Alice woke early Monday morning and, once she had gotten ready, began her journey across town to Small Heath. She looked again at the large factory building, only this time her nerves were filled with excitement. She opened the door and walked in, taking in the faces she passed. The first floor was full of factory workers, covered in sweat and grease, listening to their superiors. She heard clanking coming from the large factory floor that went as far as she could see.
Alice walked up the stairs and past an office with the name "Michael Gray" and thought to herself, does an will I have an office? Or maybe just a desk? This arrangement wasn't at all what she had expected and was far more than she had hoped. She would have been content with a job on the factory floor, she just needed money to pay her rent.
Walking into the open space that Lizzy's desk occupied, Alice noticed a desk across the room. She didn't remember seeing it from Friday when she had been there last, but she had been so wrapped in her nerves and thoughts she didn't pay much attention to the furniture.
"Good morning." Alice offered to Lizzy, but Lizzy said nothing.
"Is Mr. Shelby here yet?" Alice tried again. But Lizzy continued to rearrange papers on her desk in silence, her eyebrows raised, and her lips pursed.
This is starting out well. Alice sardonically thought to herself. She walked to the empty desk, pulled out the wooden chair and sat, patiently waiting. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Tommy's office door opened.
"Good, you're here." He said as he looked at Alice. "How do you like your desk?"
"My d-….This is mine?" She asked unable to hide her surprise.
But it's so nice. She thought as she ran her hand along the smooth, glossy edge.
"Of course. Didn't Lizzy tell you?" He asked.
Alice looked at Lizzy then slowly shifted her eyes back at Tommy. Her silence prompted Tommy to look at Lizzy.
"I was preparing the post, must have slipped my mind." Lizzy said with a shrug.
Tommy nodded slowly as he stared at Lizzy before taking a deep breath and turning back to Alice, "Right. Well.." He said as he motioned to his office.
He shut the door behind her, giving Lizzy a pointed look as he did so.
Tommy walked to the drinking cart as Alice stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching him.
"Drink?" He asked.
"Oh. Um, no. Thank you." She responded.
Tommy turned and looked at her as he brought his glass of whiskey to his mouth. They stared at each other for a moment until Alice was forced to look away. She dropped her eyes to the floor, searching the hardwood with her eyes.
Sensing her discomfort, Tommy began. "The first event I want you to plan, is the two-year anniversary of the grand opening of the Grace Shelby Foundation. You'll need to invite town officials, a few hand selected noble men and women, as well as some business colleagues of mine." He paused and examined her. Noticing her ease as he began talking about business he said, "You're not writing this down."
"Um.." She said as she licked her bottom lip and looked around, "I have no paper or a pencil or…. Well anything, actually. I'm sorry, I should have thought to bring-"
Her words got lost as he walked toward the door and opened it. "Lizzy, get Alice supplies to take notes. Eh?" he said with a hint of irritation in his voice.
Lizzy walked in a moment later and dropped a notepad and pencil on the table in his office with a loud thud.
"Anything else?" Lizzy asked resentfully.
Tommy looked at Alice and raised his eyebrows. "Anything else?"
Alice blinked at him before gently shaking her head and saying in a small voice, "No."
"Good. You may go now Lizzy." Tommy said turning her and she clenched her jaw before squinting at Alice and walking out the door.
There was another moment of silence as Alice prepared to take notes and write down the information that Tommy had given her.
"Um.." She started but looked up at Tommy, unsure if she should ask questions since his temper was evident.
"Yes?" He asked, urging her on.
"I'm sorry. I am new to the area…." She said, realizing her inadequacy at her role. "I just don't know anyone that would be on this list. I don't even know who the town officials are."
Expecting him to be angry, Alice looked up. To her surprise, the corners of his mouth were turned up.
"I know. We will go over the list together."
"I thought you would yell at me." She said as she smiled a small smile.
"While we are on the subject. Where are you from?" He asked ignoring her statement.
"Well," She began, "we traveled a lot. Mostly northern England, occasionally travelling south. But, we never stayed anywhere long."
Tommy watched and listened to her vague answer. His suspicions beginning to rise.
"So north, then south… East? West?" He asked teasingly and she gave a nervous chuckle.
She's hiding something. He thought but he didn't press it. He would find out soon enough when Moss got back to him with his report.
"Now, business colleagues that I want an invitation sent to." Tommy continued. "May Carleton, my horse trainer. Benjamin Shaffer, my lawyer."
