Fatal Accusation

by Rachel Dylan

  Olivia had made the decision to object to try to keep some control over the situation—albeit a small measure.

  Beverly looked over at the jurors as she was certainly told by Tony to do. “I’m responsible for the day-to-day financial operations of the church. I balance the books, take in and process all money that comes in and goes out, and, of course, I’m also responsible for paying all the bills, too.”

  “Do you have full access to the church’s bank account?”

  “I certainly do.”

  “And who else has that type of access?”

  “Pastor Dan and Pastor Chris.”

  “And by Pastor Dan you mean the defendant Dan Light?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Associate Pastor Chris Tanner?”

  “Yes.”

  Now would come the really bad part where she would accuse Dan.

  “So at some point did you notice something strange going on with the church finances?”

  “I did. I’m what they call old school. I prefer to do all my accounting activities on paper. I knew I could access the account electronically, but I never did after I initially setup my passcode. I just relied on the paper. It’s a system that’s worked for me, and I never had any issues or reasons to make a change.”

  “Your statement makes it seem like you then encountered an issue of some sort?”

  “Yes, I did. The paper statements were sent directly to Pastor Dan, and then he would put them in my church mailbox. But that month, our church secretary said something about not receiving the normal statement. So I went into the online system, and that’s when I saw it.”

  “Saw what?”

  “There was a discrepancy in that month’s accounting. I was expecting to see about five thousand more dollars in the account at that time. I thought there had to be some mistake with the bank, but just to be thorough I started scrolling through the past months and tried to reconcile with the paper copies I had in my files.”

  “And were you able to reconcile the paper statements with the online statements?”

  Beverly shook her head.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Jenkins, but you’ll need to give a verbal response for our court reporter.”

  “I’m sorry.” She took a breath. “No, I wasn’t able to reconcile the accounts. In fact, I found that for a period of sixteen months there had been monthly transfers to an account—all the same account, but one I wasn’t familiar with.”

  “And what did you do at that time?”

  “My first instinct of course was to take it to Pastor Dan. But…”

  “Please continue, Ms. Jenkins.”

  “But then I looked at the timing and started to think about Dan and all he had gone through with his wife’s illness and death. I knew that had to take a financial toll on him. So the thought, however awful it was, did cross my mind that he was somehow involved. I prayed hard that wasn’t the case, but after much prayer, I took everything I had and turned it over to the police.” Beverly’s eyes filled with tears.

  It took every bit of strength Olivia had not to have a physical reaction. She didn’t believe this woman. Yeah, she said everything that sounded right, but she trusted her gut. And her gut was telling her that this woman was lying. Could she have been connected to Layton somehow? It seemed unlikely, but she knew better than to underestimate Layton’s reach and influence.

  “I know this ordeal has been extremely difficult on you, Ms. Jenkins. I appreciate your time today.” Tony looked at her. “Your witness.”

  She had to tread carefully but tactically. “Ms. Jenkins, why is it that your first thought or instinct when you saw the discrepancy was to think of Pastor Dan?”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t think I understand your question.”

  “Why assume that Pastor Dan, the man you’ve known for a decade and that you trusted as the senior pastor of the church you’ve attended since you were a child, why assume that it was him? Wouldn’t the natural thing be to assume there was some type of hack or theft by an outside party? Some security breach of the account?”

  “Well, I’m not quite sure. I think in my mind I was just thinking that there were only three people who had access. Guess that’s my old-school way of thinking again. You know I’m not a young tech-savvy person like yourself.”

  Ugh. Beverly was totally winning this line of questioning. “Well, what about Associate Pastor Chris Tanner. Did his involvement not seem plausible to you?”

  “It really didn’t. The only one of us who I knew could possibly have financial troubles was Pastor Dan, and that was just because of the tragedy with his dear, late wife.”

  Things were not going well. So she made the strategic decision to make a big move.

  “Ms. Jenkins, do you know Layton Alito?”

  Beverly’s eyes widened for a moment before she quickly neutralized her expression. Hopefully her tell was long enough for the jury to see it. She looked over at the jury, and they were all focused on Beverly.

  “No, I don’t think I do.”

  “Ms. Jenkins, do I need to remind you that you are under oath.”

  “I’m sorry, dear. Of course I know of Layton Alito because of his work in the community that sometimes is at odds with the church—as you very well know. But I don’t personally know Layton Alito.”

  “I’ll remind you again that you’re under oath.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know him.”

  At least she’d have this for impeachment purposes if she could find some evidence tying the two of them together.

  “Do you consider Pastor Dan to be a trustworthy man?”

  “I certainly did before all of this. Now I’m not sure what to believe.”

  “You don’t have any direct, personal knowledge that my client, Dan Light, made any of these bank transfers, do you?”

  “Well, no, I don’t have personal knowledge about it. Just what we’ve previously discussed.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Jenkins. That’s all I have for now.”

  She turned and walked back toward her seat, and that’s when she saw her. Nina Marie was sitting in the courtroom.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Nina Marie watched as Associate Pastor Chris Tanner testified, and his testimony was eerily similar to Beverly’s. Then for a few long hours after lunch there was testimony from the officers involved in the investigation and employees from the bank where Dan and the church had their accounts.

