Miss Frost Braves the Blizzard

by Painter, Kristen

  That part I hadn’t worked out. “Are you any closer to figuring out how to do that?”

  He frowned, giving me my answer. “No. But it feels like we’re on the verge.”

  I smiled encouragingly. I knew he and his team were trying. “You’ll get there.”

  “Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later. Have you dug into those files?”

  “Yes, but we’re not quite halfway through.”

  “Okay, let me know what you turn up. And if I can help in anyway.”

  “I will.”

  “In the meantime, get some sleep, honey. I know this whole mess is probably making that hard for you to do, but you’ve got to take care of yourself.”

  “I know. And I’m trying. I promise.”

  “Good. I love you.”

  “Love you too. Give my love to Mom and Aunt Martha and Uncle Kris as well.”

  “I will. Night, Jay.”

  “Night, Dad.” I hung up, then lay back on the floor of the closet and let my thoughts take over again. If Tempus could knock the yetis out, and we could send them back to the North Pole via the portal, how could we then secure the portal so they couldn’t return? Even if it was just a temporary fix. There had to be something we were missing.

  Soft scratching at the closet door interrupted my train of thought. I pushed to my feet and opened the door a sliver.

  Spider squeezed through the crack to rub against my legs. “Mama not sleeping.”

  “No, I’m not. But neither are you.”

  He sat in front of me. “Spider likes Birdie.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Spider likes bird man too.”

  My brows lifted. “You mean Uncle Jack?”

  “Uncle Jack has good flavor.”

  “Spider, it’s not polite to taste our visitors, even if they do have a secondary form you find appealing.”

  “What’s appealing?”

  “Appetizing.” Then I realized he might not know that word either. “Tasty. Like Chicken Party.”

  He stood up, his tail going straight into the air. “Spider loves Chicken Party.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Dinner?”

  “No. Not dinner.”

  “Breakfast?”

  “Nope, not breakfast either. Or lunch, before you ask. Bed. Let’s go.” I opened the door all the way and shooed him out as I turned off the light and went to open my bedroom door again. He might not want to sleep, but I needed to or tomorrow was going to be a very long, very unproductive day and no one—not myself, not Buttercup, not the town of Nocturne Falls—could afford that.

  Somehow, sheer exhaustion maybe, I did manage to sleep. Not long, but I’d take what I could get. When I was awake enough to move, I climbed out of bed, pulled on my robe and went to the window.

  It was still snowing.

  I’d never said or thought this in my life, but the sight of that snow drifting down made my heart sink. I realized that was the kind of statement that might get my winter elf card revoked, but more snow was the last thing this town needed. Okay, maybe more yetis was the real last thing this town needed, but you get my drift. No pun intended.

  With a sigh and a need for caffeine, I trudged out to the living room.

  Sin was sitting on the couch with a stack of files in front of him and a cup of coffee at his side. “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Hey.” I smiled at him. It was impossible not to. “Morning yourself, handsome. How’d you sleep?”

  He shrugged a little. “Okay.”

  “That sleeper sofa isn’t that comfortable, is it?”

  “It has nothing to do with the mattress. Just too much going on in my head.”

  “We’re sharing a brain on that one.”

  “You didn’t sleep that well either?”

  “Not the best, no.”

  “Well, there’s coffee.”

  I headed for the fridge. “I need something stronger than coffee this morning.” I pulled out a bottle of Dr Pepper, unscrewed the top and downed about half of it. Which was going to result in a very un-princessy burp, but certain things couldn’t be helped. Maybe I could hold it until I was in the shower.

  Spider had followed me into the living room, but instead of begging for breakfast like I expected, he hopped up onto the back of the couch and settled in next to Sugar, who was sleeping on the cushion behind Sin. Most likely, Sin had already fed them.

  I tipped my bottle at the pair. “I think Sugar calms him down, believe it or not.”

