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

by K E O'Connor

Our plans for a hasty retreat were foiled. Nick parked his car in front of Jen’s Fiat. He jumped out the driver’s seat and came around to my window. He tapped on the glass and glared at me.

  “Do you think he’d mind if we drove away?” I asked Jen, not making eye contact with Nick.

  “You can’t ignore him,” Jen said. “He’ll arrest you for obstructing an investigation, or interfering in police business.”

  “I’m doing neither of those things.” I licked my lips. “Start the engine.”

  “No! That would make me an accomplice.” Jen gestured at the window. “His face is getting red. Talk to him!”

  I took a deep breath, before opening the window. “Is there a problem, Officer?”

  “Let me guess.” Nick leaned down and looked in at me and Jen. “You were inviting Archer to the Spring Fling?”

  “We did discuss the upcoming event.” I adjusted my seatbelt and stared straight ahead.

  Nick shook his head, his pale blue eyes alert and watchful. “This is one case you don’t want to be involved in.”

  “We were only curious,” I said. “We’d heard rumors about an attack and wanted to check things out.”

  “Let me do the checking,” Nick said. “You two need to be inside somewhere safe until I have the situation under control.”

  “Is there any sign of the zombie?” I asked him.

  “Not yet, but we’re working on it.” He tapped on the half-open window. “Actually, you could help me with something.”

  I raised my eyebrows. Nick Morton was asking for my help? “What do you need?”

  “You have an affinity with the zombies,” he said.

  “I do,” I said, recalling how Nick not so fondly referred to me as a zombie queen. “What do you want me to do? Go out on the streets and call for the rabid zombie to come out and play?”

  Archer snorted a laugh, earning him a glare from Nick.

  “Nothing so dramatic or ridiculous,” Nick said. “I want you with me at the morgue. We’re going to look at the body together.”

  Chapter 5

  Despite the cool air seeping in through the car window, sweat broke out on the back of my neck as I stared at Nick. “Why do you want me to look at a dead body?”

  “Because you notice things,” Nick said. “You’re nosy, and some of your theories aren’t always ridiculous.”

  There might have been a compliment muddled up in that sentence. “I don’t know if I can be of any help.” I looked at Jen. “What do you think?”

  Jen’s face had gone pale again. “You do know your zombies. If it helps the case, then you should assist Nick.”

  “Come with me now,” Nick said. “We’ll go in my car. Jen, you’re free to leave.” Without waiting for a response, Nick walked over to Archer.

  “It’s nice of him to allow me to leave,” Jen muttered.

  “I don’t want to look at the body.” Sure, I was around zombies every day, but what would I be able to tell Nick about seeing the body of a dead person?

  “Selina will be there,” Jen said. “She’ll only show you what she has to.”

  “I’m not good with gore,” I said. “Even special effects in movies make me queasy.”

  Jen nodded and patted my knee. “It’s grim what Nick’s asking you to do.”

  It was, but if it helped catch the rabid zombie, I’d do it. “I’d better go and wait in Nick’s car, before he drags me over there in handcuffs.”

  “Good luck.” Jen gave my hand a quick squeeze before I got out, and she sped off along the road. From the speed she was going, Jen was planning on setting a new land speed record. She’d be lucky not to get a speeding ticket from Nick.

  Nick’s police car was unlocked. When I opened the door, I found Stool on the passenger seat. He wagged his tail and hopped into the driver’s seat as I slid inside.

  “It looks like we’re riding together,” I said to him.

  Stool gave a grumble of agreement and clambered onto my lap, resting his head on my shoulder as he shifted into a comfortable position. He wasn’t a small dog, so it wasn’t altogether comfortable, but I found it reassuring to have his large, warm presence so close. He smelt of dog biscuits, mud, and just a hint of Nick’s citrus aftershave.

  “Have you been protecting your owner from the rabid zombie?” I asked.

  Stool shifted a few times and settled again in response, his gaze on Nick.

