Read Online The TRIBUNAL by Peter B. Robinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter B. Robinson
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you’re available.”
Kevin’s heart started beating faster.
“Great,” he said, not sure whether it was great or not.
“The accused was arrested last night by the United Nations forces. And he speaks English. Do you want the assignment as his temporary counsel? As you know, it will be up to the accused whether to select you as his permanent counsel.”
Kevin’s mind was racing. His instincts told him that if he asked to think it over, the assignment would go to someone else. With the prosecutor’s job looking virtually hopeless, Kevin had the sense that it was now or never for him at the Tribunal. It wouldn’t hurt just to be someone’s temporary lawyer.
“Yes, I’ll accept the assignment.”
“Good. You can go out to the detention center and meet your new client tomorrow. His court appearance will be the day after tomorrow at 2:00.”
“Thank you for selecting me.”
“You can thank your friend – the Irish one.”
Kevin smiled at the thought of Mrs. Kelly. “I’ll do that. Goodbye, now.”
“Wait! Don’t you want to know your client’s name?”
“That would help.” Kevin was a rookie at this defense business.
“Dragoljub Zaric.”
That name meant nothing to Kevin.
“He is better known as Draga,” said the court official.
Now Kevin remembered reading something about “Draga” in the local English-language newspaper a few weeks earlier. He was a flamboyant Serbian fugitive they’d been trying to find for some time. Kevin wondered what he might be getting himself into.
“Can you tell me anything else about him?”
“Well, he commanded a paramilitary group called – the Black Dragons.”
“And the charge?” Kevin asked, holding his breath.
“Genocide.”
CHAPTER 5
Kevin’s body tingled with excitement, but he dreaded telling Diane.
He knew he had made a kind of promise to his wife, but at the same time he was sick and tired of being on the sidelines. In his heart, he knew that he would never get a job with the prosecutor’s office – even if the funds became available any time soon. He had made too many stout adversaries in that department.
When he heard the gate open and saw Diane and Ellen walking their bicycles into the back yard, Kevin opened the door and greeted them.
Once they were all inside, he could wait no longer.
“I’ve got some news. I’ve been assigned as temporary defense counsel at the Tribunal.”
“Does that mean we can stay, Daddy?” Ellen asked excitedly.
“I don’t know yet,” he said cautiously. “The defendant will have to decide to keep me, and I’ll – well, there’s some other considerations.”
“Well, I guess congratulations are in order,” Diane smiled wanly.
“Goody, goody,” Ellen squealed. “We can stay!”
That night, alone in the living room, Kevin switched on CNN. The story he was looking for came third after the top of the hour.
“United Nations troops arrested the infamous Serbian warlord Draga last night at the Romanian border with Serbia,” the announcer reported. “The arrest of Dragoljub Zaric was made after a rival Serbian gang reportedly kidnapped him and delivered him to U.N. officials. Zaric has now been transported to The Hague where, along with Slobodan Milosevic, he becomes one of the most significant persons arrested for the War Crimes Tribunal.”
A picture of a brash, confident man in his mid-thirties, tall, and well groomed, flashed on the screen. He was wearing a black beret and black Ninja-like uniform. Other footage showed him at his wedding, when he was married to a popular Serbian movie star, and at a Belgrade stadium cheering on the local soccer team.
Kevin found a yellow legal pad and began jotting down
Kevin’s heart started beating faster.
“Great,” he said, not sure whether it was great or not.
“The accused was arrested last night by the United Nations forces. And he speaks English. Do you want the assignment as his temporary counsel? As you know, it will be up to the accused whether to select you as his permanent counsel.”
Kevin’s mind was racing. His instincts told him that if he asked to think it over, the assignment would go to someone else. With the prosecutor’s job looking virtually hopeless, Kevin had the sense that it was now or never for him at the Tribunal. It wouldn’t hurt just to be someone’s temporary lawyer.
“Yes, I’ll accept the assignment.”
“Good. You can go out to the detention center and meet your new client tomorrow. His court appearance will be the day after tomorrow at 2:00.”
“Thank you for selecting me.”
“You can thank your friend – the Irish one.”
Kevin smiled at the thought of Mrs. Kelly. “I’ll do that. Goodbye, now.”
“Wait! Don’t you want to know your client’s name?”
“That would help.” Kevin was a rookie at this defense business.
“Dragoljub Zaric.”
That name meant nothing to Kevin.
“He is better known as Draga,” said the court official.
Now Kevin remembered reading something about “Draga” in the local English-language newspaper a few weeks earlier. He was a flamboyant Serbian fugitive they’d been trying to find for some time. Kevin wondered what he might be getting himself into.
“Can you tell me anything else about him?”
“Well, he commanded a paramilitary group called – the Black Dragons.”
“And the charge?” Kevin asked, holding his breath.
“Genocide.”
CHAPTER 5
Kevin’s body tingled with excitement, but he dreaded telling Diane.
He knew he had made a kind of promise to his wife, but at the same time he was sick and tired of being on the sidelines. In his heart, he knew that he would never get a job with the prosecutor’s office – even if the funds became available any time soon. He had made too many stout adversaries in that department.
When he heard the gate open and saw Diane and Ellen walking their bicycles into the back yard, Kevin opened the door and greeted them.
Once they were all inside, he could wait no longer.
“I’ve got some news. I’ve been assigned as temporary defense counsel at the Tribunal.”
“Does that mean we can stay, Daddy?” Ellen asked excitedly.
“I don’t know yet,” he said cautiously. “The defendant will have to decide to keep me, and I’ll – well, there’s some other considerations.”
“Well, I guess congratulations are in order,” Diane smiled wanly.
“Goody, goody,” Ellen squealed. “We can stay!”
That night, alone in the living room, Kevin switched on CNN. The story he was looking for came third after the top of the hour.
“United Nations troops arrested the infamous Serbian warlord Draga last night at the Romanian border with Serbia,” the announcer reported. “The arrest of Dragoljub Zaric was made after a rival Serbian gang reportedly kidnapped him and delivered him to U.N. officials. Zaric has now been transported to The Hague where, along with Slobodan Milosevic, he becomes one of the most significant persons arrested for the War Crimes Tribunal.”
A picture of a brash, confident man in his mid-thirties, tall, and well groomed, flashed on the screen. He was wearing a black beret and black Ninja-like uniform. Other footage showed him at his wedding, when he was married to a popular Serbian movie star, and at a Belgrade stadium cheering on the local soccer team.
Kevin found a yellow legal pad and began jotting down
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