A Few Good Men Page #42

ROSS:

Please the Court, is there a question

anywhere in our future?

RANDOLPH:

Lt. Kaffee, I have to --

KAFFEE:

I'm wondering why Santiago wasn't

packed.

That landed. On the JURY, RANDOLPH, ROSS...

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

I'll tell you what, we'll get back

to that one in a minute.

JO hands KAFFEE the computer printout.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

This is a record of all telephone

calls made from your base in the

past 24 hours. After being subpoenaed

to Washington, you made three calls.

Handing Jessep the printout --

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

I've highlighted those calls in

yellow. Do you recognize those

numbers?

JESSEP:

I called Colonel Fitzhuqhes in

Quantico, Va. I wanted to let him

know I'd be in town. The second call

was to set up a meeting with

Congressman Ramond of the House Armed

Services Committee, and the third

call was to my sister Elizabeth.

KAFFEE:

Why did you make that call, sir?

JESSEP:

I thought she might like to have

dinner tonight.

ROSS:

Judge --

RANDOLPH:

I'm gonna put a stop to this now.

Jo's handed KAFFEE another printout and a stack of letters.

KAFFEE:

Your honor, these are the telephone

records from GITMO for August 6th.

And these are 14 letters that Santiago

wrote in nine months requesting, in

fact begging, for a transfer.

(to JESSEP)

Upon hearing the news that he was

finally getting his transfer, Santiago

was so excited, that do you know how

many people he called? Zero. Nobody.

Not one call to his parents saying

he was coming home. Not one call to

a friend saying can you pick me up

at the airport. He was asleep in his

bed at midnight, and according to

you he was getting on a plane in six

hours, yet everything he owned was

hanging neatly in his closet and

folded neatly in his footlocker. You

were leaving for one day and you

packed a bag and made three phone

calls. Santiago was leaving for the

rest of his life, and he hadn't called

a soul and he hadn't packed a thing.

Can you explain that? The fact is

there was no transfer order. Santiago

wasn't going anywhere, isn't that

right, Colonel.

ROSS:

Object. Your Honor, it's obvious

that Lt. Kaffee's intention this

morning is to smear a high ranking

marine officer in the desperate hope

that the mere appearance of

impropriety will win him points with

the jury. It's my recommendation,

sir, that Lt. Kaffee receive an

official reprimand from the bench,

and that the witness be excused with

the Court's deepest apologies.

RANDOLPH ponders this a moment.

RANDOLPH:

(pause)

Overruled.

ROSS:

Your honor --

RANDOLPH:

The objection's noted.

KAFFEE:

(beat)

Colonel?

Jessep's smiling...

...and now he can't help but let out a short laugh.

KAFFEE:

(continuing)

Is this funny, sir?

JESSEP:

No. It's not. It's tragic.

KAFFEE:

Do you have an answer?

JESSEP:

Absolutely. My answer is I don't

have the first damn clue. Maybe he

was an early morning riser and he

liked to pack in the nq. And maybe

he didn't have any friends. I'm an

educated man, but I'm afraid I can't

speak intelligently about the travel

habits of William Santiago. What I

do know is that he was set to leave

the base at 0600. Now are these really

the questions I was called here to

answer? Phone calls and footlockers?

Please tell me you've got something

more, Lieutenant. Please tell me

there's an ace up your sleeve. These

two marines are on trial for their

lives. Please tell me their lawyer

hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone

bill.

(beat)

Do you have any other questions for

me, counselor?

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