“Thanks for taking the time to meet with me, Beverly,” Olivia said. She sat on the small beige couch in Beverly Jenkins’s living room with a cup of tea in her hand.
The church bookkeeper had a small but cozy home that was only minutes from the church. Beverly didn’t have to meet with her, especially since Beverly knew she was defending Dan. But the fact she’d agreed to the meeting made Olivia feel a little better.
“Of course, of course. Anything I can do to help, I’ll do it. I already feel so upset about this whole thing. It’s been really difficult for me, as I’m assuming you could imagine.”
Olivia looked at the fifty-plus-year-old woman. She knew that Beverly used to be a CPA but retired early to work at the church. Besides that, she didn’t know much else about her.
“You’ve probably figured out by now that you’re going to have to be a witness in Dan’s trial.”
She watched as Beverly clenched her fist around the floral coffee cup. “I have figured it, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I don’t think anyone wants to be put on the witness stand and questioned, and certainly not given the situation here. If there was another way, I’d love to know about it.”
“Unfortunately, I think you’re stuck as far as being a witness. As Dan’s defense attorney it’s my job to figure out whether you’ll be part of our defense—or alternatively whether you’re actually going to be someone the prosecution will rely on. So having this discussion will help me make that decision. All I ask that is that you’re honest. I can take the truth, but I need to know what you believe happened.”
Beverly nodded. “That makes sense.”
Olivia had decided to have this informal and hopefully friendly meeting before things got much more contentious at trial. She wanted to get a read on Beverly and what all it is she would say.
“I knew you’d want to talk. It’s just a difficult thing to discuss, but I guess that it has to happen.” She set down her cup.
“Let’s take it slow. Why don’t you start out by telling me why you went to the police instead of going to Dan first?”
“I’m so sorry, Olivia. This is all my fault.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I found some discrepancies in the accounting. Once I noticed something was off, I started digging. Then I kept digging deeper and deeper. Until…” A big tear fell down her cheek.
Olivia couldn’t help herself and reached out to pat Beverly’s hand. This woman seemed to be really hurting over all of this. “What is it, Beverly? You can tell me. Remember, honesty is all I’m asking for. I’m not going to judge you or your actions. I’m just trying to get to down to the bottom of all of this.”
“There was an account money was being funneled into, and when I found that out, I was going to go to Pastor Dan. But once I was able to get details on the account, then I realized that he was somehow involved. I had to go to the police.”
As the last words came out of her mouth, the single tear turned into full out bawling.
“Beverly, just take a deep breath. A few of them actually.”
Beverly did as instructed. Olivia was patient with her and even pulled out some tissues from her purse and offered them to Beverly, who dried her eyes, trying to compose herself.
“Okay, Beverly. How’re you feeling? Can we go on?”
“Yes. I’m sorry about that. It just comes flooding back to me when I talk about it like this.”
“No problem. It’s a tough situation we’re all in right now, but I have to ask you this. Is there any way you could’ve been mistaken? Could the money have accidentally been transferred to one of Dan’s accounts?”
She shook her head. “Maybe if it was a one-time error, but I am very careful. Olivia, this paper trail is over a year long. You can’t replicate mistakes like that, and I gave the information I had to the police. I’m not privy to the details of their investigation.”
“So you didn’t go to Dan because you thought he was guilty?” She needed to hear Beverly’s answer to this.
Her eyes welled up again. “I was so afraid that he was. With his wife’s awful illness, I thought maybe he just broke down and thought he needed the money to pay the bills. I didn’t think he was out buying sports cars or anything like that, but sometimes in desperate times, people do bad things—even if they’re God-fearing people. That’s what I believe happened here. If you want my honest answer, that’s what it is. So, yes, I do think Dan is guilty, but I still think the man deserves a fair trial. If I’m on the stand though, and I raise my hand and swear on the Bible to tell the truth, then I’ll tell it just like I’m telling you now. As his defense attorney, I’d imagine you’d not want me to speak like that, but I hope you understand that I have to do what’s right. I know you can appreciate the predicament I’m in right now.”
“I do appreciate it, and I am glad that we got to have this talk. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to go through all of this, but I have to tell you that I’m going to do everything in my power to try to prove that Dan is innocent.”
“Olivia, if you can do that, then God really would’ve worked a miracle.”
As she looked into Beverly’s eyes, she wondered if there was any way that this woman was lying. That she was actually guilty. But even if she thought that before, it would be really difficult to make a jury think this woman was somehow involved. Olivia’s job had just gotten a lot harder.
