The Lost Souls Dating Agency (12 page)

‘I like how you call them cases and your clients. These are not mysteries you're solving, Miss Marple,' Megan teased.

‘Oh but isn't love a great big mystery?' I chuckled.

‘Well I'm having no luck with it here at nerd central.' Megan sighed.

‘Where have all the cute young journalism graduates gone?' I asked mischievously.

‘To engineering, or accountancy I'm told. Not many young men in the liberal arts.'

‘That's sexist!'

‘That's the sad truth,' Megan concluded.

‘Well I'll keep my eyes open then.'

‘No thanks, I don't want a mythical boyfriend.' Megan rolled her eyes.

I knew my friend was being flippant, but I asked her seriously, ‘Megs, do you think Lost Souls is unethical?'

She paused. ‘That depends on who you ask. Like you said, doesn't everyone deserve a chance at love?'

I still felt uneasy. What's to say that Victor would not tire of Fiona one day? What would happen then? He could turn her into a vampire, if that was what Fiona wanted. But what if she didn't? I forced myself to stop this self-doubt. Every relationship had its perils. I just wished the ones I arranged didn't come with a life-time expiration date…

***

The next day, I was sitting in the office looking through cut-outs from The Mythical Weekly and making notes, when I heard the main door open. A female voice addressed Roxanne. I picked up the cut-outs and shoved them in my desk drawer as Roxanne entered my office with the visitor. She was tall and slim, dressed attractively in a colourful cotton skirt and long hooped earrings. I recognised Jaya instantly. She had the look of Mr Singh about her.

‘Roxanne, could you bring us some tea please?' I asked before Roxanne left the room. She nodded.

I looked at the visitor. ‘Jaya Singh, I presume?'

‘That's me.' The girl sighed. She looked thoroughly underwhelmed.

‘Your father didn't tell me you would be coming today.'

‘My father doesn't know I'm here. Otherwise he would have insisted on coming along.'

‘So did your father tell you why he came to visit me a few days ago?' I asked casually.

‘Sure.' Jaya's dark eyes looked straight into mine. ‘My father wants you to find me a husband. He thinks that will solve everything.' She looked away after she said that.

‘Solve what in particular?'

‘Oh the trouble he thinks we are having, mainly caused by me and my tendency to turn into a particular marsupial once or twice a month.' She didn't bat an eyelid as she said this. Neither did I.

‘He explained about your…' I wasn't sure what to call it.

‘My peculiarity?' Jaya finished for me.

‘Okay, your peculiarity. Yes, your father was concerned about it.'

‘Did he tell you why?'

‘He blamed your family's migration to Australia for it.'

‘Hah! Typical.' Jaya's laugh was hard edged. ‘Well that's partly right,' she looked past me, through the bay window behind my desk, into the distance, ‘but he doesn't know everything.'

I remained silent. I wanted Jaya to continue. Roxanne walked in with cups of tea. She placed them with a smile on my desk. She sensed the quiet and turned to walk out the door glancing at me. I nodded thanks.

Jaya picked a cup and sipped it.

‘Nice tea,' she said absent-mindedly.

‘Thanks. I love my tea. I'm pretty sure it can cure the world's ills.'

‘Can it cure mine?' Jaya asked.

‘Perhaps.'

Jaya smiled, it made her finely-featured face shine.

‘So you were telling me about your father…' I coaxed.

‘He thinks that we are a normal traditional Indian family, that he can find me a husband in the old way and everything will be okay. But we are anything but normal. Sometimes I think he forgets that.'

I waited for Jaya to continue.

‘Look, Ms Gupta —'

‘Please call me Shalini.'

‘Shalini, I love my father and I love my family. But sometimes I just wish I wasn't me, you know?'

I did know. I nodded sympathetically.

‘I can't go on hunts with them like I used to when I was a child,' Jaya continued sadly.

My interest was piqued. ‘I'm not sure I understand.'

‘At the full lunar cycle, when my family transforms and goes on a hunt with other members of the were-community, I have to make sure I don't turn with them. Wolves and kangaroos don't really make good hunting partners,' Jaya sighed, ‘and though I know my family would never hurt me, we have to be careful, mainly because sometimes it's hard to control urges in our altered state.'

