This Dark Disposition: Chapter 37 - A Thousand Guineas
Danielle was getting ready for bed when she heard the front door open and slam shut. A few seconds later Tommy came into the bedroom and took off his suit jacket, leaving him with only his button up shirt, vest, and gun holster.
“We have a problem, Danny.”
Danielle looked up from where she was sitting at her vanity to make eye contact with him in the mirror, “What kind of problem?”
Tommy put his hands on his hips and took a few steps towards the bed, “A man- well, no, a boy that we hired to get arrested for bookmaking was killed in prison. In Winson Green”
Tommy sat on the bed and Danielle turned on the stool she was sitting on to face him, “By Sabini?”
“Yes,” Tommy breathed while he rubbed his face with both hands, “He sent a telegram.”
“But if your men are being killed in prison no one will want to go,” Danielle pleaded, realising why this was a problem.
“And the coppers won’t meet their numbers,” Tommy explained.
Danielle walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling his face against her stomach, “You’ll figure it out. We’ll have a meeting tomorrow. This business with Sabini needs to end. Before he comes for us. Or Solomons does. Or both of them.”
The Next Day - Family Meeting
Danielle was late arriving for the family meeting, she rushed into the room still pinning her hat on, “Ahh there she is,” Arthur said with outstretched arms, “Taking the day off yesterday and late this morning, we missed you.”
“Yes well,” Danielle said as she dragged a chair to the table everyone was gathered around, “The reason why I’m late is because your fucking brother got me pregnant and now I can’t smell fucking bread without throwing up, Arthur. So there, that's why. Please direct your complaints to Tommy.”
The boys laughed and Danielle watched as Tommy cracked a smile, “You don’t mean it Danny, it's just the hormones. Happened to Esme, too.” John chuckled with a toothpick sticking out of his mouth.
“This had better be good to interrupt my holiday,” Polly said as she walked into the room.
“Where’s the boy,” John asked.
“In the back with James, I’m taking the boy to the museum after this so make it quick,” Danielle smiled at Polly. She was happy she had taken time to spend with her son, “Tommy get on with it.”
“Last night, one of our men had his throat cut in Winson Green,” Tommy said coldly. He had a cigarette in his hand but he crossed his hands together while he spoke, “I had a telegram explaining it was Sabini who did it.”
“It says here that Thomas Shelby is next,” Arthur said as he ripped up the telegram.
Danielle made eye contact with Tommy. He neglected to disclose that information last night when they discussed the matter, “Our men won’t work for us if we can’t keep them safe in the Green,” Danielle spoke.
“We need to get the Green sorted out,” Tommy continued, “Scudboat, you and one of the boys go break some windows, start some fights, get yourselves arrested and find who did this.”
“A boy is dead” Danielle said as she looked at the men in the room, “He was just a kid. We can’t let this happen again.”
“We’ll start a fund for his family, Pol.” Tommy commanded.
“Agreed,” Polly said, “Is that all, can I go?”
“As company treasurer, I need your permission to spend a thousand guineas.” Tommy shifted his weight.
This caught Danielle’s attention, she hadn’t heard anything about a thousand guineas, “On what?” Pol asked.
Danielle looked at Tommy and then at Polly, this was the first she had heard of this, “When was this decided?” Danielle asked.
“When Polly was busy with Micheal, and you were well-”
“Busy dealing with the side effects of growing your child,” Danielle cut him off.
“Oh my god,” Polly spoke as she walked around the table to be closer to Tommy, “So in the absence of common sense you boys have had an idea?”
“When we make our move on Sabini’s racing pitches any men we get into the betting enclosure would be lifted by Sabini’s police. A racehorse is a passport to the owner’s enclosure. There won’t be any coppers in the owner’s enclosure.”
“We’ll be in with the toffs, coppers won’t know where to look,” Arthur added.
“The Epsom Derby, Pol,” John added, but Danielle knew that him saying so wouldn’t get Polly on board, “We’ll be drinking with the bloody King.”
