73. Leo

The vice Mayor climbed on stage and started out with a general greeting for the many persons at the party.

I noticed Mae's head turn to a commissioner seated at the far end of the hall. He got up and left as soon as the Mayor started to expand on the topic he was talking about.

That would be normal but what made it abnormal was that almost immediately as he left, another of the state's commissioners joined him in leaving. Two other politicians had left the hall before, just the way these two just did but they didn't come back to the party.

I grew suspicious and turned to Pete, signaling him to draw closer so I could whisper to him. I asked him to go check if everything was alright.

When he stood and left our table, I tried to get distracted by the vice Mayor still going on but I couldn't. I knew something was up, I could feel it but I just didn't know what was happening exactly. I tapped my fingers on the table lightly, at first but those frequent taps grew and I started to drum my f