Gangsters Girl

Chapter 3 - Looking Up

***Elliana’s POV***

I tucked the envelope away and went back to work. I was excited, and for the first time since he hired me, I left the first time Tommy dismissed me. I took my bag and went to a hotel. I took a room out for the week for six shillings, and went upstairs to it. It was a nicer hotel, no hourly rooms, and it was comfortably furnished. I locked the door after I went in and went and laid in the bed. I hadn't slept in a bed in over a month, but I had sacrificed a full belly for a room to get out of the rain that night. I'd have both tonight.

I washed up in the basin and ate some of the food I had in my bag, and fell right to sleep. I slept so well, I woke up refreshed. I went first thing in the morning and bought two new dresses and more food that I could keep in my room before I went to work. The room came with dinner every evening, but because of my work, I’d have to miss it, but I didn’t mind. I was happy, and work went quickly. Oliver sat at his table reading the paper, and Tommy handed me his tea tray. I had a smile on my face as I served him. "Afternoon sir."

"Elle." He acknowledged me but continued reading. "Yellow looks well on you." He complimented.

"Thank you sir." I curtsied and went back to serve the other guests and clean tables until he called me over at the end of the night.

He handed me a book stacked with receipts. "I need you to balance this before you leave tonight. I'm concerned about inconsistencies and you mentioned you were good with numbers."

"Certainly, sir." I sat down at his table, and my knee brushed his own briefly until we both cleared our throats and sat up a little straighter. It didn't take long for me to finish. "Well, according to this ledger and these receipts, you have a discrepancy of twenty three pounds, and four shillings." I told him, handing the book back to him.

"Thank you Elle. You may go home for the evening." He smiled, before turning to a man I had seen before but hadn’t been introduced to and nodded his head. The man left out the back.

"Oh, the floor still needs to be mopped and..." I tried to say, but he interrupted me.

"Tommy will handle it tonight. You go ahead." He motioned to the door.

"Alright. Good evening, sir." I said as I got my bag and Tommy nodded at me to get out of there. As I walked from behind the bar to the front door, a man was being dragged in from the back door, and I didn't wait around to see what was going to happen next. I just walked quickly out of there and to my room three blocks away.

***Oliver’s POV***

I had a feeling John Kemp from one of my boxing houses was stealing from me, and I just needed someone good with math to make sure for me. I wasn’t stupid, but my business didn’t require much calculations and I wanted solid proof before I gutted him like a fish. My new barmaid had mentioned she was good with numbers, so I called her over once all of the patrons had left for the night.

It was all I could do not to stare at her anyway. She looked lovely in that new dress, and her cheeks glowed a pretty rose pink. She still called me sir if there was anyone around, and while that bothered me, she was smiling at me more, and I enjoyed that. I found myself staying after hours to listen to her hum to herself as she cleaned, and I was becoming quite taken with this young woman. She wasn’t like any of the women I was used to. She asked for nothing, and even tried to give me her bonus back saying it was too much and I know for a fact that she had missed too many meals and was likely sleeping on the streets. She wasn’t a selfish cunny like the rest of the women I had met, and I was growing quite fond of her.

She made her calculations quickly and then told me John had been snaking me for over 23 pounds. I excused her for the evening and had Jacob, my best mate and right hand man, bring John in. John was almost crying when he was sat down in front of me. “Twenty three pounds, four shillings.” I repeated her figures to him calmly.

“Mr. Payne sir, I can explain.” he tried to beg.

“Can you now?” I stared him in the eyes. “How long have you been skimming from me John? Is that why the missus is always in the best French fashion, and you bought a new house last month, did ye not?” John stuttered and found no words could come out. “Well that’s not much of an explanation now is it John? We’ll try this again, one at a time. How long ya’ been skimming from me?”

“Sir please.” He begged, but didn’t give me an answer.

“My guess would be a little over a year.” I answered for him. “So, here’s what’s going to happen John. You’re going to pay me a hundred pounds, and you’ve 14 days to do it. A single farthing short, and I’ll be talking to your dear old wife about the matter.”

“Please Mr. Payne, I can’t come up with that so quickly.” He cried.

“Aw, but you can. Even if you need to be handing the deed to the pretty house you just bought over to me. I’m not unreasonable, but I won’t let thieving slide. The only reason you’re not at the bottom of the river right now is you’re kin to my Aunt Alice. 14 days John. Don’t be late, Alice looks beautiful in black.” I was dead calm, and his eyes were as big as tea cups. “Now f**k off.” I looked back at the ledger, and wondered how many others had been skimming from them. John left quickly, and Jacob came back and sat across from me.

“Alice huh?” Jacob grinned.

“A dead man doesn’t pay his debts Jacob.” He smirked at me, knowing I had let him off light. “Go round up the other ledgers for me. It’s far too long I’ve blindly trusted our managers.” I told him.

“Well enough.” He said to me, slamming a shot back. “I found your barmaids wareabouts you had asked for as well. It seems last night she went to The Blake and took a room for the week. I took the liberty to pay for next week so she can continue to focus here. I also ordered a week's worth of groceries to be delivered in the morning.”

“Now, now Jacob. She may think we’re doting on her.” I smiled as I sipped my whisky.

“This woman just saved you 23 pounds and the bar’s never been so clean. A half-sovereign ain’t gonna kill us.” He smiled back at me. “Besides, ya cheeky bastard, I haven’t seen you smile like this in three years.”

I gave him a warning look, but Jacob was probably the only man in town not afraid of me. We’d known each other since we were little boys, pickpocketing on the street together. I don’t remember ever having parents, and boys school didn’t tolerate my backtalk and fighting very long. I was about six when I met Jacob and his brother Noah. Noah was older and looked after the two of us until we were around ten, that’s when he got picked up by the flatfoots for running opium for the boss. We never heard from him again, and since I’ve come up in the world, I haven’t been able to find him through my connections with the coppers. We’ll never stop looking though. “Go get the ledgers, ya fucker. I want them tonight.” I threw my hand up and waved him away from me, and chuckled a bit.

“Are you gonna let me meet her?” He asked with a smile. I stared at him hard and serious for a moment. “Not like that mate, calm yourself.” He laughed at me.

“Tomorrow. She’ll be serving the box. You can meet her then.” I said begrudgingly as I lit my cigarette. “And don’t worry Tommy, you’ll still get your cut.”

“I’m much less worried about my cut than I am that girl sir. She’s too sweet to be here, as I said before.” He mumbled behind the bar.

“Was it not you saying you hoped I kept her around? That she’s useful.” I toyed with him.

“I did.” He said with a deep breath. “And she is, but she shouldn’t be on the floor out there with all those dirty bastards staring her up and down. It’s enough to make my skin crawl, and she barely bats an eye.”

“She does have an iron constitution.” I puffed my smoke a bit. “Good thing too. I’ll keep an extra eye out for her Tommy, never you mind that.”