by Rachel Dylan
Scott hadn’t shared with him all his findings into Leslie Ramos’s life, but he had hinted that he had some stuff that would make the deposition interesting.
Grant still had mixed feelings about aggressive tactics, but he also knew this wasn’t a level playing field. Everyone was out to get him, and he needed to do all he could to protect himself. He had to trust that Scott wouldn’t cross any lines he shouldn’t.
When Eli Morgan walked in, Grant didn’t even bother to get up and shake his hand. They had dispensed with the usual pleasantries, and everyone was ready to get going.
Ms. Ramos sat at the head of the table wearing a microphone, and the court reporter was by her side, ready to take down every word that was said in the deposition. Most people thought depositions sounded exciting, but the truth is that they were usually boring. The question and answer format was much more sterile than a court environment, but today he did not need sterile. He was hoping for fireworks. Something to get some leverage to press for settlement.
Ms. Ramos’s dark hair was pulled back in a bun, and she wore a navy sweater and pants. She had her hands clasped tightly in front of her, which showed her nerves. He couldn’t blame her. Being deposed was nerve wracking. It was show time.
“Ms. Ramos, we’ve met before, but I wanted to reintroduce myself. I’m Scott O’Brien, and I represent Grant Baxter in this case. I’m going to be asking you some questions today, and you will need to answer verbally so the court reporter can take down what you’re saying. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“And you can always ask at any time if you need to take a break.”
“Thank you,” she responded quietly.
Scott cleared his throat. “All right. Then let’s get to it.”
Grant listened intently over the next two hours, and Scott went methodically through the details of Ms. Ramos’s life and her accident. They had just returned from a break when Scott started a new line of questioning.
“Ms. Ramos, I know we went over the details of your accident already, but I want to circle back to that and get a few more questions in, okay?” Scott asked.
“Sure,” she responded.
It wasn’t like she had a choice. She had to answer anything Scott asked or have her lawyer tell her not to answer and get a judge involved. Eli had been playing it cool. He hadn’t objected one time thus far.
Scott scribbled something on his legal pad and then looked up. “Ms. Ramos, after your fall when you were taken to the hospital, do you know if they performed any drug screens on you?”
Ms. Ramos’s eyes widened and before she could say anything, Eli spoke up. “Objection. Calls for speculation. There’s also no foundation.”
Scott turned to Ms. Ramos. “I know this is the first objection of the day, but even when your attorney makes an objection, that’s just for the record. You’re still required to answer my question unless your attorney directs you not to answer, and then we’ll take it from there.”
She nodded. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean by a drug screen.”
Scott sat up in his chair. “Let me ask it again.” Scott basically repeated the question word for word back to her. He wanted an answer.
Ms. Ramos shrugged. “I don’t know. If they did, they didn’t tell me about it.”
“Is it true, Ms. Ramos, that you were taking prescription pain pills on the day you fell?”
So this was the dirty laundry Scott had found.
“No,” she said without the same confidence she’d been showing in the last section of questions.
“Should I remind you, Ms. Ramos, that you are under oath? That you need to tell the truth here. It’s as if you’re testifying live in a courtroom under oath.”
“I don’t remember taking any pills,” Ms. Ramos said without much conviction.
“Now that’s a different answer all together than no, isn’t it? So did you or did you not take prescription pain medication on the day of the accident before you went to the store.”
Ms. Ramos’s skin paled. “I don’t remember.”
“So, it is possible that you were on pain medication when you fell that day.”
“Objection. Argumentative and speculative,” Eli said.
Eli’s body language had noticeably changed. It was clear to Grant that Eli had no knowledge about this beforehand.
“I told you, already, that I don’t remember that,” Ms. Ramos said.
“Just a couple more questions, Ms. Ramos,” Scott said. “Isn’t it true that you had been taking pain medication on and off for years before the accident—sometimes obtaining those pills without the proper prescriptions?”
“Don’t answer that,” Eli said.
“What’s your objection counselor?” Scott asked, knowing he had Eli in a corner.
“Objection. Compound. Argumentative and prejudicial.”
“You know this isn’t trial, right? That’s where those objections come in. Ms. Ramos, please answer.”
Grant had to stifle a laugh. This was the first good thing that had happened in this case.
Ms. Ramos looked over at Eli, and he gave her the nod to answer. “I don’t recall not having a proper prescription.”
“That’s all I have,” Scott said. “Thank you for your time.”
The normally cool Eli’s cheeks turned red. Eli didn’t speak to Scott and instead helped Ms. Ramos get untangled from the microphone and escorted her from the room.
Grant couldn’t help it. He went over to Scott and gave him a huge bear hug. “Where did that come from?”
“Sometimes you have to take a chance,” Scott said.
“What do you mean? Seemed like a slam dunk.”
Scott laughed. “Because, man, I was going on a hunch based on all the documents I reviewed. I figured we didn’t have anything to lose.”
That made Grant laugh too. Laugh so hard he almost started crying. Maybe God was looking out for him after all.
