Miss Frost Saves The Sandman: A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost Book 3) Read online

  Miss Frost

  Saves the Sandman

  A Nocturne Falls Mystery

  Jayne Frost, book three

  Kristen Painter

  Dedicated to all of us

  who never seem to get enough sleep.

  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.

  When the Sandman comes to Santa’s Workshop, the shop Jayne manages, to do his first ever book signing, it’s a major event. He’s kind of a supernatural celebrity and she needs to keep him happy.

  All is well until trouble shows up at the party thrown in his honor. Trouble in the form of Luna Nyx, the Mistress of Nightmares and his creepy counterpart. The Sandman’s assistant says Luna is dangerous, and Jayne believes it when her dreams turn dark.

  Can Jayne keep the Sandman safe from this gothic goddess? Or will Luna’s threats put them both to sleep for good?

  MISS FROST SAVES THE SANDMAN:

  A Nocturne Falls Mystery

  Jayne Frost, Book Three

  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: 978-1-941695-22-7

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Welcome to Nocturne Falls

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  About the Author

  Other books by Kristen Painter

  Many Thanks

  Tempus Sanders, aka the Sandman (yes, the Sandman) was the biggest elf I’d ever seen. Actually, he was the biggest anything I’d ever seen.

  I wasn’t sure how tall he was, or how wide, but standing beside him in the warehouse of Santa’s Workshop made me feel like a delicate flower. Which is not a description ever really used about me, even though I am the Winter Princess.

  Despite his size, Tempus wasn’t intimidating, probably because his body shape more closely resembled a marshmallow Peep more than anything else. If I’m being perfectly honest, he was kind of a little blobby. But in a good way. It was comforting somehow. Like a giant stuffed animal you could just cuddle up with and…well…sleep.

  Which made sense, seeing as how sleep was his kingdom.

  Sleep was also the reason he was here at my store. The Sandman had written a children’s book guaranteed to put kids to sleep. There was no way Hush, Little Baby wouldn’t be a hit once parents figured out what it could do, but to make sure the book had the best launch possible, my dad, Jack Frost, and my uncle, Kris Kringle, had decided that the Santa’s Workshop store in Nocturne Falls (the location I managed) should be the site of the event.

  We ran the stores as a way to test out all the new toys my uncle’s tinkers invented. And sure, to make money. Running a magical Christmas wonderland like the North Pole took some ice. But having the book launch at my store was pretty awesome. I knew they also thought that if anything supernatural happened, Nocturne Falls would be the place least likely to get bent out of shape about it.

  They were right. This town could handle just about anything. But I’d been the manager of this shop less than a year, so the question really was, could I handle it? I certainly hoped so.

  After all, the Sandman wasn’t just physically big, he was a supernatural celebrity. A paranormal paragon. A magical rockstar. You get the picture.

  Anyway, with his marshmallow body and his deep, melodic voice, it was no wonder he was the King of Dreams. Just being around him made me want to nap.

  His assistant, on the other hand, was a hummingbird on crack. A humorless, uber-efficient hummingbird on crack. Without all the pretty hummingbird colors.

  Olive Pine stood at Sanders’ side, notepad at the ready. Her hair was scraped back into a ponytail so tight her brows seemed permanently suspended an inch above the rims of her glasses. Based on the color of her hair (so blue it was almost black), I knew she had talent when it came to magical abilities, but her real skills seemed to lie in her ability to keep Sanders on track.

  She pushed her frames back on her nose to stare at me. “Mr. Sanders should be getting to his room. He needs to settle in and get ready. Tomorrow’s a big day. Big day.” She tapped her pen on the notepad. “He wants to be in the store as soon as it opens. And the store opens at—”

  “Olive, I assure you, I know when the store opens.” I smiled, trying to be patient. “I’m the manager, after all.”

  “Yes, you are. I have that in my notes. Jayne Frost, store manager. And Winter Princess.” Her mouth formed a little knot that made her expression rather pensive. Like she was waiting for something to happen but wasn’t sure what.

  “That’s me.” I almost felt sorry for her. She’d probably done more work than any of us getting ready for this event. “I promise I’ll take you up to the visitor’s suite just as soon as he’s done looking around.”

  Sanders had never been to one of the company stores before and had wanted a tour of the warehouse. I couldn’t blame him—it was one of my favorite places. Dim and cool and cavernous. It felt peaceful to me. Sort of like my very own Fortress of Solitude.

  He walked down the center aisle toward us, his warm brown eyes glittering. “I like this place.”

  In the large space, his deep voice set off a small echo. I returned his grin. “Me, too. And not just because I work here.” I pointed to the rooms behind me. “That’s my office, and the door next to it goes into the employee breakroom.”

