Small Heath's Angel

Chapter 19 - Questioning

Early Christmas/Holiday present?? ;)

Word Count:
6487

A man in a finely pressed suit approached Florence as she sat in an old wooden chair surrounded by men twice her size. She squeezed her eyes shut before gradually opening them, trying to focus on the man who had spoken. She had a vague recollection of the man before her: a long black coat over a three-piece black suit and grey hair and moustache. "Who are you?"

"I am Inspector Chester Campbell," he drawled. The new copper Tommy and Arthur were talking about — the dangerous unorthodox one. He narrowed his eyes on her. "And you, are Miss Florence Masters, nurse and childhood friend of the Shelbys." He cracked his knuckles. "That is just the basis of yourself and why you are of use to me. All you need to know is that I have gained this knowledge in an exceptionally short period of time and that if you choose not to comply it won't take much longer to find your more intimate secrets and reveal them to the world."

A shiver ran through her spine. There should be nothing on record about Joseph but who knows what others have said about her. Florence knew she had to stay strong and play ignorant, let him reveal what he knew and answer accordingly. Don't let people see you vulnerable and scared. They'll use it against you. Tommy's voice ran through her mind over and over, pushing the doubt and terror away from the forefront of her thoughts. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice cracking.

He smirked — not out of humour but of irritation. "Did you not hear Miss Masters?" Florence looked at him confused causing him to chuckle darkly. "Thomas Shelby. What's your relationship with him?"

Florence glanced around the room, slightly shaking her head. "We're childhood friends," she said innocently. She did her best to hold back tears.

A chuckle. "Is that so?" He stalked up to her. "Would you say you two are... close?"

She nodded quickly but spoke with an uncertain undertone. "I guess. Yes."

Campbell smirked as if he'd won something. "I have it on good authority that you have a relationship no one else has with Thomas."

Her eyebrows furrowed. What on earth was he talking about? "My relationship with Tommy is nothing he doesn't have with his family."

Campbell slapped her. Florence's cheek stung as she stared at the ground. "That's a lie and you know it," he spat. "My men have observed your behaviour with Thomas and they have come to the same conclusions as I." Florence looked up at him cautiously, doing her best to calm her breathing. "Thomas Shelby talks to you in public settings far more than anyone else that is not his family." Campbell stepped toward her, taking her chin and tilting her head back so she was looking at him. "If he speaks to you that much in public he must speak to you more in private."

Florence's eyes widened as she saw the pure malice. "What are you implying, Inspector?" Her tone was half genuine and half sarcastic — the adrenaline coursing through her granted her more confidence.

A sharp impact hit her nose. Immediately, Florence could tell it was broken. She seethed in pain as Campbell took a few steps back from her, rubbing his thumb along the knuckles on his right hand. Small amounts of blood littered his hands. The blood in her mouth made it hard to breathe. She could feel her body slowly turning painful as the gaze of the adrenaline and shock wore off.

He turned back to her. "I suggest you don't speak to me in such a manner if you don't want any more injuries." He stopped before her and signalled to the men surrounding the chair. The two on the side held her arms against the chair and the third held her head up so Florence was looking Campbell straight in the eyes. "Now, what has Thomas Shelby told you about the missing guns?"