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

“Where do we go that has long lines in the afternoon?” Steve said.


“Why?” Roger said. “Are we going?”


George and Mike are thinking about taking Robbie in the morning,” Steve said.


“Can we go along?” Roger said. “We haven’t been out there this year.”


“Sure,” I said, “the more the merrier.”


“If you won’t think us poor hosts,” Charles said, “Philip and I will beg off. He’s had a steady stream of visiting siblings, nieces, and nephews through here this year, and I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve gone there.”


“Charles,” Mrs. Barnett said rather sharply, “that’s not polite.”


“What good are friends,” I said, “if they can’t be honest with each other?”


“Right,” Mike said. “Besides, we didn’t come here expecting to be relentlessly entertained 24/7.”


“Steve and I will show you how to get to the best stuff the quickest,” Roger said.


“In that case,” I said, “the trip will be our treat.”


Chapter 44