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

by K E O'Connor

  My eyes widened. “Did the zombie attack Delia?”

  “No, he just kept reaching out for her. It seemed like he was confused about something.”

  “Hang on, was Delia’s dog with her?”

  “Of course. Asadi is never far from Delia’s side.”

  I winced. It was most likely that the zombie was after Asadi and not Delia. “What happened after that?”

  “Delia yelled at the zombie some more and stomped away.” Carl shuddered. “It was creepy. The zombie watched her go. He stood there and stared. He didn’t move an inch. It made me uneasy. It seemed like the zombie was tracking Delia. Committing her to his memory, so he could go after her at a later date.”

  I snorted in disbelief. “They don’t operate like that. Our zombies don’t hunt people. They don’t hold grudges, not like we do. He was most likely shocked about what had happened and was processing the information. Zombie brain power is slower than ours. He wouldn’t have wanted to hurt Delia.”

  “Why behave like that?” Carl asked. “It wasn’t natural. Do they all do that?”

  “Whatever the reason, it wasn’t because he was planning murder,” I said. “If you saw this zombie again, would you recognize him? I’d like to talk to him and find out what happened between him and Delia.”

  Carl’s expression was puzzled before his gaze shifted to look out the window. “Sure. In fact, he’s right there.”

  My head whipped around, and my mouth fell open. Nick was marching Ashton along the road. From the grim expression on Nick’s face, they weren’t heading for a friendly chat.

  I shoved my seat back and stood. “What’s Nick doing?”

  Carl’s bottom lip jutted out as he also stood and pointed out the window. “That’s the zombie. He’s the one I saw arguing with Delia. That’s who she got so mad with.”

  I watched Nick stomp past the diner. This looked like trouble.

  Carl’s anxious gaze shifted to me. “Is that why he’s been arrested? Did that zombie kill my wife?”

  Chapter 14

  I stood frozen to the spot in the diner, too stunned to move. This was wrong. Why was Nick arresting Ashton?

  “Hey, are you all right?” Carl asked.

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. I’m really sorry about what happened to Delia. I’m sure it’ll get sorted soon.”

  Carl blinked at me rapidly before turning back to look out the window. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look really pale.”

  “Yes. I’ve just remembered I need to be somewhere. I’ll see you around.” I raced out the diner and chased after Nick and Ashton. I had to find out what Nick was up to.

  When I turned the corner, he’d gone, but I knew where Nick would be. I hurried along and headed straight into the police station.

  The receptionist, Julia Browser, looked up at me, and her green eyes widened. “Cassie! Whatever’s the matter?”

  “I have to see Nick,” I said. “He just brought in a zombie.”

  She nodded. “That’s right. Nick’s taken him through for processing. I don’t like to disturb him. He didn’t look happy. Nick gets a scary look on his face when he means business.”

  “He definitely won’t be happy once I’ve spoken to him,” I said. “He’s got Ashton. Is he charging him with murder?”

  Julia shrugged. “Nick doesn’t tell me what he plans to do with his suspects.”

  “You have to let me through,” I said. “I’m worried about Ashton.”

  Julia’s expression grew sympathetic. “Ashton’s safe. He’s in a police station.”

  “He’s not safe with Nick.”

  She blinked several times. “Nick won’t hurt him. He’s a good police officer.”

  I huffed out a breath, trying to cool my anger. “Even so, Ashton needs representation. Tell Nick I’m here to represent him.”

  “You’re a lawyer now?” Julia’s smile quickly faded when I didn’t return it. “Okay, I’ll speak to Nick. I make no guarantees he’ll let you through.”

  “Thanks.” I paced in front of the desk as I waited for Julia to return. I couldn’t believe Ashton had anything to do with Delia’s murder. Zombies rarely held grudges. That wasn’t how they operated. They lived in the present. The past and the future didn’t much matter to them. I sort of envied them such a simple life.

  The door at the back of the reception opened. Nick walked through, a sullen expression on his face. “I hear you’re refusing to leave.”

