Ice Princess

"Well can you believe that?" commented Uncle Matt, from behind his paper at the breakfast table two days later.

"Believe what," asked Aunt Marie, as she passed by him, on her way, to flip hamburgers in the skillet.

"Breakfast is just about ready."

Danielle sipped her coffee and picked at the donut on her plate. She wasn't hungry. But, she never was hungry anymore.

That day, when those three boys had assaulted her in the schools parking lot had changed her life, forever.

"Well golly gee," said Aunt Marie, her voice echoed in the kitchen like Gomer Pile's from the old TV show Mayberry RFD.

"What do you think of that?" she pointed at something in the paper and looked toward Danielle. Her eyes were as big as cherries and looked as if they'd burst at any time.

"That guy who killed his girlfriend, you remember him, from the big Halloween dance."

Danielle nodded her head and waited for her aunt to finish.

"Well you won't believe this, but his two buddies were found sitting on her freshly dug grave two nights ago." She chuckled again and pointed.

"Honey they were found nude, wearing baby bonnets and sucking pacifiers," corrected her uncle.

"What?" chuckled Danielle, surprised a picture appeared in the paper of them dressed like that. She got up to look at the paper too. Maybe she should start a collection of photos.

The article said that both men had been admitted to the local hospital for study. Uncle Matt folded the paper beside him and laughed.

"You know, pumpkin, strange things started happening right after you arrived. Did you bring bad luck with you, perhaps?" He smiled and then took a sip of his coffee not really expecting a reply.

"You be careful driving around town, with all this lunacy going on. I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt."

"I'll be careful," she assured him just as the phone began ringing.

Marie got up and to answer it. "Hello."

"It's for you Danielle," said Aunt Marie, a concerned look slipped across her face. "It's Officer Dillon." She handed the cordless phone to Danielle. The room grew deadly silent.

"Hello," she said, unsure what would happen next.

"Danielle," said Officer Dillon, his voice sounded cherry and happy. "I realize that I'm way out of line asking you this." He paused and cleared his throat. "But I wondered if you'd have dinner with me this coming Friday night?"

Danielle looked over her shoulder at her aunt and uncle as she replied, grinning. "I'm sorry Officer Dillon, but I've family plans for that evening, followed by work. Friday is one of the busiest days at the club." She winked and grinned.

Both her relatives smiled, but said nothing.

There was no way she'd ever go out with him. He smelled like rape and she knew he had women in his life, because he wasn't hungry. Anyway, she couldn't be around him to long before she started turning blue. That didn't make since either. Nothing about him made since to her.

"What night might you be free Miss Danielle?" he asked again, the tentacles of strain slowly seeped into his voice. She didn't want to make things worse, or make him suspect her of anything. Rumors were floating around the bar that he suspected three of its employees of the murders, but nothing had been revealed yet as to which three.

"I'm sorry Officer Dillon," she said again, "but we are starting inventory at the club in a few weeks, and I know I'll just be too tired after all that work to go out with anyone."

She paused just for a second and then added, her voice taking on a cheerfulness she didn't feel. "But it was so nice of you to ask me."

She clicked the phone line dead as she flopped down on the sofa.

Her face broke out into a million kinds of laughter reflected in her sparkling eyes.

"My God, can you believe it? He asked me out!"

She looked at her Aunt and Uncle who appeared to be concern over took the laughter. "I was sure he was going to suggest I had something to do with those murders."

"Well," said Uncle Matt who appeared just a bit uncomfortable. "You have been around all the people who were murdered in one way or the other."

"I wasn't around the sheriff?" She pointed out.

"Well, I guess that's true," corrected her uncle. "But, things are looking pretty scary around here. I wouldn't be surprised if they called in more law enforcement."

"We've been laughing, but you never know how serious this really is," he pointed out as the smile disappeared from his face. "Making nice with Officer Dillon wouldn't be a bad thing, Pumpkin."

A distant smile paraded across her face. Making nice with Officer Dillon involved staying away from him at all costs.

"We'll see Uncle," she replied and got up from the sofa. "I'm going to go out and take a walk."

She moved toward the kitchen door, picking up a bottle of water along the way. The sound of her tennis shoes squeaked across the tile floor as she went.

"Danielle!" called Uncle Matt, as the door slammed shut behind her.

"Let her go honey, I think she needs some time to think." She patted Matt's shoulder and frowned. "It's difficult to be young you know?"

Her feet headed toward the lake. Her mind focused on the summer. The summer when she and Jack had first spoken...the beginning of their romance...