Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum 24)

“Did anything interesting turn up at the cemetery?”

“We exhumed the second grave, and everything seemed to be untouched.”

“And the first one?”

“Empty.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not for common knowledge, but it was empty. No casket. Nothing but dirt.”

“Do you think Diggery took it on one of his earlier digs?”

“Diggery doesn’t usually do that. He robs everything on the scene and covers his tracks.”

“Maybe the zombies got rid of the casket, so it was easier to escape through their portal.”

“That would be one theory.”

“Do you have any others?”

“No.” He made himself a second sandwich. “How was your night? Did you catch Johnny?”

“Lula had a run-in with a zombie in Judy Chucci’s backyard. The zombie got away, but Lula was convinced she was contaminated with zombie cooties, and she stripped down to her thong.”

“Whoa! That had to be frightening.”

“The zombie?”

“Yeah, that too.”

“I didn’t see the zombie.”

“How did Lula know it was a zombie?”

“It sounded like they were up close and personal. She said it breathed on her.”

“Okay. That’s close. Did she get any pieces of zombie rag? Was there an exchange of zombie fluid?”

“It wasn’t that personal.”

Morelli got a beer out of the fridge. “Worth asking.”

“What about my zombie rag?”

“I haven’t got the report back yet. Not sure what they got off the car other than a look at state-of-the-art tracking technology and a legal Glock that refused to hold a fingerprint. Unfortunately, it’s a Friday so I might not know anything until Monday.”

“Are you working tomorrow?”

“I’m on call. Are you working?”

“The office is open for a half day. I need to check on Ethel, and Connie is doing some research for me.”

EIGHTEEN

LULA AND CONNIE were already at the office when I walked in. Connie was dressed down in jeans and sneakers and a red sweater. Lula was wearing chunky gladiator sandals, a short black metallic skirt, and a silver tank top. If I didn’t know her I might have been frightened. She looked like a Who’s Your Mama? dominatrix.

“I have your photos,” Connie said. “Roger and Miriam Murf.”