Three days after Dockside, the city felt heavier.
The fragment of boarding pass sat on my desk, sealed in its evidence pouch, mocking me with its half-finished flight number. LX3—. The stain patterns. The arcs. They looped in my mind like an unfinished melody.
That morning, I had stared at them so long I nearly forgot the time — until Lior's voice cut through my phone.
"Meet me at Skyline Wonder Park. Two hours."
I didn't even argue. Maybe I needed the distraction more than I cared to admit.
---
The sun was still climbing as Kaein led the way through the gates of the bustling amusement park, the scent of popcorn and cotton candy swirling in the air. Lior's eyes widened, taking in the colorful rides and flashing lights with a mixture of awe and nervous excitement.
Skyline Wonder Park greeted us with the scent of caramel popcorn and the dizzy colors of neon. Children's laughter tangled with the metallic rush of roller coasters, and for a moment, the case receded into the background.
Lior handed me a ticket. "No crime scenes today, Officer. Today's about ridiculous rides and bad food."
I smirked, pocketing the ticket. "You sound like you've done this before."
"I… never really had the chance. Flight schedules, you know," Lior admitted, running a hand through his hair as he stared up at the towering Ferris wheel.
"I can't believe you've never been here before," Kaein teased, watching Lior's hesitant steps.
Kaein grinned, nudging him gently. "Well, today's all about firsts. First time for everything. I am lucky to be your first in everything."
After hearing those words, Lior blushed slightly.
Their first stop was the bumper cars. Lior climbed in nervously, gripping the steering wheel as if it was the cockpit of a plane.
"Don't worry, it's safer than flying," Kaein joked, revving his own car and zooming toward Lior with a mischievous grin.
Lior's competitive streak emerged immediately, and we spent ten chaotic minutes trying to ram each other while avoiding small children who drove like miniature criminals.
The moment they collided—softly, of course—Lior let out a surprised laugh, the sound light and genuine. His initial tension melted away as he chased Kaein around the small arena, the thrill of the game sparking a youthful joy neither had expected to find here.
Then another ride was the SkyDrop — a towering cylinder that hoisted us up before plummeting toward the ground. The rush stole my breath, and for a moment, the blood arcs in my head turned into harmless streaks of wind and light.
Next, Kaein dragged Lior toward the spinning teacups. "Hold on tight," he warned, as the ride started to whirl.
Lior's laugh echoed over the music, his cheeks flushed with exhilaration. "Okay, maybe this is a little like turbulence," he joked, clutching Kaein's hand tightly as the world spun faster.
After a brief pause to catch their breath (and sip some lemonade), Kaein pointed toward the roller coaster.
"This one's a must. No backing out."
Lior's eyes flickered with uncertainty, but he smiled. "With you, I think I'm ready."
The line was long, but the anticipation built with every step forward. When they finally sat side by side, the safety bars clicked down, and the coaster lurched forward, Lior's breath caught in his throat.
The wind whipped past them, screams and laughter mixing together as the coaster dipped and soared.
When the ride ended, Lior was laughing breathlessly, gripping Kaein's arm. "That was… amazing. I never knew I could feel like that."
Kaein's grin was soft and satisfied. "I'm glad you trusted me."
As the sun began to dip lower, they wandered toward the food stalls, sharing a giant cotton candy that stuck to their fingers and brought out shy smiles.
"Not bad for a pilot's first day off," Kaein quipped, stealing a bite.
Lior caught his hand, fingers entwining. "Maybe I should take more vacations."
Kaein squeezed gently. "Only if I'm invited."
After the rides and playful time, Lior bought us lemon ice slushes, the tart sweetness cutting through the humid air. We found a bench under a striped awning, watching the carousel spin.
That's when he said it.
"You know… sometimes, the thing you're looking for isn't in the middle of the mess. It's in the one place no one bothers to check."
Lior was talking about a game booth we'd passed — the one with the trick targets hidden near the ground — but my mind caught the words differently. Not in the middle of the mess… one place no one bothers to check.
The Dockside scene flashed in my head. The untouched toolbox. The stain arcs… and a gap in the pattern I'd dismissed.
I froze, staring past the carousel horses.
The sky turned pink behind them, and in that glowing light, the day felt endless—filled with laughter, new memories, and the sweet pull of something just beginning.
Lior had been building up to asking him. Not about the case — 'I didn't even know the details — but about before. About us, before years turned into silence and chance reunions in airports.'
But when I glanced at him, the way his eyes had gone distant told me the answer: he wasn't here, not completely. His mind was somewhere else, maybe somewhere dark.
So I didn't ask. Instead, I nudged his slush cup toward him. "It's melting. You'll regret it."
Kaein gave me a distracted half-smile, like he'd just remembered I was there. And I wondered — not for the first time — if I was the only one trying to pull him back into the world.
We spent the next hour darting from booth to booth — Lior beat me at the ring toss, I destroyed him at the water gun race. At the Ferris wheel, we shared a basket, the park sprawling beneath us in miniature.
The view was all light and motion, but my brain kept running the Dockside scene like a silent film reel. Lior leaned back, looking perfectly at ease, while I pieced together how that "one place no one bothers to check" might just be the missing angle in my report.
Still, when he caught me looking at him instead of the skyline, I managed a real smile.
"Thanks," I said.
"For what?"
"For getting me out here."
He shrugged. "Even detectives need air."
---
We left just as the park lights began to blink on, the air cooling into evening. My pocket was heavier with the stuffed fox Lior had won "for evidence purposes," as he'd put it.
But heavier still was the new thread tugging at my mind — the one his offhand comment had given me.
The case wasn't over. But neither, it seemed, was whatever kept pulling me back to him.