Firecracker- John Shelby

-twenty two-

"Yes, Shirley. You where right, is that what you want to hear. I underestimated byrne, alright?" Tommy admitted.
"Don't be stupid" I scoffed, walking over and hugging him.
Grace was still on the floor like a damsel in distress.
I walked around the garrison picking up nocked over tables while glaring at grace.
"How did you know to come" tommy asked
"Campbell called" I said
"That was nice of him" tommy said sarcastically
"He didn't do it for you, he was concerned about the innocent barmaid" I said not taking my eyes of grace.
For the first time, I saw a hint of suspicion on Tommy's eyes.
"I'm sure he's just doing his job, shirley" tommy said more as a question to grace than a statement to me.
"Of course. What else would it be" I said

Tommy left to walk grace home. I was left in the garrison. I decided (to no avail) to look behind the bar, I made a mental note to check outgoing calls from the telephone tommy had installed.
As I was getting ready to leave John came running through the doors looking panicked, then relieved.
"What the fuck?!" He said looking around at the mess.
"Where's tom" he asked worried.
"He's walking grace home, what's the matter"I asked urgently.
"Arthur said something about IRA, that you'd gone to help tommy" he said
"Well, I'm fine" I said.
John started to ease up after a while.
"And there's something else, and I need you to hear me out" I said in a hushed voice, heading behind the bar to pour us both a drink.
"Fine, unless it's about that bloody barmaid again" John said, taking the drink.
When I didn't say anything John let out a frustrated sigh.
"I've told you, she's harmless! Your paranoid" he said.
"Listen! She's got a gun in her purse-" I started
"She's a pretty girl in Birmingham" John said incredulously.
"She's got a gun in her purse, she's the only one who knew about Freddie besides you, me, Arthur and tommy. And Campbell, he called me to tell me the IRA planned to kill Tommy, he told me because he was worried about grace" I carried on despite the interruption.
"What did he say?" John said with a slight peak of interest.
"Something like, she's a civilian and he doesn't want her caught in the crossfire" I said
I watched johns interest wash away.
"He's just doing his job Shirley" he said impatiently.
"It doesn't matter, if she's a mole, I'll find out" I said, not letting myself be discouraged.
"And how are you gonna do that" he said bored
"I'm gonna start by seeing if she even exists in Dublin" I said
"Right" John nodded, swirling his drink around in his glass.
He downed it then reached for the bottle. I snatched it away.
"No, I'm not staying here all night" I said
He snatched the drink back off me and walked towards the door, I followed him.
We got in the car and I held by gun close, it was 1 am in Birmingham and I was still shaken from what had just happened.
When we got in pol was sitting in the living room. She looked tense and was sitting straight with her eyes fixated on the wall. Her head snapped towards us when we walked in and she looked questioningly at John.
"They're both alright" John sighed.
She looked relieved and jumped up, her face was unreadable as she approached me and as the last encounter we had wasn't friendly, I was apprehensive towards her, but then she hugged me tight and I immediately relaxed.
"You silly,silly girl" she said gripping my face in her hands.
"You don't go running in, guns blazing, towards the fire" she reprimanded.
"This was different pol, I didn't have time" I said
"Im going to fucking kill Thomas, where is he?" She asked, her tone changing rapidly.
I said nothing and stared at my feet.
"Shirley Lovell, you tell me where he is" she said sternly.
"Uh, pol, its Shelby now" John said with a lack of confidence.
"You shut up" polly silenced him.
She looked at me expectantly.
"He walked grace home, I think" I said, worried to be telling on Tommy.
"You think?" She asked threateningly.
"He did, he walked grace home" I admitted.
"Right" she said dangerously, before turning on her heel and leaving.
When I turned around John was already in the kitchen pouring a drink. I looked disapprovingly as he overfilled his cup, cringing when he handed the cup to me.
"Have a drink with me, shirl" he said pulling out another glass.
That seemed to be the only thing we had in common.
I downed about half of my drink and John grinned, pouring another for himself.
"Remember when dad brought that pretty blonde home, she bought us all gifts and made yours and adas hair all pretty,she was a fucking angel, she was. Even tommy fucking loved her. Not you though, eh?. You said to me, John there's something off about her. And I'd say, no Shirley, she's lovely. Then one day, we all woke up, Tommy's savings where gone, half of aunt pols jewellery, and so was she. Fucking vanished. And we all sat around the table, fucking devastated, but not you" he said tilting his drink towards me.
"No you where grinning at us all, so fucking pleased with yourself. So I trust you Shirley, you say she's a mole? She's a fucking mole." He finished
"Now tommy-" I started
"You can't tell Tommy. Not until you know for certain, he loves her shirl" John interrupted.
"it's against tommys nature to trust, the minute I give him a reason to be suspicious, he'll latch onto it, an excuse to push her away" I said
"That's fucking cruel, Shirley" John said
"False hope is cruel"