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

by K E O'Connor

  I headed back down the stairs and onto the crowded street, walking past a stall doing zombie face painting on a child. It looked scarily good. I passed each of the stalls, double checking discreetly that they were selling what they’d proposed when they’d applied for a carnival license.

  Once I’d checked the stalls, I decided it was time for a much needed break, and went to sample a crepe.

  I waved at several people I knew as I lined up for my food and ordered an apple and pecan filled crepe. I found a spot in one corner that wasn’t too hectic and tucked in. It was as amazing as it smelled. The apple had a hint of cinnamon and the perfect amount of sugar, offsetting the tartness of the fruit, and the nuts gave it the right amount of crunch. It took me barely a minute to finish it. I wondered if I dared go back for another one.

  As I debated how greedy I was, I spotted Colin Figgins blowing a kiss to someone in the crowd. There were so many people on the street that it made it hard to see who his object of affection was.

  My desire for more crepes disappeared as I followed Colin, interested to see who he was dating. I lost him for a moment but spotted him again as he pushed his way through the crowds toward Emma, her pink dress making her stand out.

  I watched him grab hold of her hand, and they swiftly disappeared into an alleyway. My interest piqued, I shimmied through the crowd until I was at the entrance of the alleyway.

  My eyes widened as I spotted Colin kissing Emma. Colin was dating a zombie!

  I backed away swiftly, surprised by my discovery, but bumped into a wall of tourists and was shoved back into the alleyway.

  Colin’s head whipped around, his face paling as he spotted me. He shoved Emma away and turned as if trying to conceal her behind him. “Cassie, what are you doing here?”

  “Nothing! I wondered what you were doing in the alleyway. I didn’t realize you had company.” I gestured to Emma, who still hid behind Colin’s back.

  “It’s not what you think. I mean, it’s nothing serious.” He stammered over his words and his gaze went to the ground. “No one can know about this.”

  “You don’t have anything to hide, you know.” I’d never known a human and a zombie to date, but there were no laws to say they couldn’t.

  “I’m not doing anything wrong,” Colin said, color flooding into his cheeks. “I like Emma.”

  “I like Emma, too.” I could understand why he was keeping this a secret. After all, she was one of the walking dead.

  Colin shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. “People won’t like it if they find out.”

  “I’ll admit, it’s unusual, but we accept zombies here. We wouldn’t live in Zee Town if we didn’t.”

  Colin sighed, glanced back at Emma, and took hold of her hand. “I can’t help myself. I love her.”

  “That’s sweet.” Strange, but sweet.

  “She’s very sweet,” Colin said. “Emma’s gentle and kind and never talks back to me.”

  Okay, that was a little less sweet. Was Colin dating a zombie because he didn’t like a woman to have a mind of her own? “Why don’t you come out and enjoy the rest of the carnival day together?”

  “No, we can’t be seen together.” Colin’s eyebrows shot up. “People will make fun of us.”

  “There’s no need to hide in this alleyway and feel ashamed.”

  “No,” Colin insisted. “And please, promise me you won’t tell anybody what you’ve seen. My reputation will be ruined if it gets out that I’m a zombie lover.”

  “A zombie lover?” This sounded intense.

  He shrugged again and scuffed his foot on the ground. “It’s not just me. There’s a group of us. We prefer zombie women to human women.”

  My mouth dropped open and quickly snapped it shut. “This is happening in Zee Town?”

  “Sure. There aren’t many of us,” Colin said. “But some of us like the quiet life. What’s quieter than a placid zombie? They do everything you ask them and they keep their mouths shut.”

  This was getting creepy. “They aren’t good reasons to date a zombie. You should be proud that you’ve got a girlfriend.”

  Colin snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure everything will think that.”

  “Why not step out of the alleyway and see what people think?”

  “You’re making fun of me.” Colin’s eyes narrowed. “No one takes me seriously around here. What does it matter if I love Emma?” He pulled her close, and she stumbled against him.

  “Is Emma happy about this?” I asked, my gaze on her.

