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

by K E O'Connor

  “For now, I’m his caretaker. He’s really glum, though. I’ve tried to locate Delia’s family or friends who can take him, but no luck so far. You don’t know anyone?”

  “No, and I don’t think her parents are alive,” Jane said. “If they are, she never spoke about them. She’s married but hated her husband. She used to call him the Runt because he reminded her of the unwanted puppy in a litter of pedigrees. Delia’s love for Asadi put a strain on the relationship.”

  “Maybe her husband will want Asadi.”

  “Don’t give him the dog. Asadi will meet a sticky end if you give him to her husband.”

  “Really? Delia’s husband held such a grudge against this gorgeous dog?” I petted Asadi’s silky head.

  “Delia loved Asadi. She just about tolerated her husband. That’s got to sting.” Jane glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to go. I need to put the finishing touches to Mischief. We’re in the last round of the agility this morning.”

  “I’ll see you later. Enjoy your event.” The more I learned about Delia’s husband, the more likely it seemed that he was involved in her murder.

  I led Asadi to a blanket in the corner out of the way and gave him treats and toys to keep him occupied. Then I hurried around and checked everything was going to plan. All the contestants were there running through training drills with their dogs, the judges were in place, and the show ring was set up for the agility.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I turned slowly and looked behind me. I let out a sigh of relief. Archer was watching me, a grin on his face.

  He strode over and winked. “Surviving so far?”

  “Just about,” I said.

  He chuckled. “I love dogs, but this is craziness.”

  “I hear you’ve been talking to your new best friend about me,” I said.

  Archer grinned. “If you mean Morton, then we’ve been in cahoots when required. This is a joint operation to keep an eye on the zombies. It’s important we know the score with everyone, especially since you seem intent on keeping quiet about the zombies’ ongoing interests in the dogs.”

  “I’m not keeping quiet about anything,” I said.

  “So, you didn’t head off four zombies on the beach yesterday when they tried to take a bite out of Mavis’s furry poodle brats?”

  My eyes widened, and I stared up at him. “How do you know about that?”

  “Eyes and ears everywhere, beautiful.” Archer laughed. “Actually, I was walking along the harbor and saw you race past in pursuit of the poodles. I had to stop and see what you were up to. I thought I’d have to save you when you almost dove into the sea.”

  “I had no choice,” I said. “I had to grab one dog before he swam away and get back to Mavis before she shot the zombies.”

  “No kidding! What does she want to do that for?”

  “Mavis doesn’t trust them.” I rubbed my forehead. “These dogs are proving too much for the zombies. I’m tempted to cut this whole event short. If Mavis wouldn’t string me up alive, I’d do just that.”

  “I agree. The zombies are struggling.” Archer tipped back on his heels. “We fill Zee Town with tasty treats, and the zombies want to eat them. It’s like putting a sugar addicted kid in a free candy store and letting them go to town.”

  I glanced up at Archer. “Are we taking too much of a risk? I’ll go up against Mavis if I have to, but I’ll need someone to pick up the pieces when she destroys me.”

  Archer chuckled. “You’re safe for now. Let’s keep things rolling. I’ve added three more of my crew to the town hall to keep a closer eye on things. We’ll see if there are any problems and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

  “Thanks, Archer. Anything you can do to make this run smoothly is appreciated.”

  “And any time you want to demonstrate your appreciation to me, you know where I am.”

  I shook my head. “Have you dropped in on Beth yet? I mentioned you to her when we spoke last night. I don’t want her getting lonely at the theme park.”

  He laughed. “I’m sure Beth’s doing fine. And she’s a hot young woman. Perhaps I will break your heart by asking her out.”

  “You do that,” I said. “Have you heard anything about Delia’s husband?”

  “A husband? Nothing’s on my radar,” Archer said. “Tell me everything.”

  “When I was on the beach with Mavis yesterday, she mentioned Delia had separated from her husband, Carl. There’s bad blood there. And he’s been seen lurking around town.”

