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

by K E O'Connor

  “These are amazing,” Maggie said around a mouthful of muffin. “Laura makes the best food, even though she’s always adding these creepy zombie stickers to everything.”

  “They’re edible.” I placed the zombie sticker in my mouth and let it dissolve. “I was going to get her to make a special order of muffins for the Spring Fling.”

  “It’s such a shame it’s not happening,” Alex said. “I love your events. This would be my first year experiencing the welly throwing contest.”

  “Well, if somebody changes his mind, we can still have the event, only indoors.” I looked at Nick. “How’s your muffin?”

  Nick placed his half-eaten muffin down. “It’s tainted with the unpleasantness of bribery.”

  “Having it inside would be okay,” Maggie said. “We can have extra people from Archer’s crew on the doors. Even if the rabid zombie is still on the loose by then and gets inside, we can close the hall doors and keep everyone safe.”

  “It’s still too risky,” Nick said. “I doubt Archer will spare any of his crew to look after a bunch of jerks throwing wellies around.”

  “Don’t you always take part in the welly throwing?” I asked Nick innocently.

  He grunted and fed a piece of muffin to Stool

  “I bet Archer would join in with the welly throwing jerks if we asked him,” I said. “He’s been to previous events we’ve held.”

  “I still don’t like it,” Nick said.

  “What about the possibility that the event will draw the rabid zombie to us?” Alex asked. “It can be an option if we haven’t found it. The noise could attract the zombie. When it gets close, we pounce.”

  “We should use it to our advantage,” I said. “Rather than see this as a problem, it could solve the case of the rabid zombie for you.”

  “Or it could end up with a lot more innocent people being hurt,” Nick said.

  “Or it could be the solution you need,” I said.

  “Go on, Nick,” Alex said. “The town needs a nice event. Something to take people’s minds off the curfew.”

  “I don’t mind volunteering to do a shift on the door and make sure everyone stays safe,” Maggie said.

  Nick’s glower made me worry about Alex and Maggie’s jobs if they kept cajoling him about the Spring Fling.

  “How about I check with Archer and see if he can spare people for the day?” I asked. “If he says yes, can we have the event at the town hall?”

  “He won’t say yes,” Nick said.

  “If he does, will you agree to it?”

  Nick balled up his muffin wrapper. “If Archer can spare you some of his crew to assist with a security detail, the Spring Fling can go ahead. I’ll need to see a running order of activities to make sure you aren’t going to endanger people.”

  “The only dangerous thing is the welly hurling activities,” Maggie said. “I can’t remember a year when someone hasn’t been hit on the head with a welly.”

  I grinned at Maggie and Alex. We had a victory on our hands. I also had an ace up my sleeve. Archer loved the welly throwing, mainly because he always won a prize. Those muscles and his military training came in useful.

  “We have a zombie to interview. Then we all need to get home in time for curfew.” Nick looked at me. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, you lead, and I follow.” I brushed muffin crumbs from my lap. Stool limped over and licked them off the floor. He was such a good dog.

  ***

  The final interview was over. It had been as unhelpful as the others. The zombie in question had shown no interest in eating humans and was confused when he’d been questioned.

  After Nick had shown the zombie outside, he flicked off the lights and locked the station. Everyone else had gone home for the night. The station wasn’t staffed all the time, but Nick’s cell phone was always on if ever there was an out of hours emergency.

  “Well, good night.” I stamped my feet against the crispness in the air. “I’ll see you tomorrow for our next round of interviews.”

  “Let me walk you to your door,” Nick said.

  “I’m five minutes away,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll be happier knowing you’re safely inside,” Nick said. “So will Stool. He worries about you.”

  I looked at Stool, who sat by Nick’s feet, his eyes half shut. “Yes, he looks frantic with worry.”

  “He has a special way of showing it,” Nick said as we walked along the road. “Mainly by begging for food. It shows he cares.”

  “Do you think we’ll find anything useful tomorrow?” I asked him.

