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

by K E O'Connor

  “Could that be motive enough for her to get rid of Bert?” Jen asked.

  “Why kill him? Why not leave with all the gifts he’s given her? Johnny mentioned that Abigail’s into her diamonds and Bert wouldn’t buy her one. Is that enough of a reason to kill?” I shook my head, not convinced.

  “What about Sybil? The ex-wife is an obvious suspect,” Jen said. “You know, spurned woman who was thrown over for a younger model. That could be enough to make somebody snap.”

  “Sybil seemed genuinely upset about Bert dying. She’s been great about getting the memorial stand together. She organized the whole thing. I’ve only needed to print out newspaper articles and give them to her. She wants to do the rest. That doesn’t suggest to me that Sybil hated her ex-husband enough to kill him.”

  “Maybe Sybil’s doing it out of guilt?” Jen suggested. “A way to ease her conscience.”

  “I don’t get a sense it was her.” I filled a brain with eyeballs and started on a new one. “I don’t think either of the women are involved.”

  “Which leaves us with...”

  “I thought it was Johnny Catt. He might want to get his hands on the rest of the business. The problem is, Johnny’s got an alibi, and although he doesn’t seem upset that Bert’s gone, I think he’s too lazy to kill anybody. He’s more interested in drinking, women, and having a good time.”

  “If it’s not Johnny, then who could it be?”

  I sighed and dumped my brain bucket on the desk. I was all out of ideas.

  “Maybe Nick’s right, and one of our zombies went wrong,” Jen said softly.

  I glared at her. “Don’t say that! Our zombies are fine.”

  “We are,” Zara whispered.

  I quickly patted Zara’s hand, not wanting to alarm her.

  “Could a placid zombie have been convinced to attack Bert?” Jen asked. “They might have been under the influence of somebody and were forced into biting him.”

  “I can’t believe that.” I chewed on my bottom lip. I hoped nobody had turned one of our zombies into a biter. They were an integral part of our community. If Nick and the Council decided they were no longer safe and took them away, the town wouldn’t be the same.

  Jen nodded to the office window. “I know you love your zombies, and they clearly love you, too.” Outside the window, two zombies stared in at us.

  “That’s nothing,” I said. “You’re around zombies all the time, as well. They always come to be looked after by you. And they come to the salon to get patched up and look pretty.”

  “People bring the zombies to me when they’re injured. They don’t migrate toward me. You attract them, you know you do. Maybe someone else has attracted their own zombie, but they aren’t using them for good.”

  I looked at the zombies again, their images distorted by the number of trinkets I had in the window. The thought of someone taking advantage of our more vulnerable residents made my blood boil.

  My fists clenched. “Nick won’t be able to stop me if that turns out to be true. He’ll have to lock me up if I discover someone has manipulated a zombie. I’ll make them pay.”

  Jen touched my fisted hand. “Focus on the carnival for now. You let Nick do his job. He’ll figure it out.”

  I grudgingly nodded. I wasn’t happy, but there didn’t feel like anything else I could do. I had to have faith in Nick. The idea lodged in my gut like a cold, hard ball.

  I ate more eyeballs and focused on work.

  An hour later, the candy eyeballs were in their brain buckets, and we’d stored them at the back of the office in readiness for tomorrow.

  “We need a break,” Jen said. “Let’s have one last look at our lovely town before it goes carnival crazy tomorrow.”

  That sounded perfect. I locked up and linked my arms with Jen and Zara as we made a slow circuit through the town.

  “It’s going to be great.” Jen gave my arm a friendly squeeze, as if sensing my glum mood.

  I nodded and forced a smile. She was right. Tomorrow would be great fun. I just need to concentrate on the carnival and not keep thinking about murder.

  Chapter 19

  I dressed in a pair of black pants, practical but pretty flat shoes with flowers on, and a pink blouse. I pinned my Zee Town brooch to my lapel, a silver brooch with two joined hands on it.