  Archer’s gaze narrowed. “You think he’s involved with what happened to Delia?”

  “He’s got a good motive,” I said. “An unhappy husband comes to exact revenge.”

  “Revenge?”

  “Delia loved her dog more than her husband.”

  “Dogs are pretty great,” Archer said with a grin. “But you can’t beat a snuggle with a warm, soft woman. Let me have his details. I’ll get the word out to the team, and they can keep a lookout for him.”

  “Great. Nick’s got his focus on a zombie as the killer, and I’m sure he’s wrong. While he’s looking elsewhere, he won’t pay enough attention to other suspects. I’d hate for Carl to slip away before anyone’s had a chance to question him.”

  “If Morton’s chasing the wrong lead, I’ll sort out his mess,” Archer said.

  He’d love the satisfaction of doing that. Nick and Archer enjoyed butting heads. Still, that was their issue to deal with. If Archer’s competitive nature got me what I needed, I wouldn’t complain.

  I gave Archer what little information I had on Carl.

  “I can find out more about him on our database,” Archer said.

  “What database?”

  His smile broadened. “A secure database full of secrets about everyone. Including you.” He booped me on the nose with the tip of his finger.

  I didn’t like the sound of that.

  “If this guy is in the system, we’ll find him.” Archer stiffened and lifted a finger just as I was about to talk and touched his ear. “Go ahead, Rhino.”

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  Archer frowned. “Zombies outside the town hall. Thirty of them. That’s the biggest group yet. Any movement, Rhino?”

  I leaned closer to try to listen in.

  Archer winked at me. “No movement, but they’ve been there half an hour. More coming. This looks like trouble.”

  “Wait a second,” I said. “That doesn’t mean trouble.”

  “Keep me informed. I’m on my way,” Archer said.

  I grabbed his elbow and held on tight. “Don’t go in all guns blazing.”

  “Cassie,” Archer said. “A horde of zombies never amass for a good reason. They’re here for one thing, and we know what that is. We can’t let them inside the town hall. All of these pent-up pedigree pooches are at risk if we let that happen.”

  “They won’t come inside,” I said. “We can direct them to the food stands.”

  Archer lifted a hand again. “Go ahead, Rhino.” He was quiet for two heart beats, his lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m on my way.”

  “What? What’s going on?” I ran alongside Archer, still clinging to his arm.

  “They’re making a move to get inside.” Archer strode toward the door.

  My heart raced. “Don’t do anything rash. You can talk to them. They don’t need to be hurt.”

  “They will need to be hurt if they try to get inside the town hall,” Archer said. “They’re not safe to be around. Zombies are worse when they’re in a horde. Pack mentality takes over.”

  “Stop using the word horde. They’re in a big group. That’s all.”

  “Horde, gang, mob, pack. However you want to word it, this is not a safe situation.”

  I raced after Archer as he strode up the stairs and onto the roof of the town hall where his colleague, Rhino, was positioned. He lived up to his nickname, with a squat, bulky physique that made me feel puny in comparison.

  My stomach l
urched. Rhino had an enormous gun trained on the ground below.

  “What’s the situation?” Archer stopped beside Rhino.

  “Take a look, boss,” Rhino said. He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Cassie. Long time no see. You good?”

  I nodded at him. “Excellent, thanks. What’s going on?” I leaned over and stared at the square below.

  There was a big group of zombies staring at the town hall. They weren’t moving much, other than the occasional shuffle. They were just watching.

  I swallowed slowly. “See. They’re not doing any harm.”

  “They’ve been gathering for half an hour,” Rhino said. “It was only two to begin with. It looks like word’s gotten out now the dog show is in full swing. These zombies want to be a part of it.”

  “You can’t know that,” I said. “They’re just interested in the noise.”

  “And the smell and the taste of all those delicious walking meals,” Archer said. “They need to be dispersed.”

