Zee Town Paranormal Cozy Mystery - Complete Series Omnibus: Books 1 - 6

by K E O'Connor

  I was batching the first hundred flyers when the office door opened.

  Nick Morton strode in, and he was not alone. Although I’d not yet met the new police officer, the man standing next to Nick matched Jen’s description; tall, blond, and attractive.

  “Good afternoon, officers.” I pasted on my brightest smile. “How may I help you today? We have a two-for-one offer at the diner from Monday to Thursday if you’re interested?” I held out a leaflet to Nick.

  He ignored my offering, and his pale blue eyes narrowed. “We’re here on business, not for tourist deals.”

  “My door is always open to officers of the law. What can I do for you?” I looked expectantly at Alex, waiting for him to be introduced.

  “I’m assuming you’ve heard about Bert Figgins?” Nick asked.

  “Of course. It’s one of the delights of living in a small town. You get the gossip when it’s fresh.” I stacked a pile of flyers and picked them up.

  “We believe the death wasn’t an accident,” Nick said.

  “It was murder? I’m not surprised, given where Bert was found and the marks on the body.” I was surprised that Nick was being so forthcoming. Whenever I asked him about any cases he worked on, he told me to butt out.

  Nick leaned closer. “Did you kill Bert Figgins?”

  Chapter 3

  I took a couple of deep breaths and fixed a cold stare on Nick. “Why are you asking me if I killed Bert?”

  “And know an alarming amount about his death. Plus, you and Bert were seen together recently,” Nick said.

  I dumped the flyers I held on my desk. “Which means what?”

  “Which means, when was the last time you saw him? And why have you been spending so much time with a man old enough to be your father?”

  I placed my hands on my hips. Nick sounded jealous. “Bert Figgins was a decent man. Not that it’s any of your business, but our relationship was purely professional.”

  Nick raised his eyebrows. “He paid you for your services?”

  Alex made a strangled noise, and his eyes widened.

  If Nick weren’t a member of law enforcement, I’d have slapped him. I still might. “I mean, that Bert’s golfing company is sponsoring the carnival this year. So, genius, work it out for yourself. We met to discuss terms and conditions of the sponsorship. That’s the extent of our relationship.”

  Nick gave a half-hearted grunt and ran a hand through his short dark hair. “Some people think you’ve been spending too much time with him.”

  “Who?” I had no idea who’d be interested in my business meetings with Bert.

  “That’s confidential,” Nick said. “I need you to come to the station and give me a statement.”

  “About what?”

  “Where you were when Bert died.”

  “You’re kidding?” Nick couldn’t seriously think I was involved.

  “I never joke about murder.”

  “Neither do I. I also don’t commit murder. I was at home last night. I’m guessing that’s when Bert died?”

  “You tell me.”

  We stared at each other, neither willing to blink.

  Finally, Nick dropped his gaze from mine. “Cassie, stop being difficult. At least come in and let me question you so your name can be cleared and we can focus on finding out what happened.”

  I sighed. “Fine, but it’ll have to be after the carnival. We’ve only got a week to go until the big day.”

  “That’s not acceptable,” Nick said. “I can always take you in now if you give me cause to.”

  “No, you can’t,” I said. “I’ve done nothing wrong, other than having a couple of business meetings with an old letch.”

  Nick’s jaw muscles twitched. “I thought you said he was a decent man?”

  I tilted my chin. “I did. And he was, mostly.”

  “Did Bert push his luck, and you taught him a lesson?”

  “That’s ridiculous. Everyone knows what Bert was like,” I said. “He would test the boundaries, but you only had to say ‘no’ and he’d be on his best behavior again. Don’t pin Bert’s death on me.”

  “We’re following all possibilities. Although, I doubt you’re working alone,” Nick said, after a short pause. “We’ve got evidence of zombie involvement.”

  “So, you think I got my zombie army to take out Bert?” Nick was going all out to offend me today. “None of our placids would hurt Bert, or anyone come to that. You know our zombies are harmless.”