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia had sat through a day-long continuing legal education class on domestic violence issues, and now she stood at Nina Marie’s front door and knocked loudly.
A minute later, Nina Marie opened it, wearing her fuzzy purple robe and a towel on her head. “What’s going on? I just got out of the shower.”
“Can I come in?” Olivia asked.
“Sure.” Nina Marie ushered her inside. Olivia followed her down the hallway to the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” Nina Marie asked.
“Nothing is wrong.” Olivia had to try to contain her excitement.
“Now I’m confused.” Nina Marie pulled the towel from her hair and grabbed a brush off her dresser.
“I took a continuing legal ed class today and it all came together in my mind, but I need to make sure you’re on board.”
Nina Marie pulled the brush through her auburn hair. “On board with what?”
“Guess what one of the topics was today?”
“Whatever it is, it clearly has you excited.”
“Civil litigation.”
Nina Marie laughed. “I still feel like we’re talking two different languages right now. Remember I’m not a lawyer. Connect the dots for me.”
“We sue Layton for assault and battery—in a civil case.”
Nina Marie’s hazel eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Yeah. That’s why I need your buy in.”
“But what would that help anything? He’s already been acquitted in the criminal case.”
Olivia started pacing back and forth, trying to stay calm. “That was in a criminal court. There’s a different standard there—remember, it’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The civil standard is lower. And full disclosure, the remedy available is monetary damages, and that’s the only remedy here, but hear me out because it’s bigger than money.”
Nina Marie nodded. “I’m listening.”
“This is our chance to expose Layton, and Optimism, for that matter. As we sat in court for t
he criminal trial, I was sick about not being able to question them. The prosecutor wouldn’t dare go down the roads that we could. Even if we weren’t able to get a favorable verdict, just putting them on the stand and asking the questions could be huge.”
Nina Marie sighed. “But, Olivia, they’ll lie like they always do. You know Layton and Louise have no issue with that. You’ll ask them things, they’ll deny, and we’ll be right back to square one.”
“I can do this, Nina Marie. I know I can. They’re too cocky, too confident. I can catch them in their web of lies. They might be able to fool a run-of-the-mill prosecutor, but not me.”
“You feel like this is what we need to do?”
“Yes, but if you are strongly against it, then I won’t do it. You’re the plaintiff here, Nina Marie. This would be your case. You suing Layton. There will be repercussions.” Olivia realized as she spoke that maybe she hadn’t thought this fully through. “It could put you right back in Layton’s crosshairs.”
“I’m not blind to the changes that have happened to me since the attack, but I am stronger than I look. I’ve faced down death, and I truly believe God saved me for a purpose. I also believe God uses you, Olivia, for things much bigger than yourself or me.”
This woman who was once her enemy was now one of her closest friends. God had changed both of their lives using the craziest of circumstances. “I appreciate that so much. Let’s make sure we’re both doing this for the right reasons. I don’t want this to be about revenge for either of us. I want it to be about justice and about trying to expose the evil behind Optimism.”
Nina Marie smiled. “Olivia, no one would ever call you vengeful—me, on the other hand…”
“You’d have every right to feel that way. Layton did try to kill you.”
“I can’t live in the past. I have to use what happened and move on.” Nina Marie paused. “I can tell you think I think Abe will be against this. He’s hyper protective of me these days.”
“And rightfully so.” Olivia was thankful for Abe’s protective and loving presence in Nina Marie’s life.
“What will Grant think of this?”
Olivia thought about that. “Even if he’s still figuring things out between us, he’s always supported me in my cases. He will help if we need it. I know that.”
Nina Marie grabbed onto her hands. “Let me talk to Abe, and if he’s okay with it, then I’m all in.”
That night, Nina Marie sat at her kitchen table as Abe finished up the dishes. They had fallen into such a nice routine. They often had dinner together, then went for an evening walk. Abe was always the perfect gentleman, never pushing things like the men she’d been with before. He was completely patient with her after the attack, but the biggest difference between Abe and the other men she had dated was that Abe was a true man of God.
Her ordeal had caused him to grow close to the Lord again, and he had embraced that journey fully. But now she had to tell him about the lawsuit, and she figured he might not like the idea.
“Abe, can we talk for a minute?” She gripped onto her cup of iced tea.
He turned around from the sink and looked at her. “Should I sit?”
“Yeah. I think that would be better.”
Abe sat beside her at the table and took her hand in his. “Is everything all right? Are you feeling okay?” His dark eyes showed his concern for her.
She had to get up the nerve to tell him. “It’s not me. I’m actually feeling better and stronger. And a large part of that is you. Abe, you’re my rock and a ray of sunshine in my life that was so dark before.”
“Then what is it?” he asked.
She took a minute to recount the conversation she had earlier in the day with Olivia. “I’d like to do this, Abe.”
Abe frowned but didn’t immediately respond. After a moment, he squeezed her hand. “This man tried to kill you. I found you here that night, bleeding out and certain you were going to die in my arms.” His voice started to crack.
She had to hold back tears. “I know, and I realize this is asking a lot, but I feel like this is the right thing to do.”
