Three To One

Three To One A Novel of Catholic Christian Suspense T.S. EPPERSONMultivalent Press Copyright © 2022 by T.S. Epperson All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews, or otherwise permitted by U.S. copyright law.This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, businesses or locales is entirely coincidental.For information, email: [email protected] and Cover design by W.D. EppersonISBN: 979-8-9866064-3-9 paperbackISBN: 979-8-9866064-4-6 e-bookFirst Edition Note from the AuthorHello, again, friend. If you read book one of the series, Once To Die, you know of the trials of young Perry, but you know very little about Professor Peregrine Faulk. This second book tells of events in a similar time period, but from the perspective of the young professor. You will discover a more in-depth understanding of the characters you've met, and meet new characters that make the story even more compelling. You'll find that your understanding of events in book one, was limited by Perry's narrow perspective. In book two, you will gain a broader view of the story, and the complexity which results from the entanglement of these characters' lives. While the professor's life seems idyllic on the surface it is every bit as challenging and dangerous as Perry's. Once you've read the book, I'd love to hear from you. You can connect with me at: [email protected]/T.S.EppersonMultivalentPress.com/T.S.EppersonGod bless you on your journey,T.S. Epperson Contents 1. September 1 2. September 2 3. September 3 4. September 4 5. September 5 6. September 6 7. September 7 8. September 8 9. September 9 10. September 10 11. September11 12. September 12 13. September 13 14. September 14 15. September 15 16. September 16 17. September 17 18. September 18 19. September 19 20. September 20 21. September 21 22. September 23 23. September 24 24. September 25 25. September 26 26. September 27 27. September 28 28. September 29 29. September 30 30. October 1 31. October 2 32. October3 33. October4 34. October 5 35. October 6 36. October 7 37. October 8 38. October 9 39. October 10 40. October 11 41. October 13 42. October 14 43. October 15 44. October 16 45. October 17 46. October 18 47. October 19 48. October 20 49. October 21 50. October 22 51. October 23 52. October 24 53. October 25 54. October 26 55. October 28 56. October 29 57. October 30 58. October 31 59. November 1 60. November 2 Other Titles by T.S. Epperson About the Author Acknowledgements September 1Just after one in the morning, the gentleman pulled a photograph out of the left cargo pocket of his long raincoat, checked it one last time, then peered at the figure coming out of a building half a block ahead. The man was tall, dressed in a suit coat, smiling at a shapely young woman in a mini skirt and waist-length fur. He opened the door of a luxury sedan and held it for her, as she moved her slender legs, first one, then the other, into the back seat. The suit bent down and said something to her, before closing the door. As the car pulled away, he stood and looked after her. “Excuse me, Senator Thatch?” The gentleman asked.“Yes?” the Senator turned toward him. It was a positive match. The address of the building, the description of the young lady, his noble facial features and salt and pepper hair were confirmed by his answering to the name.“Sir, is that your sports car over there?”The suit turned to look. The gentleman slid the needle deep into the side of his neck, at a downward angle, toward the Superior Vena Cava. near the Vegas nerve. The senator reacted as if to a bee sting, as the plunger sunk to the bottom of the syringe. He gawked at the gentleman, stumbled back a step, clutched at his chest, and fell to the sidewalk, cracking his head hard against the pavers. The gentleman slipped the syringe into a plastic bag and walked away into the darkness.Virginia was tossing and turning, moving in and out of dreams. She couldn’t sleep. She got up out of her bed, and went to the hall, toward the stairs. There was a baby crying somewhere. She must have left the television on. In the empty house, it sounded eerie, and creepy. She wished she had put on a robe, so she could pull it tightly around herself. She felt vulnerable and cold in the silk negligee. Coming down the stairs, she saw there was an eerie light coming out of the den. She must be getting old, to forget things like that. She rounded the corner and skidded to a stop in the doorway of the den. A tall slim man standing with his back to her, the television displaying white static. In the glow, she could see a tiny baby lying in the floor, naked, umbilical cord severed, crying with a tiny voice. She shuddered at the sight and put her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. The man heard her and turned. His face was awash with anguish. He engaged her with his eyes, as if he was begging for help. He turned, pointed to the child, then looked at her again. What was he wanting? He pointed to the child again, but she didn’t know what to do. After looking at her for a long moment, he dropped his head, and slowly walked toward her. She stepped out of the doorway, walking backward, shaking with fear. His shoulders were slumped, and his feet shuffled like one being led where he didn’t want to go. He stopped in the doorway to