𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃
chapter 28

A couple weeks ago, Tommy ran into trouble with Hughes, the priest. Tommy planned on killing the man but it did not go to plan. He ended up in a critical condition, a harsh concussion and other injuries which left him in hospital for weeks.

"Did you remember your medicine sir?" Mary asked before she walked out. "Do you ever read the bible, Mary?" he asked her. "Sometimes.." she shrugged.

"Do you ever read it out loud while standing naked next to my bed?" he asked her. Her face dropped. "Cause when i take the morphine the doctor gave me, that's what you do. I'm wide awake, but you are standing there naked, plain as day." he informed her. "Reading from the book of Leviticus. Do you wanna know what happens next?" she shook her head. "No, neither do i. So i poured the medicine away. Go and get Johnny, Mary. Oh, and call Florence to tell her i'm back."

The woman slowly turned away from him, ashamed.

-

"Good morning Mr Solomon's" Tommy sighed, stepping to his office. "Yeah it is" Alfie nodded. "Nice little place you've got here, Thomas. What is it? A foreclosure of a gambling debt from some poor young lord who you pumped full of opium in one of your casinos?" he asked. "Or is that just tittle-tattle?"

Florence sat with her legs crossed, observing the strange man who had walked into the office.

"Drink?" Tommy sighed. "Nah i don't touch it mate. Your housekeeper said your not allowed to drink. Eh? She said you are suffering from so many ancient injuries from your sporting life, that your head is like some sort of smashed vase that has been stuck back together by a horse." Alfie looked him up and down.

Florence observed the man from a distance, unsure who he was or how to feel about him.

"Now, word in London is that you can be found wandering the streets of Birmingham stark naked, throwing away money, Tommy."

Tommy sat down frowning and locked eyes with Florence for a brief moment. "You talk to dead people;" Alfie continued. "Also that you believe you are powerful enough to summon up Jews..of a very particular standing up to the gentle wilderness wherein you live in order for them to do your fucking bidding, mate."

"And still you came." Tommy sighed. "Yeah, well, you know i was passing wasnt i?"

"And who might you be?" Alfie asked, finally acknowledging the young girl. "This is my cousin, Florence." Tommy told him.

"And why's she in here, eh?"

"Because, Florence works with me, Alfie. I trust her, she's smart. Sometimes you need someone who is smart." Tommy sighed.
He kneeled down, looking at her face. She looked between his eyes. "Be carefully, Alfie, she's like Arthur." Tommy joked.

"What— Insane?"

Florence let out a frustrated breath at the word, standing up and making him stand straight. She stared into his eyes. His eyebrows raised. "Florence," Tommy warned.

She swallowed hard, looking down at the mans cane before taking a seat. "Now that fucking scared me that, Tom, she fucking is like him, ain't she. She's got that look in her eyes, sent shivers right up my spine, she did." he chuckled.

"Do you know something, Alfie, this morning i tried to read the paper, and i realised that the only consequence of my terrible accident is that i now need glasses." he trailed off.

"Right," Alfie nodded, "right well i know a man, who can make you a pair of these." he pulled out his own pair.

"He is a magician, mate." he nodded, "he is a magician. So not only will you be able to read your newspaper but you will also be able to see into the future. Now i know this because he made this pair here for me. So you don't have to worry about telling me what this is all about cause i've already seen it mate."

"Who is this fucker, Tommy? Who is he and why is he rambling about magicians?" Florence spat. Tommy looked at her for a moment in hopes she would be quiet.

Alfie took a deep breath and pointed a finger at Tommy. "You're fucking about with the Russians ain't you, you silly boy?"

-

"Right you've got two options Micheal." John said. "You fuck off to America with Arthur, join the Apaches, or you marry the girl."

"This isn't a joke!" Micheal stepped forward. "Arthur are you really gonna live with the Apaches?" Johnny Doggs asked. "Told her father yet?" he ignored the question. "No." Micheal sighed. "He'll fucking shoot you, are you sure the kids yours?" Arthur asked.

"I wish i hadn't told you." he groaned.

"Yeah well I doubt Florence would've been much better." Arthur hummed. "Think of marriage as a beautiful road, flowers all the way down it."

"Is he Joking?" Micheal asked John. "Oh it's hard to tell these days." John said.

"Do you, do you love the woman?" Arthur asked. Micheal looked at Arthur then at John then back at Arthur. "Fucking what?" He hissed.

"Go and marry her like the rest of us." Arthur said seriously. "She doesn't want her family to know, Arthur." Micheal told him.
"She doesn't want to have the baby."

"We know a woman—" John told him, glancing at Arthur. "Shut up, John." Arthur said quickly. "Same woman who helped you out, twice." John nodded.

"Charlotte will want the best." Micheal took a deep breath, his glass in his hand. "She is the best." John assured him. "The best?" Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"She used to be a nurse, 20 minutes, done. You don't have to go in, or wait outside. You go to the Garrison, drink whiskey, have a laugh. Remember John, then this kid walks in, no shoes on, says it's done."

Arthur took one last sip of his whiskey before patting John's shoulder and walking out the room with him. Johnny Doggs took a breath and got up from his seat,  "Come on, Tommy has a plan." He said.

As the boys walked into the office, Florence kept her eyes on Alfie as he spoke with Thomas. "Arthur!" Alfie smiled. Arthur froze and backed away slightly, not wanting to see the man that had set him up the year previously. "Arthur?" Alfie said again.

"Arthur come here." Tommy demanded. "Shalom!" Alfie exclaimed. Arthur sucked in a sharp breath and stepped back in the room. "Arthur, shalom." Alfie said again.
"Come here," he said. "Come, let's sit down. I owe you a little something don't i. I do. Come on—" he urged.

Arthur hesitantly sat beside him. "Listen, Arthur, i want you to know that whatever happened between us back then that was business."

"You got him arrested, Alfie. How is that business," Florence spoke, remembering how her and Micheal had also been arrested that night.

"It was just business, alright?"

"And i also want you to know that i have made my apologies via my own God—" he shrugged. "for abusing a very good day to get you clinked up and battered, which i did." Alfie admitted.  "And i would also like to extend my personal apologies unto you."
"I hear you have allowed jesus to come into you life, Arthur."

"Oh you heard then?" Arthur asked. "Yeah that's beautiful, that's wonderful, that is lovely isn't it." Alfie continued. "And i was wondering how does that work for you on a day to day considering your line of work, mate."

"Tommy—" Florence said, sighing, knowing that he was tormenting Arthur. "Fucking tell him."

"Your apology is accepted." Were the only words that Arthur could speak. "Cause i hear your a right fucking nuisance with it." Alfie pressed further.

Arthur's hand wrapped around the glass ashtray and he breathed heavily. "Arthur." Florence whispered. "You see all i'm saying is that every man craves his certainty, doesn't he?" Alfie hummed. "Even if that certainty of yours, right..well i mean it's fucking fanciful mate isn't it."

Arthur let the ash tray fall.

"I'm old testimony..." Arthur mumbled. "Fucking hell look at that, now that, that scared me more." Alfie pointed at his face before looking back at Florence.

"Yeah. Congratulations Tommy. You now have the finished article right here don't you. See that man right he will murder and mail for you with God on his side, unlike that one over there, she'll do it without God on her side. You don't want to let them go"