  “We have to,” Nick said. “The search is over and revealed nothing useful. If we don’t get anything from the interviews, I’m going to have to bring in the Council. And I’m not sure which way they’ll go on this zombie matter.”

  Thoughts of the new job the Council had offered me drifted through my mind. If I was already running a theme park, there’d have been no way I could have helped Nick with the interviews today. If I took this new job, it would change my life. I couldn’t decide if it was for the better or not.

  “You’re surprisingly quiet,” Nick said, his gaze ever watchful, scanning the streets as we walked.

  “Have you heard about the theme park the Council is planning?”

  “You can’t avoid hearing about it,” Nick said. “They mention it every time I debrief them about recent events. They’re talking about having a higher security presence at the theme park to cope with the extra bodies coming in.”

  “It’ll need it,” I said. “The theme park will be a draw for lots of people.”

  “Do you want a theme park to come to Zee Town?” Nick asked.

  “Yes and no,” I said. “At first, I was against it, but the Council reckon it’ll bring in lots of extra money we can invest in the town.”

  “I don’t want it here,” Nick said. “Too much trouble and noise. I’m getting to like the quiet life Zee Town brings.”

  “You mean, when we don’t have a rabid zombie on the loose and a murder to sort out?”

  “Exactly. Most of the time, this is a nice place to live. It takes some of the worries out of the world.”

  I nodded. “It does. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  “I wasn’t so sure when I first arrived,” Nick said. “The place grows on you. A bit like a fungus.”

  “Don’t compare our lovely town to fungus.” I shot him a glare.

  Nick smiled. “I like Zee Town. That’s all I’m saying. Maybe not so much if a theme park gets built.”

  “A theme park will change the town. But if someone who knows the town well is running it, it’ll mean it makes less of an impact and is beneficial for the people living here.”

  Nick looked at me. “Why the interest in the park?”

  “No reason.” I wasn’t ready to share the possibility that I might be in charge of the park. I’d only told a few close friends that it could be an option.

  Nick grabbed my arm. “Don’t move. There’s a zombie watching us.”

  My heart lurched, and I froze to the spot. “Where are they?”

  “In the alley to our left,” Nick whispered. “I saw movement.”

  “If it’s a rabid, it won’t wait patiently for us,” I said. “Why is it hiding?”

  Nick drew his gun. “I need to check it out. Stay behind me.”

  I reluctantly moved behind Nick, Stool remained close to my heels, his ears pricked as if sensing trouble.

  We edged closer to the alley where shuffling sounds could be heard.

  “There’s someone down there,” Nick said. “If I tell you to run, do so. Don’t wait for me, whatever happens.”

  “I’m not leaving you,” I whispered.

  He held a finger to his lips and gestured toward the alley with his gun. A second later, Nick moved swiftly and pointed his gun straight along the alleyway.

  I peeked around the corner and let out a relieved laugh. “It’s Franko.”

>   “You know this zombie?” Nick kept his gun raised.

  “Yes, he’s been escorting me around town and making sure I get everywhere safely,” I said. “What are you doing here, Franko?”

  “Waiting for you,” Franko said. “Make sure you’re safe.”

  “As you can see, I’ve got an escort for tonight. Well, two actually.” I pointed at Stool. “There’s no need to wait for me.”

  Nick holstered his gun. “You’d better get home, Franko. Curfew is almost in place. You shouldn’t be out on your own in the evening.”

  Franko blinked his gray, bloodshot eyes at Nick. “Make sure she’s safe.”

  “That’s what I intend to do,” Nick said. “Go on, get home.”

  Franko walked toward us, one hand brushing my arm as he passed me.

  Nick drew in a deep breath and let out a sigh. “This place is nothing but unique.”

  “It’s why we live here,” I said.

  “Let’s get you home,” Nick said.

  We walked the rest of the way in silence to my cottage and stopped outside.

  “Thanks for agreeing to have the Spring Fling.” I unlocked the front door.

