The Banker's Advice

Max stood at the heavy door and looked up the street, then at his watch. Closing time. He pulled the first door shut and secured it. He was pulling the second door closed when the throaty roar of a Harley came out of nowhere. He turned and watched as the bike came to a standstill right outside the bank. A couple of twists on the throttle and the rider switched off the engine. He smiled as the helmet came off and JJ ran her free hand through her hair.

"Hello, Miss McQuarie."

"G'Day, Mr. Skinner. How ya going?"

"Good thanks. I hope you weren't needing the bank, I'm afraid it's closing time."

"No, you're right, ta. I'm just waiting for Bobbie."

"Well, come on in out of the sun then."

JJ smiled and locked up the bike before walking through into the cool interior of the bank building. Bobbie was coming through from the back with two mugs in her hand. "Oh hi, JJ. Looks like I need another cup."

"Shall we go upstairs?" Max asked. "It's more comfy up there."

Bobbie handed Max his tea and offered JJ her coffee saying she'd go and make herself another one. She met them up in Max's office. She had a plate in one hand and her coffee in the other.

"Where have you been hiding those?" Max asked, eying up the macadamia cookies.

"Behind the tea caddy in the cupboard," Bobbie grinned in reply. "Good job I bought more than two wasn't it. I wasn't expecting you to drop round, JJ."

"Sorry. I should have waited and met you at the surgery, I needed someone to talk to."

Max looked across at her and noticed the strain on her face. "What's wrong, Luv?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Skinner, I shouldn't be laying this on my bank manager."

"It's after hours, and please, call me Max."

JJ smiled slightly, realising why Bobbie liked her boss so much. She took a sip of her coffee before speaking again.

"I just don't know what to do. I don't know if Bobbie has said anything to you, but I have a problem with the local law in town."

"Bud White?" Max asked, winking at Bobbie.

"No," JJ replied, "not Mr. Don't Mess With Me, I mean the quite one."

"John? What kind of problem could you have with him, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, Max. I'm finding myself quite attracted to him, but I don't know what to make of him. He seems to go out of his way to wind me up when he sees me."

"In what way?"

"For a start, he insists on calling me Tinkerbell!"

"Why?"

JJ took off her jacket and held her arm up for Max to see. She had a large, rather fetching tattoo of a fairy that went from her elbow almost to her wrist.

"Ah," was all Max said.

"Then he stopped me for speeding, wrote me a ticket, and paid it himself."

"JJ," Max said seriously. "I think you need to get yourself down to John's office and have a talk with him. Tell him you need to know what's going on with him. You need to know where you stand."

"You're right, Max. I'll do that. Thanks for the coffee and bikkies."

They said goodbye outside the bank and Max and Bobbie watched JJ pull away from the kerb and head off towards the the police station.