the backdoor silently and gone out?”

Tom was silent a moment and then said “It’s likely as I sleep tight particularly if I go to bed late.”

Helen said “Tom. I talked to your staff in the laundry. I learnt that you’re close to a Kala.”

“Sorry madam. It was she who came to woo me.”

Helen was thoughtful and was silent a moment. Then she said “I spoke to one of your sanitation staff. Don’t be embarrassed. She said Kala had ordered her to pick two condoms on one occasion from family planning supplies. She had done it but she said Kala was mean and didn’t give her even thanks. Were those meant to be used by you?”

Tom said “Kala is shameless. I had opted out of a relationship with her saying that I didn’t want intimacy citing disease and also the possibility of progeny that could result. That was when she got the condoms. Then ….”

Helen said “I understand. Continue and tell me what happened.”

He hid his face and whispered “What happened happened in which she played the dominant part.”

“Don’t be ashamed. These things happen. Did the happening repeat after that?”

“ May be a few of times.”

“I’ll come back to you after a while.”

Helen examined Tom’s key and saw that it wasn’t very complicated. She assumed Kala had probably made a pencil sketch of tḥe key and had got it made.

Helen summoned Kala and asked “Where did you make the duplicate?”

She started shedding tears and said “I stole the key from Tom and went to Keysmith in Reed market. They made it for me.”

“Tell me where is the baby now?”

“I really don’t know. It looks like somebody came in the middle of the nigḥt, took the baby and left.”

“You’re lying. You know to whom you gave the duplicate key.”

Helen said “Wait till I get you to the police station. After I whip you on your bare bottom the whole truth will spill out.”

She fell at Helen’s feet and said “I was asked to get hold of Tom’s key. Otherwise they would report about my background to SCH which will sack me.”

She gave details and Helen ordered the criminals to be arrested.

Kala was also arrested. However Helen was still unsure about letting the law take its course as she was soft on Kala. But she was law enforcement, and knew there would be no alternative.

ECH launched an enquiry on Tom. Luckily his boss strongly defended him for his probity and sincerity and proved that he had fallen to temptation by an evil woman. Tom was exonerated and continued in his job of diet distribution besides attending to the back door.

END