Closing Down the House - Part 2

"Are we all clear about my last point, that there will be no fornication, what so ever at all on the premises?" Squig asked looking each girl directly in the eyes." 

"Mr. Sheriff, sir, I have a question," a small voice asked from the back of group.

"Step forward and ask away," Squig responded as a tiny white cat came to the front. She was wearing jeans, a pink sweater with a heart embroidered on the front and didn't look old enough to be in this line of work.

"And your name is,"

"Lyla Jane," Harlan whispered in his ear. Her name is Lyla Jane Simkins"

Squig almost jumped.  When had Harlan crept up on him?  He would have to speak to him later about that, but now he had to deal with this. 

"So what about that is unclear," he asked.

"Mr. Sheriff, sir, what is a premises?"

"That is a very good question, and I want us all to be very clear about what I mean.  The premises I am referring to is this building and all of the rooms contained therein. That means this bar and restaurant, your bedrooms and sitting areas, the kitchen and the basement. It also refers to the roof, the sidewalk out front and and the alley out back.  There will be no fornication anywhere at any time in any area I just mentioned.

And to make that easier for you, a certain website entitled, 'The Katz City Escort Service has been shut down."

"You can't do that," someone shrieked.  

"No I can't," Squig shot back.  But Mr. Felinerino can and has.  Since the location of this so called escort service is the Katz City Cafe and Mr. Felinerino owns the Katz City Cafe, he has instructed his lawyer to do whatever was necessary to remove it and as of today, it is no longer operational."

Squig paused momentarily to see how that news was sitting and seeing that no one had tossed a chair in his direction, decided it was time to drop the bomb.

"So, considered that your source of income has now dried up, you girls aught to consider moving to a new location.  Let's see today is Friday." He paused and smiled at them. "I think by Monday every last one of you should be out of here."

"But Mr. Sheriff, sir," Lyla asked wringing her paws. "What if this premises is our home and we ain't got nowhere to go."

Squig hadn't thought of that and was at a complete loss for words.  It hadn't occurred to him that any of the girls might end up homeless.  He was caught between the rock of his conscious and the rock that was Dweezil.

TO BE CONTINUED