“It’s okay, Shelby. Let’s just talk about what’s going on in your life right now. Is there anything stressing you out?”
I would have laughed, but I was sure he’d think I was crazy, and want me committed. “Uh… sure, I guess. I mean… right now you made me sign up for that class, and that’s just one more thing on my plate, you know?”
“So you’ve got a lot going on?”
“Uh… yeah.” Oops. That came out a little sarcastically.
“Okay. Let’s start with that. Out of all those things, what is causing you the most stress?”
Crap. I couldn’t exactly tell him I’d just given a mob boss some inside information. Nor could I tell him that Uncle Joey had asked me to be his successor. What about the cases I was working on? I could probably talk about all of them, as long as I left out the drug and mob part. Or maybe I should start with Willow and how I felt about her usurping my place.
On the positive side, getting a dog had actually helped my stress, but now I had to solve Mack’s murder. I guess all of it combined could make me a little stressed out… but, if I were honest, it was mostly because of Uncle Joey, and I couldn’t talk about that, right?
“I have an uncle who wants me to be… the… uh… executor of his estate. I don’t know why that would freak me out so much, but I guess that’s the main thing.” Damn. Did I really say that out loud? At least I’d kept it simple. I rushed on to cover it up.
“Then there’s this psychic person, her name’s Willow, and she’s kind of taken my spot here at the police department. I have to admit, I’m a little upset about that. I’m also consulting on three different cases for the police, so that might have something to do with it.”
Bob narrowed his eyes. That was a lot. No wonder I seemed on edge. “Let’s go back to your uncle. What kind of relationship do you have with him?”
“It’s pretty good. I mean… it’s been strained at times, but, for the most part, it’s good.”
“Let’s talk about the strained times… what made it strained?”
“Uh… well, he’s kind of bossy.” I cleared my throat to keep from laughing hysterically.
His brows rose. “Bossy? How is he bossy?”
I chuckled out loud this time. I’d sure stepped into that one. “Well… I should mention that I work for him occasionally… and he likes to boss people around, you know? And… he still does, but… it’s all good.”
Bob nodded, picking up that there was more to this than I was saying. “Why do you think he asked you to be the executor of his estate?”
“Because he trusts me.”
My quick answer signaled that our relationship was on solid ground, which also told him a lot about my fears. “So what is it about being the executor of his estate that stresses you out?”
“Uh… well, I guess that it means he won’t be around forever.”
“So it’s his death you’re worried about?”
That wasn’t quite it, but I decided to go with that explanation and nodded.
“Okay. How old is he? Is he in good health?”
“Uh… I think in his mid-to-late-sixties, and he seems healthy, I mean… he’s in really good shape.”
Bob nodded. “It sounds to me like your perception of being the executor of his estate means that he’s going to die—which we know will happen eventually, but, in reality, he could live a good twenty more years. Does looking at it that way help?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I think so. I guess I just need to remember that he’s not that old, so it should be fine.”
Bob smiled, thinking that, for the most part, I was a positive person, and that would get me through a lot. “Good. Changing your perspective can help in all kinds of situations. Remember that death is part of life, but it also makes our lives more meaningful.” At my nod, he continued, “Now tell me about Willow and that whole situation.”
“Sure. Uh… first of all, I don’t trust her. Dimples… uh… I mean Harris… is my partner, but now he’s working with her instead of me, so I think she’s after my job.”
“I can see why that would bother you. Is there anything you can do about it?” He wondered if I’d considered changing my attitude, but I had other plans.
“Well… to be honest, I think I’m better at consulting for the police than she could ever be. If I solve the case she’s working on, that should do the trick, and they’ll show her the door.”
He chuckled, thinking that was not quite the answer he’d expected. I had a lot of spunk, and that was another good thing going for me. “I have no doubt you will.”
He glanced at his notes. “Okay. I just have one more question. Overall, how do you think you’re doing? Have you had any more nightmares or jittery moments?”
My brows rose. “You know what? Now that I think about it, I haven’t. I mean… I’ve been so busy with everything that I’ve hardly noticed. But… now that you mention it, I think the real key here is my dog. There’s something about petting him that is so soothing. Plus, I talk to him a lot, and he’s a great listener. It’s like he understands me, you know?” Oops, maybe I shouldn’t go too far down that road.
Bob nodded, thinking that pet therapy was underrated and I was lucky to get a dog when I did. “That’s great.”
Relieved he hadn’t picked up on anything unusual, I continued. “Yeah. He’s been trained in search-and-rescue, so I might take that up. It would be a nice break from everything else I’m doing.”
Bob’s brows rose. He was thinking that my idea of a break was not the same as most people, but he could see what I meant. I had a lot going on in my life, and we hadn’t even touched on my
