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

by K E O'Connor

  Another piercing scream sounded from the front of the ghoul train.

  “Cassie, you’d better take a look at this.” Jen stood to one side of the train, her face pale and tears in her eyes.

  I dropped Archer’s hand and hurried toward her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I just found a dead zombie.”

  Chapter 4

  The group stood around the lifeless form of Edward Newton, his sightless gray eyes staring at the cobwebbed ceiling above his head.

  My hand clutched Jen’s arm. “What happened to him?”

  “I’ve no idea.” Jen’s voice shook. “I climbed out of the carriage and was looking at how the animatronics worked with Danny and Abigail when he was spotted.”

  I looked over to Danny, who had one arm around Abigail’s slim shoulders. “What did you find?”

  “Just this.” Danny pointed to the body. “Edward lying on his back, already gone.”

  “Is that zombie blood on your hands, kid?” Archer’s sharp gaze stuck to Danny.

  Danny looked at his free hand and scrubbed it on his jeans, making a dark smear spread across his leg. “Only because I checked Edward to see if he was still alive. When I moved him, he was lying in a pool of his own blood.”

  “Danny had nothing to do with this,” Abigail said with a sniff. “I was with him when we found the body. Jen was right behind us.”

  Archer held up a hand. “I’m only checking. Someone didn’t like this zombie by the look of things.”

  “You think this was murder?” I asked Archer, unable to tear my gaze from Edward’s body. He looked small and shrunken on the floor. I wanted to cover him with something, to give him a bit of dignity.

  “It’s hard to tell without looking at the body. It doesn’t look like an accident to me,” Archer said.

  “Selina, can you check on Edward?” I asked, shaking myself out of my shock.

  “I shouldn’t do anything until the authorities have been to check the scene,” Selina said. She pulled a pair of plastic gloves from her purse and snapped them on. “Still, I can have a brief look to see if the cause of death can be determined.”

  “I’ll call Nick.” I moved a few steps away from the group and dialed his number.

  Julia Browser, the receptionist at the station, picked up the call. “Zee Town police station.”

  “Julia, can you put me through to Nick? We’ve made a discovery at the theme park. He’s going to need to see this.”

  “What kind of discovery?” Julia was always on the lookout for a good piece of gossip.

  “The dead kind of discovery,” I said with a shudder.

  “Oh! Goodness! I’ll dispatch Nick straightaway. He’ll be with you soon.”

  I gave her brief details of where we were in the park before hanging up. It was only five minutes before Nick’s police car screeched to a stop by the ghoul train.

  Nick strode to the waiting group, his attention on me. Alex and Stool were by his side.

  Jen hurried over to Alex, and he hugged her tightly.

  Nick stopped in front of me. “What’s the situation here? Julia said you found a body.”

  “Yes, in the ghoul train,” I said. “It’s one of our zombies, Edward Newton.”

  “Who found the body?” Nick asked, his posture erect and gaze focused, in full on police mode.

  “Danny, Abigail, and Jen.” I pointed toward them.

  Nick strode over without saying another word. He spent several minutes talking to them.

  “That was quite the dramatic end to a scary ride,” Archer said. “I hope this doesn’t mess with your plans for the park opening.”

  I grimaced. “It might. If Edward was killed on site, this ride will have to close at the very least. We might have to postpone the opening if the killer isn’t found quickly.”

  “You don’t sound too sad about that,” Archer said.

  “I’m sad about Edward dying.” I turned to him. My gaze went around the park, taking in the oversized rides and gaudy colors. “As for the rest of it, well, I was never sure about this place. If it never opens, I won’t be miserable.”

  “Be careful what you say around Morton,” Archer said. “If he gets wind of the fact that you’re happy the park might not open on time, he’ll put you on his list of suspects.”

  I shrugged. “It won’t be the first time he’s tried to pin a murder on me. It probably won’t be the last. At least, I have you as a solid alibi.”

