Chapter 4: A Day At The Office

The next morning, Elsa woke up to find Anna and Kristoff busying themselves in the kitchen – making themselves at home. Kristoff was trying to make coffee for them all while trying to read what looked like a very important report. When Elsa entered the kitchen, Anna met her eyes and smirked. Elsa rolled her eyes as she took her usual seat.

"Eggs coming in hot," Anna said as she threw down a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her older sister. "So," Anna lowered her voice as so as not to gain the attention of her live-in boyfriend, "how is your secret crush?"

"Anna, if you mention this topic of conversation again, I swear, you will find yourself homeless!"

"Okay, okay," Anna raised her hands in defeat but she still winked which made Elsa roll her eyes.

Elsa dug into her scrambled eggs while Anna busied herself in the kitchen making her own eggs. Next to her, a pile of police files was sitting so high that it actually shielded Kristoff from her which was a feat as he was a tall guy. A muttering sound could be heard from behind the massive stack of piles.

"Can I help you?" Elsa asked, pushing aside the paper to look at the newest addition to her house.

"It's just work stuff, you know," Kristoff sighed. "I'm not really meant to discuss this but I need to know I am not going crazy here." Kristoff produced a photo of a crime. Elsa recognised it at once; it was a place she had been only a month earlier. Her brain flashed the case in front of her; male, age thirty-five, one hundred and seventy-four centimetres, brown hair, glasses. It was an easy job. Three thousand dollars appeared in her bank account later that day which turned into the new TV in her room. "You see this apartment?"

"Looks empty," Elsa shrugged, trying super hard to not let on anything. "Did a crime occur here?"

Her mouth was dry as she headed down this pathway. One wrong move, one slip and he could get suspicious. If she gently poked and prodded here and there, she may actually end up discovering more than what she needed.

"A murder," Kristoff said in a dramatic way.

Elsa pretended to look shocked. "How can you tell?"

"The person who cleaned up the crime scene was good but they missed two tiny drops of blood behind the lamp," Kristoff then realised what he was saying. "Just don't go repeating that now."

"Of course," Elsa mimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key. "So, what do you need help with?"

"A normal killer wouldn't be this efficient right?" Kristoff ran his hands through his hair. "I've had the same efficient clean-up job in three separate crime scenes. No DNA, no blood, not a single scrap of evidence. Nothing! Not even a body was found. We have checked all the morgues, hospitals, everywhere and nothing! It's like the person just disappeared into thin air. A normal serial killer isn't this good right?"

You probably can't find him as he is hidden really well, Elsa thought as she surveyed her sister's boyfriend.

"I don't know," Elsa sighed, "could the killer have kidnapped them and moved them elsewhere?"

"But wouldn't there be evidence of a fight?"

"What about drugging?" Elsa went back to her eggs. "They make them almost untraceable these days."

"You watch too many true crime shows sis," came Anna's voice from the kitchen. She came back carrying poached eggs on toast. As she shoved in one particular big mouth, she managed to somehow get out the next sentence. "I told you, it's obviously a mob hit."

"A mob hit?" Elsa actually laughed at this. "In Burgess? Are you serious? What would the mob want to do here? Steal the secret recipe for Mrs Kapries' world-famous pie?"

"Obviously they are after Mary Laing's gold edition of Downton Abbey," sniggered Kristoff.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Okay, but do any of the victims have any ties to organised crime?"

Kristoff shook his head. "Nada, although, that does give me an idea," Kristoff started to scratch his chin and gave the two Winters a thoughtful expression. "There are other professionals that do this kind of clean-up besides the mob."

"Are you talking about a professional hit?" Elsa said, slack jaw in her expression. Was it really that obvious? "That kind of stuff only happens in books and movies," she said as she sipped her coffee.

"Well, there are weird coincidences between all three victims," Kristoff said. "The first guy had a massive life insurance policy with his wife as the benefactor but she has an alibi, the second person who was a woman whose husband was abusing her and their kid but she also an alibi and the third guy wanted to buy out his business partner who just happened to die leaving him everything. The problem is, that guy was on holiday out of the country. Three good motives for murder but three solid alibis as well!"

"Hmm interesting case," Anna said, "and all three were definitely out of the country? Well, if you think it might be a professional hit, check their bank accounts. They may have all sent money to the same place."

Kristoff looked as if Christmas had come early. "Anna, honey, you are a genius," he pulled her in for a big kiss. When they broke away, Anna looked quite pleased with herself.

"Well, as much as I would love to solve a murder," Elsa got to her feet. "I actually have to get to work."

"I'm working late tonight," Anna said. "The hospital has me rostered from two to ten, so don't worry about dinner for me. I'll pick something up in the cafeteria."

"I get off duty at ten as well," Kristoff said. "I can pick you up then."

"Sounds like everyone is sorted," Elsa checked her phone when she felt it vibrate. There was an email from North that had just popped up. It was addressed to her and Jack. That puzzled her. What could North want with the pair of them? "Okay, I'll see you all later."

The entire drive to her work was consumed with North's email. First was Jack's text the other night and now this. Why couldn't people just be clearer in their emails? That would save so much confusion and take out all the guesswork. If it had been just her, she would think it could have been some kind of performance review but the pair of them? That just sounded like trouble. Jack was nothing but trouble at the best of times.

She drummed her fingers against her steering wheel while she drifted deep into thought. Maybe it was to do with a contract? Sometimes they were paired up if there was a particularly difficult contract. Yes, that could be it…unless…Elsa gulped. It had to be about the promotion; the job offer she needed. There was a rumour going around that one of North's Client Coordinators – the people who connect the client to the hit-person – was retiring at the end of the year. That was a permeant job in Burgess and would mean no more travel and no more hits.