  “It could have been a rabid zombie,” Nick said. “It won’t surprise me if we’ve got a few lurking around the alleyways in town.”

  “That makes no sense. We don’t have any rabids here.”

  Nick glared at me. “You still need to watch your back, especially you. You’re a zombie magnet. They’re always hanging around you.” He gestured to Zara.

  “Zara’s not hanging around. She works here! Besides, they don’t do any harm. They’re welcome to hang around me.” Although I didn’t like agreeing with Nick, I attracted zombies. They didn’t bother me. They simply liked to sit and stare.

  “It’s not natural,” Nick said.

  We glared at each other in silence again. Nick had always made it clear he didn’t like zombies. I couldn’t figure out why he’d come here if he hated them so much.

  “Maybe they like me because I have such a calming presence,” I said. “I do yoga sometimes. You should try it. It could help improve your aura. Make you more pleasant to be around.”

  Alex coughed and covered his mouth, trying desperately to hide a smile.

  “You haven’t introduced me to your new friend,” I said to Nick. I walked around my desk and extended my hand. “I’m Cassie March. I’m guessing you’re Alex?”

  “Hello, Cassie. It’s nice to meet you.” Alex shook my hand. “And you’re right, I’m the new police constable, Alex Strong.”

  “Welcome to Zee Town,” I said. “I hope you like it here. As you can see, most of us are friendly.”

  Nick grunted again. “We received extra funding from the Council for another officer. Alex is here on a six-month trial.”

  I dropped Alex’s hand. “Extra law enforcement is always welcome, especially at busy times like the carnival. I’m sure you’re doing an excellent job.” I smiled warmly at Alex. Jen was right, he was cute. And he’d gotten a tan. Maybe Alex liked to surf.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing my first Zee Town carnival,” Alex said. “It seems like it’s a popular event.”

  “We hold the best carnivals in the country,” I said.

  “You would say that,” Nick said. “Since you organize them.”

  “We have a five-star rating average on our website.” I tried not to sound as smug as I felt. “The Zee Town carnival is fantastic.”

  Nick waved my comment away. “You still need to come to the station and give me a statement about the last time you and Bert met.”

  “You’ll get your pointless statement, but I can tell you one thing straight away.” My hands balled into fists. “Zombies aren’t involved. I don’t care that there are bite marks on Bert. Our zombies don’t kill humans.”

  Nick’s eyes narrowed again. “How do you know about the bite marks on the victim?”

  I paused, realizing I’d given away the fact I’d been gossiping about the murder. “You just said that there are signs of zombie involvement.”

  “Not bite marks.”

  I shrugged. “You know what this town is like. People love to share.”

  “I also know what you’re like with zombies,” Nick said. “You weren’t involved, were you?”

  “Of course not! And what do you mean? What am I like with zombies?”

  “You have this weird...” he waved his hands in the air. “I don’t know how to describe it. A weird way with zombies. They like you.”

  “They probably like me because I don’t hassle them.” I shot a glare at Nick. “Unlike some people.”

  “You can control them, though,”
Nick said.

  “Is that true?” Alex asked, a startled look on his face. “Can you really control a zombie?”

  “No, that’s ridiculous,” I said. “They just calm down when they’re around me. I don’t have a zombie army at my command.” If I did, I’d know which particularly annoying police officer I’d aim them at.

  “Maybe you convinced one of them to get rid of Bert,” Nick said.

  “Wow! Are you having trouble cracking this case? If I’m your best lead, you have a problem,” I said. “I liked Bert. I didn’t want him dead. Not only is it a shame that he’s gone, it also means the carnival might be canceled if I can’t get the sponsorship money.”

  “Did he refuse to give you the money for the carnival?” Nick asked. “That’s a great motive.”

  “No. In fact, we were meeting tomorrow. I was getting the check from him then.” My frown deepened. “Why would I kill my sponsor?”

  “Bert changed his mind about giving you the money,” Nick said. “If it turns out a zombie was involved, we must cancel the carnival.”

