Coraline Murphy

32.

Tommy couldn't remember a time where he'd been so lost for words. Looking from Coraline to his new acquaintance, London gangster Alfie Solomons, who incidentally, was not a new acquaintance to Coraline, he realised where the phrase 'gob-smacked' came from. 

"Sol?" Coraline's face was a beacon of pure joy, and he felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of it. So this, this was the famous Sol. 

Alfie Solomons had shuffled around his desk, and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. Whilst she returned his embrace, she felt the beginnings of a cough, and extracted herself from the hug, turning away from him as violent coughing wracked her frail body. She just caught Tommy's look turn from one she couldn't read to one of alarm before she felt two  huge hands gripping her shoulders, turning her back to face Sol, who, holding her at arms length, was looking her up and down, a frown on his craggy face. 

"The fuck happened to you, eh котенок? Look like death warmed up, don't ye?" 

"Charming as ever, Sol," she croaked, removing his hands from her shoulders and gesturing at Tommy. "Sol, this is Tommy."

"Ah yes, the person I was actually expecting to meet..." The great bear of a man looked at Tommy, his discerning glance giving Tommy the impression that he'd just x-rayed him with his own eyes. "Now, Tommy - I can call you Tommy, right? You can call me Alfie, yeh? Feel like I know ye after all she fucking goes on about you."

Tommy didn't have a chance to reply before he carried on. 

"Tommy -  I know we're set to be doing business, right. But tell me, just indulge me, yeh? Why the fuck is little Coraline Murphy visiting a dangerous gangster, such as me fine self, with you?"

Tommy opened his mouth to answer, but Alfie wasn't done. 

"Ah ah," he tutted, making Tommy tense with anger. "And why, does she look like she's about to collapse at any moment?"

Coraline had turned pale, looking from her friend to Tommy and back again, suddenly frightened. Whilst she'd hoped that two of the most important men in her life might one day meet, she'd never expected it to be in these circumstances, and she'd certainly never expected to see the two of them looking like one might kill the other. 

"Sol..." she said gently, trying to diffuse the situation, but Tommy took a step towards him. 

"She's 'ere," he snarled, "because the safest place for her is by my side." 

Sol scoffed. "Don't look like it, does it mate? Look at her?" 

"Tommy, it's fine..." She tried again, feeling her heart start to race in panic, fearing that they might hurt each other. 

"There was a incident, back in Small Heath," Tommy said. "She's fine." 

"It's true, Sol, I'm fine." 

"She don't look fine to me," Sol ignored her still. "Fuck, she don't sound fine, does she?" 

"Enough!" The two men jumped at the raised voice of Coraline, looking at her in surprise. "Enough. Please." Her voice lowered again, sounding tired and strained, and Tommy found himself lowering his eyes in shame at having upset her. Spotting the chair facing Alfie's on the opposite side of the desk, he guided Coraline into it, catching Alfie watching them carefully. 

"I'll call Ollie to bring another chair," Alfie said, moving to the closed door behind them, and Tommy took that as some sort of sign of approval, not that he cared for it. 

--------------------

With the second chair instated in the office room, Alfie took Tommy on a tour of the factory, the pair of them leaving Coraline to rest in his office. Their conversation was stilted and awkward, and Tommy couldn't help but feel like Alfie was judging him heavily for Coraline's condition, though it wasn't like he wasn't judging himself...