The Camden Tales

5 - Stranger In The House

-=₪ February 1922 ₪=-

A.B.C / Bonny Street / 3.18pm

Malka was in the distillery office sat at Alfie's desk. Neat piles of coins were collecting around her as she counted them into towers and updated the teal ledger.

As certain increments of coins were met, she placed them into small fabric bags, some white and others dark blue. The safe behind her was open wide to throw the full blue bags in.

Ollie sat at his desk which was adjacent to Alfie's but faced the windows out to the distillery. There wasn't room for a proper chair at Ollie's desk, instead he sat on an up-ended crate, which easily tucked away when not in use. He was surrounded by paper, lists and the like.

"How's it going over there, Ollie?" Malka asked him without looking up from her trays of coins and bags.

"Yeah, alright. So here is a list of the available warehouses." he replied, turning to face Malka with the list in hand.

She took the list and quickly browsed over it, "How the hell will he get it bonded?" she thought out loud.

Ollie shrugged.

"Alfie should really look over this before we provide Tommy with anything solid." she confirmed.

Ollie nodded in agreement.

"You placed the order for the aprons?" she asked.

"Yeah, and I'm just updating the bakery form."

"Good. Getting them printed will take time."

She paused and looked over their chaotic desks, "We are actually spending quite a lot of cash up front for this, Tommy better not fuck us about."

"It's fine. We are already in a much better place because of him."

Malka sighed, "Having the police back has been a relief. The shop is picking up again, but the other areas are slow. We really need to get back on the racecourses, it's the butter to our bread."

"When we get those hundred lads, it will improve really quickly. And Tommy will get us back on the tracks." added Ollie, looking chuffed.

"You hold Tommy in far too high regard, and don't remind me of the un-loyal army." Malka responded giving her forehead a quick rub.

He turned back to his work as Malka threw the last of the blue bags in the safe and locked it.

"Ollie, can you take the white bags to the bank today, before they close, please?"

"Yea", he replied without looking up from his desk.

Malka rose from the captain's desk, picked up her keys and shoved them in her pocket. Looking around the office she realised just how tired she was. With business picking up and prepping for such a huge influx of bakers, it was getting busy, and the days were becoming long. She wasn't complaining, but she was shattered.

She picked up the warehouse list from the desk.

"We need Alfie to sort the blue bags and look at this list. Where is he?"

"Don't know, haven't seen him since he took the dog out at lunch." replied Ollie, still writing with his head down.

Malka's brow raised as she ran her fingers down the chain attached to her skirt waist. On the end of the chain was her white gold pocket watch.

"It's almost half three." she mumbled under her breath, "Look, I'll take this list and have him glance over it at dinner."

"I'm going home for a lie down, I'll check the gardens on my way, see if he is there with the dog." she said, grabbing her coat from the sofa.