It was March, and most of the town was buzzing with excitement.

The reason for that was the quickly approaching visit of a celebrity. The rising star, a teenaged singer Charlotte, was going to perform in the town.

Since she was popular among younger and adults, everybody expected her events to be attended in high numbers.

Including police.

"We must organize well," was Hinton explaining the room full of police workers with a deadly serious voice. The Chief appointed her to organize everything, and she was determined to prove herself. "We will be dealing with a mass of people, not only locals but also tourists. That means more problems with traffic and a better opportunity for misdemeanors. We must be ready and prevent problems before they even happen. I've already sent you all more detailed instructions for your department. Please, discuss them and prepare for action. If you have any questions, you can talk to me or contact me over the phone or by email. Is everything clear?"

It was half-past seven in the morning, so the response was not as full of determination as she wanted, but a few people nodded.

That was enough for her right now. She dismissed the meeting and police officers started to leave. Bailey made his way toward the door as well, but she caught up with him.

"Morning," she greeted him, a bit grumpy.

"Good morning," Bailey replied. He was always wary when his superior was grumpy because it could mean a lot of things. Maybe Parker acted like a teenager again, maybe she heard somebody say something sexist or something else made her angry.

She hesitated. "Did you know that one of Charlotte's background dancers sprained his ankle?"

Bailey did not expect that question. "Um, no," he replied. "Was I supposed to?" He hasn't seen that in any of the instructions she sent them even though he read them carefully.

Hinton sighed. "That complicates things. She'll need a replacement now."

"What's the big deal here?" Bailey asked. "Surely she'll find somebody. Also, why is that your problem?"

"Because all of the other dancers have been working with her for years. They are safe. Who knows what sort of person will the replacement be."

Bailey looked at her. "Now you are starting to be paranoid, Hinton. Everything will be fine."

"Maybe," Hinton sighed, then looked at her colleagues. "What a pity we don't have a policeman who could work undercover as a backup dancer. You know, somebody who can dance?" she said suggestively.

"I don't like where this is headed," Bailey murmured.

"Come on, Bailey. Please," she asked.

"Hinton, I was doing ballet and even that was ages ago," Bailey stated. He did have some experience in other types of dancing, too, but not enough that he would want to present it to hundreds of people.

"Have you watched the recording of her performances?" Hinton asked. "From what I gathered, it's not that complicated. Don't you miss the stage?"

Bailey rubbed the back of his neck. "Would it mean a lot to you if I said yes?" he asked. "Because then I might consider it."

"It would be the favor I could not repay," Hinton replied.

Bailey sighed. "Look, contact them and ask if they could consider it. Then if they say it's possible, I will do it, okay?" He had doubts that they will. Usually, if you want to be a backup dancer for a performer, you must either have plenty of recommendations or show more talent than everybody else at the audition.

Hinton looked as if she wanted to hug him, but she restrained herself. "Thank you," she said instead and left.

Bailey received the news the next day. Charlotte said that if they think that's necessary, she might consider it, and sent Bailey the recording of the choreography. She ordered him to learn it and send her the video of himself doing it. Then she'll see if that works for her.

Bailey didn't want to disappoint Hinton, so he did his best to learn the steps and Charlotte agreed to let him join her. He was surprised, to be honest. Usually, the singer would have said no. Maybe it was because Charlotte wasn't as famous as it looked. Maybe she had some money troubles and couldn't afford to pay somebody to dance with her. Or perhaps, she thought working with an undercover police officer was going to be exciting. He wasn't going to complain, though. Instead, he practiced the routine over and over. His muscles felt like they were going to dissolve, but he was used to that, anyway.

He was practicing it that day, as well, but he wasn't focused. He was thinking about Cole's visit. His German acquaintance was going to arrive by train in the evening and Bailey promised he'll pick him up at the station. He was wondering if they'll get along. He was still worried that Cole was mad at him. After some time, he gave up and went to take a shower. He spent the next two hours checking his watch every few minutes to make sure he won't be late.

Finally, Hinton had enough and she sent him on the way.

He was glad she did. He got stuck in the traffic and he would have been late if he had left later. However, when he arrived at the station, Cole was nowhere to be seen, even though his train had arrived.