  Emma didn’t answer, but she seemed content.

  I needed to be sure. It was sometimes difficult to tell what a zombie’s mood was from their facial expressions.

  “Emma’s fine. She gets fed and looked after. I dress her nicely as you can see,” Colin said.

  I wasn’t impressed with the outfit Emma wore. It was too small and a fancy dress costume. Technically, Colin wasn’t doing anything illegal, but the zombies were vulnerable. This felt a little like exploitation.

  “Tell me more about this club you’re a part of,” I said.

  “There’s nothing to tell. We treat our zombies well,” Colin said. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  I chewed on my bottom lip. I was missing something. Sure, zombies and humans dating was strange, and it was the first time I’d come across it, but it almost didn’t surprise me to hear that some men preferred a placid zombie to a living, breathing woman. They were certainly less work if you could get around the slow decay issues.

  “We should go,” Colin said. “Emma, you go first. I’ll follow in a bit.”

  Emma nodded and moved away without saying a word.

  I watched Emma leave and turned to Colin. I was torn. I had to focus on the carnival, but this didn’t feel right. “Are you working at the warehouse later? I’ll be there overseeing the float storage. We can have a cup of tea and you can tell me more about this club.”

  “You’re not going to make me stop seeing Emma, are you?” Colin’s eyes filled with alarm.

  “No, so long as you’re treating her well and Emma is happy, which she seems to be. I can’t see it being a problem.” I wasn’t sure what the rest of Zee Town would think about it, though. “I want the best for Emma. Just like you.”

  Colin sighed. “I care for Emma. I want that, too.”

  “Great! So, let’s meet for a chat. No pressure.”

  “Will you keep this quiet?”

  “Of course. I’m just looking out for the zombies. Like I always do.”

  “Okay. I do have the late shift at the warehouse. I’ll see you there.” Colin trudged past me, his head down.

  I felt bad for spoiling his romantic moment, but I needed to find out more and ensure this club wasn’t exploiting the zombies. I had no plans on stopping Colin if he was genuinely in love with Emma.

  As I emerged from the alleyway, I spotted Jen waving furiously as she spotted me.

  “We’ve got a car stuck in an alleyway,” she yelled. “It’s stopping the tourists getting through. You’re needed.”

  I hurried over to her. Colin’s zombie dating club would have to wait for now.

  Chapter 21

  The rest of the afternoon at the carnival was a huge success.

  I took a short break to grab an early dinner with Jen before I got caught up in the final checks for the outdoor dining event on the harbor.

  “That was such an amazing day.” Jen tucked into her sticky mango rice and vegetable spring rolls. “I don’t think I’ve seen it so busy in Zee Town. At one point, I got trapped near a stall and couldn’t move for ten minutes. Fortunately, it was the fudge stall, so I wasn’t unhappy.”

  “I’ve not stopped all day,” I said. “It’s great fun, but I’ll be glad when it’s over. Then I can figure out how well it’s gone and how to improve on things for next year.”

  Jen grinned. “I can’t believe you’re already thinking about next year’s carnival.”

  “I like t
o plan ahead,” I said, returning her grin.

  “I don’t think I heard a single person complain during the day,” Jen said. “Everyone loved the procession and the live music was a big hit.”

  I twirled noodles around my fork. “I discovered something interesting today. Colin has a girlfriend.”

  “No way!” Jen said. “Who’s he seeing? I’d not heard he’s dating anybody. I usually hear that sort of gossip in the salon.”

  “This is the interesting bit. He’s dating Emma Light.” I watched Jen’s face carefully for her reaction.

  “Emma Light?” Her eyebrows shot up, and she dropped her fork. “You mean Emma Light the zombie? Colin’s dating a zombie?”

  “Keep your voice down.” I glanced over my shoulder. “Although I was as surprised as you when I found them making out in an alleyway.”

  “But why? I mean, I’m all for zombies having the same rights as us, but humans and zombies dating?”

  “According to Colin, he’s not the only one doing this. He said he liked his women placid and obedient.”

