Page 52 of Antagonist

“Hi, Peter. I bet you’ve had a long day, so let me help you get on your way home.”

“Now there’s a good idea, Harrison,” the officer says.

They know each other?

“We’re preparing the wall for the Spring Fair mural. I can assure you the paint we’re using to create the mural is safe according to the State of Connecticut School Construction Standards and Guidelines.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you mentioned the fair and your art project. Let me know if you need any help. The guys at the station have been talking about doing some work for the community. This is just one project, but it's a start.”

“Officer!” Karina screeches.

“Yes, Mrs. Brunel?”

“Aren’t you going to do something about this?”

“I am. Mrs. Brunel, do you realize you can be fined or even arrested for wasting police time?” Peter places his hands on his hips in a don’t-mess-with-me stance. “Now, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that your report wasn’t of a malicious nature. This is a one-time-only deal—”

“But my husband,” Karina interrupts, but Peter raises his hand. She purses her lips like a petulant child that didn’t get her way.

“Harrison. Fletcher,” Peter says. “Good luck with your stuff here. Let me know if you need help with your project. Both my kids went to this school, and I’m sure they would have loved to be part of something like this back in the day.”

He shakes Harrison’s hand and heads toward his car.

Karina looks like she might be having a stroke.

“Karen, you heard him. Pick up a mop or go home,” I say.

She lets out a frustrated groan and stomps off.

“I should have known this would happen. My husband said hers has been sniffing around the planning office all week,” Melodie says.

“The planning office has no jurisdiction over this kind of work,” Harrison says.

Ellis runs over, out of breath. “Karina…Jesus, I’m so out of shape.” He takes a few breaths. “Karina called the police.”

I chuckle and place a hand on Ellis’s shoulder. “Don’t give yourself a coronary. It’s all over for now.”

Harrison gives me a look to say he doesn’t believe that. “Peter came over to check on the work. Karina made a complaint, but since we’re not doing anything outside regulations, she had the pleasure of going home with her tail between her legs.”

“Oh, thank god,” Ellis says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “They’re already causing enough… Anyway, how’s work coming along? Sorry, I had to dive out for a call. My sister was the one who alerted me to the report. I came out as soon as I could.”

“We’re progressing well. Most of the dirt and graffiti are gone. We'll just need to hose it all down at the end and let it dry before I start the base sketch,” I say.

“Good, good, let’s get this done then.”

Everyone goes back to their jobs, but Harrison grabs my arm and pulls me in the opposite direction.

“You’ve known Karina longer. Do you think she’s going to escalate her behavior?” he asks.

“I don’t know. We don’t exactly move in the same social circles.” I shrug. “Based on her behavior as a teenager? I’d say she’s not going to give in without a fight.”

Harrison sighs. “We need to make sure everything we do for this fair meets all regulations for public events. I can handle the legal side.” He pulls out his phone, tapping away rapidly. “I’ll make an appointment with the principal. Are you free this week? I could probably work from home one morning…um…maybe later this week. It’s good to have Peter on our side. Maybe he can join us for the meeting.”

He keeps typing away and mumbling details to himself while I stare at him, my whole body feeling overheated all of a sudden.

“What?” he asks, looking up from his phone.

“Huh?”