by
Haunted by his last case and still struggling financially, private investigator Nick Fabian is floundering when a birthday surprise from his best friend Connor Long and boyfriend Roy Constas—a home of their own—offers a ray of hope for a future life beyond living in a cramped trailer and staring into the depths of human depravity.
Nick's optimism soon fades when he finds human remains crammed into a suitcase dumped in the attic. The bones belong to a local child who was reported missing three years ago. The news only gets worse when Roy reveals he was the one who took the suitcase up into the attic at Connor's request, but he insists he had no idea of its grisly contents.
With Connor Long the prime suspect in a murder yet again, battle lines are drawn in Point Clear. Connor's pregnant wife Lillian and girlfriend Sabrina stand by him, but Roy and Emily aren't so certain of his innocence. Nick finds himself trapped in the middle, drawn to Connor by an attraction he's never fully explored, but forced to accept the fact that Connor's hiding something. Connor's brother, Sheriff Thomas Long, hires Nick to investigate and find out the truth, no matter how ugly it may be—but will he regret asking the question once he knows the horrifying answer?
- 1 Read list
Publisher: Independently Published
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 3
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Bisexual, Gay, Transgender
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 46-65
Protagonist 3 Age: 36-45
Tropes: Age Difference, Everyone is Queer
Word Count: 42642
Setting: Point Clear, Maine
Languages Available: English
"Are you sure this is the place?" Nick peered through the car windows at a dingy side street, absorbing the details in the dying light of an early Summer evening.
There was nothing remarkable about the area he found himself in. Typical Northeastern-style row homes lined both sides of the street. Power lines hung from wooden poles, sagging under their weight. A recent fire had gutted a couple of houses further down, and several homes in the lot appeared to be vacant. This wasn't the most glamorous district in the city of Point Clear, but then again, that was why they were here. Work. He'd gotten a good tip, and he was following up.
Roy clasped Nick's forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze with his thick fingers. "This is it. Come on, let's go take a look."
READ MORE"Maybe we should stake the place out first." Nick chewed his lip. He wasn't sure he was ready for this case just yet, but he couldn't turn down the money. Eddie Graham wanted his son, Gary, back in rehab. Nick couldn't argue with that. The photos he'd seen of a nice kid with a mop of strawberry blond hair made him feel sorry for the guy, but he couldn't afford to work this case for free.
"All we gotta do is knock," Roy urged. "Get a feel for the place. The kid may come willingly—if we don't spook him."
Shadows milled around behind net curtains, and then the lights went out.
"I think they already know we're here," Nick muttered. "Well, now or never." He opened the car door and jumped out. Roy was right behind him. There was a comfort in having him there, even though the disabled veteran was in no state to be protecting Nick. The horrors of his last case came flooding back into his brain and he wished they hadn't. He'd almost lost Roy.
He reached behind him for Roy's hand and found it. Their fingers brushed together, like a good luck kiss. Nick drew his hand away and knocked on the door. He felt for the comfort of his firearm, but he hadn't brought it with him. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to shoot someone again.
Heart in his mouth, Nick reached up, balling his hand into a fist and landing three sharp knocks on the door. He waited.
Nothing.
"We should go." Nick turned to leave, but Roy shook his head.
"This is the closest we've gotten. You can't turn tail and run now. They know we're here. If we don't act now, the kid's gonna slip away."
Nick sucked in a breath. Roy was right. He spun on his heel and tried the doorknob. It turned, and the door opened a crack. He'd expected it to be locked. What now?
"Go on," Roy urged. "According to the records, this place is abandoned. We won't be the only trespassers on site." He pressed a portable flashlight into Nick's hand and guided him through the door.
The lights came on. Nick was blinded as his eyes strained to adjust to the dazzling glare.
"SURPRISE!" a dozen voices chanted in unison.
COLLAPSE
