Kiya’s Legacy

Having heard from reputable sources back home that Riverside had a thriving underground criminal community.  Viola decided that the first order of business, now that she had moved in, was to check this information for herself, and took a taxi straight over to the address that she had been given.

What she found was unimpressive to say the least.

Smashed and boarded up windows littered an ugly, brick, eyesore of a building that at first glance appeared neglected and empty.  Rounding a weed infested corner she grimaced as a swarm of cockroaches, disturbed by her passage, skittered across the cracked tarmac, and she almost missed the entrance, set back as it was discreetly from the road behind a peeling wooden fence.

Unlike the rest of the building, the entrance was obviously well used, and she smiled to herself, noting state of the art cameras, camouflaged to seem old and worn, and a prominent security palm plate.  It appeared that she had found the right place.

Loitering in full view of the camera, she only had to wait a few minutes before the door swished open, and a middle aged woman stepped out.

“You wantin’ something kid?”

Viola feigned nonchalance, leaning against the wall and examining her nails as she tried not to bristle at being called a kid.  She might be young but any fool could see she was a grown adult dammit!  Glancing up she caught a flash of amusement on the woman’s face and gritted her teeth.

“Heard you might have work…”  To hell with it she thought, flicking her hair back with a practised toss of her head, worst the woman could do was laugh.

“I’ve been told I have the kind of talents this organisation might find useful.”  She paused, then shrugged.  “I’ve just moved into town and thought I should pay my respects, but if your not interested, I guess I can always freelance.”

The woman scowled.  “Not in my damn town you won’t!”  She dug into a pocket of her worn jeans and pulled out a tattered packet of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting up she mirrored Viola’s pose, leaning against the wall on the other side of the door, then pointed one tobacco stained finger in her direction.

“Listen to me kid, and listen good.”  She took a drag of her cigarette, breathing deep before blowing smoke into the air between them.

“Anyone who grifts, lifts, muscles or smuggles in Riverview either works for me or finds themselves feeding Deathfish at the bottom of the river, you get me?”

Viola lifted an eyebrow, not quite managing to conceal her surprise… This woman was the mob’s Boss?  She had expected a low level enforcer or maybe one of the commanders but not the Boss herself!

Realising by the woman’s narrow eyed and suspicious look that she had taken too long to reply, Viola coughed, then said quickly, “Yes Ma’am!..  Absaloutely… Whatever you say Ma’am!”

“Don’t call me Ma’am!”  The woman dropped what was left of her cigarette, grinding it under her heel.

“My name’s Rhoda Bagley, and that’s Miz Bagley to the likes of you. “  She stood up straight and gave Viola a hard stare before adding, “‘You’ve got some brass, coming here off your own bat, so I’ll give you a chance.  Be here tomorrow at nine am…  You’d better be as good as you think you are.”

“Yes Ma’am…  I mean Miz Bagley…  Thankyou…  I’ll be here…  Nine am sharp.”  Viola found that she was talking to Rhoda’s back as the woman slapped her hand against the security palm plate before striding swiftly through the opening door, back into the building.

Making sure that she was out of view of the cameras, Viola gave a whoop, hugged herself and did a short version of what she liked to call her little evil dance.  She was in!  Starting at the bottom to be sure, but that didn’t bother her, she was certain she wouldn’t stay at the bottom for long.

She was in such a good mood that she allowed herself a minute to dream of ‘replacing’ Rhoda as boss and laughing at her ghost, then she decided to put the next part of her plans into action.
Across the road from her new workplace was a community swimming pool.

There was plenty of the day left, she would go over there and start scoping out the possibilities right now.