Chapter Three

Delighted to switch her focus to the more mundane side of life, Jody unlocked the door to Fur Baby Groomers, her business and sanctum. Fur Baby was Jody’s charging cord, a place to plug in and reenergize sapped energy that spirit manifestations depleted. Her workplace, for the most part, was a ghost-free zone. The daily reprieve from the inescapable chattering of spirits Fur Baby afforded her had turned out to be one of life’s biggest blessings. Within these walls, the Universe had granted her a safe harbor where she obtained a much-needed break from the emotional and physical burden of talking to spirits. Even her ever-present spirit guides made themselves scarce here.

She’d always loved working with animals and had a special rapport with them throughout her life. Unfortunately, the special abilities she possessed had always precluded her from having pets of her own. Animals tended to get nervous around the stray spirits that were drawn to Jody. Grooming dogs brought her joy and provided a way to share her love for animals—even if only with other people’s pets. She thought of every one of her cuddly, furry clients as her own.

Jody counted her blessings every day for the personable staff members she employed. Having Kim and Cassi around to deal with the pet’s owners provided her with a firewall of sorts. They made the chances of a visitation even more remote.

She conceded the fact that occasionally a deceased owner would show up to check on their still living pets. This type of spirit sojourn didn’t bother her in the least. The pets always seemed to recognize their loved ones and weren’t skittish when they made their presence known. Her precious energy remained intact during this type of visitation. Animals didn’t need her to prove herself through the vigorous authentication process which people generally required from her. Pets just seemed to have the innate ability to know and understand their loved one’s messages all on their own which took the pressure off of Jody.

Flipping the lights on, she made her way behind the waiting room counter to turn the computer on and get the front desk ready for business. When the bell above the front door rang, she glanced up to find Brad Masters strolling in. As part of their morning ritual, he held a cup of coffee for himself and a cup of tea for her. She knew by the smug grin he brandished, he must have something engaging to share with her this morning. His jovial presence soothed her and helped release some of the remaining pent-up stress from the previous night’s and early morning adventure with Fiona.

Brad was a gifted veterinarian who worked next door at the Be Well Animal Clinic. Jody enjoyed their morning chats as well as his company. The man’s infectious laugh always brightened her mood and kick-started her day on a positive note.

Over the years, Brad had become a work associate on whom she could depend. Not just for her morning laughter, but for his vast knowledge of animals. It didn’t matter if they had fur, or feathers, or scales—he cared about them all. On many occasions, she’d had the privilege of watching him work. His love for all living things was evident in his gentle touch and mannerisms.

As much as she enjoyed his company, though, she’d made certain they never socialized outside of the work environment. Through experience, she’d learned her extrasensory abilities weren’t something to share with anyone new to her personal life if she wanted to remain friends for any length of time. She thanked her lucky stars every day he hadn’t tried to cross the friendly workplace boundary. As business owners, they shared a comfortable symbiotic relationship. She recommended his business to her clients, who received excellent care for their pets at a discount. The same held true for his clients and her grooming business.

Moving to one of the waiting room chairs, she leisurely leaned back and accepted her cup of tea. Feeling almost giddy with curiosity about Brad’s morning tidbit, she was pleased to discover the knots in her shoulders were already relaxing.

Signaling her eagerness to get started with their discussion, she did her best to let everything go and riveted her full attention on Brad. She presented him with a smile. He enjoyed reading weird news articles and sharing the especially funny ones with her. A good belly laugh was just what the doctor ordered to counteract the distressing emotions—emotions which for some reason, she couldn’t quite shake on her own.

Knowing full well his intent was meant to torment her with anticipation, he took a long sip of his coffee while peering at her over the rim of his cup. “You’re purposely torturing me, Brad. Out with it!”

A broad grin settled on his face as he set his cup down. That particular smirk meant he’d found an especially titillating article.

“Did you hear about the man who turned himself into the police for killing his imaginary friend?”

Jody suspected Brad had to be pulling her leg. God knows, he’d taken liberties with the truth many times in the past to get a laugh. A giggle escaped at the absurdity of the story, but her curiosity got the best of her. With a flourish, she spread her arms wide and implored, “Do tell.” Relaxing against the chair’s back cushion, she opened herself up to receive the full impact of Brad’s tall tale. By the sound of it, she was sure to hear a real doozy.

