Pint of No Return

by L. M. Fortin

  “Would you like to go inside and see the space before the others arrive?” he asked.

  “Definitely,” she said. “I only got a quick look in October because of the tattoo convention. Otherwise, I haven’t been in here since I came to the fair as a kid.”

  “Ah, then you remember the open wooden beams that made it sort of feel like a hunting lodge inside,” said Jackie. “We’ve made a few changes over the last few years I think you’ll like.”

  He opened the door and Callie stepped in. What she saw before her was definitely not the Johnson Pavilion of her childhood memories. The dark wooden openwork ceiling had been replaced by white vertical beams that met at a round central glass skylight, looking much like the inside of a circus tent. New lighting and paint had been added, giving the space an ethereal feel.

  “Wow,” she said. “This is amazing. Changing the ceiling color gives the room a feeling of greater height.”

  He nodded. “It’s the other way ‘round. It was the dark ceiling that made it feel so short. The height has always been there, it was just hidden. Now instead of just ski swaps and grange meetings, we host a lot of weddings and social events here. It’s amazin’ what a little interior work’ll do.”

  Callie noted that while the floor was still cement, it had been refinished and had a shine to it, like polished floor tiles. Beautiful as it had become, Callie could definitely imagine doing great events here.

  “So what’s the back of the house look like?” she asked, referring to the non-public areas of the building. “Are there kitchen and storage facilities?”

  “You think I’d let ‘em renovate without fixin’ all that up too?” he asked. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  A full production kitchen, complete with several industrial size sinks and a commercial stove had been added to a square room off to the side of the main space. A large storage room next to it held only a few tables and chairs, but Jackie assured her there were more stored off site.

  They moved back out to the main floor. “I’ve not had a brew fest in here before,” said Jackie. “What’s the general layout?”

  “It’s much like a trade show with individual spaces for booths,” said Callie. “We’ll have about thirty-five booths around the perimeter of the room and then in the center, we’ll have a circle of five booths back to back. On the side of the room where the kitchen is, we’ll be renting out space to one or two folks who want to sell food to the attendees.”

  She changed topics. “Have you had an event that was watched over by the OLCC before?” Callie had spoken on the phone to the representative from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and although they allowed for brew fests, there were quite a few rules to keep up with.

  “Just weddings and the sort. Nothing where the main focus was alcohol,” he said. “Why? Is there gonna be a problem?”

  “No, the permit for the event has been approved,” she said. “But I want to make sure we stay on their good side. I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the OLCC rep during the event and, if it looks like she’s unhappy about something, call me immediately so I can get ahead of the problem.”

  “That doesn’t sound illegal,” said Jackie. “What sort of audio/visual support do you need?” he asked.

  “I think in the center of the room, along with the five booths, we’ll set up a stage. I’d like some spotlights for that and, of course, a sound system,” she said. “Do I need to pay for individual speakers?”

  “No, the room is wired for sound, but there can be a bit of an echo,” he said. “It’s usually fine as long as you don’t want to have some sort of concert.”

  She shook her head. “No, we’ll just be making announcements, no musical accompaniment.”

  She pulled a list of show requirements out of her bag and they were so deep into discussing it that they didn’t hear the door open.

  Walt came in and to her surprise, he was followed by Scott. She stood still as the two men approached. “Callie, I’d like to introduce you to Detective Scott McMillan with the Skinner Police Department,” said Walt. “He’s this year’s chairperson of the Skinner Cops for Charities.”

  Callie groaned silently to herself. Of course he was. Outwardly, she stuck out her hand, “Detective McMillan, nice to see you again.”

  “Are you two already acquainted?” asked Walt.

  Well enough, she thought, remembering his kisses. “Yes, we met during Skinner Days this summer.”

  Scott’s blue gray eyes were dark as he reached out his hand. It felt warm and dry inside hers. “It’s nice to see you again, Miss Stone.”

  “Oh, please. I’m sure we know each other well enough that you can call me Callie.”

  Scott smiled tightly, the smile not reaching his eyes. “Certainly, Callie.”

  She turned to Walt. “What led you to select this charity?”

  “Well, for starters, we’re not just supporting our local law enforcement, but a whole bunch of organizations. The funds raised by Cops for Charities go to the Boys and Girls Club, our children’s ward at the hospital and to support new technology at the library. I know you said choosing the right group could add to our marketing potential and having all these groups seemed to fit the bill.”

  Callie nodded. “Good choice. I think this will work out fine,” she said, not looking at Scott.

  The door to the pavilion opened again. Callie discarded the notion that no one in Skinner knew how to dress for New York. She thought the crisp winter white suit the woman was wearing was a rather daring choice for sometimes rainy, muddy Skinner, but there was no doubt the suit was exceptionally flattering to its wearer.

  Her long dark brown hair was shot through with blonde highlights and seemed to glow from within. Her tan skin stood out in contrast to the white suit. Her make-up was light and only accented her striking dark black eyes and general good looks.

  The woman glanced at the assembled men, but had recognized, Callie hoped by her own outfit, who was in charge in the room. “Callie Stone? I’m Elena Suarez with the OLCC,” she said putting out her hand.

