The Last Hope

by C. C. Jameson

  “I hope so.”

  “Kate, I’m sorry to ask, but there’s something that has been bugging me,” George started.

  “What?”

  “You were working on this case. Do you know if they caught the SJC scientists who were responsible?”

  “They got the woman and her husband. But the mysterious Mr. C wasn’t there when the FBI arrived at the Colony. I don’t know if they’ve managed to track him down since.”

  “Ah.”

  “Why did you want to know?” she asked.

  “I was hoping it would make me sleep better at night, but now I regret having asked. I don’t like knowing that one of them is still out there.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  November 30, 2015

  Kate Murphy

  Coastline Near Cork, Ireland

  Kate tasted the salty breeze on her lips. The Atlantic Ocean wore more or less the same shades of gray on this side of the pond, but the Irish sea somehow felt more powerful, wilder yet more mysterious and more hopeful than her secret hiking spot in Maine.

  Kenny was right.

  The rolling green hills of Ireland were stunning, and so was the Irish coastline. She was glad she’d finally come to see it in person, with Kenny by her side, although he’d traveled here in an ornate silver urn.

  Facing the roaring ocean, Kate inhaled deeply. She was far enough so the waves couldn’t reach her and drag her in, but close enough to feel the droplets splattering her face when the crashing waves exploded on the polished rocks.

  She stared at the ocean for a long time before finally finding the words she’d meant to tell her uncle.

  “Kenny, I’m sorry it took me so long to clear your name and get you out of prison. I’m sorry we never had a chance to try to defeat that cancer together. I could have found the money. We could have kicked that leukemia in the balls, but I can’t change the past. I respect your decision.”

  Kate paused, feeling tears rush to her eyes.

  “I know this isn’t how our visit to Ireland was supposed to be, but I’ll do my best to follow your plan. I’ll trace our family roots, so I can better ground myself like you said. I’ll track down our extended family, my cousins, however far removed they may be. I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you enough for taking me in all those years ago. I know I wasn’t always fun to be around. I’m sorry for that, and I’m sorry for all the mean things I may have said to you. I know I’m a bit rough around the edges at times. I never meant to hurt you or Aunt Lucy. I miss you both. I hope you’re happy, free of pain, and at peace with the world now.”

  Kate forced a smile on her teary face. “I bet you’re smiling your ass off right now. You won’t have to deal with Nosy Maude ever again. Please don’t go and haunt her just for the fun of it.”

  Large, cold rain droplets started hitting Kate’s face. It was time to bid her final goodbyes.

  “Kenny, I miss you. May you forever rest in peace,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat before opening the urn and scattering his ashes into the wind, one handful at a time. Kate then tilted the urn and let the entire contents escape and trail off into the wind, toward the rocks and the roaring ocean.

  She closed the empty urn, wiped tears from her cheeks, and turned around to look at the small rental car she’d parked on the side of the country road.

  Her veil of sadness lifted when she saw Luko, still leaning against the car door, gazing out over the rolling green fields that went for miles. This Irish excursion was a new experience for Kate: she was ready to open her heart and let new people in. Through the magic of the Internet, she’d managed to trace Julie Murphy, the cousin Kenny had told her about, and she was planning to meet her tonight at a pub an hour’s drive from here.

  With her boyfriend by her side and her recent promotion to homicide detective, Kate’s life was looking up.

  To be continued...

  …in more police procedural mysteries/thrillers featuring Kate Murphy as she pursues her detective career in Boston.

  If you’d like to read more stories from C.C. Jameson, please post a review where you bought this book. The more reviews, the faster C.C. can quit the dreaded day job and write more stories for you to read and enjoy.

  Thank you for taking the time to read and review this book:

  https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hope-Kate-Murphy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07C5CQ9ZG

  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39934198-the-last-hope

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  Bonus

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  Thank You

  I would like to thank my family and friends for believing in me. In particular, I’d like to thank my parents who let me stay at their cottage so I could finish drafting the first published version of this book in a peaceful setting. I’d like to thank Sébastien who helped me navigate through police procedural problems and Marley and Claire, my editors, for making this story reach its full potential. My special thanks also go to Sorriso who provided me with lots of constructive criticism, and to Sara, Stephenie, and Rachael, three fantastic friends who helped me find and fix several typos in this book.