  “Julia didn’t ask me to leave,” I said. “I followed you here. What are you doing with Ashton?”

  He quirked an eyebrow. “You followed me?”

  “I had to know what’s going on.”

  “You can figure that out yourself,” Nick said. “I’m speaking to everyone who might have had a problem with Delia. I’ve had a number of reports that Ashton and Delia fought the afternoon before she died.”

  “Which doesn’t mean Ashton killed her,” I said.

  “True, but it gives him an excellent motive,” Nick said. “And Ashton lied about what he did on the night of Delia’s murder. He was supposed to be in the shelter all night. It turns out he wasn’t. He left. Why lie unless you have something to hide?”

  I sighed. “Because his brain power isn’t all that sparky. Ashton might have forgotten that he left the shelter that night. Did you give him a chance to explain?”

  “That’s why he’s here,” Nick said. “Everything is above-board. I’ve brought Ashton in to question him about his movements, nothing more at this stage.”

  “What’s he telling you?”

  Nick sighed. “Nothing, because I’m out here dealing with you.”

  “You should have told me you were going to question him,” I said.

  “So you could have briefed him about what to say?”

  I glowered at Nick. “No! Because I need to look out for him.”

  “All you need to do is keep your nose out of this,” Nick said. “I’m dealing with this case. Although...” he looked over his shoulder.

  “What? Has something happened to Ashton?”

  “It appears I have a sensitive zombie on my hands,” Nick said. “I caught him lurking around the town hall and confronted him. He started shutting down not long after that. That’s why I was hurrying him to the station. I didn’t want to have to carry Ashton when he stopped being able to walk unaided.”

  “You made him too stressed,” I said. “You see, you need me here. I’d have smoothed things over and made sure Ashton didn’t overload.”

  “Not that it matters now,” Nick said. “When I discovered him at the town hall, he as good as admitted to lying about what he did the night of Delia’s murder. He also couldn’t conceal his interest in the dogs.”

  “That still doesn’t make him the killer,” I said. “That makes Ashton vulnerable and easy for you to exploit.”

  “When are you going to learn that I don’t exploit suspects? Human or zombie.” Nick glared at me.

  I glared right back. “The zombies need careful handling. You’ve seen for yourself what happens if you don’t take the proper precautions.”

  “Once the adrenaline fades from his system, Ashton will be fine,” Nick said. “All I want to do is talk to him. Even if Ashton didn’t kill Delia, he might have useful information.”

  “You’re looking in the wrong place for the killer,” I said. “Have you spoken to Paul Diamante?”

  “Of course. Anyone who had a connection to Delia is being spoken to. Paul is on that list.”

  “He acts like he hated her,” I said. “They were rivals. Although, I’ve just heard interesting information to suggest there might have been something else going on between them. Did Paul mention he had an intimate relationship with Delia?”

  Nick ran his hands through his hair. “Who have you been talking to?”

  I winced. “It’s not important. Paul could be hiding something. If he was secretly involved with Delia and things went wrong, that’s a great motive for wanting her dead.”


  “Paul doesn’t have any romantic connection to Delia. He was very clear about that. No one can be that convincingly horrible about another individual and not mean it. They weren’t lovers.”

  I thought back to my conversation with Paul. I’d also been convinced he despised Delia. “And he has a reasonable alibi for the night of the murder.”

  Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “Cassie! Stop investigating this crime.”

  I shook my head. “What about Delia’s estranged husband? I know you’ve been trying to get him to come to the station.”

  Nick folded his arms across his chest. “That’s true. What do you know about that? Are you listening in to private conversations we’re having inside this station?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe I’ve got a bug on your phone.”

  Nick hissed air between his teeth. “Nothing would surprise me when it comes to you. Tell me what you know about Carl Reynolds.”

  “He’s in town,” I said. “I was with him when I saw you marching Ashton along the street. Carl’s devastated by what’s happened to Delia. He came here to try to make a go of things, but he was too late.”

  “An unhappy husband is a good motive for murder,” Nick said.

