The
Zombie
Chronicles

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Finished works:
   Billions
    ---
   Outbreak
    ---
   Undead
     Advantage
    ---
   Found
    ---
   About a Woman
    ---
   Short Stories

Works in Progress:
   TZC2: Discovery

Works on hold:
   Zombie Nation
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   Zombieboy

Found

Chapter 14

Brian's day went downhill after the meeting with Kaylee. Part of it was worrying what she thought about how they parted, part of it was because he was worried about what the captain would say. His questioning of Theodore Roderson kept butting into areas where he would give vague answers, the man was hiding something and after conferring with the d.a. Brian was tempted to arrest Teddy for obstruction of justice. In the end Jeff had gotten Curt to agree to return Teddy to the station the next morning for further questioning and he was advised not to leave town or speak with anyone about what had been discussed during his time at the police station. They kept Teddy at the station until well after six o'clock and there was still a camera crew who caught Teddy on his way to his car, the reporter was sharp and got lucky in figuring out Teddy was the one being questioned in the murder of Stacey Olson. Curt Halloway compounded the problem by stating that his client had no comment on the murder and was cooperating with police fully. This led to speculation that night on the late news show, speculation Brian could have lived without.

Captain Baston had confronted Brian about his interaction with Kaylee and warned Brian off of becoming involved with one of the victims of a case he was investigating. She did throw him a bone by not being nearly as forceful as she could have been, in the department way of communication she was telling him what she didn't know would not hurt her, and if she found something out she would nail him to the wall. This was a concept the entire department seemed to run on, Brian was certain from the good natured ribbing he got from the few of his peers left when he eventually went home that the entire department knew he was involved with Kaylee. The fact was he didn't mind a bit, in fact he sort of liked the idea and got the impression most of his co-workers did too.

As he left the department he gave Kaylee a quick call on his cell phone.

“Hello?”, Kaylee answered.

“Hi Kaylee!”, Brian said, trying to sound upbeat.

“Oh hi Brian.”

“Sorry about work today.”, they said in unison, then laughed.

“No really it was my fault.”, began Kaylee, “I didn't think about it, and I should have.”

“I could have handled it better too, I didn't mean to cut you off so abruptly.”

“Did you get into trouble?”

“No, not really. I had a little discussion with the Captain about taking advantage of crime victims and department policy and ethics. It boiled down to 'Don't let me catch you doing anything.' She advised me to wait until after a trial, if there is one, to start seeing you.”

“Oh, she spoke to me on the way out too, told me to stay away from you, so I wouldn't muck up your head with all sorts of emotions and distract you from the investigation. She said she could pull you off my case if we were soul mates or something and to keep my hands off your until the case was over.”

“That was a little harsh. She didn't come down nearly as hard on me and I work for her.”

“Maybe that is why, she is trying to protect you by warning me off?”

“I don't know, it doesn't sound like the captain. I...”, Brian's voice faltered a little, “Look we haven't known each other that long, I don't want to back off from hanging out with you, although so far our dates haven't been that much fun.”

“Don't I know it; Physical Therapy and a graveyard! I thought the man was supposed to pick the locations?”

Brian laughed, “Next time I will, promise.”

“So, how did the case go? Can you tell me anything?”

Thinking about it Brian tried to answer as if he were not interested in Kaylee at all, “Well, the suspect knows something, I do not know what he knows, he is being tight lipped about that. Tonight I am going to go ask around at the bars he said he was at, to see if anyone remembers seeing him. Those are long odds, but he is a man, there aren't so many of them around anymore and he is fat, there are even less overweight people around these days. Someone will remember him.”

“He was the fat one!? I thought for sure that guy was a ringer, he didn't even look guilty.”

Shaking his head at her naivety Brian said into the phone, “Kaylee in my years as a police officer I have seen plenty of people who look innocent who were proven as guilty as sin. And I probably shouldn't have told you that about him being fat. It is not likely you would be called in for another line up with him in it, you never know though. I am gonna have to tell the d.a. and the captain I told you. Damn.”

