Final Crossing: A Novel of Suspense Read Free Page A

room-temperature water. The Senator placed a palm on Jonas’s chest, closed his eyes, and bowed his head.
    Jonas understood, and closed his eyes as well.
    “Bless you, O Lord, and in you we trust to keep your beloved from harm, so we thank you for protecting Jonas from greater injury.” He cleared his throat and paused a moment before adding, “And we seek your guidance as how to keep this dumb son of a bitch from being so reckless in the future. Amen.”
    “Amen to that,” Jonas said.
    “So what happened?”
    “Juliette dumped me,” Jonas said. “Thought I would throw myself into traffic to ease the pain.”
    “Bullshit,” Sidams said. “You were helping a stranded motorist. Always trying to save the world, one dumbass at a time.”
    “That’s beautiful. Think I’ll put that on my tombstone.” Sidams reached into his jacket pocket. “Brought you a present.” He handed the BlackBerry to Jonas. “It’s all that’s left of your car.”
    “Thanks.” God only knew how many e-mails had gone unread since the accident, Jonas thought. Several hundred, probably.
    “I figured you would want some form of communication while you’re here.”
    “Thanks. I miss anything in the last twenty-four hours?” Sidams nodded. “There’s been a killing.”
    “Figurative or literal?”
    “Literal, Jonas. A well-known constituent.” Sidams’s gaze went to the floor for just a moment. “And a friend.”
    Holy shit. Jonas tried to sit up. “Who?”
    “Michael Calloway.”
    Jonas felt the air leave his lungs. Michael Calloway was the CEO of Calloway Manufacturing, a huge distributor of auto parts and one of the largest private employers in Philadelphia. He was also a major financial contributor to and a personal friend of the Senator.
    “My God. Killed? What happened?”
    Sidams removed his hand from Jonas’s chest. “They found him yesterday—it’s all over the national news. He was... crucified.”
    “Crucified? As in crucified crucified?”
    Sidams nodded. “It’s unbelievable. Found his body in a cave in a state park outside of Philly. Holes in his wrists and feet. Cross was still standing nearby. Blood all over it. Moreover...” A lengthy pause.
    “What?”
    “It...it seems Calloway was soliciting...gay men on the
    Internet.”
    “Are you kidding me? He’s married.”
    “I know, Jonas. I know. The media is just starting to sink its teeth into this, and it won’t be going away soon.”
    Jonas had met Calloway once and had liked him. But the Senator had a long relationship with the man, and Jonas knew they had been close.
    “Jesus, Robert, I’m so sorry.”
    “Turn on the television if you want to know more details, because I don’t want to talk about it more. But I needed to tell you.”
    Jonas didn’t know what more to say. Crucified?
    “I have to stay in D.C. for a vote,” the Senator continued. “So I’ll miss the funeral. I was going to ask you to go, but you were too busy trying to arrange for your own funeral.”
    “When is it?”
    “Friday.”
    Three days from now, Jonas thought. “I can go.”
    “Can you?”
    “No problem. I’ll be there.”
    “Your doctor will let you?”
    “Let that be my problem.”
    Sidams nodded and squinted his eyes in appreciation. “Thank you, Jonas. That would mean a great deal to me to have you there.”
    “It’s my job.”
    The Senator stared blankly at Jonas’s bed, looking through it at something else, deep in his own mind. Jonas wasn’t used to seeing that face.
    “I don’t want to distance myself from him,” the Senator said. “Whatever he was doing...whatever secret life he had... he was still a friend. You understand?”
    “Absolutely.”
    The Senator seemed lost in thought. “What is it?” Jonas asked.
    The Senator remained silent for a long time. Jonas didn’t press him. Finally, Sidams responded.
    “His ear was cut off.”
    “What?”
    “His ear. Whoever killed Michael cut his ear off. Postmortem, they think. It’s not in