  “So, ask them to leave,” I said. “Do it politely and you won’t have a problem. From the zombies or me.”

  Archer snorted and kept his attention on the situation below.

  “That’s the tricky thing,” Rhino said. “Two of us have been down there and asked them to get out of here. They won’t budge.”

  “We need to use more persuasive measures,” Archer said.

  I glared at him. “What are you thinking?”

  “We’ve got the electroshocks in the van,” Rhino said.

  “No! You are absolutely not shocking them,” I said. “They’re doing nothing wrong. Why shouldn’t they stand outside the town hall and see what’s going on?” I said.

  “Because they want to eat the dogs taking part in the show,” Archer said. “This is triggering them to act out of character. What if one of the dog owners stands in front of a zombie just before he takes a bite?”

  “Our zombies don’t eat us,” I said. “Why do I have to keep reminding people of that?”

  “Because of the weird situation below.” Archer pointed at the group of zombies. “They’re acting strangely. What if their behavior continues to shift once Chow Chow time begins?”

  “That’s why we’re here,” Rhino said.

  “The zombies are fine,” I said. “They’re safe to be around. If you go down there waving your guns about and barking orders, you’ll only scare them.”

  “They need to be scared,” Archer said. “They have to realize that they’re making themselves vulnerable.”

  “They just don’t understand. We’ve had a lot of new placid zombies come to Zee Town in the last couple of months. They’re still getting used to the rules. I bet that’s all this is.”

  “That’s what we have to find out,” Archer said, “while we can contain the situation. Rhino, you’re with me. Let Buzzard know he’s also needed downstairs ASAP.”

  “On it, boss.”

  Archer was already striding back toward the stairs before I could stop him, Rhino not far behind.

  “Let me come with you,” I said.

  “Do you know how to shoot a gun?” Archer asked.

  “That’s irrelevant. No one’s shooting any guns,” I said.

  “We’ll see about that.” Archer pulled up short as Buzzard stepped in front of him. “Good. I want you by the main front door. You’re backup if this thing goes wrong. Stop the zombie horde getting inside.”

  “Not a horde.” I sighed. “Nothing will go wrong.”

  “No problem, boss.” Buzzard fell into line behind Archer as they continued toward the front door.

  I tailed them, refusing to feel intimidated by the sheer size and raw power emanating from these men. They were trained, lethal killers, and I was just one small woman. Still, that wasn’t going to deter me. There was no way I’d let them harm the zombies.

  Buzzard remained by the front door, his posture erect as Archer and Rhino stepped outside.

  The group of zombies was in the same place, their attention fixed on the town hall.

  “Watch the flanks, Rhino,” Archer said. “Head off any zombies who try to join the horde. Cassie, remain behind me.”

  I ignored him as I speed-walked beside him. “Go in calmly. There’s no need to upset them.”

  “Let’s see what their intentions are.” Archer glanced down at me and smirked. “I see you don’t like to follow orders.”

  “I don’t need to. I’m not part of your crew,” I said.

  He shook his head. “Just stay out of danger.”

  “I will, because there’s no danger to be had around here. These zombies are safe.”

  Archer muttered something under his breath before coming to a halt a dozen paces from the zombies. “What’s your business here?”

  Several of the zombies glanced at him, but none of them spoke.

  Archer pointed to a male zombie who stood at the front of the group. “What’s your name?”

  “Bruce,” the zombie said.

  “Okay, Bruce,” Archer said. “Why are you all here?”

  “To see the dogs.”

  “Why are you so interested in the dogs?” Archer asked. “There are other dogs living in Zee Town.”

  “Lots in there,” Bruce said. “Smell good.”

  “They might smell good to you, buddy, but they’re off limits. This show is for dogs and humans only. Do you understand?”

  Several of the zombies grumbled, but no one moved.

  “You all need to leave,” Archer said.

  “Doing nothing wrong,” Bruce said.

  “He has a point,” I muttered. “They are just standing here. There’s no crime in standing about doing nothing.”

