Floor 68 by Jack Probyn

Author:Jack Probyn [Probyn, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

37

Creation

December 2, 2017, 13:01

The Oblix restaurant fell silent. Elizabeth’s face had dropped at the mention of her family’s name. How did Charlie know who Jake was? Who Maisie was? Ellie? Was this another relative of Moshat or Adil Hakim? Or was it another survivor of the Detson tower fire, seeking revenge? She didn’t know.

‘Give her here,’ Elizabeth said, holding her hand out.

Maisie was standing to the side of Charlie’s legs, hostage. He had grabbed her from Elizabeth as soon as he’d identified them all. Since then, Charlie had been tending to her, making sure she was safe. He gave her a glass of water and some snacks from behind the bar. Everything about what he was doing concerned Elizabeth. She hated not being by Maisie’s side.

‘I don’t think so, Elizabeth. I’m not going to hurt her, don’t worry. She could prove valuable to me. You’ve still got the little one with you. And I wouldn’t want to harm a precious, gorgeous little girl like this, would I?’ Charlie bent his knees, stroked Maisie’s face and smiled. Looking to Elizabeth, he said, ‘You didn’t answer my earlier question.’

‘What was it?’ Elizabeth asked.

‘I asked why you were pregnant. Are two children not enough for you? Have you not wasted enough of the planet’s resources as it is with your existence and your children’s existence?’

Elizabeth didn’t reply. Not because she was afraid or pretending to act defiant, but because she didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t even considered the impact her baby would have on the environment. And anyway, why should she care? It didn’t affect her, and it wouldn’t affect her unborn baby, either. There was enough income to feed the soon-to-be five of them, and if there wasn’t, Jake and Elizabeth would look into their options. They had discussed Elizabeth’s potential return to a salaried job, whereby she could earn enough to compensate for the newborn, and then, once they were more financially stable, she could return to freelance photography.

‘Elizabeth,’ Charlie said, taking her by surprise. ‘I’m talking to you.’

‘No,’ she said instinctively.

‘No? You don’t think having another baby is a problem?’

‘Should I?’

Charlie hesitated for a moment.

‘Did you plan them?’

‘Yes. And no.’

‘Do you feel like they’re the biggest mistake you ever made in your life? Do you look at them every day and regret their entire existence? Do you wish you could wind back the time and kill them while they were in the womb?’

Elizabeth stared at her daughters. ‘Please, you’re scaring me. I love them.’

‘This country – and the rest of the population – is wrought with poverty, undernourishment, and depravity. The rich stay rich while the poor stay poor, and then they’re just left to die without a National Health Service that can afford to look after them. Tell me, Elizabeth Jane Tanner, how much do your children mean to you?’

Elizabeth fell silent. Was this a trick question? Was he going to make her choose between Maisie or Ellie?

‘They’re my entire world,’ she said finally.

‘Do you love them

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