by K E O'Connor
I glanced over my shoulder to see that Freddie had stopped moving and stood in the middle of the cobbled streets, a confused look in his glazed eyes as if he couldn’t figure out where I’d gone.
“You don’t know your zombies well,” I said to Alex. “That’s Freddie. He likes to hang around on this street. He’d never hurt anybody.”
“He was coming at you,” Alex said. “I saw him.”
“No! He’s not that steady on his feet. That’s why he had his arms out. I’m worried about him. He’s got a wound on his head.”
Alex stopped rubbing his shin and stood. His attention moved to Freddie. “I wanted to keep you safe. My Zee Town manual states that humans have to be protected against a zombie attack.”
I shook my head and struggled not to roll my eyes. “That’s very... sweet of you. But I know how to handle a zombie. I’ve lived here for years. They’ve not hurt me yet.”
Freddie moved toward the alleyway. Alex tensed and attempted to push me behind him.
“Relax,” I said. “Freddie’s a sweetie. He used to be a local when he was alive. He likes it here now that he’s a zombie.” I walked to the end of the alleyway and held my hand out to Freddie, gesturing for him to come closer. “Let me look at your head.”
Freddie obediently came to a stop a few inches in front of me. “Cassie.” My name came out on a stale, hissing breath.
“That’s right. What happened to you?”
“Got a new dent.” Freddie’s fingers moved to his matted blond hair.
“No, don’t touch it,” I said to him. “It looks like you’ve hit your head on something. Do you remember what happened?”
“No.”
I resisted the urge to step back. Some zombies don’t decay at all, while others broke down quickly. From the smell of Freddie, it seemed like his decay was starting from the inside and slowly working its way out. It was a shame, he was a gentle zombie. I hated to see him decaying. Once it began, it was only a matter of time before everything fell apart and it was goodbye zombie.
I inspected the injury on his head. “This looks new. I’d better take you to the shelter and get you looked at. You might need a visit to the doctor to make sure nothing has been too badly damaged.”
Freddie nodded, his gaze drifting to Alex. “A new friend?”
“He might be, so long as he thinks twice before jumping out and dragging women into alleyways.”
Alex scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I thought I was doing you a favor. It looks like you can look after yourself nicely.”
I had to smile at his poor attempt at chivalry. “Everyone in Zee Town is good at looking after themselves. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be here.”
Alex nodded. “I’m beginning to realize that. This town is unique.”
“Unique in a good way,” I said proudly. “Have you been to the shelter yet? Our friend here needs some time to recoup. I can take you there if you want to take a look around.”
“Is that the place on Dovetail Lane?” Alex asked. “Nick’s told me about it. We’ve not had a chance to visit.”
“Follow us,” I said to him, and gently steered Freddie along the cobblestones. “It’s a five-minute walk from here. My friend, Jen, volunteers there most evenings. She’s great with zombies.”
“How many zombies live here?” Alex asked as we walked side by side companionably, my hands staying on the back of Freddie’s jacket to make sure he didn’t veer in the wrong direction.
“It varies. Doesn’t your manual tell you all the figures?”
Alex grinned and his cheeks flushed pink. “I’ve not finished reading it. I was offered this job by a relative. He let me skip most of the training because he knew about the vacancy.”
“You didn’t choose this job?”
“Not exactly,” Alex said. “I’d enrolled for police induction training and passed the exams. My uncle’s on the Zee Town Council. He thought I needed a place to hone my skills in a real-life situation. What better place than here? Lots of variety. A different species, even. That seemed like a challenge.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Zombies aren’t a different species. They’re unfortunate victims of a virus.”
Alex chuckled. “I actually meant Nick.”
I laughed. “Oh! You’re right there.”
“So, how many zombies are there?”
“The human population of Zee Town is about two thousand. We have about half that many zombies. But we get ‘rotters’ every day. You know, the zombies who give up and decay too much. We get new arrivals coming in, too. Some are from the rest of the country. Increasingly, we’re getting them from other countries, especially from places who don’t want to establish placid zombie sanctuaries.”
