church?”
Lisa stared at the screen. “Not just any church. That’s the Virginia Cathedral of Love.”
“I think I’ve heard of it.” Mary Beth squinted and moved closer…close enough for Lisa to feel her warm breath, which made her heart race a bit.
Still, she kept her composure. What she was looking at was even more exciting than Mary Beth.
“I think everyone’s heard of it. Everyone except maybe Chase and Lambert. It’s one of the largest churches in the United States.” She swiveled in her chair and looked up at Mary Beth. “Have you ever heard of Dr. Oscar Hurley?”
“He’s the guy who blamed the California wildfires on God’s anger because Ellen and Portia got married, right?” Lisa nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard of that whack job.”
Lisa looked back at the monitor. “Well, if I’m correct, Lambert and Chase are going to try to steal seven million dollars from him.”
Mary Beth scowled and backed away. “That sounds like it’s way out of Lambert’s league.”
“It is. It definitely is.” Lisa focused on the image of the Great Cross towering over the cathedral. “But it also means that the seven million dollars he was talking about, well… Maybe it’s not so far-fetched.” She glanced at the digital time displayed at the corner of the monitor. “I wonder if they’re home yet.”
Lisa picked up the phone and dialed; the call went straight to voicemail. That pattern repeated itself every five minutes for the next half hour while Mary Beth returned to the living room and Lifetime TV until, finally, Chase answered his cell phone.
“Hey, Lisa, what’s—?”
She wasn’t interested in small talk and—to make sure Chase was aware of that—threw all the hoarseness she could muster into her voice. “Are the two of you out of your fucking minds?”
“And nice talking to you, too.”
“Put Lambert on the phone.”
“You know he doesn’t like to—”
“Yes, I know he doesn’t like to talk on the phone. He’ll just have to buck it up.”
She heard muffled conversation, then Grant Lambert’s voice.
“’lo?”
She got right to the point. “Lambert, are you seriously thinking of ripping off the Virginia Cathedral of Love?”
He was silent for a long time—so long she almost thought he’d hung up—until he finally said, “Who told you?”
“No one had to tell me. I’m not an idiot, you know.”
Again he was silent.
“Lambert?”
She heard him sigh. “That’s the plan.”
“You realize it’s a big church, right? It’s not like robbing Dunkin’ Donuts.”
“Yeah, I know what’s what.”
“And you think you can do this by yourself?”
“I’ve got Chase. And Farraday.” He paused. “And Farraday’s cousin…”
Lisa had thought it, but wasn’t quite sure she was going to say it until the words burst out. “ And me and Mary Beth.”
His answer was more silence.
“Lambert?” she finally growled. “You still there?”
“Yeah,” a little voice replied.
“Good.” She realized she was feeling a bit nervous and light-headed and swallowed hard to compose herself, but damn it, she was getting excited. “I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but…I don’t trust you.” He started to object. “Listen, no offense, but you, Chase, and Farraday…”
“ And Farraday’s cousin,” he reminded her.
“And Farraday’s cousin. You can’t do this job by yourselves. This is the Virginia Cathedral of Love we’re talking about! Either Mary Beth and I are in on the job, or you can kiss my twenty thousand good-bye.”
“But, Lisa…”
“Let me make this a little easier for you.” She tried to take some of the edge out of her voice; to be soothing, not confrontational. “There’s no decision for you to make. We’re on the job. And look, it’ll be fun!”
He didn’t think he’d heard her correctly. “Fun?”
She remembered that, to him, this was work, not play, and adjusted accordingly. “Not fun fun. Camaraderie
Lisa stared at the screen. “Not just any church. That’s the Virginia Cathedral of Love.”
“I think I’ve heard of it.” Mary Beth squinted and moved closer…close enough for Lisa to feel her warm breath, which made her heart race a bit.
Still, she kept her composure. What she was looking at was even more exciting than Mary Beth.
“I think everyone’s heard of it. Everyone except maybe Chase and Lambert. It’s one of the largest churches in the United States.” She swiveled in her chair and looked up at Mary Beth. “Have you ever heard of Dr. Oscar Hurley?”
“He’s the guy who blamed the California wildfires on God’s anger because Ellen and Portia got married, right?” Lisa nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard of that whack job.”
Lisa looked back at the monitor. “Well, if I’m correct, Lambert and Chase are going to try to steal seven million dollars from him.”
Mary Beth scowled and backed away. “That sounds like it’s way out of Lambert’s league.”
“It is. It definitely is.” Lisa focused on the image of the Great Cross towering over the cathedral. “But it also means that the seven million dollars he was talking about, well… Maybe it’s not so far-fetched.” She glanced at the digital time displayed at the corner of the monitor. “I wonder if they’re home yet.”
Lisa picked up the phone and dialed; the call went straight to voicemail. That pattern repeated itself every five minutes for the next half hour while Mary Beth returned to the living room and Lifetime TV until, finally, Chase answered his cell phone.
“Hey, Lisa, what’s—?”
She wasn’t interested in small talk and—to make sure Chase was aware of that—threw all the hoarseness she could muster into her voice. “Are the two of you out of your fucking minds?”
“And nice talking to you, too.”
“Put Lambert on the phone.”
“You know he doesn’t like to—”
“Yes, I know he doesn’t like to talk on the phone. He’ll just have to buck it up.”
She heard muffled conversation, then Grant Lambert’s voice.
“’lo?”
She got right to the point. “Lambert, are you seriously thinking of ripping off the Virginia Cathedral of Love?”
He was silent for a long time—so long she almost thought he’d hung up—until he finally said, “Who told you?”
“No one had to tell me. I’m not an idiot, you know.”
Again he was silent.
“Lambert?”
She heard him sigh. “That’s the plan.”
“You realize it’s a big church, right? It’s not like robbing Dunkin’ Donuts.”
“Yeah, I know what’s what.”
“And you think you can do this by yourself?”
“I’ve got Chase. And Farraday.” He paused. “And Farraday’s cousin…”
Lisa had thought it, but wasn’t quite sure she was going to say it until the words burst out. “ And me and Mary Beth.”
His answer was more silence.
“Lambert?” she finally growled. “You still there?”
“Yeah,” a little voice replied.
“Good.” She realized she was feeling a bit nervous and light-headed and swallowed hard to compose herself, but damn it, she was getting excited. “I’m not saying I don’t trust you, but…I don’t trust you.” He started to object. “Listen, no offense, but you, Chase, and Farraday…”
“ And Farraday’s cousin,” he reminded her.
“And Farraday’s cousin. You can’t do this job by yourselves. This is the Virginia Cathedral of Love we’re talking about! Either Mary Beth and I are in on the job, or you can kiss my twenty thousand good-bye.”
“But, Lisa…”
“Let me make this a little easier for you.” She tried to take some of the edge out of her voice; to be soothing, not confrontational. “There’s no decision for you to make. We’re on the job. And look, it’ll be fun!”
He didn’t think he’d heard her correctly. “Fun?”
She remembered that, to him, this was work, not play, and adjusted accordingly. “Not fun fun. Camaraderie
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