Starting in the Red Night

4. Blurred truths

Chapter 4
A hint of shame followed Leonora as she stepped outside from the pub. Stares of men penetrated her soul, for an effort to ignore them, she hurried her steps. Darryl detained her at the door, while waiting for her, throwing his cigarette to the side and quietly hushed the crowd of men. "There nothin' for you snoopin' around, men."
Her heels slowly were sliding away, the tiredness of hitting each concrete block sensing her mind clouding with disappointment thoughts. Further placing her pair of gloves and hat back, she glimpse again to the crystalized door finding Thomas staring at her for the last time without breaking his cold and steady expression. Is this really the man that my father really trusted to put his business on the line? She met with Darryl's hand, offering to aid her to get inside his vehicle and quickly humped inside as he proceeded to leave.

The road back to the manor became longer, with the silence lingered around Darryl's steering wheel, he tried to diffuse the tension with a bit of mundane everyday comments, still by looking at Nora's emotionless gesture he decided to be quiet.
"That was a big surprise seeing you there," Darryl commented,
Nora noticed a callid smile appearing on his face. She wishes to believe in his smile, that same smile he did back on the ship. "How long have you been working with him?" she asked, as he put away his cheeky mood.
"I don't understand how that's relev–"
"Darryl," she hadn't verbalized his name before the ship, the drift of distance that grew between the couple during her stay in Birmingham. "You knew that my father was coming to do business with a man, it was evident that I was talking about someone who has power, access, in Birmingham."
"There're many people who fit that description," he said, glancing back and forth meeting Nora's brown eyes, "It isn't fair to assume things you have no idea."
"I'm just gathering conclusions about you, I know I never asked, but what makes me believe as I saw you in that pub?"
" Does it matt'r, you knew I lived here."
"Do you... enjoy the killing?"
Darryl opened his mouth, deciding which words to choose, as he let a soft sniff, "y'think I enjoyed the endless violence that these bastards force us to do, I was nearly twenty when the war started; we were barely men. Thomas and I, we only had a few of our comrades to tag along in those fucking tunnels. We're forced to see our neighbors' faceless bodies, so no, I do not enjoy the killing. But what fuckin' difference does it make if all I knew before starting to live is to be among the dead."

The next morning, Leonora got hitted by the sunrise's rays, as one of the homemades woke her, following the curtains lifted, reminding her that she wouldn't be able to go back to bed. After she cleaned herself, went downstairs to meet her father for breakfast. She never told her father about her little escape for the city, the unbothered gestures of Carlos Madrigal assured her that he hadn't noticed.
He continued scribbling in his leather portfolio, he opened his mouth, "Hija, I will be working on my study for the major part of the day, it will be useful if you help yourself get familiarized around the mansion, perhaps you don't get yourself bored."
She clinged the cup with the spoon, as she took a sip of cafecito, "There's no need, I already have, but if there's anything I might help around la tequilera I am willing to be useful."
"De qué hablamos, I told you to leave those ideas out of your head. You haven't worked in your life, como vas a llenarte las manos de lodo, that is no for you." He readjusted his glasses, as he swigged his drink down.
Nora lifted her face, making eye contact to his father, "When I was child I used to run around the fields and inside the barrels as I played hide and seek. I'm familiar with the type of tierra that it needs, my feet still are full of pina scent from all the crushing I did back over Jalisco. Padre, if you could just let me, I can also be a part of the business."
"Mija, but you already are, with our name attached to our tequilera you don't need to do all the labor, that's why we are here to export it out and you need to be alongside me, querida," he ended, grabbing his briefcase and stepping away from the dining room.
Nora only tentatively glanced as her father's shadow lifted upstairs. Staring at her breakfast, as she could see how slowly it was getting cooler. Attempting to take a bite of her toast, but feeling that there is no flavor, just as how the soulless building that she is staying in becomes a painful dread. Yet, the place she calls home is miles away, without anybody waiting for her either. My father needs me, that's all it should count for me to be here.

Awakened by heavy droplets hitting the window, Thomas' head kept running with thoughts troubling him to find some rest. He never had good sleep, not in a long time. It kept bothering him how his new business partner will play around his plans, he has to be right about the future. People are depending on him, his family is depending on him. He sweeped out of bed, pulling the remaining of his whiskey on his nightstand. The day he met Leonora, a flame of rage grew, how is he accepting to get along with this, it was clear he is not meant for this. Ticking drops of water, slowly reminding him that in any second he's away from getting his next battle.

Thomas stepped back into his office, meeting Polly to check that the remaining of their earnings had been the same as the night before. He found her seated, while lighting her cigarette, and checking what she left out. The rusting sound of his footsteps inside the hardbox, Polly raised her brows, anticipating the words that Thomas would use.
"Tell me 'bout this new business," Polly said.
"I need you to open the box."
"I've been part of this business, and I know you before you were conceived. Just like your mum, you always have some fling around your sleeve. You've already told Arthur and John, for fuck sake and I'm always the last one to know."
Thomas hissed, "I've haven't told 'em the full content of it. It just needs t' be fully complete, for me to give you the grand news. Now open the fuckin' box."
"Maybe if you would be more 'round attending the office more often, you'll know the code."
"Polly," he called getting near her desk, staring at her, " You will know more 'bout the rest, just keep in mind that I'm takin' Shelby Company Limited to the next level. I need you, I need you Polly to trust in me that your role in our company hasn't been in vain. There are new imports and plans that I need for you to manage the paperwork in here, so I can do the rest, eh. For now I need to access the hardbox."
Polly waited for a second, finally ended to reach her purse, giving Thomas a card that indicated the correct numbers of the hardbox. she lingered around her cigarette around her lips, as she said, "I pray you can see that we're not against you, you don't have to do things on your own."
"Have you seen Darryl?"
Polly slightly rolled her eyes moving his head back and forth. "I have not seen the boy since a couple of nights ago, with a girl I've never seen on the Garrison's. They look like they're cool with each other, you know any about 'er"
"Oi, next time you see him tell 'im I have important things to discuss with 'im." Thomas gathered around his stuff, without leaving room for any explanation and made sure every of his other workers arrived to work