Dominic was speechless when she saw Josh's forlorn figure bowed in the office of the supermarket owner. When she'd received the call from Mr. Greenstone, she had immediately known something was wrong. Josh desperately looked like he needed a hug. Kaz's accusing words wrung in Dominic's ears like a siren; "Oh is the feeling mutual then? ... I see the way he looks at you."

'Josh,' Dominic threw caution to the wind and wrapped her arms around him. 'Are you all right?' she spoke softly.

'Yes,' he mumbled, not returning her hug. Dominic dropped her arms. She perceived she was not going to get a single word further, out of Josh. She turned to the owner and spoke to him in a hushed tone. Dominic shut her eyes for only a second. She could not believe it. Not Josh, something was not right. Dominic begged and pleaded with Mr. Greenstone not to press charges. He reluctantly, relented but only because he knew Dominic Shaw and Josh's parents were upstanding members of the community. She offered to pay for the magazine the owner shook his head, declining.

'Josh put your bicycle into the trunk,' Dominic spoke gently. 'Let me take you home.'

With his head still bowed, Josh glanced apologetically at Mr. Greenstone, before walking outside. He waited patiently at the passenger side of Dominic's car after putting his bicycle into the trunk, whilst Dominic was still chatting to the store owner.

Dominic got into her car and strapped her safety belt on. She smiled at Josh waiting for him to do the same. When he was strapped, she started the car and carefully rejoined the traffic as they headed home. She had hoped Josh would say something, anything, but he remained silent. What was she going to say to Pastor Ralph? What was she going to say to the principal? He would need to be informed.

'Ms. Shaw?'

'Yes Josh?'

'Will you please drive a little faster, Shanna does not like being alone.'

Dominic took her eyes of the road for a millisecond to look intently at Josh. He did not deem it fit to talk to her about his alleged theft of an adult magazine, yet he wanted her to break the rules of the road.

'I am driving at the maximum speed limit allowed, Josh,' she replied civilly.

He didn't utter another word, but patiently waited for the car to stop outside their homes. When it did, he rushed out, and removed his bicycle, after thanking Dominic for fetching him from the store.

'Josh, I'm going to have to relate what happened in the store, to Pastor Ralph.'

He looked at her pleadingly, when he saw she was not going to budge, he nodded and rushed into his home.

'Josh!' Shanna flew into her brother's arms. 'You're over an hour late. I was scared. Why are you late? I thought something happened to you,' she clung to Josh tightly.

'Sorry Shanna,' Josh held her, trying to calm her down. 'I had football practice remember.' That was the truth. 'Then I had to stop at the supermarket for bread and milk.'

'Oh,' her shoulders relaxed, she smiled at her brother.

'I see you've showered already,' Josh forced a smile. 'We're going to have chicken and pasta for dinner.'

'Do I have to make a salad again? I don't feel like salad.'

'We don't need to,' Josh allowed. 'If you're not starving, I'd like to shower and we can eat in an hour, I have just math homework tonight.'

'I have math and biology, but can I please watch a program for half an hour, pretty please.'

'You know the rules Shanna, homework first, then television.'

'You are so like dad,' she complained. 'I thought you love me,' she accused.

'I love you as much as mum and dad love you,' he grinned, walking up to his bedroom.

'Fine, I'll come down for my dinner in an hour,' Shanna sulked.

After a near sleepless night Dominic woke up an hour earlier than she normally did, still troubled by the events of the previous day and dressed for work. Last night she had gone to check on Josh and Shanna. They'd already had dinner. The house was spotlessly clean. Josh and Shanna were watching television. She checked their homework, everything was completed. Shanna was her normal chatty self. Perhaps she was unaware of Josh's predicament. As expected he was non committal. Dominic had tried to engage with Josh about his after school sports and who he'd been with after school, but he'd been evasive. She gave up.

Dominic inhaled a huge gulp of air as she walked into the principal's office.

'Hello gorgeous,' Principal Taylor's eyes lit up as Dominic walked into his office. 'It's my lucky day finally,' he grinned as Dominic closed his door.

'Paul, we have a problem,' Dominic sat down opposite the principal.

'We do? I'm not the father. It's not my child.'

'Paul, would you be serious for once in your life,' Dominic chastised him.