Brad’s head shook in mock dismay as he emitted a “tsk, tsk” sound with his tongue. Watching him tell his whoppers entertained her almost as much as the stories themselves. She likened his storytelling abilities to attending a stage performance of an elaborate one-man show. Never sure whether he made the narrative versions up himself or if they were actual events, made the listening experience even more enjoyable. Either way, he was perhaps the best orator she’d ever met.

“Yep. It’s a sad story. Apparently, Darryl…” Brad reached out and lightly touched Jody’s arm to emphasize his point, “Darryl is the imaginary friend whom he allegedly killed. Apparently, Darryl is a real asshat.” His eyes glistened with laughter as he winked at her. “His word, not mine.”

Jody’s hands flew to her mouth trying to squelch the chortle before it escaped through her fingers. She failed miserably.

Seemingly unfazed by her snorts of laughter, Brad continued with a deadpan tone. “They’ve been friends for years, and throughout that time the killer had been blamed countless times for his imaginary friend’s indiscretions. But what was he to do? Darryl was the only family he had left.

“So when the murderer was wrongfully arrested and jailed for something his invisible friend had done, you can imagine how riled he became.

“But that wasn’t what turned an ideal friendship into frenemy territory. No, the angry man still loved his imaginary friend—his brother from another mother. He admitted to police that if he were in Darryl’s situation and could just disappear into thin air, he probably would’ve done the same damn thing. He just couldn’t hold that against him. What chapped his hide was the fact his best friend had abandoned him in a time of need. The dirty, rotten bastard didn’t even visit him in jail.” Brad’s finger poked the air for emphasis. “And that was the circumstance which started the downward spiral in their relationship.”

Unable to restrain herself any longer, Jody threw her head back, guffawing at his preposterous tale. Stress melted away as her soul filled with laughter.

“The final straw that sent the murderer into a frenzy dark enough to kill happened when he got out of jail. Keep in mind, the killer was still pissed about not seeing Darryl on visiting days. Imagine, if you will, his irritation when he showed up at home after doing hard time to find Darryl passed out on the couch and the apartment completely wrecked. He said Darryl had treated his humble abode as if it were a pigsty. He just couldn’t put up with his imaginary friend’s behavior anymore. Darryl had crossed the line. He had to go. That’s when he strangled him and buried him in the community garden behind his apartment complex.”

Both Brad and Jody laughed so hard tears rolled down their faces. Trying to calm herself, Jody took a sip of tea. She regretted doing so almost immediately when the hot drink choked her. To help Jody regain her breath, Brad unceremoniously thumped her on the back. Gasping for air, she grabbed a tissue to wipe the spittle away and offered one to Brad.

“The cops held him in custody while they converged on the garden where they found a freshly dug grave.”

“Oh, my God!” Jody screeched. Her laughter quickly died as she considered the possibility that perhaps Darryl wasn’t so imaginary after all.

“Yep. They called in their forensics team and carefully dug the grave up. When all was said and done, the only thing they’d found was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels. When they asked the man who had confessed to the murder and subsequent burial about the lack of a body, he told them he wasn’t surprised they couldn’t find Darryl. He was, after all, invisible.”

Their thunderous laughter rang throughout the room.

“I want to smell those cups for liquor. What the hell could possibly be so funny this early in the morning?”

Startled by the unexpected sound of her employee’s voice, Jody squealed with fright. Clutching her shirt above her heart, she gasped, “Cassi, you scared the crap out of me!” Her infectious giggle prompted smiles from both Cassi and Kim as they leaned on the counter. “Brad was telling me the funniest story, and I guess we didn’t hear you come in.”

A wicked grin lit Cassi’s face as skepticism had her right eyebrow reaching toward her hairline. “I still want to smell those cups.”

Jody couldn’t wait to share Brad’s story with the girls. “You’re going to love…” Mid-sentence, a small, cold hand grabbed the back of her arm. Spooked, she almost toppled her chair as she jumped up. She had no time to think about her reaction and how the others would scrutinize it. Whirling around to confront a child, only she could see, her finger rigidly pointed at what everyone else in the room perceived as an empty space. Thankfully, her throat closed on the words before she could open her mouth to admonish Fiona. She could only hope silence would keep her from further embarrassing herself in front of Brad and her staff.