by K E O'Connor
“Sounds good.” Zara stood and headed to the door. You only had to say the word brains around a zombie, and they were all action and excitement. I was pretty much the same when it came to the words chocolate or muffin.
It was another blisteringly hot afternoon as we walked to the shelter. I wore a dress with bright yellow sunflowers dotted across it and flat white sandals. I still felt too hot, but stripping down to a bikini in the office was out of the question.
The shelter doors were wide open as we entered, all the windows flung wide to grab any trickle of cool air.
I walked past the reception area with Zara and spotted Drew Mahoney in the kitchen. She raised her hand when she saw me.
“Are you here for lunch?” she asked.
“I’ll pass, but if there’s any spare, Zara would appreciate some,” I said.
Drew nodded and plated up brains for Zara. She took the plate and sat at a nearby table without comment, her gray eyes bright at the prospect of the steaming hot lunch.
“I thought you volunteered as a nurse, not in the kitchen?” I asked Drew.
“I do it all,” Drew said. “If they’re shorthanded in the kitchen, that’s where you find me. Need a room cleaned? I’ll be the one with the scrubbing brush.”
“Did you hear about Edward?”
“I did. It’s bad news,” Drew said. “Bad news all round.”
“I was wondering if Sebastian’s here,” I said. “Jen mentioned he’d had a falling out with Edward. I want to see what they were arguing about.”
“You think Sebastian might be involved?” Drew asked.
“Not really. Placid zombies don’t get aggressive,” I said. “But it’s worth talking to him and discounting him from the investigation. And we’ve got a deadline for this one. Nick has closed the theme park. I don’t want to get on the Council’s bad side by messing up the opening.”
“You’re welcome to talk to Sebastian,” Drew said. “Although, you might have some company when you do.” She pointed over my shoulder.
I turned to see Nick stalking toward me, a frown on his face.
“You’re here,” Nick said. “What a surprise. There I was, thinking you’d mind your own business and get on with opening the theme park.”
“I am focused on that. It’s why I’m here.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I thought you might appreciate a hand in questioning some of the suspects and discounting them. Sebastian’s a long shot, after all.”
“He might be, but he’s still a suspect. Any interview that happens with him needs to be done properly,” Nick said. “If you start feeding him information or giving him ideas, you’ll end up compromising a suspect.”
“I’m not going to tell Sebastian to lie if that’s what you mean,” I said.
“Cassie, I know you and zombies. If it turns out that Sebastian’s involved, you’d work on a defense for him, so I’d let him off. You won’t let me arrest him and charge him with murder. It could never be that straightforward.”
“I would let you if he did it,” I said. Well, that was a half-truth. I would most likely defend Sebastian. Placid zombies weren’t aggressive, and they tended to freeze and shut down under intense pressure. Any kind of fight between Edward and Sebastian seemed improbable to me.
“It’s not something you’re getting the chance to prove,” Nick said. “Stay out of this case. I know the incident happened at the theme park, and I know you want updates and to get on with your work, but you have to stop interfering.”
“I don’t want you bullying Sebastian,” I said. “You can get a bit rough with the zombies.” Nick had no particular love of zombies, placid or otherwise. I was always on the lookout to make sure he treated them fairly.
“There you go again, assuming I have a prejudice against the zombies,” Nick said.
“Well, you do,” I said.
“He could be mean,” Zara said from her seat at the table.
“Who are you talking about?” I asked her. “Nick?”
“Sebastian. Mean and greedy,” she said, her attention on the plate of food in front of her.
“Can you tell me more?” Nick approached Zara and sat opposite her.
“Took food from others.” Zara eyed Nick cautiously. “Took my brains.” Her hands hovered over the half-empty plate of brains.
“Was he ever aggressive toward you?” Nick asked.
“No, but he was mean,” Zara said.
I trusted Zara. She had no reason to lie about Sebastian’s behavior. Maybe there was something to the accusation that Sebastian had a problem with Edward. Was that reason enough for Sebastian to seek out Edward and harm him?
If he was a suspect in this investigation, he was going to the bottom of my list. Not liking someone didn’t mean you killed them. There were times when I didn’t like Nick, and he was very much alive.
“Thank you for the information, Zara.” Nick stood. “It seems Sebastian needs further scrutiny. I’ll see what my questioning reveals.”
“Can I sit in on the interview?” I knew what the likely answer to that would be.
“Your help isn’t needed,” Nick said. “Sebastian isn’t the only suspect in this case, so you don’t have to worry about me pinning something on him just because I have no other leads.”
“Who else do you consider a suspect?” I asked.
“When you have a job in my department, I’ll be able to share that kind of information,” Nick said. “In the meantime—”
“I know, keep my nose out and focus on the theme park,” I said.
“Exactly that,” Nick said. “I’ll drop by the office at some point. I still need to take your statement. You didn’t come to the station with everyone else yesterday.”
I watched Nick walk away and was tempted to stick my tongue out. He met a shelter volunteer who had Sebastian by his side, and they headed along a corridor.