  “Perhaps you can protect me, too.” I watched as Nick and Archer finished their conversation, the tense set of their shoulders suggesting all wasn’t well between them. From what I knew of their working relationship, they got along okay. I guess the fact there was a rabid zombie on the loose had put a strain on that relationship.

  Nick got into the car and slammed the door. “If they gave out awards for arrogance, I know who’d be top of the list.” He started the car and swung it around, heading back toward town.

  “Archer showed us his fence and the security arrangements.” The hairs on my arms prickled at the tension in the air. “They looked good to me.”

  “Since when were you a security expert?”

  “Erm, well, never. But I couldn’t get over or under that fence.”

  “I feel so much better for knowing that.”

  I pressed my lips together. We had nasty Nick in the car today.

  Nick gave a grunt. “Sorry. I’ve had a tough day. The security is top class. Archer knows it. He’s also happy to brag about it at every opportunity.”

  I took several calming breaths, trying to stop Nick’s angst rattle my energy. I petted Stool’s side and instantly felt better. “So, what can you tell me about this body you’re making me look at?”

  “I’ve no doubt Selina that has already given you the pertinent information about the victim,” Nick said.

  I wrapped my arms around Stool and hugged him. “She might have mentioned something. I forget.”

  That earned me another grunt from Nick. “We found the body in the warehouse area. I’m not sure why a tourist was around there, but he was stuffed behind a bin. It’s possible he was moved to that location and didn’t die there.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “There’s not a lot of blood for such a messy attack,” Nick said.

  I shuddered and clutched Stool so tightly he whimpered and licked my cheek. “The rabid zombie killed him and moved him?”

  “That’s not possible,” Nick said. “The attack may have happened in town somewhere, but the victim was only injured and escaped, running into the warehouse area by chance. The zombie would have pursued him and finished him off. We’ve got no sign of the actual attack site. People are looking, but so far we’ve nothing to work with.”

  “How can I help by seeing the body of the victim?” I asked.

  Nick shifted in your seat. “I need this solved quickly. We have to contain the situation and make sure no more attacks take place.”

  “You make it sound like I know where this zombie is hiding.”

  He glanced at me. “Well, you do always stand up for them.”

  I scowled at Nick. “Only the good zombies. Rabids are no friends of mine.”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “I’m willing to try all options. Like I said, you have an affinity with zombies. And you see things others miss.”

  “I’ll be looking at the zombie victim, not a zombie. I doubt I can offer anything of use.”

  “I’m prepared to try anything.” Nick’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.

  “Well, you do have me pegged as the zombie queen of Zee Town. I’ll give it a go. Anything to keep the town safe.” I meant the comment to be light-hearted, but Nick barely reacted.

  “It makes little sense to me,” he said. “Despite Archer playing the arrogant card, he’s good at what he does. I’ve checked the records. All the patrols happened when they were supposed to. I even ran a search along the border myself first thing this morning. The fence is solid. There’s no sign of any breach.”

&n
bsp; “I suggested to Archer that the zombie may have washed up on the beach.”

  “I considered that,” Nick said. “We’re looking into it, but the tides weren’t right yesterday. The zombie would have been washed up farther along the coast and ended up outside our boundaries. If they fell off a boat, we shouldn’t have found them here. Zombies can’t swim, so they wouldn’t have made their way deliberately to the beach. I don’t think that’s how they got in.”

  “You’ll get it sorted.” I reached over to squeeze Nick’s hand, but hesitated, not certain how appropriate that was. I ended up petting Stool on the back instead.

  Nick didn’t seem to notice my fumbled attempt as comfort as he drove us around the back of Selina’s clinic. We parked and went inside, Stool coming with us despite Nick trying to make him stay in the car.

  “Does Selina know we’re doing this?” The dry feeling in my mouth made my teeth stick to my lips.

  “She knows. She’s fine about it.” Nick rapped on the back door.

