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            Lisa answered the door.  When she saw Valdez standing between Anthony and Mike, she screamed.

            “It’s cool, sweetheart,” Anthony said.  “Valdez is with the FBI.  She’s been working undercover at the church.”

            “Oh.”  Lisa put her hand against her chest as if to calm her heart.  “You’re serious?”

            “We’ll get you up to speed,” Valdez said.

            They filed inside.  A tearful Danielle let out a squeal of joy at their entrance, pulled Reuben into her arms, kissed him, and asked him over and over again if he were okay.  True to his age, Reuben acted as if he were embarrassed by his mother’s lavish attention.  

            Anthony drew Mike aside from the others. 

            “What’s up?” Mike asked.

            “I need to talk to Lisa, alone,” he said.  “Think you can keep Valdez occupied for a few minutes?”

            “You kiddin me?”  Mike’s eyes danced.  “I’ve met my future wife, AT, for real.”

            “All right now.”  Anthony laughed.  “Slow down, tiger.”

            “What are you two knuckleheads jawing about?” Valdez asked, charging between them.  Lisa trailed behind her, looking thoroughly perplexed.              

            “The old married folks need some alone time,” Mike said.  He took Valdez by the arm and guided her away.  “Meanwhile, senorita, let’s talk about some of your favorite action movies . . .”

            Anthony asked Lisa to grab the Bible, and then he led her into his father’s study and shut the door.  The air was heavy with dust, so he opened a window.  Afternoon sunlight and a cool wind poured into the room.

            Lisa waited beside the desk, arms crossed over her bosom.  “What’s going on, Tony?  I’ve got so many questions I feel as if my brain’s about to blow a few blood vessels.”

            Quickly, he summarized what had happened.

            “That crazy guy, Cutty, or whatever he’s called—he got away?” she asked.  “That makes me very nervous.”

            “We shot out a couple of tires on his truck, so he shouldn’t be able to follow us,” he said.  “Honestly, I think he’ll be more concerned with telling his bosses about Valdez’s betrayal.”  

            “But you don’t completely trust her, either.”

            “She’s a cop, so no, I don’t trust her.  If we tell her what we’ve learned, she’ll call the Bureau, and they’ll bring in back-up and push us out of the picture.”

            “Is that so bad?  We all want the same thing.  We want to bring down Bishop Prince.”

            He shook his head firmly.  “I’m doing this my way.  I think that’s why Bob entrusted his info to me.  He didn’t want to follow normal legal channels.”

            “Because the church might raise roadblocks.”

            “They have connections everywhere, Lisa.  We’ve seen proof of that.  Bob couldn’t risk going to the cops.  He needed someone like me.”

            “Someone with a personal stake in getting justice.”  She chewed her bottom lip.  “What next, then?”

            “We don’t tell Valdez everything.  But we get her to take us to the church.”

            “The Kingdom Campus?”  Her eyes got huge.  “Why?  That’s like going into the lion’s den.”

            “Based on the scriptures we’ve read, I think that’s where we have to go.  I’m certain of it, actually.  Look here.”    

            He opened the Bible and found the two yellow-marked passages that supported his theory.  He read them to her, and explained his interpretation.

            “The idea’s been bouncing around in my head like a pinball ever since I read those verses this morning,” he said.  “Bob hid his evidence in a place where virtually no one would ever expect to find it.”

            “But what you’re proposing is incredibly risky, Tony.  If you’re wrong—” 

            “I’m not wrong.”

            She held his eyes for a long, quiet moment.  “How can you be so sure?”

            He turned away from her and swept his gaze across the photos on the desk, the sports memorabilia and the journalism award plaques on the shelves.  The relics of his father’s life.  Looking at the items, as it usually did, caused his breath to catch in his chest.

            But his father’s legacy wasn’t defined by dust-filmed objects sitting on shelves and desks in a forgotten room.             

            “One thing my dad taught me that I’ll always remember is that I should trust my instincts,” he said.  “To believe in myself and do what I think is right, no matter who doubts me or says I can’t do it.  That’s why I’m so sure.”

            She gave him a measured look, and then nodded.

            “So let’s do it,” she said.

            He deposited the Bible in his pocket, and they left the study.  They found Mike and Valdez sitting in the living room.  Mike was running off at the mouth about movies, gesturing wildly.  Valdez, half-listening, yawned.  

            “Hey, there they are,” Mike said, and rose off the sofa.

            Valdez shot to her feet, too.  “Where the hell were you?  I have a job to do here, Thorne, and not a lotta time to do it.”

            “It’s just a job for you.  But it’s my life, my family.”  He pointed to a portrait of his father that hung on the wall.  “See him?  That’s my dad?  He’s dead, and guess who’s responsible?”

            “I’m sorry,” she said in a softer tone.  “Dios mio, you’ve lost so much.”

            “So you’ll excuse me then if your job isn’t my top priority.”

            “Okay, guys.”  Lisa stepped between them.  “How about we continue this conversation in the car?”

            “Where do you want to go?” Valdez asked.

            “I think you can guess the answer to that question, too,” Anthony said.

            Valdez’s dark eyes glimmered.  She withdrew a cell phone from her jacket. 

            “In that case, we’re gonna need a search warrant,” she said.