Detective Michael Ledroit does everything in his power to find the missing boys whose cases have been assigned to him. In Eric, McKinley Belcher III plays Ledroit.
Michael Ledroit of the NYPD’s Missing Persons Unit is assigned Edgar’s case when the boy goes missing. Ledroit has also been looking for Marlon, another boy who went missing.
Ledroit’s investigation makes influential people uncomfortable as he starts uncovering secrets that they want to keep hidden.
A life in the shadows
To find the two boys, Ledroit keeps returning to The Lux, a nightclub owned by Gator, Ledroit’s former lover.
Gator assures Ledroit that he is no longer involved in any illegal activities, but Ledroit does not believe him. He wants Gator to know that his nightclub is being watched.
Ledroit frequently visits The Lux, wearing a wire. He carefully reviews his recordings to find evidence of any exploitation of young boys.
It is implied that Ledroit had a difficult past, which is why he is so determined to prevent the underage prostitution he suspects occurs at The Lux.
Although Ledroit now has a loving partner, William, his partner has AIDS. Ledroit does his best to care for William, but they both know that William does not have much time left.
Despite being together for seven years, Ledroit and William have to keep their relationship a secret.
As a police detective, Ledroit cannot come out due to the prevalent homophobia in the force. He cannot even protest the use of homophobic slurs.
Ledroit has to lie about his sexuality and go on dates with his secretary at his captain’s insistence.
What Ledroit can do is find Marlon, the Black boy no one seems to care about because he is assumed to be gay.
Ledroit’s investigation
Ledroit suspects that the two officers he saw at The Lux, Kennedy and Nokes, know something about the disappearances, but his captain does not let him talk to them.
Ledroit, a Black detective, can only work peacefully at the NYPD as long as he keeps his head down and listens to his superiors.
When Marlon’s mother accuses Ledroit of giving up on her son because he is Black, Ledroit stops following his captain’s orders and starts connecting Edgar and Marlon’s cases.
He talks to different people and learns that he was right about Kennedy and Nokes’ involvement in Marlon’s disappearance. However, Ledroit is still not allowed to bring Nokes in.
During the investigation, Ledroit also loses William. William’s sister asks Ledroit to vacate their apartment, falsely believing that Ledroit gave William AIDS.
Ledroit has no choice but to leave the home where he spent seven years with William, as William’s sister threatens to out him.
Eventually, Ledroit seeks comfort in Gator, who brings him incriminating evidence against all those involved in Marlon’s death.
Like William, who encouraged Ledroit to use his position for good, Gator asks him to use his anger and power to bring Marlon’s murderers to justice.
This leads to Ledroit defying his captain. He has all those involved in the murder arrested, despite his captain’s warnings that he will be crucified for it.
Once Edgar and Marlon’s cases are closed, Ledroit finally mourns William and moves out of the apartment. He continues looking for Marlon’s body and meeting his mother as a friend.
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