“They act like it’s really against God—sexual impurity and all.”

I nodded as he spoke, thinking about the hypocrisy of rapists and child-molesters feeling righteous about themselves for abstaining while they were in prison, but didn’t respond when he finished.

“Well, is it?”

“What? Against God? I sure hope not.”

His face filled with relief.

“I think you’ll find that most of the ones saying how evil and sinful sex is are the very ones with the greatest sexual dysfunctions and addictions.”

He was about to respond when we reached the gate. “Well, this is my stop. They won’t let me go any further.”

I smiled. “Come up to my office when you can and we’ll talk about it some more.”

“Okay,” he said. “Thanks.”

When Dexter was gone, I proceeded through the south gate. Emerging on the other side, I noticed a large panel van with Bobby Earl Caldwell Ministries painted on it parked near the warehouse.

I soon discovered that the truck was filled with an unsolicited shipment of Bobby Earl Caldwell preaching tapes and books for our chapel library. The tapes—both audio and video—were unedited recordings of his television program and crusades, the books, self-published transcripts of his sermons. The materials were in cardboard boxes stacked on pallets that had to be unloaded with our forklift.

As the truck was being unloaded and each box being carefully searched for contraband, Chuck, the warehouse manager, read what was printed below Bobby Earl’s logo on each of the boxes. “Man incarcerates. God liberates.”

“As Bobby Earl’s ego inflates,” I said, and we both laughed.

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Also By Michael Lister

Also by Michael Lister

A Sawyer Payne and Kace Mason Mystery

A Dark Radiant Rain

Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Noir Mysteries

The Big Goodbye

John Jordan Mysteries

Power in the Blood

Beneath A Blood-Red Sky

Out for Blood (Coming Soon)

The Wedding

The Meaning Series

Finding the Way Again

Meaning Every Moment

The Meaning of Life in Movies

Watch for more at Michael Lister’s site.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist, Michael Lister, is a native Floridian best known for his literary suspense thrillers DOUBLE EXPOSURE, BURNT OFFERINGS, and SEPARATION ANXIETY, as well as his two ongoing mystery series, the prison chaplain John Jordan "Blood" series (BLOOD SACRIFICE) and the hard-boiled, 1940s noir Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Series (THE BIG HELLO).

The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”