Vampire State of Mind by Jane Lovering Page A

away from York, wondering if they can persuade you to leave your job. All this wrestling with vampires stuff, they are absolutely terrified that something is going to happen to you!’ She sounded bitter, with reason. Our parents had never worried that much about her. But then, they’d never had to. She spent her spare time helping around the smallholding and working at the local Cats’ Protection League; was large, unfashionable and, if it hadn’t been for her twelve-year marriage to the deceased Andrew, a born spinster.
    I was always described as the young, flighty one, but I think my parents’ definitions could use some work. Thirty-one is barely young and working for the council is kind of the antithesis of flightiness. ‘I’m perfectly safe! Honestly, Abbs, you can tell them, I know my job looks weird but it’s about as dangerous as giving out parking tickets, and about as interesting.’ Carefully not even
thinking
about Harry and Eleanor and this afternoon’s high strangeness, I patted the tweedy arm. ‘Abbs, I like what I do. I’m
good
at what I do. It’s not a patch on what
you
do, of course, but it’s me.’
    In my back pocket my mobile rang.
    â€˜Well, as long as you’re careful.’
    â€˜I don’t really
need
to be careful, Abbs, honestly, my job is bagging and tagging and watching a computer screen. The newspapers like to blow everything out of proportion and make the Otherworlders sound exotic and dangerous but really they’re as interested in keeping everything running smoothly as we are. No-one wants …’ I stopped. Abbie remembered the Troubles. I didn’t need to remind her of how it had been. ‘Honestly,’ I repeated. Then I flipped open my phone and Liam’s breathless voice spoke, louder than necessary.
    â€˜You’d better get down here, Jessie. We’ve got a live one, and they reckon they need you.’
    I gave a kind of apologetic grin at my sister. ‘Where are the Hunters, Liam? This is their call, surely?’
    â€˜They’re there, but they reckon the detectors are going insane, what with all the Otherworld activity, so they need a reliable person and, guess what, your name came up.’
    â€˜What do they expect me to do, alphabetise something to death?’ I muttered.
    â€˜They can’t see what’s coming at them, that was the message I got. Well, the actual message was ‘Ahhhhh, fuck, what the fuck … can’t tell … get help,’ but you see what I mean.’
    â€˜And?’
    â€˜And you’re the nearest person that can tell a vampire from one of the Hunters up for the Run. Someone gets downed, it had better be an Otherworlder otherwise things are going to get messy, so … guess it’s you, Jessie.’
    Sweat broke out on the palms of my hands. ‘That sounds like a posh name for bait.’
    â€˜Jessie, the place is swarming with Hunters. Plus, you know how to handle yourself. You went on the self-defence courses, didn’t you?’
    I had, but only because I thought they would be full of blokes. All fourteen of us girls who’d signed up had thought the same. ‘Yes, but administering a groin-kick to a padded-up ex-rugby player isn’t the same as fighting something that wants to fight back.’
    â€˜It’s double time, evening rates.’
    â€˜Wow. And suddenly I’m interested.’ I still owed Rach last month’s rent. Liaison came way down the list of priorities when it came to pay rises and I swear we were still being paid at 1988 levels. ‘What is it, a vamp gone rogue?’ That wasn’t too scary; all I’d have to do was point the Hunters at the right body. I could be home in time for
Shameless.
‘Where and when?’
    â€˜It’s in the Museum Gardens, you know? Near the river?’
    As I struggled into my jacket, Abbie gave me a surprising hug. ‘Take