The Queen Of Small Heath

Mrs Changretta.

Auroras POV

Arthur and John walk into the house and they follow me to Tommys office, where he is waiting for us. I walk in first, not bothering to knock as the boys follow after. "Well, there he is." Arthur says taking off his hat. "Hi, Tom. We uh, didn't get the chance to see you when you came back. Well uh, you disappeared on us..."

"Arthur, shut up." Tommy interrupts, looking towards us as he speaks and I walk over to him. He pecks my lips before looking at the boys. "Alright, talk to me." He says. "We got to Angel at the hospital where he laid. Cut his throat. He's dead. Cleared out the rest of the Italians from the south of the city. They mostly went to half country." Arthur explains.

"But we told Betty Kitchens to keep her moving." John says, sitting down backwards on a chair. "And Betty hopes everything's okay." Arthur adds. "What about the old man?" Tommy asks, looking towards Arthur. "We interrogated his boys." Arthur tells him.

"He's off in Liverpool. Waiting to board an integration ship to New York." I chime in. "When?" Tommy questions looking at me. "Berthed ship sails Sunday." John answers instead. "Alright, I have contacts, people in Cunard and Liverpool. They can get you into the point of departure. You pick him up and bring him to me. Who's he got travelling with him?" Tommy asks, looking between the three of us.

"His wife." I answer, seeing Arthur clutching his hat tightly in his hands. "So shoot her and bring him to me." Tommy says simply. The three of us share a look of disbelief as Tommy just told us to kill one of our old teachers who actually treated us right. "Tommy, she's a good woman. A good woman." Arthur says.

"Well, if she's a good woman, then she'll go to heaven, eh, Arthur?" Tommy replies picking up a piece of paper and extending it to him to take. "Just so what's on the list, nothing else then burn it. Don't speak on the phones. The fucking secret service is listening. I want the old man alive. I wanna do it myself. That's it, you can go." Tommy explains.

"Tommy, if you haven't got a bird here, you're gonna have to tell us something." Arthur says lowly. "Ask Polly." Tommy replies, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. "Not Michael?" John suddenly asks. "What?" Tommy questions, looking at John confused. "Not Michael, no?" John merely repeats.

"No. Not Michael, no. 'Cause Michael deals with legitimate business." Tommy answers. "You saw him before us." John says before I quickly interrupt him. "John, not now." I say firmly. "Wait, what did you say?" Tommy asks, looking at John. "You saw Michael, before us?" John shouts, glancing at me and Arthur. "Fuck sake, John." I mumble.

"Because legitimate business, John, is the priority. Legitimate business." Tommy says in an obvious tone. "Since when?" John asks and Tommy slams his hand against the desk, standing up as he points at John. "Since my fucking girl took a bullet meant for me!" He roars as Arthur glances at me.

John nods as he sniffs. "Alright, okay." He mumbles standing up from his chair that he sat backwards on. "Some secret service, secret fucking service. Blah, blah, blah but you don't tell us shit. We're a couple of fucking toy soldiers. 'Do this John, do that John. Kill your fucking teacher, John!" John snaps, slamming his hand on the desk as he breathes heavily.

Me and Arthur share a look before we watch Tommy and John worriedly as they have a stare down. "This is how it's gonna be." Tommy starts, looking away first. "Alright, listen to me." He says, looking between Arthur and John. "There's gonna be a little war, in a little place that no one gives a fuck about and the side that is gonna lose needs a little bit of help, and they're willing to pay. When that business is done, legitimate business is the priority. Now, do as on the list, and fuck off." He finishes, looking at John.

John glares at him for a few more seconds before he storms of, slamming the door shut behind him. "And when are you coming back, hmm?" Arthur asks him as Tommy sits back down. "I'm back, Arthur." Tommy tells him.

******

I stood against John, a yawn escaping my lips as we stand waiting for Mr and Mrs Changretta. Running his hand up and down my arm, I can tell by Johns face that he'd rather be anywhere than here, by the docks, right now. "She was our teacher." He mumbles to himself, his hands slightly shaking as he struggles to keep his strong composure. I grasp his hand, holding it tightly. "John, it's okay. I'll do it if Arthur doesn't. You don't need to do anything." I tell him.

I sigh as I listen to the sound of the waves being us but I begin walking as Arthur and John share a look and step out from behind the pillars. "Thank you officer, that'll be all." Mr Changretta says, as his wife begins to cling to him. "John Shelby?!" She gasps. "Is that the lad I used to teach? John Shelby, I smacked your arse!" Her voice is trembling as she glares at the three of us.

I swallow thickly glancing between the old Italian couple. "Let him go." Arthur instructs firmly. "Please, please, let her go." Mr Changretta bargains. "Arthur? How many times did I look the other way because of your sweet smile?" She asks as Arthur shakes his head, trying to block out her voice. "He said let him go, Mrs Changretta. He's got to come with us." I say calmly, even though my hands are shaking in my pockets. "Aurora Steele? That smart girl I used to love to teach? Look at you all grown up now." She says to me.

"I'm not letting go until I know my wife is safe." Mr Changretta cries. "She's safe. We're not going to harm her. Let's just get a move on." John shouts, hiding behind his cap that he pulled over his eyes. "Look, we're disobeying Tommys orders just by talking to you. Don't push it, please. Just come with us. Let him go." Arthur orders. "Let him go too! Say it's done! Say he's in the harbour. He can do you no harm from New York." Mrs Changretta begs.

"We can't do that, Mrs Changretta. We can't, I'm sorry." I say softly. "Audrey! Audrey, listen to me. Go to the cafe in Mott Street. Bonito will take care of you." Mr Changretta instructs. "Let him go too! He's an old man. I have you sweets and cakes." She hisses at us. "There are rules. Your husband knows the rules. Let him go." Arthur instructs again. I stop John as I watch him lean into his pocket, keeping true to my word. Pulling out my own gun, I cock it, aiming it at them.

"We are disobeying strict orders. If you don't let him go, I will shoot you dead where you stand. As well as him." I warn as I move the gun to Mrs Changretta, blinking away my teary eyes. "You have ten seconds or Tommys rule stands!" Arthur barks. "One!" Mrs Changretta lets out a cry. "Two!" Pulling her into him, and Changretta have her a long kiss. "Three!" Arthur's voice is shaky as he counts. "Four!" Mr Changretta pushes his wife away. "I love you forever." He tells her.

Arthur begins to walk away with Mr Changretta as I slowly put my gun down as Mrs Changretta flung herself at John who caught her. "America. A new life. A new love." He compromises, letting the woman falls to the ground as she cried. I put my gun away as John grabs my hand, linking his fingers with mine and begins to pull me through the sand. Mrs Changretta's cries becoming fainter and fainter as the sound of the sea becomes louder.