  He nodded, coming to a stop next to us. I had to tip my head back to keep eye contact. He put his enormous hands on his hips and took one more look around. “Your father and uncle know what they’re doing, don’t they?”

  “Yes, sir, they do.” I glanced at Olive, who was studying her watch. “Ready to go up to your rooms?”

  He nodded. “Lead the way.”

  I took them to the elevator, slightly concerned Sanders might not fit. He had to duck, but the
n fit okay. Okay being a relative word. Olive and I were a little squished. Thankfully, Kip, one of the shop employees, had already taken Sanders’ luggage up. I’d asked Kip to do it, but he’d been so excited about meeting Sanders that I got the feeling he would have volunteered anyway.

  We got off on the third floor and I walked them to the guest suite. The apartments on this floor were bigger than the ones on the second floor where I lived. I could have had one of these—the previous manager’s apartment, actually—but I’d already settled into my apartment downstairs. And how much room did one person need anyway?

  It was just me and Spider, my cat. My talking cat. But I didn’t really mention that to anyone anymore because I was the only one he ever spoke in front of. Apparently, that’s how the magic that had given him that ability worked.

  I unlocked the door, opened it, then handed Sanders the key ring, which held the apartment key and the key to the warehouse door. I had a copy of all the keys in my office. “Here you go. I hope it’s to your liking.”

  “It looks very good.” He took the keys, then handed them to Olive before entering the apartment.

  She followed him, tucking the keys into the messenger bag slung across her body.

  I came in behind them and shut the door. “The layout’s pretty easy. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms with an open kitchen, dining and living room area. You need anything at all, just ask.”

  He nodded, doing a slow three-sixty. “Very nice.” He faced me. “There is one thing. I could use something to eat.”

  I bet he could. How many calories did it take to fuel a body that size? “The kitchen is stocked with a variety of things, including selections from one of the best sweet shops in town.” Three boxes’ worth, actually. When Delaney Ellingham had heard who was coming to launch his new book at my shop, she’d gone a little overboard, insisting on packing the boxes herself. I’d thought being a new mom would slow her down a little, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

  The Ellinghams had also decided to throw a party in Sanders’ honor, which meant tomorrow night after the shop closed, we were all headed to Elenora Ellingham’s estate for a black tie affair. My dad and uncle had thought it was a great idea so I’d had my mom send some of my fancy stuff through the Santa’s Bag, the transfer system that magically allowed us to send things between the store and the North Pole.

  Being a princess meant I had a lot to choose from. No need to buy something new. And after stocking up on flip-flops and shorts to combat the summer heat in Georgia, wearing a formal gown was going to be an interesting change of pace.

  It was worth it, though, to meet the grand dame of the Ellingham clan and get a look inside her place. I’d been by it a few times and from the outside, it was majorly impressive. Plus I’d heard no one threw a party like Elenora, and after deciding not to attend the recent Black and Orange Halloween Ball, I was almost looking forward to this.

  But back to Sanders and his dietary requirements.

  “I’d be happy to order you something. Do you like pizza? There’s a phenomenal pizza place in town. Salvatore’s. Really good pies.”

  He squinted as if in thought. “Pizza sounds great.”

  “Sure. What do you like on yours?”

  “Everything,” Olive answered before he could say a word. “But peppers.”

  Sanders laughed and put his hand on his stomach. “Yes, peppers and I are not friends.”

  “Great, I’ll get right on that.” I pulled out my cell phone. “How many would you like?”

  “Six. Large.” He pointed at his assistant. “And whatever Olive would like.”

  I tried not to react to the size of his order. “Okay.” I looked at Olive. “What can I get you?”

  “Small, plain cheese pizza.”

  “That’s it?”

  She answered without looking up from scribbling something in her notepad. “Yes.”

  “Got it.” I hit the button for Salvatore’s and placed my order, which had to be the biggest I’d ever given them. When I was done, I hung up and spoke to Sanders, who’d gotten himself a soda from the fridge and was wandering around the living room like he was ready to relax. I could take a hint. “I’ll bring the pizzas up when they arrive, but for now I’ll let you get settled in.”

  “Thank you, Jayne. You’re an excellent hostess.”

  I smiled. “Thank you. See you in about half an hour.”

  I took the stairs to the floor below and headed straight to Juniper’s apartment. Juni had become one of my best friends, along with Buttercup, the slightly Goth girl who was the evening shift manager. Besides the two of them, the other store employees were Holly and Kip, the two who’d arrived not long after I had, and the newest employee, Rowley Gladstone.

