A Gangster's Gospel

Chapter 5: To Sin or Not to Sin

It had been about three weeks since Jeremiah last encountered the man with the deep voice that tickled his ear and made him flustered enough to leave the confessional in a hurry.

The man tried not to think of the voice that accused him of seduction but there was something alluring about that voice, and that man, that made Jeremiah confused. He was a killer, yet Jeremiah felt conflicted whenever that man came to mind.

He had thoughts that he shouldn't be having. It scared him but at the same time stirred something in him that he thought he'd stomped out a long time ago. It was like the man was a drug and Jeremiah got the tiniest taste thinking it wouldn't be a problem, but now he was addicted and feening for more.

About a week after that mystery man's confession a fire fight at the docks made headline news. It was said the Chechen mob was involved and two other unknown parties. The company that owned the docks was owned by a Korean businessman who claims to have no knowledge of what occurred since he simply owns the dock but doesn't personally oversee it.

Jeremiah couldn't help but wonder if the two were connected. The mystery man and the incident at the dock.

Jeremiah was cleaning up St. Clementia alone. It was a Wednesday night and only a few people came to confess and pray. Wednesdays were normally always slow and St. Clementia usually closed their doors by ten instead of the usual midnight closing time.

It was a little past 10:15 pm when Jeremiah finished cleaning up. He did a quick once over of each pew making sure the bibles, qurans, and other religious texts were in their little cubbies and no trash was left behind.

After checking everything, Jeremiah went up to the center of the room, and stood at the end of the aisle, staring up at the podium on stage.

The dim light of the moon filtered through the large colorful window behind the podium, illuminating the marble structure like some heavenly relic sent to earth by God.

"Do you have a word you'd like to share with the people, father?" a deep familiar voice asked from behind Jeremiah, startling him from his dazed stupor.

Jeremiah didn't turn to face the voice behind him.

Something in him told him to face forward and not look back, not yet.

It was the same feeling that washed over him the first time he encountered that deep voice that seemed to vibrate the small man's being. The same familiar voice that made him introduce himself as Father Keating instead of Father Jeremiah out of sheer nervousness.

"No one wants to hear the words of a sinner." Jeremiah said quietly, "I'd be speaking to an empty room."

"I want to hear the words of a sinner." the voice replied, "Among the other sounds your lips can make, Father Keating."

Jeremiah felt his heart skip a beat as it began thumping roughly in his chest. Like he was on a roller coaster that was teetering over the edge, hundreds of feet from the ground.

Jeremiah closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath trying to calm his heart. He opened them and furrowed his brows when he smelt a soft smoked cherry smell. It was the same scent he smelled when the man first confessed. It made him wonder how often the man smoked.

"Cat got your tongue, father?"

Jeremiah flinched at how close the voice was to his ear and turned to face the person he'd been so curious about but was met face to chest with a tight black button down that hugged every dip and curve of the man's torso. Leaving just enough for the imagination but not enough to be satisfied with simply imagining.

Jeremiah slowly craned his neck up, his heart thumping louder and louder with each passing second. Right before he could see the face of the owner of the voice that's been haunting his thoughts a gloved hand covered his eyes.