  “You can’t do that!” I stared at Nick in horror.

  “If a zombie is going around biting people, it’s too risky to hold a huge event that brings the people on the street. What if someone else gets bitten?”

  “That won’t happen.”

  “Every zombie has to be seen as a threat.”

  “No, they don’t. That’s discrimination. You’ve got no evidence that the zombies killed Bert.”

  The sound of claws on wood distracted us from our mutual glaring.

  Nick sighed and turned to the door before pulling it open. A smooth-coated black and tan three-legged dog hopped into the office and sat between me and Nick. His gaze went to each of us, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

  “Good afternoon, Stool.” I crouched and stroked the dog’s head. “Has your mean master been leaving you outside on your own again?”

  “He’s fine,” Nick said.

  “Stool doesn’t enjoy being left on his own.” I glanced up at Nick.

  “And you know what my dog wants how exactly?”

  I focused on Stool and kept stroking him. I had an affinity with zombies and animals. Rude police officers? Not so much.

  “I haven’t been leaving him outside anywhere,” Nick said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. “He just follows me around. For a dog with only three legs, he can get out of just about any space I put him in.”

  “You could train him to be your police attack dog,” Alex said. “Especially if he’ll follow you into dangerous situations.”

  “Been there, done that,” Nick said. “Stool’s retired. He’s too slow and lazy for anything strenuous these days.”

  My eyebrows rose. Nick rarely talked about his life before he came here. I’d heard a few snippets of gossip, but nothing concrete.

  “He might lick a suspect into making a confession,” Nick said. “He’s a lousy guard dog when we’re home. He doesn’t bark when anyone comes to the door and greets visitors like they’re his long-lost best friend.”

  “What’s with the name?” Alex asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Stool’s a strange name for a pet.”

  “Look at him,” Nick said. “Three legs, like a stool.”

  “Did you get him like that?” Alex asked.

  “No, we sort of found each other.” Nick scuffed his foot on the floor. “He was a bag of bones the first time we met. I made the mistake of giving him food. He’s hung around ever since.”

  “Nick’s not being totally honest,” I said to Alex. “The rumor goes that this amazing dog saved him from a zombie attack.”

  Nick shrugged. “There’s some truth to that. We helped each other out during a tricky time. These days, he’s more of a nuisance than a help.”

  “You don’t love him as much as he does you.” I gave Stool’s head a final pat and stood. “He adores you. Although, I can’t see why.”

  “We’re getting off the point,” Nick said. “I want you at the station tomorrow to give your statement. Anything you know about a possible zombie-gone-wrong situation, I need to know. It could solve this case. If I solve this quickly, your carnival won’t need to be canceled.”

  “I’ll give you my statement,” I said. “But there’s no way you’re canceling this carnival. The Council won’t allow it. Neither will I.”

  “We’ll see about that. Be at the station tomorrow.” Nick patted his leg to get Stool’s attention and left the office.

  Stool gave me a lopsided grin, his tongue still hanging out, before turning and limping after Nick.

  Alex looked at me and shrugged. “Nick’s not having the best of days. I don’t think he meant to be so rude to you.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, he did,” I said. “It’s been Nick’s default setting ever since we met. He doesn’t like me. The feeling’s mutual.”

  “Well, if you hear anything about the murder, it’ll be great if you can pass it on.” Alex smiled at me. “I’ll be around tomorrow lunchtime and can take your statement. I’ll be happy to do it so the two of you don’t need to meet.”

  That was nice of Alex. Why couldn’t Nick be so friendly? “Thanks. I’ll try to drop by around noon.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Alex glanced over his shoulder. “Deep down, Nick probably will too.” He raised a hand and left the office, leaving me with Zara, a mountain of flyers to get finished, and an angry buzz in my head after having restrained myself from slapping the rudeness out of Nick.

  Nick Morton and his false allegations were a problem I could do without.

  Chapter 4

  Several hours of printing and folding later, and my frustration over Nick’s behavior had faded. I had the last batch of carnival promotional materials to hand out and was in need of fresh air.

