Laurie R. King. With Child (1996) 275 pp.
Kate Martinelli, a quietly lesbian San Francisco homicide detective, can’t escape the void left by her departed lover, Lee, who has gone off to rethink their relationship. Twelve-year-old Jules Cameron—stepdaughter of her police partner, Al Hawkin—comes to Kate to help her find her friend Dio, a homeless boy she met in a park. Dio has disappeared without a word of farewell, and Jules wants Kate to find him. Reluctant as she is, Kate can’t say no, but the search for Dio will prove to be much more than both bargained for and it’s only the beginning. When Jules disappears while taking a trip with Kate, a desperate search begins ... and Kate knows all too well the odds of finding the child alive.
Setting: San Francisco
Hubin