Murders of the Zodiac Boxed Set

by Paris Morgan

  “Well, however it happened, I’m just glad that we found these women. I’ll be looking into the cold cases myself, and I’ll let you know when we have something.”

  I reached out to give her a hug. “Thanks, sis. I really appreciate it.”

  “Of course. I needed something new to work on to keep me busy.”

  “Ha-ha, like that’s really ever a problem in the police world.”

  “I’ll call you in a few days.” Karen got in her vehicle and waved.

  Standing for just a minute, I remembered to thank the forest and my guide for protecting those women and helping bring them out.

  There was nothing. No extra senses or voices, they were all gone. I wasn’t sure if this gift I’d been given had been a one-time deal, or if I’d used up all the grace the universe would allow. Either way, I was just thankful that it had been a way to catch the bad guys and bring them to justice.

  It was time to go back to my regular case and find out what was going on with the search for the Zodiac Master.

  I never noticed a figure standing over to the side, watching all the bodies leave the parking lot.

  As I left, they made their way into the forest for one last look at the empty graves.

  Chapter 13

  Leslie

  In all of the chaos of the last few days, I hadn’t had a chance to check my email, so it wasn’t until I returned home that I saw the message that Kevin wanted to meet with Ryan and I in person.

  It was a little unusual that he wouldn’t want to report in to Agent Watson, but we could see what he needed and pass the information on.

  Ryan appeared and slid into the booth with me.

  “Did you find the bodies?”

  “Yeah, there were six of them.”

  “Oh, and everything went okay with it?”

  “Well, after the last one was taken from its resting place, the forest made a booming noise. I’m gonna have to talk to Flora or Adam because I’m not sensing anything now. It’s like my gift showed up for this purpose, and then disappeared.”

  “That’s strange.” Ryan leaned in to tell me something as Kevin showed up. “Forget it, I’ll tell you later.”

  “Okay.” I turned toward Kevin. “Glad to see you alive and well.”

  “Uh, yeah, about that. I’ve sent some information to a friend, so if anything ever happens to me, then you should receive a visit from them. They’re legit, and its information that I’ve compiled, so use it.”

  “Kevin, are you in more danger than we thought?”

  “Not necessarily.” He leaned across the table as he looked around the empty diner. “I’ve been looking into a few cases that have to do with a large corporation that has spies in all levels of government. That’s why I didn’t tell Agent Watson, but the two of you are trustworthy people and will use the information wisely.”

  “Does this have to do with Urban Energy?” Ryan asked, eager to have something on the company.

  “Sort of. You know I’ve been looking into the origins of the company, but what I found was the much earlier company, the Golden Opportunity Company. Then it split and became two separate companies. The rebranding made things a little more difficult, but the GME and the Urban Energy Corporation were born.”

  “The GME, as in the bank that helps criminals of the world with their banking needs?” I started putting the pieces together. “No wonder you didn’t want to send us anything. People who go up against them disappear.”

  “Exactly. The thing is that the man who owns/runs this portion of Urban Energy is one of the owners of GME. His name is on the original paperwork.”

  “Holy crap!” Ryan exclaimed.

  “That’s some important information, but what can we do with it?”

  “Nothing right now. I have to keep digging, but there’s going to be some interesting fallout when this hits the news. I don’t think we can do anything with this until after the zodiac killer is done, but I’m going to keep collecting information until then. I just wanted to let you know what I’d found, and have someone else that wasn’t in the agency looking out for me.”

  “We’ve got your back in any way that we can help,” I acknowledged.

  He looked around. “I have to pick up the food I called in and get back. I’m getting more paranoid, and it’s only been a few days. I’ll reach out again when I can.”

  He paused, turning back. “How much do you trust Mac?”

  “With my life.”

  He nodded. “All right. It might come to that for me if I need someone to help get us out.”

  Then he was gone.

  “What do you make of that?” I questioned Ryan.

  “Nothing good. It does confirm our suspicions.”

  “So, what were you going to tell me?”

  Ryan’s face lit up. “When Flora told me to go home, I had a long talk with Shea. She’s expecting.”

  “Oh, my.” I worked through my shock quickly because that wasn’t what I’d expected him to say. “That’s amazing. Congratulations.”

  “I’m still getting used to the idea, but Shea’s already making plans. We’re going to have a quiet wedding now, and then a reception at the end of the year.”

  I knew why he was delaying an actual celebration, the zodiac master. He was screwing with all our lives.

  “That should be perfect. Maybe things will calm down before that and let us have a life.” Making a split-second decision, I announced, “I’m going to go on a date next week.”

  “That’s a sudden shift. What made you change your mind?”

