Chapter 6
Chapter Six
ZARA
It looked like Christmas had thrown up on me.
Staring at my ghastly elf reflection in the bathroom mirror at the Bavarian Lodge, I calculated that moving to a different continent might not be far enough to escape this level of mortification.
Another option would be to fake my death, though at this point even my imaginary ghost would be too embarrassed to haunt anyone.
Was this really what an elf was supposed to look like?
My legs felt like they were vacuum-sealed in bright yellow leggings, while the forest green tunic was apparently designed for a medieval child or someone in Las Vegas whose career involved significantly fewer fabric requirements.
Making matters worse was the elf hat with actual jingle bells that announced my presence from a mile away.
Then there were the horrific pointed ears, jutting out from under my hair and making me look like a confused Vulcan who’d gotten lost on the way to a Renaissance fair.
“The Christmas carolers are already roaming the streets, and this place is like a beautiful postcard!” Chloe said with too much glee as she entered the hotel room. “Are you here?”
“In the bathroom,” I called out. “And don’t you dare laugh at my—”
“What the elf?!” Chloe’s words echoed off the bathroom tiles as she entered, and immediately dissolved into the kind of laughter that made me want to hide under the bed until the new year. “You just made my day. I need to go get my phone.”
“For each picture you take, you’ll lose a limb,” I said.
“Why?” Chloe said. “You look amazing.”
“You’re confusing your adjectives. You mean ridiculous, right?” I tugged at the tunic hem for what must have been the tenth time.
“Are you kidding me? I laughed only because you caught me off guard with those ears. Hold still …” Chloe yanked the fake ears off me and tossed them on the counter.
“Nobody wears those. Have you not seen the movie Elf?” She circled me as if I were a sculpture she was appraising.
“Much better. You just went from cute and funny to freaking hot. I’m actually kind of jealous. ”
“You’re actually kind of delusional.”
“Trust me, your suspect is going to take one look at you in that outfit and forget his own name.”
“That’s exactly the problem!” I gestured wildly, making my bells jingle in protest. “I’m supposed to be conducting a professional investigation while undercover, not auditioning for his personal holiday fantasies.”
Chloe leaned against the sink, studying my face with the sharp attention that made her such a good agent. “Okay, what’s really going on here? You’re totally overreacting, since all you are doing right now is rocking that outfit. Is this about being with human beings?”
“Kind of …” I sighed, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “I think Sam might like me.”
She shrugged. “Not a surprise. Is that it?”
“And … I think I might like him back. A lot.”
Chloe’s eyebrows practically launched into orbit.
“No way!” She immediately clamped her hand over her mouth, then tiptoed to the door like a cartoon spy, cracked it open, scanned the hallway, and speed-walked back. “I get it; the man looks like he was carved by angels, but he’s also our prime suspect. That’s why we’re here!”
“I know!” I turned away from my reflection before I obsessed about how much the green clashed with my complexion. “Sam’s not what I expected. He’s kind, funny, and wicked smart. And his generosity is through the roof. You know what that alone does to me.”
“Like an aphrodisiac …”
“And yesterday, when I was on top of him, he—”
“Whoa! Excuse me?” Chloe’s hand shot up like a traffic cop. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s not what you think,” I said. “I fell like an idiot in front of his desk and landed on him. Completely unintentional.”
“The best things in life usually are,” she said with a knowing smile.“Were you able to analyze the components of his cologne?”
“I think I’m missing one ingredient, maybe two …
” I tried to steer the conversation back to my fears.
“Anyway, there was a moment when he looked at me as if he thought I was genuinely fascinating. Not like a clumsy volunteer who needed constant supervision, but like someone worth getting to know.” My neck felt like it was radiating heat.
“I’m supposed to be building a federal case, not wondering what it would be like to kiss him! ”
“This is incredible,” Chloe said. “Agent Hermit is developing actual human feelings for a suspect after meeting him once. I never thought I’d see the day. My little girl is growing up.” She faked a nose sniff, then shot me a proud smile.
“You’re only one year older than me,” I said. “And I’m not developing feelings. I’m experiencing an unwanted endocrine response and increased oxytocin production, resulting in a compromised prefrontal cortex that’s creating operational complications and distorted decision-making. Big difference.”
“Sure,” Chloe said. “That’s totally why you’re having an existential breakdown in the bathroom.”
