by K E O'Connor
My hands were shaking as I hid them behind my back. “We have had an entertaining few minutes.”
“What happened?” Marissa asked.
“That tourist who was arrested last night came back in. I decided to ask a few questions about the missing zombies.”
“You mean, he’s still in town?” Marissa marched around the bar and headed to the door, her hands in fists.
I ran after her and grabbed hold of her arm before she could get outside. “Nick’s got it under control.”
“It was Cassie who sorted that fella out,” Old Taffy said from the corner. “She knocked that bully to his knees with a well-aimed strike. I’d have come to help her, but it seemed like she had everything in hand.”
Marissa’s frown morphed into a smile as she looked from Old Taffy to me. “I need to offer you a job here. It sounds like you can keep the troublemakers at bay.”
I returned her smile. “Thanks. I’d better go and see what’s happening with Nick.” I dashed out of the pub and onto the street, spotting Nick’s police car parked along the road. I ran toward it and knocked on the window.
Nick looked at me and shook his head again, making a shooing motion with one hand.
“Just one second,” I said, knocking harder on the glass.
He opened his window. “I have to take this guy to the cells. Do you want to press charges against him?”
“What? Yes. No. I’m not sure,” I said. “What for?”
“Assault, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm if he hit you.”
“Oh, well, maybe.”
“Did he hit you?” Nick’s eyebrows sprang up.
“No, Seth didn’t hit me.”
Nick sighed. “He was supposed to leave town. I didn’t expect to walk into the pub and see you plying him with alcohol and favors.”
My mouth dropped open. “I wasn’t doing either.” Well, maybe I had been trying to get Seth a bit drunk, but only so he’d confess about the zombies. I wasn’t going to tell Nick that.
“He’s already told me what you were asking him,” Nick said. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop interfering in police business?”
“About a hundred. You let him go,” I said. “Seth’s the prime suspect in the missing zombie case and the murder of Phil. Why isn’t he behind bars?”
“Because he’s innocent,” Nick said. “He’s been questioned. There’s no evidence to hold him. I can’t keep Seth behind bars any longer. Although, we will have another chat about his behavior this evening.”
“Seth hates zombies,” I said, looking into the back seat where Seth sat, a smug smile on his face as he watched us argue.
“Lots of people don’t like zombies,” Nick said. “It doesn’t mean I get to arrest them whenever I like.”
“You need to question him some more. He must know something.”
“What I need is to see you at the station tomorrow to give a formal statement. That is when you’ve made your decision about whether to press charges.” Nick’s window slid up, and he pulled away.
I stood there glowering at the car as it disappeared around the corner. Why couldn’t he see that this guy must have something to do with the missing zombies?
I turned and walked toward my house, my thoughts a tangle. Nick had to be wrong about Seth’s innocence. Because if it wasn’t Seth, then who was taking our zombies?
Chapter 10
I woke early the next morning. It was thanks to a combination of an overactive brain trying to figure out the zombie mystery, and the fact that today was Valentine’s Day. That meant lots of work.
I was grateful for the busy day ahead. It would take my mind off Nick and his rudeness last night.
After a quick shower, I dressed in a pair of black pants and a bright red blouse. I had to fit in with the color theme on this special day. I ate crumpets with strawberry preserve and drank some tea, before heading outside.
I hadn’t even noticed until I got out of my front door, but the frost was gone. A weak winter sun peered down at me as I walked to the office. It seemed like the weather was going to be kind to us on Valentine’s Day.
I got the office open and Zara settled with the boxes of cards, just as the first of our zombie delivery crew arrived. The card dispatch was the first task of the day, and I worked swiftly with Zara to make sure it went smoothly.
“You have one.” Zara paused from her card sorting.
“One what?” I asked.
She pointed a pale gray finger at my desk. “A card.”
I’d not had a chance to sit at my desk this morning, I’d been so intent on making sure the deliveries got out in time. “Is that for me?”
“Has your name on it,” Zara said.
I placed the pile of cards I was holding in a box and walked to my desk. She was right. My name was printed on the front of the red envelope. I felt a small thrill of surprise as I picked it up.
“Is this from you?” I asked Zara.
Zara gave me a smile and shook her head. “No. Have my own sweetheart.”
“Did Jen bring it in?”
Zara shook her head and returned to sorting the cards.
I looked at the card. I didn’t recognize the handwriting, but then my name was printed in capital letters, so it was hard to make out who had written it. I slid my finger under the envelope flap and opened it. I pulled out a card with a dog on the front holding a large red heart, and the words Be my Valentine on the front. Inside was my name written again, printed in capital letters, and three big crosses, symbolizing kisses.
“Who sent it?” Zara asked.
“A secret admirer,” I said. “They didn’t put their name inside.” I placed the card on my desk and turned it so I could see the soppy looking dog on the front as I continued to work. I had no idea who it was from, but it was lovely to get a card of my own.
The bell over the office door jangled as another helper arrived to collect their bag of cards. I had no choice but to push thoughts of my secret admirer to the back of my mind and get to work.
