by K E O'Connor
“Tea is for wimps, unless it’s got a shot of whiskey in it. You don’t need to be shy around me.” His hand brushed my arm again.
I turned to Johnny, my hands on my hips. “Let’s get a few things straight. I don’t do the filing in my office, I run the place. Plus, you’re old enough to be my father. You should know better than to drool over me.”
“Now, hold on a second—”
“Finally, why aren’t you upset that Bert’s dead? I thought you were close?”
Johnny took a step back and gave a startled laugh. “Well now, it looks like I’ve got a firecracker on my hands.”
I snorted in disbelief. “I’ll be by later for the check.” I turned on my heel and stalked away.
Johnny hurried after me. This guy really didn’t get the message. “I may be an older man, but golf keeps me flexible.”
I frowned at him. “I’ll take your word for that.”
Johnny grabbed my arm. “Come back to the clubhouse and we can talk. You’ll like me once we get to know each other.”
I pulled my arm away and looked around, my heart pounding. It was still early and I couldn’t see another person for miles. I needed to be careful not to make Johnny angry. He didn’t seem to take no for an answer.
“I see you’re wavering.” Johnny placed his arm around my shoulders. “An early morning cocktail will loosen you up. Then we can talk money.”
I backed away. “We can talk money later.”
Johnny’s gaze moved over my shoulder and his eyes widened. “What’s he doing here?”
I looked around and spotted Marcus King hurrying toward us, his jowls wobbling. Marcus had been the mayor of Zee Town, but turned into a placid zombie years ago. Much like Johnny, he’d been a golf fanatic, and had spent most of his mayoral time attempting to get a hole in one. Changing into a zombie hadn’t put him off the golf course.
“We don’t let zombies on the course,” Johnny said. “They dig holes and make a mess in the bunkers.”
Marcus charged toward us, one of his feet dragging as he did so. He shoved in between me and Johnny.
“Marcus, what’s going on?” I placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Keeping you safe.” He turned and growled at Johnny.
“From what?” Johnny licked his lips. “What’s going on here? You don’t think this is the zombie that bit Bert?”
“No. Placid zombies don’t bite.” My eyes widened. Marcus was protecting me from Johnny.
“He was hurting you.” Marcus took a menacing step toward Johnny.
I stepped around Marcus and took hold of his arm, feeling the thin muscle underneath the skin. “I’m fine. Nobody’s been hurt here. You don’t need to look after me.”
“What’s all this about?” Johnny asked. “Have you got this zombie following you around as a bodyguard?”
“Nothing like that,” I said. “He must have seen us arguing and thought I needed protection.”
“This is ridiculous,” Johnny said. “This zombie shouldn’t be here. Neither should you. Club rules state that women are only allowed on the course out of season. They slow down the men’s games.”
That couldn’t be a law? Before I had a chance to debate this with Johnny, Marcus lunged at him and grabbed his throat.
Johnny gave a strangled cry as they fell to the ground.
“Marcus! Let go of Johnny.” I grabbed Marcus’s shoulders and pulled. He was easy to drag off Johnny, he didn’t weigh much.
“Must keep you safe.” Marcus attempted to grab Johnny again.
“Stop! I am safe,” I said, keeping a tight hold on Marcus.
“Get that thing out of here.” Johnny scrambled to his feet and brushed down his now grass-stained polo shirt. “It’s dangerous.”
“Marcus is safe, so long as you behave yourself.”
“Me! You come over here demanding money and setting your attack zombie on me. You’ve lost your mind, woman.”
“Come on,” I muttered to Marcus. “It’s time to go.” I needed to leave before I did something I’d regret to Johnny.
I tucked my arm through Marcus’s elbow and steered him off the course, accompanied by muttered curses from Johnny.
Secretly, I was glad Marcus had intervened. Johnny had been too intense for my liking. “Thanks for helping, Marcus.”
“A pleasure.”
