Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case Read online

  MISS FROST

  SOLVES A COLD CASE

  A Nocturne Falls Mystery

  Jayne Frost, book one

  Kristen Painter

  Welcome to Nocturne Falls – the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year.

  Jayne Frost is a lot of things. Winter elf, Jack Frost’s daughter, Santa Claus’s niece, heir to the Winter Throne and now…private investigator. Sort of.

  Needing someone he can trust, her father sends her undercover to Nocturne Falls to find out why employees at the Santa’s Workshop toy store are going missing.

  Doing that requires getting to know the town, which leads to interesting encounters with a sexy vampire, an old flame, and an elevator that’s strictly off-limits. The more Jayne finds out, the more questions she has, but the answers lead her deeper into danger.

  Will her magic save her? Or will she come up cold?

  MISS FROST SOLVES A COLD CASE:

  A Nocturne Falls Mystery

  Jayne Frost, Book One

  Copyright © 2016 Kristen Painter

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  ISBN: 978-1-941695-16-6

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  I knew the minute I walked into my father’s office, this wasn’t going to be one of those friendly father-daughter, how’s-life-treating-you conversations.

  Not a chance. Right now the man I was looking at wasn’t so much my father as he was the Winter King, and I was more one of his subjects than his darling daughter. It happened. I understood. I suppose I wasn’t always the easiest elf to be around. Although, in my own defense, I really don’t dwell on the fact that I’m a princess.

  And hey, he had a job to do (we all did), but in his case, despite being the Winter King, he still had to report to the fat man in the red suit. Not that any of us called Uncle Kris that to his face.

  Some days, I really felt for my dad. Being the Winter King and Santa’s right-hand man wasn’t an easy job. And other days, I reminded myself that he had to have known what he was getting into. I mean, you don’t marry Klara Kringle, join the family business and think your life’s going to stay the same.

  Even if you are royalty in the elf world.

  But I digress.

  “Hi, Dad.” Never a bad idea to remind him of our familial relationship.

  “Jayne. Have a seat.”

  Jayne, not Jay. This was serious business. I took a chair across from the slab of glacier he called a desk.

  He sighed, letting out an icy cloud of vapor. More because of who he was than the temperature in the room, but this was the North Pole, and we were winter elves. Cold was our jam. He looked at me. “We have an issue.”

  I bristled a little, going on the defensive. “Whatever the second shift said, I did not know those cartons were full of breakables.”

  He frowned. “I’m not talking about that.”

  “Oh.” I relaxed. “Then…what’s up? Let me guess, I’m getting moved to a different department again.”

  He shoved a hand through his dark blue hair, causing it to spike up even higher. “You’ve had some trouble finding your place here, that’s true, but it’s important you understand every aspect of the company.”

  At least he left out how I was almost thirty. I crossed my arms and slouched a little. “Do you know what it’s like being your daughter and working here?”

  He nodded. “I understand there are some difficulties related to who you are.”

  “Some difficulties? People either ignore me entirely or are so phony nice to me that my teeth ache from the sickening sweetness of it all.”

  “What about Lark?”

  “Dad, Lark went to Europe to find herself and ended up becoming a world-famous DJ.” I missed my BFF, but she’d been gone for almost ten years now. I’d resigned myself to the fact that my only real friend had a new life. Since she’d left, she’d only been back three times. But I understood. She was seeing the world and living like a rock star (or so I imagined), and I was double-checking how many times little Johnny Human had sassed his mother. The North Pole just wasn’t her home anymore.

  His brows scrunched together into a dark blue vee. “You could have done something else after college.”

  I barked out a laugh. “You’re the one who asked me to come back here after graduation. I could have totally gone into communications like I’d planned, but no, you said, ‘Jayne, come home, join the family business, get to know how things work, then you can take over for me one day and—’”

  He held up his hand. “I did ask. You’re right. And you still will take over for me one day. It’s inevitable. You’re my only child.”

  I snorted. I had cousins. I wasn’t really the only option. I was just closest in line. “I love that I get the job regardless of how qualified I am for it.”

  He gave me a very fatherly look. “I do want you to be happy.”

  “I am happy.” Mostly. But didn’t everyone get that feeling like there was something else to discover? Something they were, I don’t know, missing out on? “Being close to you and Mom is great. There’s no substitute for family, right?”

  “Right.” He sighed, sending another cloud of vapor into the air. “That’s part of why I’m giving you a new assignment.”

  I sat up. “A new assignment? You didn’t say job, so I’m thinking this isn’t just a change from monitoring the Naughty & Nice list to manager of the employee cafeteria. Although, I could definitely do that.” Not that working the N & N list wasn’t a cushy gig. It was. But everyone knew I’d been put there to keep my interactions with the other employees to a minimum. And managing the cafeteria would mean direct access to the desserts. Which were pretty major. Elves like sweets. A lot.

