Infernal

Finalist for the 2015 Derringer Award - novelette category1888--New Mexico Territory Father William Clarke knows his share of desperate men. A priest in a dangerous border town, Clarke's business is to minister to anyone who'll listen: liars, beggars, thieves...even killers. But when Father Clarke walks through the door of the Hard Case Saloon one night, he encounters something new--a ragged, filthy stranger who insists he has no soul for Clarke to save. The priest scoffs at first, convinced the man's proclamations are nothing more than the ravings of a lunatic. As the stranger tells his story, though, Clarke begins to fear his new acquaintance is anything but crazy. Doyle Paver carries a secret, one powerful enough to threaten Father Clarke's beliefs, his sanity...even his life. And like it or not, Paver is ready to confess.