“Oh! You’ve got a cut on your forehead.” I noticed a graze and several shallow cuts on Marcus’s face. “We’d better get you some help.”
Marcus nodded and allowed me to lead him to the shelter.
My hands were shaking, whether from shock or anger, I couldn’t decide. One thing this encounter with Johnny had shown me was that he was persistent and had a temper. Perhaps he’d become too demanding of Sybil, or had gotten into a fight with Bert and killed him.
Whatever had happened, Johnny Catt was at the top of my list of suspects.
Chapter 13
I walked with Marcus to the shelter. The doors were open, despite the early hour.
“I’ve got an injured warrior for you,” I said, happy to see Jen as we walked through the reception area.
“Marcus, what have you been doing?” Jen rounded the table and inspected the injury on his head. “It doesn’t look serious. I can get that sorted if I’m quick. I need to get over to the salon soon for my first cut and blow dry.”
“He got that protecting me.” I sat at the table and accepted a cup of tea.
“Why was he protecting you?” Jen sat Marcus down and pulled out a first aid box.
“I was talking to Johnny Catt about what he might know about Bert’s murder. He got a bit hands on with me.”
Jen’s eyebrows shot up. “That dirty old devil. Are you okay?”
“Thanks to Marcus,” I said. “He must have seen what was going on and decided to help me.”
“I always thought Johnny was a letch,” Jen said. “I hope you told him you’d report him to the police.”
“No, I didn’t think about that. Johnny wouldn’t leave me alone. Then Marcus appeared like my knight in shining armor and saved the day.”
“Well done, Marcus. You’re our hero.” Jen patted his shoulder. “Actually, I noticed you’ve been hanging out on the golf course. Do you live there?”
He nodded. “Love golf.”
I sipped my tea. Now my shock and anger was subsiding, I realized I might have trouble on my hands. “I hope my fight with Johnny doesn’t mean he’ll withhold the carnival money. He did promise I could have it, but that was before the Marcus incident.”
“Johnny wouldn’t dare change his mind,” Jen said. “The town would be in an uproar if the store stops funding the carnival, all because Johnny didn’t get his wicked way with you.”
My cheeks flushed. “Let’s hope that never has to be revealed. I’m supposed to go over later today to pick up the money.” If I didn’t get the money, I’d have to go begging to the Council for extra funding. That wouldn’t be looked upon kindly.
“He’ll come to his senses and realize what a dirty old goat he was,” Jen said. She finished cleaning Marcus’s wound and applied a small dressing. “You’re all done. There’s a fresh batch of sheep’s brains in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”
Marcus nodded his thanks and wandered to the serving hatch to get his food.
Jen grabbed a cup of tea for herself and joined me at the table. “I heard the police are still looking at the zombies as the main suspects in Bert’s death. I also heard that they’re planning an organized roundup to question all the zombies.”
“They can’t do that! It makes no sense to interrogate the zombies.” I shook my head. “This is Nick’s doing. I had him in the office yesterday questioning me about zombies and wanting to know why they would attack Bert.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That he was wrong.”
Jen smirked. “I bet he loved that.”
I rubbed my forehead. “He didn’t warm to the idea. I thought he was wavering.
He can’t do this to the zombies. It’ll ruin the parade.”
“The tourists will be miserable if there are no zombies around on carnival day. That’s what the celebration is all about.”
“It’s also not fair on the zombies. None of our placids would ever bite Bert, or anyone for that matter. When Marcus attacked Johnny, he tried to strangle him, he didn’t bite him. They don’t bite. Why doesn’t Nick get that?”
“You need to talk to Nick quickly,” Jen said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him.” I stood and drained the last of my tea. “I’d do it now, but I have to get the office open. Then I’ve got to work up the courage to see Johnny and get the money from him.”
“You could ask Nick to go with you.”
I grimaced. “That will take too much explaining. If I do, Nick will want the full story, and I’ll owe him a favor. I don’t want that.”
