Telling him at the station, though, is too risky. I think my boss is going to be more likely to help us if I get him one on one; the key is to be away from the influence of my colleagues.
Being the mayor’s son, I’ve had a very hard time getting them to accept me when I joined the force. Almost everyone was resentful of my connections, and they just stopped calling me a nepo baby.
So, I think my best bet is to catch the sheriff in a social situation. Today’s fundraiser at the Country Club is the perfect opportunity, especially since Dad is out of town for a meeting with the Governor.
Going home to the opposite side of town to change into a suit cost me precious time, and by the time I make it to the Country Club, the event is already underway.
I arrive with Chance during the speech by the head of the charity board.
The sheriff is sitting at my stepmother’s table, so it isn’t going to be easy to catch him in private. I need to find a seat and bide my time.
The table in the middle of the dining room, where I spot Zara with Lev and Heather, is full, so we get stuck at a corner table.
High tea isn’t one of those buffet events where people float around the room and mingle, so finding an opening to talk to Kirk Pullin is going to be easier said than done.
It doesn’t help the situation that Fox and Morelli are here today too. If they see me, they might get tipped off that something is amiss, and that’s the last thing I need.
The only good thing right now is the food. I’ve made a big breakfast, but I can always eat.
Heather and Zara get up and leave the room, probably headed to the restroom, so I leave my table and join Lev.
“Hey. Everything ok?” I ask, letting my eyes drift a couple of tables away where Morelli and Fox are talking to Kelly and the deputy mayor.
“What are you doing here?” Lev knows how much I usually hate these kinds of events.
I lower myself in the seat Zara just vacated. “I had nothing better to do, so I thought I’d come and hang.”
“Me too, dude,” Dave Fox smirks. “Cal got invited by Mason, and he’s been giving me shit about getting a personal invitation while I’m here because the team has been invited.”
I suppress an eye roll. At least Dave cleans up better than his older brother. Calvin Fox looks so out of place here that he sticks out like a sore thumb. Especially next to Morelli, who might be a lowlife, but he’s been educated in posh prep schools and has a Harvard degree.
I manage to bite my tongue, but Lev doesn’t miss an opportunity to rib his frat president. “At least you came with Heather. You have better taste than your brother, who’s Morelli’s date.”
Dave grins. “I didn’t come with Heather, but I hope to go home with her.”
Slimy motherfucker. Heather and I might not be best friends, but she can do better than Calvin Fox’s brother. “I’d be careful,” I warn him. “Heather came with her parents. That over there, next to the mayor’s wife, is Heather’s mom. And that man who’s speaking to the deputy mayor? That’s her father, the town’s sheriff.”
Dave leans closer, lowering his voice. There’s a smile on his face, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m not worried. In the grand scheme of things, I’m not going to be in as much trouble as your brother and sister if the shit hits the fan. And befriending the sheriff’s daughter is another layer of protection. Speaking of Heather, where the hell is she? I don’t understand why girls take forever in the bathroom and they go in pairs.”
I hate to admit it, but Dave is right.
While we have been talking, people have finished enjoying their tea and are socializing under the guise of watching thedonations coming in. Maybe Zara and Heather are speaking to their mothers.
I see Kelly next to the podium at the opposite end of the room. She’s speaking to Sheriff Pullin and the head of the charity committee.
Heather’s blonde head is easy to spot too. She’s deep in conversation with Candace, the Zeta president, and her boyfriend Corey.
Chance has left our table too, and he’s speaking to Coach Harrison and to the Cove Knight’s starting goalie, Tucker Prescott.
Zara isn’t next to my brother either, and I don’t like that she doesn’t seem to be anywhere to be seen.
A horrible feeling expands in my chest. I didn’t want to tell her and the guys why I am so adamant about going to the sheriff about the races.
It isn’t just because of the illegal nature of the entire thing. Another thought besides that Zara was in bed with Lev and Chance kept me up last night. My suspicion that the person who hit Atlas was aiming for JJ Smith was confirmed last night.
Now that I know that JJ Smith isn’t some guy with a passion for vintage bikes but the woman I love, I don’t want Zara anywhere near a racetrack.
What if next time the bike that came out of nowhere again last night manages to hit Zara? I’ve already lost my twin brother; I don’t think I could survive losing my stepsister too.