**
Dan looked forward to his meeting with Olivia. He had so much to tell her about the work he’d been doing in prison. Yes, he still dealt with a couple of inmates who gave him a hard time, but he’d been able to lead a few others to Christ just by talking and sharing his testimony.
The guard led him to the small holding room where Olivia was. Dan smiled when he saw her.
“It’s good to see you again,” he said.
“How’re you doing?”
“Better than I ever expected I would be. My ministry is spreading throughout this prison. I have guys coming up to me during rec time. I never in my wildest thoughts could have imagined that God would use this experience in this way.”
“I’m so glad.”
“And how are you doing?” he asked. She seemed tense, and he had to think that something more was going on.
“I’m all right, but I do have some additional questions for you.”
“Whatever you need. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“I want to talk about this bank account of yours where the money was funneled into. One of the big questions that keeps coming up is how could you have not known what was going on in this account? And why wouldn’t you have been using it?”
This was actually a painful spot for him, but Olivia deserved to know the truth.
“Whatever it is, Dan, you can confide in me. Remember we have attorney-client privilege.”
His stomach sank. She actually was thinking that what he was about to tell her was going to implicate him. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I opened that bank account years ago. It was supposed to be our child’s college fund and savings account.”
“Your child?”
“We were having trouble conceiving. When my wife finally was able to get pregnant, we were so excited.” Even talking about it years later made his heart ache. “She miscarried, and we were never able to conceive again.”
Olivia’s eyes were full of fresh tears. “I’m so sorry, Dan. I had no idea.”
“We were very private about the whole thing.”
“So the bank account?”
“I didn’t have the heart to close it, but I also didn’t ever mess with it after that. So I had no reason to be looking at the account activity because, in my mind, there was none. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and all I can come up with is that someone accessed the account and made the transfers.”
“They not only put the money into your account, but then moved the money to an offshore account that we haven’t been able to associate with a person yet.”
“It’s not me.”
“We don’t have any proof linking you to the offshore account, but the fact that the initial transfer was to an account in your name is the controlling fact for them to prove embezzlement. I spoke with Beverly yesterday.”
“I already told you that she’s innocent.”
“Why do you have such unquestioning faith in her?”
“She’s been a faithful member of the church since she was a child. There’s no way she’s a criminal.”
“I know you don’t want to go down that road, but it’s my job to examine everything, and to provide reasonable doubt. She had the access and the ability, which means I have to consider her. Given her background in accounting, she makes a more likely suspect. But I also have to look into Chris as well.”
“I hate that you’re investigating my people.”
“Dan, the most likely scenario is that one of them is guilty. That they framed you and smeared your good name. I need to ferret out the criminal and make sure they are the one who is punished for their crimes—not you.”
Deep in his gut, he knew Olivia was right. “It just breaks my heart to think of one of them doing that to me, to the church, you know?”
She nodded. “I do. Which is why I’m going to work as hard as I can to find out the truth.”
“Have you heard anything from Layton or Nina Marie?”
“No. But I still have suspicions that they had to play some role in all of this. We’re working with a private investigator. I’m hoping that he can connect some of these dots.”
“What if Layton or one his people hacked into the systems to set me up? And neither Beverly or Chris had anything to do with it?”
“I guess that’s theoretically possible, although that would be pretty difficult. But with those guys, you can’t rule anything out. I’ll have our investigator work that angle, too.”
“Regardless, there had to be some tampering happen because someone got into my account.”
“True. We’ll have to see how good they were at covering their electronic tracks.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I told you before and I’ll tell you again. I’m going to clear your name, Dan.”
“And I appreciate all you’re doing for me. Is Grant doing any better?”
“I think so. It’s been a whirlwind for him ever since he met me.” She laughed. “Seriously, though, I just tell him to take it one step at a time. He keeps wondering why he doesn’t have unwavering faith, and I explain that it has to be built and cultivated over time.”
“He’s fortunate to have you in his life. We’re all very fortunate. You’re such a blessing, Olivia. God continues to use you in amazing ways.”
“And you are being used for God’s glory even in this prison.”
“Yes. Thank the Lord for what he’s doing here.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Let’s pray before you leave.” As he led the two of them in prayer, he knew the battle was raging all around them, but the Lord was providing them with much needed protection.
**
Micah and Ben looked down on Olivia and Dan as they prayed.
“You know Layton thought he’d prevail by putting Dan in prison, but what he didn’t realize was that this is only making Dan stronger,” Ben said.
“I agree with you, and it’s strengthening Olivia, too, and whether Grant realizes it, he is growing stronger through all of this, even with the questions that plague him.”
