𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

76

Arthur, Finn and Isiah sat around a table opposite a man called Billy.

Arthur poured a glass. "Really meaningful, you know, a heartfelt song" Arthur rambled. "Shut up" Lottie shook her head, standing beside Isiah.

"I like it, i really do" Arthur nodded. "Boys and..Lottie. This here is Billy Grade, man i was telling you about," he said. "Billy, this here is my kid brother, Finn" he tapped Finn. "Hey". Billy whispered.

"Have a drink, Billy"

"I can't, my voice is.."

"Drink, Bill" Arthur told him. He nodded, hesitantly drinking. "You boys won't remember but i remember when Billy here made a living on the football pitch"

Billy laughed. "Yeah that was a long time ago Mr Shelby"

"What a left foot, eh?" Arthur said. "Yeah" Billy chuckled. Lottie and Isiah shared a glance. "And then what, manager, right?" Arthur hummed.

"Yeah, and now i'm a singer"

"Are ya?" he joked. "Every football team in England..knows Billy Grade, and he knows a few people too don't you Bill, hm?"

"One or two" he whispered.

"Useful," Arthur told Finn. "Very useful. But what do you do Bill, eh? You're in here singing or whatever you call it, in shithole pubs in Birmingham" Arthur tutted.

Isiah laughed.

"That's no way to make a living, boys. Degrading"

"I love it" Billy said. "I really do, i love it. And thank you by the way for inviting me here tonight i really appreciate it-"

"Don't thank me. I didn't invite you here to sing. I wanna listen to music i'll buy a record. That's what i do. Real singer, you know, melody, tune"

"So what is it that you want, exactly"

Isiah watched, amused. "Finn will explain the nature of my proposition, you'll listen to him won't you Bill? Cause if you don't, he will show you the consequences." he shrugged.

"Yeah of course" Billy whispered.

Arthur stood. "I'll leave you with the bottle, hm" he said, nodding at Lottie to walk with him. Lottie gave Isiah a quick kiss before leaving.

"What proposition?" he asked. Finn leaned forward. "Right what i want from you Billy, is to write down a name and a number next to everyone of those football teams, yeah" he placed a paper down.

"Why?"

"People like to bet on those kind of things these days," Finn told him. "We're gambling enterprise" Isiah told him. "I know who you are" Billy cut him off. "To fix a horse race, you give the outsider a bit of cocaine, to fix a football match you give the goal keeper 20 pounds."

Finn stared at him. Billy chuckled nervously, picking up the pen.

"You're a peaky blinder now, Billy" Finn whispered. "Hm,"

-

"What have you got there?" Arthur asked Linda. "I've written a letter" He hummed at her response. "Who for?"

"For you and Lizzie has written one to Tommy"

"Well, can i read it?" he asked. "It's not finished yet, i'm getting rid of the parts i wrote when i was drunk. By the way i stopped drinking and your bottles of snow i poured down the lavatory" she said. "When i was drunk i was too hard on you, it's not your fault"

Arthur sat forward. "So, that letters about me is it?"

"Yeah"

He sighed. "And about me, about the future about the company. Lizzie and I-"

"Sat here and made things worse for the last few hours, hm?" he stood up. "Yeah? and we've come up with a plan" she said with a shaky voice. "You've come up with a plan, hm?" he leaned close.

"Lizzie said Tommy won't live two more years like this he's gone too far"

"Is that what Lizzie says? Really now?" he leaned forward. "Well how far has he gone, Linda?" he asked. "He's lost all the legitimate money in America"

"No, no that was Micheal" he corrected her.

"He's fixing races, he's fixing football." she shook her head. "Following the financial crisis, Linda, the Shelby Company Limited has to find other sources of cash income"

Linda grew scared. "Tommy went into China Town he's selling out the communists to the British intelligence. And all the time every day he gets more and more famous but that's okay because if anyone puts two and two together" she said, throwing down a newspaper which spoke about the killing of Mr Levitt.

"That wasn't us" he pointed. She chuckled. "It's not fucking us"

"It's going to blow up, Arthur. It can't sustain, you know it" she shouted. He grabbed her. "Oh yeah? And what do you know? You've worked it all out you and fucking Lizzie have it all planned out, is that right?" he grabbed the letters, throwing them to the fire.

-

"You don't want to eat?" Lizzie asked Tommy. "No"

"You've got calls?" she asked. "Yeah" he sighed. "It's Rubys birthday today, Tommy" she said, blowing out smoke. "Do you know why i took her to Florence's? She says she's scared of you, when she knows you're not coming home she's a different kid."

"But i've bought a cake and i want you there, we're in the drawing room"

"Lizzie." she stopped. "I'm in a room, and they're coming at me. But it's okay i want them too, last thing i want is silence. Standing up there in silence and someone says sorry about all that noise, all that dust, all that mud, and all that fucking blood. And you say don't be sorry, it's all i can do now" he paused.

"You want me to write this down? Want me to write you a fucking letter?" he asked. "Me and Arthur can't write it down because they haven't invented the fucking words. We don't have the fucking words"

He walked to her. "And the worst thing is i could've stayed in school but we volunteered, still don't have the fucking words"

Lizzie looked down. "Should you choose to depart, Tommy, either by your own hand or someone else's, the person who would take your place is me. Legally, financially, everything. I need to know there'd be something left"

"Well you know, Lizzie, in my head i still pay you for it. So" he shrugged. "Good look with me"

The phone rang. "I have business" he pointed.

She scoffed, turning and leaving the office.