Nick’s silence felt like a weight pressing down on the room. His face was blank, but Suzi could see the storm building behind his eyes. She’d just turned his entire reality upside down, and now she had to wait for him to catch up.

The phone on his desk buzzed, Lynn’s voice crackling through the line. Someone from another funeral home wanted to speak with him.

“No. Not now. Hold all my calls,” Nick said without looking away from Suzi. His gaze pinned her in place, unblinking, unrelenting.

Minutes crawled by in oppressive silence before he finally spoke. “Thank you for sharing that with me. That is some story.”

Suzi’s stomach twisted. He didn’t believe her. She swallowed hard. “It’s not a story, Nick. My life has been in upheaval for weeks, which is why I’ve missed work and haven’t been reliable.”

“This is what made you attack Miss McGillicuddy?”

Suzi’s jaw tightened. “She attacked me. And no, that’s not part of this.”

“So, you weren’t in the hospital several times?”

“I was.”

“You know this is far-fetched and makes you sound crazy, right? Angels and demons in your head? Angelic favors that have to be repaid? Possessed weapons and artifacts? It’s preposterous.”

Suzi let out a shaky breath. “I know how it sounds. I didn’t expect you to believe me. I can’t prove it to you, but I wanted your permission to ask for the favor to save you.”

Nick’s face hardened. “What? No. I’m not going to play into your games, Suzi. Frankly, this is unprofessional. If you believe all of this, you’re not the person I thought you were. I don’t think you have what it takes to run the business,” he snapped, his voice rising.

The heat in Suzi’s chest flared. “Hold up, Nick! I’m the same person I’ve always been. I’m not crazy. I’m trying to be upfront with you. I’m trying to help you so YOU can keep running the business!”

Nick shot to his feet, his face flushed. “I’m dying, Suzi! You can’t help me!”

The words hit her like a slap. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. The anger drained from Nick’s face, leaving him pale and weary as he sank back into his chair.

“Now, I’ll have no more of this nonsense,” he said quietly, his voice flat. “How’s Mr. Conway coming along?”

Suzi’s throat was dry. She forced her voice to steady. “Jo and I finished working on him this morning. I’ve called his widow to let her know she can come in and schedule the viewing whenever she’s ready.”

“Excellent. We’ve got another reconstruction coming in this afternoon.”

“We’ll get it taken care of. And thank you, Nick, for all the extra work to train Jo. She’s becoming a great apprentice.”

Nick gave a small, tired smile. “She looks up to you. Just don’t go convincing her of your shenanigans.”

Suzi grinned, saying nothing. She stood and reached for Nick’s hand, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, the faintest flicker of warmth in his eyes. She turned and opened the office door, stepping into the hallway.

Jo was sitting just outside, her face pale and her eyes wide. “Nick is dying?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Suzi closed her eyes and exhaled sharply. “Ah, shit,” she muttered.

“Lynn ran to the bathroom,” Jo continued, her voice shaky. “We heard you guys yelling.”

Suzi put a hand on Jo’s shoulder. “Come on, kid. Lynn needs a hug.”

* * * * *

That afternoon, Suzi and Jo met with the family of Marvin ‘Teeter’ Alcorn, Jr. The smell of grief clung to the room, heavy and suffocating. Teeter’s body would need extensive reconstruction, thanks to the gunshot wound that had ended his life. Suzi’s voice was calm, soothing—a balm for the family’s raw emotions.

“There’s no extra charge for the reconstruction method,” Suzi reassured them, her hands folded neatly on the table. “But we’ll need as many recent pictures of him as possible.”

One of the family members, a middle-aged man with tear-streaked cheeks, frowned. “Why do you need photos?”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Suzi took a measured breath. “The photos help us restore his features as accurately as possible. It’s about giving you the best opportunity to say goodbye.”

The explanation seemed to settle them, and after a long discussion, they reluctantly agreed. Promises of photos were made as the family filed out, their grief palpable.

Jo waited until the door clicked shut. “Why do we have to get their permission? Can’t we just go forward with it?”

Suzi turned, her voice sharp but patient. “Because we’re making irreparable changes to the remains. It’s a legal and ethical issue. They need to understand and agree.”

Jo nodded, her curiosity temporarily satisfied. “Are we going to the retirement home after work tonight?” she asked, her tone bright with anticipation.

Suzi stopped mid-step, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Not tonight. I need to get a new phone and meet up with an old doctor friend.”

Jo’s shoulders drooped. “Oh. Okay, I get it.”

“Hey.” Suzi’s tone softened as she laid a hand on Jo’s arm. “You can go on your own. They’ll love having someone to talk to. Ask about their youth. They have stories, Jo. More than you can imagine.”

Jo’s lip quirked in a half-smile. “They know you, though. I’m just a tag-along.”

“Go to Oak Crest and find Hank Gimbel or Clayton Schenkelberg,” Suzi said firmly. “They’re two of my favorite vets. Tell them you’re my friend, and they’ll talk your ear off. Just don’t play checkers with them. They cheat.”

Jo saluted playfully. “Yes, ma’am.”