  “You. The baby. Shea. I want what you have, and I won’t get it by staying in the past. I’m making a choice to move on with my life after Jerome.”

  “Well, let me know how the date goes. I’ve gotta get back. We’re gonna have to watch our backs.”

  “Yes, we will.” I smiled as he left.

  Suddenly, the smell of the restaurant was making me nauseous and I raced outside, hoping that I didn’t puke up my guts.

  “What if I was pregnant?” It had been just long enough since I’d been with Jerome, and my body might have skipped my normal monthly cycle because of the shooting.

  Adam might have said my dizzy spells were the cause of spent energy, but what if there was another reason?

  A trip to the drug store was in order. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of being pregnant. When I was shot, all the antibiotics and other stuff would have made my birth control ineffective.

  The drive home wasn’t fast enough for me.

  I didn’t want to do this alone, but there wasn’t anyone I could call. Flora would be willing to listen, but I didn’t want to tell anyone if this was a false alarm.

  Tearing into the house, I ran to the bathroom, ripping open the box. I’d never had to use one of these before. I threw it on the counter and pulled out a second one. I wanted to be completely sure.

  Those were the longest three minutes of my life as I waited on those little sticks to do their thing.

  One line appeared on both, and I grabbed the box to see what that meant.

  Two lines would mean I was, and one meant I was in the clear. I’d heard that it took a little longer for the second line to appear, so I gave it another three minutes just in case.

  No extra lines appeared, and I slid to the floor in relief. It wasn’t that I didn’t want a kid, but now just wasn’t the time. The fact that it would have been Jerome’s would’ve made the situation difficult.

  It was time for a celebration of my own. I walked to the kitchen and pulled out the bottle of whiskey.

  Finding the zodiac killer could wait another day because it was time I got the last stage of my frustrations out. He wasn’t going to win.

  ***

  The Zodiac Master

  Female lumberjacks wanted for a special competition. Must be willing to get dirty. Owning your own chainsaw is a must.

  The pool of applicants was much smaller than I’d had in previous months. While I was disappoi
nted that the twins hadn’t finished their mission, it was to be expected, though, as Leslie and Ryan got better at their jobs and knew what to search for. Keeping them from discovering my recruits until the month was over would continue to get more difficult as my project continued.

  I hadn’t planned on Leslie using the universe against me. I couldn’t have that happen again. There were a few ways to prevent it, but I wasn’t sure that it was completely possible with the level of her strength.

  She’d been digging into the past, but hadn’t found the truth about herself yet. She would before it was all over.

  Ryan’s attention was divided now that he was going to be a father, and that would work in my favor later on. He would have to make a choice, one that any father would dread.

  This next month would mark the halfway point in our little adventure. Then I would let my true colors out for the world to see.

  Want to read more?

  Cancer—Book 6 in the Murder of the Zodiacs is available.

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  If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review, even if it is one short sentence. Do you want to know when the next book comes out or to get to know me better? Feel free to stalk me on all the social media sites. (No real-life stalking because that’s just not cool.) Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear from you.

  -Paris Morgan

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  Paris Morgan

  Cancer

  Murders of the Zodiac

  Book #6

  Copyright © 2019 Alathia Paris Morgan writing as A. P. Morgan

  Cancer-Murders of the Zodiac Book 6

  This is a work of fiction and in no way is meant to portray actual people, names, places, events or situations. The ideas were from the author’s own imagination and any resemblance to people living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except in the case of quotations for articles and reviews.

  Editing by: Rebel Edit & Design

  Book cover: Widget Wyvern Studios

  Interior formatting: That Formatting Lady

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to all of my readers who keep coming back for more. Thank you.

  More from Paris Morgan

  Murders of the Zodiac

  Aquarius Book 1

  Pisces Book 2

  Aries Book 3

  Taurus Book 4

  Gemini Book 5

  Cancer Book 6

  Leo Book 7

  Virgo Book 8

  Libra Book 9

  Scorpio Book 10

  Sagittarius Book 11

  Capricorn Book 12

  Surviving Death

  Witness Protection Book 1

  Writing as Alathia Morgan

  Against Zombies Series

  Moms Against Zombies Book 1

  Military Against Zombies Book 2

  Co-Eds Against Zombies Book 3

  Churches Against Zombies Book 4

  Geeks Against Zombies Book 5

  Governments Against Zombies Book 6

  Infected History Series

  Infected Waters: A Titanic Disaster

  Infected Poppy Fields: A WWI Disaster

  Infected Storm Troopers: A WWII Disaster

  Writing Romance as Pepper Paris:

  Summer of Love

  Carter: Summers of Love 1

  Kelly: Summers of Love 2

  Wade: Summers of Love 3

  Jay: Summers of Love 4

  Chapter 1

  “The women’s lumberjacks have done it again. They’re leading the race, and it looks like they’ll win. Here comes our top runner-up, and if she can make this throw it will clinch the lead, making the women’s team the champions for the year. Shannon Downs is stepping up to the mark and eyeing the distance, making sure that her arm is ready for this tough swing.”

