Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case: A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost Book 1) by Kristen Painter Page A

moment for the reality of what had just happened to register, my head being all cluttered with fear and the scent of cinnamon. I put my hand on my chest. My heart was going pretty fast. “Physically, yes. Mentally, I’m not so sure. How did you do that?”
    He shrugged. “Vampire skills.”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. “You could have told me what you were going to do.”
    “Would you have agreed?”
    “Probably not.” Then I smiled. “That has to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. Well, been a part of. But seriously, next time, ask. Or I can’t be responsible for my reaction.”
    He held his hands up and backed off. “I will. Promise.” He gestured down the street. “To the Shop-n-Save then?”
    “Yes.” I glanced up at the fire escape we’d just jumped off of. “Seriously cool.”
    He laughed softly, and we started down the street on our mission to secure cat food and cat litter. Talk about things you don’t expect to be doing with a vampire.
    “About dinner…” He looked at me. “Maybe Saturday?”
    “Why not Friday?” Although I was off both nights since I was scheduled for the day shift.
    “I’m the VOD Friday night.”
    “Vampire On Duty, right?”
    He nodded. “From six until midnight.”
    “I guess Saturday night would be good then.”
    He smirked. “You guess?”
    “I still want to know where that elevator goes.” Because that might explain why Toly was so wound up about it.
    Greyson laughed. “You really are tenacious.”
    “Does that mean you’re going to tell me?”
    “No.”
    I sighed with great effort. “What’s the big secret?”
    He rolled his lips in for a moment as if suppressing more laughter. “Why do you want to know so badly?”
    “Because Toly, the manager, the same guy who won’t let any of us have visitors unless they’re cleared with him first, freaks out every time we go near that elevator. And I’m dying to know what the big deal is.”
    Greyson sighed. “The big deal is it gives access to a restricted Nocturne Falls town area, and if something happens because one of you gets down there via that elevator, he’s probably on the line with the Ellinghams. Not to mention whoever he’d have to report to in the company. I’m sure your upper management wouldn’t be happy about it either.”
    “Yeah, that’s what I figured. But I still want to know what’s down there.”
    “And I still can’t tell you.”
    “Maybe I can’t make dinner on Saturday night…”
    His eyes took on a darkly wicked glint. “And perhaps the next time I visit your shop, I’ll ask for you by name, telling them all how I had to find you to return the earring you’d left behind after our evening together.”
    I laughed and gave him a little shove. “Fine. I’ll stop asking about the elevator.”
    He nodded. “Thank you. If the occasion arises that I can tell you more, I will. You have my word.”
    That was something. “All right. Thanks.” Then I decided to push in a different direction. “Do you know about the elves that have quit their jobs at the store? Well, quit might not be explaining it right. In the last two and a half years, six elves have just up and left. They wrote a note, left their stuff behind—at least one did—and just didn’t show up for work. Here one day, gone the next.”
    He was silent a moment. Like he was thinking. “I’ve heard.”
    “How did you hear?”
    He rolled his shoulders. “I’m a town employee. Word gets around when a business is having issues.”
    Interesting. “Because?”
    “Because the Ellinghams don’t like waves. At least not the kind that could affect the rest of the town.”
    “They sound as bad as Toly.”
    “Not at all.” He shook his head. “They’ve worked hard to make this place what it is. A safe haven for supernaturals of all kinds. They have a tremendous amount invested here, and they have every right to defend what they’ve built. Are they perfect? No. What family is? But they’re good people.