By 9:30, all those involved in the incident the day before were at the Pub. All but Clayton, Wike and Billy had done video statements. Henry, Nick and Harriette were having their statements taken at Western Memorial Hospital, by Officer Bradley.
Bill spoke to everyone.
"I know it has always been the way of the Bay to handle things our way, but those days are over.
If we are to continue on and prosper, as a community, we have to adapt to the ways of the 21st century."
"Fer some of us, Billy boy, dat is gonna be a 'ere ting," Clayton reminded him.
"Wes always done tings our way and its been okay so far."
"I agree," Matty jumped in, but if we are to continue to move forward and put all our plans into effect, we have to change.
And even you, Clayt, have to agree that things are the best now that they have been for a long time."
Clayton nodded.
"Ise will agree to dat Matty. Doesn't means Ise don't miss da old ways."
"All I am asking of you all," Bill continued, "is to tell the truth. I don't want any facts left out. We are going to come out of this with a new appreciation of Tuckamore Bay and the future that we are building for the younger ones, here in the Bay."
"Ise gots to agree with Bill," Lindsay spoke up.
"Things 'ave been better."
She looked at her husband, Carl and smiled.
"It is good 'having 'im 'ome every night. Me and the kids 'ave been doing so much better and so 'as Carl, Ise tinks."
Carl nodded, as he kissed Lindsay.
"All of us men dat used to be away, loves dat wese are 'ome."
Matty stood up and clapped her hands.
"Okay. So any minute now Commander Don Lukeman and a group of Officers from the Deer Lake and Corner Brook RCMP will be here, to review our video statements and ask any questions needed to fill in any holes.
As Bill said and I must reiterate, as the Bay's legal council, we both want you all to be 100% truthful. leave nothing out.
If anything arises from this, we will deal with it, as we always have, as a community."
Matty took a deep breath and held Bill's hand.
"Any questions?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"So? We all in this together?"
Clayton stood up and looked around.
"Ise speaks fer all of us. Wes family. Now and always."
Bill stood.
"Thank you Clayton and thank all of you."
At that moment, Matty's cellphone rang. She looked at her cellphone.
"I don't fucking believe this."
She showed the cellphone to Bill.
"You best answer it," Bill suggested.
"Part of the new direction."
"I'd like to ring his fucking neck," Matty snarled, as she walked to the far end of the bar, near the kitchen.
She stood for a second and took a deep breath, then accepted the call.
"Cameron."
"Hello Matty."
"If this is about your car, too late, already sold."
"This is not about my car ...
Wait? What?
Freddy sold the car?"
Matty laughed.
"Yea, made a quick fifteen grand on it too."
"He sold it for twenty-five grand? Fuck I paid more than that for it."
"Well, Cammy. Too bad, so sad, you're crying, I'm glad. Bye bye."
"Matty wait. This isn't about the car. This is business."
"And what business is that, Cammy?"
"I am calling on behalf of my client, Simon Hirst."
"Last I heard, Cammy, you're client is in jail."
"Actually he is out on bail, but confined to a hotel room in Deer Lake. The other six are still in custody."
"So what do you want Cammy."
"First I'd like you to stop calling me Cammy."
Matty rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she sighed.
"So, how can we be of service, Cammina?"
Cameron heaved a long, long sigh.
"My client ..."
"You mean that prick, Hirst?" Matty cut in.
"Yes Matty, that prick, Hirst."
"Give me the phone," Matty heard a voice say.
A second later Simon Hirst was on the cellphone.
"Simon Hirst here. We need to talk."
Matty laughed slightly.
"About what? You come into our village and try to terrify people into signing a document that gives you the rights to Tuckamore Bay. One of your goons assaulted me and another caused my dear friend, Henry, have a heart attack."
"Look, that was not suppose to happen. I gave strict instructions that no one was to be harmed."
"Well that worked just fucking peachy, didn't it," Matty snapped.
"Look Hirst, I know why you are calling. You fucked up. You got some fucking stupid idea in your head, probably from some movie you saw and you thought you could bring a couple bodybuilders here and force me and Bill into signing over the Bay.
Now, you are up to your neck in shit and if word gets out about this, it will ruin your reputation and also involve a Minister in the Newfoundland government."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Okay then," Matty snapped.
"We don't have shit to talk about."
Matty heard Simon Hirst sigh.
"Fuck. Okay, you win."
Simon took a deep breath.
"If this gets out, I will be ruined. Like you said, my reputation will be destroyed. My wife is already threatening to divorce me."
