Laurence C. Abel was a sports enthusiast — he played as much tennis, basketball and golf on his Sony PlayStation as he did on the courts — and a car lover. In 2000, Mr. Abel, 37, bought a Honda Accord Coupe in shiny black. "We must have gone to 10 different car dealers in all five boroughs and the tri-state area," said his companion, Beverly C. Williams. "That car was half his heart, or a quarter of his heart."
Mr. Abel, a bond analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, still officially lived in the same Upper Manhattan apartment he grew up in. But as his relationship with Ms. Williams progressed, he all but officially lived with her in Jamaica, Queens.
Ms. Williams recalled the moment when she felt that her relationship with Mr. Abel might be something special. Mr. Abel gave her a card for her 33rd birthday a few years ago in which he wrote: "It's difficult to find a friend, a companion and a lover all in one person. And I truthfully think that I've found that in you."