  “Picking up the axe, she gives it a twirl to make sure the balance is right. And here’s the windup. She pulls it back, continuing to twirl it in her hand, and there it is! Her arm is up and over her head with the axe swinging through the air and into the target.

  “And she’s done it again, folks, another bullseye! Wow. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t want to meet her in a dark alley with that axe.”

  “And here is the men’s team competitor, Brian O’Leary. He’s got the muscles of a lumberjack, and those women in the crowd who love a good beard are certainly getting an eyeful with this one. This isn’t like most of the other competitions that we’ve seen this weekend, it’s the last chance for the men to pull ahead in this year’s event.”

  “There he goes, flexing to loosen up his muscles and get his arm ready for this important throw. His windup is a little different than Shannon’s, throwing it in a forward twirling motion.

  “Isn’t that simply a beautiful throw? It’s turning end over end…and he nails it! This is going to be a close one, Dave. I believe the judges are gonna have to get the measuring tape out to determine who the winner is. That’s how close this competition is right now.”

  “The crowd is holding their breath as we wait for the judges to give us their verdict… What’s this, folks? Brian O’Leary is our winner! The judges are saying he hit the mark by 3 millimeters, closer than Shannon did.”

  “She is not happy. She’s refusing to shake his hand and walking away, spitting at the dirt in front of him. Oh, this isn’t good. We haven’t seen this kind of anger over a loss in several years.”

  “Shannon, is there anything you want to say to those who’ve supported you in this competition?”

  “They can go screw themselves,” she snarled. Shoving the microphone away, she stormed off to join the others from the women’s team.

  “You heard her, Dave, she isn’t commenting. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this feud.”

  ***

  Everyone from the lumberjack competition had been staying in trailers or motel rooms all over the city.

  Brian O’Leary had gone out to celebrate with his friends, and was walking back to his room before they had to carry him back.

  He hadn’t had that many drinks—considering he could drink his buddies under the table on most occasions—but tonight it had gone to his head. The few short blocks from the bar hadn’t seemed so far earlier as he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other.

  A figure stepped out from the alley. “Here, let me help you.”

  “No, I don’t want your help,” he protested, even as the sidewalk moved under his feet. “Okay,” he mumbled, giving in as the other person guided him toward the back of a truck.

  The truck bed groaned with his weight, his legs hanging off the tailgate.

  “This is so nice,” he mumbled as the person placed a blanket over his shoulders to ward off the night chill.

  The bouncing of the truck over the roads and into the woods didn’t stir Brian, even when it stopped abruptly in the middle of nowhere.

  His body was pulled out of the truck and landed with a thud onto the tarp placed under the tailgate. After a few moments, the truck turned around, shining its lights directly on him. With the truck’s engine shutting off, there was an
eerie silence, until the sound of a chainsaw tore through the still night.

  When the first cut was made, he didn’t move, nor did he scream. With the amount of sedatives that had been put into his drink, he wouldn’t even feel his last moments on earth as the chainsaw tore through his flesh and bones.

  Ignoring the blood gushing everywhere, she lifted the chainsaw with a practiced motion, removing all the limbs from his body, one by one.

  Unsure of the exact moment a coroner would have pronounced him dead, she rolled each body part into its own parcel, placing them in the bed of the truck and away from the gory mess left on the tarp.

  Having prepped the area, she tossed the entire tarp into the fire she’d lit. As the flames gained momentum, she bleached her equipment before returning it to her back seat. Then, as a last precaution, she stripped out of all her clothes and stood naked in the cool night air, watching the fire burn away the evidence.

  Her phone rang like a siren in the quiet of the night, interrupting her peaceful thoughts.

  “Yes,” she answered, her pale skin glowing in the fire’s light.

  “Is it done?”

  “Yes. I’m just enjoying a little quiet time in the woods.”

  “Perfect. When will you return for your next victim?”

  “Tomorrow, at the latest. I’ll have to be careful, because they’re going to be looking for him when he doesn’t show up with his team in the morning.”

  “Don’t bring any suspicion to yourself by leaving early. We need to have his body placed in the next town where you’ll pick up your next friend.”

  “I have it covered. They won’t be onto us for weeks, or even the entire month.”

  “Don’t get cocky. Better serial killers than you have gone down because of these detectives. I want you to succeed.”