Tommy paused for a moment as she wrote. Turning to face her he watched for her reaction as he said "Alfie Solomons, a business colleague in London."
She wrote diligently, and Tommy was pleased to see no change in her demeanor as he mentioned Alfie's name. It wasn't until he had finished telling her the remaining three business contacts he wanted to invite that she looked up, a coy grin on her face.
"Mr. Shelby, if I didn't know better. I would say you enjoy being in Jewish company." She said.
Tommy chuckled, "Do I?" he asked as he tilted his head to the side and put his drink down.
"Shaffer… Solomons…" She read with a large smile.
"Hoffman." Tommy added as he looked at her, his blue eyes gentle.
She smiled and looked down. He couldn't decide if she was embarrassed or modest.
"Why did you hire me Mr. Shelby?" She asked as she looked up, eying him curiously.
"You asked me to." He said, glancing at his desk as if she had forgotten their conversation.
"Yes, I did. But I expected a job on the floor, not planning Shelby Company events and parties. That seems a big responsibility to give to someone that randomly walks in your door."
Tommy considered her for a moment before saying, "you're right. If you would rather go work on the floor…"
"No!" Alice said hastily. "I am very grateful for this position, Mr. Shelby. I was just wondering, why me?"
"Perhaps I enjoy Jewish company." Tommy replied, the faintest grin lining his lips. "And please, call me Tommy."
Alice looked at him through her lashes before saying, "Thank you, Tommy." She gave him a small smile and looked back at her paper, ready to take more notes.
Around noon, Lizzy walked in with two sandwiches. After placing Tommy's gently in front of him, she dropped Alice's sandwich so forcefully, it almost jumped off her plate.
"Thank you." Alice attempted, hoping to win Lizzy over but Lizzy only turned and walked away.
"Have I don't something to offend her?" Alice asked Tommy when Lizzy shut the door.
"Don't worry about Lizzy. She'll come 'round." Tommy said eying the door.
Alice looked at her sandwich and lifted the top piece of bread.
"Ham." She said with a sigh. "Yeah. She'll come 'round." She said giving him a not-going-to-happen look before picking up her sandwich.
"You don't have to eat that." Tommy said.
She gave a small chuckle before taking a bite. "I haven't eaten kosher since my father died. But, I never told her that." She said referring to Lizzy.
By the end of the day Alice had all the information she needed to get started on the planning and invitations. Deciding it was best not to start a new task at the end of the day, she got ready and began her journey to the small flat across town.
Tommy continued to sit at his desk, thinking about the woman that had spent all day in his office. He thought about the way her brows furrowed when she took notes, and her delicate hands as they swept across the page ahead of her neat handwriting. He thought of the way her lips would tighten when she wanted to ask a question but didn't want to interrupt.
Her lips…..
A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Lizzy.
"I'm off for the night…." She said before pausing. "Unless you need something else?" she added as her eyes glanced at the desk in front of him.
"No. You may go." He said dismissing her and her implied offer.
Reluctantly, Lizzy turned to leave. As she walked away from his office Sergeant Moss walked up. Lizzy paused and looked into his office as Moss took a few steps in.
"Goodnight, Lizzy." Tommy said, and she knew she was not welcome to stay and listen.
The two men watched her leave and when she had gone, Moss walked up to Tommy's desk.
"What have you got?" Tommy asked as he sat straight, waiting to hear the report on Alice.
"Nothing." Moss said with a shake of his head. "Whoever this Alice Hoffman is, she has lived a quiet life. We can't find anything on her before her coming to Birmingham."
Tommy looked at Moss, a crease forming between his eyes. "And since?"
"Rented a flat. Got a job." He said with a shrug.
Tommy was silent.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Moss asked, confused at Tommy's reaction. "or are you not used to hiring women without….interesting pasts?" Moss glanced over his shoulder, clearly referring to Lizzy's former whoredom.
"Do you have an address on her?" Tommy asked, ignoring Moss's question.
"'Cross town." Moss said as he pulled out a small piece of paper from his inside jacket pocket. "Hatchett street, just off Summer Lane."
As Moss began to walk out of the office Tommy spoke up, "Keep looking." He said and Moss looked at him and nodded with a sigh.
Tommy looked at the address on the paper and after a few minutes of contemplation, he got up, put on his coat and walked out the door toward Hatchett Street.
