Boardwalk Empire Recap: Listen to Eli

Al’s guy Jake walks into some seedy speak to pick up Torrio’s payment then settles in to have a beer. Joe, the random who went with O’Banion to the sit down, recognizes Jake and starts in on him. Jake just wants to drink his beer and be on his way but Joe gets all pointy and says Jake called O’Banion a liar. (Well…) Jake has no idea what this guy’s damage is so he tries to leave. Which only pisses Joe off more so he cold-cocks poor Jake and proceeds to beat the crap out of him.

The prohies are loading up the booze and having the bodies cleared while Nucky, Owen and Rowland cool their heels in the cellar. Nucky sees one of the prohies go to their car but they’re in the clear. It’s clean and registered to one of Nucky’s dead thugs. Rowland offers up some of the license plates he has stashed. It’s how he’s (unsuccessfully) managed not to get tracked.

Owen remembers when he was a young dumbass like Rowland.

Of course, he’s sitting in his cellar with one guy he ripped off while the other guy he ripped off sent his prohie to kill Rowland but those are just details. Rowland thinks that the real key was to just flash his gun at whoever guards the stash because “who wants to get all killed over a few crates of booze.” Rowland completely misses the needle-scratch sound effect as Owen tries to look anywhere but at Nucky who gets thrown for a moment by the kids rational, and non-criminal, way of thinking but Nucky just says “No one.”

Rowland agrees but thinks “it’s a shame about Nate.” His partner. He thinks the Feds got him. Owen actually looks a little melancholy as he tells Rowland Nate didn’t have his luck. Before he can go too far down the guilty path, one of the Prohie suggests they check the basement again and they all hide from the flashlight.

Next morning, and Benny’s cutting laxatives into the heroin. He’s not paying attention to how much he’s added so Meyer reminds him not to add too much and give their customers the runs. This tweaks Benny who only gets more steamed when Charlie comes in and won’t talk in front of him. Benny thinks he’s earned the right to be a part of their conversations.  Charlie does not agree.  They argue briefly until Meyer shuts it down, telling Benny they’ll talk about it but not now.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie.

Then, in a totally not gay way, Charlie and Meyer talk about Charlie meeting with Masseria at noon. Meyer wants to go but Charlie says Masseria hates his “shayna punim” and Charlie doesn’t know what happens if Meyer shows up. Meyer’s all anxious and tells Charlie that Masseria just has to accept their love that dares not speak its name that he’s going to have to start playing well with others. Charlie tries to talk him down by joking about how headstrong Meyer is. Meyer settles down and tells Charlie the terms and territory he should aim for in negotiations and not to sit by any windows.