Hardcore Twenty-Four (Stephanie Plum 24)

No doubt.

The bartender brought our burgers, fries, and onion rings to the table, and we dug in. I finished my burger and called Morelli while I picked at the cheese fries.

“Just checking in,” I said to him. “Are you finding anything?”

“CSI is at work in the pit. You said you saw three zombies here, correct?”

“Yes.”

“We’ve sealed off as much as we can, and we’re combing the woods. Unfortunately, we’re hampered by the dark.”

“Did you get a blood sample from the broken glass?”

“Yes. And I had someone board the window up, so Ethel doesn’t sneak out. I’ve got thirteen men searching the woods. None of them wants to get friendly with Ethel.”

“When do you think you’ll get back to the house?”

“At this rate, it’ll be Tuesday.”

I disconnected and gave up a sigh.

“Honey,” Diesel said, “you need a man you can count on.”

“Like you?”

“No. I make Morelli look good. I’m fun, but I’m not someone you’d want to count on.”

“Good to know.”

Diesel grinned and paid the check. “Let’s go for a walk throug

h a cemetery.”

It was dark when we left the bar. The sky was overcast with just a hint of moon low on the horizon. There was traffic on the street behind us, but the cemetery in front of us was deathly silent.

We went a short distance on the path, and Diesel stopped.

“Do you smell that?” he asked.

“Yes, but I don’t know what it is. It reminds me of an electrical fire I had in one of my cars. And at the same time, it’s sweet.”

“Like carnations.”

“Oh crap. Zombies?”

He took my hand and tugged me forward. “Let’s go say hello.”

Diesel left the path and cut across several graves to an aboveground crypt. I could make out two figures huddled next to the crypt. They appeared to be heating something in a metal measuring cup with a large Bic-type lighter. They saw us approach, and they extinguished the lighter.

“Back off,” one of them said to us. “Or die.”

“We’re looking for Slick,” Diesel said.

“Look someplace else. There’s no Slick here.”

“What’s in the cup?” Diesel asked.

The guy holding the lighter pulled a gun and fired. In the next instant, he had a knife stuck in his eye. It happened so fast I didn’t see the knife thrown. He screamed and fell back, dropping the gun. The other guy tossed the cup, grabbed his friend, and they scrambled away into the shadows. The cup hit the ground with a splash of iridescent green and a hiss of steam.