  Rowley was a retired tinker like the manager I’d replaced, but my father assured me the older man had no aspirational dreams beyond working in the store now that he’d retired. He’d moved here with his wife, Dorthea. She was also retired, having worked in one of the company’s cafeterias as a baker. That was a big gold star as far as I was concerned. And Rowley was a fast, eager learner, already handling things in the shop like a pro despite only being here a week. For as well as I knew him and his wife, I liked them both.

  I knocked on Juni’s door. Buttercup answered. “Hey. You get Sanders settled in?”

  “I did.”

  Juni showed up a second later with a plate of cookies in her hand. “Did he like the apartment?”

  “Seemed to. I just ordered them some pizzas. You guys want to help me deliver them?”

  “Do you really need help or is this just so I can meet him?” Buttercup asked. She’d been working in the store so hadn’t gotten the chance yet.

  “I need the help. There are seven pies coming.”

  “Wow, he’s an eater, huh?” She grinned. “Sure, I’m in. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “Cool.”

  Juni nodded too. “Happy to help. You want to come in and taste this new batch of shortbread while we wait? It’s Dorthea’s recipe.”

  “Did you really need to ask?” I shut the door behind me and helped myself to a cookie. It crumbled into buttery goodness on my tongue. “Mmm, these are great. Does Delaney know you’re cutting into her sales?”

  Juniper laughed. “Fortunately for her, my baking is just a hobby. It’s Dorthea she needs to watch out for. Hey, do you think I should take some of these up to Mr. Sanders?”

  “He’d love them. Or you could keep them all here and give them to me.” I smiled hopefully.

  She snorted. “I could, but I don’t think you can assure me of pleasant dreams.” She took the plate into the kitchen and got out the cling wrap. “Off to our celebrity guest, then.”

  Buttercup and I settled onto the couch. A Reese Witherspoon movie was playing on the TV but the sound was turned down.

  Buttercup faced me, tucking one leg underneath the other. Her galaxy print leggings and black T-shirt looked very comfy. “Juniper said Sanders’ assistant is a real piece of work.”

  Juniper joined us, taking the side chair. The plate of cookies had been tragically left behind on the counter. “Yeah, what’s her name? Something like pickle. I know that’s not it but that’s all I can remember.”

  “Olive,” I corrected. “Olive Pine.”

  Buttercup sucked in a breath. “Olive Pine is the Sandman’s assistant?”

  “Yep. You know her?”

  Buttercup shrugged. “We went to school together, but I didn’t know her very well. I don’t think anyone did. We were in the same graduating class. But she kept to herself. Especially after the incident.”

  “The incident?” I leaned back. “Wait, was she as tightly wound then as she is now?”

  Buttercup raised her eyebrows. “She was voted most likely to run the North Pole Statistics Department before she was thirty.”

  “Sounds like she hasn’t changed.”

  “Yeah, well, we weren’t sure she’d end up getting employment after what she did senior
year.”

  Juniper’s eyes widened. “Is that ‘the incident’? What did she do?”

  With obvious relish, Buttercup wiggled further back on the couch. “Well, I’m not one to gossip, but this is a true story so…” She cleared her throat. “Olive broke into the school office and changed the grades of her crush, Lyle Bell. He was the captain of the curling team and a major babe. If you like jocks.” She made a face like she didn’t see the appeal. “Anyway, Olive only got caught because a janitor saw her leaving the building after hours.”

  I shook my head. “Why did she change his grades? If he was on the curling team, they would had to have been pretty decent already.”

  “They were. But not decent enough for him to get into Olive’s top pick college. She confessed to hoping the bump in GPA would make it possible for them to attend the same school.”

  “And what did her boyfriend think of all this?” Juniper asked.

  “Oh, Lyle wasn’t her boyfriend. Olive wanted him to be, but so did ninety percent of the rest of the school. He claimed to be flattered by it, but insisted he knew nothing about it. I believed him. So did everyone else.”

  It seemed a little crazy to me. “What happened to Olive?”

  Buttercup smirked. “She kind of snapped. She was so wound up about the guy that she ended up having to go to counseling for mental distress. Because of that, she got a slap on the wrist. It didn’t even go on her permanent record. The next year she started college like nothing had ever happened.”

  “Huh.” I shot Juniper a look. She seemed as stunned as I was. “I guess Lyle went to a different school.”

  Buttercup laughed. “Lyle moved to Sweden and tried out for the national curling team, who promptly made him an offer. I don’t think he’s been back to the North Pole since.”

  We sat in silence for a moment, light from the movie flickering behind us. Finally, I spoke. “Do you think Sanders knows? Not that it matters, I guess. I mean, that was high school. People do stupid things in the name of love all the time at that age.”