“It wasn't him, I had never seen him before in my life, I would have remembered his face. Couldn't we do a sketch artist or something?”

“We could have, except our local sketch artist joined up with the military and then went and got himself killed in the push for the coast.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“A lot of guys have gone and never came back and won't come back, I don't doubt that a lot of those that do come back won't be the same guys any more either, I know I'm not.”

Kaylee felt a little awkward, not knowing what to say, she asked, “Where are you starting tonight?”

“I think Buzzard B's. Let's see he also said he was at Generations, 308 Court, The Kahuna and the Court Brewing Company. The man got around, makes more work for me. On a Monday night it should be pretty dead, maybe I will get lucky.”

“He wasn't at Buzzard Bees. That is where we were, pretty much all night, I would have remembered him.”

“See? That is what I am talking about, he is a noticeable guy. Chances are you would have see him there, if I go around and get the same thing from the other bars I will have some ammo in my gun when I call all the people whom he said he was with. Even if he is home right now talking to them, someone will slip up, then I can go back to him with an obstruction charge and put a little leverage on him to tell me where he really was. As a bonus I might actually get the names of some people who were with him.”

“Devious. I like the way you think. So, can I meet you down there for a drink?”

“I want you to, but no, that would not be a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Kaylee, Theodore is not the one who did this. What do you think would happen if the only witness to the crime runs into the guy who did do this? Who ever did this is going to die, if they are lucky they might get to enlist in a convict platoon that is making a pushing into a heavy zombie region, however they will still die then too. They will not be looking to let a witness to the crime live, even if you can't testify, even if you don't remember anything. They have already killed once, I doubt they will hesitate to do it again.”

Kaylee was silent for a moment, “So I can never go out downtown again unless you catch this guy?”

“No, I didn't say that, just not right now, if we don't catch him and the case goes cold you should be fine, he wouldn't want to call attention to himself again, right now he has the least to lose by getting you out of the picture.”

Shuddering Kaylee said, “You are not making me feel very safe officer.”

“Lock your doors and windows, keep a bat handy and aim for the head.”, Brian said, they both laughed at this, because it was the introductory line from a very popular television show where the main characters fought off zombie hordes every week. Many commentators about the show were amazed there were any zombies left for the characters to slay.

“Yeah I will do that, no doubt Mrs. Harrison will be the one batting them in the head while they break down my door. I guess I will go to bed early then. All alone. By myself. Lonely.”

“Cut it out, I do that every night too, you know.”, too late he realized the trap he had fallen into.

“Hmm it is too bad neither of us knows someone else in the same situation, then we could get together with them and end all of our lonely misery, huh?”

Sighing Brian replied, “Yeah it is. I am going to be up late tonight, and I have to get an early start tomorrow.”

“I have coffee. Plus I got a portion of my ration today, I have eggs and three pounds of bacon that have to get eaten before the end of March.”

Groaning Brian answered, “You do not play fair! The captain just warned us off each other today and you want me to spend the night tonight?”

“Yes. I do.”

“How many eggs?”

“Two dozen.”

“How much bacon again?”

“Three pounds.”

Despite himself Brian was salivating, it had been a long time since his sandwich at lunch, he had intended to get dinner at one of the bars he was going to check out.

“Not fair.”, he mumbled, “You know how long it has been since I had lunch?”

“You could have had a second lunch with me.”

“Alright, alright I will stop by after I get done at the bars, but I am only going to knock softly and if you don't answer I am heading home.”

“If I snooze I lose?”

“Something like that.”

“It used to be the other way around you know.”, Kaylee pointed out.

“That came up today too, funny how my life keeps revolving around the same conversations. Z-day changed everything.”

“See you tonight then?”

“Okay, bye Kaylee.”

After hanging up the phone Brian turned his car into one of the many available parking spaces on Court Street, about in the middle of the area he thought he was going to have to canvas. As he hopped out of the car and headed towards Buzzard B's he limped less than he had in months.

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