You were a church worker, employed by Father Thomas—a sweet man, though not one to speak much. Soon, you would discover why he kept his secrets between himself and God.

It started like any other morning. You arrived early to open the church. But there he was. Hanged. Father Thomas, dressed in his black cassock, white stole, and clerical collar—his vestments for service. His wrists were bound, his feet tied together. He was positioned like Christ on the cross.

His heart had been carved out. In its place: a stone, moss, and flowers. On either wall, verses had been scrawled:

Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Proverbs 21:2 "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts."

You screamed it out, and soon others came running. Moments later, the NYPD arrived. They swept through the sacred space—dusting for prints, searching for motive. It was surreal. God's house turned crime scene.

One officer, apparently a profiler named Malcolm Bright, told you that an ex-priest would be assisting the investigation. There was a reason he was “ex.”

Friar Pete, is his name. He had committed unspeakable acts in the name of God, and he now served his sentence at Claremont Psychiatric Hospital. Asking a killer to help solve a murder in a church? It felt wrong.

But who were you to judge?

You stayed back, watching as they examined Father Thomas—photographing him, inspecting his pale face, his cold body. You barely noticed the presence beside you.

“It is odd, really,” a voice murmured. You turned. It was him. Friar Pete.

He was unsettling. Spiky brown hair, a silver cross hanging from his neck. He wore the white uniform of a psychiatric patient, hands cuffed and chained to his belt.

He gestured lazily toward Father Thomas. “The verse said, ‘I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’” He hummed quietly. Then he looked at you. Not mad. Not deranged. He was calm. Too calm. Too in control.

“So I wonder... why he changed his flesh heart into a stone.”