I checked my watch and moved toward the door. “Well, the breakdown has officially ended because I need to get going. Wish me luck. I’ll need it.”
We stepped out of the bathroom, and that was when we heard the video call on my laptop from Agent Thorne.
“Why is he calling now?” I asked.
Chloe shrugged. “Who knows, but you’d better answer.”
I sighed and tapped the green button on my laptop to accept the video call, Thorne’s face immediately appearing on my monitor.
“I’m just running out the door,” I said.
Thorne moved closer to his monitor to get a good look at me, his eyes sweeping over my costume with clinical assessment. “That’s a mighty festive outfit.” His expression remained perfectly neutral—which was infinitely worse than if he’d burst out laughing.
“Thank you.” I tugged at the tunic self-consciously. “I’m volunteering as Sam Monroe’s elf tonight.”
“That’s brilliant!” Thorne’s eyes lit up with genuine approval. “Now you have access to him from every angle—at the library, plus at his community events throughout the month of December. Great work, Mazini.”
“Actually, I’m just filling in tonight,” I clarified. “There’s a flu bug going around, and Sam was desperate for someone to fill in. Being his elf is strictly a one-and-done.”
“Not anymore,” Thorne said with finality. “Do whatever you need to do to make sure it’s permanent.”
What? No, no, no, no!
The thought of weeks of mandatory holiday cheer made me take a cleansing breath.
Crowds, small talk, endless fake smiling—all while wearing this ridiculous costume and pretending to enjoy every torturous moment.
Even if it was for the job, I didn’t think I would be able to sustain all that face time with so many people. I was glad I was using an alias.
“The best way to infiltrate Good Sam’s world completely is to be everywhere he is,” Thorne added in the tone he usually used when delivering critical instructions. “You need to be all over that man like a cheap suit.”
Trust me, I’ve already accomplished that.
“Don’t worry about Zara,” Chloe joined me on camera, clearly sensing my internal panic. “Good Sam has already taken quite a liking to her.”
“It’s true,” I said. “I’ve got everything under control. Extra elf shifts are unnecessary since there will be plenty of surveillance opportunities at the library. This will be a piece of cake.”
“We can’t take that chance,” Thorne said.
“An additional opportunity to get closer to Monroe just fell into your lap. Milk it for all it’s worth.
Emotional attachments make people careless and trusting, and that’s what we need for a breakthrough.
It’s just a few weeks. You can handle it.
” His expression shifted, becoming razor sharp.
“Be very careful, though. Criminals like Sam Monroe use their looks and charm as weapons. They’re masters of manipulation.
Don’t let him fool you, and don’t let your guard down. Not even for a second.”
An icy dread settled in my stomach as I wondered if I was already being played by the man and didn’t even know it. Had Sam’s down-to-earth manner and kindness all been calculated?
No way—I didn’t believe it.
“I understand,” I managed, knowing it would be useless to try to talk Thorne out of it at this point.
“Good luck tonight,” Thorne said, his tone carrying the weight of expectation. “Get some evidence we can use. We’re all counting on you.”
The call ended, and then Chloe turned to me. “Hey, he’s right about one thing—you need to stay alert, regardless of how charming Sam appears to be. Some of the best criminals are also amazing actors.”
“And if he’s not the one we’re looking for?” I asked, the uncertainty doing a number on my stomach as I closed my laptop. “What if he really is just some brilliant guy who helped people?”
“Then you’ll figure that out and clear his name.” Chloe squeezed my shoulder, her touch grounding me. “Be careful, though. I’ve never seen you this conflicted over a case before, and you need to leave your emotions at the door. Focus on the mission.”
“Easy for you to say—I feel like I’m already drowning and we just started,” I admitted, internally chanting emotional attachments make people careless and trusting on a loop.
“Well, at least you’ll look adorable while you’re going under,” she said with an affectionate grin.
“You seriously need glasses.”
“And you need to get going.” Chloe gave me a little nudge toward the door. “I’m going to run some background checks on a few of the locals Sam interacts with. Now go catch some bad guys—or save some good ones. Either way, try not to fall in love before dinner.”
I grabbed my long winter coat and pulled it over the costume, then left the hotel room and walked the short distance down Highway 2 toward the library.
How hard could it be to pretend to be an elf while secretly investigating the man who was making me forget why I wanted to stay single? I was about to find out …