Thin Ice

by April Cronin

  The cops exchanged glances, Allen writing something down, and then Simms asked, “where does Harmony live? Do you have her address?”

  “Net,” Peter supplied shaking his head, “but she works at grocery store in Pooler is HomeTown something, I do not remember. We have not been dating all that long.” He still had no idea what was going on here, but he was reluctant to get Harmony involved in any way. Truth be told, he knew exactly what the name of her father's grocery store was, but he wasn't about to tell them. Hopefully, they would just leave her alone.

  Detective Allen reached into his pocket then, pulling out a small photograph and handing it to Peter. “Do you know this girl?” he asked. The two police officers watching his expression intently as he looked it over.

  Peter squinted his eyes trying to see if he remembered her face, but no memory of her surfaced. “I do not think so.” And then because his patience was wearing thin he asked again, “what is this all about?”

  Viktor however, having lived in America for nearly a decade now, was quickly piecing things together. He turned to Peter, speaking in their native tongue. “I do not like this Peter, I think it is time we ask them to leave.”

  Peter shook him off.

  “What's he saying?” Simms asked her partner, leaning in.

  Allen shrugged, “hell if I know, I don't speak Russian.”

  “In English please.” Simms piped up, looking disgruntled, she didn't like feeling the fool.

  “Does Peter need a lawyer?” Viktor asked, Peter's mouth going wide at the remark.

  “What do you mean Viktor? Why would I need a lawyer, what is this all about?” He whispered hoarsely, defying the lady cop and speaking to him in Russian.

  “Will you excuse us please?” Viktor said, his tone polite though his words were clipped. He pulled Peter into the kitchen. “Peter, I do not know what it going on, but I think we need to call Erin. Do you remember a few years ago? About this time?”

  Peter had to think for a minute, anger marring his handsome features as a thought came to mind. “You think this is like that? You think she is saying I raped her?”

  Viktor shrugged, “I do not know, but it would be better if we do not talk to them again until you have seen Erin.”

  “It is agreed then, make them leave.” Peter fled from the kitchen taking the stairs quicker than he had on the way down and slamming his door shut behind him.

  Pulling himself together, as not to let his feelings show, Viktor leafed through a stack of cards, coming up with the one he wanted and holding it out to the male detective.

  “This conversation is over. Peter will say no more. Please leave.”

  Allen took the card, turning it over in his big bear like hands a couple of times before looking up at Viktor, “I take it we're to call his lawyer if we'd like to talk to him again?”

  “Yes. He will call and set up an appointment. Peter is innocent of whatever that girl claims..”

  “Then why won't he talk to us?” Simms cut in, making the big Russian mad.

  Viktor balled his fists, he had to control his rage, “You will please leave. Peter will see you in the office of his lawyer.” He walked to the door then, opening it and looking down, waiting for them to leave.

  With one more glance between them, the officers left. Viktor slamming the door behind them.

  “Well,” Darla said as they walked down the steps and opened the doors to the cruiser. “That was fun. What next?”

  “I guess we take a little trip to see the girlfriend.”

  “And you know where she is?”

  Allen nodded, “ HomeTown Grocery Mart, that’s in Pooler, I know the place well.”

  “Great. Hicksville USA.” Darla muttered, putting her seat belt on.

  Harmony had just finished up the afternoon deposit, well more like the night before, but it was put in with the deposit they would make in the afternoon, so it was all the same to her. Everyone was fit and healthy again, and since she'd opened this morning, in a few hours, she'd get to go home, have a night to herself for once. Gosh, whatever would she do?

  Maybe she'd go and see Peter?

  A knock sounded at the office door then. Kate peering around it, “there's someone here to see you Harm.”

  “Who?” she asked, putting everything back in its proper place.

  Kate shrugged, “I dunno, I didn't ask, he looks official though.”