Once most of the cards were out, I walked to the main square and checked in on our singers. They were set up, dressed in their finest red shirts, and already belting out romantic, happy tunes. They sounded great. After listening to a couple of songs, I went to the diner and got them a round of warm drinks to keep their vocal cords happy.
I could have listened to them for another hour, but I needed to do a final check on preparations for the dance.
I turned to leave the square and spotted Grant walking toward me. He raised a hand as he approached.
“They sound amazing,” he said. “Is this something you planned?”
“Yes, I thought passers-by would enjoy it on their way to the Valentine lunch down the road at the diner.”
“They’re talented.” Grant peered closely at the singers. “And you have zombies in there, too?”
“Some zombies enjoy singing,” I said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this, but it seems popular.” I watched as several love-struck couples paused and listened to the music. One couple even linked arms and began dancing. I tried not to feel jealous at their obvious happiness.
“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Grant held out a brown paper bag.
“What’s this?” I took the bag from him.
“It’s not the most romantic of gifts,” Grant said. “I thought you might like something. It’s a special day, and I can imagine how busy you’ll be. You won’t get a chance for much romance today.”
I pulled open the bag. Inside was one of Laura’s strawberry and cream heart-shaped muffins. It looked a little squashed, but I appreciated the gesture. “Thank you. This is perfect. I’ll need plenty of energy today to get me through the celebrations.”
“I hope you enjoy it,” he said.
“Did you get anything special today?” I asked. “Is your girlfriend planning a romantic treat later?”
“No, I’m sadly single right now.” His green eyes gleamed. “That might change s
oon.”
I grinned at him. Maybe my secret Valentine wasn’t so secret. I’d thought about giving Grant a card, but it seemed premature. Maybe I’d made a mistake.
“Are we still on for the dance later?” Grant asked.
“Yes, your name’s on the list. I’ll see you there. In fact, I’m going to the dance hall now to make sure the decorations are up and the stage is set for the band.”
Grant smiled. “I won’t keep you. I need to open the store. I’m late today getting things ready. I’ll definitely see you later at the dance.”
“Great! See you there.” I watched him walk away. He looked smart in dark jeans, a crisp white shirt, and a black overcoat. This was exciting. Maybe I did have a someone who wanted to woo me after all.
There was a skip in my step as I headed to the dance hall. The doors were wide open when I walked in. I was happy to see the streamers and balloons already up, and the stage was well underway to being completed.
I walked over to Howard Benson, who I’d hired to set up the equipment. Howard was my go-to guy for staging our events. “Is everything going to plan?”
He turned and gave me a weary looking smile, his bald head gleaming in a spot light being tested behind him. “No problems, so far. We should be done in the next few hours.”
“That’s great,” I said. “We’ve got the caterers coming in just after three o’clock to get ready for the evening. Will you be finished by then?”
“We’ll be out of their way,” Howard said. “Is it a big crowd in tonight?”
“We’ve sold out,” I said.
He smiled at me. “You always do. Cassie March, you’re an event organizer extraordinaire.”
I blushed under his praise. “I’m not that good.”
“Yes, you are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” Howard said. “Shouldn’t you be busy with your own Valentine today?”
“Well, I did get a card and a squashed heart-shaped muffin.” I held up the bag in my hand. “I might even get a dance later on, as well.”
“Lucky you,” Howard said. “I’ve been married to my wife for a long time, but we still find time to have a little romance on Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Maybe birthdays if we both feel lucky.”
I spluttered out a laugh. “She does sound like the lucky one.”
“Oh, she is.” He winked at me. “Best get on.” Howard walked toward the stage, yelling at one of his workers as he did so.
I checked over the decorations before making a quick call to the caterers to make sure everything was on plan, and then left the hall, knowing it would look amazing once everything was finished.
My phone rang, and I answered it, recognizing the number I’d just called. It was the caterers. “Hi, Olivia. Is everything okay?”
“I hate to bother you,” Olivia Duke said. She was the manager of Fine Foods and Fancies. They often provided the food and catering supplies for our bigger events. “I know we just spoke and I said everything was fine, but I’ve just found out a shipment of glasses hasn’t been returned from an event last night. I’m panicking. We’ve not got enough for you. You may have to resort to plastic cups.”
“No! No way am I having plastic cups at this event. It needs to be classy. Plastic cups are not romantic.” I stopped outside the Black Dog. “I’ve got a solution. Let me see what I can do from this end.”
We said our goodbyes, and I headed inside the pub. Marissa was behind the bar. Her eyes looked puffy as if she hadn’t slept.
“I’m in need of your help,” I said to her.
“What’s up, sweetie?” Marissa asked with a sad sigh.
“Can you spare some glasses for tonight’s dance? The caterer has a problem on their end and we’re a bit short.”
“Sure, let me know what you need. I’ll have them ready for you.”
“Two hundred should do it.”
“I’ll get it sorted.” Marissa glanced around the bar as if looking for somebody.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. “Not more trouble after last night?”
“No, my regulars are like lambs. I never need to worry about them,” Marissa said. “I am worried about Lucy, though. She didn’t show for her shift. I’d given her a couple of days off after that thug had a go at her, but I went to her place this morning to walk her into work, and she’s not there.”