  Jen wrinkled her nose. “That sounds disturbing.”

  “I thought so, too. I’m meeting Colin later to get more information. I want to make sure he’s treating Emma well.”

  “Next thing, you’ll be telling me there’s an online dating site for these creepy guys to find their perfect zombie love match,” Jen said.

  “I wouldn’t rule it out,” I said. “Colin’s not the only one doing it. It appears we’re a little too much for the living, breathing males of Zee Town. I’m trying not to be offended that the men prefer zombies over me.”

  Jen snorted a laugh. “It doesn’t do much for the ego.”

  I finished my noodles and pushed back my chair. “I’d better see how things are getting on at the harbor.”

  “I didn’t get a dinner ticket this year,” Jen said. “They sold out within a day.”

  “I’ll sneak you in if you want,” I said. “I always keep a couple of spaces in case there’s been a mistake with any of the bookings.”

  “Thanks but you’re fine. We can have our own celebration tomorrow when the tourists sleeping off their hangovers and we’re out clearing up the mess on the streets.” She waved me away. “Go on. See how things are doing. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”

  I waved goodbye and marched to the harbor. I paused for a few seconds as I reached the entrance. It looked beautiful with lanterns strung, the light reflecting in the sea. Three rows of tables were set for a four-course dinner. In a couple of hours, they’d be packed with happy visitors, all celebrating Zee Town. And with the money they spent, they’d make sure we stayed stay solvent and supported our zombies for another year.

  I walked alongside the first table, the cutlery gleaming in the lantern light. I grimaced as I glanced up and spotted Nick. Stool by his side, a jaunty red handkerchief tied around his neck.

  “Is everything going to plan?” he asked, gesturing to the tables.

  “It looks like it,” I said. “Now the procession’s over and the stalls are shutting, we only have the dinner to go.”

  “You always handle these events well,” Nick said. “You always seem so calm.”

  I blinked in surprise. That was the first compliment Nick had ever given me. “I’ve been doing it for years. You get used to being surrounded by chaos. You learn to take lots of deep breaths.”

  He nodded and looked down at his feet. “There was no trouble during the carnival. A couple of tourists got drunk, but there were no problems with the zombies.”

  “I would have expected nothing else,” I said.

  Nick looked up at me. “I don’t hate our zombies. It’s just that, well...”

  “You’re suspicious of them,” I said. “If you spent more time with them, you’d realize they weren’t bad. You can trust them. Maybe you should employ one at the police station.”

  Nick ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up. I wanted to flatten it. “I worry, that’s all. I’ve seen things, and it makes me wary.”

  A trickle of sympathy ran through me. “I get it. We all saw horrible things during the uprising. Zee Town is different.”

  Nick nodded, his gaze drifting to the tide as it crept toward the shore. “I’m trying.”

  I grinned. “Yes, you can be trying at times.”

  He looked at me and returned my grin. “Are you going to the dinner?”

  “I’ll be here to oversee things. Once the dinner is over, I’ll check the floats are safely stored away and call it a night.”

  Nick hesitated and looked down at Stool. “Yes, we’d better get going, too. I need to make sure your stall holders haven’t left any mess. Otherwise, I’ll have to issue some fines.”

  I frowned at him and then saw the smile on his face. “Dare I ask about Bert’s case?”

  He shook his head, the smile fading. “We should be wrapping things up soon. Excuse me.” Nick brushed past me, and Stool followed slowly behind him.

  I watched Nick go. I wanted the case to be over, but I still had no clue who murdered Bert.

  If Nick’s focus was still on a zombie, this small truce would be over very soon.

  Chapter 22

  I ignored the ache behind my eyes and the throbbing in my feet and sneaked a portion of Kirsch-infused pineapple with mango sorbet and a strawberry coulis dressing. I slipped behind a stand advertising stand-up paddle boarding lessons and tucked into the dessert. My headache and sore feet problems faded as the sweet dessert did its job.

  It was an ideal end to a great dinner. The guests had behaved themselves, the food was fantastic, and the weather had been kind.