  “Will you be able to help me take these around to the stores?” I asked Zara as I locked the office for the evening.

  “Not tonight,” Zara said, her gaze tight as she watched the tourists’ mill about outside.

  I dumped my keys in my purse and turned to her. “I know the carnival is stressful for you. It’ll be over soon. We can get back to quiet normality.”

  “Sounds good,” Zara said. “Good night.” She turned and ambled slowly down the road, shuffling her feet as if she didn’t have the energy to pick them up higher.

  Zara had been a zombie for about eight months. Apart from the gray, bloodshot eyes, you wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual about her. Well, unless she was stressed. Stress brought out the worst in people. Zombies were no exception. Zara stopped communicating when she was under lots of pressure. Her short sentences were a sign she was struggling.

  As I walked along the lane, the burble of noise from the tourists was centered on the restaurants and Laura’s diner. Apart from a few stragglers who peering into closed store windows, the street was empty. It was easy to navigate along the cobbled street and over to the general store.

  Bill Guthrie had run the store for thirty years. Everyone called it Bill’s Place, even though it had a General Store sign out front.

  I knocked on a glass pane in the door.

  Bill looked up and gave me a big grin, his broad face looking shiny. He hurried over and opened the door, beckoning me inside. “Good evening, Cassie. Let me guess, you’re here on official carnival business?” The collar of his white shirt was undone, and his red tie was loose from around his neck.

  “You guessed right. Just bringing the final promotional materials. I’ve got details of all the events, with timings and location, so people will know what’s going on during the day.”

  Bill lifted a flyer from my hand. “It sounds like it will be another excellent event. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Me too. Or, I will be once all the organizing is complete.” I gestured to the bundle of flyers. “May I leave some of these here?”

  “Of course.” Bill pointed to the countertop. “All the customers coming to the register will see them
.”

  I walked over and set down a bundle of flyers. “Thanks. These events are fun, but they can get stressful.”

  “I know what that’s like. Every time I organize a promotion in the store, I’m so worried about it, I barely have time to enjoy myself or the extra money.”

  Bill loved meeting his customers and getting the best deals for them.

  “When the procession is underway, I’ll be able to relax,” I said. “Once the floats are running, there’s nothing I can do. Even if it all goes wrong at that point, it’ll be too late.”

  “I’ve never known a single event of yours to go wrong,” Bill said. “Even with the occasional rain shower on a big day, it never dampens people’s enthusiasm. And I already know that the weather on carnival day will be glorious.” He pointed behind his counter. “My faithful barometer has never let me down.”

  “May I see?” I asked.

  Bill flipped the lid up, allowing me to get behind the counter. “Be my guest. You cannot beat a good barometer. It’s more accurate than any TV weather forecast.”

  I leaned closer to the barometer and gently touched the glass covering the delicate looking needle. “It’s pointing at set fair.”

  “That’s excellent,” Bill said. “It means a solid block of wonderful weather is with us, and here to stay. Well, at least for a week. That’s as long as we need. Then the carnival will be over and it can rain buckets on us.” He gave a hearty laugh.

  I turned to come out from behind the counter and spotted the handle of a baseball bat sticking out. I bent and pulled it out. “Bill, have you been having trouble in the store?”

  “Oh, no. Really, it’s nothing.” He came around the counter and gently took the bat out of my hand. “I’ve kept it here ever since, well, ever since Mary.”

  My heart tensed. Mary had been Bill’s wife. They’d been childhood sweethearts. They met in school, married at eighteen, and set up a wonderful, loving home together. They had three boys and worked together at the store all of their married lives. That was until the zombies came.

  “Don’t tell anyone about the bat. I don’t want to scare off customers. I have a gun under there, too. It’s licensed and stored safely. Nick knows about it.” He sighed and his broad shoulders slumped. “I often think back to that day when the store was overrun. If I’d had the bat and a gun, maybe Mary would still be here.” Bert swiped a hand across his eyes.