Troubled Spirits Read online

  After saying her peace to the powers that be, she hit her pillow with force and rolled over trying her best to put Fiona somewhere back in the far recesses of her mind. Without a doubt, the time would come soon enough when she’d be face-to-face with the woman in that dreadful hospital bed. Until then there was nothing more Jody could do except hope and pray that Fiona would find solace until all the pieces fell into place. When that time came, Jody prayed Fiona’s parents would be open enough to listen to the message their baby girl felt so obliged to give them.

  Chapter Two

  Ironically enough, Jody awoke to the alarm clock blaring Stairway To Heaven. Her sleep-fogged brain couldn’t remember where she’d put the clock the night before. Not being a morning person made getting up and starting each day a struggle. Early on, she’d discovered the only way to get her tired ass up and moving each morning would be to change the location of her alarm each night. Doing so forced her to wake up enough to find it and ensured she wouldn’t accidentally turn the alarm off and fall back to sleep.

  On autopilot and eyes half shut, she sprang out of bed and ran toward the closet. Her leg clipped the reading table as she fumbled around the room. “Shit!” she screamed, grabbing the offended knee. Constrained to jumping on one foot, Jody struggled across the room to where she’d hidden the alarm the previous evening. Her foot tangled in clothing which had been carelessly thrown on the floor the night before. Not awake enough to keep herself from falling, her momentum propelled her into a heap only inches away from the alarm. A disembodied voice of one of her spirit guides yelled in jest, “timber.”

  Very funny. I’m surrounded by comedians. Jody ground her teeth together out of frustration. Yanking on the alarm’s cord to jerk the plug from the wall effectively cut off the ear-splitting noise.

  A contented sigh slipped through her lips as quiet filled the room. The pain in her knee forced her face into a tight grimace while she rolled onto her back and cursed the dawning day.

  Upon opening her eyes, she found little Fiona standing over her brandishing a broad grin. The unexpected intrusion on her personal space had Jody’s supine body instinctively jerking away. The back of her head slammed against the closet doorframe.

  “Ouch!” she bellowed while grabbing her now throbbing head.

  A few tense moments passed before Fiona bent down and whispered in her ear. “Oops. Sorry, you bumped your head.”

  Because of yet another invasion on her personal space by this headstrong child in such a short period of time as well as the full-blown headache she now had, Jody’s anger bubbled over. With little Fiona’s troubles momentarily forgotten, she couldn’t maintain her civility and snapped. “Fiona! What are you doing here? You can’t stay here.” She shot the little girl her most intimidating stare.

  Ignorant evidently to the anxiety her presence caused, Fiona sat on the floor beside Jody and made herself comfortable. “I’m here because I want to speak to my mommy and daddy. Don’t you remember?”

  Knowing there wasn’t a thing she could do to help Fiona made her heart sink. Feeling like a total heel for her outburst and more than a little defeated, all she could manage was a groan as her head slowly fell back to the floor. Being hostile wouldn’t help this situation at all. Trying to suppress the little girl’s emotional pain, which threatened to overwhelm her, she stole a few quick moments to compose herself before responding. Still lying flat on her back, she dug the palms of her hands into her eyes. She could only hope the pressure would ease her headache and ongoing heartache caused by this child.

  Jody gathered her resolve enough to hazard a glance at Fiona. Undoubtedly, the child didn’t understand the rules of interacting with the living yet. Gritting her teeth again, she made the decision to be straight with the kid. Her intention wasn’t to cause pain or hurt her in any way. The poor child had experienced enough suffering in her short lifetime. Somehow she had to make Fiona understand that by continuously showing up like this, Jody’s sanity was put at risk. It wouldn’t be possible to be subjected to the little girl’s grief at all hours of the day and night. Such contact would prove to be a dangerous game of Russian roulette that would inevitably leave Jody’s body and soul the clear loser. Surely once that fact had been explained to Fiona, the sad little girl would keep her distance until her parents were present.

  Garnering her strength, she took a deep breath and sat up. To ease the sting of her response, Jody drew closer and gently held onto Fiona’s hands. “Yes, Fiona, I remember. I know you need to speak with your mommy and daddy. But sweetheart, you can’t stay with me. You have to go. Are there any family members on the other side that can talk to you about the rules of visiting from your side of the veil—from Heaven? The protocol is very important and must be followed. Too much contact between you and I would have a disastrous effect on both of us.”

  Guilt left her wincing as Fiona’s bottom lip started to quiver again. A large teardrop formed and fell from her eye, rolling slowly down her cheek. Imploring with unspoken words to let her stay, the child peered down at their clasped hands and then back into Jody’s eyes.

  The thought of being stern with the little angel sitting in front of her had Jody’s gut twisting in knots. If she weren’t careful, she’d start to hyperventilate from all the deep cleansing breathing Fiona had forced upon her. Chanting her mantra to remember to breathe seemed to keep the emotional chaos attached to this little girl at bay—barely. There had to be some way to gain control over these encounters without heaping unnecessary pain on Fiona.

  Squeezing the child’s hands to offer whatever comfort she could, Jody started to speak when her peripheral vision picked up movement next to Fiona. An older woman appeared and glided up to the little girl—sadness and anguish apparent on the woman’s face. Mesmerized, Jody couldn’t look away as the woman stroked Fiona’s hair.

  “Come with me, child,” the woman cooed. “We’ll make some cookies and have a nice talk.”

  The beauty of the love emanating from this woman for Fiona stole Jody’s breath. Because of her proximity, the older woman’s affection when she embraced the little girl enfolded Jody in the overlapping warmth. She was left spellbound by the raw emotion surging through the air as Fiona obediently stood and gave the woman her full attention.

  “Grandma, I want to talk to my mommy.”

  The grandmother bent down and placed a loving kiss on Fiona’s cheek. “I know you do, love. The time will be here soon enough when you will be able to do just that. For now, though, you need to come with me. You can’t stay here. I’ve told you, there are rules we need to follow. I suppose we’ll have to go over them again.”

  As the apparitions slowly melted away, Fiona clung to her grandmother but managed to give a shy farewell wave to Jody. Still dazed from the force known as Fiona, the grandmother’s intervention was a pleasant affirmation that the little girl would be reined in, somehow.

  In a moment of pure self-pity, Jody forced her chin to her chest. Disbelief over the crazy situation she’d found herself in was acknowledged with a slight sway of her head. Her fingers crossed in anticipation that the child’s grandmother would keep her word and teach little Fiona the rules of interaction and just how important they were. The toll already taken on her body had proved too great to allow a spirit like Fiona so much access.

  Jody had no clue how or even when the time would come when all parties involved found themselves in the same place at the same time. They might not meet for days, weeks, or even years from now. As usual the timing would be left up to the Universe. For everyone’s sake, she prayed everything that needed to happen would fall into place allowing the reunion to occur sooner rather than later.

  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.

&
nbsp; “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.

  Chapter Four

  To Jody’s horror, her swift reflexes to Fiona’s appearance caused a chain reaction. Time seemed to pass at a snail’s pace as everyone scrambled in unison. Alarm crossed Cassi and Kim’s faces as both women leaped back. Their startled shrieks lumbered through the air as if they were being played on an old stereo using the wrong speed. Kim landed on her butt in the middle of the floor. Cassi used Kim’s body as a launching pad to bounce off of before landing solidly on top of a chair.