Without A Trace

Thirty-Four.

After sitting and visiting for hours I check the time on my watch before sticking it back in my vest pocket.

"Alright Anna, time to go," I say before standing up with Ivy.

"I don't want to go," She says latching ahold of Lewis's hand.

I lower my voice and get close to her, "Anna, you let go of him now. So we can go home. You don't want to ruin it with Tom of not being able to come back and you dont want to have Lewis see you be sedated again. Aye?" I say gazing into her eyes resting my hands in my pockets.

"Go on," Lewis chimes in stroking his wifes hand, "I might even be able to come home tomorrow," he says giving her a smile.

Anna blinks the tears out of her eyes before noding her head and getting up with me.

"I love you Anna. Stay strong for me eh?" Lewis says meeting her gaze.

"I love you too," she says giving him a nod and walking out the door with me and Ivy.

We walk out of the hospital and back towards the house. Anna wipes the tears off her face and sticks her hands in her pockets, "I want to go to the pub tonight," she says breaking the silence.

"Alright, to the Garrison we go then," I say turning the opposite way of the house, walking towards the pub.

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A few hours after we've been at the pub I take another drink from Aurthur before sitting back down at the table with the girls. Anna has been drowning her sorrows since we've been here and we can't necessarily blame her. We've all done it a time or two more than we care to admit.

I look across the room at a man and a younger woman sitting in a booth. I look over at Aurthur, "Who are they?"

"They're new," He says wiping down the bar top, "Came in off the ship yesterday they said. I figured as long as they keeps to themselves, they can have a bloody drink."

"We dont do new Arthur," I say taking a sip of my whiskey, watching them. The woman makes eye contact with me. Anna and Ivy follow the line of eye contact and move from their chairs to sit behind me on each side. I cross my leg over the other and light a cigarette before blowing the smoke out.

The woman gets up and takes a seat at the table across from us.

"Who are you.." I ask leaning back in my chair slightly.

"My names Shaye," she says glancing at the three of us. "Who are you?"

I flick the ashes of my cigarette into the ashtray, "That depends on what you're using that information to know."

"Just to get acquainted, I promise." She says with her American accent.

"You're American? Fuck, you're an awful long way from home eh?" Anna says swirling her glass slightly.

Shaye nods her head, "I am. I came here just to travel. Just passing through on my way to England."

"Im Anna," she says taking a puff off her cigarette, "This is Ivy, and thats Cora," she says motioning to each of us.

"Nice to meet you," She says sticking her hand out to shake it.

I look down at it before meeting her gaze and reach out, shaking her hand before leaning back in my seat. "So what are you actually here for,"

Shaye smiles softly taking a deep breath, "Truly I'm just here to travel. Now if it was my sister sitting here, then you could really find a liar."

"So you come here to Small Heath, for travel. Passing through to London?" Ivy says crossing her arms across her chest.

"Christ, you three really like to look into people, dont you?" She says raising her eyebrows.

"Well when you do what we do and deal with every day, you have to," I say taking a sip of my drink. "So how long will you be here?"

"A few days possibly. I'm not sure. I heard theres a race in a week or so, so I would like to see that before I move my travels elsewhere," She says taking a sip of her drink looking around the pub.

"Not just any race, its the fuckin Derby," Ivy says spotting her husband enter the building across the pub giving him a flirty smile.

He winks at her before hanging up his coat and his hat, making his way over to the bar top. He makes small talk with Aurthur before glancing at the man Shaye was with and glancing over at Shaye herself. His smile disappears before he walks to the phone on the wall.

I look behind Shaye and see the man get up from the table and make his way over to Michael. He starts to draw a pistol but Aurthur grabs ahold of him.

Shaye reaches for her jacket but I pull my pistol along with Ivy and point it at her. "Not a fuckin chance love," I say cocking my pistol.

Aurthur takes the pistol from his hand and smashes the mans face with the butt of it. He takes the man and throws him over the bar counter, running his face along it smashing the glasses against his face.

"Have a fuckin drink mate," Aurthur says slamming the man into the glasses. He throws him on the ground before kicking him in the side of his head. Him and Michael pick him up and throw him outside.

Shaye looks back over to me, looking at the barrel and then back at my gaze.

"You told me you were here for travel. But your friends actions there tell me otherwise," I say getting up, keeping the gun pointed at her.

"I swear I didn't know anything about it-" Shaye says as her breathing increases faster.

I push the barrel to the middle of her forehead, "You made a commotion in my brother in laws pub. And almost got my other brother in law killed. I think its best you leave. And if you come back, you better be fuckin alone. Otherwise your pretty little face will be spattered all over the fuckin floor," I say coldly. I push the barrel against her before pulling it away and putting it in my vest holster.

Shaye hurridly gets up and rushes out the door. I look over at Michael who is now joined with Ivy.

I rub my temples and sit back in the chair, "Alright, what time is Tom fuckin getting here."