  “True. And his alibi’s not brilliant,” I said.

  “What’s his alibi?”

  “If I tell you, will you let Ashton go?”

  “I might not arrest you for withholding evidence. How about that for a deal?”

  “That’s a lousy deal.” I shouldn’t withhold this information. It could be important. “Carl’s staying at Laura’s diner. She can’t confirm that he stayed in his room on the night of the murder.”

  “Thanks for the tip off. I’ll speak to Carl after talking to Ashton.”

  “You should speak to him now,” I said. “He’s got lots of useful information.”

  “I’ll speak to him when I have the time,” Nick said. “You have to stop asking questions. You’re only making things difficult. If you’ve been quizzing Carl, and he thinks you’re onto him, he could leave Zee Town before I’ve spoken to him.”

  “I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” I said. “His head’s a mess. Carl’s in shock, and he’s grieving. Besides, he’ll need to stay around to make arrangements for his wife’s body.”

  Nick rubbed his forehead. “He won’t hang around if he thinks he’s about to be arrested for Delia’s murder. If I find out he’s disappeared because of you, I will arrest you for interfering with this investigation.”

  “I’m helping,” I said. “Just like I want to help with Ashton.”

  “You can help by leaving.”

  “No way! What about Mavis? Paul claimed they had dinner together the night of Delia’s murder. The dodgy thing is, Mavis had way too much to drink and passed out. Her memory about most of that evening is a blank.”

  “You want to accuse Councilwoman Buster of murder?”

  “Not her, but she was having dinner with Paul. What if he put something in her drink? She thought she’d had too much alcohol, but in fact, he drugged her. Paul did it, so he could get an alibi before sneaking off and killing Delia.”

  Nick sighed. “Do you want to ask Mavis for a blood sample to see if she’s been drugged?”

  “It’s too late to get a useful sample,” I said. “Whatever Paul used in her drink would be out of her system by now.”

  “Thanks for the expert advice,” Nick said dryly. “Cassie, stop throwing names at me. I know who the suspects are in this case. I happen to have the prime suspect in custody. As soon as he starts to talk, I’ll get my confession.”

  “You mean, you’ll make Ashton say what you want him to say.”

  Nick raised a hand before I could continue. “A number of people confirm that Ashton and Delia argued. Ashton might have wanted revenge. He might also want Delia’s dog.”

  “Ashton knows not to go after any of the dogs,” I said.

  “It’s still a strong motive,” Nick said. “He saw something he wanted, and when Delia stopped him from getting it, he didn’t give up. He went to her bed-and-breakfast, tried to get the dog, and Delia caught him. They fought, and she was shoved down the cellar steps. Even if Ashton didn’t do it deliberately, that’s still manslaughter.”

  “I can’t believe that.” Heat rose up my neck. Nick wasn’t budging on this, no matter what I said.

  His eyes narrowed. “Haven’t you got somewhere you need to be?”

  “I’m not leaving until I see Ashton.”

  “So, who’s going to run the dog show in your absence?”

  I wrinkled my nose. Nick had me. I needed to get back, but I was torn between staying and helping Ashton and making sure everything ran smoothly with the pampered dogs.

  “You’re wasting your time if you think you can wait me out,” Nick said. “You’re not getting in to see Ashton. He’s not able to talk to anybody. When he finally does, I’ll be the one he confesses to.”

  “It won’t stick,” I said. “Ashton’s innocent.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Nick said.

  I glared at him as he turned and left me in the reception. Nick might have warned me off, but I was determined to get to the truth. And I was certain that truth didn’t lead back to Ashton.

  Chapter 15

  My sullen mood improved a fraction as Laura set down a delicious plate of vegetable lasagne and settled in the seat next to me.

  Jen sat on the other side of the table, her own piping hot plate of lasagne in front of her.

  I’d needed something to cheer me up after my disastrous confrontation with Nick that morning. Lunch with my two favorite ladies was in order.

  “I’ve called the station three times. There’s still no news on Ashton,” I said.

