This Would Be Paradise (Book 2)-A Zombie Novel

Chapter 28

After Zoe had ushered the crying Misha out and back to the condo she was staying in, Roy and Amanda walked in. Amanda ran over to Chloe.

"Was that Misha?" she asked.

Chloe nodded, "Apparently Ms. Reina is dead."

Amanda's mouth hung open.

"Who's Ms. Reina?" Roy asked, eyeing the two mini-gossipers.

"One of the teachers," I answered.

We shared a look, both knowing it must have been the mutilated body in the street.

"It all clear out there?" Ethan asked.

Roy nodded, "Looks like they moved everything to the clinic and hosed down the street."

I walked over to John out of range of the younger ears.

"Was there a funeral for the last woman?" I asked.

"Just a short one. They buried her on the edge of the cul-de-sac."

"How soon after was it?" I kept digging.

"Pretty much the same evenin' the body was found."

"And that doesn't strike you as odd?"

"Yes, it does. The quicker the body goes into the ground, the less chance for people to poke around," John said as he rubbed along his bruised jaw.

His face looked even sorer today, the purple bruising at full force. His left eye was still swollen, but at least it wasn't shut all the way like yesterday.

"They're probably going to do that again," I groused. "Which means less investigation time. I doubt they will do an autopsy."

"Don't really think they need an autopsy in this case, though," John pointed out.

I just had a disturbing thought, "If she was attacked by an infected, wouldn't she have come back?"

John let my theory sink in.

"Clare didn't turn either."

"So that rules out the infected attack, which leaves us to figure out who did this." I crossed my arms.

John sighed, "Should I start callin' you Nancy Drew?"

I grinned back, "Well I am blonde."

"So," John said awkwardly, "I noticed Ethan didn't come home last night."

I froze. In the excitement of the morning, I had completely forgotten about that.

"Ah," was all I could say.

"I ain't never had to deal with young girls before, but if he does anythin' you don't like, you can come to me," John said, making both of us feel awkward with this conversation.

I laughed, "You're worried about Ethan doing something?"

John grinned, "Guess you're right. I should be havin' this conversation with him instead of you."

I shucked him in the arm.

"I'm offended," I joked.

"Just be smart," John said in all seriousness.

"No babies, got it," I nodded.

John rolled his eyes.

"Don't know why I said anythin'," John shook his head. "So there's somethin' else I didn't mention before when you told us 'bout the mercenaries; there was also a disappearance while we've been here. Apparently one of the guys up and vanished in the middle of the night. Wyatt said he decided to leave, but the guy he was stayin' with told us afterwards that Gerald wouldn't do that without sayin' somethin'. He said Gerald left behind his favorite pair of hikin' boots, which he would never do."