hope || michael gray

- TWO -

—

the betting den was busy as ever when tilly returned, men placing bets and money being counted at every desk. numbers were being written on the blackboard and phone calls were being made.

"tills!" john shouted in greeting at her from his open office door as she took off her black long velvet coat that she still had on from the funeral and placed it on the hanger.

"afternoon you lot," she called as she walked through the building towards the office, receiving greetings from various people.

"you alright? where's tommy?" john questioned the girl as she grabbed a cigarette out of the box on his desk, lighting it.

"yeah i'm fine. don't know, left him in sparkhill." she replied as she took the cigarette out her mouth.

"finn! get in here. take this," john shouted at his younger brother as polly summoned him.

matilda watched the youngest shelby brother as he took the phone off john after giving her a jokey shove as he entered the office. she loved the boy to bits, and had been best mates with him all their lives. there had always been a joke running round the family that if tilly wasn't married by the time finn was twenty, she'd be married off to finn to 'officially' make her a member of the family.

she then followed after john, nearing the jail-cell like room him and polly stood in.

"he's gone to the black lion with til- oh, she's there. where's tommy?" polly asked as matilda entered the room.

"was called out by some kid at the pub. followed him somewhere," the girl replied as she leant on the cage bars.

"on his own?" john questioned.

"tommy does everything on his own." polly said as she walked out. the pair followed her through the building.

"should i go there?" john asked, the question directed at matilda.

"what?" polly interjected.

"shall i go there and see him?"

"no!" both women replied at the same time.

"he won't be there anymore anyway john. fuck knows where he is now." matilda continued.

"where the fuck is arthur?" john asked.

"protecting the garrison's whisky from the police." polly replied as she walked into the kitchen. matilda sat down on one of the chairs, cigarette between her lips.

"for fuck sake," john hissed as he closed the double doors between the two rooms.

"feels a little bit to me like things are getting out of hand." john said to the two women as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

"sort it out then john." matilda said, staring at the man as she watched him slowly loose his temper.

"get 'em in hand." polly answered as she pulled a cigarette out her purse.

"you know what ada said to me this morning?"
john said, pausing waiting for a reaction from either women. tilly stared at the floor absentmindedly, letting a breath of smoke between her lips, and polly continued to sort through her purse.