by Rachel Dylan
“But why? Why set him up?”
“Because bringing down Windy Ridge Community Church is a goal of both of our organizations. Layton had someone on the inside that could make it happen. I’ve already said too much. You should go to him on this.”
Stacey frowned. “All right.”
“You have compassion for the preacher?”
“He was always nice to me. I didn’t agree with some of his ideas, but I don’t think he’s a criminal.”
“In this business you’re going to have to be willing to get your hands dirty. It’s another thing you need to think about. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I do.” Stacey had a lot she needed to figure out.
**
Olivia walked into the courtroom eager to start the preliminary hearing. She spotted Tony right away and walked over to him.
He offered his hand and a smile. “Not too late to reconsider the plea deal.”
She’d called him after she had met with Dan and told him they’d be rejecting the plea. “The answer hasn’t changed.”
“That’s a shame. I guess you do realize that the judge is going to let this go to trial—no doubt about it.”
“I agree with you on that, but there’s a big difference in the judge finding probable cause to proceed to trial and a jury convicting my client.”
“Fair enough. Well, my door is open if you change your mind about anything.”
“Tony, have you thought any more about the other topic we talked about in my office?” She’s been praying that Tony would figure out he was being played and drop the case, but that didn’t seem likely at this point.
“I did and I think you’re grasping at straws.” He took a step closer to her and leaned down toward her ear. “There’s absolutely no evidence tying Layton to this case. I did my due diligence. So I think it would be best if you didn’t try to go down that road.”
Maybe there was some hope after all. If he’d at least tried to vet her theory, then that was positive, even if he hadn’t found anything. “I appreciate you looking into it. Don’t give up so easily.” She didn’t want to push it, so she walked away to the defense table and waited for Dan to be brought into the courtroom. A courtroom that was filled with media.
According to Tony’s email, he wasn’t planning on calling any live witnesses at the preliminary hearing. He’d only be introducing documents to make his case. He thought that they would be enough to show probable cause, and he probably made the strategic decision to keep Beverly off the stand until trial.
Dan was escorted in by officers and led to the defense table.
“How’re you doing?” she asked him.
“Good. Looking forward to this being over. You said there’s no chance in stopping the trial, so I’m just ready to get it done. Prison makes me less nervous than this courtroom.” He glanced over his shoulder at the media. “I don’t like all this attention.”
“Dan, you know I’m going to do all I can to prove your innocence.”
“I do, Olivia, and I appreciate everything you’ve done. I just hope it’s not the end to my ministry.”
“Don’t talk like that.”
“I want to be able to go back to preaching and even if I’m acquitted, I fear the church won’t take me back.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time. First, focus on getting an acquittal. Then worry about repairing the church and the trust relationship.”
“All rise,” the bailiff said.
They stood as Judge Matthews entered the courtroom. She watched as his dark eyes surveyed the courtroom. He knew this wasn’t the run-of-the-mill criminal case. Not with all these eyes on them.
“All right,” Judge Matthews said. “Today we have the preliminary hearing in the case of the State versus Dan Light. Mr. Sampson, I assume you’re ready to go?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Tony stood up. “I hope to not take too much of the court’s time today because as you will see that there is no doubt that this case should move forward to a speedy trial.”
“Go on with your argument then,” the judge said.
“The main basis for my argument to proceed to trial is the physical evidence in this case. I’d like to introduce as the state’s exhibit one, banking records that show electronic transfers were made over a sixteen month time period. Transfers from the church account to the defendant’s account. An account I believe he set up years ago to facilitate this type of embezzlement scheme, which also goes to show this act being carefully planned and thought out over time. The additional records then show transfers from the defendant’s account to an offshore account.”
“Any objection to authenticity, Ms. Murray?” the judge asked.
“No, Your Honor.” The records were legit. The bigger issue was who actually moved the money and what did they do with it. She wanted to save her objections for things that really mattered.
“Let me direct your attention to page three, for example. There is a transfer of five thousand dollars on March third. The money is moved from the church account to the defendant’s account.”
“How did no one notice this at the church?” Judge Matthews asked.
“That leads me to state’s exhibit two. A set of falsified records that show no transfers of cash. Someone doctored the paper records, and the church still uses paper statements to conduct its business.”
The judge curiously quirked an eyebrow, then he took a minute to review the exhibits that Tony had presented him. “Do you have anything else?”
“No, Your Honor. I believe those exhibits are more than sufficient to get over the probable cause bar.”
“Ms. Murray, the floor is yours. What do you have to say about these documents?”
“Thank you.” She stood up. “My client was framed, Your Honor.”
“Do you have any proof of that claim?”
“Not that I’m prepared to present today, but that will be our defense if this moves to trial.”
