Without A Trace

Fourty-Nine.

The next morning the girls and I are sitting at the table as the rain beads against the glass windows. I hand each of the girls their breakfast and pour each of them a cup of coffee before taking my seat.

"Damn Cora, what is this five star dining?" Anna says jokingly before sitting down to her food and pouring some cream into her coffee.

"Listen you can either eat your food or I'll give you blood sausage and burnt toast," I say taking the napkin from under the silverware and putting it in my lap.

"Did you guys sleep horridly or was it just me?" Ivy asks before taking a sip out of her cup.

I take a cigarette out of the holder on the table and light it before taking a puff off of it, "I got the best sleep I've ever had in the last 8 years," I say before setting my cigarette down and taking a bite out of my food.

Anna giggles to herself before taking a sip out of her coffee, "So whats the plan for today?" She asks.

"Theres a pub down the street that I know has heavy bootlegging and snow distributing. I've heard its owned by the Edens but ran by someone else. I want to check it out and see what its about and steal some of their supply," I say while finishing my food. I get up and head to the sink to wash my dish before putting it down.

"Why would the Edens have a pub in Nottingham when they're American?" Ivy asks before taking a bite of her food. "Isn't there enough space over there for them to take over all of America?"

"To get closer without being too close," I say before taking my seat again and puffing off my cigarette. "I dont care what any one says, our family is the biggest threat to them. Not Alfie, not the Kimbers, not the Lees, us."

"Why don't they fight with any of them? Why just us?" Anna asks finishing her breakfast.

"Because we have something they could never scratch the surface of," I say crossing my leg over the other, "Leverage," I say flicking my ashes into the ashtray, "We have a hand in everyones pot, even the coppers and the government. We have people everywhere."

"Not to mention all of the exports that we handle with the motor cars and with the drugs," Ivy said. She pauses after taking a bite of her food and turns her head to me, "Who's fuckin idea was it to get involved in drugs?"

I look at Anna and share a glance with her before looking back at Ivy. I bring my cup up and take a sip of my coffee, "Michaels," I say before setting my cup down and adding another cube of sugar to it.

Ivy sits there staring at me, her gaze slowly turns more and more angrily by the second. She doesnt say anything and finishes her breakfast.

"And when you have hands in the pot, you fly under the radar, mostly," Anna chimes in looking over at Ivy. "Now if you fuck up royally, thats a different story. But minor things we can get away with. Pinning a gunshot on someone else, pinning drugs on someone else, etc. Now murder, and getting caught exporting drugs and bootlegging, is something you will never be able to get away with. Doesnt matter how many pots you have your hands in."

Theres a few moments of silence, "What if they find out where we are?" Ivy asks swirling her coffee in her cup.

"Then we go down swinging," I say taking a sip out of my cup.

Just as I finish talking the phone rings. The girls and I exchange glances with each other before I put my hand out to them to relax before getting up and walking over to the phone.

"Hello?" I say leaning against the wall with the phone up to my ear.

Thomas takes the cigarette out of his mouth and opens his mouth waving his hand around, "I want you to call this whole fucking ordeal off Cora. Now. And all three of you come home."