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

by K E O'Connor

  Zara shrugged and cupped her hands around her mug of beef broth.

  I returned to my desk and sat down. The staff briefing was complete, I’d gone over the running order for the opening day, and I now needed to check the stalls were ready for tomorrow. I was sure they were, but it never hurt to double check these things.

  I spritzed on sun cream and rubbed it into my arms. I needed the factor fifty protection in this heat or I’d crisp up like one of Laura’s curly fries.

  The door to the office cracked open. Laura’s red scarf-covered head poked inside. “Hey, Cassie, I thought you might like a break.” She pushed the door wider and held out a picnic basket.

  “If you’re feeding me, then I definitely do,” I said.

  “When do I ever go anywhere empty handed?” she said. “I wanted to make sure you’re looking after yourself. I’ve not seen you for a few days. Are you eating properly?”

  “I’m eating fine. I had salad, cider, and ice cream last night. All the major food groups were covered.”

  “The perfect meal combination,” Laura said with a shake of her head. “So, tell me all about the park.”

  “Well, everything’s going to plan,” I said with a sigh, failing to muster any enthusiasm.

  “Shall we eat outside?” Laura gave me a knowing look as she detected my less than joyful tone. “I spotted some shaded benches near the log flume. It looks like an ideal spot to take a well-deserved break.”

  “That sounds perfect.” I stood and followed her to the door. “I won’t be long, Zara. I’ll be over by the log flume if anybody needs me.” I hoped they wouldn’t. Laura was right, I needed a break. I hadn’t stopped for more than a minute today. I was already flagging in the heat, and it was barely past noon.

  “Jen’s been filling me in on the hunt for Edward’s killer,” Laura said as she settled on a bench by the log flume, a large white parasol overhead shielding us from the sun.

  “Which means you know that Sebastian and the tourist, Lucas, are off the hook.” I eyed the filled sandwiches, salad, and mini quiches Laura spread out in front of us.

  “I do,” Laura said. “And Danny is now in the frame as the only suspect. That’s not good news.”

  “It’s a strange one,” I said. “I spoke with Danny yesterday. He’s clearly worried about being charged with the murder. Nick thinks he’s hiding something, and I agree with him.”

  “Do you think Danny’s covering for somebody else?” Laura picked up a sandwich.

  “I wondered about that, but he hasn’t got any family here who he might feel the need to protect.”

  “Could it be a close friend he wants to protect?” Laura said. “What about his roommate, Lee?”

  “I know they’re friendly, but I doubt Danny would want to serve time on Lee’s behalf.”

  “Unless there’s some twisted blackmail going on,” Laura said.

  “Blackmail! Over what?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Danny saw something he shouldn’t at the golf club,” Laura said. “Or he’s having an affair with a married woman, someone found out and has naughty photos as evidence. They’re using the photos to make Danny their puppet.”

  I wrinkled my nose as I selected my own sandwich. “None of that seems likely, though. I don’t think having an affair with a married woman is Danny’s style.”

  “Well, he’s seeing somebody,” Laura said. “I’m just not sure who it is.”

  “I thought he was single,” I said.

  “Not anymore,” Laura said. “Although, whoever he was with, they were acting shady. They kept out of the streetlights as they hurried along together. He was definitely with a female. She had on a dark jacket and a hat pulled down low, which I thought was strange, given it’s the middle of summer. She could be the secret he’s trying to keep.”

  “Maybe Danny’s seeing somebody he shouldn’t after all,” I said, my sandwich all but forgotten. “They could have been together on Wednesday night. Danny’s keeping it a secret to protect her reputation, especially if she’s married. If he confesses to being with someone he shouldn’t, it would get them both in trouble.”

  “Is that worth him going to prison for?” Laura asked. “He’s such a nice young man, and I admire him for not wanting to get the woman in trouble, but if it saves him from prison, I won’t care who he’s having a dalliance with.”

  “Have you told Nick he’s seeing somebody?”

