“Corporal Kirk,” Benbow said. “You’re dismissed.”
The corporal who had been testifying nodded and stepped from the witness box.
“At this time,” Benbow said, handing the media-player cords to the MP standing at the colonel’s side, “I’d like to call Mrs. Gander back to the stand.”
The colonel looked at Megan and nodded.
Megan stood on shaky legs and made her way to the witness box. She wished she knew what Benbow was doing, but she reminded herself that she trusted him. As she sat down, she spotted Penny Gillespie taking a seat at the back of the courtroom.
Penny had been conspicuously absent till now, although she had made her presence known on Dove TV. Snippets from her interview with Megan regarding the Tribulation kept showing up all over television, starting to actually compete with the pieces on Nicolae Carpathia. Megan had no doubt that the Romanian president would find some new way to seize the media spotlight again, though. He seemed to be a magnet for that kind of attention.
Catching Megan’s eye, Penny offered a smile and pressed her palms together in prayer.
Megan took a deep breath, remembering how she had looked when Trimble had her on the stand.
“Mrs. Gander,” Benbow said, “I promise not to have you on the stand for a long time. I know you’ve had a rough morning.”
Megan nodded. No verbal response was necessary.
Benbow glanced at the MP. “If I could have the television screens dropped into place, please.”
Television screens slid down from the ceiling and locked into place all around the room. Evidently military trials often depended on video presentation or the room was sometimes used as a training resource. The screens came on with a burst of white light that hurt Megan’s eyes.
“Sorry,” Benbow apologized to everyone in the room. He pressed another button on the wireless remote control. “What you’re looking at is a VHS tape of the night Gerry Fletcher climbed on top of that building and Mrs. Gander went after him to rescue him. Unfortunately, we didn’t get footage of the whole event, but I think we have enough.”
“Where did you get this tape, Lieutenant?” Trimble demanded.
“From Ms. Penny Gillespie,” Benbow answered, his attention riveted on the screen. “She, in turn, got this from Private Lonnie Smith, who lives in an apartment in that building.”
“If this tape is important, why didn’t Smith come forward with it before now?”
“Because he didn’t know Mrs. Gander was actually going to be put on trial. He felt certain that she would be exonerated of any wrongdoing.” Benbow paused. “Private Smith also found what he saw that night—and what he later found to be on the tape—uncomfortable.”
“Why uncomfortable?” Trimble challenged.
“Because Private Smith is—” Benbow stopped himself and smiled slightly, the expression evident to everyone in the courtroom because light from the screen in front of him lit his features—“because Private Smith was a confirmed atheist.”
That statement caused a rumble of conversation through the courtroom, which Colonel Erickson quieted with his gavel.
“What does that have to do with this?” Trimble asked.
“Because Private Lonnie Smith was baptized two days ago, Wednesday night, and could no longer deny what he had seen on this tape. He said it changed his life ‘irrevocably,’ according to Ms. Gillespie.”
Conversation and murmurings ran through the courtroom. The colonel banged his gavel again, having more difficulty controlling it.
“Are we going to see this mysterious tape?” Trimble demanded, “or are you going to persist in this flummery and mumbo jumbo?”
“Mumbo jumbo,” Benbow said, smiling even more broadly. “Major, I’m going to remember that you said that. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to find you quoted in newspapers and on television news quite often after today.”
“Lieutenant, is that some kind of threat?”
“No, sir. Just a statement of fact.”
“Lieutenant,” Colonel Erickson said, “are we about ready?”
“Yes, Colonel.” Benbow pressed another button.
The screen opened up on a dramatic scene. Megan saw herself at the rooftop’s edge desperately holding on to Gerry Fletcher. It was immediately apparent that the boy was slipping away from her.
“Oh, Gerry,” Tonya Fletcher wailed. All through the court proceedings she’d said nothing.
Benbow paused the tape. Megan knew he’d done it at that spot on purpose, just a heartbeat before Gerry fell. She could still feel his fingers sliding through hers.
“Mrs. Gander, is this you in the film?” Benbow asked.
“Yes.”
“These are the events that happened the night of March first of this year?”
“Yes.” Megan felt a little better. At least in the videotape it was plain that she had been hanging on to Gerry Fletcher, not throwing his clothing over the side as Trimble had suggested.
“Who is the boy?” Benbow asked.
“Gerry Fletcher.”
Benbow walked to the defense table and picked up a folder. “I’ve got pictures of the boy here.” He handed them to the MP and asked him to distribute them to the judge and the jury. Turning to the Fletchers, Benbow asked, “Mrs. Fletcher, can you identify your son from this videotape?”
Tonya gasped in pain. “Yes. That’s him. That’s Gerry.” She covered her mouth with her hand. Boyd Fletcher reached for her, and Megan had the distinct impression that he sank his strong fingers into his wife’s leg to shut her up, because she yelped.
“We’re fortunate that the equipment here has slow-motion capabilities,” Benbow addressed the court. “Otherwise you might miss what I’m about to show you. You see, it happened very quickly. In the twinkling of an eye, some might want to say.” He pressed another button.
In sheer wonderment, Megan watched as the videotape advanced at a snail’s pace. Gerry’s hand slipped from hers. Then he fell, plummeting toward the street. The video camera operator, Private Lonnie Smith, lost Gerry for just an instant, then caught up with him again.
Gerry fell, arms and legs moving in slow motion as he tried to stop himself. Fear etched the boy’s face. Benbow pressed another button and the picture zoomed in, filling the screens with Gerry’s face.
Megan’s heart rate shot up as she remembered all the terror and helplessness and anger that had fueled those moments of that
