Breaking and Entering is a crime novel by H.R.F. Keating. It is the twenty-fourth novel in the Inspector Ghote series.
Plot introduction
Inspector Ghote has been assigned to investigate a string of cat-burglaries. The burglar, nicknamed Yeshwant after a Hindu lizard god by the newspapers, demonstrates remarkable climbing skills. However, the case Ghote really wants to investigate is the murder of Anil Ajmani. Ghote is unexpectedly rejoined by his old friend Axel Svensson, formally of UNESCO, who aids and hampers Ghote's investigation. Only when Ghote's investigation reaches its climax does he realise that perhaps he has been on the right case all along.
Plot summary
Ghote reflects on his misfortune in being assigned to a case of burglary instead of the murder of Anil Ajmani. By chance he encounters Axel Svensson, once an analyst for UNESCO who worked with Ghote in The Perfect Murder. Ghote immediately feels sorry for Axel, who is visiting India after the death of his wife. Ghote agrees, against his better judgement, to let Axel assist in his investigation.
The next day Ghote rejoins Axel to learn the big Swedish man has been frightened by the urban legend of "The Kidney Heist". Together they visit and interview a victim of the cat burglar "Yeshwant". Axel is surprised by the deferential treatment Ghote gives to the victim and comments afterward that a witness would be handled differently in Sweden. The two argue.
Later they meet Pinkie, the journalist who gave the cat burglar the nickname "Yeshwant", who is keen to get new information from Ghote. With Pinkie's assistance they interview a witness who is reluctant to let them look for clues in her bedroom. When they leave, Ghote wonders whether all the stolen jewellery came from "Pappubhai Chimanlal and Company".
Ghote interviews the brother of the last victim, who owns a shop called Video Valley. Ghote concludes the man, while in financial trouble, is not in league with the cat burglar. Next Ghote interviews Mrs Masbahn, who had a diamond ring stolen. Mrs Masbahn says she bought the ring from Karamdas and Sons, at the urging of her lover, a drunken poet named Bottlewalla. Bottlewalla, however, remembers things differently. The couple quarrelled over where to buy the ring, with her favouring Karamdas and Sons and he Pappubhai Chimanlal and Company. Bottlewalla insists the ring was bought from Pappubhai Chimanlal.
Mr Pappubhai Chimanlal is polite but does not allow Ghote to interview his employees, referring to his extensive staff vetting procedures and staff moral. Axel is furious with this lack of assistance. Mr Chimanlal tells them his secretary, Miss Cooper, is the only member of staff beside himself who knows the details of every transaction to take place in the store. Ghote presses to interview Miss Cooper but, in Axel's absence, Mr Chimanlal confides that Miss Cooper is a lonely, loveless woman, and to ensure her complete loyalty he seduced once her many years ago.
Undeterred, Ghote and Axel seek out Miss Cooper. She denies providing information to the cat burglar. Ghote presses her but she continues to protest her innocence and eventually, Ghote relents and accepts her innocence. Outside, Axel deduces the only other person out who might know all the transactions carried out at the jewellers is Mr Pappubhai Chimanlal's wife.
At interview Mrs Chimanlal tells them the Indian folk story of the sparrow and crow. The sparrow builds a nest of wax and the crow builds a nest of dung. The rains come and wash away the crow's nest. The crow begs the sparrow for shelter. When the crow insists on being let in, the sparrow admits the crow to her home, and invites the crow to dry herself on the stove. The crow does so and is burnt to death. This is Mrs Chimanlal's way of warning the detectives that her husband has influence and she can make life difficult for them.
Ghote realises that she is wearing a necklace very like one described in the list of stolen items. He persuades Mrs Chimanlal to swing back on the swing seat she is sitting on and Axel takes a photo. As she does Ghote sees the necklace clearly and realises it is indeed stolen property. Ghote accuses her of being Yeshwant.