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

The strong smell of smoke and burning stucco pulled me out of sleep and forced me awake. I opened my eyes and saw spirals of smoke waft inside the bedroom, spinning in circles. I heard boards crackle and burn. Windows exploded, and golden-orange light illuminated the bedroom, flashing on and off.


“Casey!” I said, jabbing him in the left hip with my elbow, attempting to wake him. “Casey, there’s a fire! Babe, get up! The bungalow is on fire!”


I quickly climbed out of bed and just about dropped to my knees and crawl to safety when I saw that the noise, flames, and smoke were coming from Bungalow Fifteen, next door on the beach, and not Casey’s residence. The night’s wind blew toward Casey’s bungalow, filling his bedroom with toxic fumes.


Panic surfaced inside me as the strong scent of gasoline and smoke filled my nose. If we didn’t escape the bungalow, we would die of asphyxiation. Smoke would gather in our lungs, and we would end up choking to death.


Chapter 29