𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

70

Polly walked barefoot to where they stood. "Sorry for calling the meeting here but the location is part of the deal" Tommy said.

"What fucking deal?" Arthur asked. "How does it feel to be barefoot in the mud again Pol?"

"Makes me feel young. What fucking deal?"

"Four boats, four days up the Grand Union from Poplar to here. Half the cargo is coal, underneath is pure opium crystal"

"Opium?" Polly asked. "I vote against it"

"They can't use trucks cause the Chinese drivers get stopped by the police" he argued. "They need to get it out of London cause all the warehouses are being searched by Customs. The seven tons is bound for San Francisco, but the outward ship doesn't sail for seven days from Liverpool. They need somewhere safe to store it, all we have to do is take it up the canal and keep it there for a week"

"We don't fuck with the Chinese, Tom. Dad always said it" Arthur said.

"I'm sorry, but i deal with the legal stuff, dad, why am i here"

"Ask yourself, would you turn down £250,000? To drive four boats up the canal with no prospect of inspection?"

"I vote against it Tom"

"Polly, £250,00 that's half of what Micheal lost in Chicago. I will ask him to take charge of this business"

"Michaels position will be reinstated in the company?" she asked.

"His period of quarantine will be over"

Delilah stepped back. "Don't involve me in this"

"Arthur think about it, four boats sailing up the cut smelling of woodsmoke and bacon"

"Which ones of Charlie's Gypsy diddicoy friends do you trust, Tom, eh?" Arthur asked. "With a cargo worth a million pounds"

"I've already made provision. I'm needed at a meeting. Let's vote. Those in favour" Both Tommy held his hand up. Arthur hummed, Polly raised her hand. "Motion carried. Arthur, tell Charlie we need four boats, four tons of coal before it gets dark"

-

Ada rushed to the door. "What's happened?" she asked as Tommy walked in. "Nothings happened, i'm alright" he sighed. She closed the door.

"Do you want a drink"

"No"

"No" she asked. "No i have some information for the intelligence officer. Our conversation with Mosley. He's planning to put forward proposals on building works. He wants the communists to consider his new party as fraternal, which means his activities are now a part of your official remit. Yeah?"

"Mr Shelby it's 2 am, you can make your report any time" Ben laughed. "Why don't you stay tonight" Ada suggested. "No."

"I'll leave you two, to, goodnight" Ben dismissed himself.

Tommy sighed, pacing. "I stood on a bridge tonight, Ada, and i looked down and Grace was there but she was still alive"

"Tom have you still been taking laudanum?" she asked.

"And the fucking name of the barge was the January" he whispered. "Our dads boat, one i was born on. We've never gotten off it. Never fucking will"

"Dr Brooke said you never arrived for your appointment Tom"

"There's nothing in his books of any use to a man like me. They talk about guilty, eh, what fucking guilt"

"The black barge" Ada said.