BENEATH THE FLAMBOYANCE . . . When an army buddy Pete Thorsen has barely seen in thirty years appears on his doorstep without notice, Pete s surprised, but chalks it up to his onetime friend s eccentric personality. Then he begins to notice things. Puzzled, Pete asks a detective he knows to check him out. The report: The man staying at his house is wanted for murder. Pete s stunned, but the man disappears before he can confront him. After the state police pick him up, the only way Pete can talk to him is if he s his lawyer. That sets up a collision with the sheriff whose only interest is to get the man out of his jurisdiction and begins Pete s journey into a world of corruption and violent grudges where he becomes a target himself.