Anna [J.Shelby]

CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

Sitting at home in the same chair, having to put up with the children's same questions were driving Anna up the wall and back again, Thomas was right on one thing, she needed something to do, and no matter how much hate she held for the Shelby's business now, the betting shop was the only place she could go. If she stepped out of Watery Lane and past the Garrison, she would be falling into Changrettas hands.

Calling the children's old nanny, and walking out the door towards the betting shop before 9am felt so familiar to her, for years she did the exact same thing.

It had been her life for years, she didn't know what was left for her without Birmingham, besides looking after the children.

She had Johns old keys clutched in her hands as she reached the door, unlocking and entering it, letting the door shut with a bang as both Polly's and Lizzie's heads turned to her.

She cleared her throat, "morning"

Lizzie looked in surprise as Polly smiled at her, Polly knew she'd be back in the end.

"I wanted something, to occupy myself while everything's up in the air"

"Didn't we all" Polly replied.

"I am sorry, it shouldn't have been John" Lizzie commented sincerely.

"Yes, you and everybody else has said that to me. It's not bringing him back, is it?" Anna replied as she shrugged her coat off.

Moments later, Linda entered through the door with a stride nobody had yet witnessed, the three women turned to her with confusion as she walked in.

"Hello, Linda?" Anna's greeting was more like a question.

"Said to Arthur while I'm in this fucking place I want something to keep my mind busy" She spoke as if her being in a betting shop was an every day thing as she took her coat off.

Anna, Polly and Lizzie glanced at each other with a strange look.

"What, you're gonna take bets?" Polly questioned her in disbelief.

"I've always been able to do addition and subtraction without pen and paper, but I'll need a telephone, apparently we have special clients who take bets by telephone" She made herself at home at a desk.

"Linda, this is a betting shop" Polly stated the obvious, unable to believe what Linda was talking about.

"Look! Arthur said yes, Tommy said yes" Linda snapped.

"But did God say yes? Gambling is a sin, Linda" Polly reminded her.

"It's not me that's doing the gambling, I'm just taking the bets" Linda replied smartly, Polly shaking her head as she went to fetch the telephone.

The 4 women were soon joined by Finn, who walked in confident strides, it reminded Anna of John, in a sense.

"The rule is that door should always remain locked until 9am" Finn told them, it could have been a reprimand to the women, if the words weren't formed on Finn's tongue.

"Right, boy, boy, where are you going?" Polly called after Finn.

"Well, Arthurs not coming in today, he's taking the day off so.."

"So what?" Lizzie questioned.

"So, today Tommy said that I'm in charge"

"Sorry, you're in charge?" Polly questioned.

"Yeah, that's what he said" Finn replied.

Polly placed a telephone and its line down in front of Linda.