Pirate Vishnu (A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery) by Gigi Pandian

the ocean for fish. You are too young to have seen many of them, even on your travels. The technology has been replaced.”
    Sanjay and I glanced at each other. Chinese fishing nets. Nadia was right. That’s exactly what they were. Huge contraptions with spider-like arms that controlled the nets below.
    The Paravar caste of south India was a fishing and boat builder caste. The Chinese had come to the west coast of India centuries ago, bringing with them their tall fishing nets and interacting with the Indians who worked along the water. For centuries, the easiest way to get around the coastal regions of southwestern India was by boat, giving lots of work to the Paravars.
    As a skilled boat builder who once worked in Kochi, Anand would have been familiar with the nets. But why had he drawn these fishing nets in San Francisco?
    “This is not right,” Nadia said, the wrinkles surrounding her lips accentuated by her consternation.
    Nadia pulled the map off the corkboard. She took it out of its protective plastic, and held it in her hands to peer more closely at the markings. She shook her head before setting it down on the coffee table.
    “The map is a hundred years old,” I said. “Wasn’t there a big Chinese population in San Francisco at the time?”
    “There have never been fishing nets set up like that at Lands End,” Nadia said. “I hope you did not pay much for the map. The person who drew it was not true to San Francisco history.”
    “It looks pretty accurate everywhere else,” Sanjay said.
    Nadia’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Sanjay.
    He gulped. “Would you like some coffee, Nadia?”
    “You made it?”
    He nodded.
    “No. I should be getting back.” She gave one last look at the mysterious map she’d left resting on the coffee table, then slipped out the door.
    “What did I ever to do her?” Sanjay asked. He sighed and absentmindedly set his mug down on the coffee table. “And how the hell does she know what fishing nets were set up in San Francisco a hundred years ago. What is she, a vampire?”
    “Before I lose all sense of reality, it’s time for you to head home, too.”
    Sanjay hesitated before speaking. “You’re not going to do anything after I’m gone, are you?”
    “I’m going to get some sleep.”
    “You’re not going to check out these spots on the map?”
    Sanjay knew me well.
    “It’s the middle of the night,” I said.
    “That’s not an answer.”
    “I’m not going to leave the house tonight,” I promised.
    “You don’t seem yourself,” Sanjay said. “Are you sure you’re all right? Do you want me to come by in the morning?”
    “I’ve got a date in the morning.”
    “A date?”
    “I’m meeting Tamarind at the library.”
    “Oh, not a date date.”
    “She’s helping me with some archival research. Before I return the map to the police or Steven’s family tomorrow, I thought I’d take it to the library—Sanjay!” I broke off as I stared at the coffee table. I jumped up and lifted Sanjay’s mug from where he’d set it down. “You set your coffee down on the map!”
    “It’s Nadia’s fault,” Sanjay grumbled, taking the mug back. “She flusters me. I didn’t realize what I was doing. Why did she take it off the wall anyway?”
    I slipped the map back into its plastic covering. It only had a small ring from the mug. No harm done.
    “Definitely time to call it a night,” I said.
    After I finally got Sanjay out the door, I opened my computer. An email from Tamarind told me she’d found a good contact at the University of Kerala and that she should have more information by morning. With that taken care of, it was time for an internet search. I confirmed that Steven Healy was a lawyer, like he told me. But that’s where the truth ended. He hadn’t retired.
    He’d been disbarred.
    I clicked on one of the articles, and then another. Last year, prominent San Francisco attorney Steven Healy had been disbarred for falsifying documents against the