Sacred Sins

And I remembered reading one novel in particular that mentioned a young student who had suffered a breakdown and had left the seminary after his sister—his twin sister—had died as the result of an illegal abortion. Apparently there was a tremendous scandal. It was discovered that the boy's mother was confined to an institution and that he had been treated himself for schizophrenia.”
    “Let's track down Mathias.” Ben was already heading down the hall when Logan stopped him.
    “I've already done that. It only took me a few calls to locate him. He's living in Connecticut, and he remembered the incident perfectly. The seminarian had been unusually devout, as devout to Moore as he was to the Church. In fact, he served as his secretary. Mathias said his name was Louis Roderick.”
    It was possible for the blood to freeze, for the heart to stop pumping, and for the body to remain alive. “Are you sure?”
    “Yes, Mathias was positive, but when I asked, he went back through his old notes and checked on it. He's willing to come down and give you a description. With that and a name, you should be able to find him.”
    “I know where he is.” Ben spun around into the squad room and grabbed the first phone he reached.
    “You know him?” Logan grabbed on to Ed before he lost him as well.
    “He's a cop. He's one of us, and right now he's heading up the outside surveillance on Tess's building.”
    “Sweet God.” As the room in front of him humped into action, Logan began to pray.
    Units were dispatched to Roderick's address, others to back up Tess's apartment. Logan was on Ben's heels as they headed to the door. “I want to go with you.”
    “This is police business.”
    “Seeing a priest might calm him.”
    “Don't get in the way.” They hit the glass door and nearly ran over Lowenstein.

    “What the hell's going on here?”
    Half wild with fear, Ben caught her by the collar of her coat. “Why aren't you with her? Why did you leave her alone?”
    “What's wrong with you? Once Lou called to verify it had gone down, there was no reason for me to hang around.”
    “When did he call?”
    “Twenty minutes ago. But he said you were on your way—” Though her mind rejected it, the expression on Ben's face told her everything. “Oh, God, not Lou? But he's—” A cop. A friend. Lowenstein kicked herself back. “He called twenty minutes ago, telling me there had been a clean arrest and to pull off the guard and come in. I never questioned it. God, Ben, I never thought to verify with headquarters. It was Lou.”
    “We've got to find him.”
    She grabbed Ben's arm before he could push past her. “Georgetown Hospital. He told her you'd been taken to Emergency.”
    Nothing else was needed to have him streaking down the steps to his car.

    T ESS pulled up in the parking lot after a frustrating twenty-minute drive. The roads were all but clear, but that hadn't stopped the fender benders. She told herself the good part was that Ben was already fixed up and waiting. And it was over.
    Slamming her door, she dropped her keys into her pocket. On the way home they were going to pick up a bottle of champagne. Two bottles, she corrected. Then they were going to spend the rest of the weekend in bed drinking them.
    The idea was so pleasant, she didn't notice the figure melt out of the shadows and into the light.

    “Dr. Court.”
    Alarm came first, with her hand flying up to her throat. Then, with a laugh, she lowered it and started forward. “Detective Roderick, I didn't know you'd—”
    The light glinted on the white clerical collar at his throat. It was like the dream, she thought in a moment of blank panic, when she'd thought herself only a step away from safety only to find her worst fears confirmed. She knew she could turn and run, but he was only an arm's span away and would catch her. She knew she could scream, but she had no doubt he'd silence her. Completely. There was only one choice. To face him.
    “You wanted to talk to me.” No, it wouldn't work, she thought desperately. Not if her voice was shaking, not when her head was filled with the rushing echo of her own fear. “I've wanted to talk to you too. I've wanted to help you.”
    “Once I thought you could. You had kind eyes. When I read your reports, I knew you understood I wasn't a murderer. Then I knew you'd been sent to me. You'd be the last one, the most important one. You were the only one the Voice said by name.”
    “Tell me about the voice,