"We have documentation that connects you and Calvin Parsons," Matty added.
"We know why you want the Bay. We know about the gold samples that were supposedly mined here in the fifties. All I have to do is make one call to the Edmonton Sun and you are finished."
"What do you want?"
Matty thought for a moment.
"We want you out of our village forever and out of Newfoundland. And we want it in writing.
We want damages. And it will be a lot of damages."
"How much?"
"What is it worth to you, to keep this out of the media?"
Simon was silent for a moment.
"Five million?"
"Good starting point, Hirst. I'll tell you what. I will talk to my clients and we will present you with a list of demands and restitution.
Right now, the Bay is reeling from the shock of what happened yesterday."
Simon laughed slightly.
"Apart from what happened to Henry Tucker, I doubt very much that anyone in that village is even bothered by what happened yesterday. They all seemed very confident while brandishing their weapons."
"Weapons? Mr. Hirst, I have no idea what you are talking about. I don't recall there being any weapons involved in yesterday's melee. I believe that you are mistaken."
Matty smiled, as she knew that the weapons was the one thing Hirst was banking on to get out of the shit-storm he had created for himself.
"Rifles. Shotguns," Simon reminded her.
"I believe the Canadian law doesn't look to kindly on weapons being used and especially people lying to the cops about it."
"Lying? I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Play your game Matty, but this one is mine. I know you and the others gave false statements to the RCMP. Last I heard, that is against the law."
Matty grunted.
"Again, I have no idea what you are babbling about."
Simon laughed.
"I have you over a barrel, you bitch and you know it."
"Did you just call me a bitch?"
"I believe you heard me. Once I get you and those hillbillies in court, even with Cameron, as my lawyer, I will win."
Matty smiled as she saw Commander Lukeman and his Officers walk into the Pub.
"Well, Simey," Matty laughed, " I hate to burst your bubble but we did not give any statements. As a matter of fact, as we speak, the Commander fo the RCMP for Western Newfoundland and six of his Officers, are walking into Dove's Pub, to take our statements."
"That's impossible. Cameron told me the statements were filed."
Matty laughed.
"Ah, Simey. I feel for you. Not only do you not have a leg to stand on, you have a complete idiot, as a lawyer."
"No difference. You still deny that guns were used against me and my employees."
"I am not denying anything, Simey. I am sure that once all the statements are taken and verified, your lawyer will get copies of them and then you two morons can put together your defence.
And remember this, Hirst, Henry is still in the hospital. I have a bruise on my arm and I am suffering anguish and Harriette has marks on her throat. All from your goons. The only people hurt in all of this were people from the Bay and last I checked, you and those apes you brought here, are not from the Bay."
Matty took a deep breath.
"So now, Mr. Simon Hirst, what do you have to say."
Silence.
"I thought so."
Simon took another deep breath.
"Okay. Okay. So what do we need to do, to keep this out of the courts?"
"You attacked our village, Hirst. You put one of ours in the hospital. Do you think we give a fiddler's fuck what happens to you?
Now, as I said earlier, I will get a list of demands together and we will present them to your lawyer and we will give you ample time to respond to the demands. I will call you back later today and I will give a time and place where we will meet with Cameron and present him with the demands.
From there, we will make the decision on where this thing goes, but be assured, this document will only be in your favour. It will not believe those six apes from anything. We will be prosecuting them to the full extent of the law."
"But what if they drag me into this anyway, even if I agree to your demands."
"Not my problem. That is something you will have to deal with."
"This could still ruin me," Hirst snapped. "Even if I agree."
"And I give a fuck ... why?"
"I made a huge miscalculation, didn't I?"
Matty let out a long exaggerated sigh.
"If you mean, that the fact somewhere in that pea brain of yours, you had the stupid idea that you are superior to a bunch of Newfs that live in a tiny village, then yea ...
you made a huge miscalculation. Don't ever let isolation mean stupidity. We live here by choice. And we are a hell of a lot smarter than you or anyone else gives us credit for."
Simon laughed.
"Would you consider representing me?"
"Get your shit together Hirst. I will be in touch soon.
And keep your people out of the Bay."
Matty was about to end the call, when she suddenly smiled ear to ear.
"Oh, one last thing, Hirst."
"What is that?"
"Get yourself a real lawyer. Cammy is such a fucking loser."
Matty ended the call and put her cellphone in her back pocket.
She started walking toward the front door, her arms open.
"Don."