Between Sin and Salvation

Chapter II

Louise weaved through the pallets and barrels strewn across the wharf, her steps swift and silent. The dim light cast long, eerie shadows. She watched dispassionately as the men unloading barrels from the barges raised their hands in greeting. She scowled and shook her head in response. Sure, she had stitched them up from time to time, maybe even saved their lives once or twice, but she knew all too well that one misstep would have her tossed into the murky canal without a second thought.

Knocking thrice at the splintered wooden door at the back of the distillery, Louise rubbed her hands together vigorously, trying to gather any semblance of warmth against the biting chill of the night. She glanced around the shadowy alley, her breath visible in the cold air, mingling with the faint scent of alcohol that permeated the surroundings. The door creaked open, revealing Ollie, Alfie Solomons' trusted assistant. He stood there dressed in a slightly rumpled suit coat and vest, an apron draped over his trousers, the fabric stained with the day's work. His dark hair was frazzled, sticking out in all directions as if he had been nervously running his hands through it repeatedly.

"Dr. Vergne, a pleasure," Ollie greeted her gruffly, his voice rough and hurried. He placed a firm hand on her lower back, guiding her quickly inside with a surprising urgency. The chill of the night was immediately replaced by the warm, musty air of the distillery as the door closed behind them.

"I wish I could say the same, Ollie." Louise scoffed as Ollie rushed her through the bustling distillery. The warm light from the overhead fixtures bathed the workers and machinery in a golden glow. The sounds of clinking glass bottles and the murmur of hushed conversations surrounded them. Ollie's hand remained firmly on her lower back, steering her through the maze of equipment and workers with practiced efficiency.

"Where is the illustrious Mr. Solomons this eve?" Louise questioned, her voice tinged with annoyance as Ollie herded her like a common farm animal.

"Mr. Solomons is in a meeting," Ollie clipped, his eyes darting anywhere but her face. He removed his hand from her back and began twisting his fingers behind his own back.

"You're being unusually evasive." She was relieved she wouldn't have to deal with Alfie tonight. The day's events had worn thin her tolerance for his grandiose prophetic statements about her being his personal savior. The mere thought of his intense gaze and convoluted speeches made her eyes twitch.

"I thought you preferred it when we didn't speak to you?" Ollie retorted in a sharp tone, eyebrows raising in a questioning manner.

As they passed by the tinted windows of Alfie's office, Louise heard it. A deep, rough voice speaking in an unmistakable Birmingham accent. Her steps faltered, her heart skipping a beat. Surely Mr. Solomons wasn't foolish enough to...? She narrowed her eyes at Ollie, whose gaze remained firmly fixed on the ground in front of him. His refusal to meet her eyes only heightened her suspicion. The implications of who might be behind that door sent a chill down her spine, filling her with a dread she couldn't shake. The air seemed to thicken around her, every instinct screaming that something was off.

Squaring her shoulders, Louise reminded herself that this night would be no different from any other. She would be in and out, performing her duties with her usual indifference. Cast in the distillery's dim lighting was a man slumped against a barrel, groaning in pain and clutching a profusely bleeding wound on the right side of his abdomen. His white shirt was stained with blossoming patches of red, blood pooling beneath him. Next to him sat another man, wincing as he grasped his bleeding left arm.

Louise let out a loud sigh. "I take it they weren't playing target practice?" she remarked dryly. The metallic scent of blood mingled with the aroma of distilled spirits. She knelt beside the wounded men, removed her overcoat and cap, and began to rummage through her doctor's bag.