George Martin and his partner Mike live a comfortable life in Jacksonville with their Irish setter, but something's missing. Maybe George, a captain in the sheriff's office, has just been working too hard again. There's been a rash of break-ins in the area, and the homes targeted all seem to belong to older gay men.<br><br>Then when the time finally comes for George and Mike to take their vacation, they pack up and head to their mountain cabin for two weeks-only to find a small boy living in their generator shed. Robbie, who bonds with George right away, has witnessed an unspeakable tragedy, but that is just the beginning of the trouble.<br><br>Alone in the world apart from a very ill maternal grandmother, Robbie stands the very real risk of becoming a ward of the state if George and Mike can't convince a bigoted judge to change his mind. Meanwhile, George still has a job to do: solve the break-ins-and a murder -- and track down who's responsible.

Break and Enter

“Hi, there, big boy,” I said. “Did you have a good time today?”


“Yes, Sir. Mrs. Tumblin is a nice lady, and she made me hot dogs for lunch.”


“Cool. Come tell me all about it while I change clothes.”


HE FOLLOWED ME into the bedroom and kept up a running commentary of his day while I put on shorts and a T-shirt. In the kitchen I found Mike at the stove busily fixing dinner, so I gave him a quick kiss and sat down at the kitchen table.


“Finest kind. Everything is under control.”


Tuesday afternoon we met with the assistant head of the school and filled out the necessary paperwork. She examined the paperwork carefully and assured us that Robbie, who was waiting in a reception area under the watchful eyes of a secretary, would be accepted


“Do you offer a discount if we write a check for a full year’s tuition right now?” I said.


“You bet we do, Captain Martin,” she said, and told me the amount.


Chapter 33