“Do you think Olivia will realize that Beverly is behind this and working with Layton?”
“I do. Especially now that Abe is on the case. We have to stick close to Abe, though. If Nina Marie realizes that she is being played, it could get really ugly.”
“This is an opportunity for Abe to reconnect with his faith,” Micah said. “He’s been withdrawn for years.”
“And he’s going to stay that way,” a deep voice said.
Micah turned and saw they had unwelcome visitors. Othan and Kobal faced off against them.
“Why are you here, Othan? Be gone from this place,” Ben said.
Othan laughed. “This is a prison. Do you realize what type of stronghold this is for us? You’re the ones who need to leave.”
“Well, you haven’t been paying attention then, because Dan is transforming lives.”
Othan slapped Kobal hard and he let out a scream. “You were supposed to be monitoring this situation closely, you fool.”
Kobal stood in silence and let Othan continue to berate him. This was demon infighting that Ben and Micah had no interest in taking part in.
Micah looked over at Ben who nodded. They’d leave for now and let the two demons take their losses out on each other. Tomorrow was another day in fighting the good fight.
**
Stacey sat in her office at Optimism with the crystals laid out in front of her and her new book that classified all the spiritual elements to each type of crystal. Her first order of business was to categorize all of the crystals and learn about each one.
Morena had told her this was going to be an important part of her training in New Age spirituality. Before she opened the book though her thoughts went back to Nina Marie’s warning words. She’d largely tried not to think about their awkward conversation at Latte, but there was still something nagging at her about what Nina Marie said.
Nina Marie was more powerful than Morena, but Morena was still playing a critical role in her training and providing her with a strong female role model. Layton had been so good to her, and it was hard for her to imagine being disloyal and asking for Nina Marie to mentor her.
She’d just go on with business as usual and try to forget that Nina Marie ever brought up the topic. She was doing perfectly well with what she had, and she knew that she had even more potential to unmask.
As she surveyed the chart of crystals, she saw that each crystal listed had a picture and a corresponding description. She was immediately drawn to the clear quartz stone. The description said that this stone had psychic and mediumship qualities. That piqued her interest because one area she wanted to learn and grow in was psychic connection.
She was also intrigued by the bright blue color of the lapis lazuli. She picked up the stone and immediately felt a connection to it. Reading the description it said this stone had a lot of different functions, including healing and increased spiritual enlightenment.
“Hey there.”
She looked up and saw Morena standing at her office door.
“I see you’ve started your work on the stones,” Morena said.
“Yes, and I’m already fascinated.” She held up the lapis lazuli. “Isn’t this striking?”
“Yes. Lapis lazuli is one of my favorites, as well. You’ll get to know each type of stone and what they can be used for. Adding this skill set to your repertoire is going to open you up to a whole new level of spirituality.”
“I’m going to jump in. No holding back. You’ve taught me enough to know that.”
“That’s my girl. But I actually didn’t drop by about the crystals, even though I’m happy you’re working on that.”
“What’s up then?”
“Just wanted to check in and make sure you were coming to the charity gala.”
“Yes, and I’m so excited because of that new gown we bought last month. I thought it would be perfect.”
“Absolutely. It is the dressiest event of the year. I’ll let you borrow some of my jewelry, too. Layton will want to show you off to everyone. The up-and-coming star of Optimism.”
She felt her cheeks redden. “That might be a bit of an overstatement.”
“Stace, I don’t know how many more times we have to tell you how special you are before you start to realize it.” Morena walked over and put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You’re the future of this organization.”
Nina Marie’s words of warning echoed in her head, and she couldn’t help but ask. “You really think Layton wants me to become so powerful? It’s not like he’s on the way out anytime soon.”
Morena quirked an eyebrow. “What in the world makes you say that? Your increase in power is never at Layton’s expense. He understands that very well. You’re his prodigy, Stace. Your success is a positive reflection on him. So don’t even let negative thoughts like that creep in.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There is no reason to apologize. You’re highly valued around here, and I never want you to question your place at Optimism.”
“I don’t want to let you or Layton down.”
“Talk to me, Stace. Where is all of this coming from?”
She certainly couldn’t tell her that Nina Marie had sewn seeds of doubt in her mind. But where was all of this coming from? Her own insecurities. “I think maybe sometimes I just wonder if I really fit in.”
“Optimism is your home. You fit in here and you add to our organization. It wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t here. So don’t ever doubt your importance, and if there’s anything that I can be doing better to make you more comfortable, please let me know.”