Lynn’s voice echoed down the hall. “Suzi, line one for you.”

“I’ll take it at the back desk,” Suzi called back. She and Jo headed to the embalming room. Jo began closing duties while Suzi picked up the phone.

“This is Suzi,” she said.

“Ms. Bachman? This is Rosalyn Lee with the Boulder Investment Group. You called regarding Mr. McGillicuddy’s portfolio?”

Suzi straightened. “Yes. He recently passed and left me his estate. I have his account information if you need it.”

“Do you have Mr. McGillicuddy’s password?”

Suzi frowned. “No, I don’t.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t disclose any information without it.”

“I can provide his will and death certificate,” Suzi offered.

“You’ll need a court order,” Rosalyn replied curtly.

Suzi’s frustration bubbled. “Wait—what about ‘Robert Stanley Edwards’?”

The line went silent, except for the sound of typing. “One moment, ma’am,” Rosalyn said. “Did Mr. McGillicuddy disclose the state of his portfolio to you?”

“No,” Suzi admitted. “I had no idea it even existed until he passed.”

“One second, please. My supervisor will assist you,” Rosalyn said before the line clicked to hold music.

A man’s voice eventually came on. “Ms. McGillicuddy, my condolences on your loss.”

“Thank you, but it’s Bachman. John was a friend.”

“Ah, my regards. Ms. Bachman, Mr. McGillicuddy’s account is currently secured. You have provided the correct passphrase, but I’m afraid I must authenticate you as a user of this account.”

“I doubt you will be able to. From what I understand, John didn’t access this account, and I’m sure I was not added. I can provide a death certificate and a copy of his will if you’d like.”

“John added an authorized user to his account a year ago and requested his portfolio information to be mailed to him. Can you give me your full name please?”

“Judith Suzanne Bachman, but John only knew me as Suzanne or Suzi Bachman.”

“Can you fax or email me a copy of a photo ID so that I can verify your identity?” the man asked.

“I can, but why all the hoops?”

“As I said, the account is in a secured state. With this last change and his sudden death, we have to ensure that he was not under duress or influenced for ill gains.”

Suzi chuckled, “You think I persuaded him a year ago to add me to his account, then I killed him to get to his account, which I did not know existed?”

“It is not out of the realm of possibilities, ma’am.”

“Fine,” Suzi snapped. “Where do I send the documents?”

After hanging up, she scanned and emailed everything over. A few minutes later, Lynn paged her again.

“This is Suzi,” she said, bracing herself.

“Ms. Bachman, this is Rosalyn. We’ve verified your identity. What would you like to know?”

Suzi hesitated. “Um, well, is there a balance? How are his funds diversified?”

Rosalyn’s voice took on a professional tone. “Mr. McGillicuddy’s account is extensive. Highly diversified with stocks, bonds, cryptocurrencies, and other investments. His portfolio is the largest we manage.”

Suzi’s head spun. “Wait—largest?”

Rosalyn continued. “He’s been a client since our inception. His investments in companies like Microsoft, Boeing, Coke, Apple, and Amazon, among others, along with early Bitcoin holdings, were highly profitable.”

Suzi’s heart pounded. “What’s the balance?”

The number Rosalyn gave left Suzi stunned.

“I’m sorry,” she stammered. “Did you say thirteen million?”

“No, ma’am. I said ‘billion.’ Three-Zero BILLION dollars.”

The phone slipped from Suzi’s hand. Her mind reeled as her collection of personalities erupted into chaos.

“How many zeros is that?” Ralph asked the collective.

Suzanne spoke up, “Billion is nine zeroes.”

“Actually, it would be a ‘3’ with ten zeroes following it,” Judith corrected.

“How much weed can we buy with thirty billion dollars?” Annie asked.

“Pretty sure we can buy all the weed in Illinois,” James added.

Jo’s voice broke through the haze. “Suz, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Suzi didn’t respond.

Jo whistled as best she could, which sounded more like an airy raspberry, and waved her hand in front of Suzi’s face.

Suzi blinked slowly. “Oh. Hi, Jo. When did you get here?”

“’Oh-hi-jo’? Sounds like ‘Ohio,’” Spike laughed in Suzi’s head.

“Idaho? No! You da ho!” Annie replied.

The other alters chuckled.

Judas stated, “I don’t get it.”

Jo grabbed her shoulders. “Suzi! Snap out of it!”

As Jo moved and began to pace, Suzi focused on the air molecules in front of her again. Losing sight of Jo and the desk in front of her, and the room around her began to blacken, Suzi soon found herself in Guillermo with her collection of personalities. Without a word, the Suzi identity curled up in her bed and turned away from everyone else.

Annie clapped her hands. “Well, shit. Now what?”

Spike smirked. “We’re at work. Let Judith take over.”

Judith countered, “No, work is over. She was going to seek out Dr. Everett and Darcy. That is Judas’ realm.”

All eyes turned to Judas, standing nude and vigilant, her golden wings tucked and ready to strike.

“Not a good idea. I’m here for survival, not socializing,” Judas said.

Annie jumped up and raised her hand, “I can socialize!”

“NO!” the others shouted in unison.