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

by K E O'Connor

  “Did they attack him?” Nick asked.

  “They wouldn’t do that,” I rasped out. “They were helping you apprehend a suspect.”

  Nick gave a curt nod, his gaze moving over the zombies. “They seem safe enough.”

  “They also kept asking about Cassie when I was setting them free.” Alex looked at me. “They’re worried about you.”

  “I was worried about them, too.” My gaze rested on the zombies. I was happier seeing them out of the cave. Although they looked weak, they should be okay.

  “After I untied them, they had trouble getting out of the boat. That didn’t stop them from finding Grant. I don’t think they’ve been given the right food. There are discarded food wrappers in the boat,” Alex said.

  “I’ll sort that,” The Founder said. He turned and marched to his boat, returning a moment later with two full buckets of fish and a large brown blanket, which he threw in my direction. “This will see them right.” He gestured to the zombies. Although they looked interested in the food, their attention remained on me.

  Jen picked up the blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders, rubbing my arms to keep me warm.

  “The zombies want to make sure you aren’t hurt, Cassie,” Alex said. “Will you let them know you’re okay?”

  I climbed slowly to my feet, my head feeling like it was about to split in two. Jen grabbed my elbow and held on tightly.

  The zombies edged toward me and stroked my hands and arms as if checking me for injuries.

  Lucy took hold of my hand and brushed her fingers along my scar. “Saved us. Our protector.”

  “I had to find you,” I said. “We have to keep you safe.”

  “Protector,” the zombies whispered as one.

  “Stop hassling Cassie and go and get some food.” Nick moved to stand between me and the zombies.

  They focused on Nick and then me as if waiting for instructions.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said to the zombies. “You need to eat. Go get some fish from the buckets.”

  They shambled over to The Flounder. He handed around the ripe smelling fish pieces, which the zombies eagerly devoured.

  Although the smell turned my stomach, I was grateful for The Flounder and his unexpected show of kindness. Not just toward me, but also the zombies. He wasn’t such a bad employer after all.

  “That was... interesting,” Jen said. “You’ve got a new zombie fan club.”

  “That’s nothing new,” Nick said. “The zombies have always had a thing for Cassie.”

  I was too tired and frozen to protest and simply nodded, leaning against Jen and absorbing her body heat.

  “Go home for now, Cassie,” Nick said, still in his super-efficient police officer mode. “I’ll finish things here. We can talk later. I’ll need your statement about what happened here today.”

  “Cassie, I’m sorry for what I did.” Grant’s hands were behind his back and his head down. “I do still like you. You can’t stand in the way of scientific exploration.”

  “You do not get to speak to her,” Nick growled as he glared at Grant.

  “No, it’s fine.” I pulled the fish scented blanket around me. “I’d like to know what Grant has to say.”

  “I didn’t mean for things to go so far,” Grant continued. “I was so close to completing my mission. I couldn’t have you interfering.”

  “Was your mission worth my life?” I asked. “You could have killed me.”

  “I didn’t intend to.” Grant looked up at me, a glint of something unhinged in his gaze. “It was an accident. I never meant to do you harm. I enjoyed our time together and wish I hadn’t messed things up between us.”

  I thought back to my lunch date with Grant, the time we’d spent at the dance, and the kisses we’d shared. Embarrassment coursed through me. How could I have been so wrong about him? He seemed like such a genuine person. I’d not picked up on the fact that his interest in zombies was an unhealthy obsession.

  Jen rubbed a hand down my arm. “It’s time we went. Your shaking is getting worse.”

  Nick’s attention snapped to me. “Yes, time for you to go. You need to get warm and dry or you’ll get hypothermia.”

  “I want to stay with the zombies,” I said through chattering teeth.

  Jen took a couple of steps back as Nick moved toward me and grabbed hold of my hands. “I know you want to keep them safe. You have nothing to worry about. I’ll get them checked over by Selina and then sent home. Nothing bad will happen to them now. I promise you.” His hold on my hands tightened.