  Archer grinned at me. “I’ll be your alibi any time you like, beautiful.”

  “Cassie, over here.” Nick beckoned me toward him.

  I walked over, Archer remaining by my side. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll need statements from everybody,” Nick said. “And this area needs to be cordoned off while we do a sweep for weapons or evidence.”

  “So, it was murder?” I’d hoped it had been a tragic accident. I’d have preferred for Edward to be alive, but at least that would be simpler to explain to the Council.

  “Selina’s looked at the body. There’s no way this was an accident,” Nick said.

  “What information have you gathered?” Archer asked.

  Nick shot him a cold stare. “There’s the possibility of a bullet wound in the back of the head, although I’m not certain. There are no powder burns. Maybe it was a sharp object inserted in to the base of the brain stem.”

  “I can look at the injury,” Archer said. “I’ve got experience when it comes to bullet wounds.”

  “That’s not needed,” Nick said. “Once we’ve swept the scene, we’ll take the body to the morgue. Selina can complete an examination to determine the cause of death and likely weapon.”

  “Who would want to kill Edward?” Beth asked, her breath coming out shaky. “I hadn’t known him long, but he seemed like a sweet zombie.”

  “He was a sweet zombie,” Jen said. “He lived at the shelter and was never a trouble.”

  “How long has he been dead?” Archer asked, his focus on Nick.

  “Selina thinks at least twelve hours,” Nick said. “He might have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped at the park.”

  “But why?” I asked. “Why would anyone harm Edward? And why leave him here? It makes no sense to kill him and dump him in a place where he’s bound to be found.”

  “Unless the killer wanted Edward discovered,” Beth said. “Maybe someone wanted to cause problems at the park, so they left the body here.”

  I couldn’t help but notice how closely Beth stood to Nick. My stomach lurched again. I couldn’t blame the sorbet this time. It had to be the rides.

  “Cassie has a point,” Archer said. “Whoever did this is making a statement.”

  “Why don’t you all stop with the theories?” Nick said. “Until we’ve assessed the scene, there’s no point in making things up.”

  “We’re trying to help,” I replied, noticing the angry stare Nick had fixed on Archer. Those two were always competitive when they were together.

  Archer drew himself up to his significant height and stared at Nick. “As the lady said, we’re only offering useful advice. It might speed things up.”

  “When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it.” Nick stood toe-to-toe with Archer, and tension simmered off them both.

  “Everyone take a breath. Now is a lousy time to decide who has the most testosterone,” I said. “There’s a body to deal with, and I have a theme park to run.”

  “You won’t have anything to run for now.” Nick’s gaze remained on Archer. “I need this place shut down until we’ve determined how Edward was killed.”

  “The whole park?” I blinked in surprise at Nick.

  “The crime scene has already been compromised by a ride running straight through it,” Nick said. “I’ll need at least two days to check the area for evidence. Most of it has already been destroyed.”

  “We didn’t do that deliberately,” I said. “I’d never have run the ghoul train if I knew Edward was here.”

>   “Still, the damage is done,” Nick said.

  I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t know for sure that there’s even evidence here.”

  “Cassie has a good point.” Archer grinned as he watched me spar with Nick.

  “Let me get on with my job, and we’ll know whether that’s true or not,” Nick said.

  “Two days, no more,” I said. “The Council won’t stand for having their precious park delayed. The opening will have to go ahead as planned.”

  “They may not have a choice,” Nick said.

  A part of me really wanted to see Nick go up against the Council. I wasn’t certain who’d win. They were as stubborn as each other. “I can take some of the work off site, but I’ll need to get back into the park as soon as I can.”

  “That’s not a problem. I’ll let you know when you can return.” Nick took a step back from Archer, and some of the tension dissipated as he focused on Edward’s body.

  “I hate to interrupt,” Jen said. “But I know someone who might have a grudge against Edward. I saw him arguing with another zombie at the shelter.”