  “That’s because they wear each other out running around.” His eyes sparkled with a deeper meaning. “Playmates are very important.”

  I took another sip before I answered. “They are.”

  He laughed softly. “You ready for breakfast?”

  “What is it?”

  “Cranberry white chocolate pancakes and sausage links.”

  “That sounds amazing.” Man, I could get used to this. “I want to shower first, though. Cool?”

  “Cool.”

  I headed for the bathroom with my Dr Pepper, but paused on my way by the couch. “Find anything interesting in those files so far?”

  “Couple more S’s to add to the pile, that’s about it.”

  “I’ll take over when I’m showered so you can make breakfast.”

  “Deal.”

  The shower was long and hot and just what I needed to wake me up and clear my head for the day to come. I dried my hair, put on a touch of makeup, then threw on jeans and a sweater. Cute, but casual.

  I walked back into the living room and took over for Sin as planned. He made breakfast, which was delicious, then we both got busy. I wasn’t sure how much longer it would take us to get through the rest of the boxes, but we had nothing else going on for the day.

  Although I did want to go by Balfour Park and check in on Buttercup. Despite Juniper and Kip’s visit last night, I wanted to see her for myself. I stared at the air in front of me and sighed. She hadn’t texted, which was good since she was supposed to use the secret phone only for emergencies, but that wasn’t enough to stop me from worrying about her.

  “What’s got you distracted?”

  I glanced up at Sin. “Thinking about Buttercup.”

  He nodded. “You want to take a break and drive over to the park? See if you can talk to her?”

  “I’d love to, actually.”

  He closed the file in front of him. “Let’s do it.”

  Someone knocked on my door. I jumped up. “Right after I get that.”

  I opened the door to find Rowley and his wife, Dorothea, standing there. She had a platter of cookies in her hands. He nodded at me. “Morning, Miss Frost.”

  “Morning, Rowley, Dorothea. Please, call me Jayne.” But they were old school, and I knew that kind of informality didn’t come naturally to them. I pulled the door wide. “Come on in.”

  Dorothea held the plate out as they entered. “I made you some sugar cookies.”

  “How awesome. Two of the things I love most: sugar and cookies.” I took the plate and used my elbow to gesture to Sinclair. “This is my friend, Sinclair Crowe. He owns the doughnut shop in town.” I looked at him. “This is Rowley and Dorothea Gladstone. Rowley works in the shop.”

  He smiled at them. “Nice to meet you both.”

  Dorothea clasped her hands in front of her heart. “You own Zombie Donuts?”

  “That’s the one,” Sin answered.

  “Oh my, those are very good. And it is very nice to meet you.” She linked her arm through her husband’s. “You’re dating our Jayne, aren’t you?”

  He chuckled. “I am.”

  Rowley cleared his throat. “We just came to see how you were getting on with the storm and all. And if there was anything we could do to help.”

  I shot a look at Sin. “Actually, there is.” I put the plate of cookies on the dining table and gave them the rundown of what we were doing with the files. “We’re trying to sort out the men who might have visite
d Nocturne Falls in addition to any tinkers who have a first or last name starting with the letter S.”

  “That should be easy enough,” Rowley said. “I bet I know a good number of them.”

  Of course he would. “I don’t know how I forgot you were a tinker, Rowley.”

  “I loved that job.” He beamed with pride. “Those were very good years. Not that I’m not enjoying my semi-retirement here. I am.”

  “No worries. I know this is a much different gig than working for my uncle. So listen, if you don’t mind helping, you’d probably be better at this than the rest of us.” I shook my head. “I don’t know why I didn’t ask you to help sooner. Too much on my mind.”

  “That’s completely understandable, Miss—I mean, Jayne. I’m assuming this has something to do with the yetis in town?”

  “It does. Specifically about the snow globe that Eustace Brightly designed.”

  Rowley nodded. “I know the one. Never could get the kinks worked out. Stacey was so disappointed in that.”