He nodded, looked at Dan, and then back at Olivia. “Then I guess it won’t come to a surprise to anyone, given the evidence I’ve been presented, that my ruling is in favor of the State. Let’s talk about a trial date. Mr. Sampson?”
“Yes, Your Honor. The State is prepared to move quickly and would be eager to get this on your trial calendar.”
“Ms. Murray?”
“The defense agrees with the State on the need for a speedy trial.”
“Well, counselors, this may be an instance of be careful what you ask for. My docket cleared up because of a string of plea deals. So I will set this case to begin trial two weeks from today. Do either of you anticipate any pre-trial motions at this point?”
“No, Your Honor,” Tony said. “We’ll be in the position to proceed directly to trial.”
“I can’t rule out any pre-trial motions at this time, Your Honor.”
“No problem. Just let my clerk know if we need to set a pre-trial hearing. If not, I’ll see you both back here in two weeks’ time, nine a.m., to pick a jury.”
“Thank you,” they both said in unison.
She turned to Dan. “It won’t be long now. This will all come to an end.”
“I’m fine, really, Olivia. Don’t worry about me. Just focus on clearing my name so I can continue in the ministry in whatever capacity God chooses for me.”
She felt tears well up in her eyes listening to Dan’s plea. She grabbed onto his arm. “I’m praying for you. For all of us.”
“That’s the most important thing you can do.”
As he was led away by the officers, she took a deep breath and started to pray.
Chapter Thirteen
Nina Marie sat on her couch with her feet up reading a new book that Stacey had recommended. Mainly Nina Marie wanted to make sure that Stacey wasn’t clouding her brain with misinformation or fads.
When her doorbell rang, she set the book down and got up off the couch. She wasn’t expecting any company tonight. As she looked through the peephole, she let out a groan.
The very last person she wanted to see was standing there. Abe—or whatever his name really was.
She opened the door. “You really have some nerve showing back up here at my home.”
“May I come in?” Abe asked.
She wanted to slam the door in his face, but as she looked up into his eyes, she realized she couldn’t say no to this man. As angry as she was at him, there was still something so strong pulling her toward him. “You have five minutes.”
He smiled and walked by her and into the living room.
“So, what do you want, Abe? Or should I call you something else?”
“My first name is Abe.”
“And your last name?”
“Perez.”
“Ah, much more fitting than Smith.” She fiddled with her sleeves, realizing that this man put her on edge. She needed to regain control. “What do you want?”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
She laughed. “Are you kidding me? You played me for a fool. You were using me for whatever it is Olivia hired you to do. So spare me your lines.”
“I’m a private investigator. I was just doing my job. What’s happening between us is a totally different thing.”
“Let’s get this straight, Abe. There is no us.”
“I see it differently.”
“Of course you do. I still don’t know why you’re here in my living room right now.”
“Because somewhere along the way, I developed feelings for you, and I don’t want you to keep going down such a destructive path.”
“What, you think you can just waltz in here and all of a sudden I’m going to fall at your feet, confess my sins, and ride off with you into the sunset?”
He took a step toward her and instinctively she took one back. He reached toward her and she flinched.
“Whoa, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “You have nothing to fear from me.” He lifted his hands in the air.
Looking at Abe now, though, she realized she did have something to fear—but it wasn’t physical violence. It was her heart being broken. “I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I want to be able to spend more time with you.”
“First, how could I ever trust you after you came to me under false pretenses? And second, you and I have major differences of opinion. We’re not compatible. I’d never date a Christian.” Not ever again.
“Well, first, you’re right. I did come to you as a PI, but now I’m coming to you as a man who wants to know more about you. And as far as me being a Christian and you being … whatever it is you identify with, I believe we can work through that.”
She had to give it to him. He was persistent. “There are some things you just can’t work through. I made a decision years ago to take a different path. There’s no turning back from that.” It was just like she told Stacey, and that’s another reason she wanted Stacey to be sure about her decisions.
“That’s the thing, Nina Marie. It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s always another option as long as you have breath in your body, and I’m here offering to walk that journey with you if you’ll let me.”
“Did Olivia put you up to this?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. This was my idea. I did have to ask her if it was all right if I approached you in my personal capacity.”
“Did she tell you I was a lost cause?”
“Just the opposite. She believes you can change, too.”
Her anger started to come to the surface. “Why does everyone believe I want to change? Do I seem unhappy to you? I have everything I could want. Just look around this place.”
He gently took her hand in his, sending a shockwave through her.
“You don’t really believe that. Being fulfilled in life isn’t about having material things. You want more out of life than that. We all do.”
“Once again, why should I believe a word that comes out of your mouth after all the lies you told me?”
“The only lies I told you were my name and profession.”
“What about all the talk about you negative feelings toward Christianity? The hypocrisy. The whole nine yards?” Did he really think she was that stupid?
