After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 31

December 16, 1992. 2:38 PM.

The second week of the trial was proving to Ralph Langley to be much harder to endure than the first. Granted, that probably had more to do with the unending consequences of his weekend misdemeanour than he cared to admit.

Meanwhile, at the front of the courtroom, Dana Barnes was continuing through the trenches of her character witness list for Captain Benson. All day long on Monday, Tuesday, and now Wednesday, the prosectutor spent a lavish amount of time making sure the jury saw Captain Benson as nothing short of perfect. Like Jack, Ralph too was puzzled by why it was so critical to the case. Dana was doing a ridiculously good job of glamorizing Captain Benson considering it was nobody's job to contradict her.

It wasn't until Gloria Benson, the deceased captain's mother, took the stand that the motive behind the past few days of testimony was starting to come to light. Until that moment, Gloria Benson was exactly the kind of witness prosecutors like Dana prayed for. She was elderly, living in a senior care home, and wheelchair-bound. She couldn't have possibly been more sympathetic. No jury would look at the old lady grieving for her only son who came to visit her weekly, and feel anything short of pity. That was, until the cross-examination began.

"Mrs. Benson, thank you for being here with us today. I know getting around isn't as easy as it once was for you" Jeremy Reynolds began.

"Yes, that's certainly the truth" Gloria agreed with a gentle chuckle that turned into a slight cough.

"I'd like to ask you a bit more about your son today. There are some things that I believe my opposing council conveniently overlooked that are very important" Reynolds prompted.

Nobody was surprised when Dana Barnes shot up and yelled "objection!" rather quickly. "He's badgering the witness, Your Honor."

"Reynolds, I strongly suggest you move this along" Judge Eldeson turned to the defense attorney with the firm and intolerant statement.

"Of course, Your Honor" Reynolds confidently agreed before turning back to the witness. "Mrs. Benson, can you remind me how old your son, Johnathan, was when he first joined the U.S. military?"

"He was twenty two" Gloria confirmed.

"And what branch of the military did he serve in?" Jeremy Reynolds spurred on.

"The Navy" the man's mother confirmed.

"And what was his position?"

"He was a Naval Flight Officer throughout every year of his service" Gloria told him, and the courtroom.

"What years were those, Mrs. Benson? What years did your son serve in the U.S. Navy?"

"He started in 1961, and retired in 1983" the surprisingly sharp elderly mother recalled.

"Wow, twenty two years of service. That's incredible, Mrs. Benson, the court again thanks your son and your family for Johnathan's years of service" Jeremy unnecessarily declared. Thanking military families for their loved ones' service wasn't something anyone in the courtroom ever objected to.

"Thank you, it made him who he was" Gloria assured Reynolds, and the members of the court.

"I must ask you what prompted him to retire in 1983" Jeremy pursuaded the woman to answer.

Ralph glanced over to Dana Barnes just in time to see her shift and tense up at the question. Perhaps, he was just guessing, he'd been doing nothing but studying her and the people in this room since nine o'clock this morning. But still, Ralph found himself feeling unusually invested in the answer to the question Jeremy Reynolds just asked.