  After a quick check of my hair and makeup in the mirror by the front door, I headed to the warehouse for a final look at the carnival floats.

  Excited nerves bubbled through me as I hurried through the streets, knowing they’d be transformed in a few hours when the tourists woke and started exploring Zee Town one more time, before lining the streets in readiness for the carnival.

  I reached the warehouse and found the doors wide open. It wasn’t a surprise, given that many of the participants would have been here since dawn putting the finishing touches to their impressive floats.

  Inside the warehouse it was a hive of activity as people dashed from float to float, stapling on banners, tying on balloons, and giving everything a final polish.

  I spotted a woman at the back of the warehouse dressed all in pink, her blonde hair highlighted by the window she stood in front of. As I neared, I recognized Emma Light, one of our placid zombies.

  “Hello, Emma,” I said. “I didn’t know you were taking part in the carnival.”

  Emma shook her head and stroked her hands down the front of her pink dress. It was frilly and short, more like a fancy dress outfit than a real dress. “Not taking part.”

  “You must be on a float if you’re dressed so nicely,” I said. “Which one are you on?”

  She shook her head again. “No, not on a float.”

  Emma must be confused. There’d be no other reason for her to be in the warehouse dressed like a pink Christmas tree fairy.

  “Well, whatever you have planned for today, have a lovely time.” I was already distracted by the surrounding activity.

  I left Emma to speak to a few of the participants, answering their questions about timings for the procession and giving them words of encouragement.

  I headed out of the warehouse an hour later, happy that the chaos felt organized, and headed to the office.

  Once inside, I spent half an hour checking through the running order of the day. My grumbling stomach pushed me out of the door to the diner for a quick breakfast with Laura.

  “I’ll take a cereal bowl and a tea to go,” I said to her as she dashed around the counter to serve me.

  Laura grinned. “Am I forgiven after suggesting you leave book club? I noticed you didn’t come in the other day.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll admit, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have argued with Nick in front of you all. He’s not coming to book club again, though, is he?”

  Laura’s grin widened. “We most likely scared him off. I wonder if he was only there to speak to Abigail. Nick’s been pulling double shifts so he can question everybody, follow up leads, and get Bert’s case solved.”

  “Does Nick have fresh leads?” I asked. “Who’s he interested in?”

  “No one that I know of,” Laura said. “I think, for now, he’s leaving our zombies alone.”

  “That’s a good thing,” I said. “Providing he leaves them alone for good.”

  “Is everything set for today?” Laura poured my tea and placed a plastic bowl full of cereal on the counter top.

  “It all looks great. I’ve been over to check on the floats this morning.”

  “The tourists seem happy, too. Hungry, but happy. I’ve got these themed zombie doughnuts and cookies out.” Laura gestured to two huge trays of green iced doughnuts and cookies with edible paper zombie faces on. “I’ve already sold half of them. I’ll make another batch later on if the demand keeps up. Do you want one?”

  I looked at the pile of doughnuts iced in green. I wasn’t sure about green doughnuts.

  Laura leaned closer. “They taste way better than they look.”

  “Another time.” I grabbed my cer
eal bowl and tea, I paid Laura and turned to leave. As I turned, I spotted Alex and Nick walk into the diner.

  I didn’t want to face Nick today, not after our argument and then giving him the brush off. I still hadn’t figured out why he’d asked me for a drink.

  I ducked around a couple of customers, hoping to keep out of sight. I’d made it to the door and had pulled it open when I hit something with my knees. I lost my balance and tripped, somehow managing to save my cereal and tea as I did so, but bashing my elbows on the sidewalk when I went down.

  I spotted Stool as I rolled over. I’d been so intent on getting away from Nick that I hadn’t even noticed him. “Oh, Stool! I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  Before I could check Stool, hands grabbed me and helped me to my feet, taking my tea and cereal bowl from me once I was standing.

  I discovered two zombies on either side of me, one male and one female, both with looks of concern on their face as they stroked my arms.

