CHAPTER 26
Lake and Parker arrived at city hall, and Rick grimaced.
It seemed like all of Dumpfield had gathered here.
Men in black tuxedos strolled leisurely in front of the main entrance, while women in long evening gowns laughed softly, delicate champagne glasses held between their fingers. Pearls and polished shoes gleamed beneath the streetlamps, and the air was filled with that particular kind of carefully staged warmth found only at expensive charity galas.
Rick felt out of place here.
He got out of the car and immediately shivered. The damp post-rain air chilled his face, the stiff fabric of the tuxedo restricted his shoulders in an unfamiliar way, the collar of his shirt dug unpleasantly into his neck, and the polished shoes felt as though they'd been broken in by anyone but him.
Automatically adjusting his bow tie, he thought miserably that he would give anything right now for his old hoodie, worn jeans, and favorite Timberlands.
He never should have agreed to buy this damn tuxedo.
Only a week ago, he'd planned to show up in the one decent jacket he owned and hadn't seen any problem with that.
Now it felt as though the clothes only made it more obvious that he didn't belong.
Lake walked calmly beside him.
The tuxedo fit him so naturally that it might have been tailored specifically for him. Straight-backed, measured in his stride, without a single unnecessary movement—Aaron looked as though he belonged here.
Inside was even worse.
Heavy chandeliers flooded the hall with golden light, deep burgundy velvet drapes covered the walls and balconies, waiters moved endlessly between the guests carrying trays, and the sweet scent of perfume mingled with champagne and hot hors d'oeuvres until it became so thick it made Rick's head ache.
The muted music of a string quartet nearly disappeared beneath the constant hum of voices. Someone laughed, someone exchanged pleasantries, and all of that noise crashed down on Rick at once.
“Damn...” he breathed, discreetly tugging at the sleeves of his jacket.
Suddenly, everything felt too close.
Too loud.
Too bright.
Too expensive.
And deeply uncomfortable.
“Don't be nervous,” Aaron said quietly, stopping beside him.
“I'm not nervous,” Rick replied far too quickly.
The words escaped before he could think, and even to his own ears they sounded unconvincing.
Lake didn't answer. He only looked at him.
Rick held his gaze for barely a second.
Idiot.
Had he really been standing in the office half an hour ago, expecting Aaron to kiss him?
The thought alone made him want the floor to swallow him whole. He looked away irritably.
“You're nervous,” Aaron observed calmly.
Rick flinched.
Only then did he realize he'd been unconsciously twisting the fabric of his sleeve the entire time. He quickly released it, as though he'd been caught doing something shameful.
“Remind me,” he muttered through clenched teeth, trying to steer the conversation toward anything else, “why didn't you bring your gun?”
“Because no one should understand why we're really here.”
Rick clicked his tongue in annoyance.
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't like that you left it behind. It feels like we came here empty-handed.”
“We didn't come empty-handed.”
Aaron slowly surveyed the hall, his gaze moving from one group of guests to another.
“Everyone's in position.”
Rick followed his gaze.
“Notice anything suspicious?”
“Not yet. And that's a good thing.”
Parker exhaled loudly and reached toward a passing waiter. As he took a glass of champagne, he nearly knocked the tray with his elbow.
“Yeah... I feel much better now,” he grumbled, taking a large sip. “Although... if someone's watching us, they're probably pretending they just came to the gala too, right?”
“Exactly.”
Aaron shifted almost imperceptibly to one side to let an elderly couple pass.
“Which is why we'll do the same.”
He looked at Rick.
“Relax your shoulders.”
“What?” Rick frowned in confusion.
“You look like you're about to arrest half the guests.”
“Pfft. Thanks. That helps.” Despite the tension, the corner of Rick's mouth twitched.
“There. Better already.”
The opening notes of a new waltz drifted through the hall. The conversations around them grew slightly quieter, and more and more guests began moving toward the center, where the first couples were already gathering.
“And one more thing,” Lake added, more quietly now. “Stay close to me.”
Rick raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“Right, right... Stay close. Don't breathe. Don't look at anyone,” he muttered with exaggerated obedience.
Aaron looked at him carefully.
“I'm serious.”
The smile disappeared from Rick's face, and he nodded silently.
For several seconds, silence hung between them. Rick took a small sip of champagne and glanced sideways at Aaron.
“But... I'm still allowed to dance, right? It is a ball, after all. We're supposed to look like we're having fun.”
“We are having fun,” Aaron replied calmly. He gave a short nod toward the hall. “But first, we need to look around.”
***
Billy entered city hall behind Renata and froze for a moment. The hall was already full of guests. Conversations, laughter, and the clinking of glasses came from every direction, while the scents of flowers, perfume, and wine mingled in the air.
Renata's eyes opened wide.
“Wow! It's so beautiful!” she exclaimed, gazing around.
“You like it?” Billy asked, smiling despite himself.
“Of course!” Her face immediately lit up. “The whole town's been talking about it.”
While she continued taking in the hall, Billy quickly looked around. A flash of red hair appeared in the crowd, but almost immediately vanished among the guests.
At the far end of the hall, Lake and Parker were heading toward the staircase, talking about something. Aaron carried himself with his usual confidence, while Rick looked slightly tense.
Sheriff Hayes stood beside the refreshment table with a glass of wine. Kowalski, Driscoll, and several other officers were talking nearby. Kowalski's tie was slightly loosened, and his eyes had an unfamiliar shine to them. He was telling some story, gesturing broadly with one hand, and Hayes and Driscoll exchanged a brief glance before laughing quietly.
