Black Static #64 (July-August 2018) by 2018 Jul-Aug (retail) (epub)

Author:2018 Jul-Aug (retail) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: New Horror Fiction & Film
Publisher: TTA Press
Published: 2018-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

6

John sent Eleanor to the diamond wholesaler just after midday. She walked across the Jewellery Quarter, her thoughts like startled birds. She couldn’t contain them all. Her life was about to come apart at the seams and she was pulling the threads.

At the diamond dealers, Eleanor pressed the intercom button and told them where she was coming from. Inside, she sat, her body wracked with tremors that she felt sure would be apparent to the CCTV in the corner of the room. Did they look for that sort of thing? She had no idea. She was concerned about her appearance. With her swollen eye and the cuts and bruises around her face, she would be easily remembered. When they called for her, and the heavy steel door swung open, she felt sure they’d see the truth of her intentions etched on her wounded face and withdraw immediately. But the man with the envelope didn’t even blink. He knew her face by now. The faintest glimmer of recognition and tacit acknowledgment of her injuries as he passed the envelope across to her. Eleanor concentrated on keeping her hand still. She took the envelope and pressed it into her coat pocket and left the building.

Eleanor retraced her steps, feeling weightless with intent. She closed her hand tightly around the envelope of diamonds and made her way to her VW. She sat in the car and tried to control her breathing. Once she was certain that no one was nearby, she took out the envelope and studied the contents. She was fairly certain that there was at least £80,000 of uncertified diamonds in there. Almost untraceable. She would sell them piecemeal when they got to where they were going. A new life for them in another town.

Her heightened nerves only retreated a little when she was clear of the Quarter and heading towards Handsworth Wood. She’d only have an hour at the absolute most before John called her mobile to ask where she was. Two hours before the diamond dealers confirmed that she had collected the diamonds. It wouldn’t be a great leap to ascertain what had happened. They may have trusted her, but that goodwill would be swept off the table without hesitation, particularly when she didn’t answer the phone.

I was waiting outside the flat in Handsworth Wood, my car loaded up with Eleanor and Lily’s possessions. I didn’t own much, so there was nothing for me to take, save for a small case filled with my clothes. Lily was with me. By now I’d learned to navigate the seemingly complex rhythms of her mind and discovered that a simple approach worked best. I talked to her as if she were a small adult. She seemed to find it amusing. I told her shit that was probably inappropriate. She listened with rapt attention then she’d fall asleep in my arms. I could feel myself falling for her and her mother, kept catching myself. Sympathy wasn’t where love started. But I could sense my heart wanted to start beating again.

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