Sometimes, I wanted to strangle Nick. He was such a closed book when it came to work. I didn’t want the information so I could gossip about Edward’s murder. I wanted to help Nick and keep the zombies safe. He never understood that. He saw my offers of help as interference, no matter what I did.
As I waited for Zara to finish her brains, Drew gestured me over. “You might like to speak to Finlay Canfield about Edward.”
“How did they know each other?” I asked. Finlay was one of our summer residents, with a huge house overlooking the harbor, three giant yachts, and a liking for ditzy redheads and parties.
“Finlay used Edward as casual labor,” Drew said. “It wasn’t regular work, but when he needed one of his boats cleaned or supplies taken on board, he’d sometimes collect Edward and a few other zombies and make use of them.”
“Did he treat Edward fairly?”
“From what I saw,” Drew said with a shrug. “I never heard any of the zombies say anything bad about him. Finlay was always friendly when he visited. He’s quite a flirt. As smooth as melted caramel.”
“He must be in town at the moment.” I was certain I’d spotted his massive super yacht, Storm Breaker, in the harbor just last week.
“Yes, you’ll find him drinking all the champagne at the golf club bar or sunning himself on board his boat.” Drew grinned at me. “It’s a view I wouldn’t mind taking a look at if I could tear myself from these brains.” She stirred the pot in front of her.
I returned her grin. “Thanks. I’ll have a word with him and see if he knows anything.” I collected Zara, and we returned to the office.
As much as I tried to focus on theme park business, I was struggling to concentrate on work. After an hour, left Zara in charge and walked to Selina’s clinic to see if she had an update on Edward and how he’d died.
Selina was showing a patient out as I walked into her stark white surgery. She ran a daily clinic for patients with minor ailments and dealt with the more serious aspects of life and death in the back rooms.
“Sit there. I’ll be two minutes,” she said, gesturing to some seats behind the
reception area. “I expect you’re here to talk about Edward.”
“Only if you’ve got time,” I said as I sat.
“I have time,” Selina said. “I’ve just dealt with an unpleasant verruca infection. I need a few minutes to let my stomach settle before tackling the next patient.”
I shuddered at the thought. “Has Nick interviewed you?”
“Yes, although it was strange. I’m both a suspect and the investigator looking at the body. There’s a massive conflict of interest there. Nick’s certain that I didn’t bump off Edward, so he let me loose on the body to complete my investigation.”
“How kind of him,” I said.
“He’s all heart, that man,” Selina said. “Cup of tea whilst you’re here?”
I thought about the verrucas. “I’ll pass.”
“I’ve got chocolate brownies,” Selina said. “They’re from Laura’s diner.”
That news changed my mind. “Tea and a brownie sound good.”
“That’s my girl,” Selina said with a smile. “I’ll switch the kettle on.”
Five minutes later, we were drinking tea and sampling some of Laura’s fabulous dark chocolate brownies.
“What can you tell me about Edward’s death?” I asked.
“The wound wasn’t caused by a bullet,” Selina said. “The injury was precise, at base of the brain stem. It was an extremely sharp implement, possibly an ice pick or something similar.”
“That doesn’t sound like the kind of injury to occur during a fight,” I said. “Two zombies fighting would be messy.”
“I’d say not,” Selina said. “Unless the attacker was lucky and happened to have a sharpened stick or pointed pole on hand and was in the right position to sever the brain from its stem. The attacker knew what they were doing and which spot to target to kill Edward.”
“Like a professional hit?” I asked. “On a zombie? Who’d do that?”
“I’ve absolutely no idea.” Selina finished her brownie. “And there are no clues on the body. Other than the wound itself, there’s no useful evidence. Edward had dirt under his fingernails, but no flesh from another zombie or human that might help us identify the attacker. The body had been there for some time, so any evidence was compromised. Several people could have walked past the body without spotting it. It was partially concealed behind machinery and pipework. That doesn’t help in terms of contamination issues.”
“It does mean that none of us are involved. Not if Edward’s been dead for a while.”
Selina tilted her head. “Well, you do work at the park. So does Danny. You both had easy access to the ride.”
My mouth dropped open. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Selina grinned. “I’m only imagining what Nick will think.”
“It sounds as if Edward was struck from behind. He might not have realized what was happening,” I said.
“That’s a good theory,” Selina said. “There’s no evidence of a struggle. If Edward had his back to the killer, they could have got to him before he knew what was going on.”
“I tried to speak to Sebastian at the shelter to see if I could get information about the argument he had with Edward,” I said. “Nick got to him first and told me to keep away.”
“It’s not only Sebastian who’s a suspect,” Selina said. “I heard Danny’s also under suspicion.”
“Danny Wade?” I almost dropped my brownie. “I can’t imagine a less likely suspect. The guy never stops smiling. There’s not a bad bone in his body.”
“I agree with you there,” Selina said. “When he worked at the golf store, he was nothing but sweetness and light every time I wanted a new five iron. Nick still has him in for questioning. Danny had Edward’s blood on his hands and clothes and has no alibi for the time of Edward’s death.”
“That makes no sense,” I said. “Danny had blood on him because he moved the body to see if Edward was alive. Nick must believe that.”
“All he’s willing to believe right now is that Danny had zombie blood on him and no alibi,” Selina said.
