Two weeks after Philip d'Autremont is acquitted of his wife's murder, it's time for him and his partner and lawyer, Charles Barnett, to start building their life together. But it turns out that not everyone in Atlanta is as ready to leave the trial in the past as Charles and Philip, and a surprise attack leaves Charles in the hospital and Philip's arm in a sling.<br><br>With thoughts of their own mortality fresh in their minds, Charles and Philip make a decision that will change their lives forever. Future plans and home renovations take their minds off the attacks, but the danger isn't over yet: the people behind the attacks are still at large, and they weren't acting alone.

Tribulation

THE DRIVE FROM San Francisco to Napa took considerably more than an hour with Charles driving. I’d have gotten us there much more quickly, but he drove at a steady five miles above the limit, no more. We’d booked a room in a nice hotel on the Napa River near downtown, just a couple of blocks from the terminal of the Napa Valley Wine Train. We checked into the hotel just before noon and were shown to a large room with a king-size bed and a balcony overlooking the Napa River. We’d discussed a few things that we might like to do while in Napa, and in furtherance of that we’d gathered some brochures in the lobby of the hotel when we checked in. After we unpacked, we went down to the terrace overlooking the river, ordered a bottle of wine, and began perusing the brochures.


Chapter 5