It wasn't exactly the job she wanted but it certainly would make things a lot easier. There would be no need to cover what she was exactly doing when she did go travelling and no more coming home in blood. Despite all this, she would miss being a professional assassin. It was a lot of fun for her but this was definitely the road she needed to take. The only problem is that blasted boy Jack Frost was also going for it. Why on earth he would want a stay-at-home job when he lived for the thrill of his current job was beyond her. She would never understand that boy.

Using her key card and special pin, she entered the agency's carpark. The company leased a fairly nice office space in the middle of Burgess so it meant not a long commute for her. They had gone for a less obvious city for their main headquarters which worked as nobody outside the business even knew where they could find them.

Elsa stepped out of the elevator to her floor when she laid eyes on some of her friends standing around the kitchen, making coffees. She placed her bag in her office – it even had a shiny nameplate on the door with her fake job title on it but everyone knew her real occupation – before she approached them.

"Elsa!" Bunnymund threw her into a one-arm hug. "So, how are you today? Not in the field this week?"

"No," Elsa managed to breathe out; Bunnymund's grip could be like iron at times.

"Honey, let Elsa breath," the laugh of his wife could be heard. Tooth pulled Elsa away from her husband and scowled at him. "I've heard the fuzz were over your latest crime scenes, congrats on fooling them once again."

"Yeah, it would be great if the lead detective wasn't living in my house," scowled Elsa.

"What!" exclaimed Tooth, her jaw dropping.

Speaking in a quiet voice as so not to alert the rest of the office, Elsa filled in Tooth on everything that had been going on in her life. When she had finished, Tooth had a look of disbelief all over her face.

"He's dating your sister?" she managed to gap at her.

"Apparently so," Elsa punched in her request into the coffee maker and waited while it made her drink. "I knew she had a boyfriend but I didn't know it was a cop! Gah, why didn't I ask what he did for a living! Then I could have checked him out much earlier and actually been prepared for this!"

"Well, he can't be worse than her previous boyfriend," Tooth said with a dark look on her face. "At least that's a plus for you."

"This is true," Elsa pondered while she took her latte from the machine and walked with Tooth back to her office. "Could this day get any worse?"

"Elsa!" Jack's voice could be heard coming from the other side of the room.

"Spoke too soon," Elsa muttered before plastering a cherry smile on her face. "What do you want Frost?"

"Grandpa wants us in his office in ten, you got that?" he called across the office.

Why couldn't this be in a simple email and not yelled at in front of twenty people, Elsa would never know. Instead of doing a retort, she forced the smile to remain on her face.

"Got it," she yelled back, giving Jack a thumbs up with her free hand.

Scowling, Elsa went back into her office, carefully followed by Tooth.

"So, what's going on with you and Jack?" she asked eagerly.

"What?" Elsa managed to splutter out. "Nothing!" she may have said the word with a little too much force as Tooth raised her eyebrows.

"Sure," she really drew out the word and made sure it was dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, go back to doing teeth," Elsa muttered as she walked towards her boss' office while Tooth laughed in the background.

Seriously, first Anna and now Tooth? Didn't they understand that she hated that guy? He was the most insufferable person she ever had the misfortunate to meet. Her eyes fell on him as he sat in the communal office space, spinning on his chair with that sexy smile plastered over his face. There was also something quite fantastic about the way his hair fell around his eyes. Elsa almost had to smack herself out of this way of thinking. Focus Elsa, she told herself as she walked towards North's office.

She found him talking on the phone. It seemed to be a friendly conversation as he was grinning and talking about some holiday he had been on the previous year.

"Caroline, hun, I am telling you, you would love it in the Seychelles," Caroline…wasn't that the name of Jack's mother? So, did that mean he was talking to his daughter? "Oh, got to go, sweetie," yep that confirmed it. "I have a meeting with Jackson and Elsa right now. Yes, I'll be sure to make sure Jackson doesn't get into too much trouble. How much trouble could an international assassin get into?" he laughed as Caroline spoke on the other side. "Bye! I'll be sure to send your regards." North grinned as he hung up the phone. "Caroline says hi."

"I haven't seen Caroline in ages," Elsa pondered as she leaned against North's office door. "How's she doing these days?"

North looked like he was about to answer when Jack swung into the room.

"Good, you're here," North nodded at his grandson. "Elsa, love, close the door, this is important."

"What's this about?" Elsa said the second the door clicked shut. "I am guessing you don't want to just shoot the breeze."

"Ah yes," North started to rearrange the papers on his desk. "I see that you both are interested in the opening here in HQ."

"Does that mean that Mrs Russell is leaving?" Jack piqued up.

"Yes," North nodded. "Her retirement party will be in a couple of weeks but as there is only one opening and the pair of you have both applied…well I can only hire one of you although I will be sad to see one of my best assassins is looking to be a desk jockey rather than out of the field. Although, I gather you both have personal reasons for doing so." North sighed but then perked up. "So, I thought of a test and the winner will get the job. It's the only fair way I can think of as both of your resumes are practically identical."

"What's the test?" Elsa said eagerly.

"One last hit," North shoved them both a folder containing important documents.

"Senator James R. Nelson," Elsa read out loud. "A senator," she nodded, "that's a new one."

"Thought a high-profile case would be a perfect way for you to show off your skills."

Jack however had a puzzled look on his face. There was something bothering him.

"What's the catch?" Jack asked, giving his grandfather a look who tried to look innocent. "I know your style. So, where are the strings?"

North chuckled. "Okay, you got me, there is a catch."

"Which is?" Elsa prompted. "We have to do it today? Eyes blindfolded? Hopping on our left foot?"

"Oh no, much more than that," North paused for dramatic effect while Elsa and Jack leaned in anticipation. "You two will be working together."

"What!" the pair yelled together.

A/N: I'm back with a brand new chapter! Please enjoy!