  I went still. “Stacey?”

  “Eustace, sorry. All of his friends called him Stacey. At least those of us who knew him well.”

  I sat down on the coffee table, and not just because my knees had gone weak. “So you were a good friend of his?”

  Rowley nodded. “I’d say so, yes.”

  “We had him over for dinner quite a few times,” Dorothea added. “Very sad to hear about his passing.”

  “Did he ever mention a sister? Or a half-sister, maybe?”

  “Sure, Sarabelle,” Dorothea said. “Sweet woman. Not well, though. Passed on about ten years or so ago.”

  I tapped my fingers on my chin as I got back to my feet. “Myra didn’t have any mentions of her, which is odd. Because having a sister might even be better than having a brother. But then, she didn’t have either, did she?”

  “I’m not sure I follow,” Rowley said.

  “Just talking to myself.” I looked at Sin. “We can stop going through those files.”

  He nodded. “Eustace was Mr. S.”

  We moved to the dining table with coffee and Dorothea’s cookies and the remaining eclairs. I told Rowley and Dorothea everything that had happened, everything I suspected, and how desperate we all were for a way to close the portal. Why not? I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Besides, they were winter elves. They would understand better than anyone what was at stake here.

  Rowley hesitated for a long moment. I let him be. If it took some time to think back to his days as a tinker, so be it. Finally, he tipped his head and spoke. “You think Myra and Stacey were having a relationship, then?”

  “I do.”

  “He never said a thing.” Dorothea turned her coffee cup so that the handle was at a right angle to the edge of the table, but didn’t drink. She seemed lost in thought.

  Rowley glanced at me. “Why wouldn’t Myra just move to the North Pole, then? I could see why he wouldn’t move. He was one of the top tinkers. But if they loved each other, I would have thought they’d have done anything to be together. So what kept them apart?”

  “That’s a good question. One I don’t have an answer to. Why would a woman in love with a man not move to be with him when he had a job like Eustace had? I don’t think she had any kind of job that was too amazing to leave.”

  “Birdie could find that out,” Sin offered.

  “You’re right. I need to ask her about that.” I looked back at the Gladstones. “What could have been so important as to keep Myra here in Nocturne Falls? Her great-nephew, Nate? I could see that being true until he went away to college and started his own life, but after that?”

  Dorothea put her hand on Rowley’s arm, but kept her gaze on us. “There’s not much that could keep me from Rowley.”

  He smiled at her and patted her hand. They were so adorable together. He looked at me again. “Maybe it wasn’t a matter of staying here. Maybe it was a matter of not being allowed into the North Pole.”

  I frowned. “She would have to have done something pretty rare and extreme for that to happen.”

  Rowley shrugged. “But it does happen. You know that better than most.”

  “True.” Lark, my old frenemy, had been the most recent banishment, but due to my being one of the victims of her crimes, my father and uncle decided I was too close to the events and should abstain from her hearing. Which I did. Gladly.

  However, I had been in on two royal hearings where the outcome had been possible banishment. One had been a case of espionage. A baker had been accused of selling the seven-mint blend of our candy canes to a human-owned confection company. The second had been an elf who’d attempted to bring a human into the North Pole without special dispensation.

  The baker had been found guilty and banished. The elf who’d failed to bring an unauthorized human into the NP had not.

  After both cases, my father had discussed at length his decisions and when banishment was appropriate and when it wasn’t, using each case as a teaching tool. When I took his place, those decisions would be mine to make.

  With a serious sigh, I flattened my hands on the table. “I guess I need to talk to my father about who’s been banished in the last century.”

  “Unpleasant business to be sure,” Rowley said. “But it may give you a clue as to who Myra was.”

  “That’s not going to be easy with her using an assumed name,” Dorothea said.

  “Not an assumed name,” I said. “I realize I said that when I was telling you her story. I meant an adopted one. My mistake. We believe Myra was adopted into a fae family.”

