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

by K E O'Connor

  Bruce shuffled forward. “Follow you. Get food.”

  “That’s right.” I smiled at him. “All of you, come with me.”

  “Hold up the Pied Piper of Zombie Town. You’re not going with this lot on your own,” Archer said.

  “You’re welcome to follow,” I said. “We’re going to the harbor.” I turned on my heel and hurried away, my heart racing.

  This situation had almost gotten out of control. There were weapons trained on the zombies, weapons that would end their lives, and I couldn’t allow that. If I needed to use my zombie calming abilities to make sure they were safe, then that’s what I’d do.

  I reached the other two groups of zombies who were merging together as they approached the town hall.

  The ones I didn’t already know, I walked up to and touched. They instantly fell into line. Soon, I had a group of almost fifty zombies walking behind me.

  Archer strode up beside me. “I’ve got Rhino and Buzzard in the back to make sure any stragglers keep up.”

  “Great. I’m sure they’ll stay in line.”

  His expression was full of curiosity. “I know you’ve always had this knack with the zombies, but that was something else.”

  I shrugged. “They just like me. I don’t understand it completely. I figure it’s because they know I always look out for them. Word gets around in the zombie community that I can be relied on.”

  “Yeah, it’s not that,” Archer said. “I mean, sure, the zombies won’t hang out with someone who harms them.”

  I rubbed the scar on my palm. “What else could it be?”

  He was silent for a moment. “I spent a lot of time doing covert ops for different branches of the armed forces during the uprising.”

  “Lucky you,” I said.

  He smirked. “It had its moments. When the uprising was at full strength, the government was desperate. They ran all kinds of trials and tests to make headway with the virus and stop it before it mutated humans into killing machines or the shambling excuses wandering behind us now.”

  “Our placid zombies aren’t shambling excuses,” I said sharply. “They deserve a decent life, and we give them that in Zee Town. Either of us could have turned into a zombie. We’d have wanted the same thing. A chance to live.”

  Archer sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sure, and I understand that. The thing is, I saw some things when I was working on a mission. Experiments run to control the zombies.”

  My heart thudded in my chest. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Your ability with the zombies,” Archer said.

  “I have no ability,” I said. “You’re making too much of this. I get along with the zombies. I get along with most people. That’s a part of my job. I wouldn’t be good in the tourism industry if people annoyed me.”

  Archer shook his head. “You’re different. I’ve never seen anyone so protective of the zombies before. Sure, there are people living in Zee Town who look out for them. We all do, or we wouldn’t be here, but you take it to the next level.”

  “Not true.” I turned to look back at the zombies. “Everybody keep up. You’re almost there.”

  The zombies all grumbled in acknowledgement.

  Archer grabbed my scarred palm and turned it over. “This is what interests me. You never talk about how you got it.”

  I tried to yank my hand away, but he held on tight. “It was a long time ago.”

  “It looks like a bite mark.”

  “What if it is?”

  Archer dropped my hand. “Because those experiments I saw used victims of zombie bites. There was this scientist trying to convince our government that, if somebody got bitten by a rabid zombie and didn’t turn into one themselves, it let them have control over zombies. Just like you do.”

  I snorted out a panicked sounding laugh. “You’ve been watching too many sci-fi movies. You make it sound as if I’m some sort of zombie leader.”

  “Doesn’t Morton call you a zombie queen?” Archer was half-smiling as he studied me.

  “That’s because he’s rude,” I said. “I have no control over the zombies.”

  “You never took part in any testing?” Archer asked. “There was a lot of it going around. Everyone was desperate to find a way to control the situation. Rules were bent. I helped bend a number of them.”

  I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t think back to that time. It was a dark time in my life. After getting the bite on my hand, I’d been so sick. All the tests they’d run on me. I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away.

  That was my secret to keep. No one needed to know what happened in my past. It didn’t matter now. I was here, I was human, and everything was fine.

  Archer touched my arm. “Cassie, I’m not probing because I think there’s anything wrong with you. I’m interested. I’ve never seen this level of control with zombies before.”

