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

“God,” I said, “this is way beyond smooth.” I felt the fiery liquid all the way down, and it was a wonderful feeling.


“What do you guys think, Steve?” Philip said.


“Not bad,” Charles said. “As someone once famously said, you’re damning it with faint praise.”


“Try rating it on a ten-point scale,” Philip said.


“Okay,” Steve said, “I’ll give it at least an eight and a half.”


Charles chuckled and said, “I’ll accept an eight and a half.” He refilled our glasses.


“What’s the plan for tomorrow morning?” I said.


“The race ends in Piedmont Park,” Charles said. “Early tomorrow morning I’m going to drive my car to Lenox Square and park it, and Philip will follow me in his car and bring me back to the house. Steve can drive us over to Phipps Plaza around seven fifteen in Philip’s car and drop us off. That’s only a block from where the race begins, and we can take MARTA back there from near Piedmont Park.”


Chapter 42