  “It’s not. It’s more than that. Far more.” He pulled out a file and opened it. Yes, we still use a lot of paper in the NP. Electronics go a little nuts up here. We still use them, but there’s never a guarantee you’ll get a signal. “You know we maintain a chain of toy stores around the world for testing new products and staying in touch with our demographic.”

  “Yep. Santa’s Workshop.” Everyone knew about the toy stores. Getting sent to work at one of them was sort of like being sent to prison, but with worse food. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but you had to deal with humans, there was zero chance for advancement, and you had to deal with humans. And their children. Lots and lots of their children.

  I’m not always such a people person. Did I mention that?

  Anyway, apparently some elves actually wanted to work in the stores, because there was a waiting list and an interview process and blah, blah, blah. Whatever. Those elves were weird.

  “The flagship store in Nocturne Falls has been having some attrition issues.”

  “In English, please.”

  “Workers are quitting without notice. Well, they’re leaving a note, but that’s it. Basically they’re just not showing up for their shifts. It’s been going on for nearly three years, but not in a noticeable way.”

  “Then how did it get noticed?”

  “The Elf Census. One of ou
r statisticians noticed that six of our citizens weren’t accounted for, and those six were last listed as employed at the Santa’s Workshop in Nocturne Falls.”

  “So they didn’t come back to the NP. It happens.” Lark was a prime example of that. “It’s not required, is it?”

  “No. Most do though. And to have no record of these six when they all worked at the same store and quit unexpectedly? It’s just odd.”

  “I agree. So what do you think is happening?”

  “We don’t know. Could be they’re being lured away by the appeal of the human world or a competing business, or we’re having some other issue at that particular store, or something else going on in that town, but we have to figure it out. That’s a busy store, and we can’t afford to be constantly understaffed or have these kinds of problems.”

  I hated to see my dad upset. “Who’s the manager?”

  “Tolliver Featherstone. Took the job as his retirement about three years ago.”

  “Which is as long as the elves have been leaving. But I can’t imagine they’re leaving because of him.” He’d been the head tinker for ages and had invented more best-selling toys than any other before him. The saying went, if Toly touched it, it was gold. “Featherstone is kind of a legend.”

  My father nodded. “That’s how he got the job at the store. He was infinitely qualified, so when he asked, it was a done deal. He’s got a granddaughter who lives in town. He wanted to be close to her but keep his hand in the business. We don’t think it has anything to do with him either, but we don’t really know at this point.”

  “Was the previous manager reassigned to make room for him?”

  “No. She retired for good. A month later, Toly took over.”

  I squinted at him. “Where do I come into all this?”

  He put a slim, silver bracelet on the desk and slid it toward me. I knew exactly what it was. Lots of us used them to hide our elfiness from humans when we left the NP. “You’re going undercover as the newest employee. This bracelet isn’t like the usual ones. It won’t mask that you’re an elf, but it will hide your true identity as long as you have it on, transforming you into a normal winter elf. Not Jayne Frost, Winter Princess.”

  “What about on the way to Nocturne Falls?”

  “Just wear your regular bracelet. The two magics are compatible. It won’t lessen your abilities, though, so when you get to the store, you’ll have to watch how much magic you use in front of the other employees.”

  Because my skill level would give me away as being more than just a normal winter elf. “Got it.”

  “Then you’re all set.”

  Notice he didn’t ask if I’d like to go, just told me what I was going to be doing like that was that. Which, I guess it was. When Jack Frost gave you an order, you pretty much did as you were told. “You said the bracelet won’t hide that I’m an elf. Should I keep my other bracelet on then? Won’t my ears and my blue hair be an issue when I’m in town?” Assuming my new identity still had blue hair.

  “Not in Nocturne Falls. Supernaturals live as themselves without issue. It’s how the town is set up. You’ll see.”

  A town where I could be exactly who I was? That was interesting. “And I’m the one best for this because?”

  “Because you’re family and we trust you. And we need someone we trust in this situation.”

  “We meaning you and Uncle Kris?”

  “Yes. And your mother and your aunt Martha, of course.”

  “Good to know it’s not just a ploy to get rid of me.”

  He laughed. “No, sweetheart. It really is about getting someone we trust in on the ground floor. You know how seriously Kris takes those stores. If there’s a problem, he wants it solved.”

  That was flattering. At least I knew they trusted me, even if I didn’t always make them happy. I reached for the bracelet. It gleamed blue in the light, a sure sign of elf magic. “And if—I mean, when I get to the bottom of this?”

  “Then we’ll bring you home and figure out something else for you to do. Something you like more.”

  “I don’t hate working the N & N list, but something in design might be cool.” Kind of sad that I still felt adrift in my own community at this age. But then princess was a title, not a job. At least not one that was full time. I tucked the bracelet in my pocket. “When do I leave?”

