𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 56

"I got to Harold French, refereeing
Liverpool. He just wants cash. "Tom the tatter, reffing Sheffield Wednesday, wants cash and a beating for a bloke who's screwing his wife." Billy spoke as Finn lifted his head from snorting a line of snow.

"The clap doctor said go easy
on the whiskey, yeah?" Finn teases as Billy grabbed a bottle. "Finn." he whispered

"What the bloody bell are you two doing? I suggest you both stop talking about the clap and get back to work because Arthur is on his way up"

Florence stood with her arms crossed behind the boy.  "You don't knock?"

She grabbed his face like she'd done a few days prior. "Last time i checked, Finnie, i didn't need to knock" she whispered, pushing his face away.

"No, Finn. I don't knock." Arthur chimed in, walking into the room. "Right." Finn sighed, stepping away from the chair

"Hello, Billy. How are you, mate?" Arthur asked, sitting down. "Good, Mr Shelby."

"Yeah, you look good. "That's a nice suit.". Arthur nodded.

"Thank you, Mr Shelby."

"He earned that suit. We made more on the matches than we did on the races last Saturday. He's a good man." Finn said.

"Yeah, I know that. Mm. You're coming up in the world, I like it. How's the missus, hmm? The old trouble and strife, as the cockneys like to call it." Arthur grabbed his shoulder.

"She moved out." he said quietly.

"Oh, that's a shame. Mind if I join you, eh? Mind if I join the party? Look at
this, having some fun. Hmm?"

Arthur took the blue bottle of cocaine and threw it to Florence who shook her head.

"You're a good man, Billy. You're a good man, eh? You could sing like a bird in a cage. And what did we do, eh? We opened that cage, and the real man flies out, reveals himself. The truth is young, Billy boy..."

"Yeah." Billy whispered.

"Here, look. What have we got here? Oh, look. Look at that, Billy boy, eh? Then there's some snow there, look. Oh, there's more. Look, snowflakes, Billy." Arthur grabbed multiple bottle from his pocket, dropping them to Billy's lap.

"Now, I know you like that, hmm?
Well, I do too. So, I'll tell you what, why don't we have a little line together.
Eh? Why don't we do a little bit of
snow together?"

Florence scoffed, walking out and letting the door slam behind her.

-

"You're not eating right. You're not eating right. You're not getting the natural things in you, boy, that's what it is, always." Arthur said, walking into the back room of the Garrison with Finn.

Florence sighed, sitting opposite Gina. She watched as Arthur purposely knocked into the back of Michael's chair. "Arthur" she warned.

"You bearing up, Arthur?" Polly asked.

"Bearing up for what? Bearing up to being free, Pol. Another glass, eh? Another glass of so what." Arthur grunted.

"Are you all right, Charlie?"

"Mad bastard Barney kicked me
in the shin when I woke him up." Charlie groaned, sitting in a chair.

"Where is the mad bastard?" Curly asked.

"He's tied to a lamp post outside
with three Lee boys, shitting themselves." Charlie said.

"Fucking Lee boys" Florence scoffed.

Tommy walked in. "First of all, an apology from Lizzie - she can't be here.Charles has a violin concert.Also, a welcome to Mr Aberama Gold. He and Polly are to be married in three weeks, with my blessing. From now on, Aberama will be welcome at our meetings. First item of business, a bereavement. Colonel Ben Younger, who may perhaps have become a member of this family, was taken from us, four days ago, by dark forces. We've made some investigations, and we think we know who planted the bomb."

"In the meantime, our thoughts are with Ada and the baby inside of her, who may one day sit at these meetings, but hopefully under happier circumstances. Let's drink to happier circumstances."

"Yeah". Arthur said loudly. "To Ada" he said.

"Item number two. An announcement, regarding Michael." Tommy continued.

"Before you go on, Tommy, there's something I'd like to say to the whole family directly, regarding finances and the future of this company. According to your own estimations, this new venture of the delivery and shipment of opium will bring into the company around £2 million per year. Therefore, due to the amounts involved, I think this company should be restructured.l

"Micheal, i think this can wait till outside the family meeting" Polly stopped him.

"Restructured in what way?" Tommy asked. "Because of the amounts of
money involved, shipment and dispatch will become the primary source of income to the company. It's simple mathematics." Gina spoke.

Micheal stood, glancing at Florence. "And with the help of my wife, I will organise an expansion into America, where the narcotics business is just beginning to grow. See, I have very good contacts in Detroit, New York, Boston, who I've already spoken to about this."

"And Gina has family who are very
experienced in this kind of business.