“I need to speak to Nick about this,” I said. “There’s no way Danny’s involved.”
“That’s a conversation I’d like to see.” Selina smiled. “After Nick told you to keep out of the investigation, you want to tell him who he should interview.”
My mouth twisted to the side. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so great. You’ll back me up on this. You know what Danny’s like.”
“I do,” Selina said. “But I also know Nick’s a professional. He’ll interview everybody involved. He won’t leave anyone out simply because they’re known around town as a good guy. Even good guys can snap.”
My phone rang. I looked at who was calling me and grimaced.
“Cold caller?” Selina asked.
“Even worse than that,” I said. “Councilman Tapping is after me again. He likes nothing more than hassling me about the theme park at every opportunity. I’d better take it. I’ll see you later.”
“Good luck.” Selina handed me another brownie.
I left the reception and walked out onto the cobbled streets. “Councilman Tapping, what can I do for you?” I listened as he babbled away about some small financial matter, but my thoughts were on Danny as a suspect in Edward’s murder.
It couldn’t be him. Danny was a truly decent guy. He’d never do anything so savage as kill a zombie.
But if he wasn’t involved, then who killed Edward and why?
Chapter 6
A final scan through the catering details for the park opening, a check the musicians would arrive on time, a few calls to our generous prize donors, and a few clicks of the mouse button as I sent more social media blasts about the park’s opening, and I was ready to wilt.
I twisted my aching wrists, relieving the tension from a long day spent behind my desk working on my computer. I ran a hand through my hair and realized it was stuck to my forehead. It was just one of the joys of working in an office without air conditioning on one of the hottest day’s summer had provided.
Part of me longed for nothing more than a large tub of ice cream and a cool bath, but I was also keen to get to Laura’s diner for our monthly get together of the Kooks and Spooks book club. Laura not only had air conditioning, but her food was amazing, and our get together would give me a chance to talk through the suspects in Edward’s murder.
I gave a huge yawn as I shut my computer and locked the office for the evening.
Zara had already gone home, after not having a productive day. I worried that the shock of seeing Edward dead had unsettled her. Although I needed all hands on deck for the upcoming park opening, I’d take it easy on her.
If you overloaded a placid zombie with too much information or stimulus, they shut down. You had to get the balance right. Too little and they faded, too much stimulus, and it was as if their poor mangled brains couldn’t handle it and they retreated inside themselves.
For all the movie portrayals of evil zombies out on the hunt for human flesh, our Zee Town zombies were fragile. We were the ones who had to protect them. They were like an endangered species, and one I was determined to protect.
I stepped out of the office and into the pleasantly warm evening sunshine that filtered along the lane, lighting the cobblestones and making them a warm caramel color. I sauntered along the street toward the diner, taking a moment to admire the beautiful display of large sunflowers in the florist shop window.
The door to Laura’s diner was open as I arrived, and several tables were occupied with late evening diners, but it wasn’t busy, so we wouldn’t be disturbed as we tackled our latest horror read. We’d chosen Let the Right One In. It was a modern take on the classic vampire story. I’d managed to read the book this time, and it had been creepy to the extreme and had me locking the windows in my bedroom before I’d gone to sleep.
Jen, Selina, Abigail, and Laura were already there, sitting around a large table, several plates of delicious lo
oking food already laid out.
“Grab a plate,” Laura said as she spotted me. “We’re just about to get started. I’ve gone for Chinese food this evening.”
“We weren’t sure if you’d be able to make it.” Jen piled her plate high with spring rolls and noodles. “I sent you a message earlier to see if you’d be here.”
I felt a stab of guilt. I’d been too busy to check my messages. “I would never miss book club.” I sat next to Abigail and took a plate. The food smelt great as I gazed at the spread.
“The food’s too good to miss, as well,” Selina said, her mouth full of steamed dumpling.
I nodded in agreement as I tucked into a vegetable spring roll.
“So, our book of the month is Let the Right One In,” Laura said. “What were people’s general thoughts on the novel?”
“It made me want to double bolt my door and then check I’d done so,” Jen said.
“It was too violent for me.” Abigail shuddered. “There was no romance, either. I like a good love story.”
“You don’t tend to get much romance in horror,” I said. “But you’re right about the violence. It was stomach churning at times.”
“Wasn’t there romance in Frankenstein?” Jen asked.
“All the women died!” Laura said. “And the monster was left without the companion he’d been promised. That’s not romantic.”
“It was gory. A bit like the discovery at the theme park,” Jen said. “I keep getting flashbacks of finding Edward’s body. To begin with, I thought he’d fallen over. It was only when Danny moved him and revealed the blood that I realized something was horribly wrong.”
“Nick’s working his way through the suspects,” I said. “He’s already been to the shelter to speak to Sebastian.”
“And then there’s Danny Wade,” Selina said. “There’s a puzzle there. Nick can’t get a straight answer out of him.”
“What’s Danny got to hide?” I asked.
“Whatever it is, he doesn’t have an alibi. Nick considers him a serious suspect.”
“I’m surprised about that,” Laura said. “Danny doesn’t seem the type. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him lose his temper.”