Jen’s gaze traveled over my damp clothes. “I know we’re casual in Zee Town, but you could remove the seaweed from your hair before you greet the tourists for the day.”
I raised my eyebrows and gave Jen a rueful smile. “A quick shower and change is a good idea. Then I’m tackling Johnny and Nick.”
I hurried out of the shelter, dashed home for a five-minute shower, changed into a smart business-like gray dress, and hurried to open the office.
Zara was waiting to get in as I arrived.
“Sorry, I got a bit delayed this morning.” I unlocked the office door and flipped open the blind on the window at the front.
“No problem.” Zara walked to the pot of beef broth and heated it up. “You smell like the sea.”
Maybe I hadn’t done such a good job in the shower after all. “I went for a swim this morning. It was lovely on the beach.”
“It’s pretty down there.” Zara sat at her desk.
“I need to leave you in charge for an hour or two this morning,” I said. “I’ve got carnival business. I won’t be long.”
Zara nodded in response.
“Can I give you the bunting to sort out? It’s going to be hung around the town this afternoon and needs to be checked for rips.”
“The bunting is nice. It has pictures of placids on it,” Zara said.
The bunting had been designed by a local artist. It featured the town logo, an image of the sea, and tiny pictures of waving zombies. It was a little fanciful, but the tourists loved it, and it gave the streets a festive atmosphere.
I grabbed the boxes of bunting out of the store room at the back of the office, handed them to Zara, had another mug of tea to fortify myself, and left the office, not feeling brave but knowing what I needed to do.
I decided to visit Nick first. Johnny needed time to cool down after our encounter on the golf course. I grabbed two takeout teas and a couple of blueberry muffins from Laura’s diner.
She was busy with customers, so I didn’t have a chance to speak to her.
The muffins and tea could sweeten Nick up and convince him that the zombies didn’t need to be rounded up. They were all innocent, just like me.
The station was only a five-minute walk from the diner. I pushed open the blue wooden door and walked to the reception desk.
Julia Browser sat behind the desk, her hair styled in its usual spiky blonde pixie cut. She looked after the station. It was only small, with four officers protecting the residents. Julia did everything else to ensure the smooth running of the office.
I liked Julia. She was a few years older than me, a little scatty, and wasn’t all that great at keeping secrets.
“Good morning, Julia.” I placed the tea and muffins on the desk.
Julia’s green eyes lit up. “I hope some of that’s for me. I didn’t have a chance for breakfast this morning. Nick’s been in a mood since yesterday, so I wanted to get in early. He’s complaining about everything, from the wrong type of paper, through to some complicated sounding funding cut. I stopped listening after the first five grumbles. Some days he’s like a bear with a sore head.”
“The tea and muffin are for you. You deserve it.” Her description of Nick didn’t sound promising. He wouldn’t share any information if he was in a foul mood. “What’s made him so grumpy?”
Julia took the lid off the takeout cup and blew on the contents. “It’s this murder case. Bert Figgins. There’s evidence to suggest zombies were involved, but Nick has his doubts. He said he’d spoken to you about it.” She raised her eyebrows as she took a sip of her tea. “You’re friends now?”
“Don’t sound so surprised, we do occasionally get along.” I grinned at her as I took a piece of muffin and ate it. I didn’t mention the fact that I’d practically kicked Nick out of the tourism office the last time we met.
Julia glanced over her shoulder as if checking nobody else was listening. “I’m worried about him. Nick’s distracted by something. He missed a meeting a few days ago, and he never does that. Something’s on his mind, but he won’t share what it is. I’ve asked a few times, but he just snaps at me and tells me to get on with my work.”
“Could it be something in his personal life?” Nick wasn’t seeing anyone, not that I kept tabs on his private life. As Julia said, Nick could be like a bear with a sore head most of the time. Not many women would put up with that.