  I stopped by the edge of the harbor and gestured the zombies past us toward the food stands. “Hurry up, everyone. There’s plenty for you all.”

  Archer tilted his head. “We’re really not talking about this?”

  “You got that right. There’s nothing to talk about.”

  His brows lowered. “Have you ever thought that your skills with the zombies could be useful beyond Zee Town?”

  “No, I’ve never thought anything like that, because I’m not some weird zombie whisperer like you think I am. I’m just a decent person helping those less fortunate,” I said. “If you weren’t such a blowhard and always waving a gun around like it was the only resort when it came to the zombies, they’d like you too and do what you asked them to do.”

  Archer raised a hand. “It’s more than that. You know it. And I don’t use my gun as the only resort for dealing with problem situations.”

  “But you see the zombies as a problem,” I said. “They aren’t. That’s where we differ. They get that. They can tell when someone is cautious around them.”

  The last of the zombies filtered past, and Rhino and Buzzard stopped beside Archer. “Do you want us to stay here, boss?” Rhino asked.

  Archer stared at me unblinking for a second. “Yes. You two stay here and monitor the zombies. I need to get back to the town hall. Cassie, are you coming with me?”

  I huffed out a breath. I couldn’t be around Archer. I was mad with him. He was poking his nose into things he knew nothing about and making assumptions that weren’t right or fair.

  “No, you go back alone. I’ll catch up soon.” I turned and walked away quickly.

  “Cassie! We need to talk about this,” Archer yelled.

  I waved a hand over my shoulder, not turning back and looking at him. I definitely didn’t need to talk about this. Not ever.

  I rounded the corner and slowed. A tall man with a mess of jet-black hair slid into an alleyway and out of sight.

  From the description I had of him, he looked exactly like Delia’s husband, Carl.

  Chapter 13

  Pushing away my frustrations about Archer, I hurried after the man lurking in the shadows, trying so hard not to be noticed.

  I raced toward the alleyway and peered around the corner. The man stood a few feet away, leaning against the wall.

  He stiffened and turned his head in my direction as he saw me.

  “Hi, I hope you don’t think I’m interrupting, but is everything okay?” I asked.

  He ran a hand down his face. Deep shadows sat under his eyes, and there was several days’ worth of stubble on his cheeks. “Are you the cops?”

  “No, I’m Cassie March. I run the tourism office and the theme park in Zee Town.”

  “Oh, sure. I saw the park on my way in.” He stumbled over his words as if speaking was an effort.

  “Are you Carl Reynolds?”

  His eyes narrowed. “How do you know that? Are you sure you’re not law enforcement?”

  “Hand on heart.”

  He stared at me for a second and then blinked. “Yeah, I’m Carl. How do you know m
y name?”

  “I knew your wife, Delia,” I said.

  Carl sagged against the wall. “Let me guess, from the dog show? Are you another dog crazy person?”

  “You’re half-right. I helped organize the event. Delia didn’t mention you’d be here too.”

  Carl pushed away from the wall and walked toward me. He carried the air of a man who was defeated. His arms hung loosely by his side, and his checked shirt was untucked from his pants. “She didn’t even know I was coming.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “Do you fancy a tea? There’s a great diner along the road. You look like you need a break.”

  Carl ran his hands through his hair before sighing. “That would be good.”

  “This way.” We walked together in silence, Carl dragging his feet as he sloped along.

  I led him to Laura’s diner, ordered two mugs of tea and some doughnuts with sugar sprinkles, and then sat at a table with him.

  “I didn’t know Delia well,” I said. “She seemed dedicated when it came to Asadi.”

  Carl’s nose wrinkled. “That was all she was dedicated to. Her dog. Delia loved that animal. Before him, she had two other dogs, both Afghan hounds. She had no care as to how irritating they were. Do you know how badly those hounds shed their fur?”

  “I’ve never owned a dog.”