  “They must have been so scared,” I whispered, looking into his pale blue eyes. To be truthful, I was terrified, too. I’d put myself at such a stupid risk. It was only luck that had saved me. When The Flounder had spotted me going inside the cave, he could have decided not to investigate. That would have been it for me. My shaking intensified.

  “Home, now,” Nick said, his tone offering no room for debate.

  I nodded as he let go of my hands. Jen grabbed hold of me again and guided me off the beach to her waiting car on the harbor. Once inside, she put the heating to maximum.

  We sat in the car for a few moments, watching the scene on the beach. The zombies were escorted away, along with Grant, his head still down as he stumbled across the sand, held firmly in Nick’s grip.

  Jen reached over and patted my knee. “Let’s get you home. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  “Yes, it will now the zombies are safe.” I turned my head as we drove away to get one final look at them.

  “And so are you,” Jen said. “Trust you to fall for a guy with a bigger zombie obsession than you.”

  I tried for a smile, but my teeth were still chattering. “I didn’t fall for Grant.” Although, I’d begun to. I had terrible taste in guys.

  “Grant seemed like such a nice person,” Jen said with a sigh. “He had us fooled with those good looks and charming smile.”

  “He did. Me most of all.” I was such a fool for being deceived by him.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll find you someone nice and normal,” Jen said. “Someone who doesn’t abduct zombies and then try to drown you.”

  I sank into the seat as the warmth from the car heaters did their job. “That would be nice.”

  Once we were back at my cottage, I stripped out of my soggy clothes and took a long, hot shower, waiting under the water until the shaking in my limbs stopped.

  I wrapped myself in my warmest, fluffiest pajamas, and headed downstairs to find Jen had made a pot of tea and discovered some cookies in my cupboard.

  Jen poured the tea into two large mugs. “This will help warm you up.”

  I took the mug and sank onto the couch, noticing that Jen had already got the log burner roaring. “How do you think the zombies looked?”

  Jen sat in a seat, mug in one hand, a cookie in the other. “They looked tired and a little frightened, but I didn’t see any physical damage. Some of them may have had a few bruises around their wrists. When I think of what that idiot did to them, it makes my blood boil.”

  “At least Grant didn’t succeed.” I drank my tea greedily, the warmth soothing my aching throat.

  “Thanks to you,” Jen said. “I called Selina while you were in the shower. She’s going to drop by and make sure there was no permanent damage done to you, either.”

  “There’s no need. I feel fine.”

  “Cassie, you almost drowned. That’s not fine in my book,” Jen said. “Rest for now, and no more talking. You sound like you’ve smoked fifty a day. Selina needs to make sure you haven’t damaged your throat.”

  I didn’t protest as she refilled my mug. I snuggled into the couch and closed my eyes.

  ***

  My eyes flew open at the loud thudding on the front door.

  “Don’t worry, it’s Selina.” Jen was already at the door.

  I yawned and stretched. I must have dozed off.

  “How’s the patient?” Selina asked as she walked into the loun
ge.

  “I think she’s fine,” Jen said.

  “I am fine.” I sat up straight. “Selina, you don’t need to be here. Go see to our zombies. They need your help much more than I do.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.” Selina set her bag down. “Any dizziness, fainting or blackouts?”

  “No, no and no,” I said.

  “Vomiting or feelings of sickness?” Selina asked.

  “Only when I got out of the water and hacked up sea water.”

  Selina’s brow wrinkled. “Cassie, you must be more careful. Open your mouth.” She pushed in a thermometer.

  As she waited for the readout, she also inspected my eyes and ears and made me stand and checked my balance.

  “I’m fine,” I mumbled around the thermometer.

  Selina gave me a warning look and inspected the thermometer. “Keep warm, get plenty of rest, and drink lots of fluids. Any dizziness, stomach pains or loss of balance, get to a hospital immediately.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I sat back on the couch.

  “Right, on to the zombies.” She looked at me before she left the lounge. “Please don’t do that again. I got a fright when Jen called to tell me you’d almost drowned.”