  “No. Do you think I should?” Laura asked.

  “Yes, if Nick can find out who you saw, it might give Danny the alibi he needs. I’m sure Nick can be discreet, especially if it’s a married woman involved. All he’d have to do is confirm the two of them were together and Danny wasn’t anywhere near Edward at the time of his death. That would be it. Nothing would have to be made public.”

  “I’ll let Nick know,” Laura said. “Perhaps it will help Danny. Although, he might not thank me for revealing his secret if he’s trying to keep his relationship quiet with this mystery lady.”

  “Or we might be reading too much into this.” I returned my attention to the food. “Danny really isn’t the type to get involved in an affair.”

  “It would be nice if he found a girlfriend,” Laura said. “Although, if this is a new relationship, it’s sad in a way, especially if Danny did kill Edward. His new girlfriend will have to visit him in prison.”

  “Laura! That’s a terrible thing to say!”

  “I’m being practical,” Laura said. “I’m all for standing by your man, but that might be pushing things too far, even for someone as lovely as Danny.”

  “I don’t think it was Danny. There’s another suspect,” I said.

  “Who have you got in the frame?” Laura arched an eyebrow.

  “Finlay Canfield,” I said. “I spoke to him yesterday. He was dismissive of our zombies. He even admitted that he’d thrown a few overboard once they’d served their usefulness.”

  “Be careful around Finlay,” Laura cautioned. “He’s a powerful man, with influential people in his back pocket. For all his smoothness, there’s a ruthless businessman underneath the charm. I’ve seen him in action when he purchased several houses on Provis Road. He didn’t stop until he got what he wanted. That meant another interested party went bankrupt trying to raise enough funds to beat Finlay’s over-inflated offers.”

  “When we met, I got the impression he’s more than a pair of expensive loafers and an artificially whitened smile,” I said. “He let slip he knew where Edward had been killed. I’m certain I didn’t tell him.”

  Laura frowned. “He may have heard about it from somebody else. You know what this town is like. Gossip spreads like wildfire.”

  “I bet Finlay hasn’t left his enormous yacht to go into town,” I said. “If he hasn’t, he couldn’t have found out about Edward’s murder from anyone else.”

  “He could have read about it online. And Finlay’s close to a number of town council members. They might have let him know what’s going on.”

  I sighed. “It could be that. Finlay was happy enough to name drop Councilman Tapping when I threatened to go to the police.”

  “Cassie! Stay away from Finlay. If he’s a serious suspect, let Nick handle this one.”

  “Nick doesn’t think he’s a suspect,” I said. “In fact, he said the same as you. Finlay is powerful and not to be messed with.”

  “It might be wise to listen to Nick, for once.” Laura patted the back of my hand. “He’s a good judge of character, especially when it comes to the crooked types.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I said. “But if Nick’s not prepared to investigate him, I’ll do some digging. Finlay’s not going to get away with killing Edward just because he’s super rich and has some dodgy people in his back pocket.”

  “If you do, be discreet,” Laura said. “And be careful. If Finlay catches you sneaking around where you shouldn’t, he won’t hesitate in making your life extremely miserable.”

  “Noted,” I said, my thoughts alr
eady on how I could find out more about Finlay’s movements without him getting suspicious.

  We finished the food Laura had brought, and despite lingering for as long as possible over the chocolate muffins that had appeared from the picnic basket, I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer.

  I said goodbye to Laura and returned to the office to do the final preparations for tomorrow’s opening event.

  Zee Town’s theme park was becoming a reality. All I could do was grin and bear it.

  Chapter 16

  This was it. The last evening before Zee Town changed forever.

  I sat on the bench outside the office. I’d sent Zara home hours ago and was on my own as I watched the final few staff tidy the park in preparation for tomorrow.

  Everything was ready. The staff were trained and knew what to do, the rides tested, and it felt as if the whole country wanted to come to visit our new theme park.

  Zee Town would be a different place in the morning. I still couldn’t decide if that was a good thing.

