The sixteen year old stood outside 35 Portland Row. A.J Lockwood & Co. Investigators. The sign read.

Valerie had been hovering around London for the past two days and without proper documents every agency had turned her down, her last hope was Lockwood & Co. Whatever agency this was? She hadn't heard or read anything about them but she needed them.

She'd been staring at her doc martens boots for a little too long, finally she took a breath and rang the door bell. A teenager dressed in baggy clothings opened the door. "Are you Arif's new girl?"

"Who's Arif?" She questioned the curly haired boy back.

"Runs the corner shop, usually sends donuts about now. But you don't have any donuts," he said adjusting his black framed glasses, "and you're too pretty to be Arif's girl."

What a weird boy. "Sorry, are you Mr. Lockwood?"

"Do you want me to be?" He gave her a little smirk. Even in that weather gloomy weather, the girl was wearing a mini skirt.

Was he trying to flirt? She didn't care. She pulled out the newspaper article from her cardigan pocket. "Can I see him? I saw his advert on the paper?"

"Oh!" The teenager sounded a bit surprised. "you're a candidate."

"Yes, yes I am."

"Come in." He welcomed her in.

Valerie stepped inside the wooden interiors. The house had a very cosy, welcoming feel to it. Until she heard a girl scream, "oh my god! Get that away from me!" The blonde girl ran past the teenagers and straight out of the main door.

Should she be concerned? But she followed the boy into the living room anyway, she needed a job, desperately. "You win, there was one more." The boy announced as they stepped into a well furnished living room.

A boy in black clothings stood by the fireplace, his back on them. "No, you win George. I checked the list. That was the last one."

"Then who's this?" George nodded at Valerie.

He turned around, Valerie caught her breath. The boy standing before her was none other than Anthony Lockwood, she recognised him from the rapier competition during which he beat Andrew Fittes. He smiled and introduced himself, "hello, I'm Anthony Lockwood."

"I'm Valerie Klein, I don't have an appointment but I saw your advert in the paper and I was in the area."

"You've heard of us?" Anthony asked hopefully. The boy was tall, pale and wore business-casual attire underneath his long coat.

"No."

"Would you like some tea? Or has George already offered?" He looked at her delightfully. The first thing that Anthony noticed about the alluring girl were her unique crimson eyes.

"I thought she was Arif's girl." George said out of the blue.

Arif with a girl like her, George might be mad. He scoffed, "you kidding? Look at her."

Valerie exhaled, what kind of drama has she gotten herself into.

"Sorry," Anthony apologised, they were making a fool of themselves in front of the new girl. They needed to be more professional, "take a seat."

Valerie nodded and sat on the sofa next to the fireplace. Whoever the Lockwood's were she could tell, they were well off because to own a house like this in one of the posh areas of London, one has to be more than comfortable.

The pale boy sat opposite to her. "Can I see your CV, please?"

Valerie pressed her lips, "let me get this straight...I don't have all my documents with me."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story," she murmured, "but I've the Sight and the Touch but primarily I'm a Listener."

The boy studied her closely, she was too pretty to be a ghost hunter. "Do you?"

She pulled out a ring from her pocket that had the initials JC and kept it on the coffee table. "I trained from Jacobs & Co."

Anthony picked up the silver ring, she could've stolen this from a student. "Hmm interesting."

Valerie could clearly see that Anthony Lockwood wasn't really buying her story, so she opened her purse and pulled out a Polaroid photo of her and her teammates with their uniforms on, for evidence.

He examined the photo, the mysterious girl really did train at Jacobs & Co. "You were part of the dream team, what made you quit?"

She leaned back, "I could tell you the whole story if you want but it's just not something, I like dwelling on."

"Some other time then." He said thoughtfully handing her back the photo and the ring, "should we get on with the tests?"

The girl was taken aback. "What tests? The advert didn't say anything about tests?"

George walked in holding a tray, the delicious smell of cookies and hot tea filled the air, "we like to see talent with our own eyes."

"Now then, what do you think...this is?" Anthony asked as he revealed to her a jar.

These boys aren't joking are they? And if she wanted the job she needed to abide by their rules even if she like it or not. "Uh...it's silver-glass, made by the sunrise cooperation." She tapped on the glass and a skull appeared, she gasped, what the hell was going on? "Umm...ahem, it's a ghost jar. The skull's the source, and the ghost is tied to it. Couldn't tell you what sort. Phantom or a specter, maybe?"

