Roguish Women- Tommy Shelby

Light the Match to Burn the City

            Tommy offered a hand to Kate as she stepped out of the car. "I never thought I'd be back here." She muttered, looking around at her surroundings.

The streets of Boston were busier but everything around her was bleak. The economic downturn had already taken its toll. It felt like Kate had lost a good friend seeing the city she loved be ruined.

Tommy linked arms with Kate, letting her take in the sights on her own time. As they approached the wrought-iron gates of the cemetery, her grip on his arm tightened. It felt like he was walking side by side with a ghost. Since they arrived in Boston, he hadn't seen her smile once. Her eyes were glassy, staring at something far beyond the distance. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to console her.

The tree above Frank's grave was almost barren. Dead leaves collected around his new tombstone. Kate let her arm slip from Tommy's. She carefully brushed a bit of dirt from the top of the grave marker. Her fingers traced the name engraved in the stone as if she didn't believe this was really her friend.

"He seemed larger than life." She spoke quietly. "I always thought he would have to bury me."

"He was a good man."

Footsteps approached from behind and a well-dressed man in a heavy coat stopped a few feet away from them. "Had to see the grave for myself. Didn't think that Irish bastard could be killed."

"Mr. Solomons, I presume?" Tommy went to shake the man's hand.

"Mr. Shelby," Charles didn't bear much resemblance to his nephew but he was a shorter man with slicked-back hair and a fondness for flaunting his wealth with a few rings on his fingers. "No need to introduce this young woman. You look all grown up, Kathleen."

She stared at the man with a stony expression. "I'm not here to make small talk."

"Of course not. You're here to make a difference. To right wrongs, yes?"

"There's very little I want to discuss with you right now." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "I want to talk to Steven first."

"Wallace?" Charles scoffed. "That little rat fled after Frank passed. Couldn't handle the pressure of taking on the gang. You've a lot to catch up on, but I'll just tear the bandage off now, the Gustin Gang's done."

Tommy noticed how Kate was keeping her feelings under wrap. "That leaves your city in quite a predicament, doesn't it, Mr. Solomons?"

Charles chuckled and it sounded eerily similar to Alfie's laugh. "Whole world's in a predicament. Domino effect I suppose. Sort of like when one girl kills off the head of the Italian gang not once but twice. Didn't think that would come back and bite you in the ass, did you, Kathleen?"

"I'm sorry I had the balls to do something no one else in this city was willing to do. Besides, they both tried to kill me, I was well within my right to defend myself."

"Yeah, you're grown but you're still the same Kathleen I remember. So, what're you doing here? Come to try to fix things?"

"I think Kate and I were hoping to bring some peace." Tommy stepped in again, being the voice of reason when his wife was clearly seething with anger and grief standing at the grave of her friend.

"Thing is, you two can't bring peace to your own territory across The Pond, now can you? Boston's a jungle, you think you can have any sway over things?" Charles cocked an eyebrow.