  “Technically, I haven’t agreed,” Nick said. “You still need to get Archer on board. He’s not an easy person to handle.”

  “I can handle Archer,” I said.

  Nick raised his eyebrows. “Handle him with care. That man comes with a violent history.”

  “He was in the Marines, wasn’t he?”

  “One of the special forces,” Nick said. “His background is shrouded in mystery. Most likely buried somewhere under the Official Secrets Act.”

  “He seems like the kind of guy who needs an Official Secrets tag,” I said.

  “Exactly. Don’t think you can bribe him as easily as you did with me. Muffins won’t work on a man like Archer,” Nick said.

  “Muffin bribery isn’t a crime,” I said.

  “It should be,” Nick said.

  I smiled, liking this softer side of Nick. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Yes, be at the station by eight.”

  “Could we make it eight thirty?” I didn’t enjoy the prospect of such an early start.

  Nick shook his head as he walked away with Stool. “See you tomorrow, Cassie.”

  Oh well, it was worth a try. I walked into my cottage, feeling tired and happy. The Spring Fling was going ahead. I just needed to make the changes to ensure it would fit inside the town hall.

  I kicked off my boots and shrugged off my coat. A five minute sit down on the couch before I got to work on the changes for the event was needed.

  I closed my eyes and let the exhaustion of the day overwhelm me.

  Chapter 14

  My eyes flicked open. I let out a groan as I realized where I was. I was still on the couch, fully clothed. I’d slept the whole night there. Good job I had such a comfortable couch.

  A quick shower, a change of clothes, and a speedy breakfast, and I was at the police station just after eight. I almost made it on time.

  Nick didn’t even bother to moan at me for being late. We got stuck into the rest of the interviews with the remaining placid zombies.

  Another day of pointless questioning sped by with no clear suspects, but we were left with five zombies who couldn’t account for their whereabouts on the day of the murder. As Nick kept reminding me, that made them suspects.

  Alex brought in a tray with tea and cookies on and set it in the middle of the interview table before pulling up a chair and joining us.

  Maggie and Karl arrived a few seconds later and sat down.

  “We’ve got five suspects to consider.” Nick laid out the papers in front of him. “Sebastian, Geraldine, Doris, Edward, and Carla. None of these zombies can tell us where they were when the tourist was attacked.”

  “You can discount Sebastian straight away.” I helped myself to a mug of tea.

  “Why’s that?” Nick tapped his fingers on the top of the table.

  “Didn’t you see the way he walked?” I asked him.

  “He had a pronounced limp,” Nick said.

  “He’s got artificial limbs. He lost a leg from the knee down, and he’s missing his foot on the other side,” I said. “He’s a regular at the shelter. Sebastian is always happy to show off his missing limbs.”

  “I’ve got the medical files on each zombie.” Nick flipped open Sebastian’s file and began reading. “This doesn’t rule him out as the attacker.”

  “It makes it unlikely though,” I said.

  “Cassie’s right,” Selina said from her small desk in the corner of the room. “He has one leg shorter than the other. It makes him slow.”

  “The only way Sebastian would have been able to attack somebody was if they ran into him, then lay down and let him eat them. I don’t think Sebastian’s a viable suspect,” I said.

  “I agree,” Karl said. “How about Edward? He’s a sturdy zombie, and well-preserved.”

  “He is,” Nick said. “He was also defensive when I asked questions about his whereabouts.”

  “Edward was defensive because you were rude to me,” I said. “He didn’t like that.”

  Maggie snorted a laugh. “What did Nick do?”

  “He told me off for asking a question,” I said.

  “I didn’t tell you off,” Nick said. “You were trying to lead the suspect.”

  “I wasn’t,” I said. “Anyway, Edward reacted to Nick’s negativity, not to the fact he has something to hide.”

  “I still consider him a suspect,” Nick said. “He’s strong and has a problem with his temper.”

  “That sounds like someone we all know,” I muttered under my breath.

  “He didn’t show any signs of rabidity, did he?” Alex asked.

