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THE FIGHT WAS AROUND the side of the hotel. It started inside when two of the local timber workers didn’t take kindly to three blow-ins from Upton taking liberties with some of the women in the front bar. Some words were exchanged and the argument left the bar for the front of the Federal Hotel. One of the visitors, probably feeling too confident, suggested their discussion be taken someplace less public. The timber workers agreed and they moved. That was when three other timber workers from inside decided to join their mates and not long before Constable Joseph Ringer arrived with his girlfriend Marie Schwartz.
“Go tell Claudette to call Sandy,” Joseph said to Marie.
“Why?” Marie asked. Six foot three, with pale brown hair and dark brown eyes, she must have figured he shouldn’t need help.
“Tell her to tell him I’ll need him.” He strode to the laneway beside the hotel. He rounded the corner as the men were squaring up to fight.
A square-looking well-built man was rolling the sleeves of his checked shirt. “What’s happening Terry?” Joseph asked as he walked to the groups of men, stopping almost between them but careful to be where he could easily see both.
“Nothing Joseph,” the man rolling his sleeves said.
“It doesn’t look like nothing, Terry.”
“Boys here are from Upton,” Terry said. “They believe our women are available for interfering with. We don’t agree, so we’re here to discuss it.”
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a real intellectual debate,” Joseph said.
“Oh, it’s real intellectual,” Terry said. “Bother my Valerie and I get real intellectual.”
“You don’t own her,” Joseph said.
“I know,” Terry said as he raised his guard, ready to fight. “I know that because she doesn’t let me take hold of her arse like this one done.”
Joseph looked at the visitors.
A big, dark-haired man had stepped forward from the group and was readying himself to fight.
“Is this right?” Joseph asked the man.
“None of your fucking business,” the man said.
“It’s right,” the man behind Terry said. “I seen it.”
Joseph turned to the big man again. “It’s right, isn’t it?”
“Unless you want a pounding like this fucker is going to get—”
“Unless you want to spend the night in the lock-up before being taken to Stoneville to face charges of assaulting an officer, you’ll be polite and shut the fuck up about pounding anybody.”
“You’re a cop?”
Joseph nodded. “Off duty, so I get to do this in my spare time. If you and your friends haven’t noticed yet, there’s six locals here. We’re all respectful of the women in our town and we expect visitors to be the same. If they’re not, you’re free to leave. Now would be a good time to do that.”
“If you weren’t a copper...”
“If he wasn’t a copper, and I wasn’t a copper, there’d be eight locals here and you three clowns would be screwed.” From the sound of it, Sandy Carmichael was just behind him.
“You off duty too?”
“Not officially.”
“Well there you have it,” Joseph said. “I got to be professional now. I can’t just have some fun.” He glanced behind him. Sandy’s mop of near white hair was beside Terry. The Keller brothers were joining the group. “This makes ten locals, and I can tell you that Paul and Keith back there won’t need help from the rest of us. What do you reckon Sandy? Should we just go inside for a beer and clean up later?”
“Paper work,” Sandy said.
“Shit.” Joseph looked at the visitors. “I hope you enjoyed your visit to our little town.”
“I got the registration of your car, so we can have a welcome if you come again,” Sandy said.
“Remember, drive safely.” Joseph moved aside to allow the three men to walk past.
“Terry,” Sandy said as the square-looking man took a step toward the departing visitors. “I don’t want to be doing paper work about you, either.”
“Then don’t,” Terry said.
“Calm down and let them leave,” Joseph said. “Then you can have a nice night with Valerie and I can have a nice night with Marie and Sandy here can have a nice night with his beers.”
There were snickers among the townies.
“I’ll get you for that,” Sandy said.
An engine gunned a couple of times before screeches of wheels on asphalt signalled the trouble makers had gone.
“Everybody get back to your drinks,” Sandy said to the gathering.
“How’d you get here so quick?” Joseph asked once they were alone.
“I was here already.” Sandy smiled.
“Too busy fawning over Alina to notice there was trouble?”
“You do the same.”
“No I don’t.” Joseph started toward the street.
Sandy followed. “You’re right,” he said. “You’re worse.”
Marie was at the bar, speaking with Claudette the barmaid, when they came in.
“Excuse me,” Sandy said and went to the corner table where Alina sat with two half full pints of beer.
Joseph watched as Sandy took his seat. She smiled broadly and wriggled her shoulders as he sat and started twisting her long brown hair as he started talking. Joseph shook his head and went to the bar.
“Jealous?” Marie asked as he sat beside her.
He looked into her deep blue eyes and shook his head. “I’d only be jealous if he had you.”
Marie pouted and looked at Claudette. “You see what I mean?”
Alina laughed.
“What?” Joseph asked.
“She said you were full of shit.”
Marie put her arm through Joseph’s. “I said you were charming.”
“I know you too well to believe that shit.”
“So what’s wrong with Sandy with Alina?” Claudette asked.
“Nothing, I suppose,” Joseph said.
“Bullshit,” Marie said. “Spill it.”
“Alright. He can do better.”
“Better?” Claudette raised her eyebrows. “She’s a French.”
“She’s the French the other Frenches won’t have,” Joseph said. “There’s nothing lower than that.”
“What if he doesn’t want to do better?” Claudette asked.
Joseph sighed. “You’re right,” he said.
“Bullshit,” Marie said. “You only ever say that when you don’t want an argument.”
“He’ll take her somewhere else,” Joseph said. “When that happens, I don’t know what sort of copper we’re going to get to replace him.”
“You’re going to miss him?” Marie asked.
“You haven’t ordered me a beer yet, have you?” Joseph scolded.
“No. Now answer the bloody question.”
“Two pints of lager,” he said to Claudette.
“And if I don’t want a lager?” Marie asked.
“Then Cassandra can have it.”
Marie turned to the door. Cassandra was coming in.
“You’re not getting out of it like that.” Marie said while Claudette started pulling the beers.
“What happened outside?” Cassandra asked. “I saw a red car shooting up Lumberjack’s Way.”
“It was all very exciting,” Marie said. “The boys here were going to fight a couple of blow ins from Upton.”
“Three,” Joseph said. “They groped Valerie in front of Terry.”
“And lived to walk away?” Cassandra asked.
“Had to tear Sandy away from his sweetheart.” Claudette put the first beer on the bar.
Cassandra looked to the corner where Sandy sat with Alina. “How sweet,” she said.
“Joseph here reckons he could do better,” Marie said.
“Well so could Joseph.” Claudette smiled and pulled the second pint of beer.
“I beg your pardon!” Marie snapped. “Are you suggesting I’m less than Alina?”
“I’m suggesting he could always find himself a good bar woman.”
Joseph pulled Marie close. “Then I’d miss the abuse I’ve come to enjoy from this woman.”
“Well, if that’s how you feel,” Marie pulled her arm from his.
“What if I don’t want to do better?” Joseph asked.
“And what if I do?” Marie asked.
“Can you imagine what their house is going to be like when these two marry?” Cassandra asked Claudette.
“It’s the children I feel sorry for.”
Marie looked at Joseph. “We’ll talk about this later,” she said.
Joseph pulled her close and kissed her. She melted into it.
“Alright,” Claudette said after some seconds. “Much more of this and I’m going to have to send Cassandra for a bucket of water.”
“Could be fun,” Marie said softly to Joseph.
“Later,” he smiled.
“Can I have a pint of lager before I’m sick?” Cassandra asked Claudette.
“Here,” Cassandra handed her one of the glasses on the bar. “Lover-boy here ordered you one.”