  “Their long fur clogs the vacuum. It’s disgusting.”

  “You don’t like dogs?” I nodded thanks at Laura as she brought over the drinks and doughnuts and left us to it.

  “I like all animals,” Carl said, “but Delia’s obsession was unhealthy. Her love of dogs drove us apart.”

  I took a sip of my drink. “I heard things weren’t great between you two.”

  He lifted his tired gaze to me. “Not from Delia, I bet. She’d forgotten we were even married.”

  I shrugged. “That’s true. It wasn’t Delia who spoke of your troubles.”

  Carl shook his head. “These dog shows are all the same. One huge excuse to gossip and make other people feel small.”

  I nodded. “The contestants are intense.”

  “Intensely insane. Delia spent thousands on her dogs. Nothing was ever too much for them. She had a weekly delivery of food that was specially prepared for Asadi.”

  “Pedigree dogs must need special diets.”

  Carl snorted a laugh. “Asadi ate better than I do, and he has a different bowl for each meal. And that’s not all. Delia used to take him to the grooming parlor twice a week. That dog had six different bottles of shampoo in our bathroom. I got one, and that came with the conditioner mixed in. I lost count of the number of times I went to take a shower and all the hot water was gone. Guess which pampered brat got all the water?”

  “It sounds like Delia loved Asadi very much,” I said.

  “It was out of control. The breaking point was when Delia insisted I sleep in the spare room. Guess who got the other side of her bed?”

  Even though there was a certain tragedy to what Carl was telling me, I had to hide a smile. “The dog?”

  “Asadi had three dog beds, but that spoiled furball insisted on sleeping in the same room as Delia. At first, he stayed on the floor, but then Delia heard from some specialist that larger dogs have trouble sleeping on the ground because of their weight. Apparently, it presses their delicate physiques into the ground. At the very least, they need a custom-made memory foam mattress, or even better, share the bed with their owner. That was the only thing Delia needed to shove me out of bed and let the dog in. The spare room! It was embarrassing.”

  “You still loved your wife, even after you got allocated to the spare room?”

  Carl sighed. “For all her eccentricities, I still remember the sweet, funny woman I first met. She loved her animals back then, but it wasn’t until she got into competitive dog shows that she lost a grip on things.”

  “Why come to Zee Town if you’ve separated from Delia?” I asked.

  “For one last try at saving my marriage.” Carl swallowed loudly. “I’m too late to do that now.”

  “You must have been shocked when you heard what happened to Delia.”

  “When I got the call, I didn’t believe it at first,” Carl said. “I was even more stunned when the police said it wasn’t an accident.”

  “Have you spoken to them?”

  “Only on the phone. I haven’t been to the station yet. I know they want to talk to me. I’m trying to make sense of it all before I do. I never got to tell Delia how I felt. Even after everything she put me through, I’d have taken her back, Asadi and all. I miss Delia.”

  “What do you need to figure out?”

  Carl shook his head. “I got here on the same day as Delia. I waited to see where she was staying and was planning on surprising her. I thought I’d take her to dinner, and we could talk and see if we could figure a way through this. We’ve been separated for six months. Anyway, I got here, saw where she was staying, and was about to go in when another dog owner turned up. Delia met him outside. They looked very... friendly.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “Was Delia seeing somebody else?”

  “She never mentioned anyone to me, but why not?” Carl’s shoulders sagged. “Why not fall for someone as obsessed with animals as she was? I’m sure they were planning on being ecstatically happy, surrounded by dogs and trophies from their competitions.”

  My stomach tightened. “Do you know who the other man is?”

  “Sure. I’ve seen him plenty of times at other dog shows. I didn’t even know they were friends. The last time Delia spoke about this guy, she had nothing but bad things to say. Now, I know the truth. It must have been a cover. She was saying she didn’t like him when the opposite was true.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Paul Diamante,” Carl said. “And don’t think for a second that’s his real last name. He’s actually called Paul Shufflebottom. He changed it because he wants to appear more exotic and less of a butt... well, you get the idea.”