‘Is it unusual for members of the same family to turn into different creatures?' I asked curiously. I didn't know much about the were-world, but this seemed unusual, even to me.

‘Not very, my mother is a tigress, and she gets along with the wolves in our pack community. I think they have the same instinct to kill.' Jaya was unemotional. ‘Most members of our hunting community are wolves.'

Out of curiosity I asked, ‘And where does this community go to hunt?'

‘Oh the Dandenong Ranges to the south of the city are usually good,' Jaya replied nonchalantly.

What would the humans at Dandenong think of their were-visitors?

Jaya added, ‘They're careful not to be seen or heard. It's harder in Australia because there are no native wolves and tigers. My mother was spotted once many years ago and it was in the news. As you can imagine, that was a tense time for us.'

Actually, I found it very hard to imagine.

‘I think in many ways, I have it easiest. No one even blinks when they see me. I am free to wander as I please. I just have to be careful around highways.' Jaya shrugged. ‘Anyway, I didn't come here to give you a lesson on the habits of were-creatures. What I wanted to say was that my father might think he has my best interests in mind, but I really don't see how this will change things.'

‘What things in particular?' I searched her face for answers.

‘He thinks I'm an unhappy loner,' Jaya said unemotionally.

‘Are you?' I asked quickly.

‘Sometimes…sometimes I am. But other times I can't wait for the full moon so I can have time away from everything, even my family.' After another pause, she added, ‘Especially my family.'

‘Jaya, do you want to get married?' I used the direct approach.

Jaya considered the question carefully.

‘I'm ready to find someone to share my life with. If that means marriage, so be it.'

Her answer was very unconvincing.

‘Are you just doing this so you can get away from it all?'

‘Isn't that what marriage is for?' Jaya laughed. I considered the girl seated in front of me. It was so hard to assess her situation.

Jaya stood up from her chair. ‘It was nice to meet you, Shalini. I was curious to see the matchmaker my father had talked about. You're nothing like what I expected.'

‘Thanks, I think.' I smiled.

‘Can I ask, do you have any experience with the were-community?'

‘No. Your family are my first were-clients,' I replied frankly.

‘And how are you going to go about finding me a husband?' Jaya asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

I was wondering this myself. ‘I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure…yet.'

Jaya looked at me for a moment then burst into giggles. ‘This is going to be more fun than I thought!'

‘Great,' I said grudgingly.

‘I'll look forward to hearing about your search!' And with that she majestically swooped out of my office.

It took me ages to fall into a fitful sleep that night. At six a.m. after tossing and turning the entire night, I finally gave up. I crawled out of bed and watched the morning light slowly emerge through my kitchen window. I had no idea how to arrange dates for Jaya.

I felt irritable from my lack of sleep. Plus I hadn't heard from Will since his hasty retreat from our lunch. Not even a message on my phone. Thinking about that made me grumpier. I left for the warehouse early. Roxanne was not in yet. I went to make myself a cuppa, but the canister was empty. Great start to the morning. Ugh.

I sat wearily on the sofa in my office, thinking, unsure of what to do next for Jaya. The key was contacting members of the were-community. But how?

I closed my eyes and leaned back on the sofa. When I opened them again, the red phone on my desk glared at me. I had a thought. Jaya's father had contacted me so easily on it. Would it work the other way? It was worth a try. I quickly walked to it and lifted the receiver. There was still no dial tone.

‘Huh-hullo?' I said tentatively. There was silence on the line.

I tried again. ‘Umm is there an operator? Operator please.' I heard a faint click and a second later a smart sounding young woman said, ‘This is the operator.'

Unbelievable! It's always the simplest solutions.

‘Oh hello,' I faltered.

‘How can I be of assistance?' the operator asked.

‘Oh I was wondering if you could get me in touch with the pack leader of the were-community of Melbourne?' Uh, pack leader? That sounded ridiculous.