  Or, Callie thought, she recognized her as the only woman in the room and therefore the one she had spoken with on the phone.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce you to some of the other participants in Bru-topia.”

  Elena already knew both Scott and Walt and, as she spent a few seconds getting reacquainted with them, Jackie said under his voice to Callie, “Well, she’s going to be an easy one to watch. Easy on the eyes I mean.”

  “Behave,” said Callie laughing.

  She looked at Scott and wondered how he felt about working together. Understandably, her own feelings were confused. He looked up and caught her glance for a moment. There was no emotion in his eyes as he quickly looked away. Callie felt her own heart tighten and hoped her distress didn’t show on her face. She just needed to reset her feelings to the past, and go back to thinking of him as an older Scooter McMillan. That should do it.

  If she was going to think about him as Scooter, she could watch him and Elena together without feeling negative, right? The two were collegial, nothing going on between them that indicated any deeper feelings but, as Callie was finding out, Scott was good at hiding those.

  The others finished their pleasantries. “I’m afraid it’s just going to be us. Yuki wasn’t feeling well and decided to stay home,” said Walt. Callie wondered if Yuki had stayed home because of the death of Floyd Fillmer. Yuki’s response on the phone and Floyd’s obituary had generated questions in Callie’s mind. Maybe she could corral Walt while she was there.

  Callie had Jackie give them roughly the same tour he had given her. When they reached the kitchen, Callie pulled out her diagrams of the room layout. “I thought we could go with a sort of circle within a circle to give the beer stations maximum frontage to the attendees. Of course, the premium showcase vendors will have the inner circle and be able to grab folks’ attention.”

  She showed them t
he registration and ticketing area inside the door.

  “What are you doing to ensure a safe drinking event?” asked Elena, pulling a small black notebook out of her large brown leather purse. She opened the notebook to a tabbed page and referred to a checklist. Although Callie knew it was Elena’s job, their conversation on the phone led Callie to believe Elena would be zealous in searching out potential pitfalls.

  So Callie was ready for the first question and hopefully any others. “Before even paying their entry fee, the attendees will have to show their ID’s. People over twenty-one will get a bracelet and the vendors will only serve folks with bracelets,” she went on before Elena could ask another question. “In addition, our beverage glasses will have a mark to ensure that only two oz. pours are made for each taste. We’ll also have roving security guards ready to deal with anyone who seems to be inebriated,” she looked over to Scott. “Two of them are off duty cops, so Skinner’s finest will be well represented.” Scott nodded at her, politely acknowledging the compliment.

  “What about those who have enough to drink that they aren’t able to drive?” asked Elena, using her pen to tick another item off the list.

  “I’ve contacted two of the taxi companies in Skinner and we’ll set up a big city style taxi stand out front so people don’t need to drive home,” said Callie. “The taxis will run up to an hour after the event closes.”

  Jackie chimed in, “Callie has asked us to let cars stay overnight at no charge for those who can’t drive and I got permission from the county to do that.”

  Elena was not finished yet. “Are you offering non-alcoholic beverages?”

  Callie nodded. “Both of our food vendors will have sodas and bottled water for sale and we’ll have a free ice water station. Plus our cider maker will be pressing apples and making fresh non-alcoholic cider.”

  “Well, you seem to have thought of everything,” said Elena, sounding somewhat disappointed. “I or one of my staff will be on site at random times throughout the weekend.”

  “We’re glad to have you,” said Callie. “I know you aren’t trying to make our job harder, but just keep people safe. It’s good to have you looking out for them.”

  Elena looked at her in surprise. “That’s not the usual attitude we get. People often see us as zealots just out to close an event.”

  “I’m glad you’re here and I appreciate all your work in making this a safe event,” said Callie. “Please don’t hesitate to find me or Walt if there’s something going on that compromises that, so we can take care of it.”

  Elena put her notebook back in her matching bag and smiled, “Then my work here is done. Can you email me the full schedule?”

  Callie nodded and Elena departed.

  Walt took one of the diagrams and went and stood next to Jackie, asking him questions about what sort of stage audio/visual would be available, leaving Callie standing awkwardly alone with Scott.

  “You handled her well,” he said begrudgingly. “I’ve seen fainter folks wilt under that withering Q and A session.”

  “She can close the whole event with a wave of her hand,” said Callie, thinking he looked tired. “If I’m on her good side, maybe she’ll give me a chance to fix a problem before doing that.”

  “She’s a good person, but often drives people to drink with those checklists of hers,” he said, smiling a little at his joke.

  “I always find paying extra attention and respect to folks such as fire marshals, liquor control staff, policemen and the like usually repays itself exponentially,” she said.

  He shook his head. “That’s not really true is it? You treat Jackie with just as much respect, if not more, although some would consider his role to be a more subordinate one.”

  “They would be wrong if they want the lights on and the doors unlocked on time,” she said.

  “No, you see each person for the value they bring to the table and make sure they know you value them for it,” he said.

