Rebound // Alfie Solomons

61. Black Hand

"Area convenor for the boiler makers union has got involved with something that could've otherwise been fixed with a drink and a bribe."

"A wire cutting shop?"

" Hmm, and all the wire cutters here are women, that's why the union convenor thinks they're being underpaid." Michael relayed.

"Well, tell him there are no men in the cutting shop so there can be no comparatives."

"It's a woman." Michael corrected.

"What is?" Tommy countered.

"The union convenor causing all the trouble."

"fuck." Tommy grumbled out.

"Her name's Jessie Eden. You heard of her?"

"Yeah." Tommy hissed. Always women ruining his life but maybe that was his fault. 

"Do you want me in the meeting?"

"No." Tommy corrected as Michael wiped at his nose. "Michael?"

"Look, sometimes I have a sniff of snow, so what?" he questioned defensively.

"How's your mother?"

"I drove past her house, the drainpipe was hanging off... Look, the cocaine keeps me awake." Michael remarked. "Very long hours these days and when I do sleep I dream about what happened."

"I wasn't asking about you, Michael, was I?" Tommy countered. "I was asking about your mother." Cora wasnt their blood yet she cared. Michael got snow and cookies from Cora. Got cigarettes and joints, anything he wanted she acquired no questions asked because she understood what it was like to be used by Tommy Shelby. Michael did realize after the third batch of snow that it wasnt snow but a sedative and relaxant but still she was helping, she cared. Did the same for Polly, got them what they wanted and then what they actually needed to get on the mend again. 

"Since she was pardoned she's been on these fucking tablets the doctor gave her when she was in the prison. She says that when she was inside the noose she saw spirits. She's running séances but people just come into the house to steal things. Cora shot a thief in the cock last month when he was tried to grab mum and... Polly didnt even flinch. " Michael informed him. "Tommy, it's bad. All right, all right."

"All right, listen to me, Michael. The spirits she sees are real. Believe they're real. Believe it with her. And eventually, you can take the remembered noose from around her neck, like a horse that's been choked off." Tommy offered Michael gaped back at him, the nerve of this man. "Keep her off whiskey, throw away the tablets, and stop giving her fucking snow."

"fuck, Tommy, sounds like family advice." Michael hissed.

+

"Well, this beats Watery Lane, John." Ada declared when she got his house.

"Does it?" John countered looking around but it was home. "Here, take a seat, I'll grab the kids."

"No, it's all right, I'm not stopping. Just wanna drop those presents off for tomorrow." Ada corrected. "I don't want words on Christmas Eve."

"Well, it's my house, you're welcome." John assured her. "Cora is coming, her and Alfie. Esme and her are actually getting along." John offered. 

"It's okay, I'm staying with Polly. She's in a bad way." Ada offered softly. "I'll bring her to her senses."

"Michael's already tried that." John corrected. "Cora too." 

"I'll get through to her." Ada assured.

"You still gonna come to the party on New Year's Eve?"

"Yeah, who else is coming?"

"Cora, Arthur, Linda-" John began as Esme came in, her face ever the bitter.