Chapter 14

Family Affair

"Well Junior," Simon Gibson said as he leaned against the bar at the Cool Spot Lounge, "I heard your baby sister has done took a liking to your shaggy dog friend."

"Where did you hear that?" Junior grumbled.

"Folks around town been coming in the market and talking about it," Simon replied, "Seems little sis' even made his bail yesterday morning."

"No way," Junior said. "They didn't let him out of jail did they?"

"Well, ain't nobody seen him riding 'round on that motorcycle," Tommy Smith joined in, "but folks say he's at home recovering from that beating he took the other day. Somebody must have made his bail."

"That little bitch!" Junior shouted. "What the hell is her problem?"

"Sounds like Mr. Shaggy Dog might end up being a part of your family," Simon said with a laugh.

"I'll be damned if he will!" Junior shouted. "If I have to shoot that son of a bitch myself, I will, but that low life bastard ain't going to be a part of my family!"

"Easy Junior," the bartender cautioned. "Don't get so loud everybody knows your business."

"I don't give a damn!" Junior yelled. "That low life shaggy son of a bitch is not going to be getting any of my inheritance. All he's after is Daddy's money."

"Like you aren't," Simon laughed.

"It's mine to have!" Junior yelled. "I'll kick your ass too!"

"Easy," Tommy said as he stepped in between the two men. "We're all friends here. Let's not take it out on each other. Let's figure out a way to put that low-life where he belongs."

*****

"Danny," Mrs. Wilson said, "there's someone here to see you."

"Tell them to go away," Danny said from his room. "I don't feel like company today."

"Oh, you don't want to thank Ms. Ripley for bailing you out of jail?" she said smiling at Regina.

"Wait," Danny said. "Yeah, send her on in, but tell her not to expect me to be at my best."

"I think she already knows," Regina said standing at the door to Danny's room. "How is my hero doing today?"

"I don't think I'm up to rescuing any damsels in distress today. You're not stuck in a dark castle, or tied to a railroad track are you?"

"No," she laughed, "I'm fine, but what about you? Are you going to be okay?"

"Well," Danny answered, "the doctor said I've got three broken ribs, a cracked skull, concussion, and abrasions all over my body. He said it looks as if they dragged me down the road behind my motorcycle as there were rope burns on my wrists as well. But it's okay 'cause all I remember was Junior hitting me with a pool cue."

"So it was Junior," Regina said with tears in her eyes. "Why does he hate you so?"

"I don't know," Danny replied. "He's your brother."

"Half brother," Regina replied. "The worst half."

*****

Junior answered the telephone in the offices of JMR Development Inc., "What do you mean they're on strike? What are they striking for? Why don't you just agree to pay them all a little more until you can hire new people and fire the bastards? There's lots of people looking for jobs around here."

Junior hung the telephone up, and yelled at his secretary, "That's the third contractor to call this morning saying all his crews are on strike. What the hell is going on? I'm the developer, I'm not supposed to get caught up in labor disputes."

"It's not a labor dispute," said Tommy Smith as he walked unannounced into Junior's office."

"Well, why don't you tell me just what the hell it is?" Junior asked.

"It's a protest," Tommy replied. "They all walked off the job at my lumber yard this morning too. Seems my drivers have been talking to the men on your job site, and they've all decided they're taking sides with your future brother-in-law. Now what in Hell are we going to do about this shaggy son of a bitch?"