  Great. She thought to herself. Probably another real estate developer. Didn't they ever give up? Obviously not. Harmony told Kate to let him in, and shuffled around a few more sets of folders and the like that she had been organizing.

  “Ms. Chilson, my name is Maclavoy, I'm with the Donaldson firm, might that I have a few moments of your time?” Asked a tall pleasant looking gentleman who looked to be about forty.

  Harmony cut him to the quick however, refusing to shake his hand as he extended it, “I'm not interested in selling. It seems you've wasted your time. Good day.”

  He smiled, cat-like in his expression. “My you are a feisty one, your father said as much.”

  “My father? You've spoken to my father?” he nodded. “Then you know we're not interested in selling. So again, good day.” Harmony looked back down to the papers before her, sorting them as though he had never even been there.

  Maclavoy wasn't giving up so easily though. “I'm not interested in buying... well, not entirely anyways.”

  Her head popped up. “I'm listening. You've got two minutes.”

  That smile was back, and with that, he dropped his briefcase on the table top, opening it and pulling out a contract, sliding it over to her. “It's all pretty standard Ms. Chilson, but please do take your time in looking it over. Take it to your attorney if you'd like. We're being more than generous.”

  Harmony flipped through the first couple of pages, her gaze landing on the “more than generous” figure he was implying. She did her best to hide her shock as she absorbed the number. So many zeros! She thought.

  “Let me get this straight, you just want to buy the surrounding property? Not our building?”

  “That's correct.” He closed his briefcase, snapping the lock on it shut, and causing her to jump a little as the noise startled her. “I assume you've been approached by several vendors already, which is why my company has no interest in insulting you. Rather, we feel we could be beneficial partners instead.”

  She thought about that for a minute. Surely his employer was aware of the offers they'd already gotten, and how each and every one had been turned down, which is why his approach was so much different. And the money! Gosh, the money they could make from selling the surrounding property, which really, made a lot of sense, they were spending a fortune every year in taxes and lawn services to maintain it all, so why not sell it off? She'd have to think about it. Run it by her father, though, obviously he had known, or he wouldn't have told this gentleman to come and talk to her.

  “I'll talk to my father about it. When do you need an answer by?”

  Maclavoy's lips curled satisfactorily, “take your time, we're in no rush.” He said, picking up his briefcase, shaking her hand and letting himself out.

  No rush indeed.

  Yeah right. He'd be like a dog with a bone and she knew it. No matter though. She'd talk to her father, take the contract to their lawyer and go from there. Yes, it was a more than generous offer, but she'd reason that she could probably squeeze them for a little more. And she just might. Giving up this land, even if it was just the land, was bound to be hard on her.

  Though, the benefits would far out weight letting go of some dirt and gravel. She'd be able to hire a few more employees, a couple of shift supervisors maybe, since she did intend to promote one of her current employees to an assistant manager once she officially took over, and this could be just the funds to get it all done. Make for one nice nest egg too!

  Yeah, she'd have a lot to think about, especially since she was seeing someone now. And maybe that wasn't smart, planning her f
uture around a man she barely knew, but she had a good feeling about Peter, and if she was going to have any kind of life with him, she'd have to start making some room in that life to fit him in.

  Just as she resigned herself to all these thoughts, nearly succumbing to those of last night and the intimacy they had shared, Kate poked her head around the door again.

  “Police are here to see you, boss,” she said, a worried look on her face.

  “The police?” Harmony rushed from behind the counter, her first thought that something was wrong with her father.

  The officers stood waiting just outside, a man and a woman, wearing indecipherable expressions.

  “Good morning Officers, how can I help you?” Harmony asked, her voice calm, belaying the fear that was coursing through her, trying to tamp down the bile as she imagined her father dead or bleeding.

  The male detective held out a hand, introducing them both before saying more quietly, “is there somewhere more private we can go?”

  Harmony shook her head, leading them into the office she had just vacated and closing the door behind them, her nerves strung taut, she was sure this had to do with her father. God, what was she going to do without him?