  “I’ll try not to do it again.” I shot her a guilty look.

  Selina shook her head as Jen let her out of the cottage.

  “Get comfortable. I’ll make more drinks and then you have to sleep,” Jen ordered.

  I groaned. “You sound as bad as Nick, barking instructions at me.”

  Jen tucked a throw around my shoulders. “We only do it because we care.”

  After she was convinced I wasn’t going to perish on the couch, I was left alone.

  I knew Jen cared about me, but Nick? There had been something close to worry in his eyes when he’d arrived on the beach. And then there was the mystery Valentine card.

  I was too tired to figure out if Nick saw me as anything other than an interfering snoop. I was also too exhausted to work out if I saw him as anything more than an uptight cop.

  I closed my eyes and fell into a welcome sleep, comforted by the knowledge that the zombies were safe and Phil’s killer had been found.

  Chapter 20

  I’d slept all day and the rest of the night, rousing myself for a few minutes to get off the couch and crawl to bed.

  The next morning, and two hot showers later, I didn’t smell of the sea. My throat was still sore, but other than that, I felt fine. Better than fine. I knew that no more zombies would be taken now Grant had been caught.

  Jen had called first thing and insisted we go for lunch. I’d protested at first, but when I thought about it, it was a good idea to get out and stop dwelling on the things that might have happened to the zombies.

  I selected a long maroon dress and covered it in a black pullover for our lunch date. I still felt as if there were icicles tracing through my veins. Maybe Nick was right, and I’d been close to getting hypothermia.

  A knock at the door just before noon announced Jen’s arrival. She looked me over when I opened the door.

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t die in the night.” I pulled on my coat and picked up my purse.

  “I’m just checking.” Jen grinned. “You had a huge shock yesterday. It would have messed with my head.”

  “It’s over now.” I linked my arm through her elbow. “Where are we going for lunch?”

  “The Black Dog,” Jen said.

  “Not Laura’s diner? I thought she might like to know what’s been going on.”

  “She knows all about it. As does most of Zee Town,” Jen said. “You can’t keep anything a secret around here.”

  We walked swiftly along the chilly streets. Jen pulled open the door to the pub. “After you.”

  As I entered the pub, I spotted how busy it was and turned to Jen. “We should go somewhere quieter.”

  Jen grinned at me. “Didn’t you see the sign?”

  I turned toward the bar. Strung over the top was a homemade banner: Well Done, Cassie!

  “You’ll have to excuse the poorly made sign.” Jen pushed me into the pub. “I didn’t have much time, what with making sure you didn’t freeze to death yesterday and helping to get this organized.”

  As I looked around the pub, I spotted familiar faces. Selina, Laura, Drew from the post office, The Flounder, and of course Marissa. She walked toward me with a glass of champagne in one hand.

  “You saved our zombies, Cassie.” Marissa engulfed me in an enormous rose-scented hug. “We couldn’t let that pass without celebrating.”

  I took the champagne. “This is a party for me?”

  “Yes!” Jen said. “When everyone heard what you did, they wanted to thank you. We don’t love our zombies as much as you do, but we do like them being around. Yesterday, you went above and beyond.”

  “I don’t need all of this.” I noticed the huge buffet table set to one side, laden with food.

  “We do. We want to celebrate our local heroine and make sure she’s properly rewarded. I’ve got champagne, an enormous cake, and loads of food, so you’d better join in and start enjoying yourself.” Marissa raised a groomed eyebrow. “Enjoy being a hero for the day.”

  I smiled at Marissa as she sashayed away behind the bar to serve waiting customers. “Lucy is also here,” I said to Jen. “Shouldn’t she be resting?”

  Lucy stood to one side of the bar, a cloth in one hand, polishing glasses.

  “Most of the zombies are already back to normal,” Jen said. “After they had a good feed and a bit of a rest, they wanted to return to work.”

  I looked at Lucy again. Her color appeared better and her cheeks were less gaunt. She saw me looking and gave a shy smile. “Was everyone happy to give the zombies their jobs back?”

