The Tie That Binds

- The Time To Confess

The brothers arrived in work, making their way into Sean' office which had a small room off it with a sink which was handy given the fact all three were still covered in flecks of blood. Sean noted that not one member of his staff raised an eyebrow when they arrived like this.

Washing and quickly dressing into their clean shirts and Sean into his suit each brother returned to their respective job and not once spoke of the fight earlier that morning. It was over and done with. Time to move forward as they always did, after all there were far more pressing matters like the piles of bills to be sorted for the market and then the spot of business that had to be done for the Krays that evening. Sean was determined to stay calm, there was nothing he could do to change it now, he had an obligation to the twins, a debt if you will, and he intended to keep it.

Not that he could run away if he tried.

Adjusting the gold pin on his tie, Sean sat back and took a few minutes to compose himself, knowing that Mickey and Danny would be ensuring every thing was running as it should on the floor below. The meat market was a family business and it would continue to be so. Routing around in the large drawer in his desk, Sean searched for his guilty pleasure, producing a small brown book.

Sean Maguire, had a secret that not even his brothers knew, or if they did, never commented on. Sean loved to read. Kicking his feet up onto the table, Sean began to read a battered copy of David Copperfield - he read at work when it was quiet and at home in his small room hidden away were copies of the classics that Sean treasured. Anyone walking past the office would hear the quiet dulcet tones reading to himself.

"I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers, at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets, I don't know; all I know is, that there was but one solitary bidding, and that was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offered two pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to be guaranteed from drowning on any higher bargain. Consequently the advertisement was withdrawn at a dead loss. For as to sherry, my poor dear mothers own sherry was in the market then and ten years afterwards, the caul was put up in a raffle down in our part of the country, to fifty members at half-a-crown a head, the winner to spend five shillings. I was present myself, and I remember to have felt quite uncomfortable and confused, at a part of myself being disposed of in that way.

The caul was won, I recollect, by an old lady with a hand-basket, who, very reluctantly, produced from it the stipulated five shillings, all in halfpence, and twopence halfpenny short as it took an immense time and a great waste of arithmetic, to endeavour without any effect to prove to her. It is a fact which will be long remembered as remarkable down there, that she was never drowned, but died triumphantly in bed, at ninety-two. I have understood that it was, to the last, her proudest boast, that she never had been on the water in her life, except upon a bridge; and that over her tea (to which she was extremely partial) she, to the last, expressed her indignation at the impiety of mariners and others, who had the presumption to go meandering about the world. It was in vain to represent to her that some conveniences, tea perhaps included, resulted from this objectionable practice. She always returned, with greater emphasis and with an instinctive knowledge of the strength of her objection. Let us have no meandering."

Sean was startled by a knock on the door and the man from the boxing gym was standing there, cap in hand and a split lip and black eye showing the sign of a few rounds with Mickey.

"Mr Maguire, I was told by the youngest Mr Maguire to come up to speak to you. I'm looking for work ans was told this was the best place to work with my trade in the whole of London."