I've known the Shelby family my whole life. I've known them so long that some people still aren't sure if I'm related to them or not, because of how close our families are—were. It probably doesn't help that more than once, I've said that my last name was Shelby so I could get people to do things for me.
My oldest brother, Charlie, is the same age as the eldest Shelby, Arthur, and although he now lives in Wales for most of the year, at least, living his true Gypsy life, him and Arthur were inseparable before the passing of my mother, which happened after the death of my other brother, Daniel, who died in the war. My mum got caught up in the smoke, as Polly calls it, and she passed peacefully in a very drunken, tablet induced slumber.
Strangely enough, the Shelby's were the only stable thing in my life, which sounds mental to anybody who has ever met the family. Between my parents drinking, Charlie going to get lost and then come back for a couple of weeks because he misses the crime life, and me not being able to keep some jobs because of my life of accidentally being friends with the Shelby's (although I'd never tell them that, we don't need them murdering for no reason), the Shelby family has been constant for me.
"Flo, I need you to do me a favor." Thomas Shelby says, coming up to me as I walk out of my house.
"Christ, Tommy." I say, clutching my chest. "Scared the shit out of me."
"Sorry. I'm going to find Pol's son. He lives somewhere in Sheffield. He's seventeen, turning eighteen soon."
"Okay?"
"I want you to be there with me."
"And why is that?"
"Because you make me look nicer."
"Fine, but you better pay me. I'll be missing work."
"You work at the Garrison." He scoffs, putting a cigarette in his mouth and offering one to me, which I take. "Which I hate, by the way."
"Why do you hate it?" I ask, letting out a puff of smoke after a quick inhale of my cigarette, that he lit.
"Because it's dangerous. You could've been there when it exploded."
"But you made sure I wasn't."
"That is true." He says with a smile.
"So why am I going? Actually."
"Because you two are around the same age. You were friends growing up and I'd like to see if he remembers anything about you." He says and I nod.
"Fine. My mum told me about him when I was young. Michael."
"How is your mum? Contacting you in dreams still?"
"No, she's stopped that." I laugh. "I think Polly told her to fuck off." I say and he laughs.
"Sounds like something she'd be able to do." He says, stopping our walk at his car. "Let's go. I want to show you something."
-
"Who's house is this?" I ask, getting out of the car.
"Polly's. I got it for her birthday." He says and my jaw drops as he closes the car door for me. "I'm glad you like the idea. Come, I'll show you round." He says, heading towards the front door.
"It's beautiful, Tommy. I think she'll love it. I think she'll love being out of Small Heath."
"She knows that I want to get Michael back for her. This is where she can raise him, even if he'll be eighteen soon."
"Is that why you want me around him? Because we're the just about the same age and you want me to marry into the Shelby family officially?"
"You're always seventy steps ahead of me, aren't you, Florence?" He asks and I shrug.
"I'm seventy steps ahead of everyone, Tommy." I smirk and he nods.
I've won my fair few games of cards in my time working the bar at the Garrison. It's my best talent. Extortion from creepy men. And it's all thanks to my dad for teaching me every card game imaginable and training me in it so I could make some cash and immediately spend it in whatever pub he dragged a ten year old to. Typical family bonding, am I right?
"So. When are we going?" I ask and he shrugs.
"Tomorrow. Morning. I'll be picking you up quite early, we've got a bit of a ride ahead of us." He says and I nod with a shrug.
-
The next morning I'm woken up to Tommy standing over me.
"I told you early." He says, shaking me a little.
"The sun is hardly up, Tommy." I groan.
"Let's go." He claps.
"My dad let you in?"
"No. Charlie's back. He's downstairs. Just got in. That's why I'm up so early." He says and my eyes widen.
"Are you serious?" I sit up, grabbing my dressing gown from the end of my bed.
"Yes. Go on." He says and I run from my bed down the short flight of stairs and quickly find Charlie in the kitchen, waiting over the hob for the kettle to boil.
"Hi!" I scream, running at him.
"Hi, sis." He says into my hair. I can feel the smile on his face.
"I've missed you. It's been months." I say, squeezing him tighter.
"Yeah. I heard that times were getting tough here in Small Heath, so I thought I'd come back for a bit." He says and I smile.
"You should head over to the betting den or the Garrison to get caught up." Tommy says, entering the kitchen. "I'm taking your sister on a venture."
"To do what?"
"We're getting Polly's son back." I smile.
-
"Here we are." Tommy says, stopping the car on the corner of a home in the countryside.
"It's beautiful here," I say, stepping out of the car. "Do you think he'll be interested in hearing what we have to say?"
"I sure hope he does." Tommy says, and I follow him down the dirt path to the front of the house. I see two boys, one who's older, and probably Michael, and another younger one, playing with a ball in the field to the left.
"Is that him?" I whisper and Tommy turns to me and shrugs and we continue walking.
"Get in and wash your hands boys, go on." I hear their mum say as Tommy and I get closer, and I grip my hands together.
"Mrs. Johnson." Tommy says confidently.
"Yes. Who are you?" She asks.
"I'm from Birmingham Council Bordesley Parish. This is my associate." He motions to me and I give her a weak smile.
"No one wrote to me. What do you want?" She asks.
"I would like to talk about your son, about Henry. Can we come in?" He asks and I grip my fingers even tighter, biting my tongue.
I have no idea what I could even say to attempt to help him.
"I'd rather you didn't. He doesn't like to talk about this." She says quickly.
"I see." Tommy nods and I nod as well, looking at him and seeing there's still a cut on his cheek from the beating he took at the hand of Inspector Campbell. The fucking dick.
"What does Henry know about his real identity, Mrs. Johnson?" I find myself asking before I even realize the words are coming from my mouth.
"I only deal with Mr. Ross from the agency. And he only ever writes. So why are you here in person?"
