Chapter 17 Jayne
Ezreal’s office wasn’t that far, but again because of Sin being on crutches, we opted for Segways. I’d called while the soup was heating up and ordered a pair to be delivered to our apartment. They were outside waiting for us when we said goodbye to Sin’s parents.
“You got Segways.” Sin smiled at me. “Thanks.”
“I thought it would be easier for you.”
“Definitely.”
We motored down to Ezreal’s office, which required taking the elevator to a different floor, but it was big enough for a pair of Segways without issue. I’d also called ahead to let him know we were coming, but I hadn’t shared why.
He was a smart man. I was sure he already knew.
We walked into the foyer of his office to find him watering a Christmas cactus large enough to have its own stand.
He greeted us with a smile. “Princess and Prince Consort. So nice to see you both. Sinclair, how is that ankle?”
“A little better every day, thanks.”
“Come into my office and sit down.”
I looked around. His front desk was unmanned. “Aren’t you supposed to have an assistant?”
“I do, but Lara’s out sick. The snowpox is going around again.” He opened the door to his office.
I rolled my eyes. “Um, hasn’t everyone had that already? Did you hire a third grader?”
He laughed. “She’s young, I’ll give you that, but she was homeschooled, so she was never exposed to it as a kid.”
“They should at least send you a temp.” Sin and I followed him in. His office wasn’t as plush as my dad’s, but it was nicely done in navy, silver, and white. His desk was highly polished arctic pine and gleamed silvery white, the perfect wood for the space.
We took the seats across from the desk, settling into the navy brocade chairs and finding them comfortable.
He hesitated before sitting. “Would you like something to drink? I’ve got a fresh pot of coffee and a mini fridge filled with drinks, including Dr Pepper.”
“I’ll take one of those,” I said.
“Coffee would be great,” Sin said. “Black, please.”
“I’ll just be a moment.” Ezreal was quick, returning with a frosty mug of Dr Pepper and a cup of black coffee.
He set them down in front of us and then took his seat. “Now, what can I do for you?”
I sipped my Dr Pepper. I didn’t keep mugs in the freezer at our apartment, but now I was thinking I should. “We talked to my dad about Janvier Frost.”
Ezreal’s expression grew tentative. “I see.”
“You know who she is, don’t you?”
He glanced down at his desk. “Yes, I do.” He looked at us again. “But you understand why I couldn’t tell you?”
“I do.” I realized that he hadn’t lied to us about her either. “She was frozen out. Talking about her would break protocol. I don’t blame you for that. But now that we can all be up front about it, what else can you add?”
“I’m not sure. Do you have specific questions about her?”
Sin, who’d been drinking his coffee, set his cup on the edge of Ezreal’s desk. “Do you think she could be behind Delton’s death?”
Ezreal shook his head. “I doubt that. She was obsessed with two things. The mortal man she fell in love with and becoming queen. She thought it was her destiny, which, in fairness, it was until she chose love over duty. I don’t blame her for that at all.
Love is a rare and wonderful thing. But she’s the one who went into the mortal world knowing the risks. ”
“The risk being that she might meet someone human?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Sin frowned. “Why did she go then?”
Ezreal straightened a pen on his desk that was already straight. “I was young when all of this happened. I was a footman then.”
I laughed. “You were? I never knew that.”
He nodded. “I worked my way up, that’s for sure.
But because I was young, all I can tell you are rumors and hearsay.
I wasn’t directly involved in things like I am now.
Scuttlebutt had it that Janvier was … spoiled.
That seems like an unfair assumption. She was a princess and a teenager.
A young woman trying to figure out who she was before her life was no longer her own. ”
He took a drink from his own coffee cup. “I don’t think she should be blamed for any of that. But at the same time, she knew what she was doing. She knew a mortal spouse would mean the end of her part in the royal line.”
I thought about that. Would I have dated Sinclair if I knew getting serious with him would result in being taken out of the line of succession?
