The Ghoul From Galveston

By Steven Sterup, Jr

Cassy and Zach don't even get a chance to relax before another pressing case fall into their laps.

An eight year old little girl has been kidnapped. Cassy and Zach have to find her before the police do. Human police officers wouldn't be saviors to this little girl. They would be lunch.

As if this wasn't enough. Xander, Zach's brother, plots against them still. His new plan to separate them hinges on an unreliable accomplice that Zach will never be able to resist.

Can Cassy and Zach rescue a little ghoul and still outplay Xander? Or is this first case as true partners doomed to be their last?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Sterup, Jr
• Release date: Apr 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463426029

Steven Sterup, Jr

I enjoy reading and writing fantasy themed books, including romance novels. Most of my work is about fantastical worlds with magic and monsters.Since I was young I've had a strange desire to create 'something' and as soon as I started writing my first book I knew I had finally found what I was looking for.I hope you enjoy the worlds I have created and I appreciate your feedback. Feel free to contact me on my website at www.StevenSterupJr.com or email me at [e-mail].

Book preview

MOUS Investigations

The Ghoul from Galveston

Written By: Steven Sterup Jr.

Copyright 2019 Steven Sterup Jr.

Legal Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Book Cover Art by 100 Covers.

Special thanks to my wife, Tammy. Without her support, none of this would have been possible.

If you haven’t read it yet, book 1 is available at most eBook sites.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

Prologue

Mindy Creed crouched in the back of the cage. The bars were thicker than her fingers and rusty. As she crouched down, she tried not to touch the filth covered hay on the floor which smelled of hogs. She stared at the crisscrossed bars. The gap between them was too small for her to squeeze through, she had tried. At eight years old all she could think about was how she had ruined her brand-new dress and how angry her parents would be. She missed them and wanted to go home but was afraid of how much trouble she would be in.

She didn’t want her mom to be angry when she saw her dress. Her dad would lecture her about wearing her Sunday dress to school. She knew it was wrong but her Sunday dress was so pretty, and she wanted to show off for her friends. The pink dress had frills around the collar and puffy sleeves. The delicately embroidered flowers around the bottom were her favorite part. She had been so excited to show this dress off that she had disobeyed her father. He was going to be so angry with her.

Mindy’s light brown hair was long and curled around itself as it fell across her shoulders. She nervously played with the purple bow on her dress as she watched the man walk back and forth talking to himself. She had been held prisoner for two days now, but she wasn’t afraid of the man outside her cage. She also wasn’t hungry anymore. The blood covering her face and dress was evidence of that.

What the hell are you?! the man shouted then glanced at the dead man on the ground beside him. He had bled out in seconds when Mindy had sunk her shark-like teeth into his neck. She had taken out a piece as large as her mouth would allow. He still didn’t understand how a girl that small had opened her mouth to nearly engulf his partner’s neck.

Just let me go home, Mindy whined. I’m going to be in trouble.

She looked down at her dress. The man had dripped blood down one side. Her mom was going to ground her for a week. Her dad was going to yell. Still, all she wanted was to go home. She would face the punishment. Grounding and yelling would be better than this stinky cage and the stinky man outside of it.

The large man in stained coveralls paced once more. He weighed at least three hundred pounds, and his balding head was covered with grime.

My daddy is going to be mad. Please let me go home, Mindy pleaded.

Is your daddy like you? the man asked with wide eyes.

No, she replied.

The man let out a sigh of relief.

He’d break these bars without even trying. He’s tougher than me, she replied. My daddy is going to be very mad. He’s going to hurt you if you don’t let me go. I’m supposed to be doing my chores.

The man started pacing nervously once more.

Someday I want to be strong like daddy, Mindy went on.

Shut up! the man screamed.

Mommy says if I eat…, she started.

The man grabbed a cattle prod and stabbed it into Mindy’s stomach while he pulled the trigger. She convulsed then fell to the ground, but still, the man wouldn’t go near the cage. Instead, he took a few steps back then dialed a number with his phone.

Matt’s dead. What was that guy’s number? he asked.

Chapter 1

Zach stepped out of the car and stretched. He had slept the last half of the trip but only after Cassy had been convinced to go the speed limit. It wasn’t an easy sell, but after telling her the price of the ticket, in dollars and points from her license, she finally gave in.

Zach looked up at the setting sun and wondered how he was going to get to sleep in a strange bed. A car was different. The motion, the sounds, it was very relaxing. He inspected himself. The white shirt with the band logo wasn’t that wrinkled, and his blue jeans didn’t have holes. His wardrobe might not have been up to a five-star hotel but the local motel, in this five hundred person town, would probably think he dressed up for the occasion.

Cassy smirked as she looked across the top of the car at her partner. She loved teasing him, it was the highlight of her day, and he was giving her plenty of ammunition.

Don’t worry, Zach. You look pretty, she smirked.

