My Sister Cathy

Ray and Susie dropped in often, to sit at Daniel’s table, so it was not a surprise when Susie made her debut as a dancer. She called herself Susie-Q and danced to Buddy Holly’s music, and appeared to enjoy showing her “attributes.” It was not too long that she was baring and shaking all for a loud, hooting male crowd. Ray, who had originally suggested that Susie become a dancer, became a bit reluctant that she could show her breasts so easily. Daniel and Anne observed Ray becoming withdrawn and vocally jealous. Soon, the show on the stage was followed by a regular argument that the bouncer visited the table and asked them to “take it outside.”

The arguments continued outside. When Susie was asked to dance with the customers, Ray exploded and warned his girlfriend that he would be watching closely, and if she even looked at another man, she better find her own ride. And Susie stomped away. “You don’t own my body. I will do as I please.”

One evening Susie confided to Cathy, that “Ray and I have split. I have a place of my own in that apartment on Elizabeth. I will be in Unit 2. We will be neighbours. Just look for me on the mail box – I am the only Russian. No furniture except a pullout couch, a coffee table, and a coffee maker, but I am going to the thrift store this weekend to fix that.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” Cathy asked. “I keep a bit of money hidden away for emergencies.”

“I am doing OK,” Susie assured her. “But I am accepting the offer to dance with the customers until I can get enough ahead to blow this place.”

“Dancing with the customers?” Cathy enquired. “Do you mean what I think you mean?”

Susie nodded. “But only for a while.”

“How about a ride home?” Cathy had gotten her licence, so she was now the driver as well as the sole provider.

“That sounds good. But I may need to leave early.” She didn’t say why. “I might need to hitch. It is too far to walk. “

Cathy and Susie became closer friends, much to the disagreement of Daniel who was still friends with Ray. Ray just quit coming to The Tavern. Most nights, Cathy and Susie waited for each other to finish. A month passed, and Susie became a regular dancer and more for the customers. “I am saving up,” she said to Cathy on the drive home.

“You do not have to prove anything to me, just be safe.” Cathy replied.

“And we know what is happening upstairs, anyways.” Daniel got in his dig. “Maybe it would be good if Anne was a bit more open to different ways of earning money.”

“I’d keep those thoughts to yourself if I were you,” Cathy replied. “Don’t you forget who is paying the bills.”

And then one day, Susie left early, with just a wave to Cathy who was on stage. And the next day, Susie did not show up. And the next day, as well. Cathy asked Jimmy, the Announcer, if Susie had quit, but he did not know anything more. And in a day or two, Cathy arrived for work at The Tavern, to see the neon lights turned off, and a couple of Black and Whites parked conspicuously out front.

“What’s up?” Cathy asked Jimmy. The place was empty.

“We are temporarily closed. Susie is missing. I guess you must know. We are just waiting for all the girls to come in. Sam is holding a meeting.” Sam was a regular at The Tavern. He dropped by to check that everything was above board every couple of days. Sam was never undercover. He drove a regular police car. “I have a daughter ‘bout the same age as the dancers, and I do not want to see any of you joining that list of missing women.”

When all of the girls were present, Sam sat on a bar stool beside the stage. “Susie is missing,” he began. “And in case you don’t know the way it goes, we are looking as hard as we can, mostly on our own. I go about my regular duties, and stop any suspicious cars and strangers to this neck of the woods. But the official take is “most of these missing women are hookers. We do not have the men or time or resources to look for prostitutes.”

The sound of grumbling grew louder and louder, until Sam held up his hand. “I know, I know, you are entitled to be protected the same as anyone, no matter what your choice of profession. I could not agree more, but what is going on here is illegal in most parts of Canada and the States. Times are tough, but that has always been the way for some women who are down on their luck. And there are a couple of you that seem to think there is nothing wrong because your body belongs to you. Whatever! The hard truth is, Susie may never turn up, and she could be my daughter, or is a close friend of any of you – even a sister?“

“So what happens now?” The manager of The Tavern stepped up. We have bills to pay and we can’t do that with the doors locked and the lights off. If you and your fellow patrol men are here to press charges, or to close us down, please do so, so that I can get the court to uphold the laws. Technically, we are doing nothing illegal, no matter what you say. These women are paid to dance – call it strip or whatever you may, but exotic dancers are not doing anything illegal. And anything beyond that is between the Girls and the customers that they meet here. Am I right?”

“Right as rain,” Sam replied. “But I stop by here too often to know what goes on upstairs. I will admit to overlooking a lot in the name of keeping these women off the missing list. But it comes down to this.” He addressed the rest of his talk to the girls waiting around. “Susie may turn up, but my gut feeling is she is another name on the list. So here is the warning, for what it‘s worth. Do not leave this place on your own. Find a friend to travel back and forth to home, and do not accept a ride with someone you don’t know and trust. That’s it for me. You are free to get on with your night.”

By the time the two police cars rolled out of the parking lot, the lights and the music were on full, and another regular evening began for The Tavern.