Page 22 of Hacking the Holidays
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 thatface 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 chantingemotional attachments make people careless and trustingon 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 gocatch 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 …
Once inside the library, I said hello to Leo at the front desk, then walked directly to the coat rack and hung up my coat with the others. The scent of hot cider with the comforting smell of old books seemed to relax me, which was very much needed.
I spotted Sam immediately—he sat in the children’s section, surrounded by a semicircle of wide-eyed kids, holding a worn copy ofThe Night Before Christmas. The parents stood off to both sides, smiling, taking pictures.