  The zombie on my left, a petite dark-haired female, raised the palm of my hand to her mouth and kissed the skin as if trying to take away the sting from the graze I’d gotten from the rough cobblestones.

  “I’m fine,” I said to her, gently removing my hand from her mouth. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

  She smiled at me, but her eyes darkened as they shifted behind me.

  I turned. Nick dashed over, Stool by his side, his head down as if he thought he might be in trouble.

  “Are you hurt?” Nick asked, his gaze running over me.

  My knees throbbed. They were most likely grazed. Other than the scratches on my palms and my throbbing elbows, there were no serious injuries. “No, just a couple of scrapes.”

  Nick glared at Stool. “He was probably trying to get your breakfast.”

  My cheeks flushed. “It was my fault. I was rushing to get to the office. Lots to do today.” I wasn’t going to mention that I’d been trying to escape from Nick and hadn’t been watching where I was going.

  “I should leave Stool at home,” Nick said. “He’s always getting in the way.”

  “I promise, there’s no harm done.” I patted my leg. “Good boy. I’m not mad.”

  Stool wagged his tail and limped over to me.

  I crouched and stroked behind his ears. “None of this is your fault, boy. I need to keep a better eye out, that’s all. I’m fine. My friends helped me.” I glanced over my shoulder at the zombies who still stood nearby, their gazes flitting from me to Nick.

  “They helped you?” Alex asked, joining Nick, two takeout cups in his hands.

  “Yes, they helped me,” I said. “You sound surprised.”

  “What was that one doing with your hand?” Alex asked. “From where I stood at the counter, it looked like she was going to bite.”

  “No, quite the opposite,” I said. “She was trying to kiss my hand better.” I held up my palm to show him the scrape.

  “Are you sure she wasn’t trying to taste you?” Alarm shone in Alex’s eyes. “You’re really trusting around the zombies.”

  “She’s too trusting,” Nick muttered. “One day, Cassie will push her luck too far.”

  I frowned. “I trust our zombies. They never cause any problems.”

  “Well, that’s not strictly true—”

  “I’ve no time to talk.” I turned and collected my cereal and tea from the zombies, giving them a nod of thanks. I didn’t want to listen to Nick complain about the problems zombies caused him.

  I dashed away, embarrassment and annoyance running through me. I’d dirtied my smart black pants, and there was a tear in one knee. I wouldn’t have an opportunity to change. I’d have to brush them down in the office and make the best of it.

  I’d almost reached the office when someone called my name. Selina was hurrying toward me.

  “I got wind of some zombie themed doughnuts at the diner and wanted to grab a couple,” she said as she reached my side.

  “I’ve seen them,” I said. “They look... interesting.”

  Selina laughed. “Laura always does a good range of treats when the tourists are in. Listen, I wanted to see if you want back in the book club? I acted harshly when I kicked you and Nick out, but you were ruining the vibe.”

  “And I might have been a hothead and spoiled the evening for everyone,” I said.

  Selina grinned. “Having you and Nick in the same room together was always a risk. What with all those repressed feelings sparking.”

  “What repressed feelings?”

  Selina arched an eyebrow. “I’m a doctor. I know when someone is repressing.”

  “You’re a medical doctor, not a love doctor. Not that that’s even a thing.”

  Selina laughed. “If you want back in, I’ll bring you a copy of the new book we’re reading this month; Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. We’re holding the meeting at Jen’s house.”

  My eyes narrowed. I wasn’t repressing anything when it came to Nick. “Sure, that will be great. And I promise, no more arguing.”

  “And I promise not to let Nick in anymore,” Selina said, giving me a knowing look. “He can push your buttons somewhere else.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but turned back and spotted Nick and Stool standing at the end of the street, seemingly watching us. “Yes, he does have that ability to annoy me.”

  “You know what they say,” Selina said. “There’s a fine line between love and hate.”

