Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum 24)

“I was chased through the woods by three zombies. I couldn’t get into the car, so I locked myself in here and borrowed Diggery’s gun.”

His eyes focused on the broken window. “Has that window always been broken?”

“No. One of the zombies put his fist through it. Ethel hissed at him, and he went away.”

“And you think they were zombies?”

“For lack of a better word.”

“Notice anything significant about the window?”

My breathing was almost back to normal, and my voice had stopped shaking. I looked over at the broken window. “Blood,” I said. “The zombie got cut when he smashed the glass. Unusual for a zombie to bleed.”

“Unheard-of,” Diesel said.

I put the gun and the knife back where I found them. We left the double-wide and got into the car.

“What did you find in the tunnel?” I asked Diesel.

“It was more cave than tunnel. It looked like it originally might have been a root cellar. There was a burned-down cabin not far away. The cabin isn’t habitable, but someone’s recently used the cave.”

“The zombies.”

“Yeah, the zombies. They’ve been doing new digging. There was a decomposed head partially covered with dirt, and I think I saw what might be foot bones. I didn’t do a lot of exploring. Didn’t want to disturb the crime scene. You should call it in to Morelli. And tell him to have CSI check out the bloody window glass.”

I dialed Morelli, and he answered on the first ring.

“I went back to Diggery’s,” I said. “I did some exploring and found a hole in the ground that looks like it leads somewhere. You need to check it out. I was standing over it and three zombies appeared out of nowhere and chased me back to Diggery’s double-wide. One of the zombies smashed a window trying to get at me, but Ethel scared him away.”

“Where are you now? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a little freaked. I’m heading back to your house. Where are you?”

“I’m at the station, doing paperwork.”

“You want to take CSI with you to Diggery’s. The zombie cut himself when he smashed the window, and he left a blood smear.”

“Zombies don’t bleed,” Morelli said.

“Exactly. About a quarter mile before you get to the double-wide, there’s a bend in the road. If you look right you’ll see a path going into the woods. Follow the path to the zombie den.”

“I’m on it.”

“How did it go with the woman who got chased out of her house?”

“She was in her kitchen, and a zombie walked in and told her he wanted her brain. She said he was filthy and his eyes were red, but he was surprisingly short for a zombie. She said he had a brown ponytail and looked confused.”

“Do you think it could have been Slick?”

“I guess it’s possible. Ziggy was first on the scene, and he said there was no sign of the intruder. They cleared the house, but the woman was too upset to stay there. She’s spending the night with her sister.”

Diesel waited for me to end the call.

“We should be moving out if the police are moving in,” he said.

• • •

We drove to Morley Street and cruised the neighborhood. Houses and lots were larger here than in the Burg. Not palatial mansions, but comfortable family homes that had more than one bathroom. There was no police presence in the area. Presumably they had all moved over to Diggery’s dirt road.