  “Tonight. Toly knows a new worker is scheduled to arrive in a couple days. We own the whole building there, as we do with all our stores, so one of the upper-floor apartments will be yours for as long as you need.”

  I laughed. “You were pretty sure I was going to say yes, huh? Not that you actually asked…”

  He skimmed over that. “There’s one more thing. You know magic is really the only way we can communicate from the North Pole, so we’ve come up with something.” He placed two identical snow globes on his desk. Both of them were empty except for the snow, and each had a pretty snowflake design on the front.

  “Magical cell phones were out of the question?”

  He ignored my snarky comment, picking up one of the snow globes instead. “Watch the other globe.” He gave the one in his hand a good shake, and a few seconds later, the snow in the second globe began swirling. “When you see the snow falling, pick up your globe and push the button on the back.”

  I reached over and took the second globe. Sure enough, there was a small button recessed into the back. I pushed it. “Now what?”

  My image showed up in the globe in my dad’s hand and my voice echoed back at me.

  He grinned. “Now we can communicate.”

  His image and voice came through mine. “Wow. That’s cool. About time the NP got its own version of Skype.”

  He pushed the button on his, and the snow stopped swirling. “Keep it near you at all times when you’re in your apartment.”

  “Will do.” Although, probably not too near. I mean, how much could he see through that thing?

  “Good.” Then he handed me the thick file on his desk. “This has everything in it that you need to know. Memorize it on the flight down. There’s also a credit card in there with your alias on it. Use it for whatever you need.”

  I took the file. “Speaking of the flight, please tell me it’s first class.”

  “Not this time. From this moment on, you’re not the princess anymore.” He let out a soft sigh and folded his hands on the desktop. “Jay, be careful down there. Like I said, Nocturne Falls isn’t like most human towns. It’s…different. Alluring.”

  “You think I’m going to fall in love with the place and want to stay? Don’t worry about that. I’m a winter elf. I live at the North Pole.” I gave him a smile. “Nothing’s going to change that.”

  Nocturne Falls was crazy. Cray-zee.

  Halloween twenty-four seven, three hundred and sixty five. Sure, there were towns that did the year-round Christmas thing, but when you live at the North Pole and work in Santa’s factory, that doesn’t seem unusual at all.

  This place, on the other hand, was wild. The whole town was themed in full-on Halloween. From the black, orange, purple, and green color scheme to the crooked buildings to the spooky street names to the permanently cobwebbed lamp posts, Nocturne Falls made no bones about what happened here. I was a little in love already. There were even old-school Halloween characters walking around taking pictures with people. I passed a witch before I’d been on the street for ten minutes.

  But let me back up, because I’d been here longer than that. I’d landed, found the ride my father had arranged from the airport, and made it into town an hour ago. But my first stop was a diner called Mummy’s where I scarfed down two surprisingly good slices of pie (one chocolate silk, one banana cream) and washed them down with a vanilla milkshake. A really good vanilla milkshake.

  I know by human standards that’s not exactly a balanced breakfast. Or lunch. Or whatever meal I was supposed to be eating at this time of day, but I think I mentioned elves like sweets. A lot. Fortunately, we have the typic
al high-powered supernatural metabolism to go along with the ramped-up sweet tooth.

  And with all the traveling and time changes, I needed sugar to make me right again. The pie and milkshake had done the job.

  Now I was dragging two rolling suitcases down Main Street, looking for the shop so I could check in with Toly and get the key to my apartment. I would have used the nav on my phone, but it’s kind of hard to hold a phone, drag two suitcases, and shoulder a laptop case on one side and a purse on the other while trying to avoid accidentally cold-cocking tourists all at the same time.

  A few streets in and my eyes started to glaze over from all the orange and black and purple and black and green and, well, you get the idea. Then a bright red and green sign trimmed in gold popped into my field of vision like a Christmas miracle.

  Santa’s Workshop. At last.

  The faded red brick building was three stories, with the shop taking up the first floor and apartments for employees occupying the upper two. It wasn’t mandatory that workers lived in the company housing, but it was a perk of the job, and who was going to turn down a free place to live? The apartments probably weren’t the Four Seasons or anything (which is where we stayed when we went to New York City), but I was sure they weren’t dumps either.

  I’d know soon enough.

  As mentioned, most of the stores in Nocturne Falls adhered pretty heavily to the Halloween theme, but Santa’s Workshop was one hundred percent Christmas. Right down to the genuine icicles hanging off the eaves and the canopy over the door, and the swirls of frost in the corners of the windows. When the sun caught the building just right, the glow of blue was noticeable. At least to my eyes.

  Because making real ice and frost happen in Georgia in April? That was winter elf magic right there, but not all winter elves could maintain that level of magic over a sustained period of time. I could, but I was Jack Frost’s daughter. My skills were above average.