Alfie arrived early the next day to the boarding house Tess lived in and stood in the foyer, staring at the stairs.
Mrs. Friedberg walked in and stood with pursed lips in front of him.
"I see everything is in tact. You would never know by looking at the banisters." Alfie said before looking over at the older woman and noticing, not at all a surprise to him, she looked confused.
"When was the last time someone fell down your stairs?" He asked.
"Four years ago. A child. It was raining, he ran up the stairs and slipped, broke his arm. I don't allow children to live here after that." She answered in a terse voice.
Alfie nodded absent mindedly. "So my maid did not fall down your stairs."
"No." Mrs. Friedberg confirmed.
"Then what happened?" Alfie was thinking out loud rather than asking her a direct question but she responded anyway.
"We assumed you happened."
Alfie slowly turned his head toward her, shifting his gaze from the stairs to the older woman.
Mrs. Friedberg shrugged, "you have a reputation."
Alfie rotated his body directly toward the landlady. "Of hitting fucking women?" He asked, his annoyance clear.
"Of violence." The woman shrugged again.
Alfie stared at her, his body and face dangerously calm until the woman looked away from him in submission.
"This is a nice house you have here." Alfie said as he turned his attention back to the building. It's right in the middle of my other properties. Perhaps I will make you an offer."
Mrs. Friedberg clenched her jaw and looked at him, knowing when he said "make an offer" it meant he would take it.
Alfie's expression grew dangerous and he dropped his voice. "If you hear anything-."
The older woman nodded her understanding and agreed to contact him if she learned anything new before Alfie shot her one last threatening glance and left.
When Alfie arrived home, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and watched the passersby through the window absentmindedly. Tess wasn't going to tell him what happened, and the building owner knew nothing. He kept seeing the evidence of her attack, the blue and purple bruises, cuts, and swelling. He wasn't going to give up until he knew who and why the attack had happened. It frustrated him that she wouldn't tell him, but after what had happened between them, he knew she didn't currently trust him. He thought back to past conversations and remembered the beloved maid from her past life, Edna's cousin, who orchestrated Tess's arrival into his life and decided to venture out to meet Mrs. Schwartz and see what she knew.
Mrs. Schwartz was straightening a vase filled with fresh flowers in the foyer when the doorbell rang. Opening the door, she found a Jewish gentleman with a gold cane.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Ellin Schwartz?" He responded.
She paused, "who's asking?"
"Right." He said as he held out a hand. "Alfie Solomons."
Mrs. Schwartz stiffened before glancing behind her at the sound of heels. Alfie looked in the background and the maid that passed through to the other room.
Mrs. Schwartz cleared her throat and turned back to Alfie. "No. I'm afraid you passed it. About five kilometers is the turn on your right. The pub is down that road."
Alfie stared at her for a moment before nodding and turning back to his car. An hour later, Alfie sat with his whiskey glass at an old pub when a woman sat down beside him at the bar.
"Is she alright?" The woman asked.
Alfie turned to look at her and took a drink from his glass.
"Tess. I assume that is why you came to see me?" Mrs. Schwartz clarified.
"When was the last time you spoke to her?"
Mrs. Schwartz stared at him for a moment, as if reading him to see if he could be trusted.
"She was attacked." Alfie said, watching her equally as close.
Mrs. Schwartz's lips parted as her normally controlled face wavered. "Is she alright? Who attacked her?"
"That is what I am trying to figure out. She hasn't told you anything?"
Mrs. Schwartz looked away. "I told her not to contact me." the woman clenched her jaw. "Her cousin. Philip." She said his name with a hint of disgust. "He is in trouble. I fear he intended to bring her into it."
"What kind of trouble?"
"I don't know." She responded honestly. "There were two men that came to call on him and he later asked about Tess and her whereabouts. I lied to him and then told her not to contact me."
Alfie tossed the information over in his mind.
"Is she alright?" Mrs. Schwartz asked again.
"She will be." Alfie said with a nod before he placed some money on the bar and left.
When Monday came, Alfie spent the day looking into Tess's cousin and discovered Philip was buried in gambling debt to multiple individuals and gangs. Being in the business, Alfie had no doubt the men visiting Philip were there to collect. The question was, who was it, and what did Tess have to do with his collection when he had already put her out and disowned her?
Tess was finally able to move without intense pain on Monday and though she was still slower, she managed to get all of her chores done. She had been nervous all day since Alfie ate quickly and left for work without a word. Tess's landlady had berated her for lying and blamed Tess for Alfie threatening to take the house. Fortunately for Tess, she knew the old woman wouldn't put her out due to her employer being who he was. That is, until her employer finds out the truth. Then she will be fired and once again, out on the streets.
Alfie stared at her during dinner, making Tess anxious as if he knew she was supposed to spy on him. Ollie came into the house without knocking and breathlessly told Alfie he was needed in the bakery. Alfie rose without hesitation and followed down the stairs to his office.
Tess chewed on her bottom lip. Whatever Ollie needed Alfie for, it was important. Which meant if she was going to spy on him, the time had come. The big question was, would she?