"Why are you soaking wet?" Kian asked, confused. Behind Xal, the culprit stood, invisible to him. He bit back the smile creeping up, understanding what might have happened, but feigned ignorance. This was entertaining to witness.
"Oh… nothing. While you were very 'comfortable' chatting with the spirit, it somehow wreaked havoc in here!"
He tilted his head, taking a good look around the room. The place didn't look that bad. Maybe a few things were out of place, but nothing close to chaos.
"Wreaked havoc? It looks fine to me," he said, puzzled.
"It looks fine because I CLEANED everything UP!" Xal shouted, dripping water all over the floor.
"Oh… good then. Let's go down. Grab the boxes, and don't drop them even if you slip. Cost me a fortune," Kian said casually. He wiped the circle he had drawn with a piece of cloth, placed it on top of the box, brushed his hands clean, and walked downstairs, leaving Xal to deal with the rest.
The father and daughter were sitting in the living area and stood up when they saw them returning. Kian didn't waste time.
"So, the ghost is indeed your wife. She doesn't want to leave until you stop the affair you're having with your mistress," he said, straight to the point.
He heard a faint gasp beside him and saw Xal stiffen, but Kian didn't pay much attention as they had more to the daily schedule and did not want to waste time.
"And, um… can I get a towel, please? Preferably a new one. As you can see, her spirit was very angry," he added, pointing at Xal, who was still dripping.
"What the hell is WRONG with YOU? My dad does NOT have a mistress! You fake shaman!"
"I'm not a sham-"
"Get the hell OUT of MY HOUSE before I call the police!" Father and daughter started shouting at once, their anger filling the room.
Deciding to give up on explaining further, he walked out of the area, stepped outside the door with Xal at his toe, but he remembered that he had not requested the payment.
Kian sighed and turned back to them, standing in the doorway. "Believe what you want. She is only going to keep bothering you till she turns into a rogue spirit and probably kills you both because she can't control her impulses when she is angry and will be more powerful as well. I already gave you the solution. Better act on it. Or else you will have to call me again to erase her from existence, rather than sending her to a peaceful afterlife. Now, about the payme-"
Slam!
The door shut in their faces before he could finish. Kian blinked at the wood inches from his nose, then looked down at the welcome mat crushed under his shoes.
"That went better than I expected," he said, shrugging as he walked to the car. He got into the passenger seat while Xal wrestled with the boxes.
He could see him ruffling his hair and wringing out his clothes to get rid of as much water as he could before getting into the car. The moment Xal slid in, wetness seeping into the seat, he turned on Kian.
"Is it always like this? Hasn't anyone ever taught you manners? Or basic common sense? How could you just blurt that out in front of his daughter? And worst of all, YOU messed everything up, and I also ended up being the bad guy getting yelled at!"
Kian hid a small smile. There he was, the real Xal. Blunt, honest, impulsive, and trying hard not to show that he actually cared. He admired people like that.
"What were you expecting? Head pats?" He scoffed with effort. "This is how people react 99% of the time when I work. It wouldn't have made a difference if I'd told him in private. Been there, done that. I'm just saving time and energy. Now, let's go. We need to be here by four."
He tapped the next location on his phone, turned on the heat, and leaned back, letting Xal's grumbling fade into the sound of the car engine.