She felt tears fill her eyes. “Morena, you’re so nice to me. I don’t deserve your friendship.”
“Come here.” Morena pulled her up out of her seat and gave her a big hug. “No more doubts for you, and we’re going to have a fabulous time tomorrow night. So make sure to bring your A game.”
She felt much better after having that talk. Nina Marie was just jealous that she didn’t have people in her life like Layton and Morena. She wouldn’t think any more about it. She had crystals to learn.
**
Nina Marie waited anxiously for Abe to arrive. She’d had a lot of second thoughts about inviting him to the Optimism charity gala, but there was also a part of her that wanted to see Layton’s face when he saw who she had on her arm.
It had been over between her and Layton for a long time, but the wounds were still fresh, especially after he’d tried to take his ultimate revenge on her. She’d gotten the better of the breakup, though and she planned to keep it that way. Layton couldn’t stand to have a strong woman take charge and dominate the relationship. It was one of the many reasons why they would’ve never worked out.
She’d gone all out this evening and was wearing a gold beaded floor-length gown that cost a fortune. When she answered her door and saw Abe on the other side in a signature black tux, the butterflies in her stomach took flight.
His eyes locked onto hers. “Wow, you are absolutely stunning.”
“Thanks. This is a get-all-decked-out type of event. Sorry to have pushed you into wearing a tux, but that’s the protocol, and you look so handsome that I’m glad I forced the issue.”
He had asked her if he could wear a suit, but she’d insisted on a tux. And boy, was she glad that she had. He looked absolutely ravishing. Her goal of making Layton jealous was sure to be reached tonight.
“I feel a little bit out of my element, but I get that these charity things are all about rich people getting together, boozing it up, and making bids. The only problem with that, for me, is that I’m not rich and I don’t drink.” He laughed.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’m a go-all-in type of guy, so I decided early in life that drinking probably wasn’t going to go well with my personality.”
“I can totally appreciate that.” She liked that he had self-control. It was a rare quality these days. “Hopefully you won’t be completely miserable tonight. The upside is that they do have excellent food as well, not just the booze.”
“I’m sure I’ll have a great time since I’ll be with you.” He flashed her a dazzling smile.
“Then let’s get out of here.”
He drove them to the Hudson Art Gallery where the gala was being held. The gallery was one of the hot spots in town to hold events like this. If there’s one thing she could say about Layton it’s that he would not pinch pennies on something like this. Only the best for the Optimism charity event.
“How many people are going to be here?” Abe pulled his Jeep toward the front of the building while making subtle eye contact with the valet, who looked to be quite busy.
“A few hundred, but all the movers and shakers in town will be there. I’ll be able to introduce you around. You never know what type of business contacts you could make.”
“That’d be great, but I’m not trying to drum up business tonight. I’d just like to enjoy myself and spend some time with you.”
“Well, that can definitely be arranged.”
The valet opened the car door for her, and she waited for Abe to join. He linked his arm into hers and escorted her to the front entrance of the gallery.
“You seem taller tonight,” he said.
“Very high heels. The length of this dress demands it.”
They walked into the gallery, and she couldn’t have been more proud to have Abe on her arm. The party was already in full swing, and she recognized many of the people in the room. She wasn’t a natural socializer like Layton, but she’d taught herself how to play the game with the best of them. Pasting a smile on her face and grabbing solidly onto Abe, she walked further into the room.
“Let’s start making the rounds,” she said.
“And what does that exactly entail?”
“Just follow my lead.”
Much to her surprise, Abe did just that and more. He was charming everyone they met. Telling jokes and stories all with an ease that took her off guard. This man continued to impress her with each additional moment they spent together.
After they’d talked to several groups of people, her eyes caught the big prize—Layton. He looked at her, his blue eyes questioning. Then his eyes focused on Abe. He started to walk toward them.
“Game time,” she said softly. “That’s Layton Alito.”
Abe pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist.
“Nina Marie.” Layton leaned in and kissed her on each cheek. “Aren’t you looking absolutely ravishing this evening?”
“Thank you, Layton. The event seems to be a hit, as always.”
He nodded, and then turned his attention to Abe. “I’m Layton Alito, CEO of Optimism.”
Abe reached out and shook his hand. “Abe Smith.”
Layton raised an eyebrow as they broke their handshake. “Glad you could join us this evening. What type of work are you in?”
“Construction,” Abe said.
Nina Marie got a strange vibe from Layton. Something felt off here, but she didn’t know what it was.