‘I'm sorry,' the operator's voice said politely, ‘we are not allowed to disclose that information for security reasons.'

Hmm. I tried again. ‘Who am I able to contact in the were-community then?'

There was silence. I thought the operator was gone. Then the smart voice said, ‘One moment please,' and she transferred me to a ringing line.

‘Hello,' a male voice on the other end said, and I was ready to say an excited hello, when I realised it was a recorded message, ‘you have reached the office of Steven Gilmore. I am unable to take your call at the moment. Please state your name and your business clearly and I'll call you back.' Beep.

I was caught unprepared. I stammered a little. ‘Oh hello, Mr Gilmore, this is Shalini Gupta, I was hoping to talk to someone about Jaya Singh, I believe she is a member of your community.' I was at a loss to continue, so cut it short. ‘If you can call me back that would be great.' But where should I tell him to call? I didn't know the number of my mysterious red phone and I was hesitant to leave my mobile number. Instead I said, ‘If you ask the operator for the Lost Souls Agency, it will connect to me. Thanks!'

I hung up. In hindsight perhaps I should have mentioned Mr Singh instead of Jaya. But surely this Steven Gilmore would know who I was talking about? I hoped the operator had connected me to the right person.

I heard Roxanne walk into the warehouse and I emerged out of my office to greet her. Roxanne carried a canister of tea and I could have hugged her. The day was starting to get better already.

***

Later that afternoon, the red phone rang. I answered it eagerly.

‘Hello, this is Shalini at Lost Souls,' I said cheerily.

‘This is Steven Gilmore. I believe you left a message for me earlier today?'

Oh goodie. ‘Thanks for calling me back, Mr Gilmore!'

‘Please call me Steven.' He sounded very suave. ‘You left me no choice but to call you back, Ms Gupta, with that intriguing message. Lost Souls! I've heard about your agency. It has caused some excitement in our circles.'

I was unsure how to react to my new found fame.

‘So you know Jaya Singh?' I asked.

‘Yes, I know her well.' He offered no further information.

I was curious about him. ‘Would you mind me asking, what role you play in the were-community?' I added quickly, ‘Forgive my ignorance, I'm quite new to all this.'

‘Not at all, I am treasurer for our organisation. I'm afraid I cannot provide you with any more details. But I've known the Singh family for many years.'

‘Mr Singh came to see me last week, Steven, and I was hoping you could help me to assist him with something.'

‘What might that be?' Was that a knowing smile I detected?

‘Can you tell me how I can get in touch with young male weres in Melbourne?'

There was silence over the phone. Awkward! I persisted. ‘I know it sounds like a weird request, but I need to meet some members of the community to familiarise myself with,' I paused, ‘its particular elements. I'm not sure if you know about Lost Souls, but we are a dating agency, so it's nothing sinister I promise!'

I heard him chuckle. ‘Well isn't love the most sinister thing of all?' He continued in a more businesslike tone, ‘You can come to a meeting of the organisation tomorrow night.' I wrote down the address he gave me. ‘There will be some people you can introduce yourself to. If they agree, they might be able to assist. We can take it from there.'

I knew that was code for
we will help you if we can trust you
. ‘Thanks!' I said. ‘I'll make sure I'm there.' As an afterthought I added, ‘It was lucky that I was able to get in touch with you!'

‘You have either been exceedingly lucky to get as far as you have, or exceedingly unlucky. Only time will tell. Goodbye.' The phone clicked dead.

Dramatic! But I was getting used to that by now.

The next night, I pulled the hand brake on my red Barina and peered through the windscreen at South Melbourne town hall. The Roman columns of the Victorian classical style building stood imposingly before me. I walked through these columns and waited at a door under the clock tower. I bit my lower lip nervously. The corridors were dark and quiet. At least it wasn't a full moon night. I gave an inadvertent start as a loud clang echoed across the columns. The large wooden door creaked open and a tall man strode out. White streaks in his hair gleamed like silver in the dim light. This must be Steven Gilmore.

‘Hello, Shalini. Come with me.' He didn't pause for niceties, nor extend a handshake. He turned and retreated through the door.