Sr. Celeste Arden

CASE: FBI-INT-IT-CLASSIFIED There's an unwritten rule in every decent bar: never discuss religion, politics, or your marriage. I happen to agree with that little piece of wisdom. A man's private business ought to stay private, and I make a habit of keeping mine under lock and key. Trouble is, this latest case has dragged one of those subjects right into the spotlight. A new government outfit, cooked up by J. Edgar Hoover himself, has come knocking with a problem that stretches from one end of the country to the other. A string of murders, all connected by one curious detail: a nun in Rome, a woman with a reputation as a prophetess, has supposedly predicted every last one with supernatural precision. The FBI boys have run out of answers, and they've given me clearance to cross jurisdiction and track down this holy woman myself. Now, call me a cynic, but when you mix a pretty woman, the Church, and a string of mysterious predictions, my first thought isn't divine intervention. It's a con. I've seen enough crooked saints and polished sinners to know that miracles usually come with a price tag. But here's the rub: this nun isn't collecting a dime. No fortune, no favors, no obvious motive. So what's her angle? Is she the genuine article, blessed with some gift from upstairs, or is somebody running the most elaborate shell game I've ever seen? Either way, I'm heading for Italy. And if Rome has answers, I'll find them. If not, I'll settle for a confession. I've never been much for miracles, but I sure as hell believe in murder.