Deputy Assistant District Attorney Tony Sampson reviewed the files in front of him as he sat in the corner of the deli preparing for the arraignment where bail would be set. The last thing he had expected to do in his career was to bring criminal charges against a well-liked pastor in the community, but here he was doing exactly that. The evidence had been striking—thanks to a whistleblower from inside the church.
He had big goals. Right now he was sitting as the number two in the prosecutor’s office, and he wanted to run the office one day. He only attended church to keep up the appearances that he actually adhered to the Christian faith because it was somewhat expected in his job. But in his experiences, the hypocrisy that came out of churches was enough to make him reject religion. He was perfectly okay living by his own standards. He tried to do the right thing—most of the time, anyway.
He almost choked on his sesame seed bagel when Layton Alito walked in and headed straight toward him. With his head held high, Layton took a seat across from him.
“Hello, Layton. What brings you here?” Tony asked. He clenched his sweaty hands together.
“I just wanted to say hello.” Layton smiled, but it didn’t put Tony at ease. Just the opposite. Something about Layton gave Tony the creeps, and that was saying a lot considering the type of people he was exposed to each day in his line of work.
“You saw the news, I assume?” he asked Layton.
“Yes, I did. I’ve told you before Pastor Dan and I don’t see eye to eye. If he’s guilty of the charges they’re reporting in the media, then he deserves to be held accountable just like any other citizen. Isn’t that right?”
“As a prosecutor, I go where the evidence takes me. No matter who the defendant is. That’s an oath I took to uphold the law.” Tony hadn’t figured out Layton’s exact angle. He’d met him multiple times in various social circles, but when Layton had contacted him the other day, Tony had been surprised. But what had shocked him even more was the business proposal Layton had offered him. A seat on Layton’s non-profit board. In Tony’s mind, there had to be some sort of strings attached.
“Have you given any more thought to my philanthropic proposal?” Layton asked, his blue eyes never breaking eye contact.
Actually, Tony had been thinking about Layton’s proposal nonstop since he had made it. There was a part of him that desperately wanted to take the offer, but he was already working around the clock. Adding a non-profit board seat to his resume would be impressive, but to add more responsibility on his plate seemed like a recipe for disaster. “While I appreciate your proposal, my schedule is simply outrageous right now. And if I do something, I like to do it full on.”
Layton raised an eyebrow and didn’t immediately respond. “If you change your mind about the opportunities my non-profit or my company can provide, then you know where to find me. I’ll let you think about the opportunity, and I surely hope that justice is served through your prosecution.”
“I’m committed to finding out the truth, so I don’t know if this is the right time for me to take on any additional responsibilities like a board seat, but let me think about it a little bit.” He didn’t want to totally lose an opportunity if it would advance his career. Layton was known to be a mover and shaker in the community. Could he find a way to balance the demands of it all?
“Think about it. We could use someone like you on the board. It’s going to be an exciting time to be involved. And we have one sitting judge on the board. Louise Martinique. Do you know her?”
Of course he knew her. She had a stellar reputation. “Yes, I do.”
“Well, then. Take the time you need to make a decision. I know things are hectic right now. I’ll let you prepare for court.” Layton stood up and walked out of the deli.
A deeper wave of unease washed over Tony. He couldn’t put his finger on why Layton unsettled him so much. He didn’t really have any specific interest in his New Age company. He didn’t even fully understand what New Age was, but Layton had insisted the non-profit wing of the organization was more focused on community-building projects. That’s probably why someone like the esteemed Judge Martinique would be serving as a board member.
But he needed to stop worrying about Layton Alito and start focusing on the impending arraignment for the pastor of Windy Ridge Community Church. He had to determine what his strategy was going to be at the hearing. Should he push for a high bail? If the allegations were true, Dan Light might claim to be a man of God, but he was crooked. Tony had no issues with pushing for a high bail, but he wanted to make sure he stayed on the good side of the judge who might be more sympathetic to the pastor.
Tony finished up the last sip of his coffee and made the short walk a few blocks down to the courthouse. He was right on time. The hearing was set for eleven a.m., thanks to the petition filed by the pastor’s attorney. He wasn’t quite sure how a pastor would be able to afford a world-class law firm like BCR to represent him, unless of course, he had money hidden away from his shady practices at the church. That was certainly a possibility.
