Sweet Dreams Boxed Set (86 page)

“Try a zombie-nun!” Mason snapped back. “Anything else?” he asked Quinn.

Quinn nodded. “Can I see the medical examiner?” he asked.

Mason smiled at that. “Sure. He’s in his bed, sleeping. He’ll start on our fellows first thing in the morning.”

Quinn nodded. “Okay. Thanks.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something lodged against one of the gravestones.

The cemetery was filled with people in gloves and booties—forensic teams collecting evidence. A hard task here, where tourists came daily.

But they hadn’t been to that area yet.

Mason was done with him. Quinn walked over to the grave he noted and hunched down. It was an old stone—there since the 1901, according to the remembrance on the tomb. Time had ravaged the stone and it was cracked and missing little chunks.

Right at the base, where tufts of grass were growing high against it, was a piece of cloth.

Quinn hunkered down and then reached into his pocket for a pen with which to pick it up.

It was a piece of black cotton about two inches by three inches—and jaggedly torn. He didn’t have to see the zombie-nun in boxes at Colby’s place to know it was the same as the material in the robe that had covered the mannequin.

He pictured the scene that Davy had described to him and looked around. Davy had probably been hunched down behind a nearby tomb. He had stayed there, frozen in fear, watching as the zombie-nun had gone by.

It had gone by on its own; just the nun, walking.

The jagged stone here had caught the skirt of the nun’s black outfit—and ripped it.

One of the corpses had been found just feet away….

And he could see the stack-tombs that had allowed Davy to escape.

He hesitated and then called to Mason and handed it to the gloved detective with the pen.

“Just might mean something,” he said. And he showed Mason the place where he’d found the fabric, where Davy had hidden—pointed out where the corpse had been found—and where Davy had escaped.

Mason offered him no thanks but reached into his jacket for an evidence bag.

“You need a ride somewhere?” he asked Quinn. “You’re welcome to look around the city for a zombie-nun. Or a real killer.”

“Right. On the ride, no, thank you. Just point me toward Duval,” Quinn said. “I’ll look for a zombie nun—or a real killer—along the way.”

Mason gave him easy directions.

Quinn exited the cemetery and moved through the onlookers and headed for Duval. Bit by bit, in the quieter area before the main street, he realized that he was more and more alone.

He watched the streets.

And the shadows.

And he wondered if someone else in the city of Key West had scored a zombie-nun animatronic when the auction had taken place. He had almost reached Duval when he heard something behind him. He paused, as if looking at his watch.

There was a shuffling sound—then silence behind him.

He walked again, and stopped abruptly, taking off a shoe, looking back. He was being followed. Beneath the shadows created by the moon and the streetlights—and encompassed by a bougainvillea—was a figure.

Watching him.

No.

Stalking him.

***

It hadn’t been difficult to meet up with the film people.

Colby Kennedy had been in contact with the director, Andrew Bracken, telling him only that his sister had been in an accident. He called again to tell him that Danni was an old friend from New Orleans, alone while her boyfriend was working, and looking for someone to be with in Key West. He’d especially appreciate if they’d let Danni hang with them—since he’d now heard there was a murderer on the streets of Key West.

No mention had been made of the zombie-nun.

And so Danni sat with a new crew of friends in a rustic and charming bar just in on a little side street off Duval. So far she’d met the two main actors—Joe Tybalt and Vanessa Green—the director himself—Andrew Bracken—two cameramen, a set coordinator, the costumer, and six members of the supporting cast, all hired out of Key West. Three usually worked in shops, one was a hotel clerk by day, one was a tour director, and one was a manicurist.

“The thing is,” Joe Bracken explained to Danni, “it’s my film. Mine. An indy film. I raised the funds for it on a site by selling T-shirts! Yeah, we’re on a tight budget, but it’s the only way you have artistic control.

“Yeah, go figure, though,” Joe said, shaking his head. “We come down here to film—and some real whacko knocks people off. In the cemetery, no less. Creepy.”

“And there’s a rumor going around,” Vanessa said, looking around and lowering her voice. “A rumor that a zombie nun killed the frat boys!”

There was no one listening to them. A guitarist was playing on a stage across the restaurant/bar’s courtyard and the tables in the place were filled. A thatch roof covered the little area where they sat, next to a secondary bar. People were talking loudly and the music was playing—not easy for anyone to overhear anyone else.

