The Case of the Runaway Reindeer

By Nana Ferrell

Why Would a Reindeer Run Away?

After a year of no detective work, Merry and Bright finally have a case!

Once again, it's the day before Christmas Eve. This time, they are investigating the disappearance of Dancer's daughter. She's been gone overnight, and her parents are frantic with worry.

Excited to finally h

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phase Publishing
• Release date: Feb 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781952103407

Book preview

Chapter 1

Bright, Merry said as she came in from the cold, any calls? Any messages?

Her little brother looked up from his photo album. No calls. No messages.

Merry sighed. The Merry and Bright Detective Agency hadn’t had a single case all year. Their one and only case had been solved last Christmas Eve. Perhaps Santa had been right after all. There just wasn’t a need for a detective agency at the North Pole.

She hung her green coat on the hook by the door.

What are you looking at? she asked.

Some of the pictures I’ve taken this year, Bright replied. Want to look with me?

Okay, she agreed, already knowing what she’d see.

It seemed like her brother had shown her these pictures dozens of times. He never seemed to tire of looking at them, but frankly, she didn’t know how many more times she could pretend to be interested. Still, it made Bright happy, and that was something, at least.

Remember last Christmas Eve? he asked. We solved our first case that day.

Our only case, Merry muttered.

I’m glad we were able to find all the silver things, Bright went on. Those little elflings had their hearts in the right place.

But they should have included an adult in their plans, Merry grumbled.

Bright cocked his head. But if they had, we wouldn’t have had a mystery to solve.

I suppose that’s true, Merry agreed reluctantly. But we haven’t had anything to work on since then. What good is a detective agency if there are no mysteries to solve?

I’m sure something will come up, her brother replied cheerfully. Just wait.

We’ve been waiting for a year now, Merry pointed out. How much longer can we sit around doing nothing?

I haven’t been doing nothing, Bright protested. See?

He turned the page in the photo album and pointed to a rather unflattering picture of her. She was sitting up in bed, her hair was wild and crazy, her nightgown was wrinkled, and she was frowning. Wait. Merry peered at the picture closer. She was actually glaring at the camera.

I thought I told you not to keep that one, she complained. It’s not fair to take pictures of people when they aren’t ready for it.

But I like it, Bright said with a grin. It shows a side of you that no one else gets to see.

Not a very flattering side, she observed.

But what you don’t see is the smile you gave me when you saw the cup of cocoa I’d brought you that morning, her brother said.

Merry furrowed her brows, remembering. Oh yeah. It was my birthday, wasn’t it? And you’d planned a whole day of fun surprises for me. She smiled at the memory, then looked back at the picture. And this picture was the best one you could take that day?

Bright laughed. "I was rather busy doing things with you. No time