  “Was that Albert Einstein?”

  Selina’s grin broadened. “Most likely. If you two could learn to work together, you’d make a great crime fighting duo.”

  “That’s never happening. Nick’s already threatened to arrest me if I keep asking questions about Bert’s murder.”

  “Does that mean you’re stopping your own investigation?”

  “As soon as the carnival’s over, I’ll be right back on it.”

  “Good for you. I look forward to bringing you green doughnuts when you’re in jail.” Selina chuckled as she hurried toward the diner.

  I shook my head. Nick could threaten all he liked, but I wasn’t done with Bert Figgins’ murder just yet.

  Chapter 20

  The air filled with excited chatter as crowds lined the streets. The crowd was at least five deep as they struggled to find a space where they could watch the carnival procession go by.

  Children sat on the edge of the road, balloons in their hands, many of them stuffing down zombie themed sweets, as they waited with big smiles on their faces.

  I waved at Zara as I spotted her walking along, her arms full of balloons, handing them out to children. Following her was another zombie with a candy eyeball bucket.

  There were squeals of delight from children as they grabbed handfuls of the eyeballs and chased each other around the streets.

  I took a deep breath and turned to look at the end of the street. My heart sped up as I spotted the first carnival float turn the corner. I could see the people on the float bouncing up and down, their excitement clear as they inched closer.

  Music blasted from the overhead speakers, a signal that the carnival procession was beginning. People in the crowd turned their heads, waiting to glimpse the procession.

  I hurried off the street and through an open door, dashing up a flight of stairs and into a store room over Laura’s diner. It was the perfect viewing location to watch the carnival and spot any problems easily.

  Jen was already waiting by the window. She grinned at me as I joined her. “Here we go.”

  I flashed her a nervous smile, but my attention was on the procession. The music grew to a crescendo, and the crowds cheered and clapped as a giant zombie head rolled past, followed by a scary looking float with people dressed as rabid zombies, dashing around and pretending to grab at the crowds.

  “That one is scarily authentic,” Jen said. “Those rabid zombies look almost too real for my liking.”

  The next float had humans and zombies standing side-by-side, holding hands and waving at the
crowds. This was our Zombie pioneer float, decked out in bright streamers and colored ribbons, indicating the unity we’d brought to Zee Town.

  “Here come the dancing girls,” Jen said as our majorettes appeared, dancing and spinning their batons with alarming speed and accuracy, entertaining the crowds with their coordinated movements.

  The brass band followed, competing with the loudspeaker music as the thirty players marched past in smart red uniforms.

  Another fifteen floats rolled by, the crowd cheering at all the zombies.

  And finally, our zombie king and queen float moved past. It was covered in peace lilies and white streamers, signifying unity, trust, and togetherness.

  The town voted for their king and queen each year, and the two chosen zombies sat on thrones, dressed in white, waving to the crowds. There were several other zombies on the float too, all princes and princesses.

  After the main floats, came the business floats promoting their offerings to the tourists while they were in town. These included Figgins Golfing Supplies, the General Store, and then, much to my disgust, came a display for the proposed Zee Town theme park.

  I’d been fighting this idea with the Council for months and had the backing of most residents. We didn’t want a zombie theme park. It cheapened the zombies by having scary rides, displays, and exhibitions. But the Council was convinced the theme park would bring more money into the area.

  As the final float crept along the road, the crowds dispersed, moving to investigate the stalls set around the edge of town, selling everything from scented candles to chocolate fudge.

  Live music blasted out of the speakers from my favorite local band, the Twisted Zombies, and the delicious scent of chocolate crepes, candyfloss, and doughnuts drifted through the air up to the window.

  “That was brilliant. The best carnival procession ever,” Jen said.

  “You say that every year.”

  “And I mean it.” She grinned. “I’d love to stick around, but I left Mrs. Connell under the dryer so I could watch. If I don’t go back now, she’ll get crispy.” Jen hurried away.