Officer Temple walked into Dove's Pub and straight to the table where Commander Lukeman was sitting with Matty.
"Sir, we have finished our search or the area around the woods and shoreline, where we found the squad car. We could find nothing. There were some signs that Vatcher may have wandered through the woods, but nothing definite. The locals say that if he went over the cliffs there, he would have been caught in the undercurrent and dragged out to the ocean."
"Get a underwater team up here and take a look out around that area."
"Best be careful out there, Don. There has been more than one incident, over the years, where people have met their fate out there."
"What would you suggest, Matty?"
Matty looked to the bar, where Carl Pike was sitting, having a coffee.
"Carl?"
He turned on his stool.
"Yea, Matty?"
"Can you fire up the Matty D. and take some of these officers out around the shoreline, where they found the cop car. You know that area well."
Carl nodded.
"Ise can, Matty, but wes both knows dat ifin that Vatcher guy went out dere, he could be in Labrador by now, or down in da Bay of Islands."
"I know, but can you do it anyway, just to satisfy the Officers?"
"Ise will grab Dad and wese will meet da Officers down at da wharf."
Matty looked at Commander Lukeman.
"Have your Officers go to the wharf, down by the fab plant. Carl will take them around the Bay's shoreline. If there is anything there, they will see it."
"I will get the Officers from Parsons Pond and search the shoreline."
Commander Lukeman shook his head.
"No. Have the Officers from the Pond, go with Mr. Pike. I want you to find Officer Bradley and come back here. We are going to have a meeting with Miss Dove and Mr. Williams."
Matty laughed.
"If we are going to have a meeting, we best have it somewhere more private than here. Once the T-T gets hold of it, this place will fill up."
"The T-T?" Officer Temple questioned.
"The Tuckamore Text," Yolanda informed him, as she approached the table.
"It is a village wide text that everyone is on. We use it to get messages out quick to the entire village."
Officer Temple turned and immediately turned several shades of red.
Yolanda passed him a foam cup, with a lid.
"A coffee fer you. Black with one sugar, I believe."
Officer Temple quickly took off his hat and put it under his arm.
"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you."
He took the coffee, his face turning redder and redder.
"Ah. By your leave, Sir. I will go and get Bradley the Officer. I mean Bofficer Adley."
He forced a smile.
"Thank you."
He turned quickly and left.
Matty looked at Yolanda.
"Are you tormenting that poor young man?"
"Ise tinks me cousin has a little crush on Officer Temple," Valerie chirped, from behind the bar.
"Shut up Val."
"Oh give it a rest Landa. All youse has talked about this morning is Officer Temple.
How old do you think he is?
Do you think he has a girlfriend?
Do you think he likes me?"
Valerie started laughing.
Yolanda turned quickly and screamed at her cousin.
"I am going to fucking kill you, Val."
Valerie headed into the kitchen, with Yolanda hot on her heels.
"Should we go and stop that?" Commander Lukeman wondered.
Matty laughed and finished her coffee.
"Naw. They will scream at each other for a while. Might even throw a pot or two around."
With that, the sound of a pot hitting a wall could be heard.
"Told you."
Matty stood up.
"Now they will swear at each other for a minute or two, hug and come back out like ..."
She pointed at the bar area, where the two cousins were walking out, arms around each other.
"Like that," Matty laughed.
"Those two are inseparable. More like sisters than cousins."
Officer Temple appeared in the doorway of the Pub.
"Commander Lukeman, Officer Bradley will be here shortly and the Officers from Parsons Pond have left with Mr. Pike."
"Let's go to my place," Matty suggested.
"We will have privacy there."
She took out her cellphone.
"Let me make sure Bill is there."
"Hey hun," Bill answered his cellphone quickly.
"You sound pissed."
Bill took a deep breath.
"For some reason, the Tourism Department has withdrawn their letter of intent."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know. Some bullshit about our shop being below OHS standards.
We have OHS coming here this afternoon to tear this place apart."
"Do we need to worry?"
"No. Fuck no. This place is in top shape. This is just some ploy, probably from Calvin Parsons. OHS says they got an anonymous call from someone.
The Tourism Department are giving us just 24 hours to get up to OHS standards or they pull the letter permanently and we will lose the contract."
"Fuck. You think we are gonna be okay?"
"We will hun, don't worry. Its just going to be a long, fucking irritating, day."
Matty looked out the Pub window to see two unfamiliar cars heading toward the fabrication plant.
"I think they are on the way there now, sweetie. Two cars just passed here."
"Fuck. I best be going hun."
"Just a sec, Bill. Don wanted to have a meeting with me and you and the two Officers that are to be stationed here."
"Can you handle it baby? We just had four OHS officers walk in here."
Matty nodded.
"You look after that hun. I will handle things here."
Matty ended the call.
At that moment another car pulled onto the Pub's parking lot.
"What the fuck is this shit?" Matty complained.
She looked at Commander Lukeman.
"This is Sunday, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"It is."
