𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

77

Delilah proudly walked through her shop, placing papers on a table in her office. Isiah looked up. "New contracts with people from Boston," she said. He raised his eyebrows.

Before Delilah moved back to America, Isiah proposed to her, they got married, he moved back to New York with her.

"That's some serious money" she sighed, leaning on the table.

He nodded. "Have you thought about going home for Christmas?" he asked.

She smacked her lips. "I've already booked the boat, we will be there in a few days" Delilah assured him, signing her signature on the top paper. "I actually need to pack up the presents i bought" Lilah sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

He stood, placing a hand on either side of her arms. "Relax, it's the week before Christmas, no more business till New Year, we have sent out all the loads for Shelby Distillery and we have the girls in the shop to sort things out here"

"Yeah.." she whispered, looking into his eyes.

"Mum" their daughter, Madeline ran into the office. "Mads we have told you to stay with Julia upstairs," Lilah kneeled down, picking her up.

"There's a phone call for you" Madeline spoke. "Who is it?" Delilah asked.

"It's Lizzie" the girl said excitedly. "She said that they have a projector, off Charlie Chaplin" she said excitedly.

Isiah and Delilah shared a glance. "I told Julia to stop letting you answer my phone calls" she groaned, leaving and going upstairs to the storage.

"Hello?" she picked up the phone. "Hello, Delilah, how's things?" Lizzie sighed. "Things are good, how are the kids?"

"Ruby and Charles have been running wild with Johnny Dogs kids. Ruby keeps asking if you're coming home for Christmas"

She let out a laugh. "Yeah, we'll be down by Wednesday."

"Ruby wants you to take her riding when you're here"

"I'll take her riding," Delilah nodded, glancing at the dress that hung in the corner. The dress she got made especially for Ruby.

-

"Come on, come on. God if Polly was still here she'd never have let it get this bad" Ada whispered as she helped Arthur who lay asleep beside the table. "Come on, come on, Arthur" she slapped him. "Arthur. I'm not Polly, but i'm still your fucking sister. You swore to me you'd stop using"

He sniffed. "It's Christmas day, Ada, Christmas Day."

"Yes it's Christmas" she shouted. "So where the fuck are the fucking presents?" she asked. He mumbled a few words. She sighed. "Great, my brother, off his face on junk"

He groaned. "Every day is a question without an answer, a leak without a bucket. Me without a clue what to do" she sighed. "Fuck" she walked out.

"I love you, Ada" he whispered.

-

Tommy picked up the phone. "Put me through to Detective Lawrence at St John's harbour Marine Police. Yeah i'm calling from Miquelon Island. From the police station. There is a boat leaving the island now, heading across the border, when it docks at St John's, a man named Micheal Gray will board a ferry to Boston. Listen very carefully, he's wearing a dark coat, blue suit and carrying a black briefcase. Inside the briefcase is five pound of pure, refined opium. A concerned citizen. Yeah my name is Mr Jones" he said, putting it down.

-

Karl looked at the ringing phone. "You gonna answer it?" he asked. "No i don't work for him anymore" Ada said. He stepped toward it. "It might be important"