The Unshockables

An older couple visits the shop and gets invited to a party.Brenda feels that they have psychic possibilities.

The Blundon house would never be the same. The mannequins had taken over, and with any luck, their presence would make Jeffrey Larkin uncomfortable enough to sell Brenda his house next door. Unfortunately, Mr. Larkin was hoping that he could to the same thing to Brenda.

Helene Shelby helped with all of the window displays at the shop. When it came time to dismantle the Thanksgiving display, Farleigh Walker showed up unannounced. He usually telephoned, but his demeanor indicated that he was "up to something." 

Brenda sent Helene to the coffee shop to fetch a whole coffee cake, and made a pot of coffee in her back room while Farleigh chatted about his visit to Dr. Sullivan. There were several "testing" options for his brain, but he refused any type of Xray, or poisons into his veins. The doctor said that it would be essential to rule out any physical causes for his hallucinations.

Brenda invited him to spend the night with her. His phone calls had been sparse, and his "reports" were filled with mystery. There were times that she wondered if he could be a figment of her imagination. Having a life of her own was something her mother had instilled at a young age. Men could be unreliable, and possessive. 

Brenda felt that her situation with Daniel and Farleigh would be no different even if she happened to be a lot younger. There would still be a Caitlin or Betty to contend with, and Farleigh wasn't really husband material. Farleigh Walker had a train related legacy much like Mr. Blundon's. Brenda feared how that might work itself out in the future.

During the coffee break, an older couple came into the store dressed in casual clothing. Farleigh recognized them right away as the Shockeys who had stared at the previous Valentine's Day Window. Brenda had asked Mrs. McFadden about them one day in the coffee shop. Fiona had done the detective work, and it was essential to meet them formally, but the wheels hadn't turned properly until this moment. 

The Shockeys were remarkably unremarkable.  They were wonderful people, but Brenda had envisioned their lives as eccentric "living as ghosts" and it simply was not the case. She felt that they had potential for Spiritualism, but would save that for later.

They agreed to come to her Christmas Eve Party as a costumed couple. Brenda wanted to rescue them from a boring Bladensburg life. Mr. Griffin could help. Fiona might draw them into a seance better than anyone else. If Daniel could show up in An Edwardian costume without Caitlin, that would be the icing on her cake, but most likely he would be visiting his Aunt and Uncle, as well as "Mr. Scaggs in Scaggsville" for a bit of punch and banjo music with his wife and child.

CJ Marks