It was nearly four in the afternoon by the time statements were taken from all Bay residents involved in the incident. The Officers decided that statements from Hirst and his accomplices would be taken in the Deer Lake detachment of the RCMP, where they would be held in custody.
Two of the police cars left with three passengers in the back seat and two Officers in the front, while Officer Fredricks drove one of the black SUVs with Simon Hirst in the front seat, handcuffed.
The rental company had been contacted and they were sending people the next day to get the two remaining black SUVs.
By the time all seven men were in custody, the residents of Tuckamore Bay were out in full force. Luckily all the children of school age were in school in Deer Lake and arrived back home after the incident had ended.
Officer Bradley assured everyone that the RCMP had the situation under control and that everyone were free to carry on with their normal routines.
Those gathered near Tucker's General Store applauded Officer Bradley and waved to the other Officers, as they drove away.
It was all just for show, as the residents of the Bay had been aware of everything that was happening because of the Tuck-Text, or TT, as the villages group text was called. There was never a doubt that the situation would be brought under control.
Letting the RCMP feel that they had accomplished that feat, would just assure good relations for the future, if the Bay ever needed their presence again.
Officer Bradley thanked Harry and Mabel for their cooperation and drove his car across the street to Bill and Matty's home.
As he got out of his car, he was met by Bill, who had been informed by Nanny Dove, that he was coming.
Bill offered his hand.
"Officer Bradley, I believe."
"Mr. Williams."
"Bill. Please call me Bill.
Is there something further that you need?"
"I was wondering if I could talk to you and your wife privately?"
Bill nodded.
"Matty is out back on the veranda. We can go there."
Bill led the way around the house, to the veranda.
Matty stood when she saw the Officer.
"Oh. I didn't know we were having company."
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."
"So it seems," Officer Bradley commented.
"Hirst says that some of the villagers were carrying firearms."
Bill shook his head.
"So you saw no one carrying a firearm or any sort?"
"Not to my knowledge, although, this being private property, I see no reason why properly registered firearms, properly handled, could not be displayed in the proper manner.
And I do have a huge asset to protect."
Bill sipped his scotch, before finishing his thought.
"And last I checked, the only people that were harmed during all of this, were my wife and my good friend Henry Tucker."
"One of the men said that the woman tending bar threatened him with a fillet knife."
Bill smiled.
"Seriously. Have you seen Lindsay? She is just a tiny little woman. Her? A threat?
I think these men are all delusional."
Matty walked to the bar to refill her drink.
"Brain? It seems to me that you are fishing for something here."
She turned and walked back to her chair, next to Bill.
"Why don't you just come out and say what you want to say. We are direct people here."
Officer Bradley nodded and leaned back.
"I have seen situations similar to this before, when I served in Toronto. Usually the people who are held against their will are ..."
He searched for the right words.
"Terrified?" Matty offered.
"Well lets just say a little more agonized than any of the villagers here were."
"And, I assume, you have a point here?"
Officer Bradley laughed slightly.
"I get the feeling that the real people rescued here were Simon Hirst and his goons, for lack of a better word.
I still don't see how you and your people were able to overpower these men, with no weapons."
"Sheer presence," Bill informed him.
"The had no visible weapons, so it was a matter of numbers. The biggest gang wins and Tuckamore Bay has a big gang."
Officer Bradley had to agree.
"I have seen some of your, gang. Especially the one they call Michael."
Matty laughed.
"Michael is a pussy cat."
Officer Bradley finished his drink and stared into the glass.
"So it all comes down to your word against their word, as far as weapons go."
"Maybe they are just embarrassed that they got overpowered by a bunch of Bay hillbillies, as Hirst referred to us."
"Okay."
Officer Bradley took a deep breath.
"So. Do you intend to proceed with charges against Hirst and his men."
Bill pondered for a moment.
"I am sure we could come up with a few charges."
"Well two of the men are going to be charged with assault, one with assault causing bodily harm. They will all be charged with unlawful confinement and a couple with uttering threats. And we could possibly get some kind of conspiracy to commit fraud on them and I am sure once we get all the facts straight we can add a couple more charges.
Hirst will get the worst of it, because he masterminded the whole thing?"
Bill laughed.
"Hirst was a fool. He thought he could come here and take over the Bay. He seriously underestimated the people who live here."
Officer Bradley nodded.
"Well, we still have to get the statements from Hirst and his men and then, if necessary, there will be a further investigation."
"What is there to investigate?" Matty wondered.
"They came here and literally invaded our village. They held hostages and they assaulted several of the residents."
"But they may come back with weapons charges against several of the men."
Matty shrugged.
"Let them. They have to prove that there were weapons present. Last I heard, there was no evidence to substantiate any such claims. And I can assure you that all weapons, here in the Bay are registered and properly stored and to my knowledge none have been fired since last hunting season, which by the way, will start up again soon.
So, as legal council for Tuckamore Bay, I agree to allow you and your Officers to examine all weapons here in the Bay, if you so feel the desire."
Officer Bradley stood up, laying his empty glass on the bench.
"I thank you for your cooperation, Matty. I guess this will be in the hands of the legal representatives for Hirst and his men."
Bill stood up and shook the Officer's hand.
"It has been a pleasure, Brian and we want to thank you and the other members of the RCMP for their quick and professional handling of this situation, which I am sure could have become a much more tragic affair."
"Why do I still feel that if we had not arrived, you and your men would have handled the situation."
"We are law abiding citizens, Brian," Matty assured him.
"We leave the handling of situations to those who are trained to do so."
Officer Bradley smile a shrewd smile.
"Off the record, I believe that your people handled this situation very quickly, in their own special way and I believe that Simon Hirst and his men are very lucky that we did get a call to come to the Bay."
Matty shook the Officer's hand.
"Have a nice day, Brian and if you need any further information, then please call me directly."
Matty passed him a business card.
"Thank you."
Officer Bradley picked up his hat from the bench and nodded to Bill and Matty.
He started walking off the veranda, when he stopped suddenly and turned.
"Can I ask you a question that has nothing to do with this whole incident?"
"Of course," Bill agreed.
Officer Bradley took a deep breath.
"Ahh, the younger Tucker woman."
Matty smirked.
"Harriette?"
Officer Bradley blushed slightly.
"Ah, is she single?"
"I believe she is," Matty nodded.
"I don't believe that Harriette has been involved for a few years now."
"Oh," the Officer exclaimed, sadly.
"She isn't interested in ... you know?"
"I think she would be the best one to ask, Brian. She is in Corner Brook right now, with her Uncle Henry."
"I know. I am headed to the hospital now, to take her statement and the statement of the Doctor."
"Then I would think that might be an excellent opportunity to have a chat with her," Matty suggested.
"Yea, maybe I will."
Officer Bradley put on his hat, bid Matty and Bill goodnight and disappeared around the corner of the house.
"'artriette wud eat dat poor little fucker alive," Nanny Dove laughed, as she appeared on the veranda.
"Were you eavesdropping, old lady?"
"Matty? Ise be shocked. Ise wasn't doin' any such ting. I were jest listenin' to youse two bullshittin' dat poor policeman."
Matty looked at Bill.
"I have a feeling that Officer Brian Bradley has his own opinion of what happened here."
"Yea and he just might use Harriette to get some information."
"I'll call Harriette and warn her," Matty suggested.