PRESENT DAY

“It was wise of me to follow your instructions. I will admit that I was worried you were losing your power, but you proved me wrong again. I was able to get Jenny out before the inspector got there. He took care of the others.”

“Excellent. And Marisa?”

“She helped him to free them, but she was gone before the inspector could realize it, just as we planned.”

“Good. Did she give the information to the inspector?”

“He was more than shocked at how deep the rot in his station ran, but he understood the need for the explosions. He won’t be investigating them. In fact, Marisa said that he was loudly contemplating his future with the police.”

“Be sure to give Marisa a double portion of her bonus if he does. It will be hard for a righteous man like him to continue to work among vermin. How is Jenny doing?”

“Her vitals are still weak but she’s responding well to the treatment. She should be fine within the next few days.”

Katherine’s voice went softer. “Do you think this pushed her too far?”

Winifred responded without concern. “Jenny was a decorated secret soldier when you saved her from her death. I think she’ll be back looking for a mission as soon as she can walk.”

“You warriors will forever confuse me.”

Winifred cackled, then got serious again.

“Do you have something planned for Mr. G?”

“Well, I don’t, but someone does. He’ll get what’s coming to him. Keep me posted on Jenny.”

“Will do. In his service.”

Katherine hung up.

*******

Katherine walked into the sanctuary with her bible, ready to begin her nightly prayer routine. She went to put her bible on the altar when she heard a ruffling sound. She put on the flashlight on her phone and looked up and saw someone in one of the pews further down. As she walked towards him, she realized who it was. He’d always been described as immaculately dressed and clean shaven, but he looked disheveled and out of sorts.

“Mr. Glazer. I must say that I am a little surprised to see you here. It’s a little late for anyone to be here.”

Kane looked straight ahead of him at nothing in particular.

“I was once told by a man who I cared deeply for that the house of God had no opening or closing hours. It pleased me to see that the doors were open. I was worried that the sentiment was not universal.”

Katherine sat with him. “Yes, we have the same belief here.”

They sat in silence for a while. Then Kane finally spoke up.

“That same man told me before that I would run into the very same trouble I was trying to keep my brother from. It took a number of years and his death for it to manifest, but here I am. I promised him that I would go and see him the day it happened, but you will have to do.”

“Are you in trouble?”

“It appears I am.”

“Can you get out of it?”

“I fear it is too late for me to. I crossed a line that is sure to bring a curse upon me.”

“Do you believe in curses?”

“No. But I believe in the man who spoke the curse.”

“This man sounds quite powerful.”

“His nickname was the Oracle of God.”

Katherine sat up and looked at him. “You knew my father?”

“In his youth, I knew him. He once helped me escape the one enemy I could never attack. I swore that I would never bring any harm to him or his family for the kindness he had shown me. But today, I harmed his son, your brother.”

Katherine kept a straight face.

“Why are you really here?”

“To seek absolution from you. If the sins of the fathers can follow the sons, I wager the forgiveness of the sons can override the curse of the fathers.”

“Your fate does not rest in my hands, Mr. Glazer. Only God can save any man. I am curious, though. You were presumed dead for a long time. The police have a body in their morgue which bears your name. You were free and clear. Why did you come back at all?”

Kane sighed. “I worked for years to build a business. I developed the contacts, figured out the market, and I was the youngest millionaire alive. The one wrong move I made was to bring my brother in on it. I thought I could show him the ropes after he ran away from your father and his guidance. I thought he would learn better under me, and I was right. He did learn under me and in time, he became much better than me. But it all got to his head and he decided to sell me out and take my name. To make matters worse, he put a bounty on my head. I was away for forty years when I got word that I could finally reclaim what was rightfully mine. Even with all the wealth I had, I could never forget my firsts. Cassius Benton is how I was able to escape and stay alive, and today, I almost consigned his son to a lifetime of agony. All because yet another man betrayed my trust.”

“Mr. Glazer, are you telling me that the man who everyone thinks is you is not you?”

Kane deliberated within himself, and then decided it was better to tell her the truth.

“I trusted your father once. I believe you deserve the same benefit. The man bears the correct formal name but the wrong moniker. His name really is Marcus Malcolm Glazer, but he was never Kane when we started. That was me. I am Aurelius Simpson Glazer. And now I must ask you again to give me absolution for my crime.”

Katherine did her best to keep steady. She was still a pastor, after all.

“You tell me that you bear a different name, but you look very much like the man who is dead.”

“Modern medicine is a marvel that few get to truly benefit from.”

Katherine stood up. “As long as you promise to leave my brother alone, you will have the absolution you so desperately seek.”

“Consider it so, Bishop.”

She nodded and then lay a hand on his shoulder. “Harbor no guilt, Mr. Glazer. My father taught me that God forgives all. Neither liar nor murderer, neither lecherer nor drunkard, not even a double-crosser is ineligible for the forgiveness of God. I hope you take that with you. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need, but I must go home now.”

She tapped him on the shoulder and left, but he wore a puzzled look on his face. The quote was very familiar; it was the same one that Principal Tumi quoted to the boys time and time again all those years ago. He usually said it right after he had flogged one of the boys into another dimension, but he said it all the same. The only part of the quote that was different this time was the last part. He never said anything about double-crossers.

Kane sat there for a little while and then it finally hit him. The woman he sought, the same one whose agent refused to succumb to days of torture, the same one who had helped him come back but never intended to help him reacquire all that he’d built, the same woman was who had just freed him of his guilt. And she had done it all in the same manner as her father: from behind the cloth.

He started to laugh at just how badly he had been played, just how much he was never in the game to begin with, despite his best efforts.

“Motherfucker.”

Ahhh, so he’s the true Kane! Amazing! And it’s now so clear that he’s not in control. Oh boy, the end to this series is gonna be good!!!!