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Oliver’s jaw hardens. “What evidence?”
“As you’re aware, Dean Warren claims you paid him ten thousand dollars and promised him another twenty-thousand once the job was done.”
“He’s lying,” I snap.
“That was our defense, before, but we need an explanation for these transactions.” He hands some paperwork to Oliver. “Two days before the robbery, ten thousand dollars in cryptocurrency was paid to Dean Warren’s account. The cryptocurrency came from a pseudonym.”
“So it could be anybody,” Oliver says, sitting back in his chair.
“A lot of people are under the impression that cryptocurrency is untraceable, but that isn’t the case. The crypto coins were purchased using a bank account. That account is registered to Stokes Brothers.”
My heart falls into my stomach. That can’t be true.
Oliver shakes his head. “That’s impossible. I’ve been over our records and accounts from the last two years. I would’ve noticed a ten thousand dollar mystery payment from our business account.”
“If you’ll look at the third page, you’ll see it didn’t come from your main business account, but from an additional savings account. It was opened with Stokes Brothers as the account owner but labeledspare funds. It’s not out of the ordinary to have an extra account such as that for petty cash or to set aside tax payments. The issue is that not only did the money originate from a Stokes account, that particular account now has a balance of twenty-thousand dollars. Do you have any recollection of a spare funds account?”
“No.” Oliver stares at the paper like maybe something on it will change. “I don’t remember it.”
“The prosecution also has phone records showing two calls from your phone to Dean Warren’s. One was made two weeks before the incident. The other was an hour before. Forensics couldn’t pull anything from your recovered phone, but the records exist. Can you think of any reason you would’ve been in touch with Dean Warren?”
“I don’t know either of them. I don’t think I’ve ever met them before. But I can’t remember.”
Lowell temples his hands under his chin, pointing them at Oliver. “We don’t have a strong counter for this evidence. Up until now, all they’ve had is Dean’s claim that you hired him. Now this shows someone with financial access at Stokes Brothers bought the same amount of cryptocurrency that was sent to Dean, leaving the exact amount in said account that he claims was promised as a later payment. This corroborates his story.”
My mind races. “There has to be some other explanation! Everyone knows cryptocurrency is shady. Maybe Dean created an account to look like it belonged to Stokes Brothers or hacked their accounts somehow. If Oliver found out it was him, that could’ve been the reason for calls between them.” It doesn’t make sense even as I say it. Neither of the Warren guys seem smart enough to memorize a phone number much less hack anything.
Lowell looks at Oliver. “I believe we should start discussing other options besides going to trial.”
“You want him to take a plea?” I exclaim. “Just because we don’t know the explanation doesn’t mean there isn’t one! You want to give up?”
Oliver looks Lowell in the eye. “I didn’t do this.”
“I’m not the one you have to convince, Mr. Stokes. It doesn’t matter what happened, it matters what we can prove. If you choose to go to trial, I’ll do my best to get you acquitted, but I have to warn you that the odds don’t look good at this point.”
Oliver swallows and runs his hand through his hair. “What about the competency motion?”
“We don’t have a ruling on that yet, but I’m not hopeful. It was always a long shot. You’re able to communicate, assist with your defense, understand the questions you’re asked. Unless the forensic psychiatrist noticed something, I doubt that will go our way.”
Oliver stares at the papers for a long moment. “I want to wait for those results before we discuss a plea.”
Lowell doesn’t look pleased, but he nods. “Alright. You need to understand the stronger the case gets against you, the less likely a plea will be offered, much less a good one.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m sorry that I don’t have better news.” Lowell gets to his feet. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I hear from the judge on competency.”
“Thank you.”
He closes the door behind him, and Oliver shoves the papers into a drawer. He runs both hands through his hair, then cradles his head, his eyes squeezed shut.
I don’t even know what to say. None of this makes any sense. Oliver would never have wanted his brother dead. “Oliver,” I begin softly.
He looks up at me with watery eyes. “What if I did it?”
“No.”
“It came from one of our accounts. I don’t remember, so how can I be sure?” He takes a deep, shuddery breath. “I know how I feel about you now. I’m shredded inside, and you’re all that’s holding the pieces together. When I see you walking toward me, the world just falls in line behind you. You make everything right, Ella. What if I loved you then and wanted to sabotage your wedding?”
