Off school grounds. Out of his jurisdiction. And he hated it. How they always went for the same kids. The ones who wanted the nice stuff. The ones who’d never be given it. Jude glanced over to Warren. He had his phone out. Camera up. Angling itright to Reuban and the bloke under the tree. Subtle, but Jude saw it.
Then Warren lowered the phone and called out, “Reuban!”
But movement further down the road caught Jude’s attention before he could figure out what the hell Warren was doing and when he turned, his stomach dropped.
Callum.
Standing right across from him. But Callum wasn’t looking athim. He had eyes set on Warren. And he did that laugh. That private laugh Jude knew so well. And Warren was watching right back at him. As if they were both in on the same joke. Not that Warren was laughing. Especially not when Callum lifted two fingers to his eyes, then aimed them squarely at Warren.
Jude’s pulse slammed once, hard. Instinct screamed for him to move. Run.
But tiny, bright-eyed Bethany from Year Seven, who absorbed every topic like a sponge, was suddenly in front of him, hugging a history textbook to her chest.
“You know what you said about the Egyptians, sir?”
Jude had to drag himself back to the class he’d just taught. “Which bit?”
“That they took stuff with them to the afterlife?”
“Uh…yeah.”
“Did they believe it worked? Like… they’d actually think their cat would be waiting for them?”
Jude forced himself to focus on her, even as his peripheral vision locked onto Callum across the road, standing there like lead weight, gaze pinning Jude in place.
“They didn’t just believe it, Bethany—” Jude watched Callum clutch his heart as if wounded then turned away, “—they built their whole lives around it. Everything they made, they made to last forever.”
“That’s interesting, sir.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“What would you bury with you?”
He adjusted his glasses. The first answer that came to mind was a knife, so he could fight Callum in the afterlife too, but he couldn’t say that to a twelve-year-old. “My books,” he said instead. “So I’d have something to read while I’m there.”
“What’s your favourite book, sir?”
He hesitated. Too many answers crowded in, most of them too telling. Then, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
“What’s it about?”
“A man who escapes his past…” He glanced at Callum again. “And makes sure it never catches him again.”
Bethany smiled. “Sounds good.” Then she skipped off into the stream of students.
And Callum stepped off the kerb.
Jude ushered the last of the stragglers through in haste, then stepped back inside the school boundary. He swung the gate shut, letting the electronic lock slide home before Callum could reach him.
“Putting me behind bars again, eh?” Callum stopped close enough for Jude to smell his aftershave. “Where’ve you been, lamb?”
“I’m at work,” Jude said, keeping his tone even.
“I know.” Callum swept his gaze down him then back up. “Look cute. But that’s not what I asked. Where did you go?”
Footsteps sounded and Warren appeared the other side of the gate next to Callum.
“Everything okay, Mr Ellison?” Warren’s voice was calm, but there was a thread underneath it. “There a problem here?”