“The Derby? Did he say the Derby?” Polly was stunned as she looked at Danielle to see that she was equally stunned.
Danielle shifted in her chair, annoyed that Tommy also neglected to tell her this. She glared up at Tommy, “Did you come up with this idea in the pub by any chance?”
“Pol,” Tommy spoke. Danielle knew he must be frustrated, but his tone remained even, “A racehorse is a good investment. We need to diversify the portfolio, like owning property.”
“When is the sale,” Polly asked.
Suddenly a different voice spoke from the doorway, “We want to go with them.” Danielle looked to where the voices had come from, only to see Micheal and James.
“Look, we’ve been listening,” James spoke first, “We want to come with them,” he said in Danielle’s direction and she looked at Polly and then at Tommy.
“You see!” Polly exclaimed, shouting in Tommy’s direction.
“I love horses,” Micheal said innocently, “I could even help.”
“It’ll be alright mum,” Danielle could see now what Micheal was doing. Wearing Polly down, calling her mum. It seemed the boy wasn’t set on wanting to return to his village anytime soon, “I’ve been to loads of horse auctions with my uncle. They’re very respectable, people bring their butlers.”
“Yeah,” Arthur chimed in as he took a sip of his drink, “And their posh wives.”
“And their mistresses,” John playfully slapped James on the back, “let them come Polly.”
“No,” Polly said, shaking her head, “fucking no.”
“What do you think Danny?”
“I think,” Danielle stood from her chair. She knew that keeping these two boys out of trouble may be difficult. However, she thought it may be more difficult to keep them out of trouble if they’re denied every opportunity to participate in business. She took a step closer to Tommy so she could look him in the eyes, “I think that if something happens to them, it’ll be you I blame.”
Danielle walked into her office and closed the door.
When Danielle came into the house Tommy was sitting by the fire in the living room reading the paper. She walked over to him and sat in the chair adjacent and crossed her legs. For a moment, she wondered if she should pick tonight to fight. Against her better judgement, she decided that she’d waited long enough.
“A thousand guineas,” Danielle said as she bounced her crossed leg in the air, “A thousand guineas,” she repeated, “Must be a pretty great horse.” Danielle spread her arms out on the back of the chair, “Or a pretty desperate owner.”
Danielle locked eyes with Tommy. He nodded his head and smirked, “A pretty great horse.”
“What are you doing with a thousand guinea horse?”
“I told you Danny,” He put his glass of whiskey down on the coffee table, “We need to be down in the owner’s enclosure.”
Danielle swatted the paper out of his hand, “Yes that may be true but that’s only part of it, isn’t it?” Danielle asked, pushing him for information, “Why else do you need to be in the owner’s enclosure?”
Tommy didn’t respond and Danielle knew she’d asked the right question. She examined his face. Why would he keep this part of his plan from her? What could this part possibly entail? She searched his face for answers again, but it didn’t reveal any.
“Is it Campbell?” Danielle asked as she leaned forward to face him, “What does he want? Why does it involve the Derby?”
Tommy rubbed his face with his hand, “Danny, don’t you think, that perhaps there is a reason I haven’t told you about it. It's not to spite you-”
Danielle leaned against the chair, “Tommy for the last time-”
He stood from his chair, “Danny,” he was raising his voice now. He put one hand in his pants pocket and pointed his finger at her with the other, “I’ve asked you to let it go. Now let it go.”
“Tom,” Danielle said as she stood from her chair, “Don’t you think I have a right to know?”
He put both of his hands on his head and took a step away from her before walking quickly over to her again, “No. No, you don’t.”
If he was meaning to intimidate her, it wasn’t working. “You think I won’t figure it out on my own?” Danielle asked, now she too was raising her voice.
That was exactly what he was worried about, “Danny,” he spoke softly now, “I’ve asked you to leave it alone. Do as I ask.”
He grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. Leaving her standing in the living room with no more answers than she had before.