  Thank you to my sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, and friends who listened to me going on and on about my writing dream.

  And thanks to all my readers, especially those who leave a review. You are the best!

  Author’s Notes

  I began writing this story several years ago.

  If you’d like to learn more about the origin of this story please join my reader group. It’s totally free, and I’ll send you around two emails per month that will gradually introduce you to me as a writer and how this specific story came to be.

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  Book Club

  Suggested Discussion Topics

  If you choose to read this book as part of your book club, the following questions could help trigger some interesting discussions.

  The themes and topics hinted at in this book are broad. I don’t claim to know the answers to the following questions, but I believe their importance will only increase as technology and new discoveries could one day enable human cloning.

  Who should determine someone’s right to live or die?

  In this book, SJC decides to cull the herd and assassinate certain people based on their own beliefs about rightful and wrongful actions.

  Do you think people should decide who lives or dies? If so, who? Judges? Other authority figures? How about a group of people such as a jury?

  What qualifications should be required to allow a person (or group of people) to make such decisions?

  What crimes (if any) should lead to the death penalty?

  Is death penalty legal in your state/province/country?

  If so, what methods are used to kill the convicted? Do you think they are humane? Do you believe wrongly accused people could end up on death row?

  If the death penalty is not offered where you live, was it ever used and, if so, when was it abolished?

  How do you define “life”?

  While the question may seem trivial, it’s not. With new medical breakthroughs and scientific discoveries, it’s now possible to 3D-print new organs. What’s to prevent us from 3D-printing new life one day?

  When does life start? At birth? At conception?

  Do you think a fetus is the same as a newborn baby in terms of living entity?

/>   Is abortion okay? If so, under what circumstances?

  Is it okay to terminate a pregnancy when certain tests are performed and parents discover that their future baby has a serious disease or deformity?

  If human cloning, 3D-printing of people, or other breakthroughs happen that enable the creation of “artificially-created life,” should these “artificials” have the same rights as us?

  Would you fear that “artificials” could overtake the world if their genetic code or intelligence was superior to ours?

  Or would you fear “artificials” could become a burden on society instead due to increased costs associated with healthcare, education, population boom, etc.?

  Do you believe the current laws, regulations, and systems are sufficient to prevent scientists from exploring human cloning and other research that have ethical implications?

  As a society and as an individual, where do you draw the line when playing with genetics? Is it acceptable to try to find a cure for cancer? Is it acceptable to try to extend the average lifespan?

  Assuming these two things are now possible, but cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, would it be acceptable for only the wealthy to afford these genetic improvements?

  Are the current laws and regulations ready to tackle topics such as genetic improvements? For example, athletes could potentially receive transplanted organs or enhanced muscles that would improve their performance. Should such genetic improvements be allowed? And if so, do you regulate them?

  Legal insemination processes currently allow future mothers to “shop” for their future baby’s genetic dad based on his physical, mental, and other attributes. Based on the availability of such service, one could say that the process was deemed “socially and ethically acceptable,” but what about genetically creating babies to match a desired genetic profile such as tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed, free of diseases? Is this any different? Is there an ethical dilemma now?

  Should parents be allowed to pick the genetic profile of their future children?

  And the list of questions doesn’t end here…

  To learn more or voice your concerns about ethics related to genetics and the human genome, consult these websites:

  http://www.ethicsandgenetics.org/

  http://www.bioethics.com/

  https://www.genome.gov/

  http://genetics.thetech.org/about-genetics/ethics

  About the Author

  C.C. Jameson is an ex-military officer now wanderlust-driven author. Other than politically unstable countries, those with visa restrictions, or where only the wealthy can live, no place is out of bounds for the single, adventurous author.

  C.C. loves spending time alone in nature, writing at home, or drinking in pubs or bars. Hobbies include listening to live music, learning new languages, reading tons of books, and making up stories for readers to enjoy.

  The name C.C. Jameson was born out of two authors’ imaginations while chatting at a bar somewhere in Florida. Drinking was involved, of course, because it’s one of C.C.’s favorite activities and a must for the introverted author while in social situations. As for the C.C. part, it corresponds to the author’s real first initial, but doubled because it sounded better. Plus, that’s how many people refer to Canadian Club.

  So, C.C. Jameson is not just an anonymous author’s pen name, it’s a drinking name, too.

  Learn more at http://ccjameson.com.