The Hunt by Amy Meredith

with his fingers. Or maybe it was just the urge to touch her.
    ‘No. I’m getting a handle on doing it cold. But it still takes way too long,’ Eve replied. ‘How’s it going on your side? Find out anything?’
    ‘No. Some old parish papers are mixed in with the other stuff. I spent last night translating what ended up being a sermon about sloth,’ Luke answered.
    James Frankel dropped into the seat in front ofLuke. They would have to continue this particular conversation later.
    ‘I can’t believe Ms Taylor’s out,’ James commented. ‘She seems like the type who would just refuse to get sick.’
    ‘Yeah, hard to imagine her bowing down to some random bacteria,’ Luke agreed. Eve frowned. ‘What?’ he asked.
    ‘Ms Taylor’s car was in the parking lot before school. At least, I’m pretty sure it was.’ Her cheeks turned a little pink. ‘Jess and I say good morning to it sometimes, because it’s so cute. I want a Mini Cooper.’
    ‘You don’t have a licence,’ James reminded her.
    ‘I want one just to sit in,’ Eve explained. ‘I do think I saw her car today. I guess it could have been yesterday, but I can really picture it this morning.’
    ‘When you stopped to talk to it,’ Luke teased.
    ‘Hey, Ms McHugh,’ James called out, reading her name off the board. The sub started. ‘What’s up with Ms Taylor?’
    ‘I … I don’t know the details,’ Ms McHugh answered.
    Luke thought she was lying. Being a minister’s son had given him a fairly accurate lie detector; people always lied to his dad, trying to pretend they werebetter behaved than they actually were. Ms McHugh was probably lying because there was a rule about subs giving out personal teacher info, even just something like, ‘She has the flu.’
    ‘Ms Taylor’s car is outside,’ Eve said.
    ‘I don’t know anything about that,’ Ms McHugh said. ‘All I know is she didn’t call the office to let them know she wouldn’t be here, and she didn’t leave any lesson plans.’ She bit her lip as if she hadn’t planned to tell them that.
    There was a rush of people through the door, just beating the bell. Ms McHugh scurried behind the desk and pulled out the clipboard Ms Taylor used for the attendance sheets. As she started calling names, Eve leaned across the aisle. ‘I don’t like this,’ she said.
    ‘Maybe she got here, wasn’t feeling well and one of the other teachers drove her home,’ Luke suggested. ‘Except then the office would have known.’
    ‘Do you think …?’
    Eve didn’t finish the sentence, but Luke knew what she was asking. ‘I think we’d better pick up the pace on the research.’
    When Ms McHugh finished calling roll, Luke tapped Eve lightly on the arm. ‘Follow my lead,’ hesaid under his breath. He raised his hand. The sub pointed at him. ‘Yes?’
    ‘My study partner, Eve, and I are working on a special project.’ He could practically feel his brain clicking as he tried to come up with a project involving math that would require the library. ‘We’re writing a report on the origins of algebra in Babylonia.’ Jess wasn’t the only one who watched the Discovery Channel. ‘Could we get a library pass to work on it?’
    ‘It’s for extra credit,’ Eve added smoothly. ‘Ms Taylor lets us go to the library every Thursday.’
    No one in the class laughed or called them on the lie. Luke was sure they were all wishing they’d come up with as brilliant a story.
    Ms McHugh hesitated. ‘Fine,’ she decided. ‘We’re just going to have a study period in here anyway.’
    ‘We need a pass. Ms Taylor keeps them in the top drawer,’ Eve said. Ms McHugh quickly signed two passes and handed them over. Luke and Eve rushed out of the room before she could ask any more questions.
    ‘Babylonia. Nice,’ Eve said when he had shut the classroom door behind them.
    ‘I don’t have any of the demon papers with me, butwe can go online and keep looking for a demon whose attack style matches whatever