Wear Iron//Thomas Shelby

eighteen

Back in Small Heath Tommy and I head to the betting shop. It's Polly's birthday and we have a surprise for her. Everyone claps when Polly finally walks into the room.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Polly looks at Tommy and me. "When did you get back?"

"We didn't want to miss your birthday, Pol," Tommy tells her.

"Back to work," Arthur tells the employees.

"How d'you know it's my birthday?" Polly asks. "Nobody ever knows."

"Ah, it's different this year," Tommy tells her. "John, Finn, bring the car round."

"Where are we going?" Poly asks.

I smile. "To unwrap your birthday present."

We head out of the city. Polly follows Tommy into a house the rest of us following her.

"You said you were gonna buy Ada a house," Polly says.

"Yep, that's right, I did," Tommy tells her. "Just had a bit of cash left over."

"This is ours?" Polly asks.

"No, Polly... this is yours," Tommy tells her. "Cause you deserve it."

"What would I do with all these rooms?" Polly asks.

"Well, you could...relax for one," Tommy offers.

"Come here at weekends," I tell her. "It has a garden." I point to the window. "You love gardens. You can grow roses, Polly."

"I don't know, have a piano. Have people round, they can have a singsong, eh?" Tommy offers.

"God help the bloody neighbours," John teases.

"Fuck the neighbours," Arthur remarks. He hands the house key over to Polly. "Welcome home, Pol."

Polly sits down on the couch staring at the key.

"Arthur, why don't you take the boys outside and wait by the car," Tommy tells him. As the boys leave Tommy clears his throat. "Pol... I know you haven't been happy for a while. And I know why." Tommy hands Polly a cigarette. "Esme is all right, you know? She's got a good heart, she has. I've spoken to her... and she told me."

"Told you what?" Polly asks.

"She told me what it is that would make you happy," Tommy explains. "I've spoken to our contacts in the police. They have contacts in the council, and they have contacts with the people who keep the parish records. Records of adoptions... and of confidential forced removals. Now, with your permission... I'd like to grease a few palms and take a look at the records they never showed you. Pol... I am going to find your son and daughter and I'm gonna bring them home. That's what this house is for. So that you can bring your family home where they belong. We're moving up, Pol."

Tommy walks into his office. He seems surprised to see me. "Still here?"

"Well, you've been taking me on last minute trips around Small Heath and to London. And there's a lot coming in and a lot going out," I tell him.

"Well, as long as there's more coming in, we're all right," Tommy says.

"And the decorators doing The Garrison want paying. Arthur forgot and pulled a gun when they asked, so... they've stopped and everything's green," I inform Tommy. "

All right, well, just pay it," Tommy tells me. "Oh, and we need to put an advert in the Mail, "Garrison: Grand Reopening.""

"Oh, and you said there's a letter that had to go today. Special delivery," I remind him. "I wrote it in the diary."