He walked into the courtroom ready to go, but as he entered the room, he stopped short when he saw his opposing counsel. Olivia Murray didn’t look anything like what he had expected. The short brunette attorney made direct eye contact with him—her large brown eyes sizing him up. She looked to be in her thirties. So they hadn’t sent a senior partner—nor had they sent a rookie either.
“Are you Tony Sampson?” she asked him.
“I am. And you must be Olivia Murray.” He outstretched his hand to be polite. She gave him a firm handshake.
“I hope that you’re going to be reasonable about bail.”
Ah, she was already posturing. Two could play at that game. “That’s going to be for the judge to determine.”
“Of course the judge is going to make the ultimate decision, but as the prosecutor on the case you’re surely going to put forward an amount for the judge’s consideration.”
“True. I try my best to be fair after taking in all of the facts of the case. The pastor can’t be doing too poorly to hire you.”
She crossed her arms in front of her. “Actually, I’m taking on this case pro bono. So, no, Pastor Dan wouldn’t be able to afford my normal hourly rate. Not even close.”
“Really?” Now wasn’t that interesting. Why would she have taken this case? He knew big firm lawyers took on pro bono cases, but she seemed to be particularly invested. Was she trying to get her time in the media spotlight to further her career at the firm? That was probably the most likely option.
She didn’t say anything else and walked over to the defense table to wait for her client to be brought in by the deputy. He opened up his briefcase and pulled out his normal essentials and put them on the table. Once the charges were presented and Dan entered his plea, then they’d discuss bail. He’d just make a few points about why the bail should be set at a higher rate than the defense would request and then have a back and forth.
He watched as the uniformed officer led Pastor Dan Light in handcuffs to the defense table. Taking a moment, he looked at the man. Lean, probably standing about five ten, with dark hair slightly graying on the temples. Dan certainly didn’t look like a hardened criminal, but he’d been a prosecutor long enough to know that you couldn’t judge someone based on their appearance. That was even truer when dealing with white collar crime. When you were in a position of power like a pastor, you had a fiduciary duty to the people giving money to your church.
The judge presiding over the hearing today was Judge Randy Matthews, and Tony was quite familiar with him. Matthews wasn’t exactly known as being tough on crime, but he wasn’t a lightweight either.
As a prosecutor, it was Tony’s job to know everything about every judge. Because even though most of his big cases ultimately went before a jury, the judge still had ultimate control over the courtroom.
“All rise,” the tall bailiff said with a loud voice.
Judge Matthews walked into the courtroom. He was known to be a fitness guru and looked closer to forty, even though he was in his fifties.
“Everyone can be seated.” Judge Matthews looked at Olivia first and then at him. His big dark eyes were serious. “Today we have an arraignment and bail hearing for Dan Light.”
“Your Honor.” Olivia stood up. “I’m Olivia Murray from the law firm of Brown, Carter, and Reed. I’m here representing Mr. Light, and I filed the motion for an expedited hearing today. I’d like to officially enter my notice of appearance on the defendant’s behalf.”
“Very well, Ms. Murray. You’ve discussed the criminal charges with your client, correct?”
“I have, Your Honor.”
“Then let’s get started. Mr. Light, the charges against you are embezzlement, fraud, and tax evasion. Mr. Light, do you understand the charges against you?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“And how do you plead?”
“Not guilty, Your Honor.”
“Let the record show that the Defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. Now let’s turn to the issue of setting bail. Mr. Sampson, the floor is all yours.”
Tony took a deep breath and stood up tall. He’d done hundreds of bail hearings before, but for some reason this one felt different—more important. He knew how much media coverage was going to be on this case. And while he wanted to be fair, he also wanted to be seen as tough on crime—whether it was gangs or white collar. “Your Honor, given the serious nature of these crimes, including that this is a Class X felony under Illinois law, with the special circumstances of embezzlement from a place of worship, the state would argue that the bail be set at a million dollars.”
“Your Honor, that’s absurd.” Olivia shot up out of her seat as soon as the word million had come out of his mouth.
He knew he was taking a risk, but it was time to play hardball. See how she reacted to his first big move in this game of chess.
“One at a time,” the judge said. “Mr. Sampson, that number is quite high. Could you please elaborate on your justification for the state seeking that amount?”
Tony nodded. This was the part he would particularly enjoy. “These crimes are disturbing given that Mr. Light is the head pastor at Windy Ridge Community Church. He had a fiduciary duty to his congregation, those that entrusted him and his church with their money. He violated that duty.”
