High Crimes by Joseph Finder

Author:Joseph Finder [Finder, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Thrillers, United States, Mystery & Detective, Suspense, Mystery Fiction, Adventure fiction, Legal, Women lawyers, Conspiracies, Special forces (Military science), Special Forces (Military Science) - United States
ISBN: 9780312378820
Google: zEI9BN1uMrUC
Amazon: 0312378823
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 1998-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

Claire fell asleep on the sofa in the sitting room, surrounded by case books on military law and packets of nonclassified discovery materials.

At around nine she was jolted awake by the doorbell. She ran to get it, before he rang again and woke Annie up.

Grimes’s face was solemn.

“The decision’s back, isn’t it?”

Grimes nodded.

“When are we going to trial?”

“Can I come in? Or do I got to stand out here on the porch?”

“Sorry.”

“The arraignment’s in six days,” he said, removing his fern-green overcoat and hanging it on the hall coat tree. “That means we got to have all our motions in by then, or we should, anyway. We probably go to trial in a month.”

“Why did I even allow myself to think otherwise?”

“Because, underneath all your been-there, done-that, cynical worldliness, you’re an optimist. A cockeyed optimist.”

“Maybe,” Claire said dubiously. “You want coffee or something?”

“Naw. Not at night.”

“So this is it,” Claire said when they were seated at their usual places in the library office. “We lose this, we’re fucked.”

“I don’t believe I’m hearing this from the appellate queen of Cambridge. It’s like baseball. Motions is your first base. Trial is second base. Then you got the Army Court of Criminal Appeals. Then Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. They get a single, the game ain’t over.”

“So now who’s the cockeyed optimist?”

“I’m just talking how the game is played. Lot of innings.”

“But this whole charade is ridiculous. The investigating officer’s finding tells any officer who might be on the jury that their commanding officer thinks Tom’s guilty. They’re not going to acquit after that! What’s that?” She noticed a piece of paper in Grimes’s hands.

“The convening order,” he said, standing up and handing it to her. “Take a look. You see who’s ordering the court-martial?” Grimes studied a fragile-looking porcelain urn on a white-painted wooden columnar pedestal next to the desk.

The letterhead said SECRETARY OF THE ARMY. The letter was signed by the secretary of the army himself.

“I don’t get it,” she said. “Why is the secretary convening it? I thought it was done by someone lower down on the food chain, like the commander of Quantico or something.”

“Usually is. That’s what’s interesting. It’s like they’re ordering this from the very top to send a message—you know, We’re not fucking around, this is serious shit.”

“No,” Claire said.

“No what?”

“That’s not the reason. There’s a legal reason, I’ll bet. A really interesting one.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s because General Marks, the chief of staff of the army, is involved in this. Legally, that makes him an accuser against Tom. And according to Article 1 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Rule of Court-Martial 504(c)(2), a court-martial can’t be convened by anyone junior to an accuser. The only one senior to the general—”

“Is the secretary. Right.” He traced a pattern on the urn, nodded. “Right.”

“And what’s this list?” Claire said, still looking at the letter. “Is this the jury?”

“Yeah, only in a military court they’re called the ‘members.’”

“I want all these guys checked out for any glitches.

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