“That’s wonderful. I hope you’ll look around, maybe bid on some items and, of course, have some of the food.” Layton paused. “And it’s nice to see that we’re expanding our attendance to those who are believers. We’re all here for a good cause at the end of the day regardless of your religious background.”
Abe’s dark eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say a word.
“Layton, could I have a word please?” she said. She didn’t know what Layton was trying to cook up, but she didn’t like it one bit.
“Of course.”
She and Layton walked a few steps away from Abe, giving them some privacy. “What in the world do you think you’re doing here, Layton? I get that you may be insanely jealous because I have a man like Abe in my life. But it’s really even beneath you to stoop to that level.”
Layton tilted his head to the side. Then he chuckled loudly. “You’re really so blinded by this man’s looks and charm that you haven’t picked up on it, have you?”
“Picked up on what?”
“That man is definitely a believer.”
She crossed her arms in defiance. “That’s totally crazy.” Layton was just being his usual awful self. She refused to let him mess this up with Abe.
“Have you asked him? Have the two of you talked religion?” he asked, challenging her.
“Yes, in fact we have.”
“And he told you what?”
“That he’s actually not a Christian at all. He’s skeptical.”
“He’s lying,” Layton said flatly. “And he’s brought in some unwelcome guests.”
“What do you mean?”
“Angels,” Layton seethed.
She let out a breath. “Layton, I can’t deal with these games of yours. I don’t know how we’re ever going to work together successfully if you keep acting like this.”
He pulled her closer to him and held onto both of her hands. “I wouldn’t lie about something like this. That man has an angelic presence around him. They are here with him tonight, and if he lied to you about his true feelings, then he’s even more of a threat.”
A shiver shot down her back. Looking into Layton’s eyes, and holding onto his hands, she felt like he was telling her the truth. Did that mean that that Abe was lying to her? “Why would he lie to me about this?”
“That’s what you need to figure out. My advice is to act like you don’t believe me. Keep him around and determine what he’s up to. He has to have some sort of angle.”
Her gut tightened as she started to play our various scenarios in her mind. “You’re right.”
He smiled. “I don’t hear you utter those words often.”
“I wish you weren’t, but I guess he did seem too good to be true.” She’d been a fool, but she refused to let Abe get the best of her.
“Buck up, my dear. Go get a drink and bid on some items. That man will be sorry he ever messed with you. I speak from experience.” He patted her shoulder and then walked off.
The anger flooded through her as the sense of betrayal kicked in. She’d get her revenge, if that were the case. First, she’d have to figure out what Abe was doing. For now, she had to be convincing to him that she didn’t believe Layton and that Abe was still good with her.
She turned around and saw he was standing by the bar with a glass of what was presumably soda. As she started to replay their entire set of interactions, many questions popped through her mind. She made her way back over to him.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
“Yes. I am so sorry about that. Layton is crazy. He’s letting his jealously cloud his judgment. I must apologize for his comments about your beliefs. That was completely weird and inappropriate.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure where he was going with that. So I thought it best to just stay quiet.”
She held his hand in hers, but she still couldn’t sense what Layton was saying about him.
“Are you sure you’re all right? You look a little flushed. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. He has a way of getting under my skin.” She needed to play cool.
He squeezed her hand. “Don’t let him ruin our night.”
“Definitely not.” She forced a smile. But then she no longer had to force it as she saw Stacey walking toward the bar area. “You’ll excuse me for a moment, Abe. I need to speak to someone.”
“Of course. I’m going to browse the auction items.”
She quickly walked over to Stacey. “Stacey, your dress is gorgeous.”
Stacey made eye contact, but she could sense her hesitancy. “Thank you. Yours is fabulous, too.”
“This is your first charity gala?”
“Yes. But definitely not my last.”
“Have you given any more thought to my offer?”
“Actually, I have, and while I greatly appreciate it, I can’t be disloyal to Layton and Morena. Not after all they’ve done for me. That just wouldn’t be right.”
This girl was so naïve. It was time to up the stakes. She reached out and grabbed onto her arm, holding on tightly.
Stacey’s eyes widened. “What’re you doing?”
“You feel that?”
Stacey jerked away from her. “What’re you doing to me?”
“Trying to show you how powerful you could be.” She’d pushed some of her spiritual energy onto Stacey and shown her what it was like to use that power to inflict pain. “You don’t realize what you’re missing out on. I could show you so much. Expose you to skills and practices that Layton is not equipped to provide you.”
“I don’t know how else to tell you no.”
“You’ll eventually come around. I just hope for your sake that it’s not too late.”