  A few seconds later, Selina opened it, still clad in her disposable outfit, this time with a mask over her mouth and nose. She gestured us inside as she pulled down the mask. “I’m just finishing the overall examination. The body’s all yours.”

  “I can’t wait,” I muttered as I followed Nick and Selina.

  “Stool, you need to wait here,” Selina said, looking at the dog. “I can’t have you in the room contaminating the body.”

  Stool seemed to think that was a good idea. He sat back on his haunches, watching us go through the door toward the body.

  I wished I could stay with him. I didn’t want to see this body. I didn’t want a reminder of how vicious rabid zombies could be. All the bad memories of the uprising were stuffed in my head anytime I wanted to access them. Which I never did.

  “Here he is.” Selina presented a cloth covered body to us. “What do you need to see?”

  “Can I just read your report?” I asked, my eyes glued to the body as the smell of cleaning fluid tickled my nose. “You can talk me through what you’ve found out.”

  “That’s fine by me,” Selina said, her gaze going to Nick.

  “Take a quick look,” Nick said. “You might get a sense of what happened, or what the zombie’s intentions were toward the victim.”

  “The zombie intended to eat the victim,” Selina said. “And partially succeeded.”

  “I’m not telepathic,” I said. “I can’t touch a body and discover the last few minutes of the victim’s life.”

  “I’m not expecting you to do either of those things,” Nick said with a sigh. “Something doesn’t add up about this case. I need all eyes on it to figure out what happened, who the zombie is, and why they attacked this particular person.”

  “I’d put it down to bad luck on the tourist’s part,” Selina said. “Zombies aren’t choosy about their food source.”

  “They might be if they’re known to us,” Nick muttered.

  I exchanged a startled look with Selina. “You think the zombie is local?”

  “I’m not sure,” Nick said. “We can discuss that later.”

  I swallowed my nerves. “I’ll take a look. Don’t expect me to have any answers for you.”

  “Do you want to see the whole body at once?” Selina asked.

  “Yes, let’s get it over with.” My hands squeezed into fists, my nails digging into my palms.

  “Here we go. Zombie sushi.” Selina folded back the sheet.

  I managed about half a second before I spun on my heel and ran toward the sink. The stench of blood and decay had clogged my nostrils, and the image of the poor man who’d been attacked was imprinted on my retinas as I gagged.

  A warm hand rested on my back. It was Nick. “Take your time. It’s never easy seeing a dead body.”

  I turned the tap on and splashed cold water on my face, taking in a few deep breaths as I did so. “I can’t help. I don’t have the stomach for this kind of thing.”

  Nick patted my back and stepped away. “It was a long shot, but worth a try.”

  I’d found Nick’s touch comforting. I’d expected him to make fun of me for failing, not reassure me.

  Selina appeared on my other side, a glass of water in her hand. “He’s not a pretty sight.”

  I stood, deliberately not looking at the body, and took the water from Selina. “What do you make of it?” I asked, focusing hard on controlling my protesting stomach.

  “We’re looking for either a female zombie or a young zombie,” Selina said. “The size of the bite marks are small. I can’t see a fully grown adult male zombie leaving those injuries. There are no complete bite mark to measure, but from measuring the partial imprints on the flesh, we’re looking at a female attacker.”

  “I’m not ruling out anybody,” Nick said.

  I took a sip of water and looked at him. “Meaning what?”

  “Meaning every zombie in Zee Town has to be considered a suspect,” Nick said.

  “You can’t be serious?” I said. “Our zombies are safe. It must be a zombie who’s gotten into town somehow.”

  “But how?” Nick looked from me to Selina. “You saw for yourself, the fence is sound and the patrols are on point. The zombie didn’t swim to shore. It has to be one of our own who attacked. The zombies in Zee Town could be changing. For everyone here, this is a first living with the walking dead. We have no idea if they’ll change.”

  “I’m not sure about that theory,” Selina said. “Placid zombies don’t lust after human flesh. Besides, we keep our group well-fed and occupied. There’s no reason for them to go rabid.”

