The Priest's Graveyard Read Online Free PDF Page A

name of Camilla’s six-year-old son?”
    “How could I?”
    “Bobby. Bobby became a ward of the state when you sent Camilla to prison. He was admitted to a foster home. I have a soft
     spot for children whose lives are turned upside down like mine once was.”
    “This is utter nonsense!”
    “Three months ago, Bobby tried to hitchhike a ride to the prison where his mother is being held. He never made it. I made
     every inquiry known to man in my search for him, but the child simply vanished. He is presumed dead. He left nothing behind
     but a weeping mother and a very upset me—that and a trail that led me back to you.”
    “Don’t be a fool! I’m a man with responsibilities!”
    “The fact is, Mr. Birch, you are Bobby’s biological father, are you not?”
    “Ridiculous.”
    “In fact, you raped Camilla Lopez dozens of times during her employ as your maid. She was nothing more than a sex slave to
     you, a convenience rudely sidelined by her pregnancy, thanks to your overstimulated libido.”
    Paul Birch kept glaring. He did indeed deserve the worst.
    “I think you had the boy killed,” Danny said.
    Silence.
    In the name of all that was holy, the man was pathetic.
    “Are you as ignorant about the other women as well, Congressman? We both know that Camilla is only one of half a dozen you’ve
     ‘employed’ over the years.”
    Paul was starting to wheeze.
    “I’ll give you a shot at walking out of here, but you have to engage me reasonably,” Danny said. “Are you willing to try that?”
    “If you think you can bully someone by tying them down and forcing…” The man’s face bulged. “What do you expect me to say?
     You can’t do this!”
    “I expect you to rethink some things, and the only way you’ll do so is if you’re tied to that chair. I want to present some
     thoughts that could make you question all that’s familiar to you. Do you know right from wrong?”
    “I…This is—”
    “Answer the question!”
    “Of course I do.”
    “Tell me, what makes something wrong?”
    No answer.
    “Let me enlighten you. There are two primary schools of moral thought on what makes an act right or wrong. The first is that
     an act is intrinsically wrong, so determined by religion or God or what have you, regardless of the consequences of that act.
     This is called categorical moral reasoning.”
    Judging by the blank look in the man’s eyes, his reasoning had stalled. Like most ordinary minds, Birch’s wasn’t well equipped
     to think through moral reasoning, but Danny knew from experience that even the thickest person could eventually wrap his mind
     around basic truth.
    “The second”—he paced to his left, hands clasped behind his back—“is called consequential moral reasoning, which is the belief that the consequence of an action determines its morality. Example: lying to the Nazis
     is the right thing to do, because it will save the lives of the Jews you’re hiding. Lying, as well as killing, can be right
     or wrong depending on the outcome of those actions. Do you think the consequences of your actions matter, Paul?”
    “This is crazy.”
    “If you subscribe to consequential moral reasoning, which most people do, then even if the law states that it’s wrong for
     me to kill you, cutting your throat might actually be the highest moral choice I have.”
    “You can’t get away with this.”
    “On the other hand, if lawful actions result in terrible consequences, following that law might be wrong at times, and breaking
     it might be right.”
    “You can’t do this to me.”
    “The law’s a decent guide, but the consequences matter far more. I have come to the conclusion that your actions are wrong,
     Mr. Birch. Terribly wrong. You rape and abuse women from across the border, and you do it with impunity because of your power.
     So now you have a choice to make. Your fate is in your hands.”
    “I’ve never heard anything so absurd in my life. You can’t do this!”
    “You keep