Much like Grace's body, John's body was laid in a trailer with all of his items, photographs and war records.
He was going to be burnt in his favourite trailer. A deep red and maroon trailer with steps inviting you in. Dottie remembers it from John and Esme's garden. Many times, Esme and Dottie slept in the trailer together. It just her more now that Esme didn't say goodbye to her.
When Dottie was saying goodbye, she noticed his rings her missing. However, she knew Esme would have taken them. Oh if only she had gone with Esme on the road. She could have escaped the gang life. The life full of death and treason.
Dottie was the last to say goodbye to John. She sat beside his body, not knowing what to say or do. She wasn't partially close to him, but it still hurt her. John always made her laugh, and he was the first to protect her.
Dottie sniffs, she wipes her hands on her dress, dusting off any dirt. She stands up, and looks down at John's body once more. She then notices a piece of parchment paper on a small cabinet. Curiously, she takes hold of us, unfolding it.
To Dottie,
I'm sorry for leaving without a goodbye, but I can't risk the kids being in danger anymore. John and I always talked of taking the kids on the road, so that's what I'll be doing.
Johnny Dogs will know where I am so if you need anything talk to him, and you'll find me. Don't be a stranger.
Love from Esme
Dottie folds up the letter and sniffs again. She slides the letter in to her bra, not having a bag on her person, before she looks down at John's cold and pale body once more. She then turns on her heels, and climbs down the steps, closing the trailer doors behind her.
"We're like sitting ducks here if the wops come." Finn moans as Dottie walks past him.
"Yeah, well, Tommy said we should do it in the open." Charlie Strong says back in a gruff voice.
Dottie finds Charlie Strong strange. When she first heard his name, she expected a tall and muscular man, however she was introduced to a skinny and old man.
"This is how John wanted to go." Tommy says, his hands clasped underneath him.
"On the smoke. And the truth is... we died together once before. Arthur, me,
Danny Whizzbang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah, and John."
Dottie sniffs, standing in between Isiah and Polly. Isiah wraps an arm around her, pulling her in to his chest.
"We were cut off from the retreat... No bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come and to finish us off.
And while we waited... Jeremiah said, "We should sing, 'In the Bleak Midwinter.'" But we were spared. The enemy never came. And we all agreed...
that everything after that was extra. And when our time came... we'd all remember."
Dottie sniffs again catching the attention of Eliza, who stands beneath her. She looks up to Dottie and gives Dottie an innocent smile. Dottie smiles back, holding on to her hand as Isiah holds Florence.
"You remember that God spared you.
But what did you do with that extra time that he gave you, eh, Thomas?" Polly asks, almost growling.
Tommy doesn't answer, looking down at the floor as his hands fish around in his pockets. He pulls out a set of matches and turns around. He strikes a match and throws it on to the trailer.
Within an instant, everyone screams. The soundings of a gun firing irrupt Dottie's ears. She quickly pushes Eliza down on to the floor, protecting the girls body with her own.
"At ease! At ease." Tommy states. "Do not return fire. I repeat, do not return fire. Stand down. The men doing the firing are on our side."
Dottie looks at Tommy. A glare. Sending shivers down his spine. She wipes the glare of her face to pick up Eliza.
"I'm sorry for pushing you, darling," Dottie says, bending down to wipe away the mud on Eliza's dress, "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Mama," Eliza replies sweetly taking hold of Dottie's hand.
"I took the trouble..." Tommy starts to explain, "of giving an invitation to Aberama Gold."
Johnny shakes his head. "Oh fuck! Now it's begun."
Polly looks around, seeing the family pull ten slices back up on to their feet. She shakes her head disappointingly, taking a seat at the table in between the different trailers.
"Put it out in the open on purpose. You used John's funeral fire as a fucking beacon."
"We were never in any danger Polly." Arthur tries to say however Polly's fury only grows.
"You set a trap."
"Finn?" Tommy calls, "Finn? Go to the yard and light the fires."
Polly begs it o strut forward. Once she approaches Tommy, he can see the mourning scowl on her face. "You set a trap with us as fucking bait." She raises her voice, and Dottie looks back at Isiah, seeing him pat Florence's bottom.
Polly points in to the opening of the field. "Who's dead?"
"Our enemies." Says Tommy vaguely.
"Who's dead?" Polly repeats, getting close to Tommy.
"You wanna know, Pol? Two fucking no good Italians heard about the vendetta, tried to make a fucking name for themselves, that's who." He steps back, pressing his cigarette up to his lips.
"We got word to them about the funeral, the where, the when. Told them where to stand for the best shot."
Dottie looks back out to the clearing, seeing a few men approach on horses.
"And Aberama Gold would do the rest." Tommy says, "that's the language of vendetta, they take one of ours, we take two of theirs."
"You used your own brother's funeral. When did we vote on this, Tommy?"
Ada, looking heartbrokenly pale, crossed eyes with Dottie.
Tommy doesn't respond, instead he says, "Curly, get a boat ready to take the bodies to the city. And another boat for anyone," he stops to raise his voice, "anyone who wants no more part of this. Cause this is how it's gonna be."
Polly doesn't respond as Dottie eyes up Isiah, seeing his jaw clench.
When Polly walks away, Tommy calls back out to her. "Polly?"
Linda, who's been silent through the whole ideal, suddenly speaks. "I'm not staying for this, Arthur, I'm going home."
Arthur spins around. "Oh, yeah? Home's 57, Watery Lane. You go there, lock the doors, you wait for me." He steps scores to her, holding out a key.
Linda doesn't respond, she looks at the key as if it's dirt here walking away.
Ada is the one to snatch the key from Arthur with a roll of her eyes.
"I'm going home too," Dottie says to Isiah, "give me Florence. She's too young to be caught up in this family." Dottie commands, dropping Eliza's hand to scoop Florence up from Isiah's chest.
"I'll meet you at Watery Lane," Isiah says, his eyes pleading with Dottie's.
"I said I'm going home," Dottie repeats, bending down slightly to pick up Eliza's hand, "come on, darling, we're going home."
Dottie doesn't wait for an answer, instead she trudges through the mud with Eliza trailing beside her. She quickly catches up to Linda, who's staring coldly at Ada.
"Linda, I'll give you a lift home, if you want," Dottie says.
Linda looks at Dottie, nodding. "Thank you, Dottie."
Ada rolls her eyes simply, still with the key in between her fingers. "Key to number 57."
"I'm going home to the country."
"You will stay here until it's over." Ada commands, "Take the fucking key, Linda. Look, away from here you are a weakness to all of us. They will take you hostage and the baby, they will use the baby. Take it. Put the kettle on, wait for your husband."
When Linda scoffs, Ada looks at Dottie.
"You too, Dots. You're a smart girl, so go home to Watery Lane. If you really go home—"
"We didn't get a black hand, Ada," Dottie interjects. "Isiah and I, we aren't on their hit list."
"No? But they'll find out who and where you are," Ada argues back, "they found where we all live so who's so say they won't find you."
Dottie doesn't argue back.
"So go home with Linda. Keep the kids in, and put on the kettle."
Linda glares once more at Ada before she yanks the key from her fingertips. The three women begin to walk again as Linda speaks.
"The only way any of you Shelbys will leave this place is on a cloud of smoke like John."