“I perfectly understand that fiduciary duty is an element to proving your embezzlement claim, but today isn’t about proving your case. It’s about setting bail. So explain to me how does that go to the bail amount?” the judge asked.
“Since the allegations here are so serious, and Pastor Light has been a fixture in this community, I would argue that he is a flight risk. He has connections and the ability to evade this prosecution. And I’m sure there are those powerful few around him that would want to help him in that endeavor.”
“Your Honor, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay silent given these slanderous statements against my client. There isn’t even a shred of evidence that any of the words coming out of Mr. Sampson’s mouth are true. Just the opposite. Pastor Dan Light is a man of modest means and, contrary to what you heard from the prosecutor, he doesn’t have rich and powerful friends waiting in the wings. I’m not going to get into the merits of the case here, because I know that isn’t appropriate, but a million dollars for bail is outrageous. We would have no problem surrendering Mr. Light’s passport to quell any of these irrational fears put forward by the prosecution, but beyond that, I would ask that the bail be set at an amount nowhere near that.”
“What would the defense suggest?” Judge Matthews asked.
“Fifty thousand, Your Honor,” Olivia said.
“Now Ms. Murray is the one being outrageous,” Tony said. He hoped that he hadn’t overplayed his hand.
“I’ve heard enough. I’m setting bail at one hundred thousand dollars and taking Ms. Murray up on her offer to surrender Mr. Light’s passport.”
He knew better than to try to pick a fight now with the judge over this. There would be plenty more opportunities ahead, but he couldn’t help feeling like he’d obtained the first victory.
**
“We’ll get the money for your bail,” Olivia said. She wasn’t exactly sure yet how, but she had a few ideas.
“A hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money, Olivia. Definitely more than I have.”
“There are other options. People from the church and the community who will want to help you.”
He shook his head. “Olivia, as a minister, once you’re accused of things like this … there’s no one who is going to stand up for you. There’s only one thing worse that they could’ve accused me of.” He paused. “But besides that, I don’t think I’m going to have a lot of friends lining up to help me.”
Olivia refused to believe that. “I think you’re wrong. I think most of the church will rise up to help.”
“You don’t understand. Something has been terribly off with the church for the past month or so. I knew it in my gut. This is all part of something larger, Olivia. And I’m willing to do my part in fighting it. If that means sitting in prison, well, Paul also sat in prison for a long time and he was innocent.”
She refused to just let him sit in prison without a fight but, his invocation of Paul only made her more proud to be representing a man of his character. “No, I think you can be much more effective if you’re free. I believe you’re right about one thing, though. This isn’t coincidental. The false allegations against you are part of a grand plan to take down the church in Windy Ridge. We’re going to fight this. Not only because your reputation is on the line and the fact that you’ve been wrongfully accused, but because we knew this was coming and we made a commitment to fight it. Are you with me?” She looked into his eyes, and for the first time since she’d returned to Windy Ridge, she saw the old Pastor Dan.
He nodded. “Yes, try to make the bail. If we can’t get the money from those who want to help, then it’s not meant to be. I will do everything in my power from behind bars. There’s not many things more powerful than a man imprisoned who has all the time in the world to pray.”
Her heart warmed seeing Dan’s faith come back strong, and she choked up. “We are going to fight this, and we are going to win. Not just the lawsuit, but the war against the evil one here in our community.”
“Olivia, I don’t know what I or the church would do without you.”
**
Nina Marie sat inside Latte waiting for Olivia to arrive. Much to her surprise, Olivia had seemed very open to a meeting.
The woman had been on her mind constantly after the events of last fall. Normally, she would’ve been able to move on from something like that, but Olivia’s actions had greatly impacted her. Even though she wouldn’t want to admit it to anyone.
She had hoped that maybe there would be an outside chance she could talk some sense into Olivia. Get her to leave the area and go back to DC. Or, at the very least, get her to focus her energy on something else.
But that idea had been hatched before she’d heard the news about Pastor Dan’s arrest. That was a game changer, especially since it appeared Olivia was going to be representing him.
When Olivia walked into the coffee shop and headed toward her, Nina Marie took a deep breath. This woman was always so full of life. It made her sick to her stomach. Nina Marie had never met anyone else like Olivia, and Olivia always treated her like she mattered. It boggled her mind how a devout believer would want anything to do with a person like her. Someone who had sold out to darkness and willingly so.
