Welcome to Hurricane Bay, Florida, where the act of arson isn’t uncommon. When a popular gay bar, the Flaming Flamingo, burns to the ground with bartender Rudy inside, fear rocks the Gulf-side community. Bar owner Peter Rotunda wants to learn who destroyed his business and committed murder. Soon after the incident, Rotunda hires adorable and sexy private investigator Axle Dupree to take the case.<br><br>Axle is a fresh private eye with exemplary charm. Not only can he woo the pants off his boyfriend Casey, but also just about every other guy in town. Soon a list of alleged suspects builds: wealthy Laura Monigal, who has a history of arson; mysterious faux-cowboy Clifton Monigal; a Daisy Dukes-wearing circus performer; and a “fluff” romance writer.<br><br>As June unfolds, conversations are sharp, road trips into the Everglades become overwhelming, and spying is necessary. But after applying heat to the suspects, Axle learns who the murderer is ... and so much more about his community.

Heat

Casey ended up exactly where I didn’t want him to be: with his assistant. I just happened to be driving down Hemingway Street and saw the two exiting BeeBee’s Modern Design, a secondhand store that specialized in refurbished furniture, expensive but different pieces that looked exquisite. Both men were carrying an elephant-shaped coffee table to a fourteen-foot, GMC moving van that Casey rented from Hibbard’s Rentals to move furniture. The coffee table looked heavy and chiseled from granite. The two moved like sloths, making baby steps to the van. Casey said something to Bruno, left out a chuckle, and continued with his task.


Chapter 25