  I looked at Selina who was jotting notes on a pad in front of her. “He didn’t. What do you think, Selina?”

  “His reactions were negative to the concept of eating humans,” Selina said. “He didn’t react when he was shown those pictures.”

  “It’s not Edward.” I turned back to Nick.

  “I don’t think we can say Doris had anything to do with the attack,” Maggie said. “I’ve known her all my life, before and after she became a zombie. She still retains all the sweet characteristics she had when she was a human. If anything, she’s even gentler now. I’ve even seen her pick up worms in the street and move them to one side, so nobody stands on them.”

  “And she’s about a hundred and fifty years old,” I said.

  “That’s not relevant,” Nick said. “We don’t know for sure that the virus within the placid zombies isn’t mutating and giving them an urge to bite.”

  “It’s not.” Selina looked up from her notes. “As you requested, I ran tissue samples and fluid analysis on the zombies. The virus is stable. There’s no change. The placid zombies are here to stay. They have no plans to bite us anytime soon.”

  “I told you,” I muttered.

  “Thanks for that, Cassie. What about Geraldine?” Nick sat back in his seat and let out a sigh.

  “Again, no signs of interest in eating anybody,” Selina said. “We need to look elsewhere. None of the placids did this.”

  “Agreed,” I said.

  “I still want you to get the sample results from the five remaining zombies,” Nick said. “The scrapings under the nails in particular, to see if they’ve got evidence of the victim on them.”

  “Will do,” Selina said. “The tests are almost complete. Nothing has come back positive.”

  Nick slapped his hands on the table. “Where’s our rabid zombie hiding? The patrols have found nothing, and our interviews have drawn a blank. It must be somewhere.”

  “Maybe the zombie left town,” Karl said. “He got a feed and vanished.”

  “There’s too much temptation around here,” Nick said.

  “We’ve done what we can with the zombies here,” Selina said. “I need to get to the clinic. I’ve put off two days’ worth of pa
tients to do this and have a massive backlog.”

  “Sure, you head off, Selina,” Nick said. “Thanks for what you’ve done. I appreciate your input.”

  “Anytime.” Selina collected her things, gave me a quick smile and left the room.

  “The rest of you take a break, too,” Nick said. “The interviews are over and curfew’s not far away. I need to rethink our next step.”

  Alex, Karl, and Maggie swiftly left the room, sharing a knowing glance as if they suspected trouble.

  “I’m only going to say this once,” I said quietly as I dunked a cookie into my tea. “Are you absolutely sure this is a rabid zombie attack? Remember the Bert Figgins case with the zombie bite marks on the body? It turned out to be a setup. The killer was human.”

  Nick scrubbed a hand down his face. “I’d be happy to discover it had been a setup and we’re looking for a human attacker. You saw the body. And Selina gave me a clear autopsy report. I’ve also seen enough rabid zombie attacks to know one when I see one.”

  “That option is much more appealing than knowing we have a rabid zombie out there somewhere.”

  “It is.” Nick’s voice was laced with tiredness.

  “Can I help with your next plans? If you need me to sit in on more zombie interviews, you only have to ask.” I had a twinge of sympathy for Nick. He looked so lost sitting at the table, staring at the files.

  “Thanks, but that’s it for interviews,” Nick said. “Are you keeping a lid on things online?”

  “Yes, I’ve been checking the sites. Amazingly, no one has commented on the rabid zombie. Maybe they’re as worried as us that the Council will shut Zee Town if they hear about it.”

  “Which is another task on my list of unpleasant things to do,” Nick said.

  “Don’t tell the Council,” I said. “No one else has been attacked. The zombie could be trapped somewhere and can’t get to any of us.”

  “But where?” Nick asked. “Unless we’re dealing with an invisible zombie, there’s nowhere else for them to hide.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” I stood and finished my tea. “I hate to eat cookies and run, but I’ve got so many things to do for the Spring Fling.”

  “Archer’s agreed to help?” Nick stood and followed me into the main office.