Harry hasn't spoken for hours. Being back at his apartment seemed a cocoon of misery. The place seemed lifeless without Jonathan to bring it alive. Lynn sat next to him, rubbing his back.

Lady was looking around her son's place, pleased with the life he made for himself. He had clean water and no signs of infestation.

"Harry, there are some decisions we must make for Jonathan's memorial service. Since you're legally married to him I have no say. And I'm not going to lie, I am deeply hurt that he took that right away from me, but I understand."

"Do you now," said Harry with acid in his voice. He looked at her, fixedly. "Are you sure you understand what I lost? I lost my life partner, a man, your son, you detested. You damned us to hell and in the end my baby was killed by a drunk driver and you stand here hiding your hand, trying to understand my pain? Bitch get out of my house!"

Lady was to her rescue. "Harry. Please."

"You haven't been back in my life long enough to chastise me. As a matter of fact you can get the hell out, too!" Harry snapped, opening his front door.

Lynn closed it and Harry pointed at her. "You have five seconds to move your fake ass from in front of my door or I'll shove you through it."

There was no life in his eyes.

"If you do that I guess your secret, the one you kept from my son, that you aren't in love with him will be safe with me."

"What did you just say? I love my husband. Do you ever let up? Have you acknowledged your part in his demise?"

"This is how it's going to go. I want control of his services. I might let you pick his attire, but I'm burying my child whether you like it or not."

"And I'll bury your ass with him, bitch. Face first. I'd skin your ass, real talk. He's not your son. You reneged on that right when you called us outlandish names."

"I have your conversation recorded, Harry."

"I swear you get crazier by the second. What conversation. I'll engage the bullshit, just to prove that you fell off your rocker and lost your marbles, crazy bitch."

Lynn held up her cell phone. Pressed the Play button on the touch screen.

Lady's mouth fell open when audio of Harry talking in his sleep confused even Harry.

"My son accidentally called me when you were having...confessions of the heart. You said you don't love him because you're not over losing Lou, your high school lover, to gun violence. I think this will stand up in a court of law. My lawyer will be contacting you first thing in the morning. I'm taking you to court to get my rights back to bury my son. There's a week lien on his body at the funeral home, courtesy of the court."

Harry grinned, deceptively. "Do that and I'll call your police buddies and let them know that you're Officer Becky, the cop by day, faceless slut by night escort that gets off on screwing cops for money. Your son told me, months before."

Checkmate...

A few weeks before, Lynn paid Captain Hills, one of her superiors, an anonymous visit.

He was a by-the-book-boss, until you got it hard getting your knees dirty for special favors.

If she was going to play the political game on the force them she'd date the right people, those with string pulling capabilities.

He wasn't too thrilled to see her.

He never looked away from his newspaper. Funnies. "Didn't we put you on unpaid administrative leave, Lynn, pending the end of Bob Grimes murder trial?"

Sitting in the ragged Lazy Boy on the side of his desk, she gazed at his wedding band, making it quite obvious the string she was about to pull.

"Why is it that white cops shoot my men in cold blood and get paid administrative leave, but I'm suspended without pay for trying to beat that gay demon out of my only son with a Bible on the news? Wow. Big freaking deal. I'd think murder would trump my act of passion, a mother's fight to save her son from ruin."

Captain Hills snorted. "For the same reason why we kill our own. Because some get away with it. You ever heard of Unsolved Mysteries. Sure you have. You already think you're cop of the Year, but your nookie already won that distinction."

"Whatever, dude. But trust me, you won't be laughing for long."

"Case in point. Yes, I'm black, so what? I don't always have to pull the race card? Life isn't fair. Where's Black Lives Matter when the finger on the trigger is our own people?"

"That doesn't permit the creation of All Lives Matter to take the focus off fading black lives, Captain."

Suddenly jerking in his seat, he finally looked up from the morning Funnies from a few months ago, old news.

"And since when were you into what's going on in the world? A woman that uses her kitty to advance had no time for charitable events, unless it's to receive cash for your services marked as donations.

"Let's not forget how you got those corporal strikes on your sleeves, Lynn. I can still see the dust of this office floor on your knees.

"You're the last person who needs to be worried about two men being in love, black lives or your own selfish needs. The streaks in your panties tells a thousand tales of lies and deceit."

Batting her dangerous eyes, Lynn said, "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, bum. We're getting sidetracked. I'm going to make this brief. Bob Grimes has a set date for his hearing now that my son is dead. Do what you must to get me a secret meeting with the presiding judge."

"You are in no position to request police force loyalty for your agenda, Lynn. We are a zero tolerance department against any type of discrimination. You're on the news attacking a gay couple with your Bible. It doesn't matter that you were out of uniform. But you broke the code. You're a police officer twenty four fucking seven. Protect and serve."

"What about sexual harassment from my superior, the same piece of shit I'm sitting here wasting my time with. You were so busy remembering my dusty knee caps that you hadn't realized that I'm recording this entire conversation. Both audio and video. I'm sure Wendy Williams will thank me later on Hot Topics."

"You dirty bitch! You set me up!"

She gave a shit-eating grin. "Are you going to set up the meeting, since the presiding judge is your legendary grandfather, the Honorable Harper Hills? I hear he drives a hard bargain."

He calculated his response, candidly. "Get out of here before I bring you up on charges of blackmail and..."

"I have digital video of our indiscretions. You know, a visual of me between your legs earning my corporal stripes. Didn't take me five minutes to turn you into an orgasmic, career changing mess. I have text messages and photos of us in the act."

Reaching in her MK purse, she pulled out a manila envelop, dumping professionally taken photographs of Captain Hills mounting her in his wife's bed from a couple years ago.

Taken by the private investigator she hired to document every rendezvous with the power players she's slept with in the legal system. She has career altering photos of just about everyone.

"Take your balls out of the martini. I'm not ready to stir your troubles just yet. I prefer olives, an acquired taste, you know..."

Holding up one of her cell phones, he saw Officer Huckleberry and Officer Hicks harass Bob Grimes, pulling their guns out on him.

The color left his face.

If that video was leaked Bob Grimes could possibly walk and bring his department under Federal investigation. Not to mention global exposure and there were some illegal activity going on in his station that his hands were tied up in.

Lynn said, "Taking your family away from you is the least of your worries." Stopping her recording device, linked to her laptop at her house, she continued. "I have a messenger outside your home right now, ready to ring your doorbell and give your wife a copy of the very photos on your desk.

"I want paid administrative leave. Do it quietly. Handle it yourself. Make it happen. With back pay for the days I missed. Getting me a meeting with Judge Hills by tomorrow is an added bonus I like to think of as interest. I have copies of this video ready to go viral from a hacker I know quite well, in ways I never learned you."

Hills broke out in a cold sweat. "I can't make it happen tomorrow, Lynn. Let's be civil, handle this like adults. No need to threaten me."