Sunbeam

7) Coming out

The bell above the door to the blacksmiths rings, alerting Kez that someone had come in, she doesn't look up, finishing the panel for a metal fence that she was working on.

She places it on the pile with the others, standing up and removing her gloves, "how can I help?"

"Miss Shelby, it's nice to finally meet you," Campbell speaks.

"You've been looking forward to meeting me? How endearing." Kezia remarks. She assumed this was the Irish Chief Inspector that had just moved to Birmingham.

"I just thought we should get acquainted, I have the feeling I'm going to be getting close to your family in the next few months, in fact, I just met your brother, Arthur," Campbell says.

"Did you now? That must've been fun," Kez responds, "alright, you've met me, unless you're looking for something to be made, fixed or altered, you can leave."

She knew why he'd been sent to Birmingham. It was for the guns. Kez didn't like being presently involved in the family business, she never was present when the racketeering was happening, she never was present for the beatings or the cuts. But that didn't mean she wasn't involved. It didn't mean that Tommy hadn't woken her up in the dead of night to help him shift some cargo with Charlie and Curly. She was in the background, never the main focus.

"I've actually got some questions for you," Campbell states, "do you mind?"

"Of course not, anything to assist the local officers," Kezia replies dryly.

"Wonderful," Campbell smirks, "how involved are you with your family's business?"

"Family business?" Kezia repeats.

"Racketeering," Campbell states.

"You must be confused, if the family business was racketeering surely we would be in prison? It's illegal, isn't it? Given that nobody is in prison, it cannot be racketeering, can it?" Kezia replies, "and given that I wake up in the early morning to come open shop, and don't leave until past dark, what would I know?"

"You think you're smart," Campbell scoffs, "I can assure you, Miss Shelby, however smart you think you are, I am more smart."

"Smarter?" Kezia says.

"What?" Campbell responds.

"It's not 'more smart'" Kezia states, "and if you truly were smarter than me, you'd know that."

"You're a cocky one, aren't you?" Campbell says.

"Not cocky," Kezia shakes her head, "I have an attitude that matches my intelligence. You can think of me as cocky, but don't be naive enough to think that I cannot back it up."

Campbell reaches to pin Kezia's hands to the counter separating them, but she was faster in moving them, "too slow," she teases.

"You claim to be uninvolved with the racketeering," Campbell tuts, "but that's not the only thing I could have you down for, is it?"

"I have no interest in continuing this conversation," Kezia states, but he doesn't stop, "you're a very niche type of woman, aren't you? A fucking dyke in our midst."

Kezia was a little stunned at the slur that had just been thrown in her direction, her brows furrowed as she tried to comprehend whether the word had just left his mouth. Her temporary freeze meant she wasn't fast enough to move out of the way of Campbell's second attack. He struck her across the face, hard. Hard enough that the signet ring on his hand split her cheek, blood slowly trailing down the side of her face.

"You've overstayed your welcome, get the fuck out of my shop," Kezia commands.

"You don't get to dismiss me, young lady," he responds.