“Good luck finding out about that,” Julia said. “I don’t think he’s even mentioned if he’s got any family. That man is a closed book. I’d wonder if he was even human but for the fact that he clearly loves that three-legged dog who follows him everywhere. He even makes me buy dog biscuits to keep at the station.” She tucked into her muffin.
“I want to have a chat with Nick if he’s around,” I said.
“You’re out of luck there,” Julia said. “He’s out for the next few hours, interviewing people about Bert’s murder. I can leave a message to say you called. I’ll ask him to drop by the office when he gets back.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll catch up with him later.” I wasn’t all that sad to have missed Nick, especially if he was in a bad mood. “Do you know anything about his plans to round up our zombies and interrogate them?”
Julia gave an apologetic shrug. “I do. He’s got me looking into booking a room large enough to accommodate them.”
I screwed up my muffin wrapper and hurled it into the bin. “Nick can’t do that. Zombies have rights.”
“I’m on your side,” Julia said. “But Nick’s getting pressure from the Council. They’re insisting the zombies are looked into. I don’t think he can do much about it.”
“I bet he could if he wanted to.” I finished my tea, realizing I’d drunk too much this morning and had a caffeine buzz.
“I’m looking forward to this year’s event,” Julia said. “I can’t believe how many tourists we’ve got here already. There are still three days to go.”
“I know. It gets bigger every year,” I said. “But if we don’t have any zombies at the carnival, it might be the last one we have.”
Julia gasped. “Don’t say that. I love the carnival.”
“Me too. And our zombies. It won’t happen. Nick isn’t taking my zombies.”
Julia’s expression turned puzzled. “If you say so.”
I left the station and stood outside for a few minutes. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Nick had to be stopped, but the only way I could do that was to find Bert’s killer.
That meant doing exactly what Nick had told me not to. It felt like a trap. Either path I took, something bad would happen.
I straightened my shoulders and walked down the street. It was time to face Johnny Catt.
Chapter 14
Figgins Golf Supplies Store was a half-mile walk from the station. It was just what I needed to work up the courage to see Johnny again.
I hoped he’d calmed down and wouldn’t try any more of his sleazy tactics. I just wanted to get the money for the carnival sponsorship. That was all.
The store was green and white with a neat display of golfing equip
ment in the window.
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. There were a few customers inside, but the place wasn’t busy. The store was bright and airy, full of everything you needed for your golfing pleasures.
Danny Wade was serving a customer at the counter. I waited until he’d finished and the customer left before approaching him. Danny was in his late teens and worked as a general clerk for the store. He did everything from serving customers to caddying out on the golf course and always did it with a cheerful smile on his face.
“Hi, Cassie,” he said. “Are you looking for a new set of clubs?” He grinned at me, his dark eyes shining.
“Not this time around,” I said. “I’m looking for Johnny. Is he in?”
“He came in a while ago. Stormed past me, demanded that I stay late to do stock inventory, and slammed the office door so hard he knocked over a display of clubs.” Danny grimaced. “Are you sure you want to see him?”
I really didn’t. A part of me had hoped that Johnny would be out and I could put off this no doubt awkward conversation. “We have a bit of business to finish up about the carnival.”
“I can’t wait for that,” Danny said. “I’ve got some friends coming in from out of town. They can’t wait to meet our zombie celebrities.”
“You know they’re not celebrities,” I said. “Make sure your friends treat them well.”
“They will. My buddies think they’re meeting zombie stars, though. They’re excited. There are so many rumors about what goes on in our town.”
I nodded. “How are things going in the store since Bert died? Have you got enough help?”
“We’re doing okay. I’m doing more shifts. But Johnny promised to get more help soon. Bert’s brother might come in a few days a week, we’re just sorting things out. It’s good, though. It means I can save money for the yacht I’ve got my eye on.” He winked at me as a customer approached.
“Good luck with that.” I smiled as I left Danny to his work. I made my way slowly to the back of the store where Johnny’s office was located. After another deep breath, I knocked loudly.
“Come in,” Johnny called.