Five days had passed and Tommy had kept his word to keep Nora's residence in Camden Town a secret. In that time, he considered her remarks. Did he have the strength? When she had first asked, he immediately wanted to say yes, owning to the fact that he was Tommy Shelby. He wouldn't easily admit his weaknesses. He and Lizzy fought when they spoke and fucked when he wanted. One evening Tommy sat in his study, Cyril on the floor at his feet.
Tommy leaned forward and said, "What do you think boy? Eh?" as he rubbed the dog's neck.
Cyril looked at him, his mouth open and his tongue hanging out as he enjoyed his master's affection. Suddenly and without explanation, Cyril let out a low growl as he turned from Tommy and turned toward the desk, facing the front of the room. Tommy stiffened as he looked around the room, seeing nothing. His telephone rang causing him to jump slightly and he released a sigh as he came to the conclusion Cyril was just being a dog. Tommy picked up the telephone.
"I have a meeting set up for us tomorrow at lunch with some very wealthy supporters. I am going to ask them to help fund our campaign. I would like you to be there if you can." Mosely's voice rang through the receiver.
Cyril growled again, the hair on his back raised as he continued to face the desk.
"Alright." Tommy said after a pause and Mosely gave him the time and location.
"Don't be late." Mosely said cheerfully as he hung up.
Tommy hung up the receiver and touched Cyril's head. The dog's hair began to lay down and Tommy bent to be eye level with him. Was that who he was growling at? Could he somehow sense Oswald Mosely was about to call?
Tommy shook his head and stood, walking to his room for the night.
The next morning Tommy drove to London and walked into the fancy tea shoppe Mosely had told him about. Quickly noticing his group, he walked to the table and the group stood.
"Ah, yes." Mosely started. "Here he is, my partner, Tommy Shelby."
Tommy shook hands with the men as Mosely introduced them as Philip Allen and Hugh Collins, two aristocrats who were affected but not too far damaged by the financial crisis to help with Oswald's "cause".
"So, Mr. Shelby…" Mr. Allen began, "We were just explaining to Mr. Mosely here that we support what he has started in this country."
Tommy listened to the men, consciously attempting not to clench his jaw.
"The Jews are out of control. I lost thousands of pounds that I will never get back." The two men looked at each other. "someone has got to stop them before they take any more from us."
Tommy sat back in his chair and put a cigarette in his mouth as the man spoke. He wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and smash this man's head into his cup. As he looked up and exhaled smoke, he caught a familiar pair of dark brown eyes looking at him from across the room. Tommy looked down, not wanting to draw attention to her. She wore a navy dress and had a matching hat on the table as she sat across from another woman, neither speaking.
"You are exactly right my friend. If we do not put an end to this now, they will ruin our society more than they already have. Which is why we need your support." Mosely responded to the man.
"And we will give it." Mr. Collins spoke up before he and Mr. Allen exchanged another, understanding glance. "But you will have to prove to us you are as dedicated to this cause as you say."
Tommy's lips parted slightly as a small crease formed between his eyes in anticipation of where this conversation was going.
"What do you have in mind?" Mosely asked curiously.
"There is a family of Jews living in here in Kensington, just down from our law office a block or so over….. We want them gone."
"Of course, removing them will be-." Mosely started but was cut off.
"No, Mr. Mosely. We want them gone." Mr. Collins leaned his head down, looking over his glasses with a serious and angry face and Tommy knew he didn't want them relocated. He wanted them dead.
"You said it's a family?" Tommy asked.
"Yes." Mr. Allen said, "Husband, wife, two daughters and son. Can you do it?"
"No." Mr. Collins interjected, "We know you both have the capabilities. But will you do it?"
Tommy looked at Mosely who looked back before replying, "We are politicians. We do not kill people." He paused, "But…. If your problem were to go away somehow, you would fund our campaign?"
"In full." Mr. Allen replied.
"How old are the children?" Tommy asked taking the attention away from money and directing it toward the innocent lives they were asking to take.
"The oldest child is a girl, she is about 10-years-old. Boy is in the middle, probably seven or so. Then the youngest is a two-year-old girl. Little menaces, the lot of them."
Tommy's fist clenched on his knee.
"Excuse me, I will just be a moment." Mosely said as he stood and walked away from the table toward the toilet.
Tommy stared at the men and said nothing, trying to control his anger. When Mosely returned the conversation turned to house meetings and competition between senators. Tommy looked over during the conversation and locked eyes once more with Nora, who had never taken her eyes away from him. Tommy needed to talk to her, to tell her to get the family out.
As the meeting ended, Tommy reluctantly shook hands with the men and walked with Mosely away from the table, glancing back at Nora.
"Let's go." Nora said to the woman across from her and they stood, Nora putting on her hat to conceal her face, and they left.
As they walked out of the shoppe, there was an explosion two streets over. The ground shook and women and children screamed while men braced themselves. Tommy looked up and saw black smoke and flames. He looked over at Mosely and noticed a strange look in his eye. Tommy began to jog across the street and toward the smoke, breaking into a run not log after.
He stopped as he came to the house that was up in flames. He could hear screams coming from inside as the firefighters arrived on the scene. One went in and the growing crowd watched in anticipation to see if he would come out. When he finally emerged from the flames, he carried a small body and Tommy's body went cold.
"Look!" A woman from the crowd yelled and Tommy followed her pointed finger to see a young boy banging on the window from an upstairs room. Tommy couldn't bear to look at it, he began taking off his coat as he took steps toward the house. He had only made it a few steps when a hand grabbed him and pulled him away from the crowd.
"What are you doing?" Mosely insisted.
"There are children in that house."
"Not children, Tommy. Jews."
Tommy stared at him in disbelief. "That's the family that-"
"Yes. I made the call when I excused myself. We had to be seen at the shoppe when it exploded as an alibi. Jimmy and the Billy Boys took care of the rest. Our campaign will be funded now, this is a good thing." Mosely said as he looked at Tommy.
Tommy clenched his jaw as Mosely turned from him and began walking away. Tommy came from the alley and looked once more at the burning house and then at the crowd watching. At the edge of the crowd he saw Nora, her hand over her mouth and a tear rolling down her cheek. She knew the family in the house, the man had been one of Alfie's and now was one of hers though he also worked as a lawyer.
She turned to see Tommy and he nodded at her a firm, sure nod which she returned with anger in her eyes then she turned and walked toward Camden Town as Tommy watched the house burn long after the crowd dispersed.