-=₪ June 1924 ₪=-
Home / 150 Camden Road / 06.17pm
The clock on the mantle in the drawing room ticked loudly and deeply as Malka sat in her usual chair smoking and quietly reading a medical journal.
The chaise longue opposite was empty. Alfie was out for the majority of the evening attending a fight. The Giant Goliath was doing well in the ranks and making the Solomons a lot of dough and tonight was no exception.
There were three telephones in the Solomons home. One in the entrance hall, one in the boudoir, and another nearby Malka in the drawing room.
Malka ignored the telephone as it began to ring, but did vaguely glance over when the loud brass bells suddenly stopped and their chime died away.
A short time later Edna appeared in the doorway.
"Telephone milady."
Malka's eyes flicked up from her journal as she glanced to Edna and then to the telephone. It sat on a small table between the radio and a chair on the other side of the fireplace.
"Very well." she sighed.
She made her way to the small table and picked up the receiver.
"Mrs Solomons speaking." she answered, taking a seat and a puff from her cigarette.
She then realised there was no ashtray at this table.
"Fuck!" she mouthed as she glared to the crystal ashtray sitting on her end table.
A click was heard in the earpiece as Edna hung up the telephone in the entrance hall.
"Mal, it's me."
"Are you alright Ishmael? You sound different, are you not at the fight?" answered Malka surprised to hear from him as she watched the ash stack grow longer on the end of her cigarette.
"There's movement on our man." he said in a lowered voice.
Malka's eyes became stern as she lost all interest in her ashtray dilemma.
"When?" she asked lowly.
"Tonight."
"Is it, the type of meet we were expecting?" she asked with shifty eyes.
"Yea."
Malka threw her cigarette into the fireplace, dropping ash over the rug. With her hand now free she quickly checked her silver pocketwatch which dangled from her waist.
"Time?" she requested.
"I'll be there at eight o'clock."
Without further word Malka hung up the telephone promptly but remained seated as she glanced around the drawing room, before turning her eyes on the sofa where Alfie usually sat.
"Sorry darling, but I have to do this." she whispered.
The cushion he sat on was depressed from its years of use. She closed her eyes for a moment and then rushed over to the drinks cabinet where she hastily downed two glasses of gin in quick succession.
-●=»>◆<«=●-
Home / 150 Camden Road / 07.59pm
Ishmael sat outside the Solomons house in the maroon Cadillac with the engine running. Light suddenly flooded across the car as the front door opened and Malka emerged with a decent sized black carpet bag in hand.
YOU ARE READING
The Camden Tales
FanfictionAlfie Solomons, the crime boss of Camden Town and King of the Jews: estranged from his wife, his empire crumbling and ravaged by war, he makes a deal with the devil, and nothing is the same again. Covering his years of involvement with the Birmingha...
