Penny Criminal Case

“But I…”

“Shut up and do not bother to work!”

Petrov helped the “senior investigator for particularly important cases” immediately – with the assistance of the hose and the participation of Petin’s ribs.

“Go on, comrade senior investigator for particularly important cases: he will not interfere with you anymore.”

Starkov gave a bow of thanks and became thoughtful for a moment.

“Tell me, Petin, did you tell about your plans to your dad? Just do not lie!”

Petin lowered his eyes.

“Well, I told him… I said I want her…”

“Want her”?! ” Petrov “worked to intercept” instantly.

“No, well, not that… Well, in general… what I already told you…”

“And dad?” Petrov’s eyes lit up with speculation. “How did dad react?”

The youngster lowered his head.

“He said that there is no need to write nonsense… that he will deal with her himself.”

“And?”

The eyes of the lieutenant colonel were lit with predatory lights now: a tiger, not a policeman!

Petin puffed.

“Well, he went to them… to the Kotovs in the yard… well, and there he promised… that is, he said…”

“He threatened,” Petrov corrected cheerfully.

“Yes… that he would fuck her, because she offended his son…”

“And to whom did he say this?” Petrov continued to perform as a soloist: again, “having gone through the window”, Starkov obviously thought of something of his own, obviously not connected in any way with the testimony of Petin.

“He said this to all Kotovs…”

“Who heard these words?”

“Neighbors…”

Petrov turned to Starkov energetically.

“What do you say, bro?” Exactly the same!”

However, for some reason, Starkov was in no hurry to share the enthusiasm of the lieutenant colonel. Instead of a cheerful connection to the celebration, he first chewed on his lips vaguely, and only then issued a text, but not at all the one, that Petrov, still emitting a glow, expected from him. And the recipient of the text was not the lieutenant colonel.

“And tell me, Petin Junior, when you stated to your father your plan regarding Kotova, was there anyone else besides you at home?”

Ignored by the “diversionist bro”, Petrov was offended at first, and then he blew out his lips in surprise. His whole appearance did not even speak, but it cried out: what about this? Why divert the conversation – along with the guy – from a promising topic?

Suddenly, Petin also shared the chagrin of his “torturer”, but for a different reason. The question of the “senior investigator for particularly important cases” did not please him only because the guy obviously did not object to his own replacement with the “sacrificial bed” and prison bunkers. The younger one obviously did not object to his father replacing him in the role of the accused. Therefore, he was upset at first, and only then began to recall. Remembering, he even ventured to pull his shoulder once, as if doubting the reliability of the memory.

“No, it seems no one… Mother was at work… She works as a cleaner… Although…”

“What?” Starkov perked up slightly.

“Some ‘cop’ came to us… sorry: a policeman… in a jacket…”

“In civilian clothes.”

“Yes.”

“What kind of ‘cop’ he was?”

“I saw him for the first time,” Petin scowled. “A lot of them go to my father… If something happens somewhere, they immediately interrogate my father…”

“Can you recognize him?”

Petin wrinkled his narrow forehead and shook his head.

“He talked to my father. I came out of the kitchen at that moment. And he stood back to me.”

“Can your dad recognize him?”

“Well, it’s necessary to ask him,” Petin combined the bolder and insolent: he clearly felt, that the interest of the investigation was switching again in the direction that was saving for him – to dad.

“And at what point did this ‘cop’ appear?”

Starkov generously forgive this insolent: now he was more interested in the continuation, than in the reward. Petrov stiffened with his mouth open – clearly not because of the perturbation of Starkov’s “softness”: with each question, Alex went farther and farther away from the “mainstream” direction.

“I do not remember.”

“Well, you have not finished setting out your plan to your father?”

Petin ventured to move his shoulder again.

“Well, the policeman… came… this evening, when we talked with the father… well, about all this…”

Starkov sat back in his chair with obvious satisfaction on his face. Finally, Petrov, judging by his clarifying glance, had already begun to guess, that the “off-topic questions” were, nevertheless, on the topic, even if not completely clear to the lieutenant colonel.

“Okay!”

Since Starkov did not express any intention to continue the inquiry, Petrov vigorously thumped his hand on the table and “sentenced” the situation.