  I’d done what I could to stop the theme park from becoming too much of a freak show when it came to our zombies. Many of the tourists would be coming to see the zombies in action. I was determined they wouldn’t be exploited just so the town council could fill their coffers with even more money. This theme park was about fun and not turning our lovely zombies into part of the show.

  A cool breeze lifted the hair from the back of my neck. I closed my eyes and bent my head forward, welcoming the relief from the gentle wind.

  “It looks like you’ve got quite a crowd waiting to come in.”

  I raised my head and saw Nick and Stool approaching. “Everybody wants to come to the theme park.”

  “I can clear them if you want me to,” Nick said. “I almost arrested one guy who tried to follow me in. If they’re causing a problem, just say the word and they’re gone.”

  “No, there’s no point in moving them,” I said. “They aren’t doing any harm. We’ll be open soon enough.”

  “Shall we do the final security check?” Nick asked. “Or have you had enough for today?”

  I spotted concern flash across his face. How exhausted did I look? I rolled my shoulders and stood. “Let’s walk around the park perimeter. You can update me on any security matters.”

  Nick nodded, and we fell into step together, Stool walking between us. “I’ve added to the number of security for tomorrow. Given the amount of people who have already turned up, I thought it was sensible. You’ll have a team of twenty-five security guards. They’ll stop people from getting overexcited.”

  “And they all know what they need to do?”

  “They’ve received training and been briefed,” Nick said. “I vetted them with Archer. We both agree that you’ve got the best team you could have.”

  “That’s good to know,” I said, only half-listening to Nick as I looked beyond the fence and past the crowds.

  “What time will you be here tomorrow?” Nick asked.

  “From six o’clock. I need an early start so the tourists don’t get restless and charge the fence.” I wasn’t even joking. What with the oppressive heat and the buzz stirred up by the media, the crowd outside was restless. They wanted zombie rides, candyfloss, scares, and ice cream, and they wanted it now.

  “I’ll ask the security team to arrive by six o’clock,” Nick said. “They know what they’re doing so you don’t need to worry about that.”

  “That’s fine.” I stopped and rested my hands on my hips as I looked out over the park. “It’s going to be so different. Do you think Zee Town will suffer because we let this theme park go ahead?”

  “We didn’t let it go ahead,” Nick said. “The Council bullied through the decision. They’d have done it, whatever the residents said. And you only got involved because you had your arm twisted to take this job and ensure the theme park came together quickly and with minimal fuss.”

  I glanced at him. “You know about that?”

  Nick shrugged. “You know what this place is like; rumors get around.”

  “I couldn’t risk the Council following through with their threat of shutting Zee Town.” I’d taken this job after an unfortunate incident where a rabid zombie had gotten loose and killed a tourist. The Council had done an excellent job of covering things up, but they held the attack over my head, knowing how much I loved the town and would do anything to save it.

  Nick turned toward me. “You took a job you hate, so everybody else can be happy?”

  “I don’t hate this job,” I said. “I just liked my other one more. I know Zee Town so well. It seemed perfect. Maybe it’s time for a change. I’d become too comfortable in my old role. This job will shake things up.”

  “Providing you’re happy with the shakeup, that’s all that matters,” Nick said.

  “I’m not unhappy.” I glanced at him. “With the theme park opening and Edward’s murder still unsolved, I was wondering about taking a break when things quieten down. I haven’t been out of Zee Town for years other than day trips here and there.” My stomach tightened and sadness flowed over me. I’ve never wanted to leave before.

  “If you’re thinking of leaving because of Edward’s murder, I’m close to charging Danny.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Do you really think it was him?”

  “He has no alibi, he literally had blood on his hands, and he’s hiding something,” Nick said.

  “Which doesn’t answer my question,” I said. “Do you think Danny Wade killed Edward?”

  Nick let out a sigh. “If not him, then who? There are no other suspects.”

  “I agree that Danny is involved with this murder, but he didn’t do it. He’s covering for somebody else.”