Two men stood near the stage. The same perfectly straight posture. The same dark suits.
The silver at the older man's temples marked him as Mayor Michael King. His son Jonathan stood beside him.
The two men were almost shoulder to shoulder, speaking quickly in low voices.
Billy couldn't hear what they were saying, but he saw Michael suddenly grip his son's forearm tightly. Jonathan didn't react. He simply continued staring silently at his father while the man spoke without loosening his fingers. A few seconds later, the mayor released his arm and gave his son a brief pat on the back. Then he put on his usual smile and walked calmly toward Hayes.
John remained standing alone.
He didn't even look after his father. He only turned his attention to a waiter approaching with a tray of champagne.
Billy caught himself still watching them.
“I never thought I'd get to come here.”
He blinked and turned toward Renata.
“Honestly... neither did I,” he admitted shyly. “I've never been to anything this formal before.”
“Neither have I!” Renata laughed happily.
Billy didn't even notice himself smiling back.
“Then let's not waste any time.”
She held out her hand. Billy hesitated for a second before carefully threading his fingers through hers.
Her palm was warm.
He instinctively looked down at their joined hands.
“Let's go dance!” Renata said, lightly tugging him after her.
Only then did Billy seem to wake up. Smiling shyly, he hurried to follow.
The first couples were already turning in the center of the hall. The music grew louder, gradually filling the entire space.
From the balcony, almost the entire dance floor was visible. Waiters carrying silver trays moved unhurriedly between the dancers, guests stood in small groups along the walls, and in the far corner, a large illuminated display counted down the time until the total amount of donations would be announced.
Rick leaned against the railing and silently swept his gaze across the hall.
For several seconds, nothing caught his attention.
Then he spotted Billy and Renata among the dancers.
They moved carefully, clearly afraid of losing the rhythm. Billy held Renata so gently, as though one awkward movement might ruin everything. She said something quietly, and he immediately smiled in embarrassment. Even from up here, it was obvious that they hardly noticed anyone else around them.
Rick didn't know why he kept watching.
“They look good together,” he said quietly, without taking his eyes off the dance floor.
Aaron looked down as well, his gaze immediately finding the young couple — the shy boy and the girl in the dark blue dress — before returning to Rick.
Rick turned his glass by the slender stem, sending hundreds of bubbles rushing toward the surface, and smiled faintly.
“It's funny... Were you and I like that too?”
Aaron arched a questioning eyebrow.
Rick immediately looked away.
“I... didn't mean it like that. I mean... just as awkward. I think Billy's about to step on her foot.”
Lake looked down again.
“Don't exaggerate,” he said, then after a brief pause added, “He's doing all right.”
Rick turned sharply toward him, hardly believing he'd just heard praise. Lake looked focused and calm, but for the briefest moment, Rick thought his gaze had softened just a little.
Gray-blue eyes left the hall and settled on him again.
“What?”
Rick's lips curved into a wide smile all on their own.
“Nothing,” he breathed a little more quietly, feeling that same warmth stir somewhere inside him again.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Rick suddenly caught himself thinking that after what had happened in the office, silences like this between them felt completely different.
And that only made things more awkward.
He lowered his lashes and quickly hid behind his glass, his lips brushing lightly against the cold rim.
After taking a sip, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Aaron had looked at his glass too.
But by the time Rick blinked, Aaron was already looking back out at the hall.
Suddenly, a red-haired girl in an emerald dress practically stumbled onto the balcony.
It took Rick only a fraction of a second to recognize Emma. Without her usual white coat, she looked completely different. A faint blush colored her cheekbones, her eyes shone brighter than usual, and an empty glass swung from one hand.
“Oh! Hi, guys!” Emma exclaimed happily. “I didn't recognize you!”
Rick gave a quiet laugh.
“Hi...” His voice suddenly came out slightly lower than usual. He cleared his throat softly. “You too...”
Emma broke into a pleased smile.
“Oh my God, you look gorgeous! Suits look so good on you!”
Rick only shook his head awkwardly.
“Thanks.”
“No, seriously!” She threw up her hands. “You look so... so...”
She paused, wrinkling her nose comically.
“So incredibly sexy!”
Rick blinked in confusion.
Emma had already stepped closer and leaned over the railing to look down.
“Why are you standing up here? Everyone's already dancing!”
Rick automatically glanced down at the dance floor.
“We just...”
He never finished the thought.
“Got it!” she declared decisively and immediately linked her arm through his. “Come on!”
Rick barely managed to set his glass down on the small table beside the railing.
“Emma, wait...”
But she was already pulling him toward the stairs. A minute later, they were in the very center of the dance floor, and the music wrapped around them, drowning out the voices nearby.
Emma placed her hands confidently on his shoulders, leaving Rick no choice but to follow her movements.
“I'm so glad you and Aaron are here tonight,” Emma said as she guided him easily around the floor. “I was starting to think the two of you were going to spend the whole evening standing on that balcony.”
Rick gave a quiet laugh.
“Were we that obvious?”
“Of course!” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “You looked so serious, like you were about to arrest the disco ball.”
Rick couldn't help laughing.
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
She was clearly delighted that she'd managed to make him laugh.
“You know...” She tilted her head slightly. “I honestly can't remember us ever dancing before.”
Rick thought about it.
“Neither can I.”
For several seconds, they swayed in silence to the rhythm of the music.
“Not even at prom?”