  “I wasn’t always that respectful and paid for it,” said Callie remembering some disastrous events early in her career. “These people who help you create your vision can come in and just do their basic job and I would have no reason for complaint. However, if someone like Jackie knows I value him, he won’t just put up the stage lighting, he’ll go the extra distance to offer the blue gel because he thinks I might want something special.”

  Scott looked at her, his eyes thoughtful. “You make it sound very calculating and practical, but I think you do it because you like to.”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I do a lot of stressful work with people I have to get to know in a very short time. Why not have fun with it? And what about you, didn’t you have to volunteer to lead the charity?”

  He nodded. “It’s good for the police department and good for the people we help.”

  “Now it’s you sounding practical,” she said, smiling at him.

  He forgot himself for a moment and smiled back, making her heart jump. “I guess there is a small possibility I also do it because I like to and it’s fun.”

  Callie wanted to curse when Walt called her name. “Callie, can you come here? I’m not one hundred percent clear on how the final award ceremony is going to run.”

  Scott resumed his previous cool demeanor. “If you folks don’t need me here anymore, I’ll get back to the station.”

  “You or someone from your charity needs to be part of the Friday night award ceremony,” said Callie. “I’ll send you the detailed schedule and you can let me know who will be there, so I can add their name to the script.”

  “Just put in my name. How could I miss an event put on by Stone Events Management?” He said goodbye to Walt and Jackie and went out the door.

  Callie talked them through the final ceremony. “Jackie, I’ll also put you on the list for the detailed schedule and send you a run of show. Can you fix it so that you’re the one working on Friday night?”

  He nodded. “Sure. I’ll be here for the opening and the award ceremony on Friday and then come back late afternoon on Saturday for the closing and the cleanup. We have a church group in here Sunday morning, so we’ll have to make it spick and span.”

  “Sounds good,” said Callie. “Call me with any questions. Maybe we can meet again on Thursday before all the tables start to go in? That way we can deal with last minute changes. I’ll add a Thursday morning walk through to the schedule.”

  “Sure. I’ll have my weekend team meet us so you’re familiar with the rest of the crew,” Jackie said.

  Callie and Walt said their goodbyes and walked out to the parking lot together.

  “What is happening with the Magic Waters brewery?” asked Callie. “Is Ethan still going to participate in the premium showcase?”

  Walt shook his head. “No, I think the joy of brewing has gone out of him for a while. He said he’d still like a brewing booth, but as his dad hadn’t shared his specialty beer with anyone, Ethan doesn’t feel he can offer it.”

  “We were just about to taste it when Floyd collapsed,” said Callie. “He thought it was going to be the most unique beer, but they all think that don’t they?”

  Walt shook his head. “I have to admit I didn’t think they would rise to this level of competition. All I can think though is that if the brewers are this excited, the attendees and true beer connoisseurs are going to be over the moon.”

  “From what I’ve seen so far,” said Callie, “these are definitely one of a kind tastes. I don’t mean to pry,” said Callie thinking that’s exactly what she meant to do, “but is Yuki OK? When I spoke to her on the phone, she seemed to take Floyd’s death really hard.”

  “Now that he’s dead, I guess I can share her secret,” he said. “Although until she’s worked out things with Ethan, I’d like this to remain between us.”

  Callie nodded her head.

  “When we moved here, I thought it was just a sentimental notion of Yuki’s, as her father was from Oregon. I’d no idea that through old letters
of her mother’s, and the wonders of the internet, that Yuki had not only identified her father, but knew exactly where he lived.”

  “What was her reason for moving here?”

  “It certainly wasn’t to take over Magic Waters brewery,” he said, his lips pursing in a frown.

  “Is someone accusing her of that?”

  “I know Ethan Fillmer just lost his dad, but I don’t think his head is on straight,” said Walt. “About two months ago Yuki told me about Floyd being her dad and thinking the time was right to tell him. Floyd wasn’t getting any younger and Yuki wanted to know him better. It was never about the brewery, but about finding her father. I don’t know his reasons for leaving Yuki’s mom all those years ago, but I think Yuki wanted to try for a relationship. She just wanted to belong and to know Floyd had loved her mother. She went out to Magic Waters to talk with him.”

  “But the reconciliation didn’t go quite as she wanted?” asked Callie.

  “No. Floyd wasn’t worried she wanted the brewery or any of that nonsense, but he also didn’t seem to want an adult daughter. She went out to the brewery a second time just a few weeks later, but his answer was the same. I don’t know, maybe he would have come around over time. But we didn’t get much time, did we?”

  “Has Yuki seen Ethan since Floyd passed away?”

  “No, Ethan wouldn’t even let her see Floyd in the hospital. She had to insist with the staff she was his daughter before she was finally let in.”

  “Ouch,” said Callie. “That’s rough. Maybe Ethan didn’t know they were related?”

  “He knew. Apparently Floyd told him right after Yuki contacted him.” Walt shook his head. “It’s really hard on Yuki. She just wanted a father. After meeting Floyd, she felt doubly betrayed. First, by his abandoning her as a child and now doing the same thing to her as an adult.”

  “That’s understandable. Maybe in the future she and Ethan can come to some sort of relationship.”

  “From what I know of Ethan, I can’t imagine that,” said Walt.