  The woman surprised her then, “what's your relationship with Petrovsky Petrovic?” she asked.

  “Huh? Peter?” she asked, her heart still hammering, head still spinning. Harmony sat down, trying to regain control of herself. “I um…I'm sorry, what's this about?”

  “We didn't mean to scare you any.” Detective Allen said, realizing she must have thought something entirely different, and trying to soothe her frazzled nerves. “We just need to ask you a couple of questions, if that's alright?”

  Harmony looked up, there was compassion in the male cop’s eyes, but the woman, downright suspicious in her glare. “About Peter?” she finally managed.

  Allen shook his head. “How well do you know Mr. Petrovic?”

  “Peter?” She just couldn't seem to wrap her mind around this, there were two cops standing in her office asking her about her relationship with Peter? This was too bizarre by half. “I've only known him for a couple of weeks now, why? What's going on? Is Peter alright?”

  “Did you see Mr. Petrovic last night Ms. Chilson?” The female cop, Simms, asked, ignoring her own questions.

  “Yes. I did, I was at his house for about an hour. I think. Why? Will you please tell me why you're asking me about Peter?”

  “We're just asking some questions, trying to get a good idea of what happened last night.” Simms, the woman again.

  “How did Peter seem to you? Was he acting strangely? Dressed weird in any way?” Allen continued, one question after another, barely giving her time to register the first one.

  “What? Strange? What are you talking about? Peter seemed fine to me. And I think he'd just gotten out of the shower. What is this all about? I think I deserve some kind of answers here!” She was becoming more and more frustrated by the minute. What the hell was going on?

  The detectives exchanged glances then, flipping their little notebooks shut. Then Simms, looking smug as ever, handed her a card. “You certainly do ma'am.” She said, her voice almost mocking in its tone. “Maybe you should ask Mr. Petrovic what's going on. If you think of anything else though, give us a call.” She turned on her heel then, clomping out of the office as she went.

  Allen gave a shrug and a sad sort of smile, then he too made his way out of the office, following just behind his partner.

  Harmony slumped down in the chair behind her desk. What the hell was that all about?

  Darla shoved her partner with her shoulder as they exited the building, “how about that? A shower huh? Why do you think he needed a shower, Allen?” She said, her tone condescending as hell.

  Allen humphed to himself, he wasn't going to rise to her bait. He had his own opinions on this case, and he wasn't sharing them just yet.

  Chapter 7

  You have no Case

  Peter sat in the waiting room of Erin Paulino and associates, the number one criminal defense attorney in the state. His lawyer. Not that he'd ever needed one in the past, but the organization kept her on retainer for instances just like this. Of course, what this was exactly, he still wasn't sure.

  After leaving the cops, he'd gone and called Jean immediately, since she spoke Russian as well, and was their PR go to, he figured she'd be the best one to help him out. At the rate things were going, whatever this was, would be all over the news by tonight, so best to nip it in the bud now. Jean had told him to stay calm, which was easier said than done, then asked him to get dressed and meet her at the lawyer’s office, said she'd take care of setting up a meeting and getting to the bottom of things.

  Viktor had driven him, Peter was far too mad to drive himself anyways, and was now keeping him company while they waited. Jean had been in the office with Erin for a good half hour already. It was making him nervous again.

  Jean opened the door then, she'd been with the Slashers organization since the onset, and even though she was sixty something, you'd never know it by the youthful vigor her aura projected. She was a tall woman, close to Peter's own height, with short gray hair and a pleasant smile. Jean reminded him of his mother, and really that's how most of the team felt about her, she was always there for her “boys” as she called them. Especially now, when one of them was in trouble, she was like a mother lion, all protective and fierce.

  “Peter, you can come in now.” she said, trying to smile despite the dour mood they were all in.

  Viktor stood and followed behind him, shutting the door as soon as they both were in.

