The Devil in the Window

Chapter One

The streets of Birmingham were filled with people, children ran through while squealing with joy, and women bickered over whose husband has more pounds.

'Stupid' thought a Peaky Blinder as he walked down the street. Time moved fast for this Peaky Blinder; he was alone for a while until one of the Shelby brothers took him in, and now, he has a family to protect.

He originally joined for the food and shelter, he didn't care about the murders or the fraud, but now he's in the gang for protection. The short man entered a Peaky Blinder owned pub called 'The Garrison', a brunette-haired gal stood behind the bar as she poured a beer. He went up to the assumed barmaid, then said.

"You're new around here." The woman looked up at him, she smiled, then said.

"No, I've just got back from London. I'm Lizzie, what's your name?" The Peaky Blinder scoffed, leaned against the wooden bar, and said.

"Willie, a whiskey please?" Lizzie poured a glass of whiskey, handed it to Willie, then said.

"I couldn't help but notice your accent, are you an immigrant?" Willie nodded as he took a sip of his whiskey, Lizzie leaned against the bar, then opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the door opening. A man approached the bar, Willie smiled at the man.

"Hello, Arthur." The man, Arthur nodded at him as he approached, saying.

"Willie, are you going to finish that?" Before Willie could say anything, Arthur took the drink right out of his hand, and Willie exclaimed.

"Arthur, you thief!" Arthur and Lizzie laughed as Arthur ran into the private room, Willie sighed as Lizzie poured him another glass.

"Thanks." he said, Lizzie watched as Willie drank his whiskey. Willie coughed a little bit after finishing his glass, then he asked.

"What are you staring at?" Lizzie shrugged then said.

"I don't sure, it just your features. They seem, hmm, woman-like?" Willie gawked at her, Lizzie smiled as she caught him, then he scoffed and said.

"Christ, you are a whore." Willie put a hence on 'are', Lizzie looked at him with wide eyes, her eyes eased a little bit, and then said so innocently.

"What makes you say that?" he giggled, Lizzie looked at him with a confused expression, then asked.

"What?"

"You're too pretty to work in a place like this, men will eat you up like it's their last meal." he responded with a soft tone; Lizzie still had the confused expression. Willie pulled himself away from the bar, paid for the whiskey, and said.

"In case you were wondering, I'm from America." Arthur came out of the private room and said.

"Hey Willie, that drink was great; also, Tommy wants to see you in his office at midday." Willie nodded, waved farewell as he said.

"Thanks, Arthur. See you later." When Willie left the pub, he pulled out his pocket-watch. It said that it's almost midday, Willie shoved his watch back in his pocket as he hurried to work.

When Willie entered the betting room, men were yelling numbers at each other, Willie was thankful that it wasn't his line of work. A young fellow approached him and said with a dorky grin.

"Willie!" Willie took one of his cigarettes and asked before lighting it.

"How did Tommy know I finished the assignment so quickly, Finn?" Finn shrugs as Willie approached the oak door with a glass window saying 'Thomas Shelby – CEO', he knocked on the door while taking a puff off his cigarette.

"Come in." a man called from the other side; Willie opened the door to find a man looking over his files. Willie shut the door behind him as he took another puff, the man looked at Willie, then asked.

"Is she a barmaid now?" Willie nodded as he took a seat in front of the man's desk, the man asked another question as he laid down his papers.

"Did she figure out that you're a woman, Catharine?" Willie smiled at him because Willie, no, Catherine always loved it when her boss calls her by her real name.

"What are you smiling about?" the man said as he leaned back in his leather chair, Catherine said.

"You know why, Tom." the man, Tommy then scoffed then said.

"I know, but I want you to tell me like you have the first time." Catherine smiled a bit little at Tommy while her cheeks burn up, then she said.

"Do you remember when Arthur first brought me in?" Tommy nodded as Catherine continued.

"You smiled for the first time since you came back from France, it was a pleasant feeling even though I didn't know what it was." Tommy shrugged, then said.

"It was love, wasn't it?" Catherine stood up, took one last puff off her cigarette, then said.

"To answer your questions from earlier, she almost did, but I outsmarted her." Tommy stood up with a derided huff, grabbed his coat from the back of his chair, and said with a smile.

"Atta girl." he kissed Catherine's cheek before they headed out the door to the betting room, Finn and Arthur waved, Catherine said as she left with Tommy.

"See you boys around!"