“Sign the protocol: here, here and here!.. Signed? Captain, take this rapist away…”

Petin flinched and pulled his head into his shoulders.

“… back to the camera and come back!”

When the doors closed behind both of them, Petrov – already with a dull face: the inimitable master of the transition from one state to another – switched to Starkov.

“Bro, do you think that the real killer came to them under the guise of a policeman?”

“Or a real killer as a real policeman,” Starkov did not hesitate to respond, swaying in his chair.

This time, the lieutenant colonel did not gawk indignantly. For some time he frowned, silently sniffed and ruffled the earlobe: he thought. Finally, he decided:

“This is not from real life, bro! This is a movie! ‘Maybe, somewhere out there, high in the mountains, but not in our area’…”

The quote was quite recognizable, but for some reason it did not add enthusiasm on Starkov’s face. But its absence – exactly according to Lomonosov – added determination on the face and in voice of Petrov.

“Let’s better deal with Petin senior instead of composing the image of a maniac!”

“Okay,” Starkov shrugged indifferently.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Petin Sr. was delivered an hour after his pimply son was returned to the prison meal. Dad turned out to be a colorful personality, but despite the visual involvement in the criminal world: two impressed rings on his fingers, some faded tattoo on his shoulder – he obviously didn’t be an “authority”. His whole appearance spoke rather of a hooligan past and an alcoholic present. And now he was drunk, wrinkled and sleepy.

“Sit down.”

“I’ll still be in time,” Petin began to pretend to be “authority”, “not moving away” from the chair, but not even approaching it. He failed – in contrast to the hose, which briskly walked on the back of the “dissident”. Next to the rubber was connected the knee of captain, which helped the defendants to realize their place in this office: in the center of the chair.

“We know everything,” Petrov, who was pretty tired to talk – not from physical assault – began his work immediately.

“What to talk about then?” Petin grinned.

“About confession.”

“Don’t bluff, ‘cop’!”

The “opposition” cost him two more sobering sets of rubber hose.

“Let’s start, or what?” Petrov bent over him.

“So you already started.”

Grimacing painfully, Petin rubbed his “bruised” shoulder.

“True, not from the end…”

“Should I hit you in the face right away?” Petrov “specified the coordinates of the end” immediately. This time, Petin thought it best to remain silent: apparently, he began to understand, that this “cop” was too straightforward for a “courtly” conversation.

“Will you talk?”

Petrov patted rubber on the palm.

“About what?” Petin glances at the hose with cautious.

“About how you and your son discussed the plan of rape and murder of a minor Kotova.”

Petin frowned.

“We did not discuss anything with him.”

“But your son claims the opposite.”

This time, the lieutenant colonel did not pick up the hose, but the interrogation report, which he waved in front of the person under investigation.

“What do you say?”

Instead of answering, Petin tried to take his eyes off – along with his head – from the lieutenant colonel, but his head – along with his look – was immediately and without unnecessary courtesy returned by captain to the place.

“Should I repeat the question?” Petrov smiled “promisingly”.

This time Petin was not silent for long – five seconds, not more.

“Yes, son… he came up with some nonsense… And I told him that I would deal with this bitch… so as not to offend my son… Already there was no strength to endure her arrogant antics! And her parents are the same bastards!”

“Well, and how: did you deal with this bitch?” Petrov leaned even lower over him.

“I would do it,” Petin grinned grimly, “but I was overtaken by some kind person…”

“And what kind of a policeman was at your house?” Starkov connected “contrary”. “On the day, when you decided to deal with Kotova?”

Trying to remember, Petin wrinkled his forehead and honestly “plunged into himself”.

“A hell knows! I saw him for the first time. A lot of your ‘cops’ visited me: I am tagged, where to go! Especially our local police inspector… he bothers me especially! But I have not seen that ‘cop’ before.”

“Can you recognize him?”

Petin went away to the side for the answer again.

“I do not know… It was dark… I drank a lot… All of you are the same…”

“What was the conversation about?”

“With son?”

“With a policeman!” Starkov didn’t even raise the voice: he was carried away by the version again.

Petin made a face and spread their hands, turning their palms “face out”.