  “Yes! Even The Flounder took back Digger.”

  Wonders would never cease. I glanced over at The Flounder and he nodded at me.

  “Come on,” Jen said. “You need to do the rounds. Everyone wants to thank you. Then we can dive into the buffet.”

  I was dazed as Jen guided me around the pub. I shook hands with people who congratulated me on my bravery.

  Laura engulfed me in an enormous hug. “I don’t know whether to kiss you or kick you.”

  “Why?” I pulled back from her hug.

  “You were so reckless. You could have been killed.”

  “I didn’t know Grant was so...” I wasn’t sure how to describe the guy I’d been crushing on.

  “Unhinged? Stupid? Dangerous to be around?” Jen shook her head. “Definitely not the guy for you.”

  “I might have been a little reckless.”

  “You should have called the police the second you figured out what was going on,” Laura said.

  I sighed. “Nick wouldn’t have believed me. Besides, I didn’t have time to waste.” Plus, my temper had gotten the better of me. I hadn’t been thinking straight when I’d ordered Grant to let the zombies go free.

  A hand rested on my shoulder and turned around. It was Bill Guthrie, his gaze barely meeting mine. “Cassie, I came back as soon as I heard what happened. I had no idea what Grant was doing. He gave me no sign that he was interested in our zombies in that way. If I’d have known, I’d have never let him in. Never given him a job. Can you forgive me?”

  I took hold of Bill’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You weren’t to know. Grant fooled me just as he did you. He seemed like such a lovely guy. Don’t feel bad about it. There was nothing you could have done to stop him.”

  “He’s family.” Bill shot me a guilty look. “I feel responsible for him. I worry about what will happen to him. He’s always been a little on the eccentric side. There’s no doubt he’ll go to prison. I hope they’re not too hard on him. He’s a bit too naïve for his own good.”

  That made sense, given how easily Grant had believed the nonsense about zombies having super powers and that he needed a full moon to make his crazy experiment work. I gave Bill’s hand a last squeeze and let
go. “The main thing is, no harm was done to the remaining zombies.”

  “Other than Phil,” Bill said. “There’s nothing we can do about that.”

  I swallowed my sadness. “No, I was too late to save Phil.”

  “No one’s blaming you for that, Cassie,” Bill blurted out. “I’ve taken Chris back at the store and given him a pay rise and a week off so he can recover from his ordeal. I’m hoping that will make up for things in some way.”

  “That’s good of you,” I said, and no less than I’d expect from Bill. He was a decent man.

  The pub door opened. Nick, Stool, and Alex walked into the crowded bar.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Jen said. She hurried toward Alex, wrapped an arm around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  I smiled as I watched them, they were such a cute couple.

  Bill gave a gentle cough and backed away a few steps. “I’ll leave you to it.”

  Nick approached from the other side of the pub. That must be the reason for Bill’s hasty departure. He felt responsible for Grant’s actions and knew Nick wouldn’t be impressed. I didn’t blame him for getting out of Nick’s way.

  “How are you feeling?” Nick stopped in front of me, Stool by his side.

  “Much better. Although I didn’t expect this.” I gestured around the room.

  “I told Jen it was too soon, and you needed more rest, but she insisted as did most of the residents when she asked them.”

  “It was good of her,” I said. “Although, I didn’t save the zombies so everybody would think I’m a hero.”

  Nick arched his brows. “No, you saved the zombies because you’re almost as obsessed with them as Grant. You have quite a way with them.”

  I reached down and stroked Stool’s head, ignoring Nick’s questioning gaze. “How’s Grant doing?”

  “He seems sorry.” Nick ran a hand through his hair. “We’re going to try him for Phil’s death and kidnapping the other zombies. He will not get away with what he did.”

  The sound of chinking glass made us pause. Bill stood by the side of the buffet, his cheeks ruddy as he looked around the crowd. “I wanted to thank Cassie for everything she did for our zombies. I didn’t mean to bring my nephew into town to cause trouble.”