  “Long-term, we don’t know what’ll happen to these placid zombies,” Nick said. “What’s to say this isn’t the first of many changes? No one’s lived for years with zombies. We’d be naïve to think these ones will always be docile and safe.”

  I shook my head, the sick feeling in my stomach replaced with something much less pleasant. Dread. “It can’t be one of our zombies.”

  “We need to be sure of that, which is why every zombie is a suspect.” Nick raked a hand through his dark hair. “I need to get back to the station. Cassie, you’re with me.”

  I raised my eyebrows at Selina as I placed the glass of water down. “I don’t know what else I can do to help.”

  “I do. Follow me.” Nick left the room.

  “Have fun with that one.” Selina watched me as I hurried after Nick.

  I paused at the door. “Fun and Nick Morton don’t go together.”

  I caught up with Nick and Stool outside the clinic. He opened the passenger door of his car for me. After a second of hesitation, I climbed in.

  Stool quickly followed, settling on my lap again.

  Nick closed the car door and stalked around to the other side before getting in and jamming the keys into the ignition. We didn’t go anywhere.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked after a moment of silence.

  “This case. It’s just that, well, it’s bringing back memories.” Nick’s voice was so low I could barely hear him. “Of the time before. Before I came to Zee Town.”

  I knew little about Nick’s life before he joined Zee Town. I got the impression it hadn’t been happy. He must have seen some horrible things. “Did something like this happen to you elsewhere?”

  “You could say that.” Nick stared out the car window. “I used to do night patrols, hunting out rabid zombie nests and eliminating them.”

  “I didn’t know that,” I said.

  “Few people do,” Nick said. “It’s not something I brag about.”

  He was different from some people. There were many who still enjoyed reminiscing about the time they knocked the head off a zombie, like it was something to be proud of.

  “This case is different. It’s one rabid zombie, not an uprising,” I said. “There won’t be any more.”

  “What if it isn’t different?” Nick’s hands raked through his hair again. “What if this is the start of something bigger? S
omething more deadly?”

  “We’ve been thriving for over five years,” I said. “We’ve had a few problems along the way. This is just one of those.”

  “We can’t go back to those dark days.” Nick’s tone was bleak.

  “We won’t. I agree, this is serious and we need to tackle it quickly. After we have, Zee Town will carry on just as before. Our zombies will remain safe.”

  “I’m still not discounting any of the zombies,” Nick said. “If the virus has mutated, the placid zombies could change. We have to be alert for that.”

  “Selina doesn’t think that will happen,” I said. “She should know. She’s our zombie expert.”

  “As are you,” Nick said.

  I dismissed his comment with a wave of my hand. “Not like Selina, though. She understands their physiology and mental state.”

  “You understand them, too,” Nick said. “How they think. They get you as well. I don’t know what it is about you, but they’re drawn to you. And they’re fanatical over those sparkly things you hang everywhere.”

  I buried my face in Stool’s fur. The zombies were drawn to me. I remembered when things had changed, and when the zombies had taken an interest in me. It was ever since that horrible evening during the uprising, when I’d been hunted by a rabid zombie. When there’d been nowhere to run to.

  I shoved hard on the memory as it tried to overwhelm me. I’d promised myself I’d never think about it. After that night, I’d connected with the placid zombies. Maybe I really was their zombie queen, just without the crown, castle, and pretty dresses.

  “What next?” I asked Nick.

  “If the search today doesn’t throw up our missing rabid zombie, we need to eliminate all the zombie suspects.” Nick started the car.

  “When you say zombie suspects, you’re talking about every single zombie in Zee Town?”

  “That’s right.”

  “That’s over a thousand zombies!”

  “Correct. It looks like we’ll be busy for the next few days.”

  Chapter 6

  “We?” I stared at Nick as we drove away from Selina’s clinic.

  “I knew you’d insist on being involved if I started interrogating the town zombies. Why get in a fight with you? We can work together.”