  Bruce’s bloodshot gaze shifted to me. He inhaled deeply and took a step closer.

  Archer’s fingers flexed around his gun.

  I placed a hand on his arm. “It’s fine. Hi, Bruce. We’ve not met before. I’m Cassie March.”

  “Cassie March? Zombie friend.” Bruce tilted his head.

  Several of the other zombies moved closer, their gaze focused on me.

  “That’s right. I’m proud to call myself a friend of the zombies. I don’t know any of you here, so you might have missed the news about the dog show.”

  “We know the dog show,” Bruce said. “Why we’re here.”

  I glanced up at Archer, who was staring at Bruce suspiciously. “This is Archer Rhinehart. He gets a little nervous when there’s a big group of zombies around. He might look big and tough, but he’s got a soft heart.”

  Archer snorted but made no comment.

  “He doesn’t like to think that the dogs inside the town hall might get nervous if they see so many zombies out here.”

  Bruce’s shoulders sagged. “Don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “Of course, no one thinks you want to do that,” I said. “We’re all friends here.”

  “You don’t want to hurt anyone, Bruce, but you’re still interested in the dogs,” Archer said. “What would you do if I open the doors and let you inside?”

  “Archer!” I glared at him. “That’s not fair.”

  Bruce gently thumped his palm against the side of his head. “Hear the dogs. And smell them. It’s confusing.”

  “You see? He’s confused, just like his friends,” I said. “Bruce, we do understand. Having so much temptation close by is difficult for you. I’m the same around cookies. If you give me a pack, I want to eat the lot. I promise, in less than two days, all the dogs will be gone. You won’t be tempted anymore. Why don’t you go get some free food from the shelter? Maybe that’s all the problem is, you’re hungry. We can fix that right away.”

  “Boss!” Rhino said. “We’ve got more incoming.”

  Archer took a few steps back, his gaze shifting around the square.

  My breath quickened. Two more groups of zombies were closing in. This really was odd behavior.

  “This is not good,” he muttered.

  “What do you want us to do?” Rhino asked.<
br />
  “We need to immobilize them,” Archer said. “If the horde gets too big, we won’t be able to control them.”

  I tipped my head back. “For the last time, they’re not a horde. You’re only making things worse.”

  “Do you have any other suggestions to disperse the not-a-horde?” Archer’s gaze remained on the incoming zombies.

  I looked back at Bruce and his friends. I wasn’t sure how, but they already knew me. I could use that to my advantage.

  “Our zombies need a distraction,” I said. “They don’t want to be here. If they had no concerns about eating the dogs at the show, they’d have already done it. They’re conflicted. You can see that.”

  “Can I?” Archer asked. “Some of them are drooling.”

  “Yes, drooling but not eating. Drooling and thinking about eating a delicious meal but not actually doing it. It’s like they’re on a diet and standing in front of a bakery.”

  Archer barked out a laugh. “Okay, you’ve got my attention. How would you solve this?”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “Everybody in this group, come with me. We’ve got free food down by the harbor. All-you-can-eat and a beautiful view while you do it.”

  “Like that’s going to work,” Archer said.

  Bruce shook his head. “Want to go inside.”

  I rubbed my forehead. “I know, Bruce. I understand how tricky this is for you and the others. It’s really important you don’t go inside. Give me your word that you won’t.”

  “Can’t do that,” Bruce said.

  This wasn’t going well. I stepped forward and touched Bruce’s arm.

  His whole body shivered, and his eyes widened as he looked down at me.

  “Everything’s good. You’re all fine. You’re not interested in the dogs. Walk away. You don’t need to be here,” I said.

  “Cassie, what are you doing?” Archer hissed.

  I ignored him, the scar on my palm throbbing as I walked around the group and touched them all. I still didn’t understand why this happened when I made contact with a zombie, but it often did.

  As I walked around the group, their gaze followed me. “Excellent. Now, what do you want to do?”