  Jen cut into her lasagne. “Zombies can take a while to come around when they’ve had a shock. Ashton might still be shut down. That means there’s nothing to tell.”

  “Or it means Nick’s already forced a confession out of him and he’s too scared to tell me what he’s done,” I said.

  Laura shared a smile with Jen. “Nick’s a good cop. He must have a decent amount of evidence to bring Ashton in for questioning. Nick’s not going to frame him for something he hasn’t done.”

  “You can’t be certain about that,” I said. “You didn’t see the determined look in his eyes. Nick’s finally tipped over the edge.”

  “Maybe thanks to you giving him a little shove,” Jen said.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “You’re often on his back when he’s investigating a case,” Jen said. “Before you yell at me, I have to agree with Laura. Nick’s a good guy. Alex really likes him. He works him hard, but Nick’s always encouraging Alex to do his best.”

  “It’s a shame Nick doesn’t follow his own advice,” I said. “He’d soon see that Ashton’s innocent.”

  “Perhaps Nick thinks that’s true as well, but he needs to get all the information,” Laura said. “Give him time to work through this. He knows who the suspects are. He’s already been in touch with me about Carl. Nick’s planning on talking to him soon.”

  I sighed as I stabbed at my food. “I just want to see Ashton. I need to make sure he’s okay.”

  Laura patted the back of my hand. “I get it. We all care about our zombies. We’ll make sure the right person gets charged with Delia’s murder.”

  Jen’s phone buzzed, and she picked it up. “It’s Alex. Hi, sweetie. How’s everything?”

  “He might have news about the case,” I said to Laura. I forgot my food as I tried to listen in to Jen’s conversation.

  “Aha. That’s interesting,” Jen said.

  “What’s he saying?” I asked.

  Jen leaned away from me. “Okay. Sure.”

  “Ask him about Ashton.” I prodded her arm.

  She waved a hand at me. “Love you too. I’ll speak to you later.” Jen ended the call.

  “Well? Does Alex know what’s going on with Ashton?” I asked.

&
nbsp; Jen bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but Nick has spoken to Ashton. It’s not great news. He’s going to charge him with Delia’s murder.”

  Blood rushed to my head. “What evidence does he have?”

  “Ashton said he followed Delia to her bed-and-breakfast,” Jen said. “There are several eyewitnesses who can identify Ashton being outside within the timeframe of her death.”

  “Did anyone see him go inside?” I asked.

  “Alex didn’t get a chance to tell me much,” Jen said. “He had to sneak out to make that quick phone call before Nick spotted him.”

  I huffed out a breath. It hurt a bit that Nick had excluded me from this information. My anger was mingled with disappointment. We’d been getting along. I even considered Nick a friend of sorts. I shook my head. There was even the odd occasion when I’d thought there might be something more between us. Not anymore. It was ruined now. Nick was the same old jerk he’d always been. He never liked the zombies.

  Laura’s foot nudged mine. “Eat your lunch. There’s no use stewing over this. Nick knows what he’s doing. He’s always thorough in his investigations.”

  “He needs to be more thorough with this one,” I said. “And he needs to let me speak to Ashton. There are better suspects, more logical suspects to focus on. The estranged husband being one of them.”

  Laura’s expression turned anxious. “I thought you said I didn’t need to worry about Carl Reynolds?”

  “Oh, no! I don’t think you do. It’s just that Nick was so quick to discount anyone else with a motive in favor of Ashton. It worries me that Nick’s not being neutral.”

  “You can’t worry about that,” Jen said. “It’ll take Nick a bit of time to gather the information he needs before this becomes official. In the meantime, you need to concentrate on the hundreds of dogs who need your attention.”

  “Everyone’s on lunch break,” I said, “but I can’t be much longer. We’ve got the pedigree rounds this afternoon. Apparently, it gets tense when judges measure the length of tails and check a back is arched the right amount. It all got a bit confusing when I listened to the rules about pedigree standards, but the judges know what they’re doing. I’ll leave them to it.”