Chapter Thirty-Three – Temper
Bill didn't appear as worried about the young man as Fagin was, if anything he became even calmer, leaning back in his chair and heaving a contented sigh.
"Bill, didn't you hear me?" hissed Fagin, furious despite the reprimand he was sure to receive for losing his temper with the housebreaker.
"Yeah Fagin; I 'eard ya."
There was a moment's silence.
"He went out on the job as usual this morning…he hasn't been back since…it's not like him to wander off…he had the owl with him, I don't know if that's significant or not but…" Fagin tailed off, staring in disbelief at Bill as his young acquaintance took another gulp of gin, without a care in the world.
"W-Well?"
"Wot d'you expect me to do about it Fagin, eh?"
"I-I don't k-know Bill…what if…what if he's been caught…what if he blows on us all? And if not that, then where is he? What's happened to him?"
"Y'think I know?"
Bill raised his eyebrows and took another languid sip from his mug of gin, irritated that Fagin was bothering him with this information. He and Ezra had never been particularly close, not like him and Jeremy; he hardly knew a thing about him! Why had Fagin come appealing to him for help?
"You know this city better than any of my acquaintance, my dear…I was wondering if-"
"I could search the whole bleedin' city to try an' find 'im? Wot d'you take me for Fagin? I've got better things to do then comb the city for one of your lost brats!"
If Bill had been slightly less intoxicated he probably would have cared more, been more worried, more ready to help. As it was, both he and Nancy had drank a bit too much that evening; making Bill more quick to anger and Nancy half asleep on his shoulder.
"Bill…there's money in it!" Fagin said desperately. He couldn't find Ezra alone, who knew what had happened? He needed Bill to help him, and if bribing him with money was the only way then so be it. Although it was hard for Fagin to part with his cash, especially now, he had to if he wanted to find the young man and stop him from peaching…
"'Ow much?" growled Bill, leaning forward in his chair a little, causing Nancy to stir and mumble something unintelligible in her drowsy state.
"A pound, my dear. One whole pound." Fagin held up the coin to the light, and Bill's eyes shone along with it.
"You got yourself a deal Fagin," he said, plucking the coin from the old man's fingers before he could protest. "I'll bring Nance to kip at your place for the night; she won't make it back to Bethnal Green like tha', 'specially not wivout me."
"Of course, my dear, of course," Fagin replied, with a small smile.
Bill heaved himself to his feet, pulling Nancy to hers as he did so. Nancy muttered something about gin toddies, causing Bill to smile, if only for a fraction of a second. A girl after his own heart.
When the threesome arrived at Fagin's it was to find most of the boys asleep. Charley Bates and The Artful Dodger, however, were still up, along with Archie, playing a melancholy game of cards, their expressions ashen.
"Time for bed, my dears…" Fagin said softly.
Dodger looked up at Bill and Nancy; Bill had ended up half-carrying, half dragging her to Fagin's, yet she still looked content and peaceful in his arms. It made Dodger feel sick; the tranquil expression on her face next to Bill's ill-temperate countenance.
Fagin noticed Dodger's expression and hastily informed him of all that was happening; Bill was going to look for Ezra but Nancy was going to stay at the den for the night. Dodger expressed his bitter incredulity, if only inside his own head, that Nancy could bear to be away from Bill for so long.
"Nance, you'll be alright here, yeah?" Bill whispered to her as he tucked her up in one of the old makeshift beds. "'S just for one night…"
Nancy nodded wearily, managing a small smile as she at last succumbed to sleep. Bill gave her a gentle parting kiss before straightening up and heading for the door, grateful that Fagin and Dodger had been engaged in discussion and hadn't seen his moment of tenderness.
"Make sure she comes back in the mornin', eh Fagin?" Bill called as he departed, closing the door just in time to see Fagin nod.
Nancy awoke from a fitful sleep only a few minutes later, only to see Dodger perched beside her, his expression anxious.
"Hey there Dodge," she said in a somewhat slurred voice, sitting up slightly to give him a peck on the cheek. "You alrigh'?"
Dodger turned as red as Nancy's dress, barely managing to stammer out a reply.
