Little Shelby's

Two

When the movie finished, they walked outside to see the police pulling up and rushing out of the cars. It wasn't unusual to see police around, someone was always doing something they shouldn't be. What they weren't expecting though, was for Charlie, Billy and some of the other boys to get arrested. There was a scuffle, of course. No peaky boy was gonna go with the coppers quietly, somewhere in the fight was a gunshot, causing Tilly to squeal and hide behind Frankie, which didn't last long, as the coppers grabbed him too, although he managed to escape their grasp and he bolted, before they could get their hands on them again.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Billy shouted as the police grabbed him "What the fuck is going on Charlie?!"

"I don't fucking know!" Charlie snapped back as he was being dragged away "Eddie! Go and tell my dad we've been fucking nicked! And get Tilly home!"

"Alright Charlie!" Eddie called back, but as he looked around he realised Tilly was gone "Fuck" he mumbled to himself, before he sped off down the road, running to Tommy's house.

He started banging on the door, shouting for Tommy. Of course it was Frances that opened the door.

"Mr Shelby's busy" Frances started to explain but Eddie walked straight past her into Tommy's office.

"Uncle Tommy! Uncle Tommy!"

"What is it?" Tommy said, looking up at the boy, unimpressed that he'd been interrupted

"Charlie and Billy just got nicked outside the picture house" Eddie explained, out of breath

"They fucking what?"

"And I erm, lost Tilly"

"You lost Tilly?"

Eddie nodded and Tommy sighed in frustration.

"Right, you telephone Arthur and let him know, then telephone John and see if Tilly went home" Tommy said as he was putting his coat on "Then get home yourself"

-

John was beside himself with worry, pacing up and down the room, unable to sit still. Finn had joined him, with strict instruction not to let John out of the house, knowing his temper would get the better of him.

"Where the fuck is she Finn?!" He snapped, glancing up at the clock, it was almost 2am and still no sign of Tilly.

"She'll be alright, brother. She's a smart girl" Finn replied, trying to be supportive.

"I swear if anyone's touched so much as a hair on her head I'll fucking kill them!"

"Have a drink John" Finn said, pouring some whisky into a glass and passing it to him "She'll be home"

"Daddy? What's going on?" Hattie said as she appeared in the room, rubbing her tired eyes

John sighed "Nothing's going on my girl, go back to bed"

"I had a bad dream" Hattie pouted

"Well that's no good is it?" John said, picking her up "What was your bad dream about?"

"Mummy" She said, breaking John's heart with the one word "I miss her"

"Me too" John said, before looking out the window when he heard the sound of a car engine "Right, you need to go back to bed" He put her down and ushered out of the room

"But-"

"Now Hattie!" He snapped, and she made her way upstairs as John opened the front door, where Tommy rushed in with a bloodied and bruised Tilly in his arms.

"Tommy what the fuck happened?!" John demanded as Tommy laid Tilly down on the couch

"Not a clue, found her like this down on Bridge Street, not another soul in sight. I've given her some medicine, she's going to be pretty out of it for a while