'Okay gorgeous,' he sighed. 'Hit me with it.'

Dominic proceeded to inform the principal of the call she had received from Mr. Greenstone and the subsequent events of the previous afternoon.

'There is no way Josh Mitchell would steal anything,' Paul stated. 'I've known that kid from when he was six years old. He does not have a single dishonest cell in his entire body.'

'Then how do you explain the evidence found in his back pack?'

'That I don't know sweetheart, but I'm not buying it. And you say he won't deny or admit to the theft.'

'No,' Dominic groaned. 'He would not meet my eyes. I tried to engage him, but he just puts up these shutters, that say, "keep away."'

'I know the feeling,' Paul declared.

'You do?'

'Yeah, you reject me cold heartedly all the time,' he sulked.

'Paul, we're talking about a young man's future here!'

'Okay, no need to scream at me.'

'Sorry,' she murmured. 'You know I have a boyfriend. I just wish you'd stop harassing me.'

'Dominic, you are so damn attractive. Why does only one man get to enjoy you?'

'Paul,' she clenched her teeth. 'I have five minutes left of my free period. 'Can we try and resolve the Josh Mitchell issue. I'm going to have to inform his parents about the incident, this afternoon. I need you help, Mr. Principal.'

'I'm sorry Dominic. I don't know what advice to give you. If you prefer, I could call Pastor Ralph in and inform him of the incident.'

'No, I'd rather do it. I think Josh would prefer his dad to hear it from a neighbour as opposed to the school principal.'

That evening Dominic was dreading the walk to the Mitchell's home. She knew Josh's parents had returned. Their vehicle was parked out in front. She had to go and do the dreaded task. Mr. Greenstone had called earlier, enquiring if she'd spoken to the Mitchell's. Dominic could understand the store owner's frustration. Theft was a constant problem he had to deal with. It affected his profitability and his business.

It was a small consolation when Eleanor opened the back door.

'Dominic, come in my dear. Thank you so much for you assistance. Shanna tells me you helped with the Math homework.'

'I believe Shanna has made friends with geometry but not yet with Algebra,' Dominic smiled.

'Were they good? I hope they did not give you any trouble, though Josh seems to know exactly how to manage his sister,' there was a trace of pride in Eleanor's voice as she spoke of Josh. It made what Dominic had come to discuss so much more difficult.

'You have wonderful children Eleanor,' Dominic acknowledged. 'You have raised them well.'

'Thank you Dominic.'

'There is a matter I need to talk to you and Pastor Ralph about,' she murmured. 'Is he available?'

'Yes, he's in his study. I'm sure we can go through.'

They passed the stairway as they walked to Pastor Ralph's study. Dominic looked up as there was no trace of either child in the living room. She wondered if Josh was in his bedroom.

'Hi dear,' Eleanor addressed Pastor Ralph. 'Dominic wished to have a word with us.'

'Dominic, good evening,' Pastor Ralph rose. 'Come in,' he smiled. 'Thank you for overseeing the care of our children.'

'I'm afraid, I'm not the bearer of pleasant news this evening,' Dominic's voice dropped an octave.

'Oh ___ please take a seat,' Pastor Ralph offered. He helped his wife into a chair as well.

Dominic heard Eleanor's gasp as she related her story. There was no change in the expression on Pastor Ralph's face. The same polite smile hovered on his face. When Dominic finished relating the incident, including the discussion with the principal, there was a marked silence in the study. There seemed to be an exchange between husband and wife as their eyes fell on each other.

'Have you spoken to Josh?' Pastor Ralph questioned.

'I tried to encourage him to talk, but he would not. I did not question him, I hoped he'd volunteer information, but he's not comfortable talking to me.'

'Let's get him down here shall we?' Pastor Ralph's voice sounded grave.

'Darling,' Eleanor pleaded. 'Go easy on him.'

'We're talking about a potential misdemeanour Eleanor. We've trained our children to uphold the law.'

Eleanor did not attempt any further mediation. Pastor Ralph opened his door and in an unbelievably calm voice asked Josh to come to his study.

'Yes dad?' Josh answered with a smile that promptly disappeared, when he saw Dominic Shaw in his father's study.

'Please take a seat Josh,' Pastor Ralph indicated the seat next to Dominic. She wondered if he deliberately did not offer the seat next to his wife.