  From behind her big desk, Erin Paulino, who was an impressive woman in her own rights, stood and motioned him to the seat in front of her, “Peter,” she said. “Before we get started, I want you to know that attorney-client privilege is void with them in the room, so if there's anything you need to say to me that would effect that, then wait until they leave.”

  He shook his head, “I have nothing to hide. Am innocent.”

  “You are damn right you are Peter! What is this girl saying?” Viktor thundered, he had been holding onto his temper for longer than he'd realized, and couldn't restrain himself anymore.

  Jean placed a hand on Viktor's shoulder, “calm down Viktor. Let's all just sit and talk about this rationally.” she said in that motherly tone of hers, taking charge and getting everyone settled before Erin spoke again.

  “I've spoken with the sheriff, and at this point, we don't know much. After assuring me that your part in all of this will NOT be leaked in any way to the press, the sheriff informed me that he hasn't talked to his detectives to know where they're at with the investigation..”

  “What investigation?” Viktor cut in, his voice clipped, as he relayed Peter's exact thoughts.

  “A woman claims that Peter sexually assaulted her last night,” Erin said flatly, her voice lacking any emotion as she assessed her client’s reaction.

  Peter was stunned. He looked first to Viktor, who was silently fuming, and then to Jean, where he saw sorrow and compassion in her eyes. How could this be? He wondered. Who would say such a thing? And why?

  “I do not understand.”

  Viktor lost it then, “what is not to understand Peter? That girl of whom they showed you the picture of, she is saying you tried to rape her. Is this not correct?” he yelled, looking at Erin though the comment was to no one in particular.

  “That's right Viktor. We'll have to wait for the detectives to arrive, they should be here soon, and then we can find out the particulars. Unless there's something you can tell us now? Peter?”

  Peter looked at Erin, he didn't know what to say, Harmony was the only woman he had talked to last

  night. Unless.. He shook his head. “I was at McDonough's with Andre last night. There was a girl, but she was still with him when I leave. I do not understand this. Why would girl with Andre accuse me of such a thing?”

  “And that was the only
girl?” Erin asked, writing his responses down on a piece of paper.

  Jean grabbed his hand then, giving it a little squeeze. “It's okay Peter,” she assured him, though it did nothing to ease his mind.

  “Is not okay Ms. Jean. But yes, this is only girl I remember. Andre and I talk to her, then he buy her a drink and I pay my bill and leave.”

  “What happened then?” Erin inquired, her face a mask as she hid her opinion of the matter one way or the other.

  “Then I leave and...” he trailed off, the memories of last night coming back to him in snatches. He hadn't been drunk by any means, hell he'd only had three beers the whole night, but it all seemed like such a nightmare now. Even his time with Harmony was tainted.

  Erin prodded him, sensing his hesitation, “and what Peter? What happened?”

  “There was girl, net, that is not right, there was two of them, they say they were fans. They ask for my autograph, and a picture.” He shrugged, it really was such an insignificant thing after all, fans approached him all the time. “I give to them, and then I leave.”

  There was a knock on the door then, the secretary poking her head in to announce that the detectives had arrived.

  “Escort them in, Sandy, thank you,” Erin said, turning her attention to Peter and the group. “Showtime guys.”

  Detective Allen in all his portliness took a seat next to Peter, Detective Simms however, stood at the back of the room, leaning menacingly against the back wall, as though to appear bigger than she was.

  “Detectives,” Erin began, once everyone in the room seemed to settle in a little. “My client has been advised that he does not have to answer any of your questions if he so chooses,” Simms glowered in his direction then, as Erin continued, “however, he has decided to listen to what you have to say and cooperate at his own discretion.”

  Allen cleared his throat, pulling a small notebook from his pocket and flipping through a couple of pages before settling on one in particular. “Let's talk about what happened when you left you the bar son,” he began, his southern accent showing through, he spoke as though this were no more than a casual conversation, and not the horrendous ordeal that it really was. “Did you talk to anyone?”