  Dorothea made a slightly mortified face. “A winter elf child? Adopted to a family outside the North Pole?”

  “I know. It’s an uncommon thing.”

  “If it’s true, I feel sorry for her.”

  I did, too, the more I thought about it. Missing out on a childhood in the North Pole seemed like a cruel and unusual punishment. Not that a childhood elsewhere wouldn’t be lovely, but the North Pole was essentially a kid’s dream. Tons of candy and sweets, every day’s a snow day, Santa Claus in residence, new toys constantly in need of testing…it was the most magically suited place for children I could think of. To be a winter elf and not grow up there seemed tragic to me.

  What had happened in Myra’s life to cause her to lose her parents? And her place in the North Pole? I had to find out. But there was one more question I had to ask Rowley. “Maybe this is private tinker information, but I need to ask you one more thing, Rowley.”

  He didn’t seem bothered. “Go ahead.”

  “Do you know anything about Eustace using his own blood in the magic of the snow globe he crafted?”

  Rowley’s mouth dropped open. “That would be highly frowned upon. I assure you.”

  And yet, he’d done it. But if Rowley wasn’t aware of it, he couldn’t know how to close the portal without it. “Thank you. I appreciate you both spending some time with me today. And thank you so much for the cookies, Dorothea. They’re delicious. A real testament to your time in the North Pole kitchens.”

  She preened a little, clearly pleased with my compliment. “Thank you, Princess.”

  “You’re welcome.” I pushed my chair back and got to my feet. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have so much to do and I really should get to it.”

  “Of course.” Rowley stood and helped his wife up. “You just let us know if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  Dorothea smiled at Sinclair as he stood. “It was so lovely to meet you, Mr. Crowe.”

  “It was nice to meet you both. And Sinclair, please. We’re friends now.”

  Her smile broadened at that statement. “Very well, then, Sinclair.”

  “Thanks again.” I walked them to the door and said goodbye before turning back to Sinclair. “I need Birdie on her computer and digging. And I need to get all these records back to my dad.”

  “And have new ones sent.” Sinclair leaned against the table. “But if
that doesn’t work, it’s time for us to pay Myra a visit.”

  “But she’s in the morgue—oh! Sin, no. We talked about that. I don’t want you using your gifts when it costs you so much.”

  “I can spare a few minutes to help you, and for the sake of Buttercup, my town and the people in it. This needs to come to an end.”

  “I agree, but let’s see what Birdie finds. I’m sure she’ll dig up something.” But all of our leads so far had been dead ends.

  No pun intended.

  Sin called Birdie while I called my dad, then we hefted the first load of boxes down to the Santa’s Bag and sent them back to the NP.

  After that, we hopped in Sin’s SUV and made our way to Balfour Park. Deputy Cruz was on gate patrol this time. He waved us in. “How are you?”

  “Okay.” My gaze was fixed on the ice castle. “Anything new? Any sign of Buttercup?”

  “Nothing new, and we’ve seen her a few times walking on the top there. Although I haven’t seen her yet today.”

  “How did she seem when she was spotted?”

  “Good. The yetis follow her everywhere.”

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “Not really, no. Your winter elf friends were here, but the rest of us have given the fort a wide berth since getting Birdie out of there. The sheriff thought it might be best to let things settle a bit.”

  “Probably. Has there been any more food delivered?”

  He pushed the brim of his hat back a little. “Bridget came by with eight pans of peach cobbler.”

  “And?”

  “Yetis devoured them, but they were cautious coming out.”

  I made a face. “Because last time we offered them chocolates, we breached their fortress.”

  He nodded. “They’re not so dumb, are they?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” I sighed. “I’m going up to the fortress. I need to check on Buttercup. Make sure she’s all right and not in need of anything.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You have the sheriff’s permission?”

  “Do I need it?”

  “I think I should at least call it in.” He reached for the radio on his shoulder.