“It’s a long flight to Baltimore,” Bondurant said. “I can tell you on the way there. For now, you should get some rest.”
Domenika began to cry again and kissed him. He could tell she felt safe in his arms. But he knew that until they could rescue the child and put him in her arms, life was going to be a living hell.
“Baltimore? I just love adventures,” Parenti said. “Do I have time to pack my things?”
“We’ll leave tomorrow,” Bondurant said. “Do you bring any news?”
“Of course. I almost forgot,” Parenti said. “We checked the convent, as you asked. It’s deserted. The sisters have vanished. Meyer, Laurent, they’re not to be found. And the child is missing as well.”
“Jon,” Domenika said as she squeezed his hand tight. A troubled look crossed her face. “My child is missing? Jon, I have to know whose child I carried. Whose child was born?”
Bondurant hesitated before he responded. He wished he had the answer himself. “I don’t know. But I know one thing for sure,” he said. “Its DNA was unique, possibly even supernatural. But it was not from the blood of Jesus Christ.”
An uneasy look settled on Parenti’s face. He turned from them as if to avoid the conversation.
“Father, do you know something we don’t?” Domenika asked.
Parenti walked toward the door to leave but knew he’d have to answer her. He turned. “No, I don’t,” he said. He looked at them with worried eyes. “But I know that Jesus was not the only supernatural being in the Scriptures, and—God help us—not all of them were heavenly.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have several friends who have written outstanding books that have sat atop the bestseller lists for weeks. I’ve noticed that the acknowledgments pages for their books almost always begin with a thank-you to their readers, and on this score, I am no different. Thanks for buying The Shroud Conspiracy, my first novel.
I think it’s a book worthy of your time. I want to thank Beth Adams, senior editor at Howard Books, for making it so. She had the foresight and the courage to pull my manuscript from a slush pile, dust it off, and work with me to improve it so that others might have the chance to believe in me as well. Great thanks also go to Scott Lamb, my agent. Scott, a calm in the storm, has done for me in three weeks what others could not accomplish in three years. He is a risk taker who gave life to this book. There were others who, early on, prodded, urged, nudged, cajoled, advised, and enticed me to start, continue, and finish the book. Heroes of mine like Peggy Noonan for near-daily inspiration; Dorothea Halliday for excellent and early editing; Laura Hillenbrand for free, sound advice early on; Giovanni Navarria for his many helpful reads; Mark Levin for his guidance and expertise; Scott Edwards for all his valuable time and marketing genius; Gary Sinise for not tiring of hearing of each bump along the way; Craig Engle for his sharp eye and keen mind; Melissa Giller for her help and expertise; Tom Kelso for his caring and interest; Carolyn Magner-Mason for her constant good counsel on every page from the very start; Mark Jaffe for his always-helpful ideas; Dana Perino for setting the bar and providing smart people to talk to; Jimmy Wilkinson for his encouragement; Craig Shirley for his insight and experience; Linda Bond for her interest and reassurance; and Christian Pinkston, my topflight publicist, for his invaluable efforts for so long. Some of the aforementioned refused to grant me sleep or food or drink until this novel was complete. Shame on them. I won’t soon forget their kindness.
And, most certainly, I want to acknowledge that I write to support those whom I love. Some, in particular, have sacrificed as I’ve practiced my craft. Here, praise goes to the love of my life—my wife, Marcella. She lifts me up, as a writer and otherwise, like no other. Always has. Always will. With her support and that of my remarkable children—Brock, Max, and Jordana—The Shroud Conspiracy became a reality. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In a career that has spanned philanthropy, politics, public service, and the Fortune 500, John Heubusch served as the first president of the Waitt Institute, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to historic discovery and scientific exploration.
In 2007, working with a team of scientists and underwater-exploration experts, he spearheaded the organization’s first deep-sea expedition to solve one of the last great American mysteries: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart during her famed global circumnavigation flight in 1937. Since then, successive efforts to locate Earhart and her airplane have failed, and the mystery remains.
Working with the National Geographic Society, John’s efforts at the Institute also helped lead to the discovery, authentication, and preservation of the famed lost Gospel of Judas, the ancient text deemed to be heretical and ordered destroyed by the early Christian Church. The Gospel purports to document the last conversations between Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ, as well as the true rationale for history’s most famous betrayal.
John’s involvement at the Waitt Institute also helped lead to National Geographic’s launching of the Genographic Project, the largest-ever effort of its kind to chart the migratory history of mankind using DNA donated by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The project is informing the world about our ancient migratory history.
Cited often by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, John has also been a contributing writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Forbes, the San Diego Union Tribune, and other leading publications. Currently the executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, he oversees the activities of the largest and most visited of the nation’s presidential libraries. He resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and two children.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by John Heubusch
Cover design by The Book Designers; Author photograph © Romeo Legaspi
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First Howard Books hardcover edition March 2017
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ISBN 978-1-5011-5570-3
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