  “I’ll take formal statements at the station,” Nick said. “You can let me have the details then.”

  “Who was it?” I asked Jen, ignoring Nick’s exasperated sigh as I questioned her.

  “Sebastian,” Jen said. “We were short on brains one evening, and they both wanted the final serving. Edward got it initially, but Sebastian went after him and took the food. It’s unusual for placid zombies to get into a dispute like that, but Sebastian can be difficult, and he’s always resented having Edward around. They weren’t friends.”

  Selina moved out of the shadows, peeling the plastic gloves from her hands as she did so. “They hated each other when they were alive as well. If memory serves, they fought for months over the same woman, only for her to pick somebody else and leave town. It seems as if their animosity has carried over into their zombie lives.”

  “Thanks for the information, everybody. Now’s not the time to start swapping stories and creating reasons for individuals to become suspects,” Nick said. “I need you all to make your way to the station so you can be separately interviewed regarding the murder.”

  “Wait, you’re not thinking any of us did this?” Danny asked.

  “You were the one with the zombie’s blood on your hands, kid,” Archer said.

  “Only because I found the body!” Danny shot a worried look in Nick’s direction.

  Nick clapped his hands together once. “Everybody stop talking. Alex, get them all to the station and keep them separate, just in case.”

  “I’m on it, boss.” Alex gave Jen one more reassuring hug and began rounding up the group.

  “You will let me know what happens?” I said to Nick as the group slowly dispersed.

  “You’ll be the first person I report to,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “No, I’m not looking for special treatment.” I grabbed his elbow. “I need to keep this wretched opening on schedule. Otherwise, I’ll have the Council on my back. You know what they’re like.”

  Nick looked down at my hand, not speaking until I dropped my hold on him. “I thought you’d be delighted there was a snag to the opening of this park. You’ve never wanted it here.”

  “So what? Neither have you.”

  Nick walked to his police car, Stool by his side. I followed, not giving up that easily. He turned, a look of exasperation on his face. “I’ll keep you informed.”

  “The park’s happening. I’m not happy about it, but here we are. It’s a week before opening. The Council won’t be happy if things fall apart at the last minute.”

  “Are you worried you’ll lose your job?” Nick asked.

  “Not for a second,” I said. “In fact, they can have the job.” I still resented the fact Councilman Tapping had blackmailed me into taking this role.

  Nick paused, his hand on the door of the car. “You’re not having fun?”

  “When is work ever fun?”

  “You know what I mean,” Nick said. “For all the stressing you used to do in your old job, I could tell how much you enjoyed it. I only had to spot you at one of your events, a big smile on your face as you watched everybody having a good time, to understand that. Since you’ve taken on this position, I’ve not seen you smile so much.”

  “I didn’t know you were watching me so closely.” I shuffled my feet, not sure how I felt about being under Nick’s observation. A little excited? Annoyed that he was watching me?

  “Someone has to keep an eye on the town’s troublemakers,” Nick said, a wry smile on his face.

  I shook my head. “Please, I’m not asking for special treatment. I have to make sure this park opens, regardless of what I think about it. Will you at least let me know when it’s okay to get the gates open again and the staff back on site?”

  “I’m not a monster, Cassie.” Nick slid into the car, and Stool hopped into the passenger seat. “Of course, I’ll let you know. I’ll be back soon. I need to get the team together. Don’t let anyone touch the crime scene.”

  Nick pulled away in the car. I watched him leave before radioing through to the remaining staff team at the park and asking them to meet me at the gate. They’d be leaving early today.

  As I waited for the staff to assemble, my stomach knotted with worry and my palms grew damp. Nick was right; I wasn’t having fun in this role. I hoped that would change once the park was open, and I’d accepted my new responsibilities. It didn’t help that I’d just stumbled over a dead body. But it wasn’t just that, and deep down I knew that.

  I looked back at the ghoul train. Poor Edward. It wasn’t fair what had happened to him. Nick might be keeping a close eye on me, but I’d do the same to him. If he didn’t solve this murder quickly, I might just have to lend him a hand.