“I remember seeing a news feature about that,” Alex said. “Something about there being a quota for a new intake of placid zombies. We’ll take so many every year if another country cannot establish a haven.”
I nodded. “That’s about it. We’re a model for other countries. Although, not all countries adopt the practise of having a sanctuary. Some like to shoot and kill no matter what kind of zombie they are.” Anger pulsed through me at the thought of harmless zombies being destroyed because of people’s ignorance.
Alex shook his head. “Some people can’t get over what happened during the uprising.”
“Most people in Zee Town are open-minded enough to forgive, if not forget,” I said.
We headed to a squat, cherry-red building. Most of the rooms were given over to housing zombies who had no family or friends to take them in. Sometimes, it housed zombies who’d been injured and needed time to be repaired. Zombies didn’t heal, but you could do a decent job fixing them up with plaster and flesh colored paint.
“Jen should be volunteering at the food station tonight.” I pulled open the dark gray front door and ushered Freddie in front of me.
“It’s bigger than I imagined.” Alex looked around the entrance hall.
“This used to be a council building,” I said. “They gave it up to create a zombie shelter.” And got a swanky new building in a secure location away from Zee Town.
We walked through the reception area, which was unoccupied. The shelter was managed by volunteers, and there were never enough people to go around.
“This way.” I led Freddie and Alex along a magnolia corridor, with scuffed wooden flooring. I pushed through a set of double doors and into the main hall where the food was served and a treatment center set up.
There were a dozen volunteers on duty that evening. I spotted Jen by the serving table, handing out platefuls of food to waiting zombies. I walked over with Alex and Freddie in tow, the smell of warm meat drifting around me.
“I found someone in need of your services,” I said to Jen, and pointed at Freddie. “The poor guy was stumbling around in the road. He’s had an accident.”
Jen handed over the last plate of food and turned her attention to Freddie. “Have you been in the wars?” she asked him.
Freddie blinked several times and gave a nod.
Jen’s gaze moved to Alex, and she smiled. “And you’ve brought a guest.”
“This is Alex. He’s a new recruit at Nick’s station,” I said, well aware that Jen knew all about our new officer.
Jen wiped her hands on a cloth before shaking Alex’s hand. “It’s lovely to meet you. Were you and Cassie out together when you met Freddie?”
I glanced at Alex and grinned. “Not quite.”
“We had a misunderstanding.” Alex’s cheeks flamed red, and he looked at me. “But everything’s okay now, isn’t it?”
I nodded. I couldn’t blame a guy for trying to save me when he thought I was in trouble. “Alex hasn’t been to the shelter. I thought we can show him around,” I said to Jen.
“That’s fine by me. Although, I could do with a hand getting more supplies from the kitchen.” She pointed to the almost empty pot of organ stew.
Alex looked at the food and took a couple of steps back, th
e color draining from his face. “What’s in that?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not for us,” I said to him.
Alex’s hand went to his stomach. “I don’t eat meat anymore. Not since, well, you know. Too many bad memories.”
This was common in Zee Town. “Most of us are vegetarians these days. We even have a few vegans.”
“But you’re welcome to try some if you’re feeling adventurous,” Jen said, a teasing note in her voice. “It’s a favorite dish of our clients, so it’s what we serve.”
“Nope, no way. I’m not eating that.” Alex turned green.
“Don’t be mean,” I whispered to her. “I thought you liked this guy?”
“I like my men was a backbone,” she whispered back. “I’m not sure Alex has one if a pot of kidneys turns him green.”
“Give him a chance.”
Jen sighed. “There’s toast and jam in the back if you do get hungry.”
Alex waved his hand. “No, thanks. I’ve not got much of an appetite right now.”
“I wouldn’t mind some toast,” I said. “I haven’t eaten.”