“To get revenge?”
Nina Marie shook her head. “No. But to use this opportunity to finally try to expose Layton for the monster he is once and for all. He’s going to continue spreading evil and hate in this town. We have to put a stop to it, and this is an opportunity to do that.”
Abe let out a breath. “Nina Marie, it’s no secret that I’ve fallen hard for you. I believe the Lord brought us together under the most unlikely of circumstances, but we’re here now. And if you really think that this is what you need to do, then I will be behind you one hundred percent. But…”
She knew there would be a catch.
Abe pulled her up out of her seat and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pulling her close. “I plan on being beside you the entire way. I will not let that monster get near you again. He will never touch you.”
This time a stray tear fell down her cheek. “Abe, I thank God every day that He spared my life and brought you into it.” It still boggled her mind that God was so good and so forgiving, especially after all the awful things she had done in her life.
“I’m thankful too. I was wandering through life until I met you. We are going to do things greater than ourselves here in Windy Ridge, and if that means taking some risks, then I will be there to protect you each step of the way.”
Nina Marie realized she had fallen completely in love with Abe. Having his support in this fight against Layton meant everything to her. She needed him to know how she felt. “Abe, I love you.” She held her breath, waiting to see how he would respond.
“I love you too.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. And she finally felt truly loved.
Three days later, Layton sat at his desk reviewing the quarterly financials. He was waiting for Morena and Stacey to arrive to check in on how things were going.
He didn’t have to wait long because about five minutes later the women entered his office. “Well, don’t the two of you look sun-kissed? Did you spend the weekend at the pool?” Layton laughed.
“Just Saturday afternoon,” Morena said. “What did you want to talk to us about?”
“I’ve been working on the business plan for next year and running the numbers. The company is strong and only growing. Never could I have imagined that we would be this successful. There is a continuous demand for our products. But I didn’t ask you here to talk about that. Have either of you spoken to Eliza? I’m sure this unfortunate episode with Katy has clouded her vision.” He had been so close to winning her over—it had almost been too easy. Then the whole Katy debacle had completely derailed his plan.
“She’s hard to figure out.” Morena twisted a curly lock around her finger. “I think she’s fine with us if we leave her alone.”
“And as long as she doesn’t get any more demonic visitors at her house,” Stacey said. “That’s really her biggest concern.”
Layton realized Eliza had no clue how deep she had gotten into things. “We can’t control where the demons go. Granted, we could encourage their presence, for sure, but we can’t forbid them to do things. Especially when she opened the door to their presence in the first place.”
“We tried to explain that to her, but she remains convinced we are the problem, and that before us, she was living a perfectly peaceful life,” Stacey said.
“Do you two think this is going to be an issue?” Layton asked.
Morena looked at Stacey and then answered. “I think she’s fairly harmless, but if Olivia riles her up, then she could be an issue. The good thing is that she doesn’t seem to be swayed that much by Olivia’s beliefs. Her beef is that she wants to be left alone. I don’t necessarily see her becoming a bible thumper out there crusading. Eliza wants to live in her little Wiccan bubble.”
“Then I say for now, we let her be,” Layton said. “I’d prefer not to cause any trouble if I don’t have to. If she starts activ
ely working against us, then we can revisit.”
Layton’s intercom buzzed with his secretary interrupting their discussion.
“Yes,” he said.
“You have a messenger here to deliver something.”
“Send him back.” Then he looked at the ladies. “Last time a messenger was here, I got served.”
“Do you think you’re being sued again?” Stacey asked.
“At this point, nothing would surprise me. You know how tenacious Olivia is. She got embarrassed at Katy’s hearing. I shouldn’t toot my horn, but it was a complete victory. Morena can attest to that.”
After a minute, the messenger walked in and, sure enough, it was another lawsuit. He opened the package and let out a long string of curses.
“What is it this time?” Morena asked.
“It’s Olivia, but not what I expected.” He thrust the papers into Morena’s hands.
She took a moment and skimmed the page. “You know what this means.”
Layton felt his cheeks burn in anger. “It means war.”
Stacey sat alone in her apartment, and her mind was overloaded. This latest lawsuit was just another annoyance they didn’t need. Layton was getting into way too much legal trouble, and even if he kept managing to escape, there would come a time when things would start to have an impact. Not just on Layton, but on the morale of Optimism.
She didn’t think it was her time to make a move yet, but life didn’t have perfect timing, and you had to act when it was necessary. Given her age, she didn’t think she could pull off taking on the CEO position of the company, but she did believe she could convince the members that she could be the spiritual leader.
Morena would be the natural person to take over as CEO, but she didn’t think Morena had the temperament needed to be a spiritual leader. But Stacey did. She felt deep in her bones that everything that had happened to her over the past year had led to this point.
She was becoming much more powerful. What she hadn’t told Layton, or Morena for that matter, was that she had grown tremendously from her secret online meetings with powerful group leaders in other parts of the country. Every single night she’d been practicing her craft and seeking the evil one. She’d been putting what they taught her into practice, and she was ready to take her magical efforts to the next level.