Chapter 172: Max and the Beertender's BF

After I filled my pockets with tools, I returned to the bar. I sat quietly at the furtherest end of the bar waiting for the bartender's ex. It was the best spot to be near her and to see the door.

"Would you like to dance Maxine," one of the guys I had seen around asked.

"I can't dance, I still have a bum leg. I am sorry," I said it just as politely as possible. I didn't want to piss anyone off. Since I considered myself to be working, I didn't need to have my attention divided. I needed to stay focused on the job at hand. There were several more invitations. I turned down as well, so I'm sure he didn't feel bad.

"So what's going to happen now?' The blond with black roots asked.

"To be honest that's up to you ex boyfriend. If he comes into the bar now, he probably just wants to vent. The best thing to do is to let him make an ass of himself, then ask him to leave. If he goes, all is right with the world."

"What if he doesn't leave?" she asked.

"He will leave there is no doubt, but there are also other possibilities," I suggested.

"Like what?" she asked.

"He could be out getting drunk and plans to have his say in the parking lot, when you leave. Now that is a little more dangerous. If that proves to be the case, he isn't just in a rage, he is thinking it out. Fewer, if any, witnesses, so it can get real serious real quick."

"Oh, that doesn't sound good." she said.

"Does he know where you live?" I asked.

"Yes," she said without further explanation. She looked worried.

"That is the worst. He could come to your house. I'm going to take care of all that for you. You just try to stay calm and do not have anything to say to him at all. Don't try to explain anything just let him vent, then I will talk to him sensibly."

I reached into my pocket and clicked Martin's 'special bic' which I had retrieved from the cruiser along with my other non lethal toys. Well most of them were non lethal.

"I need to know something right now," I demanded.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you still love this guy?" I asked.

"He beat me and he is threatening to do it again. No I don't love him," she said.

"Did you love him yesterday?' I asked.

"No, why do you ask?" she answered me with a question.

"Because, if I have to hurt him, I want to know you aren't going to try to stab me in the back with a butcher's knife." I said.

"I promise, I won't defend him in any way. I just want him to leave me alone." she said.

"I can't promise you that unless I kill him, and I'm not going to do that for a dollar," I said with a laugh. She laughed as well and that I considered to be a good thing. "Now get back to work and let me handle this. If he comes in tonight and makes a scene, go to the magistrate tomorrow for a restraining order."

We got the better of all the possibilities, when her ex boyfriend, Don, showed up about a half hour later. He had been somewhere else drinking to get in the right mood to make a fool of himself. He caught my client at the far end of the bar and began a quiet conversation.

I expected the volume to increase geometrically, and it did. Pretty soon he was shouting. It took her a while, but she finally remembered to just walk away. When she was safe, I walked to the end of the bar. "Don you need to leave now," I said almost in a whisper. I wanted his attention and that's the way to get it.

"If I don't?" he almost screamed.

"Then, I am going to have to eject you," I said smiling at him sweetly.

"Lady you got some balls to say that to a man twice your size," he said.

"Actually, you aren't twice my size. More like one and a half times my size, but since most of that is beer belly, it don't really count," I said continuing to remain calm.

"You are all fucking bitches," he said.

"Probably true, but you still need to leave before someone gets hurt," I said logically.

"Yeah you bitch," he said pulling back to hit me. Unfortunately for him, he pulled back like they do in the movies. I was sober and faster of mind and with better hand speed. I hit him first, but it wasn't with my hands. It was with fully charged stun gun. His body short circuited and he went down in a heap.

I thanked god that I had spent the extra bucks for the stun gun with the needle sharp probes. There had been no exposed areas, so I hit him through his knit shirt. The probes worked just as the salesman had promised.

I hadn't noticed the crowd before, but suddenly there was applause from the people who had been watching it. I was shocked to see it. Usually people mind their own business in a bar, but we had somehow managed to get an audience. It was over way faster than the drama leading up to it had been.

"Would someone please call 911. Have them send a cop at least, maybe the paramedics as well." I said that as I used a plastic zip tie on his hands. "Just in case he wakes up before the cops get here," I said to explain.

"Are you alright?" I asked the bartender.

"I'm fine, are you alright?" she asked in return.

"I'm fine, but I think now would be a good time for you to tell me your name." I said.

"God, I never told you did I? I'm Joyce." she said in a rush.

"Nice to meet you Joyce." I said it as she pushed a glass onto the bar.

"I expect you could use that," she said. "Don't worry it isn't booze."

I tasted the drink and found it to be very good lemonade. Sweet, Tart and filled with crushed ice. "Thanks, that is good." About that time the cops came and it got just plain crappy. They disarmed me before they even put Don in a squad car. They sat around interviewing the patrons until the Detectives got on scene.