The words made the CPA shrink back against the altar. He’d been raised in the church, and he knew scripture when he heard it. Even so, he never thought that God would send an angel to quote Proverbs while meting out his punishment.

“Please,” he said, trying desperately to get a glimpse of the face beneath the wide-brimmed hat, “I won’t do it again.”

The man in black moved closer, revealing the bottom half of his face. His sunken cheeks framed thin lips arranged in an angry line, and as he raised the shotgun, he raised his eyes. They were blue and merciless.

“Please,” the CPA whimpered as his back slid down against the altar. “I’m begging you. I got the message.”

“You are the message.”

The weapon spat fire and hot steel pellets, crushing the victim’s chest. As the blood poured down and his life faded to black, his mind replayed echoes of the last sermon he’d ever heard.

Its title was simply this: “Demons Know Scripture, Too.”

Chapter 10

The call went out over police radio, and every local and national media outlet sent a contingent to the scene of the latest carnage.

With talk of the angel of death being bandied about and people being slaughtered in churches, it was obvious to the media that these were more than random acts of violence. These were the actions of a serial killer.

As such, the killing spree had the makings of a story that could morph into an international scandal. The reporter who could gain exclusive access would earn book deals, movie rights, and fame beyond his wildest dreams. They all understood the stakes, and they acted to stake their claims.

By 12:45 AM, they had gathered at the intersection of Broad Street and Fairmount with satellite trucks and spotlights, helicopters and cameras, note pads and microphones. Philadelphia was in the belly of the beast that is twenty-four-hour news, and nothing was going to prevent that beast from being fed.

Knowing that the city would be under siege from the media, Commissioner Lynch made the necessary calls before leaving headquarters with Coletti and the others. He ordered every district to send a car and wagon to the scene. That put a strain on the city police, so he called for help from every other police department that operated in Philadelphia. By the time he arrived at Broad and Fairmount with Mann, Coletti, and Smithson, the scene was chaotic.

There were barricades and crime scene tape, K-9 units and wagons. A hodgepodge of officers from Temple, Penn, Drexel, La Salle, and the Pennsylvania state police were all under the command of the homicide captain. Thus far, they’d kept the media at bay. When Lynch pulled up and got out of the car, things changed.