The cast and crew were scattered about in the general area where they sat. Only Andrew, Vanessa, and Joe were at her table. The three, Danni thought, were really beautiful people. Vanessa was just about bone thin with perfect features, sleek dark hair, and huge sea-green eyes. Joe was picture perfect; about six feet, dark, leanly muscled, and very handsome. Even the director, Andrew, was pretty beautiful; blond, dark-eyed, and intense.

“Really?” Danni asked. “That’s the rumor going around town?”

Vanessa nodded. “The guy they found alive at the cemetery was raving that a zombie nun had done it all. He was heard by Sally Jenson who is friends with Sasha Sierra—our costumer. Apparently, friends told friends who told friends—and the cops are going crazy because of it.”

“Think it will help us—or hurt us?” Joe asked Andrew.

Andrew shrugged. “Who knows? Our movie isn’t about a killer zombie nun.”

“Close enough!” Vanessa said, turning to Danni. “You’ve heard about Robert the Doll, right?”

“I’m pretty new to Key West,” Danni said.

“Robert is world famous,” Vanessa said. “In 1904, he was a gift given by a nanny to Robert Eugene Otto. Creepy doll—you can see it at the East Martello Museum. Anyway, the doll had a life of its own, according to history. Robert Eugene Otto called the doll Robert after himself. There were all kinds of rumors—the boy grew up to be an artist and married an artist but, supposedly, the doll moved around and looked out the windows of the house—it’s a gorgeous bed and breakfast now, by the way. Anyway, it was suspected that Robert Otto beat his wife—and blamed it on the doll! Bad dolls through filmdom have supposedly been modeled after Robert. Anyway, our film is on
Lucinda.
She’s a creepy designer-store mannequin. Haunted and horrible—and attacking men by night on the streets of Key West!”

“Ah. Sounds great,” Danni said.

“Oh, it is! You see, Lucinda keeps watching this one man who comes in with his girlfriend. She’s in love with the man—and hates the girlfriend. There’s a Romanian gypsy working in the store and she uses gypsy magic to sell things and her gypsy magic gives Lucinda life. At first, she’s okay. She goes out at night and loves the nightlife! But then the man Lucinda has fallen love with comes into the shop with his girlfriend. The girlfriend accidentally knocks Lucinda over and she’s broken and falling apart—and furious and hateful. That’s when she starts stalking the streets—looking to kill the girlfriend. Me!” Vanessa says happily.

“And a bunch of extras die—gruesomely!” Joe said. “I’m the handsome dude the mannequin falls in love with,” he said, grinning.

“Who plays the mannequin?” Danni asked.

“That would be me!” she heard from another table.

A pretty young woman stood up and came over to the table. She was tall and lean and seemed thrilled to death with her role. If Danni remembered right, she was the player who had been introduced to Danni as being a hotel clerk by day.

“It’s a great role—I can’t believe it! I have a role just like the part that made Arianna Palacio so famous!” she said. “She was in
Zombie Nuns of the Apocalypse—
so good! I’m Sasha, remember? Sasha Bernard.”

“Of course, Sasha. Well, that sounds incredibly exciting,” Danni said, but she frowned and asked, “We’re you in
Zombie Nuns from the Apocalypse?”

“Oh, no! This is my first role. But, Vanessa was in that movie. I’m so jealous!”

Vanessa looked at Danni and grimaced. “Corpse #3,” she said. “Not much of a role. But, it was a fun set. Arianna Palacio was so nice. She asked all the time while we were filming if everyone was all right.”

“Hey, you think Arianna Palacio is down here—running round and killing people in the cemetery?” Joe asked.

“Hey, we shouldn’t joke,” Andrew said. “Three people are dead.”

“Pretty chilling, huh?” Vanessa asked, shivering suddenly. “I mean—I was in that movie. And it does sound like Arianna Palacio is in Key West, running around, killing people!”

“Do you have mannequins made to look like you in this movie?” Danni asked Sasha.

Sasha laughed and glanced at Andrew. “Not in the budget. I’m my own stunt person!”

“But, there were a bunch of mannequins of the zombie nun, right?” Danni asked.

“Yeah—actually, Colby Kennedy owns one of them. I’m not sure about the others. There are four more of them somewhere. I entered the bidding,” Andrew said. “But—it went high. And I wanted to make this movie.”

