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

“Were you assigned to this case because of your sexual identity, do you think?”


“That I don’t know,” he said. “I’m not really ‘out’ in the department in the true sense of the word, but my immediate superiors know that I’m gay, so it’s certainly a possibility that they assigned me to the case as an overture to you guys, so to speak.”


Philip said, “Our roommate, and Charles’ best friend since seventh grade, is an investigator, and I’ve given him a blank check to find out who did this. If you need any resources that you can’t obtain through channels, give him a call.”


“You’re referring to Richard Greene?”


“Yes, do you know him?” Philip said.


“As a matter of fact, I do,” he said. “I’ll give him a call in a few days if I’m not getting anywhere.”


Chapter 26