  That didn’t fit with my impression of Paul. He didn’t like Delia. He’d made that clear when I’d spoken to him. Unless he was an excellent liar, Carl had gotten this wrong.

  “Did you see Delia and Paul kiss? Is that why you think they were involved?”

  “No! But Paul was standing close, and Delia was leaning in. It was definitely more than a friendship between them. I saw red and stormed off before I did something I’d regret. I’d never win Delia back if I punched out the guy she was seeing behind my back.”

  Carl’s jealousy was an excellent motive for murder. He could have confronted his wife and, in a jealous rage, shoved her down the stairs.

  “What did you do after seeing Delia and Paul together?”

  “I came here,” Carl said. “I’m renting a room off Laura.” He nodded at her as she stood behind the counter, trying to ignore our conversation and failing spectacularly. “I ate alone in the diner and then headed to my room.”

  That would be an easy alibi to check. “Do you want a refill?”

  Carl looked at his mug and nodded. “Sure. Thanks.”

  “Eat your doughnut. I won’t be long.” I hurried to the counter with the mugs. “Hey, Laura. Have you got a minute?”

  “Sure. Need a refill?” She topped up our mugs without me answering.

  “You see the guy I’m sitting with,” I said quietly.

  “Carl Reynolds,” Laura said. “He’s staying here.”

  “Was he here the night Delia died?”

  Laura pursed her lips. “He definitely came in for dinner. There was something troubling him, but he wouldn’t talk about it when I asked if anything was wrong. He ordered a pie and mashed potato and had a huge slice of chocolate gateau. I could tell he was comfort eating. What’s going on?”

  “He’s Delia’s husband,” I said. “They haven’t been getting on recently. He came here with the hope that they might reunite but discovered her getting friendly with another man.”

  Laura’s eyes widened. “You don’t thin
k I’ve rented a room to a killer, do you?”

  “You can answer that for me. What did Carl do after he ate dinner?”

  “He went to his room. He said he was having an early night.”

  “And he stayed there?”

  Laura tilted her head. “Carl definitely went up. I heard him walk up the wooden staircase and shut his door. I didn’t hear anything after that, but I wasn’t down here all night. It had been a busy day, so I had a long soak in the tub and an early night.”

  “Is it possible you missed Carl leaving if he did go out?”

  “Sure, it’s possible. I’d have heard the door go, though. It’s got an annoying squeak that I keep meaning to oil. I can’t guarantee he was here all night. He could have snuck out after I fell asleep.”

  “Thanks, Laura.” I sighed as I picked up the full mugs. That wasn’t great news for Carl.

  “Cassie, be careful,” Laura cautioned. “If he’s involved in what happened to Delia, he might get suspicious if you keep asking questions.”

  “I’m being gentle with him. I don’t think he suspects anything.” I turned and hurried back to the table and placed the mugs down.

  “Thanks, Cassie.” Carl sipped his tea as he finished his last bite of doughnut.

  I settled in my seat. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but who do you think might have wanted to harm your wife?”

  Carl frowned. “Until a few days ago, I’d have pointed my finger at several of the people entering their dogs in the show. Delia was a determined woman. Whatever she wanted, she went after and didn’t care who she trod on to get it. Please, remember she wasn’t always like that. She’s changed over the years, but she’s put a lot of noses out of joint in the dog show community.”

  “You don’t think it’s someone taking part in the show?”

  “Not anymore. Not after what I saw.”

  “What did you see?” I leaned closer.

  “I hadn’t been here long,” Carl said, “when I heard Delia shouting at somebody. I could hear she was angry.”

  “Who was she fighting with?”

  “One of your zombies,” Carl said. “The guy looked stunned as she yelled at him. She shoved him several times. It was really heated. I was concerned that Delia was putting herself at risk. This is my first time in Zee Town, the same for Delia. You hear about how safe these zombies are, but when I saw what was going on, I panicked. I thought she might get attacked if she kept provoking the zombie.”