“Help yourself,” Jen said. “I’ll get Freddie settled in, then give you the grand tour.” She smiled at Alex and guided Freddie along the corridor toward a row of single beds set along each side of the room away from the serving area.
I grabbed two slices of toast from the kitchen, smothered them in raspberry jam and waited with Alex for a few minutes.
“Freddie’s all sorted.” Jen walked back to us. “It looks as if he fell onto something hard or was hit by somebody.”
I swallowed the last of my toast and brushed crumbs from my fingers. “Do you think we have tourists pestering our zombies again?”
“It could be,” Jen said. “Carnival brings in the crazies.”
“I’ll investigate,” Alex said as he puffed out his chest. “I can ask around the street we found Freddie in. See if anybody saw anything.”
“That’s nice of you,” Jen smiled brightly at Alex. “What a hero.”
Alex grinned.
I decided not to mention that it was most likely in his job description to investigate these sorts of crimes. “So, how about this tour?”
“Absolutely. Come this way, you two,” Jen said. “This place is great.”
“Just watch out for the ones who bite,” I said.
Alex stared at me. “You’re kidding?”
“Of course she is!” Jen glared at me and took hold of Alex’s arm. “No one here bites.”
I couldn’t resist a little teasing. No one should come to Zee Town unprepared, and it looked like Alex was inexperienced with zombies.
Would he be any good when it came to solving Bert Figgins’ murder? If not, I’d have to ask my own questions and figure out what happened.
Having an unsolved murder on my doorstep and Nick pointing the finger at either me or the zombies wasn’t acceptable.
Chapter 7
“Cassie’s seen it all before, but I never get bored with showing off our wonderful shelter.” Jen guided us to the main entrance. “This began as council offices. A place where our wonderful officials spent their time making slow decisions about what to spend our taxes on.”
“You’re talking about Zee Town’s Authorizing, Scrutiny, and Sanctioning Committee?” Alex asked. “I had to go before them as part of my recruitment process. Well, it was more of a chat really, what with my uncle being involved.”
I noted Jen’s curious expression. “Alex’s uncle helped him get this job.”
“Oh, okay.” Jen nodded. “That’s right, Alex. Shorten that committee title to its initials and you’ll learn what most people think about the council and their interference in Zee Town.”
Alex gave a startled laugh. “I’ve heard Nick mention the ASS committee a few times. They’re not helpful? They seemed fine to me.”
“They’re decent enough,” I said. “And somebody needs to keep watch over Zee Town and make sure we aren’t causing too much trouble.”
“Cassie has to go before them once a quarter to give updates on our cultural evolution,” Jen snorted. “Honestly, most of them couldn’t organize a cake and bake stall in a tea room.”
“I heard they’re considering building a zombie themed amusement park,” Alex said.
“They can try,” I said. “We’re all about the local stores and independent retailers. I don’t think a theme park is the right way to go.” That rumor had been doing the rounds for a month. I needed to make sure it was just that. Otherwise, I’d set the zombies on the Council to make them change their minds. Even though the zombies were placid, they might scare the council into forgetting all about a theme park. It was just too tacky.
“We’re right by the sea,” Alex said. “It could be a draw for people. Sun, surf, and screaming at the terrifying zombies.” His grin faded when he noticed our sour expressions.
“Our zombies aren’t terrifying,” I said.
“It’s not the best idea I’ve ever heard,” Jen said, the disappointment clear on her face.
Alex raised his hands. “I know when I’ve been beaten. The theme park is a terrible idea.”
I smiled. Alex was growing on me.
Jen nodded. “The shelter takes in any zombies who need our help. We get them checked in, assess their health, find out as much as we can about their history, and where they’ve been. Then we determine a care package for them.”
“Do you house zombies here?” Alex asked.
“Yes, we have over one hundred beds for zombies not claimed by family or friends,” Jen said. “We also have several households who foster zombies on a temporary basis. Where possible, we like to get them in an established and safe environment.”