"Well, the boy is approaching his eighteenth birthday." Tommy says.
"This isn't right." She says with a shake of her head. "You're not from the council. Something isn't right." She says, getting upset.
"What does he know, Mrs. Johnson?" Tommy presses, not making eye contact, looking past her, at the house, before making eye contact. There's nothing that will make someone talk more than Tommy Shelby's crystal clear blue eyes.
"He knows his mother couldn't cope." She says, a bitchy tone entering her voice as she gets defensive. "She drank too much, she used opium, she used to beat him."
"But that isn't the truth, is it?" Tommy asks and I fold my arms.
I know it's not the truth. I'm one of the few people Polly talks to when she's missing her children, and I know for a fact that that is not true.
"Look, I think you should come back when my husband's here."
"Does he know what his real name is?" Tommy asks.
"His real name is Johnson. Henry Johnson. Now, I would like you to go away, and come back when my husband is here." She says as "Henry" walks down the path to their fence.
"The truth is, he was taken from his mother without her permission." Tommy begins the story as "Henry" comes near us.
"Henry! Go back inside, please." Mrs. Johnson says.
"Who are you?" He asks, looking between Tommy and I, but his eyes linger a bit longer on me and I raise the corner of my lip as I go into my purse and take out one of the ten business cards Tommy got made up for me, to give out to suitors, to look like I was more important.
"Please, Henry, go on!" Mrs. Johnson shouts.
"Your real name is Michael Gray." Tommy says.
"No!" Mrs. Johnson shouts.
"Your real mother wants to see you." I say as Tommy goes into his jacket for a card.
"Her address is on the back of this card," Tommy holds it out for him, and I hold mine out for him as well, and he takes them both. "She just wants to talk."
"Write or call if you need any help finding us." I wink, as Mrs. Johnson starts to hit Tommy, shouting at us to go away and I follow Tommy, taking a few steps.
"She just wants to talk." Tommy repeats before he's putting an arm over my shoulder and walking us down the lane as Mrs. Johnson shouts at us to go away. I turn one last time, smiling at him before continuing down the path with Tommy. "You did just what I wanted you to." He says and I look up at him.
"And what is that?"
"Use your girlish charm on him to get him to come."
"He's cute."
"I knew you'd think he was." He says and opens the car door for me, shutting it after I'm seated. "Now, you've got a card game at big grand re-opening of the Garrison."
"That I do. Get me back to Small Heath." I say with a smile on my face.
-
"Florence Walker!" Polly shouts, coming into the private room at the Garrison.
"Hi, Pol." I say with a small smile.
"Don't 'hi, Pol' me." She says with a scowl. "Where is he?"
"I really don't know. Tommy got me up so early I was asleep for half the journey." I say and Polly scoffs and Charlie puts an arm around my shoulders.
"Come on, Pol." He says, knowing that yes, she's upset, but I can't help that I don't know where I was.
"It's my son, Florence." She says shakily. "Is he okay?"
"He's doing just fine." I move, taking one of her hands as she sits. "He looked healthy as ever, and I won't lie, he was very handsome." I say and a tear falls down her face. "Don't be sad, Pol." I sit next to her and give her a hug. "It's the opening of the Garrison." I say, wiping under her eyes. "Let's go. Come on. I'll get you a drink." I say and she nods.
"I'm going to the ladies. I'll be back. Get me a rum." She says and I nod, leaving the room and going to the bar, pushing my way to the front, right by Arthur and Tommy.
"Oi!" I shout at them, breaking up their conversation. "Big whiskey, and a rum for Pol." I say and Tommy nods, going to make the drinks for me.
"When's your game?" Arthur asks and I shrug.
"Soon." I nod. "That's why I need the big drink."
"Here you are." Tommy places them in front of me. "Go to the back room. I'll gather the men you'll be playing against." Tommy says, handing me the drinks.
"Actual competition, Tom!" I shout as he walks from behind the bar, and he gives me a nod and I wander over to the table that John, Esme,and Finn are sitting at. "This is Polly's. I'll know if you drink it." I say to Finn and he scoffs.
"Aren't you supposed to be the fun one?" He groans.
"Not tonight, Tom needs you sharp." I nod towards the door. "And speaking of, Tommy told me to go to the back room. John, can you take me, I don't know where it is." I say and John stands, buttoning his jacket.
"Flo!" Tommy shouts.
"Never mind." I say and John sits back down.
"Win some money, Florence!" He says and I smile, heading towards Tommy.
"Two idiots and one actual sober person. You've got a win." He says and I nod, following him into the dimly lit back room and sitting at a table with three men. "I'll be here to supervise." Tommy says, pulling a chair up and watching as I expertly shuffle the cards and start to deal.
"Starting bet is five shillings." I say, and go to my purse, placing the coins on the table.
-
In the end, I make out with a little under a pound, after three games with different men, and Tommy was by my side for all of it, which is unusual, considering I don't think I've ever seen him sit or stand in the same place for so long in years.
"Congratulations."
"You didn't rig it, right?"
"How could I rig it with you shuffling like a madwomen?" He asks and I shrug.
"You're right." I nod. "Thank you for all the drinks, but I better get going. I'm sure Charlie is confusing someone by speaking in only Romany." I say and Tommy laughs, knowing just how true that might be.
"Have someone walk you home if Charlie really is incoherent." He says and I nod.
"Of course. See you tomorrow, Tommy." I pat his shoulder and walk back into the less crowded than before, but still crowded, Garrison, quickly finding Tommy, of course, speaking Romany, but this time with someone who understands it, Esme. "Let's go, Charlie. Home before dad to make sure you've got a bed." I say and Charlie stands, saying a quick goodbye to Esme, and I hug everyone before heading towards the door with Charlie at my side.