𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

60

The door to Tommys office opened, his head shot toward it. "Mr Shelby, this is Monsieur Paz, from Paris" his assistant nodded.

A man followed behind him. Tommys expression dropped slightly. "I heard you had trouble" the man spoke with a thick accent. "It's good of you to see me"

"You just came from Paris, eh?" Tommy asked.

The man unbuttoned his jacket, sitting down. "You know Paris?" he asked. "I left Paris in a cattle truck. And they said you were french" Tommy cleared his throat.

"Well, i came here from Paris..that does not mean i'm french" he leaned forward. "Guess where i'm from"

Tommy nodded, grabbing his cigarette. "Well, in my cattle truck in Paris, there were American soldiers who played cards." he said, lighting the cigarette. "They sound like you"

"Yeah. But did you win?"

"You didn't come on a train. Your suit is pressed, shoes are clean" Tommy observed. "Where do you get your suits made?"

"I have a tailor in New York City" the man pulled the jacket to the sides. "Look, Funacci, Italian, hm. He's my uncle. He makes suits in a basement of Mott Street. He is my uncle so every stitch, stitched with blood"

"I heard you dress well Mr Shelby, but now i see, not so well as me"

Tommy stayed quiet, staring at him coldly. "You know i have uncles as well" he finally spoke. "But they're not the sort of men who would work in a basement with a needle and thread,"

"Mr Changretta" Tommy said. He looked at Tommy, grinning.

"I am surprised how easy it was to get into a room with you."

Tommy pulled out his gun, pointing it at him. "And now?" Tommy asked. "And now you should know that during the trouble you had earlier on your factory floor, i sent an accomplice into your office in overalls, we found your gun" he whispered, pulling out bullets from his pocket.

Tommy double checked the gun.

He placed a bullet down. "Arthur Shelby" he whispered. He placed another. "Polly Gray" he continued, "Micheal Gray" he placed down more. "John Shelby" he knocked that bullet letting it roll across the table.

"Spent" he whispered. "Ada Thorne, Lottie Shelby and finally Tommy Shelby" he let out a slight laugh, standing.

"None of you will survive" he whispered.

-

Lottie followed Ada and Polly out of Watery lane and to the car. "I'll sit in the front" Polly said.

Ada and Lottie looked at each other, rolling their eyes.

"So this is just to make things official" Polly said as they walked up, meeting Lizzie on the corner. "Your official return to the company payroll" Ada said. "So no more talk of New Year's resolutions or Tommy might change his mind"

"What New Year's resolution?" Lizzie asked. "Never mind" Ada laughed.

"I think Ada is trying to tell me to behave myself" Polly sighed. "You okay Lottie, your awfully quiet" she said, finishing her sentence.

"Heavily pregnant, Pol, trying to save my breath" Lottie joked.

They walked into the hospital. "I can't believe i'm agreeing to this" Lottie sighed, joining them inside Michael's room where Tommy sat.

"Sorry i'm late" Polly apologised.

"Where's Arthur?" he asked. "Do i look like his fucking Mother?"

Lottie stayed standing behind Lizzie's chair, folding her arms. "Sit down, Lottie" Tommy said, placing his glasses on his face.

She stared at him.

"Sit" he repeated. She bit her tongue and pulled a chair, carefully sitting down.

"Right before we start this extraordinary general meeting, of the board of the Shelby Company Limited, i'd like to note the absence of the Deputy Vice President who has not yet arrived. We will continue without his presence"

Lottie glanced down at the paper in front of her.

"Item number one, the reinstatement, of the Shelby Limited company treasurer" he looked toward Polly. "The board welcomes back the former treasurer with generously improved terms and conditions due to the exceptionally difficult circumstances the company now finds itself in. The proposed treasurer will now check the terms and conditions,"

"To see if they are in order. Item number two, during the absence of the company accountant, due to ill health, all responsibility for the keeping of company accounts pass to the head of acquisitions." he looked at Micheal.

Lottie and Micheal locked eyes.

"Item number three.."

Lottie zoned out whilst they continued talking about Polly's roll in the company. She had no reason to be there but Ada had convinced her to join, considering none of them had seen her in a while.