It didn’t take long to fill out all the paperwork and pay the fee. All of the staff members couldn’t get over the change in Coco, telling us he was a totally different dog. Krista even got a little emotional and gushed that she was so happy for him… and us… but I knew her tears were mostly for Coco.
On the way home, we stopped at a pet store and picked out a nice collar and leash. We made a name tag with our information to add to the collar. Then we grabbed a bag of dog food, some bowls, and a bed, along with everything else we could think of, including a Frisbee and some other toys Coco helped us pick out.
Coco was so well-behaved that I almost felt guilty. Almost… but mostly I just thanked my lucky stars to find such an amazing animal. On the way home, I picked up some of the same sentiments from Josh. He wondered where Coco had been and what had happened to him.
The shelter had said there were no signs of abuse, so that was good. He was most likely between two and four years old. I hoped the vet we’d decided on could tell us more about his age. Other than that, there just wasn’t a lot of information to go on.
I had heard one of staff members thinking that his owner might have died, and no one else had wanted him. That made sense to me, especially since he’d seemed depressed. Too bad he couldn’t tell us. Hmmm… but maybe I could pick up something about his past from him? Who knew? On the other hand, maybe it didn’t matter. He was with us now, and we’d take good care of him.
At home, the kids took Coco through each room in our house. After that, they took him outside to explore the yard, and I called Chris to tell him the news. “Wow. That was fast,” he said. “But he sounds pretty great.”
“He is. And I think he picked us.” I began to explain the circumstances, but didn’t get far before Chris had to go.
“Sorry. But I have a client who just arrived. Can you tell me the details when I get home?”
“You bet.” We said our goodbyes, and I went to the window that looked over the backyard and watched the kids play with Coco. Several minutes later, they all came inside, and the kids decided to take him for a walk.
After getting his leash, I made sure they took some bags along. I’d always hated it when dog owners let their dogs poop on my lawn without cleaning it up. Now that we were dog owners, there was no way we would ever do that.
My kids weren’t too excited about that part, but I knew they’d do it anyway. As they left, Coco turned back to look at me. He woofed, come. The kids tried to pull him along, but he wouldn’t budge. It was after one-thirty, and I had my appointment soon, so I couldn’t go. Would Coco understand? Now was a good time to find out.
I knelt beside him. “I can’t come right now, but Josh and Savannah will take care of you. Go on… you’ll be fine.”
“Come on Coco,” Savannah said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Coco woofed his enthusiasm and let them lead him away. I leaned against the doorframe and watched them walk up the street. When I couldn’t see them anymore, I went back inside, amazed. Savannah and Josh going on a walk together? And actually speaking to each other? I couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had done anything like that.
So far, getting a dog was working out great.
CHAPTER 2
I arrived at the police station and pulled on my special ID badge. I’d changed my clothes from this morning, going with my black jeans and new ankle boots. I wore a soft, periwinkle blue v-neck shirt topped by a silver necklace and matching earrings. With my blouse tucked into my jeans, I looked pretty hot. Not that I was trying to impress anyone, but I couldn’t help hoping I looked better than my competition.
Since I didn’t want to run into Willow-the-Psychic before my appointment, I took the elevator straight to the third floor. I found the door with Bob Spicer’s name stenciled on the glass and knocked. A thin man with a receding hairline opened the door and smiled. “You must be Shelby. Come on in.”
He motioned me inside and shut the door. “Have a seat,” he said, pointing to a soft, plush chair sitting in front of his desk. “I’m Bob. It’s nice to meet you.” He shook my hand and moved to take his seat behind the desk.
“I’ve been looking over your file. From what I’ve read, you’ve been a huge asset to the police.”
I nodded, listening real close to his mind. I picked up that he was genuinely impressed. I couldn’t tell if he believed in my abilities, but he was willing to go with it since that’s what I believed. Helping me was important to him, especially after what I’d been through. Plus, talking to someone like me could prove to be exciting and completely different from anything he’d ever done before.
“You’ve helped them out with a number of high-profile cases,” he continued, “all because of your psychic ability. I have to say I was skeptical at first, but, after reading through your file, it’s obvious you know what you’re doing.”
“Uh… thanks.” What was I supposed to say? Thanks for believing I’m not nuts?
He smiled, picking up my reticence. “I’m not here to judge your ability. I’m just really glad you came in to see me.” He thought it was a good move to tell me to get counseling, after everything I’d been through. Killing someone was the main reason, but he knew there was probably more to discover.
When had my premonitions started? From what he’d read, I’d claimed it was a recent development. How had I coped with this sudden notoriety? Had my relationships with my family and friends changed? How did my husband feel about it? Had it changed our relationship? Had I tried to hide it from others so people wouldn’t think I was crazy? There were probably issues I dealt with on an ongoing basis that I wasn’t even aware I had.
Yikes. He was right about that, but I didn’t want him concentrating on my psychic ability. I mean… sure it was a part of who I was now, but there had to be more to talk about than that.
“So… how are you doing?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I’m doing okay. I mean… I’ve been better, but I’m managing.”
He nodded, knowing I was evading the question. “Was there something that prompted you to come in to see me today?”
Telling him about the new psychic downstairs didn’t seem like a good idea, so I went with the other reason I was there. “I’ve had some bad dreams lately. And… things tend to upset me more than usual.”
He nodded. “Bad dreams can manifest for many different reasons, but one is because we’re not dealing well with a traumatic experience, or because we have unfinished business. You say you seem more stressed than normal. Why do you think you feel that way?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” He made a go-on gesture, so I figured I’d better keep talking. “I guess it’s because I’ve had a lot on my plate lately. I mean, first I’m working for the police, then I also do work for a… uh… family member.” I swallowed, glad I hadn’t spilled the beans about Uncle Joey, and calling him a family member was almost true.
“Then I have my own consulting agency. Although, I have to say, I haven’t done a lot of that lately, at least not since the stalker. That’s how he got to me in the first place. He was a client… but then he used that to set me up.”