Peter, Cynthie, and Lacey stood on the train station’s empty platform, watching the Polar Express disappear into the distance.

  ‘I should head back to the Healing Hall,’ Cynthie said, rapidly blinking as disappointment tinged her voice.

  Lacey felt bad for the elf. She knew her friend’s disappearance had shaken her, even if she didn’t show it on her face.

  ‘Shall I walk with you?’ she offered.

  Cynthie shook her head. ‘No. I’m fine.’

  She walked away, leaving Peter and Lacey alone on the platform.

  ‘So, Jinxy remains a mystery,’ Lacey said.

  ‘Yeah,’ Peter responded, turning back to the village with a frown. Somehow, it didn’t feel like he was fully focused on what Lacey had said. Like his mind had shifted somewhere else.

  ‘Is there something you need to do?’ she asked.

  He blinked, looking down at her like he’d just realised she was still there.

  ‘Sorry, Lacey,’ he said. ‘I guess I’m a bit distracted. One of the elves has spotted moisture pooling inside a wall at the toy-part warehouse. I actually came here to quickly see if there were any supply deliveries before I headed over there.’

  ‘Oh, that doesn’t sound good.’

  ‘It’s not, but let’s hope there’s a simple cause.’ He gave her a strained smile. ‘Mind if I head back there?’

  ‘Not at all, you go ahead,’ she said.

  ‘Thanks,’ he said, and hurried off as well.

  That left Lacey by herself on the empty platform. This is okay, she told herself, staring out over the lonely snow-harvesting landscape, the lowering sun casting long shadows all around. He has a job, his whole world can’t just revolve around me. And who was she to expect that anyway? They’d barely known each other more than a week.

  She took a deep breath, refocusing on Jinxy. Right now, it was uncertain whether she’d boarded the Polar Express or not. That meant Lacey’s next task was to try and find evidence for or against.

  I’ll go back to her friends, she resolved. They should be able to shine more light on Jinxy’s frame of mind that day.

  Purpose set, she too stepped off the platform.

  ??

  The first person she looked for was Melo. She figured that him being Jinxy’s beau, as they so charmingly called it in the village, meant that he would probably have the best sense of whether Jinxy may have wanted to go somewhere.

  She found him in the chicken coop, as she’d hoped. It wasn’t a happy sight. He stood there, listlessly scattering feed for the chickens and other birds, who raucously competed for the best crumbs. She wished she knew something she could tell him already, but there wasn’t.

  ‘Hey Melo,’ she said.

  It was almost as if her words came from so far away that he didn’t immediately hear them. But then he blinked and turned to look at her.

  ‘Oh, hello Lacey,’ he said.

  ‘How are you doing?’ she asked.

  ‘Aside from losing my heart?’ he said. ‘People keep dropping in and bringing me food.’ He scattered another sad handful of feed.

  ‘I’m glad they’re taking care of you,’ she said. ‘You mustn’t lose hope, Melo. I’m sure we’ll find something.’

  He nodded as if he didn’t quite believe her. ‘It’s been five days,’ he said. They both knew what he meant. ‘I’m scared to hope. When Peter called everyone to the village hall I was so excited. I thought he’d gotten her. But there was nothing.’

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  He sighed.

  ‘About that,’ Lacey said. ‘The Polar Express was here last Starday, when we discovered her missing. Do you think she might’ve gone somewhere on it?’

  Melo clenched a handful of feed in his fist, lifting it up and slowly studying it from all sides. ‘No,’ he said. ‘She and I had plans. We were going to walk the High trail that afternoon, and have supper out at my birding treehouse in the forest. We were hoping to see some snow-crest nightjays. They’re quite rare, you know. And they’re Jinxy’s favourite aside from peacocks. But we don’t really have those here.’

  He paused, as if mulling it over. ‘Maybe I can get her some peacocks when she gets back.’

  It was sweet, the way his thoughts were centred on Jinxy, but not really helpful at the moment. Lacey left him to it and headed over to Bethy’s place.

  Bethy opened her door at the first knock, the warm air from the cottage washing out around Lacey.

  ‘Oh, hi Lacey, wanna come in?’ she said.

  Lacey paused. Did she want to go inside? At one point there had been so much mystery about what was going on inside Bethy’s house. Oh well, since I’m invited, she thought and stepped inside.

