Tuckamore Bay

manic Monday (5)

Bill introduced Officer Bradley to Matty and then went to the bar and poured a scotch.

"Would you like one, Officer Bradley?"

The Officer looked at his watch.

"Well, I am officially off duty, so maybe just a small one, if its no trouble."

"None at all," Bill smiled, as he poured the drinks.

He gave the Officer his drink and sat on a chair, next to Matty.

Officer Bradley stood for a moment, staring out over the ocean, as he sipped his drink.

"This is great scotch. Very smooth."

He sat on the veranda's wooden bench and faced Bill and Matty.

"You look like you have something on your mind, Officer Bradley?"

The Officer looked at Matty.

"Brian. My name is Brian."

Matty smiled.

"Brian it is then. So, Brian, you still have some questions?"

"I understand, from the residents I talked to, that you actually own this village?"

Matty nodded.

"Actually, my husband is the legal holder of the property."

Bill continued the dialogue.

"Legally, Tuckamore Bay is my village, but I don't look at it that way. It is actually an incorporated business and all the people who live here are actually employed by me."

"That is a strange arrangement."

Bill shook his head.

"Not really. The Bay was in trouble and the government was looking to relocate the residents. I came along to buy the lighthouse and in essence, I ended up buying the village.

But, in reality, nothing has changed. Life is pretty much the same here as it has always been."

"Well I have been here before and it looks to me like a lot of things have changed."

Bill shrugged.

"I guess its all in how you look at it. There were certain measures that had to be in place and we made sure they were."

"And what about this fella Hirst?"

Bill sipped his scotch and shook his head.

"He is a businessman from Edmonton who has been trying, for some reason, to buy the Bay. He came here a month or so ago and tried to talk me into selling the Bay to him, but I refused.

I guess he thought he could come here with those men and intimidate me into signing documents."

"You don't take intimidation well, it seems?"

"This is the wrong place to come, if you are trying to strong-arm people."