“I think it will definitely be a big hit,” Joe said, shrugging. “Sad as it may seem, I believe that what’s happening here now will be major when we’re promoting
Lucinda.
People are ghoulish. They’ll wonder what was really going on during every hour of our filming.”

“I could be a star!” Sasha said.

Vanessa looked downward, shaking her head slightly.

But she refrained from reminding the other girl that she was the star.

“So, speaking of which, even without Kathy’s help with dialogue, we have a full day of shooting tomorrow,” Andrew said. He turned to Danni and gave her a smile. He was accustomed to being charming, she thought—and accustomed to women wanting him.

“I should see you home,” he said huskily. “You’re staying at Colby’s house, right?”

“Yes, but, that’s okay. Quinn will be along any minute,” she said.

She hoped she was telling the truth.

“We can’t just leave you,” Joe said.

“I’m fine—the bar is still open, right?” Danni said, smiling.

“Doesn’t feel right,” Andrew told her.

“We still have to pay the bill, and honestly!” Vanessa said. “I could use one more drink.” She shivered. “I’m going to need it to sleep tonight!” She flashed Danni a smile. “We’re in close quarters—budget, you know. We’re in one of those rooms they rent out for spring break—mattresses everywhere. Five girls to a room. Only Andrew has his own. Right now, though, I’m glad. Not so scary when we’re all together and our place is just a few steps away.”

“Ah, well, then, another round. One more for everyone!” Andrew said.

He gave Danni what she was sure he thought of as a sexy smile. She smiled back.

And she began to worry.

Where was Quinn?

Chapter 4

There was a building coming up on Quinn’s left. He headed toward it—and slipped into the little enclave before the entry.

He waited, wondering if a zombie-nun would walk by him. And wondering, too, if he could put it down with the Smith and Wesson he was carrying.

For a moment, all he heard was the beating of his heart. Then the footsteps came again. Cautiously. At last, he knew, the stalker was almost upon him. He drew his gun and stepped out—ready to shoot.

“Oh! Oh, my God!”

He quickly lowered his weapon. It was Officer Sandy Burnett.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.

“Following you!” she told him.

“Why?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t think that Detective Mason trusts you. Or, perhaps, he doesn’t trust you not to spill information or get the city in an uproar. I don’t know. He just told me to keep an eye on you.”

Quinn returned his gun to the holster at the base of his spine, beneath his jacket. “I thought you were a lead on the case, too?”

“No, Mason is the lead—I’m on it because of Kathy Kennedy and the zombie-nun rumors,” she said. “We hadn’t paid any attention to her—I mean, you know, the Kennedy kids grew up here and they’re well known and everyone knows there’s creepy stuff all over that house…no one thought that Kathy was really attacked by a zombie nun!”

“But now, Davy has been saying the same thing. So what does Detective Mason think about that?”

“That Davy is an impressionable drunk and heard about Kathy somehow. I mean, easy enough. This is really kind of an insular small town.”

“There’s something up with zombie nuns,” Quinn said.

“I believe you—and even drunk Davy,” Sandy said. She sighed softly. “I’m sorry—Mason is a good detective. He has no imagination—which you think he would have acquired down here. Davy said that the zombie nun was walking alone. Mason just isn’t going to go for that. If he left room for a person behind the nun, pushing it around…I don’t know. I mean, you can’t really believe that a zombie nun mannequin is doing all this?”

“I think that a mannequin is being used, yes.”

“Well,” Sandy said. “I guess—I guess we’ll have to keep investigating. What do you suggest?”

“We need to find out where the zombie nuns are.”

“What? What zombie nuns?” Sandy asked him.

“There were five in all,” Quinn said. “They were used in a movie—Zombie Nuns of the Apocalypse. They went up for sale. Colby Kennedy bought one.”

“Oh, right, yes! That’s the one that chased Kathy into the road—according to Kathy,” Sandy said. “I thought she was—just crazy rambling. And I didn’t see any zombie nun when I locked the house up.”

“You were the one who saw that the house was locked?”

“Yes, I was there when the ambulance came; I sat with Kathy. Then, when the ambulance was gone with her and I’d called Colby, I locked up the house.”

“And you didn’t see the zombie nun?”