"Then what are all these government people doing here."
A man and woman walked into the pub, carrying clipboards.
"We are looking for a Mister Williams or Miss Dove."
Matty stepped forward.
"I am Matty Dove."
"We are from the Department of Health. We are here, responding to complaints from several different sources, about the conditions here, in your kitchen."
"Whats about my kitchen?" Lindsay snapped, as she walked into the Pub.
"And what the fuck are you doing here on a Sunday and with no warning that you were coming."
"This was a special request from a high ranking Minister in the government. These complaints are very serious and we were told to act quickly."
"Were you informed that you would be entering private property, when you came here?" Matty wanted to know.
The man shook his head.
"Makes no difference. Any establishment that serves food for a fee, falls under our jurisdiction. I don't really care if this is private property or not."
The man made a note on his clipboard and stared at Matty.
"Now we can do this the easy way or ..."
"Or what?" Commander Lukeman wondered, as he stepped forward.
"Are you uttering a threat against this woman, in the presence of a RCMP Officer?"
"I am not threatening anyone. We have a legal right to be here and do our investigation. If this establishments fails to allow us to do this investigation, then I will enforce the full extent of the law, starting with a ticket for $10,000 and possible legal action."
The man looked back at Matty.
"The RCMP has no jurisdiction or right to interfere with us completing our investigation."
He smirked sightly at Matty.
"If you were aware of the code or you were a lawyer, you would be aware of that."
Lindsay stared laughing.
"Youse must bes one of the dumbest people Ise 'as ever met."
The man turned to Lindsay.
"And just who are you?"
"I am the woman who is trying to save your skinny little ass, asshole.
And I am the Manager of this Pub."
"Then I will deal with you shortly."
He turned back to Matty.
"Now do I write a ticket or do you move aside and let us do our job?"
Matty smiled at the man.
"Well youse got me, me son. Ise jest a little ole girl from da Bay and Ise not a match fer youse and yer cheap polyester suit and shitty tie. And yer dollar store clipboards and young assistant dat youse probably showin' da ropes."
Matty winked.
"Ifin youse knows what Ise means."
"I have had enough of this shit."
The man began writing on his clipboard.
"I am issuing you a ticket for $1000, for interference."
Matty walked to his side and looked at the clipboard.
"Ise thot youse were gonna makes it tin t'ousand. Now Ise disappointed."
"Fine. Ten thousand it is."
Matty pointed to the paper.
"Youse gots me name wrong dere, dumbass. Its Matilda Dove, solicitor fer Tuckamore Bay and Tuckamore Bay Ltd."
The man stopped writing and looked at Matty.
"Problem?"
Matty looked at Officer Temple.
"Officer Temple, could you please arrest these two for trespassing?"
Officer Temple stepped forward.
"Yes, ma'am."
The man looked at Matty.
"This is a joke, right."
Matty shook her head.
"No. Not at all. This whole village is private property and it doesn't matter if you are a government official or not. You have to give us twenty-four hour notice before coming to this village. We will accept your request, but what we don't accept are people who come here and try to strong-arm us."
The man took a deep breath.
"I was not informed of any of this.
In light of all of this, I ask that you accept my apology, for my brash behaviour."
Matty smiled.
"Now was that hard?"
Matty looked at the young Officer.
"Why don't you wait outside, Officer Temple."
"Yes ma'am."
Matty rolled her eyes.
"Stop calling me ma'am."
"Yes, Miss Dove."
Matty looked at Commander Lukeman.
"Will you talk to him? And why don't you and the other Officers go on to my house. You know the way. I'll meet you on the veranda."
The Officers left and Matty turned her attention to Lindsay.
"You want to show these two around your rat infested kitchen?"
"Absolutely. Just give me a few minutes to move me cockroach farm outside and shoo out the seagulls."
The man took a deep breath.
"Thank you."
Lindsay started walking toward the kitchen.
"Come on you two."
Lindsay looked at her daughter an niece, as she walked around the end of the bar.
"This place better sparkle."
"Like a shining star, Mom."
Matty let out a long sigh and headed out the Pub's front door.
Jarge and Mable were sitting outside. The got up, as soon as they saw Matty.
"Not right now, you two. Go on home. I have some herring in the fridge."
The two seagulls squawked as they took to wing.
"Lazy fucking, spoiled, birds," Matty laughed, as she lit a cigarette.
"Well, its youse and Willam dat 'as dem spoiled."
Matty exhaled.
"Yea."
She looked at Nanny Dove.
"Keep Frank and Julie company, will you. I have to meet with the cops and it seems like its gonna be a private meeting."
"Maybe Ise will take dey to the Pub."
Matty shook her head.
"No. Its a beautiful day. Take them for a walk out past Sandy Cove. Tell them I will see them later."
Nanny Dove disappeared.
Matty heard a squawk from above. She looked up to see Jarge and Mable circling.
She threw her cigarette on the ground.
"Oh shut the fuck up," she laughed, as she walked across the cobblestone road.