Megan considered the question. Talking with Penny Gillespie about everything she understood about the world had seemed right. She’d guessed that Benbow would disapprove of the interview before, during, and after she’d done it.
“No,” she answered. “You wouldn’t have been able to change my mind.”
Benbow hesitated for a moment, then exhaled and shook his head. “Then no, talking to me first wouldn’t have done any good.”
“Would you have told me not to do it?”
Benbow leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know. I have to admit, Ms. Gillespie is quite a persuasive woman. The piece was really good. But this much exposure at this time in the case—” he shook his head—“I don’t know if it’s going to help us.”
“I don’t think Penny’s program hurt us.”
“Hers didn’t,” Benbow agreed. He flicked the remote control and the television changed channels. “Dove TV is repeating the program every hour on the hour, and they’re going to do so until the trial finishes.”
“I didn’t know they were doing that.” Megan had gotten home and sat through the original airing. However, with all the noise in the Gander household, she’d missed the fact that there were going to be repeated airings.
“They are. And I like that, Megan, I really do. It means they’re standing behind what you’re trying to do. Not just grabbing a handful of headlines like a lot of these other stations are trying to do. Some of the major news networks are taking the opportunity to blast you. Have you seen OneWorld NewsNet?”
Megan shook her head. “I didn’t know OneWorld NewsNet was covering the story.”
“Oh, I don’t think they’re covering it, but they are featuring a few sound bites from it. None of it is favorable.”
“Why would they take an interest?”
“Because Nicolae Carpathia owns a majority stock interest in OneWorld NewsNet,” Benbow replied, “and because your statement that God raptured the world and took all the missing people flies directly in the face of his theory—and Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig’s theory, I might add—that a random surge of electromagnetism is what caused the disappearances.”
Tired and insecure as she was, the idea was enough to inspire Megan to anger. “That,” she stated flatly, “has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”
Benbow shrugged. “In a way, the theory makes sense.”
Megan sighed. “How, Doug? Because Carpathia and Rosenzweig mentioned nuclear energy and electromagnetism? Because it sounded like technology? Do you know what their theory does?”
Looking a little put off, Benbow said, “I get the impression that you’re going to tell me.”
“Carpathia and Rosenzweig are taking away our humanity,” Megan said. “They’re putting us on equal footing with an image on one of those children’s sketchpads.” She remembered how Chris used to draw on the cheap little pads for long periods of time, telling her stories about every image he had drawn. Most of them were superheroes. Megan could always tell because Chris drew them wearing capes. “Those pads that kids can draw on, then lift the carbon paper in the middle and the image disappears?”
“I know what you’re talking about. I have little brothers.”
That surprised Megan. She hadn’t even thought about the possibility that Benbow had a family. All of the children disappeared.
“How … how old are they?” Megan asked.
Benbow pursed his lips. “Neither of them disappeared, Megan. They’re twenty-two and seventeen.”
“Did you lose any family in this?” Megan didn’t know why she hadn’t already thought to ask.
“My mother.” Benbow took a deep breath and let it out. “My dad was up late watching a Lakers game when some of the players disappeared off the court. He went in to tell my mother, but she was gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
Benbow inclined his head. “Me too.”
“Have you been back home?”
“No.”
Megan gazed at him. “I don’t even know where you’re from.”
“Kansas. Coffeeville, Kansas.”
“You shouldn’t be here. You should go home. Your family needs you. You need to deal with everything that’s happened.”
“I am dealing with it,” Benbow said. “I talk to my dad nearly every day. My two younger brothers are with him. I know he’s all right. Just hurting.” He swallowed. “We’re all hurting.”
“You should be there.”
“You need me here.”
“There are other legal counsels.”
Benbow looked at her with a half smile. “Would you prefer another legal counsel?”
“No,” Megan said. “I was just pointing out that there are others who could take your place while you took care of your family.”
“My dad and my brothers are quite capable of taking care of themselves.”
“But you need some closure too, Doug. You need to go home and see that your mother isn’t there.”
“I will, Megan.” Benbow pursed his lips. “I will soon enough.” His voice caught. “But you’re wrong about there being other legal counsels for you.”
Megan looked at him.
“Nobody wanted this assignment when I got it,” Benbow said. “I was the new guy, and it was going to be my first turn in the barrel. My commanding officer thought it would be a good idea for me to work this case, get a taste of losing so I’d know what that felt like and develop a taste for winning.”
“He thought you would lose?”
Benbow nodded. “Yes. Most of the counsels—” he stopped him-self and smiled wryly—“all of the counsels still think I’ll lose. That we’ll lose.”
Cold and scared suddenly, Megan wrapped her arms around herself. “And what do you think?”
“I think I’ve met a wonderful woman—a counselor, a mother, and a wife—who is just going through a truly staggering run of bad luck,” Benbow said.
Megan looked at him. “I’m not making things up, Doug. I’m not imagining things. Your mother did not come undone like some Etch a Sketch figure. My son did not come undone like some Etch a Sketch figure. I will never accept that.”
Benbow regarded her. “No, ma’am. I can see that you won’t.”
“There’s a reason for all of this,” Megan said.
Benbow looked uncomfortable. “Unfortunately, Megan, I can’t put God on the stand and have Him testify that Gerry Fletcher is missing because He chose to rapture that boy