“So, about that, about this… He asked me about where I was, what I was doing… and so on.”

“What case?”

“I don’t remember”, Petin shrugged his shoulders, as if surprised at the inconsistency of the investigator. “He told about some kind of theft, but I don’t remember, what kind of theft it was: I was drunk…”

“Where was you on the day of the murder?” Petrov barely waited for his turn.

Petin “peeled off his eyes” from the floor slowly.

“And when was this day?”

“The day before yesterday.”

Remembering, Petin several times rode a dirty palm over the overgrown cheek.

“The day before yesterday?..”

The palm “was already going back”, when suddenly it changed its mind and worked on her forehead with a resounding slap.

“So in fact, it… we drank!”

“What a “wonderful alibi”! The lieutenant colonel grinned. “You are “getting drunk” every day!”

“No, no, chief!” Petin put his hand to his heart, as if he had sworn. “The day before yesterday, the advance was given! I work at a construction site as a concrete worker! We have an advance the twentieth of each month always! Twentieth – advance payment, the fifth – pay! You can ask anyone!”

“We’ll ask, do not worry.”

Petrov did not like the answer of the defendant clearly: the “strong version” gave the first crack.

“And what: did you drink all the day?”

Petin “embarrassed”, even sniffed.

“Well, why ‘all the day’, chief?.. Well… we started after lunch… after getting an advance…”

“After lunch” – is it still during working hours?” Starkov grinned: upset Petrov chose to keep silent.

“Well, what about that?” Petin “opposed” only slightly.

“And who drank?”

“The whole team!” the defendant has cheered up.

“And where did you drink?” Starkov was amused also: at least, this is some variety. “Or, as in the song of Vysotsky: “then in the garden, where children’s “mushrooms”, then I don’t remember: I reached “to the point”?”

“Something like this, Petin twitched his cheek. “We started, as they say, without departing…”

“From the cashier?” Starkov laughed.

“No, we moved far from the cashier,” Petin appreciated the humor. “We started drinking at a construction site. Then we went to visit Markov – this is our brigadier… Then we moved to me, then we walked along the street…”

“You drank near the fence,” Starkov “corrected”.

Women took us home.“In the bushes,” Petin clarified the correction. “There we fell asleep… Women took us home after midnight.”

Starkov turned to Petrov. In his view, there was no expected question, but the lieutenant colonel was already “utterly pleased” with the testimony of Petin. As a man of direct and frank, he did not intend to “save the face”, so he immediately “went on the code”.

“Okay, Petin, now the investigator will write down your testimony, we will check them, and if you did not lie, then you will go home.”

“Downgraded to the real rank”, Starkov quickly recorded testimony in the protocol and pushed it to Petin. He did not even read, and, casting an indifferent glance at the protocol, boldly put a clumsy painting next to the “Starkov’s check marks”.

“Take him in, captain,” the lieutenant colonel said with distress.

Already in the office there was neither Petin, nor Andreev, but the lieutenant colonel still continued to lament. His grief was genuine: everything “burst”, that could “burst”, and nothing came to replace it, nor did it come to mind.

“Now what, bro?”

To his surprise, more than disappointment, Starkov did not connect to the three-day party, nor to think about the future, so bleak in Petrov’s view.

“We will work out dad.”

“This dad?” the lieutenant colonel, perplexed, jabbed his finger at the door. Starkov shook his head.

“I mean Kotova’s dad, or rather, stepfather.”

“That’s not bad!” Petrov caught fire immediately. “This is a classic: stepfather and adult stepdaughter!”

He immediately mercilessly “subjected” the selector key to his index finger.

“Koval? Run to the Kotovs immediately… No, we do not need them: ask their neighbors about stepfather! Yes: all the ‘dirty laundry’, which only you will find! Collect it ‘in the bag’ and immediately back! Like a fly!”

“Boris!” Starkov glanced at the door expressively – with a clear hint of recent visitors to the office.

“Oh, yes!” Petrov slapped himself on bald head with annoyance. “Koval, do you hear me? So: on the way, look to a certain Markov – this is the brigadier and neighbor of Petin the elder! Find out the details of all, with whom they celebrated getting an advance the day before yesterday! Understood?.. Well, come on!”