"That's right, well done." Anthony said impressed.

"She was shaken." George said, not wanting to admit that a pretty thing like her could be talented as well, "you could see it."

Valerie squinted at the nerd who was flipping through the pages of a comic book, "you know I can hear you." Then she turned her attention back to Anthony, who was gazing at her. "Where did you get it? Only Fitters and Rotwell had them."

Anthony blinked back to reality. "Time for questions later. Now, tell me, what do you think of this?"

Another one? Valerie reached for the pocket knife in front of her, she held it in her hands and closed her eyes. "I can hear...gunshots."

"Sounds nasty," George said fanning the book on his face.

"No, they're not violent. There's no suffering. This...this belonged to someone happy, gentle."

Anthony was more impressed. "Very good. My uncle. Used to take it with him on hunting trips. Even had it with him when he keeled over from a stroke. He was a nice broke. Shame." He then pointed at a watch, the girl huffed as she hold the golden watch in her palms and closed her eyes, suddenly she started hearing distorted voices and screams of man and woman. "There's death attached to this. A lot of death. It's vile." She quickly put it back on the table. "I don't know what this is or where you got it, but nobody should be holding it. Certainly not in the context of a job interview."

Whoever this mystery girl was, she was no ordinary Listener, she's the best Anthony Lockwood has come across and he was thoroughly impressed. "It's a memento of my first successful case. Have you ever heard of the mass murderer Harold Beck?"

"No. And I don't think I want to, thanks very much." She responded grimly, what stupid tests were these two boys putting her through.

"That's very sensible, horrible business." The boy looked at her dotingly, like he isn't putting her through trauma. "Finally, give this a go."

George was curious now as he leaned towards her. Was she really going to go through this again? Shit! She needed a job badly. So she ignored the frustration building in her and picked up the mug, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Expecting the worst. "I can't sense anything."

"Really you sure?" Anthony asked curiously.

"Try a little harder, why don't you?" George persisted.

Valerie tried for a while, giving her best but finally gave up, "no, I'm positive. Nothing."

"I should hope not." Anthony was beaming as she opened her eyes, "that's George's toothbrush cup."

George laughed as she kept the mug down. Are these two for real? She wanted to smack them.

"I didn't come here to be made fun of." She rose and picked up her bag. "I don't know what kind of so called agency this is, but as far as I can see it's about as prestigious as a couple of pathetic schoolboys playing agents before their parents get home. I'll see myself out."

George whistled. "Feisty."

She stopped on her tracks and turned to him, "step over here and I will show you how feisty I am."

"Maybe I will."

"I don't see you moving," she said. These boys were testing her patience to the crore.

"Is this a new way to flirt?"

"Let's go on a date and find out then?" She narrowed her eyes, she was really going to smack him.

"Miss Klein, I apologise for upsetting you, but I assure you this is a genuine enterprise, and that was a serious test. One which you passed with flying colours," Anthony said. "You'd be amazed how many candidates come in here and make up some cock and bull story. It'd be the most haunted cup in London if the mildest of their tales's were true."

"So you're in?" George stood up and adjusted his glasses.

"In on what?" She raised a brow.

"The agency, if you're interested?" Anthony gave her a kind smile. The boy does have a mesmerising smile, she'd give that to him.

Every atom in her body told her to run. This is Anthony Lockwood in person, the boy who bested Andrew Fittes in the competition and they mutually dislike each other. But this was her last option, she'll need to be smart—make enough money and leave the agency before anyone finds out. She finally gave them a nod.

"Well then, welcome to Lockwood & Co."

Anthony Lockwood showed her around the house that he owned, she had so many questions about how a teenager came to own such a piece of property and about his family as well but those questions were for another day.

At the end of their tour he lead her to the attic, where his old room used to be. The rent would be deducted from her wages, if she wanted to stay over with them and with no place to stay she'd gladly agreed. But one thing bugged her about the house, they could use any room in the house except for the locked room on the second floor which was off limits. And from what Valerie had learned, locked rooms do hold secrets. What was Anthony Lockwood trying to hide?

15. 02. 2023