"According to the conversations
I've had with them, with a regular supply of pure opium from China, within a short space of time, the American narcotics business will bring in 20 million per annum. Enough money for you to all enjoy an easing of the burden you all now feel."

Florence nodded along, lighting a cigarette.

"See, I know that the scars
and the wounds, they're on the inside,
not on the outside. And as a member of the new generation, I'm able to take that great burden off your weary shoulders. A new decade is coming. There'll be new opportunities in new territories. More money than we've ever had before. Tommy, you can still do the good work that deep down you want to do."

He looked at Florence. "You can still help Tommy in that work. Mum, you can get married and live in that big house. Arthur, you can be the man that Linda wants you to be."

"Fuck Linda" Arthur whispered.

"Finn." Micheal stepped forward. "You've proved yourself, you're part of the new generation. You could come to New York with me"

Gina pulled out a file, handing it to Micheal. "Here is my proposal. A full restructuring of the company. I will be managing director, and you can me non executive chairman. But under an assumed name to protect your reputation. I found the name of a dead man. You will be registered as Mr Jones" He said.

Florence licked her lips.

"You will each receive a percentage
of the profits as an annuity, and you will no longer have to engage in any of the associated activities."

Tommy stared at him blankly.

"Take a look at the future, Tommy. At least read it with an open mind."

"It's cold in here, Micheal" Tommy said, throwing the file in the fire. Curly began laughing and a smug grin appeared on Florence's face.

"Tommy, the Americans want to deal with me"

"Item number three-" Tommy shouted. "Tell him the truth" Gina interrupted. "Go on, he can take it"

Micheal looked down. "Tell me the truth, Micheal."

"The Americans don't want to deal with an old fashioned backstreet razor gang. Those days are done"

"Brother," Florence stood, taking a deep breath. "Those days may be done for you, but nothing here, within this family has changed except from you" she whispered.

"Yeah, your still fucking psychotic aren't you" he hissed. Florence heart rate increased as she pushed her nails into her palms. "Go to hell" she shook her head.

"Tommy" Isiah burst in. "he's bitten through the fucking rope; they've got him cornered but they need help" he said. "Go and get him" Tommy shouted.

Everyone rushed outside. "Fuck the Americans" Arthur whispered and Tommy leaned against the fireplace.

"I'm doing this for you Tommy" Micheal said.

Florence sunk into her seat, pouring a glass of whiskey.

"It's time and you know it" he said. "Tommy mums leaving, Johns dead, Arthur and Florence need help" Micheal said. "Ada's man was killed in your own backyard cause you fucked up"

Tommy grabbed a bottle of whiskey and threw it into the fire. Gina gasped.

"Go on Tom" Micheal said, holding a switch knife in front of him. "Go on, cut me like the good old days, or, see this for what it is. A natural succession that someday must happen."

Tommy breathed deeply. "I gave you an opportunity, Micheal, and you betrayed me. Don't be here when i get back" he clicked in front of Ginas face. "You. You can tell your family-"

"Let me guess. Don't fuck with the peaky blinders"

"Spot on, Gina, well done" Florence said sarcastically as she followed Tommy outside.

-

"All right, item number three" Tommy sighed, looking down at the floor. An introduction. Except now you've already met the man i was gonna introduce. In France he was a comrade"

"What the fuck does he now, Tom?" Johnny scoffed.

"He's a man we can use, Johnny."

"For what? Put him in a ring with a bear and take bets on the outcome?" Aberama asked. "I tell you i wouldn't put much money on the bear"

"Aberama..that man is a trained Royal Marines sniper. Furthermore, he has a criminal profile, which will make his actions explicable to the police."

"What actions?" Charlie asked.

"A killing" Florence said. "And since when did you worry about the police?" Aberama asked. "Barney Thomason, is gonna kill an MP. Possibly the future prime minister of Great Britain."

"What the fuck Tom" Charlie said.

"After the killing, there will be an investigation by Special Branch and intelligence forces. There'll be a lot of powerful people as angry as fucking hornets. We need there to be no connections to us. Barney Thomason is registered as criminally insane he broke out, he's an old solider. He has known grievances. No one will question that the assassination was carried out by a single gun man acting alone"

"And you'd sacrifice an old comrade?" he asked.

"If they catch him, they won't hang him, on grounds of insanity. Just send him back to where i found him. He'll have had a very eventful holiday that he'll probably believe never really happened."

"And where will this killing take place?"

"There you go" Arthur stood, placing paper on the table. "He'll be on stage,"

"With lots of witnesses" Aberama whispered.

"During the rally, there will be an anti-fascist demonstration. Amidst the confusion, a shot will be fired."