Today Olivia wasn’t smiling, her expression serious as she took a seat at the table.
“Hello,” Olivia said.
“Thanks for meeting with me.”
“I’d actually planned on reaching out to you, but then I got sidetracked by the events of the past couple of days. I don’t suppose you’d have anything to do with that?”
Right for the jugular. It made Olivia a good lawyer. A great one, actually. And she did the whole thing with a calm demeanor. You never saw her coming. “Listen, I know you have to be devastated about what happened to your pastor, but I can guarantee you that this one was not me.”
“Layton then,” Olivia said flatly.
“I didn’t ask you here to talk about Layton or the pastor.”
“All right. I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath. What she was about to say was difficult. Speaking the truth wasn’t something that came easy to her these days. “Olivia, you represent everything that I work against, but you also put yourself in danger to help me in my time of need, and for that I will be forever grateful. You saved my life and that’s not something I take lightly. Especially because you jumped into harm’s way when you had the opportunity to cut and run to safety, and I know you did that to protect me without regard to what would happen to you.”
“And I would do it again a heartbeat.” She paused. “But let me guess, even given all of that, you still want me to leave you and this town alone?”
“You’re a smart woman. And for some reason that I can’t explain, I actually like you despite all of our differences of opinion, but you shouldn’t be in Windy Ridge right now. You’re too big of a threat to everything I’m working on. You and that church and those people are my enemies.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way, Nina Marie.” Olivia reached out and touched her hand.
It took everything she had not to move away, but she didn’t want to show weakness. Olivia’s touch made her nervous. This was a woman of God, and that freaked her out. “It has to be, Olivia, and even if I wanted to give you some reprieve, I can guarantee you that Layton has no such soft spot. If anything, he’d relish the opportunity to take you out once and for all.”
“So let me get this straight. You invited me here to tell me this to try to protect me?”
“Yes, exactly!”
Olivia shook her head. “That’s the thing you don’t fully understand. My God is bigger than any threat that you or Layton or anyone else can ever pose. And I’m not afraid of a fight.”
She took the opportunity to break contact with Olivia and put her hands in her lap. This woman was stubborn, and in the end, Nina Marie feared it would be her downfall. “You saw firsthand what Layton is capable of. He’s a monster. He’s more driven than anyone I’ve ever witnessed to succeed at his mission, and if you’re a target, there’s no stopping him. You’re not listening to reason. You rely too much on your faith.”
Olivia smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment, not an insult.”
Olivia was maddening. It seemed there wasn’t any way to get her out of town. “I’ve done all I can to help you. I can’t guarantee your safety for what happens from here, but I had to warn you.”
“I understand, Nina Marie. As far as I’m concerned, you can have a clear conscience. The fact that you even care about what happens to me shows you aren’t completely a lost cause.”
Nina Marie couldn’t help but laugh. “Dear, if you start trying to preach to me again, then you’re wasting your breath. Nothing has changed on that front. You know exactly where I stand.”
“But you don’t have to keep standing there. You can move. You can change, and I’m willing to help you in any way that I can. All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll be right there by your side.”
“That’s never going to happen. Ever. So you should stop and put that out of your mind. Why would I ever follow a God that has allowed such atrocities to occur? That has followers who brag about their Christian values and then hurt the ones they claim to love.” She stopped. She’d already said way too much and could tell that by the look of curiosity on Olivia’s face.
“The person that hurt you may have claimed they were a believer, but I can promise you that they weren’t carrying out the will of my God.”
“You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I think I’m much closer to the truth than you want me to think.”
“Even if you were, it doesn’t change anything.”
“It does because you’re acting out of hurt. Out of fear. Out of feeling betrayed. I can see that’s what led you to the darkness. To a path that might feel better now but will eventually destroy you. I may not know exactly what you endured, but since I’ve gotten to know you, I have come to understand that this person from your past has left you wounded. I’m offering you a way out, Nina Marie. Right now.”
“No. No.” Her stomach started to churn. She couldn’t handle this anymore. Not with that look of concern on Olivia’s face. “I’ve said everything I came to say. Whether you choose to listen to my warning is up to you.” She stood up from the table and started to leave. Olivia grabbed onto her arm.
“I’m not giving up on you, Nina Marie.”
“Then you’re a fool.” She shrugged off Olivia’s grasp and walked away, knowing this wasn’t going to be her last encounter with Olivia.