The true answer was probably not. I was my parents’ only child.
My destiny was pretty much set in ice. “What made her think she could get away with it? That she could still be queen? Especially when my dad was available?”
“I don’t know,” Ezreal said. “Stubbornness, maybe? The mistaken belief that an exception would be made?”
Sinclair shifted to stretch his leg with the boot. “Did she leave the North Pole because she wanted to or because she was forced out?”
“Because her pride wouldn’t allow her to stay. And she wasn’t about to leave the man she’d fallen in love with.”
“Wow,” I whispered, thinking how that might feel. “As much as I love traveling, the North Pole will always be the place I think of as home. And maybe Nocturne Falls a little bit, too.” I smiled at Sin. “I’ll always have a soft spot for the place we met.”
He smiled back. “Same here.”
He glanced at Ezreal. “Was she mad about leaving? Did she make any kind of threats?”
“I don’t have any memory of that, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I just have no recollection of it.”
That made sense. I doubted he’d have paid much attention to her or what she was doing. “Did you get any kind of sense that she would return someday? Or try to get revenge?”
His eyes widened. “Do you think that’s what she’s doing?”
“No,” I said quickly. I did not want to spread false information. “I have no reason to think that. I was just wondering if it might be a possibility.”
“My understanding of the whole thing was that she was done with the North Pole in a very complete way.”
“Okay,” Sinclair said. “Then do you know where she might have gone?”
“Somewhere in the United States?” Ezreal lifted his hands. “When someone’s frozen out, we don’t keep track of them. We don’t communicate with them. It’s as if they are erased from the collective mind.”
Sin’s eyes narrowed. “But not so erased that her name is completely removed from those master lists.”
“I know,” Ezreal said. “The North Pole is a place of magic and mystery. Not everything we do makes sense, but because the foundation of this place is magic, there’s not much we can do about that.”
“I get that,” Sin said. “I grew up with an illusionist father and a zombie mother, so …”
Ezreal chuckled. “You understand. Hey, about your parents. I happen to know there are tickets available to the Crystal Theater tonight. They’re doing a live taping of North Pole’s Got Talent. You know that audition show? Any chance your parents would be interested in that?”
“I don’t know about my mom and dad, but my aunt would be. She’d love that. Thank you.”
“I’ll send three tickets up, and I’d be happy to arrange transportation for them, too.”
“I got my dad a crawler to use while they’re here, so he’ll probably want to drive himself.”
I hated to interrupt the moment, but I didn’t want to lose sight of why we’d come. I put my hand on the desk. “That’s so nice of you, Ezreal. Thank you. Back to the topic of Delton’s death. Is there anyone you can think of that would have a reason to want him dead?”
Ezreal grew serious again, his gaze drifting as he thought. “He wasn’t the most jovial of men, but he was no one’s enemy. The man managed the archives. It wasn’t like he was turning down grant requests or vetoing new toy designs.”
“Right.”
“You could talk to his wife.”
I sat back, holding on to my mug. “He was married?” Delton had never mentioned a wife when I’d interviewed him. Then again, maybe I hadn’t asked.
Ezreal opened a drawer and took out a notepad.
He jotted down the name and address. “Elmira Tinselwick. There’s her address and phone number.
I don’t know if she’ll be interested in seeing you, and I’m sure Constable Larsen has talked to her, but it might be worth a try.
People share things with royalty they sometimes wouldn’t share with anyone else. ”
I took the paper. “Thank you. I’ll reach out to her. In the meantime, if you think of anything, you’ll let me know?”
“I will.”
I drank the last of my Dr Pepper and stood, reaching out to shake his hand.
He got up and took my hand. “I hope we’re able to figure this out soon. For everyone’s sake.”
“Same here,” Sin said, hoisting himself upright and onto his crutches. “I’d like to have it wrapped up before Naming Day.”
Ezreal came around to get the door. “Are you going to speak to Crispin Vale, by any chance? He might be able to help, too.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly where we’re headed.”