Sunbeam

34) Honoured as always

"You can come out now," Kezia states, lifting the latch in the private office.

"They've called off the search?" Theresa asks, as Kez gives her hand to help her up.

"Yes," Kez replies, "I went above Campbell's head, Mr Churchill is quite understanding, and very corrupt."

"You paid them off?" Tommy asks, hauling himself out of the latch, whilst Tess brushes the dirt off her dress.

"It would've been fine if every gun was there, I paid them to stop searching for the missing one," Kezia responds, "where the fuck is the other gun, Tommy?"

"In one of the factories, I thought it couldn't hurt to still have one handy," Tommy states.

"And you didn't think to discuss that with me?" Kezia asks.

"I may have overlooked that step in my plan," Tommy admits.

"Right," Kez says.

"You told me this room was locked and you didn't have a key," Tommy replies, glancing around at the pictures, "I didn't know you enjoyed painting."

"And you wouldn't have known if it wasn't urgent," Kezia states.

"I like this one," Tommy says, standing in front of a portrait of their family, "is this what Ada's boy looks like?"

"Yes," Kez nods.

"And I guess I shouldn't question why Bea's face is in greater detail than anyone else's?" Tommy chuckles, "you spend a lot of time staring at her, eh, Kez?"

"Oh fuck off," Kez mumbles.

"I think this one's my favourite," Tess says, pointing at a picture on the wall.

"I-uh, I didn't paint that one," Kezia replies.

"Oh then it's not my favourite," Tess says, turning away from the landscape painting of a picnic in a meadow of long grass on a summers day.

"I'm messing with you, Tess," Kez laughs, "you can have it if you want, just don't tell anyone it was me."

"You're serious?" Teresa queries, and Kez nods.

"If she gets that one, I want to hang this one in the house," Tommy barters, "I won't tell anyone who painted it."

"Don't you think it'd be peculiar if you managed to procure a picture with Ada's baby on it given you've never seen him?" Kezia responds.

"Fair point, made well," Tommy sighs, "what about once I have met him?"

"Sure," Kez shrugs.

"Ada might be annoyed that the father of her child, her husband, isn't in the portrait," Tess points out, before eyeing Kez up and down, "you're in the same clothes as last night."

"I haven't slept," Kez responds, "I was sorting things out with Churchill, remember?"

"That wouldn't have taken all night," Tess laughs, "you were with someone, who was she?"

"That's confidential," Kezia states.

"You're smiling," Tommy says, "must've enjoyed yourself then. No regrets this time then?"

"No, no regrets," Kezia replies.

"Are you going to see her again?" Tess asks, excitedly.

Kez shrugs, "perhaps."

-

Kezia knocks on Bea's door, throwing her cigarette onto the floor when she hears the lock shift, and Bea appears, "is there anyone out there?"