  “I wondered about that,” Nick said. “It makes sense as to why he’s being so shady when he’s questioned.”

  “I’ve talked to him too,” I said. “He seems almost ashamed.”

  “Cassie! Why don’t you understand the words keep your nose out?”

  I ignored him. “Whoever Danny’s covering for must be important to him. He’s risking a long stretch in prison if you do charge him.”

  Nick shook his head. “I need to get you deputized. At least then, your interference can be recognized in an official capacity.”

  I grinned. “There’s no need for that. I’ve got more than enough work on my hands with this place.”

  “Is there anything else you want to tell me about Danny?” Nick arched an eyebrow. “Since you’re so good at doing my job, you might as well tell me everything you’ve uncovered.”

  “When I spoke to him, he didn’t answer most of the questions properly. Danny gave half-answers. He’s concealing something big.”

  “Danny’s a good kid,” Nick said. “I don’t want to charge him. But if he won’t reveal what he’s hiding, and with the Council hassling for a swift arrest, I’m running out of options.”

  “Have you spoken to his girlfriend?” I asked.

  “Danny has a girlfriend? That’s the first I’ve heard about her.”

  “Laura was going to tell you. She’s something of a mystery,” I said. “Laura saw them one evening. They were trying to be discreet, so no one saw them together. We wondered if Danny might be seeing a married woman. Perhaps they were together on the night of the murder. Danny’s being a gentleman and trying to prevent the affair from being discovered.”

  “Who do you think it is?” Nick asked.

  “I don’t know. Laura didn’t get a good look at her. She was dressed in black with a hat on. It might be worth you speaking to Laura to see if she remembers any more details.”

  “Or go straight to Danny and let him know his affair’s been discovered. If I lean on him and make him think I know who he’s involved with, it might make him confess. I could say I’m going to speak to the husband and see if Danny gives up anything useful.”

  “It might not even be an affair,” I said. “It’s only an idea. I imagine he’d want to keep her reputati
on intact.”

  “At the expense of going to prison? It must be true love. I’ll speak to him about it,” Nick said.

  “There’s also Finlay Canfield to consider.”

  Nick hissed out air. “Don’t go messing with him.”

  “I haven’t! I bumped into him when I was promoting the theme park. Finlay revealed that he knew where Edward was killed. He also wouldn’t tell me where he was at the time of the murder.”

  Nick groaned. “How you don’t get yourself killed, I’ll never know.”

  “Don’t you think it’s worth investigating, though?”

  “And what exactly do I have to go on?” Nick asked. “The fact you accosted Finlay and demanded to know where he was, and he decided he didn’t want to tell you?”

  “It’s more than that,” I said. “Finlay doesn’t think much of zombies. He used Edward on his boat, and he knew where he died. That’s suspicious to me.”

  “I don’t think all that much of zombies, I’ve had Edward at the station a few times to do maintenance work, and I don’t want to tell you where I was on the night of Edward’s murder,” Nick said. “Does that make me your number one suspect?”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I said. “At least go and talk to Finlay. See if he’ll reveal any more to you.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Nick said.

  “Even if he’s guilty of murder?”

  He sighed. “I’ll make discreet inquiries as to when his yacht docked in town. I might also pay him an informal visit if Danny’s alibi shows up. But I need solid evidence before I go after Finlay. You don’t mess with a man like that if you’re in any doubt as to the information you have.” Nick ran a hand through his hair. “And you need to leave him alone.”

  I didn’t want to, especially if it got Danny out of the frame.

  Nick sighed again, clearly sensing my reluctance. “Thanks for the tip about Danny’s girlfriend. He’s mentioned nothing about her. This could be just the information we need.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said. “You see, sometimes, my interfering does help.”

  Nick looked at me, a tired smile crossing his face. “I only ask you to keep out of cases because of the risk you put yourself in. I haven’t forgotten the time you were almost strangled, and the time you almost drowned. And then there was the time you were almost bitten by a rabid zombie.”