  Chapter 5

  I set up a temporary base in the old tourism office while the park was out of bounds. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched Zara settle behind her worn wooden desk, a cup of beef broth in hand. It felt like putting on a pair of faithful old shoes. It was so comfortable being back here, despite the unpleasant reason for us having to use the office to work in.

  “Zara, do you know anything about the zombie who was hurt yesterday?” I asked. Zara had spent time at the shelter before finding a family to mentor her. She now lived in an apartment shared with several other zombies and their human support worker.

  “No,” Zara said. “He was quiet. Kept to himself.”

  “I got the impression that Edward wasn’t a troublemaker,” I said. “It seems he got on somebody’s bad side.”

  Zara nodded. “Must have.”

  My cell phone rang. I answered it, having diverted all calls from the park to my phone. “Zee Town theme park. Cassie March speaking.”

  “Cassie, this is Councilman Richard Tapping.”

  My stress levels inched up. “Good afternoon, Councilman. How are you today?”

  “Rather worried. Officer Morton has informed the Council of the discovery of a dead zombie at the theme park. This is most concerning.”

  “Nick assured me the park will be open again within two days,” I said. “In the meantime, I’m using the old tourism office as a base to keep on top of things.”

  “Oh! Well, that’s most reassuring,” Councilman Tapping said. “I had a second of panic when I thought that you might not open the park on time. That will never do.”

  “I have every intention of getting things open on time,” I said. “We can’t change things now. All the press releases have gone out and, as you’ve probably seen on social media, the park is causing a frenzy online.” Councilman Tapping loved to while away the hours surfing social media sites for news about Zee Town.

  “I’ve seen the excellent media you’ve been sending out about the park,” Councilman Tapping said. “It’s made me as excited as everybody else. I can’t wait to try the rides.”

  Somehow, I couldn’t imagine Councilman Tapping with
candyfloss in one hand, a toffee apple in the other, as he boarded the Screams of Terror rollercoaster. “I’ll make sure you get priority access to anything you want.”

  “That’s splendid. I’ll be accompanied by Mavis Buster,” Councilman Tapping said. “As you know, Councilwoman Buster does an excellent job overseeing our human resources. She’s most excited to experience the theme park herself.”

  Mavis Buster, known in hushed whispers as The Ball Buster, was a woman not to be trifled with. Stick insect thin, with hair the color of a moonless night, and deep-set eyes that would bore into you until you weakened under her intense stare. I was never certain of her age; she could be forty or sixty, depending on what kind of light she stood in.

  “I look forward to welcoming you both to the opening event,” I said. “Are we still doing the ribbon cutting ceremony as planned?” Councilman Tapping wanted the biggest pair of scissors I could find and a huge bow for him to cut. Tacky, but in keeping with the park.

  “Absolutely, I don’t want to miss out on that,” Councilman Tapping said. “Nothing will stop this opening. Officer Morton reassured me that the suspect for the murder will be in custody by the time of the park opening.”

  I hoped that was true. I’d not heard from Nick since he’d started questioning everyone. “Nick knows what he’s doing. I’m sure you’ve nothing to worry about.”

  “Officer Morton is excellent at his job. Now, while I’ve got you, I need to discuss these figures.”

  I gritted my teeth as I answered the numerous questions Councilman Tapping had about my income projections. He finally let me go after about ten minutes, with a cheery goodbye.

  I put down the phone and rested my head in my hands for a few seconds. The only way to get the Council off my back about the theme park opening on time was to help Nick find the killer as quickly as possible. I needed to conduct some questioning of my own.

  I knew the zombies at the shelter well enough. I might find useful information about Sebastian if I paid them a visit. Nothing formal, I didn’t want Nick accusing me of influencing suspects.

  “Zara, why don’t we take a lunch break and go to the shelter? They’ve probably got some nice brains on the go.”