☆T H I R T Y-N I N E☆

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CHAPTER THIRTY NINE; GOOD PEOPLE

TOMMY HAD DISAPPEARED TO London to tend to business with Alfie Solomon's, John and Arthur had been busy and Pol was occupied with Michael so Beth found herself on her own. She didn't necessarily mind being on her own at first, it gave her time to deal with her sorrows and then after a few days Beth fell lonely. Beth finally gave in, being bored in her she decided to venture out and left, walking down to the Garrison.

Her hand hovered over her stomach slightly as she walked down the streets of Small Heath, a baby still on her mind. As much as she tried not to and even after Tommy had told her it wasn't her fault, Beth was struggling with the weight of her worries on her shoulders. Pushing open the doors to the Garrison, Beth sighed in relief seeing Arthur glancing over at her, nursing a bottle of whiskey and a glass. "Get me a glass." Beth grinned, walking over and sitting into the seat beside Arthur.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, doll. Tommy warned me and John not to get you drunk while he was away. Said you'd kill the lot of us." Arthur informed, watching Beth in worry as she leaned over the counter taking a glass and slamming it down onto the counter hard enough to make a crack form at the bottom. "When the fuck do you listen to Tommy's orders, eh?" She asked, reaching for the bottle and beginning to pour herself a drink.

Arthur straightened up his chest slightly as if he was trying to prove a point and nodded. "I don't listen to Tommy's order but this-." He reaches over taking the bottle of whiskey from Beth's hands as it began to pour out of the top of the cup. "This time it's different. This time your head isn't in the right place." Beth let out a dry chuckle turning in her seat to glare at Arthur. "Fuck you. My head is never in the right place, never will be and neither is yours or fucking Tommy's or John's. Don't play stupid with me Arthur."

Arthur let out a small chuckle and clinked his glass off the glass that Beth was attempting to down. "I'll drink to that." Beth slammed her now empty glass back onto the table, this time it smashing against the bar table, a wide smile on her face. "There's the old man I know and love." She taunted. Arthur roller his eyes and picked up a small shard of glass between his fingers, inspecting it. "You're not to tell Tommy, he'd kill the lot of us. You worried me, that night at the Garrison when I walked into the bathroom, thought you fell."

Beth rolled her eyes threading her finger across a shard of glass lightly until the sharpest point, cut her hand but Beth didn't flinch, instead lifted her finger to stare as the blood began to drip. "I lost a child Arthur. Tommy's and I lost our child because I went out gallivanting with John, like the selfish cow I am." Arthur placed his hand into Beth's, ignoring the blood that began to mingle onto his skin, Arthur squeezed her hand.

"Polly said you only found out the next morning, after you went drinking with John." Arthur paused for a moment giving Beth a small smile. "I think you'd make an amazing mother, eh." Beth grinned weakly and leaned over, resting her head onto Arthur's shoulder who in return wrapped his arms around her protectively. "We're not bad people Arthur. Life just isn't easy on us." Beth murmured softly. Arthur never replied instead ran his fingers into Beth's hair massaging her head softly.

"Do you want something to ease the pain? Just whatever you do, don't tell Tommy, maybe not even John." Arthur begged. Beth pulled away from his grasp and watched as he began to fish into his pocket, pulling out a small blue glass bottle. "Tokyo." Arthur said softly, beginning to pour some onto a mirror, he slid it over to Beth who looked down at it for a moment, biting her lip hesitantly she shook her head and slid it back to Arthur who shrugged and leaned down to sniff up the white powder.

"Arthur hasn't Tommy told you that shit is bad for you?" Beth asked, watching as Arthur reached up to wipe some powder off his nose. "What Tommy doesn't know won't hurt him, eh?" Arthur replied, looking down at his pocket watch. "It's time to open the shop, but you're welcome to stay." Arthur offered, sliding out of his chair. He walked over to the front doors unlocking them, and turned around stretching out his back. Beth's eyebrows raised as a small woman walked into the Garrison.

"Cleaning jobs gone. Vacancy's filled." Arthur informed, sliding back into the stool beside Beth. "I'm not a cleaner." The woman replied shakily. Beth slowly slid of her chair, watching as she waited for the woman's next move. She opened her bag and pulled out a gun, tossing her bag to the floor she pulled the safety trigger pointing the gun at Arthur's head. "I'm not a cleaner. But I have come away to clean some dirt."

Beth instantly reached back, hitting Arthur into the bag who grumbled and turned looking at the woman who had a gun pointed at his unfazed. "Why don't you put that away before it goes off?" Arthur replied dryly. "You killed my son!" The woman shouted and Beth's hand instantly fell over her mouth as she stared at the small woman. "You peaky bastard! You bet him and bet him and bet him!"

"Your son was a boxer." Arthur said quietly. "No! He was a boy who got into the ring with an animal." The woman snarled. "Yeah ain't that the truth." Arthur murmured. "I've come to stop you." The woman declared, her eyes flickering over to Beth. "Because the coppers and nobody else will." Beth's heart fell as she glanced cautiously over at Arthur. "Arthur, don't." Beth growled, watching as Arthur stood up from his stool.

"If your gonna use it, point that thing at my head. That's where the trouble is. Gun shot soldiers take half a day to die. I've seen them walk around with their guts in their arms like dirty washing." Arthur grumbled. Beth stood in front of him pointing her finger at the woman. "Put the gun down bitch." Arthur pushed Beth to the side, his face shaking with anger. "Hold that gun up and DO IT!" Arthur roared. "FUCKING DO IT! DO IT!"

Beth blinked watching as the woman's hands trembled in fear and anger. "I'm gonna finish my drink." Arthur informed, plucking his glass from the counter and holding it up. "You can finish it with me if you like. Me and Beth." Beth's eyes widened, as a bullet whizzed past her head, her hair blowing back at the bullet that narrowly missed her and smashed into a glass alcohol cabin. Arthur let out a growl reaching over and wrestled the gun from the woman's hands.

He raised the gun threateningly and the woman sank into the seat behind her sobbing. Arthur emptied the chamber onto the table, letting the bullets roll across the wooden surface and onto the floor before he sat down opposite the woman. "Now look." He said. "Look at me. We got a fund. You'll get paid weekly. I know it won't bring back your son. I know that. And you have other sons. He died. We'll find them work, and you won't have to work because-."

The woman let out an loud scream, thrashing the top of the table to the ground in anger. She turned to walk away but quickly stopped, stepping closer to Beth who still stood frozen at the bar. "Somebody has got to stop you people!" Beth watched as the woman walked out of the Garrison and silently looked over at Arthur who's back rose with every breath. The Garrison doors opened and Beth's had turned quickly, watching as John walking in not noticing the state his brother and best friend were in.

John stopped staring at the mirror. "Who broke the fucking mirror? Seven years bad luck, that is." John asked, winking over at Beth before walking into the back room in a bubble of his thoughts. Beth breathed out watching as Arthur turned over to stare at her. "We're good people, right?" He asked softly. Beth nodded letting out a laugh. "I don't fucking know anymore Arthur."

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