We walked along a short corridor and paused before a large mural. No one spoke for several minutes.
Jen adjusted the sleeves of her green shirt. “As you can see, the Council likes to depict the history of our zombies.” She pointed out a number of rabid looking zombies attacking humans. “They dwell on the gorier aspects of the outbreak.”
Alex scrubbed a hand over his face. “It was a dark time. Many people lost loved ones.”
I glanced at him and his eyes tightened. “It was tough on everybody. It’s better now. It’s great here.”
“Yes. Times have changed,” Alex said.
“Did you lose anybody?” Jen asked, sympathy shining in her eyes.
Alex gave a slight nod. “Most of my friends, and some family. You?”
“All of my family turned. Most of them are placid, we only had one rabid. That was my aunt Judy, and she was always spiteful. I guess it was in her nature,” Jen said. “Cassie lost a brother and a boyfriend.”
I frowned at her and rubbed the scar on my palm. I didn’t want my unhappy history revealed to somebody I didn’t know. “My brother died a hero. He was protecting my parents.”
We walked the rest of the way along the off-white corridor, Jen pointing out the accommodation for the zombies and the medical rooms.
She tapped on a sturdy wooden door and cracked it open. “Are you in, Phil?” She peered around the door.
A gentle mumble sounded from inside the room.
“Do you want to meet Phil?” Jen pushed the door open wider. Inside was a single bed, a wardrobe, sink, and wall cabinet. The furnishings were basic but clean.
A one-armed zombie sat on the edge of the bed. He turned toward us. “Hello.”
“Phil, I’m showing our new police officer, Alex, around. And you know Cassie,” Jen said.
Phil gave his best attempt at a smile, but he was missing a lot of teeth. It looked like no one had been helping this zombie for some time. It made my heart hurt to think of them being alone and afraid. No one deserved that.
“Phil’s been here a week,” Jen said. “We’re trying to find him a home. He’s very quiet.” She looked at Alex. “Do you have a spare room?”
Alex’s eyes widened. “I’m bunking at the station right now until I find so
mething. The Council’s supposed to give me somewhere permanent to stay once I pass my probation.”
“That’s a shame,” Jen said. “Phil could do with some company. He gets lonely.”
I smiled at Phil, wishing I could squeeze him into my tiny cottage and make sure he wasn’t left on his own.
“It’s nice to meet you, Phil.” Alex shuffled his feet. “I hope you’re enjoying your stay.”
Phil nodded. “Thank you. Good here.”
We left Phil and walked to the next room.
“This is a treatment room.” Jen pushed open some double doors. “As you’ve seen from your encounter with Freddie tonight, zombies are fragile. When they get an injury, they don’t heal. We repair them as best we can and clean up any wounds.”
As I looked around the room, I recognized Drew Mahoney. She volunteered as a nurse at the shelter in the evenings and worked as the post mistress during the day. She was focused on taping a wound on the wrist of an older male zombie.
“Drew, what happened here?” Jen approached the bed the zombie was on.
Drew looked up, her dark eyes serious. “I’ve no idea. He arrived on his own and hasn’t spoken a word. I’m hoping this tape will keep things together for a while.” She held up a roll of flesh colored tape and some gauze.
“Great work. Keep it up.” Jen made the introductions before leading us out of the room. “It’s such a shame we can’t do more than patch the zombies up.”
I nodded. It was sad we couldn’t heal wounded zombies. They didn’t get human illnesses such as cancer or heart disease, but every time they got a knock or a wound, it made them weaker. We did the best we could for them in Zee Town.
“How are things going with the investigation?” I asked Alex. There was no harm in seeing if Nick had made any progress. If he had a suspect, I might get out of giving a statement.
“There’s nothing much new. We’ve confirmed he died between midnight and three in the morning. Nick’s still muttering about zombies being involved. I’m not so sure now I’ve gotten to know a few. They seem nice. Very calm. What would provoke an attack from a zombie?”