  Bethy’s cottage differed remarkably from Jinxy’s. There were pictures of birds on the walls, and a bowl of crystal candy canes on a small coffee table. A delicate doll rested on the sofa, the craftsmanship reminding Lacey of one of Cynthie’s, and a collage of pressed autumn leaves above the fireplace. A smell of nutmeg hung in the air.

  ‘Would you like a cluster?’ she offered as Lacey sat down.

  ‘Are those the famous Elf-clusters?’ Lacey asked. ‘How can I say no?’

  Bethy smiled. ‘Just be careful. A little goes a long way.’

  The cottage was pretty and cosy, but there was something off about it that rubbed at the edge of Lacey’s awareness. She filed the question for later, turning to Bethy who had settled in the chair next to Lacey.

  ‘Bethy,’ Lacey said, getting right down to business. ‘Did you know that the Polar Express was here last Starday?’

  She nodded. ‘Of course. It stops here every Starday and Sleighday. And every day during the last week before Christmas.’

  ‘Do you think Jinxy might’ve gotten on it?’

  Bethy paused, the nutmeg cluster in her hand suspended midway to her mouth. Lowering it, she responded, ‘I don’t see why she would. This close to Christmas in the middle of the final toy-rush? She’d be more likely to go see the abominable snowman than get on a train. That’s what I think at least.’

  Lacey nodded, biting into the nutmeg cluster. The toasted nuts crunched under her teeth, releasing the flavour of the buttery caramel that held it together, the tinge of nutmeg completing the experience.

  Her eyes went wide in pleasant surprise. ‘Hmmm,’ she said, understanding Elf’s problem better.

  Bethy smiled. ‘Good, isn’t it?’

  ??

  Leaving Bethy’s cottage, two nutmeg clusters for the road in a package in her hand, she felt a soft breeze on her skin. Was it just a tiny bit warmer than normal? She wondered whether it was another signal for the snow everyone else seemed sure was coming.

  And then it finally struck Lacey. She knew what was wrong in Bethy’s cottage. She could see notes and flavours from all of Bethy’s friends, but what was there that said ‘Bethy’? She couldn’t think of a single thing. It was a life lived so completely for others that she wasn’t sure what was left for the self.

  But, interesting as that realisation was, she still had more people to talk to before night fell completely. She didn’t need to do Cynthie, as Cynthie had already said that she didn’t see what Jinxy would be doing on the Polar Express, before Lacey convinced her otherwise. That left Danji.

  With a shock Lacey realised she didn’t know where Danji lived. Cynthie neither, for that matter. The other day, when she and Peter were in the snowdrop glade, Danji and Cynthie had been walking to work together. Lacey guessed that meant they lived close to each other. But that didn’t help her now.

  Where could she find Danji at this time of the evening? She trod an aimless circle in the snow. The candy-cane fields, she decided. If that’s where Danji was the other evening, maybe she’ll be there again.

  And so she was, her solitary figure treading a path through the crystalline formations, occasionally holding the thermometer in the air and making a note.

  ‘Hiya Danji,’ Lacey called.

  ‘Hiya Lacey, fancy seeing you here! What’s up?’

  Their voices had a slightly tinny sound, as it carried through the growing candy canes. A side-effect of the crystalline fields, Lacey supposed.

  ‘How are you feeling,’ she asked, walking closer.

  Danji sighed. ‘Not great. Glühwein is nice in the moment, but it tends to leave problems for me to solve later.’

  ‘Yeah, it seems so.’

  ‘Well, you’ve seen it up close twice now. Still willing to be my friend?’

  Lacey smiled softly. ‘Hey, everyone has something. You’re trying, and that matters. I’m not going anywhere, so don’t worry about me. All right?’

  Something in Danji softened as she relaxed. ‘Thank you, Lacey,’ she said with a grateful smile.

  ‘Sure,’ Lacey said. ‘What are friends for? And speaking of, I have a question about Jinxy. The Polar Express was here last Starday. What are the odds that she could’ve left on it?’

  There was a slight hitch in Danji’s breath, her mouth briefly forming unspoken words as a shadow of thought crossed her face. It was almost like a quiet debate with herself, fought between two well-established foes.

  She cleared it with a blink, her face smooth once more. ‘So close to Christmas, with the children of Earth depending on us? Practically zero I’d say.’

  Lacey nodded with a sigh. It seemed like everyone around Jinxy was in agreement then. She did not leave on the Polar Express.

  ??????

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