"Y-Yeah…I'm alrigh'…"
--
The steeple clock had just gone three and Bill had found no sign of Ezra. He found the whole situation unusual; the young man was so often off in his own world, what sort of trouble could he possibly have gotten into? It wasn't like him to disappear, or even run off for half an hour to be by himself. Where could he be? Bill had tried all the usual places; the deserted marketplace, the streets close to Fagin's, the upper class shopping streets, even the animal menagerie Ezra was fond of visiting, all closed up for the night.
He wasn't anywhere to be found.
Bill thought about giving up; where else could he look? But then, he thought, he hadn't tried the police station. He knew it was risky, what with his occupation and his current intoxicated state, but what else could he do?
"Can I help you sir?" said the policeman at the desk, looking up from his book with tired grey eyes.
"You wouldn't 'appen to 'ave 'ad a lad in 'ere…'bout twenty two, scruffy blonde hair, expression on 'is face like 'e's away wiv the fairies?"
The man at the desk looked startled. "No…we haven't had anyone at all like that here…"
Just then a junior officer hurried in, his face pallid, his eyes wide.
"Sir…there was a young man on London Bridge…I don't know if he was pushed, or he fell or he jumped…the river police got the body just after he hit the water but they were seconds too late…"
The officer on duty turned a sickly green.
"He…he dropped this…"
The junior policeman extracted an object from his greatcoat pocket; a sorry looking, limp, tattered something.
Ezra's stuffed owl.
--
"Oh Gawd…" Nancy groaned, struggling into a sitting position, clutching her throbbing head. "Wot did I 'ave to drink last night?"
"A lot of gin, my dear," Fagin said sternly, but with a small smile.
"You can say tha' again Fagin," Nancy moaned, burrowing under the thin blanket she'd been provided with the previous night, scolding herself furiously under her breath. After a few moments she re-emerged, wincing as she extracted herself from the blanket and got to her feet. "Did you 'ear anythin' from Bill?"
"I haven't seen him yet, my dear," Fagin said, his tone anxious. "But he'll be fine…he always is."
Nancy nodded and grabbed her shawl.
"I'd better get back to 'im…"
"Don't you want a bite to eat first my d-"
Before Fagin could finish posing his inquiry the door had shut behind Nancy, as the young girl hurried back to Bethnal Green.
Fagin shook his head sadly and returned to the breakfast table, all the while wondering if Bill had found anything, any leads as to where Ezra had gone, a clue…or even the man himself? Fagin only dared to hope.
--
"Bill?" Nancy called as she pushed open the door to the flat. "Bill, are you here?" The bed was empty and unmade, the breakfast table littered with empty bottles. Clearly Bill had been drinking…but hadn't he been looking for Ezra? Where was he?
"Where the bleedin' 'ell 'ave you been?"
Nancy found herself pinned against the wall, Bill's large hand gripping her throat. His eyes were red and bloodshot, his breath reeked of gin, he looked as if he hadn't gotten a minute's sleep…his disheveled appearance was almost as terrifying as his booming voice.
"I…I was…" Nancy stammered, her voice constricted with the pressure Bill had on her throat. "I wos at Fagin's…you left me there last night, remember?"
"Don't lie to me!" Bill roared. "Who you been seein', who you been wiv all night, eh?"
"I told you, I was at Fagin's place!" Nancy cried. "You…you went off to find Ezra an' you left me there!"
Bill tightened his grip on Nancy's throat, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Bill, I swear that's where I wos; don't you remember? Bill…stop, please stop, you're hurting me! Please…stop!"
Nancy reached out a trembling hand to try and prize Bill off her; Bill released her only to deal her a sharp slap across the face, causing her to crumple to the ground, her breath coming in short ragged gasps, her head pounding. If she thought she'd been in pain before, this was a thousand times worse.
"I thought you'd left me…I thought you'd gone an' left me; found some new fancy man to take you in!"
"I would never do tha'!" Nancy protested, biting back tears. "You're Bill, my Bill…an' I'm your girl, ain't I?"
Bill was not appeased, even as he saw Nancy huddled on the floor, her thin frame wracked with silent sobs, tears of pain and terror sliding mercilessly down her cheeks. Did he realize what he was saying, what he had done? Even he didn't know.
"If you ever cross me Nance," he growled, his voice the most menacing the terrified girl had ever heard it. "If you ever do anythin' to betray me…anythin'…I swear…I'll kill ya."
--
A/N: Character death, violence, drama…
This was a fun chapter to write, I can tell you. Should it have been though? Do I love torturing characters; am I really that cruel? D:
Please R&R!
