Fear Her Wrath II: Crucible of Glass

Chapter 16

I watched in horror as Ben Vang emerged from a side chamber and took his place on the witness stand. He was wearing a button-up shirt and tie for the occasion, and if I wasn't so flabbergasted that he was testifying against Simon, I might have noticed that he looked really good in business casual.

(Okay, so maybe I still noticed.)

My hands were twisting in my lap as the judge swore him in. I couldn't believe this. I knew Ben never really liked Simon, but the idea of him agreeing to testify against him... well, it hurt. Like, in a physical way. My heart was actually straining against my chest. I just couldn't understand how he could do this—to Simon, to Ellie, to me. Especially after we had just become friends again.

"Now, Benedict," said Comstock. "Why don't you tell us what happened at the Redding Credit Cooperative?"

I'll skip what he said during the examination by the assistant DA. It was all very dry and factual, which naturally only made it worse. He told them how he broke through the police cordon because nobody was doing anything to save the hostages. He described what he saw inside the Redding Credit Cooperative—Psychosis, the bodies, the writing in blood. He got a small laugh at the part where he tried to dropkick Psychosis and ended up passed out on the floor, though he wasn't trying to be funny. The gallery was lapping up his every word. He was the perfect witness—handsome, charismatic, confident, charming. Everything that Simon wasn't. If I didn't really care about the case, I would've been completely sucked in just like everyone else.

Instead, it was the longest half-hour of my life.

"Thank you, Benedict," said Comstock at last. "That's my final question. Your witness, counselor."

Jesmond stood up, smiled, then took her place opposite the witness box with her hands behind her back. I was trembling. I wasn't sure if I was angry or just heartbroken. Maybe both. I think I was crying without realizing it, and the news cameras got every second of it.

"Benedict," said Jesmond pleasantly, "were you friends with Simon Mallory at the time of the attack on the Redding Credit Cooperative?"

"No," said Ben. "We're both sophomores, and I'd seen him around school, but... no. I don't think we ever talked."

"But you became friends with Simon afterwards?" Jesmond continued. Benedict nodded.

"Yeah. I'm... friends with his girlfriend. We hung out a little."

I felt many pairs of hostile eyes flicker over to me at Ben's words, but I was too much of a wreck to notice. Ben hadn't so much as glanced at me since he took the witness stand, but I couldn't stop looking at him. He had said we were friends. Friends. That made this hurt even more.

"And you never suspected he was Psychosis?" asked Jesmond.

My heart was pounding in my ears. Ben paused before replying.

"No. I had no idea."

There were some meaningful looks exchanged among the jurors. Jesmond paused, as though to maximize the effect.

"And what about now?" she said. "Do you think Simon Mallory knowingly did the things of which he is accused?"

It took all my self-control not to just get up and leave. Be there for Simon, I told myself. Simon needs you. That had to be why Ellie wanted me to be here. So Simon wasn't alone when Ben betrayed him. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the blow. But then...

"I believe Simon Mallory," said Ben.

I could have kissed him. A scandalized murmur passed over the courtroom, and this time Judge Thrane actually did bang his gavel.