  Olivia was able to establish from testimony of the bank employees that Dan’s finances were stable. Bank statement after bank statement was flashed up on the screen while Olivia had the banker go through and account for all of Dan’s money over the past eighteen months. While it wasn’t proof that he didn’t embezzle, it did paint a picture for the jury that was helpful to Dan. He wasn’t on the brink of losing everything. Yes, things were tight, but probably not different than most of the finances of all of the people on the jury.

  She watched with keen interest as Olivia called her forensics expert, Blake Sanchez. Nina Marie remembered Blake from the litigation with Optimism. Olivia had hired him to try to unravel Layton’s electronic web of lies. From what Nina Marie understood, he was one of the best. Olivia asked him a bunch of questions to establish that he knew what he was doing before getting to questions about the actual case.

  “Mr. Sanchez, turning to this matter, please explain to the jury what forensic analysis you conducted.”

  “Of course. I examined all electronic metadata and performed a forensic analysis on each of the transfers from the church account to the account of Mr. Light.”

  “And what did that tell you?”

  “I was able to determine with certainty that none of the transfers took place within a five mile radius of Mr. Light’s home or the church.”

  “Were you able to tell the location where they did happen?”

  Blake shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. Whoever did this was able to cover that electronic trail.”

  “And what does that tell
you?”

  “That they were highly skilled in computer forensics and they didn’t want to be caught.”

  “Objection, speculation,” Tony said loudly.

  “It’s his expert opinion,” Olivia answered.

  “Overruled,” the judge responded.

  Nina Marie looked at the jury. She couldn’t get a good read as to how this testimony was going with them. She feared they’d think that you could hire a computer guy to argue anything.

  “Your witness,” Olivia told Tony.

  Tony walked toward the witness stand. “Mr. Sanchez, isn’t it possible that Mr. Light could still have taken these actions and completed them outside of his home or the church?”

  “Yes. That’s possible.”

  “So, really, all your testimony boils down to is the fact of two areas you can pinpoint where the transactions didn’t occur.”

  “Yes, but I think those facts are instructive.”

  “That will be for the jury to decide. That’s all I have for this witness.”

  **

  Nina Marie held back a yawn. It had been a restless night thinking about everything that had gone on in her life recently. To say she was torn would be an understatement. In a way, she wanted to give Abe a chance. Wanted to step out of the darkness, but she’d lived this life so long this way that she wasn’t even sure if she could leave behind her current life, and would the evil one even let her? He’d probably try to kill her first. That would be a risk in and of itself.

  But the last thing she wanted was for Layton to take over the entire city, and this whole plot he had cooked up against Dan was the first big step to doing just that.

  She was at a crossroads. A decision now would make the difference in the rest of her life—no matter how long or short it ended up being. Her decision also had eternal implications. Yes, she’d made the strategic decision once to go to the dark side, but if it were possible to change, would she want to?

  If you’d asked her that question a couple of months ago, it would’ve been a no-brainer. What she was trying to figure out was what was so different now. Deep down, she knew that a critical turning point had come in her life when Olivia had risked her own self to save her. To see Olivia’s complete act of selflessness was a wakeup call. But that still wasn’t enough. The introduction of Abe into her life had started to change how she was thinking. But what if it was all an illusion?

  She realized that she’d zoned out during the last set of testimony as the judge started to speak.

  “It’s about four thirty,” the judge said. “There’s been a lot we’ve packed in today. I’d like to let the jury go and reconvene at nine sharp in the morning.”

  The jury filed out followed by the judge.

  Nina Marie stood and waited to get a moment with Olivia. When someone grabbed onto her arm, she startled, turning to see Layton, his blue eyes flaring with anger. What was he doing there?

  “Hello, Nina Marie. Wanted to get a front row seat?”

  “I have to admit I was curious.”

  He tightened his grip on his arm. “Don’t lie to me. Something is going on with you. I can sense it, and beyond that I had a visit from Othan last night who told me some very interesting things about what you’ve been doing.”

  “Let go of me, or I’m going to let out a scream that will have those officers over here in no time flat.”

  Reluctantly he dropped her arm. “You need to tell me what’s going on. Are you in some type of trouble? If so, I can help you. You have to know that.”

  Her behavior was so uncharacteristic that Layton must have thought she was under some type of duress. She wasn’t ready to have any sort of conversation with Layton about this. “Layton, why do you all of a sudden care for my well-being? It’s a little late for that. Remember you tried to kill me only months ago?”

  He sighed loudly. “Will you never let that go? I thought we were well beyond that. I heard very troubling news from Othan about you questioning your spiritual position. You bring a Christian to my charity gala, feigning ignorance.” He threw his hands up. “I honestly have no idea what has happened to you, but I do want to help. I know you might find it hard to believe, but I want you on my side.”

  “Is that what this is all about? Not my well-being but fearing that I’ll turn and fight against you?”