'I believe you know why Ms. Shaw is here Josh.'

Josh shuffled uncomfortably. 'Yes sir. Good evening Ms. Shaw.'

'Hi Josh,' Dominic reached out and placed her hand over Josh's. He promptly shifted his hand and kept his head bowed.

'Josh, we'd like some answers,' Pastor Ralph stated. 'Was the magazine found in your backpack?'

'Yes sir.'

'Josh I left funds with you. Why didn't you pay for the magazine if you wanted it?'

Silence.

'Josh,' Pastor Ralph's voice rose a little. 'I though in our conversations about those kind of books, we drew the same conclusion, that those magazines offer no entertainment value.'

'Yes sir. I agree,' Josh looked at his father.

'Then tell me why do you walk out of the store without paying for something, you have the money to pay for and you agree is not good reading material?'

Silence again.

'My dear,' Eleanor attempted to get a response from Josh. 'Can you please tell us why you took the magazine without paying for it?'

More unending silence.

'You are dismissed Josh,' Pastor Ralph announced.

'Thank you dad. Good night mum, Ms. Shaw.'

'Good night Josh,' Dominic murmured, confused as to why he was being dismissed so easily.

Eleanor seemed too emotional to respond. She could be heard sobbing softly.

'Something's not right,' Pastor Ralph spoke the minute Josh closed the door.

'What do you mean?' Eleanor sniffed.

Pastor Ralph walked to his wife and placed his palm on her shoulder. He squeezed comfortingly. Eleanor covered his wrist with her own palm. 'You know one of Josh's redeeming qualities, is his ability to show immediate remorse when he's done wrong.'

'Yes?' Eleanor did not comprehend where her husband was going with all of this.

'What does Josh do, every time he knows he's done wrong?' Pastor Ralph questioned.

'He apologizes,' Eleanor answered immediately.

Pastor Ralph smiled. Eleanor continued to look at her husband in confusion.

'So you don't think Josh is guilty?' Dominic questioned, her voice sounding hopeful.

'I'm not sure,' Pastor Ralph sighed. 'His silence is speaking volumes to me. Perhaps, being his parent, my judgement is clouded, patronizing, not objective,' he elucidated.

I get the picture, Dominic mentally acknowledged.

'I think I have an idea,' Dominic stood up.

'You do?' Eleanor's face lit up.

'Yes. I will talk to you again tomorrow. Good night Pastor Ralph, Eleanor.'

The next afternoon in her math class, Dominic was more convinced of her suspicions when she watched with interest the exchange between Josh and Kaz. Dominic watched the way Josh's head lifted, the way his head reluctantly met Kaz's. She could have sworn she saw disappointment reflect in Josh's eyes. When she looked at Kaz, there was an almost cruel cynical expression on her face, almost as if she was gloating. Josh looked away. A pained expression covered his face. Dominic's heart was bleeding for Josh.

Dominic could not wait for school to end. She hastily went to the secretary's office to sign off for the day.

'Dominic, may I see you, before you rush off?' The principal asked.

'Call me, Paul. There's somewhere I have to get to.'

He nodded and walked back to his office. Dominic got into her car. It took all the patience she possessed and self control to drive within the speed limit to the supermarket. Mr. Greenstone was pleased to see Dominic. He hoped she would tell him, the pastor's thieving son was going to be dragged to juvenile court.

'Mr. Greenstone good afternoon,' Dominic smiled.

'Afternoon,' he nodded.

Dominic felt uncomfortable at the shoppers staring at her, especially the male shoppers who were unkindly looking at her legs. She wished she had trousers on, instead of her short skirt and heels.

'Mr. Greenstone, could I have a word with you privately,' Dominic requested.

He nodded to one of his staff to take over at the till. 'We can speak in my office Ms. Shaw.'

'Thank you.'

'Take a seat. How can I help you?'

'Mr. Greenstone, could you please play the cctv footage from yesterday?'

He raised his eyebrows. 'I don't see why,' he shrugged his shoulders disinterestedly. 'Let's hope the security have not erased it. We always reuse the film.'

'Please---just try,' Dominic pleaded.

Mr. Greenstone shouted to one of his security officials. They came running.

'Do we still have yesterday's video tapes?'