“At the time I made those comments, I meant them.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Can I have a seat and try to explain?”
Well, she’d come this far, might as well hear how he was going to try to get himself out of the hole he’d dug. “Yes.” She motioned toward the couch. She sat down beside him but left enough space to make her comfortable.
“Someone I loved hurt me badly. She was a churchgoer, as was a close friend who she was cheating on me with.”
She sucked in a breath. This was hitting far too close to home for her. She needed to deflect a bit. “A lot of people are cheated on.”
“But after that happened, I couldn’t go back to that church anymore. I was humiliated, angry, and hurt. Instead of trying to seek out another church, I just walked away and left it all behind. I figured that God didn’t really care about me all that much and wouldn’t miss me.”
“Let me guess. After a little time passed, you found your faith again and lived happily ever after.”
“Far from it. Like I said, I’ve harbored a lot of pain and resentment the past few years. So when you asked me about my feelings when we first met, yes, I needed to play a role, but I was telling you how I really felt.”
“Then what changed between then and now? It hasn’t exactly been a long time.”
He took her hand again and as much as she wanted to pull away, she didn’t.
“Ever since the first time we met, something has started to change in me. I’ve felt a longing to reconnect with God, and at the same time, a fierce longing to connect with you.”
She took another deep breath. “Are you trying to say that I’m the reason you’ve gone back to your faith?”
“I know it seems crazy, but God can use people and circumstances to work His will. And if I can come back to the Lord, I think you can, too.”
A single tear slid down her cheek. What was wrong with her? She never cried, but for some reason an immense sadness washed over her. “You just don’t understand, Abe. I’ve crossed a line. Even if I wanted to come back from that, which I don’t, it wouldn’t be possible. There are some things you can’t just turn around.”
“I think you’ve told yourself that as a defense mechanism. You’ve been hurt, too. I know you aren’t going to change your beliefs in the blink of an eye. All I’m asking is that you give me a chance. Give us a chance.”
How could she have even let this conversation get this far? She served the evil one. She practiced witchcraft and all sorts of dark arts. And now this man sitting next to her was asking her to turn away from all of that and take another path. A path with him! Why wasn’t she just saying no and throwing him out? “I don’t know how to respond to all of this.”
“I know you’ve been hurt just like I was hurt. By someone who claimed to be a believer but didn’t act like one.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. In my case it was much more than being cheated on.”
“Your reaction earlier. This man was abusive toward you?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She’d told Stacey about the physical violence, but it went even deeper than that.
“I would never hurt you like that, Nina Marie. You have to know that. I’ve never raised a hand to a woman.”
Could she really trust this man? “I think I need some time alone. You’ve laid a lot on me.”
“I totally understand, but please don’t think that you’re too far gone. God can always bring you back, no matter what you have done. Even if you’ve aligned yourself with evil, it’s not too late to change.” He stood up from the couch. “I’ll let you think about what I said, but I hope to see you again soon.”
She walked with him toward the door. He leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek before leaving her house. She reached up and touched
her cheek. What in the world had just happened?
**
Micah and Ben looked down on Nina Marie. It had been a risk to even come into her house, but they decided to go into the danger zone because Abe had taken such a huge step of faith. Olivia and Abe’s prayers were having a huge impact.
“I have to admit, I never thought we’d be in this position with Nina Marie,” Ben said.
“After Olivia saved her life, Olivia said that she wasn’t going to give up on her, and it looks like all the effort and prayer is making a difference,” Micah said. “Sometimes even we have to remind ourselves just how powerful prayer is and how those prayers can change people’s lives.”
“This just shows that Nina Marie does have the desire to change, even if she’s not fully ready to admit it to herself.”
“Not so fast,” a booming voice said.
Micah turned and saw Othan and his sidekick Kobal.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” Othan asked. “She is one of ours. She has come to us freely. This is our house, not yours.”
“People can change,” Ben replied.
Othan laughed. “Are you kidding me? Nina Marie is one of the evil one’s favorites. There is no way he would ever let her go without a huge fight. She’s not strong enough to defy him. It won’t ever happen, no matter who you send here.”
Micah watched as Kobal made his way to the couch to get near Nina Marie. Ben instantly swept down and inserted himself between Kobal and Nina Marie.
“Since when did God’s angels protect one of the devil’s own?” Othan asked.
“She has shown a willingness to change, and we’re going to do everything in our power to help her. She doesn’t even want you here now. You’re the unwelcome ones,” Ben said.
“We’ll see about that,” Othan said. “She’ll stay loyal to us. You just watch.”
“If you’re so certain, then you should have no problem leaving and going about your other business.”
“Fine. I am certain. Kobal, let’s go to some place where we’re actually needed.”
Othan and Kobal vanished as quickly as they had arrived.