He returned his eyes to Starkov’s face.

“Is that all now, bro? Then let’s wait for the results…”

CHAPTER NINE

The efficient Koval worked as Figaro: half a dozen sheets of paper, only half written up in a small but legible hand of a senior lieutenant was lying on the Petrov’s desk after two hours.

“Is everything here?” Petrov’s eyebrows were raised menacingly – it will not be superfluous.

“Everything is here, comrade lieutenant colonel. This are…”

Koval put aside five sheets.

“… explanatory from neighbors…”

Explanatory – not protocols – are disorder in a criminal case, but Starkov did not criticize Koval: the main thing is that they benefit.

“… and here it is the data of the participants of drinking. By the way, I interviewed Markov also: the man confirms, that on that day they drank until midnight and ‘got drunk like pigs’.”

Looking at Starkov, Petrov gave a sigh of chagrin and spread his hands with regret.

“Do not worry, bro!” Starkov did not “sprinkle ashes” again. “A negative result is a result also, especially since you and I are not counting on another. A version, no matter how flimsy it is, needs to be worked out. And I will do it myself. Now I am more interested in what is there – by stepfather?”

The lieutenant colonel instantly switched his eyes – already “on the road” demanding – to Koval. Senior lieutenant crept a little, but he could not resist and snorted.

“What?” the lieutenant colonel frowned in displeasure: he did not tolerate “free-thinking” from his subordinates, even if it was not in the ranks.

“Our stepfather seemed to live up to our expectations,” Koval said, not grinning. “Two neighbors said, that they had heard – and one of them had even seen – how her stepfather was pestering the girl. Well, the maiden, God rest her soul, was, comrade lieutenant colonel, with considerable virtues… well, you yourself saw…”

“I haven’t seen some part of her virtues,” Petrov’s eyebrows even more moved. “You do not get distracted by the lyrics – report on the merits!”

Koval cleared his throat in guilt.

“Well, so, here, comrade lieutenant colonel… Neighbors said, that the girl threatened to tell everything to her mother, and…”

“And what these threats threatened stepfather?” Starkov interested wedged. “How mom can help our version?”

“Sir”, Koval turned his gaze on him, “her mother is business, energetic woman. By the way, she runs a large store. And this stepfather, judging by the testimony of the neighbors, is a typical gigolo, a parasite, lives at the expense of his wife’s money.”

“He is much younger than our trade worker, of course, isn’t he?” Starkov grinned.

“For seven years, sir. But this difference in years, as far as I understood from the words of their neighbors, in case of something will be not useful as an ‘excuse’. ‘Our trade worker’ will kick him out like a lousy puppy without the slightest regret. There are a lot of those, who want to take a place of gigolo: mom has access to scarce goods!”

“Where is the hell now?”

The lieutenant colonel was obviously tired of listening: he wanted to act – with all his arsenal.

“He is already here, in the third cell.”

“Have you brought him here already?!” Petrov “resurrected” vigorously. “Well done, senior lieutenant: you are rehabilitated! Bring him here!”

Three minutes later, the chair, only recently freed from the Petin, occupied the next “object of work”. The “object” was scared and did not hide it.

Lieutenant colonel Petrov did not conceal something also: his intentions. And his intentions were more than eloquently confirmed by the “rubber assistant”, playing in the hands of the lieutenant colonel.

“Well, you bastard,” Petrov “greeted” right off the bat, smiling to the suspect “with a kind smile from the starving cannibal”. “Do you tell everything yourself – or should I turn to the ‘assistant’?”

And Petrov eloquently looked at the hose almost with affection.

“I don’t understand what…”

The “object” did not have time to explain the “reason for misunderstanding”: rubber was connected to the interrogation. And it connected so vigorously, that the defendant almost fell off the chair. Koval, who “took over duty” instead of the irreplaceable hitherto Andrey, “asked” the citizen to return to the place with energetic cuffs

“Should I repeat my question?”

Petrov hung over the “object” with his “meter with a cap”. The “object” flinched with anything that could tremble in him – and everything trembled in him. A glance was not an exception.

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