Return Of The Dragon

Chapter 3

"The defense calls Doctor Naeto to the stand."

Suzu walked up, wearing a plain black skirt and ecru top with a bow. She had on black pantyhose and black patent leather pumps. Suzu watched the slick lawyer for the defense watching her, sizing Suzu up, and dismissing her in an instant.

"Doctor Naeto, I'm sorry, are you a real doctor or is that an honorific."

"What is your question?"

"My question is how do you know for sure that it was my client responsible for the child's situation." The situation - as he called it - was hours of agonizing tears from a mother and her daughter when the girl finally came forward and said her mother's boyfriend had been abusing her for years. Suzu was the only one here present for all that agony.

""I mean, he was not the only one alone with her. It is perhaps distasteful to say, but how do we know it wasn't the mother?"

He was trying to fluster her, to get a reaction. She ignored the bait.

"I'm still waiting for your question."

"Fine. How can we be sure a nine-year-old is telling the truth. I don't know about you, but I had a great imagination at that age."

"Objection." That was Joey, a former German citizen who held dual citizenship and was married to a Japanese woman. Joey was completely fluent in Japanese as well as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean. He was Suzu's friend. "Calls for speculation."

"Objection sustained."

Suzu raised a glass of water and drank from it. She set it down and crossed her legs.

"I apologize, your honor," said Mr. Slick. "A further methodological difficulty arises from the need to correlate the child's subjective perceptions."

He's high-dollar, thought Suzu. He's good. But she was not intimidated.

"She stated five times that your client – sitting right there – put an object 'in there.' She showed me on a doll and also pointed to a picture, and last, she pointed to herself. She also stated that he smelled bad."

"Objection. Smelling bad doesn't constitute abuse."

"Overruled."

Suzu continued. "I evaluated her for the five signs of abuse and four out of five were present. A high degree of likelihood of abuse."

Slick pounced on that. " 'Likelihood.' My client doesn't deserve to go to jail on that. No more questions, your Honor."

Suzu smiled internally. She looked at her prosecutor friend; they nodded imperceptibly to each other. "Your honor, I would like to call Kimiko to the stand."

A little girl, tall for her nine years, was escorted to the witness stand. Mr. Slick openly gaped.

"Your honor, may I approach the bench?"

"Five-minute recess." She dropped her gavel. The prosecutor and defense went up to the bench. "This witness was not in the deposition, your honor."

"I will allow it. She is the purported victim, after all."

When court resumed, Suzu smiled at the girl. "Kimiko. Is the man who touched you in your private place here today." Kimiko nodded. "Can you point to him?" Kimiko raised a hand and pointed at the defendant.

"I've heard enough," said the judge. "Get that child out of here. Guilty on all counts. I remand the defendant to state custody until a sentencing date is s - "

The defendant lunged at Suzu. "You fucking lying cunt! I bet your dad raped you!" Surprised security tried to restrain him but he threw them off and charged up to her. Suzu shot out her hand, connecting the base of her palm to his nose.

"Guh!" His hands flew to his face. She jumped up on her chair as he was tackled by new security who had rushed into the room.

TO BE CONTINUED