Promises Not Kept

47

            "Tommy, mate, it is polite to call ahead," Alfie muttered as he made his way to the sitting room. "You should know that, being a big fancy parliament member, aye?"

"Your phone lines are down, Alfie, remember?" Tommy replied, his jaw tense.

It didn't catch Alfie off guard. He simply lied effortlessly. "Well they're back up now, should've tried to ring before fucking trudging all the way out here." He sat down with a sigh.

Tommy stood like a soldier in the center of the room. "Where are my wife and kids?"

No use in pretending he was hiding them away. Best to divert the man's attention back to London. "Your aunt's, although I'm sure you knew that."

"She's gone to America."

"Has she?" Alfie raised an eyebrow. "To be honest, Tom, I were only half certain she'd go. Thought maybe you still had some sway over her but I guess not."

That was enough for Tommy. He pulled out his gun and jammed it under Alfie's chin. Trembling with rage, he glared at him. "I gave you specific fucking instructions."

The Jewish gangster looked thoroughly unbothered by the gun pointed against his skin. "I ain't on your fucking payroll mate, you don't order me 'round. I were doing you a fucking favor, weren't I?"

"She wasn't supposed to leave. She was supposed to stay here, that's what we all agreed on."

"Well, what would you have me do, Tommy, aye?" Alfie retorted. "Lock her in a closet? Fucking hell mate, she didn't leave 'cause of me. She left 'cause of you!" His eyes narrowed at the Brummie. "But you knew that didn't ya? You fucking knew that but you, yeah, ain't never liked to take responsibility for it, right? You want to come here and finish me off 'cause scary, mean 'ol Alfie Solomons made your wife run off." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Give me a fucking break, Tommy."

Tommy bit down on his tongue and jerked the gun away from Alfie. He stuffed it back into his coat and pulled out a cigarette instead.

Alfie watched him pace around the room for a moment. "Tommy, I can appreciate, right, that you're angry. But your son was nearly fucking killed right over there." He jabbed a finger at the balcony. "They weren't safe here."

The Blinder didn't say anything for a good while.

"You've made a deal with the devil, mate. Don't mean she did."

"You don't know that she's safe in America."

Alfie shrugged and cracked his knuckles. "Think you're enemies are gonna be focused on you here, not what's on the other side of the Pond." He shrugged. "Something to consider."

Tommy sighed and stood up. "Fuck off, Alfie." He muttered before going to leave.

"'Fore you go, there's a shell on that cabinet." He pointed across the room.

Tommy looked over and found the shelf with a few shells scattered over it. "Which one?"

"Scallop shell. Johanna found it, meant to give it to you but left it behind. Leah's got the other half."

He picked it up and showed it to Alfie. "This one?"

"That's right."

Tommy smoothed his thumb over the ridges over the top of the shell. He swallowed and pocketed the shell. "Thank you."