“You don’t think Seth found her?” My heart pounded at the thought of that bully getting hold of tiny Lucy.
“No, I think he’s still locked up,” Marissa said. “Either that or Nick has run the guy out of town. He won’t be back.”
“Nick asked me if I want to press charges against Seth,” I said.
“And will you?” Marissa asked.
I was still undecided. Seth was a bully and had a problem with zombies, but I had goaded him and made him think I was interested to get the information. “If we get him banned from Zee Town, that will be enough. Security at the border patrol will stop him from ever getting back in.”
“From what I heard from my regulars,” Marissa said, “you gave him something that will put him off of coming back to Zee Town, and getting too hands-on with a woman who’s not interested.”
I grinned. My knee jerk reaction had been literally that. I was no expert in self-defense. “I’ll keep an eye out for Lucy when I’m out and about today.”
“Thanks. I’m concerned about her. What with the other zombies going missing and no one seeing them, and Phil dead. I’d hate to think of my little Lucy alone and scared and not being treated properly.”
The pub door opened. Zara stood there, her worried expression relaxing as she spotted me. She gave me a frantic hand wave, a clear sign something was wrong.
“I’d better go. I need to keep on top of things today,” I said. “I’m sure Lucy will be fine.” Even as I said those words, worry slid through me. Had Lucy been taken as well?
“I’ll have the glasses ready for you when you need them,” Marissa said.
I nodded a quick thanks and walked outside with Zara.
“Missing a deliverer,” Zara said. “Cards not going out.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. A missing deliverer I could handle, although not if it meant another one of our zombies had gone AWOL. “We can do the final delivery between the two of us.”
“Not good at doing that.” Panic flared in Zara’s bloodshot eyes.
“You can be my assistant. We can carry the cards between us. I’ll show you which doors to put them through. How about that?” I tucked my arm through Zara’s elbow and guided her toward the office.
Zara nodded. “I can do that.”
The next couple of hours were spent finalizing the delivery of the cards. By mid-afternoon, they were all out, and my own delivery round was also completed.
I walked to the diner where I spotted Laura half-collapsed in a chair, a mug in front of her on the table, and her usual red spotted headscarf pulled over her eyes.
I stood in front of her, noticing the flour liberally dusted across her apron. “Busy day?”
Laura groaned and pushed the headscarf back on top of her head. “It was so busy. I’m never doing three sittings again for a Valentine lunch. Everyone turned up. They ate mountains of food, and I even had a few extras that I’d foolishly squeezed in at the last minute. And with Audrey still missing, I had to do the job of two people.”
I sat next to her. “Is she still not home?”
“There’s no sign of her anywhere.” Laura pulled herself up in the seat. “This is getting serious. She’s never vanished on me like this before. Audrey might be injured and unable to get help. Or worse, someone might be mistreating her. If they are, and I find out who it is, it won’t be pleasant for them.”
I grabbed hold of Laura’s hand. “I’m worried as well. Let’s get this day out of the way, then we’ll make finding our missing zombies a top priority. I heard from Marissa that Lucy is also missing.”
“Oh, no, little Lucy. We have to find her,” Laura said.
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br /> “I don’t understand why anyone would take them,” I said. “What are they doing with the zombies and where are they keeping them?”
“What about the person who was arrested the other day? The disappearances should have ended if it was him.”
“You’re talking about Seth. Nick doesn’t think it was that guy,” I said. “And I spoke with him as well. I didn’t get the impression he knew anything about the missing zombies. I even encouraged him to show me where he’d dumped Phil, but he was clueless.”
Laura frowned. “That doesn’t sound safe. Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
I shrugged. I often didn’t and operated on gut instinct most of the time. One thing I did know, my gut was telling me that something was terribly wrong. If we didn’t find our missing zombies soon, it could be too late.
“We should get Nick involved with the search,” Laura said. “I know you two aren’t best friends, but he’s got other officers who can help. We need all the people we can gather to make our search easier.”
“I have tried to get Nick involved,” I said. “He’s busy working on something else.”
“What’s he so focused on that he’s ignoring our zombies?” Laura asked.
I glanced around the diner to make sure Jen wasn’t about. “There are rumors about funding cuts. The Council want to remove the money funding Alex’s post at the station.”
“No, we can’t lose Alex. Plus, if we’ve got someone taking our zombies, we need more police on the ground,” Laura said. “What do they want to do with the money they save? Build themselves a fancy new town hall to have meetings in?”
“They want to spend it on their theme park idea. Nick is focused on making sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Absolutely not.” Laura jumped from her seat, her face growing red. “Right, tomorrow we get this sorted. Our zombies need finding, the theme park idea needs to be buried, and we need to keep Alex.”
“I’m with you on all of that.” I stood, glad to have a collaborator to help find the zombies. “I’ll get some of the others together. We can meet here before we decide on how to find the zombies.”
“Great idea,” Laura said. “And we can eat leftovers from today. I need to make some space in the fridge. Heart-shaped cookies don’t sell well after Valentine’s Day is over.”