  Once the coffee and brandies were served, and guests began to depart, I’d be free to go home and put my feet up. It had been a long day.

  I slipped my empty dish onto a serving tray, swiped a hand across my mouth to make sure there were no traces of dessert, and stepped out from behind the stand, buoyed from the sugar and ready for the last hour of the evening.

  I did a final circuit around the tables, saying goodbye to guests as they left, and helped a few who were unsteady on their feet. The last thing I wanted was a tourist falling onto the beach and spending the night sleeping among the crabs and seaweed.

  I stifled a yawn as I made my way to the warehouse to check the floats were secure and catch up with Colin before I fell asleep on my feet.

  As I approached the building, one of the doors was open and a light was on inside. It was no surprise. It often took hours to break down the floats and store away the pieces.

  I tapped on the door as I walked in. “Colin, it’s Cassie. Are you still here?” There was no reply. I walked farther into the warehouse, stepping over discarded bits of float and deflated balloons.

  Shuffling sounds from the back of the warehouse made me pause. “Colin, is that you?”

  A few seconds later, Colin’s head poked around the side of a float. “I’m back here. Sorting out this zombie head.” He grunted as he shifted the head to one side. “These things are so heavy.”

  “Let me give you a hand.” I hurried over, and between the two of us we shifted the head so it sat neatly at the side of the warehouse.

  Colin rubbed his hands together. “Thanks. I’ll be here all night at this rate, trying to get everything in place. I was supposed to have an extra helper, but he let me down at the last minute. Nancy insisted I stay late to get everything put away. She did promise to pay me overtime, so I can’t complain.”

  “What about Emma? Perhaps she could help you?” I looked around the warehouse but couldn’t see any sign of her.

  Colin’s cheeks colored. “She’s not here. Besides, she’s not built for manual labor. I don’t want to get her pretty dresses dirty.”

  “Of course. You need to look after her,” I said. “You are taking good care of Emma, I hope?”

  “Yes! I adore Emma,” Colin said. “She’s the best girlfriend I’ve ever had. She’s sweet, kind, and quiet. What more could a man want
?”

  I was tempted to say, a pulse, someone who didn’t decay, and eyes that weren’t bloodshot gray but decided to hold my tongue. We each had specific tastes when it came to partners. I liked dark and brooding, and Colin liked shambling and bloodshot.

  “Maybe you can come over to dinner one evening? It will be nice to see you together,” I said.

  “Well, we could,” Colin said. “Emma doesn’t like to go out much. We prefer to stay in, just the two of us, where no one can pass judgment.”

  “I won’t pass judgment,” I said. “I like Emma and I like you, too. I can invite Zara over. Emma and Zara can spend some time together. It’s good for zombies not to be alone.”

  “Emma isn’t alone,” Colin said. “She has me. I keep her in my apartment over the top of the candy store. Emma doesn’t seem to mind. Although, she finds the stairs difficult when her legs aren’t working so well. I have to carry her up when she’s stiff.”

  “You do let her go out on her own?”

  “She can if she wants to.” Colin scratched his head. “Emma likes to sit quietly and look out the window. Don’t think she’s my prisoner.”

  “I don’t,” I said. “But you know how tricky our zombies can be. You need to keep them stimulated, otherwise they decline. What sort of things do you do with Emma?”

  Colin scuffed his feet through a pile of burst balloons. “Well, we go walking late at night. And she stays over.” He raised his eyebrows and scratched his head again. “Do you really want the details of that?”

  I resisted the urge to grimace. Being intimate with a zombie didn’t do anything for me. Was this really what Colin wanted? And what about Emma? Was she able to have any say in her relationship with Colin?

  “As long as you’re both happy,” I said. “It might be good if Selina pays Emma a visit, to make sure she’s doing okay. I’m not saying you don’t look after Emma, but we need to have her best interests at heart. She could be lonely sitting on her own in the apartment. You’re out at the warehouse most days, and she might not tell you that she’s unhappy.”

  Colin frowned. “Emma’s happy. She never complains.”