  “Of course that’s a consideration, but given the fact you’re even considering such a ludicrous idea makes me think that something has happened to you that you’re not wanting to talk about.” He paused and reached for her again, but she took a step back. “Just don’t do anything stupid that you’ll regret. Take some time, go on a trip. You can use my condo on the beach in the Caymans.”

  “I don’t need a vacation. What I need is for everyone to stop trying to control my life.”

  “Layton, Nina Marie.” Olivia walked right up to the both of them. “I imagine this is a spectator sport for the two of you.”

  Why was Olivia acting so hostile? She made eye contact with her, and then it hit her. Olivia was trying to help her out.

  “Didn’t appear to be going too well for you, huh?” Layton asked Olivia.

  “I only came over here to tell you that you may have won the day, but you haven’t defeated us.”

  “It’s only a matter of time,” Layton said. “There’s no amount of lawyering skills that can win this one for you, Olivia.”

  “Then it’s fortunate for me that I’m depending on a higher power than my own skills.”

  “I’ve heard enough. I’m off to celebrate,” Layton said. He turned to Nina Marie. “Call me when you’re ready to talk.” He walked away, leaving her standing there with Olivia.

  “Are you okay?” Olivia asked. “I saw him grab onto you.”

  Nina Marie touched her arm, still tender from the contact. “Yes, I’ll be fine, but we need to talk. Can you come over to my place so we can talk privately?”

  “Sure. Give me a few minutes to gather up my stuff and I’ll head on over.”

  Nina Marie rushed home and tidied up a bit. Although it wasn’t like much was out of place. It was more out of nerves of what was to come.

  Olivia wasn’t far behind, and she ushered her into the kitchen and offered her tea. “Okay, I’m glad you’re here. I have to tell you some things.”

  **

  “What is it you want to talk about?” Olivia asked. There was a lot going on with Nina Marie right now. She wanted to be supportive, but she also really needed her assistance with this trial.

  “I’ve given a lot of thought to our conversation about this trial.”

  “And?”

  “I want to help.”

  Olivia let out a breath. Thank the Lord. “That’s wonderful. Does that mean you’re ready to choose a different path?”

  Nina Marie held up her hand. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. All I’m committing to at this juncture is helping you in the trial.”

  “I’ll take that for now.”

  “What do you need from me?”

  “What do you know about Pastor Dan being framed?”

  “Beverly Jenkins is your inside woman.”

  Olivia nodded. It was just like she thought. There was something off with Beverly’s story from the beginning. “I figured as much, but to hear it confirmed is still troubling. What could possibly be her motivation? Money?”

  “From what I understand, Beverly and Judge Louise Martinique met at a hair salon a while back and became fast friends. I think Louise is actually responsible for turning her.”

  Wow. Louise was bad news and very powerful. “Where does Layton come into all of this?”

  “This scheme was his idea, and let me tell you he was very proud about it. He bided his time. Had Beverly conduct business as usual at the church. He couldn’t have any suspicion about her. She needed to be above reproach.”

  “And you saw from the testimony today that’s exactly how she came off.” It was some of the worst testimony she’d ever had against her in a case. />
  “Layton played it close to the vest right up until he was ready to spark the plan into action. When I found out Beverly was working for Optimism, I was shocked. Then when I heard what Layton had cooked up, I had to admit I was excited. It’s no secret I’ve despised Dan and the church.”

  “But now you want to help him?”

  Nina Marie rubbed her temples. “I have no idea what is happening to me, Olivia. All I know is that I want to help. Maybe it’s because I know how much this means to Layton, and anytime I can get back at Layton, I try.”

  Olivia could tell Nina Marie was trying to justify this in her mind, but Olivia could see the changes happening in Nina Marie. All of the prayer was having an impact on this woman, and for the first time, Olivia really could tell that change was possible. Thank you, Lord, for what you are doing in Nina Marie’s life. Continue to soften her heart and open up her mind to the power of the Holy Spirit.

  “Olivia, are you still with me?”

  “Yes, sorry.” Olivia needed to focus and lock in Nina Marie’s help. This was literally the answer to her prayers, both for Dan and for Nina Marie. “What are you prepared to do to assist? Will you take the stand and testify?” It was a big thing to ask, but that’s really what she needed.

  Nina Marie didn’t immediately respond.

  Olivia placed her hand on top of Nina Marie’s. “You’ve come this far. You can do this. All you have to do is to tell the truth. Tell what you know.”

  “You know the prosecution will try to discredit me.”

  “Let him try. I can clean up anything in re-direct.”

  “I believe you.”

  Olivia sat in awe as she looked into Nina Marie’s eyes. The eyes that had once held pure evil—a servant of the devil, a practitioner of the dark arts. And now this woman was coming to the aid of the man who she once wanted to destroy. God was truly all-powerful. “I’m not going to abandon you, but I need you to consider doing something else for me, too.”

  “What?”

  “Your association with the devil. I need you to renounce it.”

  “You’re worried that I may change my mind?”

  “No, it’s not that at all. I’m worried for your safety. As long as you align yourself with him, there’s only so much I can do. But if you open your heart to Christ, you’ll have more protection.”