Hey, now! That’s sexist. I think, he replied with a delayed grin.

No. It would be sexist if you said it. I’m allowed, she said then shut her door, pulled on her sunglasses then headed up to the small string of motel rooms.

As they walked along, Zach couldn’t stop himself from watching Cassy’s form. Why had she decided on yoga pants? Or maybe they were just tight sweat pants? He hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask her which they were. Then there was the shirt that was too large for her, cut off above the waist and hung across her body in a way that begged for him to stare. The soft skin on the curve of her back as it made its way down to… Why did Cassy have to dress like this?

Even though he was unable to keep his eyes off her, he avoided the subject of what she was wearing entirely. He had been promoted from maid slash bookkeeper to junior partner in less than a week. He wasn’t about to hit on his boss.

Even though she said they were partners, she still acted like the boss and Zach didn’t mind. Cassy had been doing this way longer than he had.

In truth, he also thought that Maggie was a partner, even though Cassy referred to her as the receptionist. Maggie’s responsibilities went well beyond receptionist, especially in this profession. A receptionist wasn’t required to look up specifics about what a ghoul actually was. Connor Mousman’s only account of a ghoul had been third-hand information, and very unhelpful.

Maggie had uncovered more information and corroborated quite a lot of it. It seemed that the accounts of ghouls being demons or undead was false, but the fact that they ate human corpses was very true. There were even accounts of ghouls eating live humans, though Maggie wasn’t quite sure if this was an isolated case or the norm.

This gave Zach the impression that his title as partner was provisionary, possibly honorary, at best. Though Cassy wouldn’t admit it, Maggie outranked him. If anyone was being let go due to money constraints, disagreements, or unprofessional behavior, it would be Zach.

When they made it to the motel office, Cassy walked straight up to the counter, ignoring the look on the teenage boy’s face.

Zach almost laughed as the young man stared across the counter. His eyes bulged as they worked their way down Cassy’s body. His mouth hung open, and all Zach could think about was how many insects this boy was going to pick from his teeth when he finally got it shut.

Cassy leaned across the counter, and Zach was certain that, for a moment, he had looked just like the boy across the counter. It wasn’t quite as funny when he pictured what he must have looked like.

He could just see himself. Bug-eyed and staring at the, very well formed, posterior that was covered by nothing more than a thin, almost see-through, layer of cloth. She must have worn a thong because he saw no panty lines.

What in the hell was he doing?! This was Cassy! Why was he letting himself think these things about her?! And why couldn’t he stop staring?!

He was sure Cassy would have been rolling on the floor or possibly firing him, depending on her mood. Thankfully, she hadn’t turned around. Or maybe, her not turning around was worse. Zach forced his gaze upward to quit staring at a side of Cassy he shouldn’t have been looking at.

That was about the time Zach noticed the mirror behind the boy and Cassy’s reflection smiling back at him. She looked over the top of her sunglasses and winked then continued her conversation with the attendant. Zach’s face went white; then it turned bright red. Cassy wasn’t staring at him in the mirror any longer, but she sure seemed pleased with herself for some reason. He was never going to hear the end of this one but, at least, she didn’t look angry.

Cassy got the room keys and handed Zach his. As Zach cringed and waited for the teasing that was sure to come his way, Cassy smiled then headed toward her room. Zach watched her walk away and was certain he’d never seen Cassy walk like that before. Her head high, her chest out and, if he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was strutting. She was swaying her hips, making sure to put one foot in front of the other, for maximum effect. Yes, definitely strutting.

Reluctantly and very embarrassed, Zach followed Cassy and made sure to watch her feet. He wasn’t about to watch anything else. Either Cassy hadn’t noticed exactly where his eyes were glued, or she was just as embarrassed. These were the only two reasons Zach could come up with.

When Cassy stopped abruptly at her door, Zach nearly smashed into her.

You’re over there, buddy, she said with a laugh, that Zach would almost call a giggle, as she pushed her sunglasses up and let them sit on top of her head. What in the hell had gotten into Cassy? She seemed a little too happy, even for her. She pointed to the next door down, and Zach examined his key.

Yeah, he replied and, as he looked down at Cassy, he was caught off guard by her bizarre look. She was biting her lip, and her head was tipped down while her eyes looked up at him.

Sweet dreams, Zach, she said, and another short laugh followed, right before she went into her room and shut the door.

Now, not only was Zach very uncomfortable and embarrassed by his mistake, he was extremely confused. What had gotten into Cassy? Zach glanced at his key one more time then at the bar slash café slash truck stop across the street. It was only eight, maybe a drink or two would take his mind off his horribly inappropriate behavior. A few drinks might also help him get to sleep. He wasn’t the least bit tired. So, he headed off to Sander’s Eatery.

Chapter 2

Cassy peered through the windows of her room and watched Zach make his way across the street. A few times, he glanced back at her door, so