𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

𝟔𝟒

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟒

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

"What fucking deal?" Arthur asked. Maeve rolled her eyes and hugged her arms to her body. "How does it feel to be barefoot in the mud again Pol?" Tommy ignored Arthur's question.

"Makes me feel young. What fucking deal?"

"Hold on—" the ginger Shelby interrupted. "Why is it that every fucking meeting tends to be here in this boat yard that is freezing and stinks of shit!?" She snapped. "I'm sorry Uncle Charlie but it's the truth." She added.

"Maeve if you'd be willing to let me talk this would all be over a lot quicker." Tommy said with a sigh. Maeve glared at him but said no more.

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

"Opium?" Polly asked. "I vote against it." She said quickly.

"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. "It's business, Arthur." Tommy argued.

"I vote against." Maeve said, her eyes focused on a barrel not too far from them. Tommy raised an eyebrow at her. "Once upon a time, Maeve, you would play with the snow. What happened?" Tommy asked, referring to cocaine.

"I grew up." Maeve retorted.

He stared at her for a few moments but finally turned back to Arthur. "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." Arthur huffed.

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

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

"His period of quarantine will be over."

"Polly do not tell me you're considering such a deal just for your innocent little Micheal?" Maeve mocked. Polly raised an eyebrow at the girl.

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

"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?" Arthur hummed, Polly raised her hand as well as Tommy. Isiah, who had been awfully quiet whilst standing behind Maeve slowly raised his hand and she looked over her shoulder, looking at him with some sort of disgust.

Their eyes diverted to John and he shook his head. "I withdrew my place in this business a long time ago." He reminded them.

"Motion carried. Arthur, tell Charlie we need four boats, four tons of coal before it gets dark." Tommy said.

After Tommy went to do whatever it was he was going to do, Polly slowly approached Arthur.

"The man you cut— he went to the police. But we dealt with it." This caught Maeve's attention instantly. "Was she with him?" Arthur whispered.