'Let's have a look,' the security looked Dominic over once or twice. He walked away and some awkward five minutes later, he returned with the disc.

'We still have it,' he handed it to Mr. Greenstone.

'Please play it,' Dominic instructed.

Mr. Greenstone shrugged again and inserted the disc into his PC.

Dominic groaned at how slowly the disc was playing. The time on it reflected the morning. She tapped her fingers impatiently, silently counted to ten.

'Can you ___do you think you can fast forward it to the afternoon, about the time Josh entered the store?'

'Sure, that would be about four pm,' he used the mouse to forward the video.

'There___stop,' Dominic instructed.

Mr. Greenstone let it play at normal speed.

Dominic stood up. She watched Josh enter, watched him turn and greet Mr. Greenstone, followed him as he walked to the refrigerator that held the pints of milk. When a visual of Kaz Edwards filled the screen, everything fell into place.

Dominic watched as the young couple conversed and smiled. She watched Josh turn his back to Kaz and reach into the cool drink refrigerator for a coke.

I'll be damned.

Dominic stared mesmerized as the visual displayed the evidence of Kaz slipping the magazine into Josh's backpack.

'What the hell!' Mr. Greenstone exclaimed.

Unknowingly Josh turned, smiled and handed Kaz the coke. She seemed to be waving a bill at Josh. The two then walked to the front to the till. Both paid for the items in their hands. As they exited the store. Josh was stopped. Kaz was allowed to leave.

'I knew it,' tears were running down Dominic's eyes. 'Josh would never do anything dishonest. I would stake my life on it Mr. Greenstone.' Dominic removed her cell phone and called Pastor Ralph.

'Hi Pastor Ralph, I have good news,' Dominic smiled. 'Can you come to Mr. Greenstone's store as quickly as possible?' Dominic ended the call

'Good Lord, an innocent boy just got framed,' Mr. Greenstone exclaimed. 'Why did she do that?'

'That young lady is a pupil of mine. I will have to discuss this with the school principal and we will take things from there. Please keep the disc safe and do not discuss this with anybody yet,' Dominic requested.

For the life of me, I do not know why Kaz would want to pin something as serious as this on Josh. What will she do next?

That evening Pastor Ralph was conducting a teaching to the bible school class. He had so many joyous reasons to praise God. He thanked God that his son was vindicated. He thanked God also, for the wisdom of Ms. Dominic Shaw who managed to unravel the crime and expose the real culprit. He was reminded of that sobering scripture that warned: 'be yea sure your sins shall find yea out..."

'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.' Pastor Ralph was smiling blissfully. 'Tonight, I am teaching on a topic titled: How does faith work? Let me start by teaching you that the principle of faith must operate in your life every day, irrespective of your circumstances. My friends let's look at a foundation scripture that will activate our faith. We exercise a measure of faith daily when we get into our automobiles or when we rely on a taxi cab or bus to get us from one point to another,' Pastor Ralph smiled. 'The second book of Corinthians chapter four verse eighteen(a) says, "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

When we put our trust in God, we can use three simple steps to activate our faith and make it work for us. Firstly, we must hear, the word of God. Romans chapter ten, verse seventeen says, "So then faith comes by hearing the word." You will hear the word when you read your bible aloud or when somebody speaks the word of God.'

The second step is to believe, the word of God. One cannot have faith in something one does not believe in. Romans chapter ten, verse eight says, "But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." That is the word of faith we preach and believe in. Our faith will begin to work my dear friends,' Pastor Ralph raised his index finger and pointed it to his own heart, 'when we believe the word in your hearts,' his voice dropped softly for effect.

'The last step I will teach you this evening is, how we can make our faith work for us. We must obey the word of God. For faith to operate in our lives, we must obey the word of God. Your faith is active, it is not passive,' Pastor Ralph asserted. 'God will do His part, if we do ours,' he smiled. 'We demonstrate our faith by our action. For example, if we are overcoming an illness, we do not confess our sickness, but we confess God's healing power working in our bodies. Somebody say amen!' Pastor Ralph was all fired up. 'We will learn about divine healing next week,' Pastor Ralph promised. 'Next week I will answer the question, "Does God heal our sicknesses?" Thank you my dear friends,' Pastor Ralph completed his teaching message.

           
                        -end chapter 5-