jg.atimetokill-第101部分

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　Next　to　chambers　was　a　coffee　room　where　the　lawyers　loitered　and　gossiped　by　the　hour；　and　next　to　it　was　a　small　rest　room。　Jake　closed　and　locked　the　rest　room　door　and　removed　his　coat；　throwing　it　to　the　floor。　He　knelt　beside　the　toilet；　waited　momentarily；　then　vomited。
　Ozzie　stood　before　the　judge　and　attempted　small　talk　while　Musgrove　and　the　D。A。　smiled　at　each　other。　They　waited　on　Jake。　Finally；　he　entered　chambers　and　apologized。
　〃Jake；　I　have　some　bad　news；〃　Ozzie　said。
　〃Let　me　sit　down。〃
　〃I　got　a　call　an　hour　ago　from　the　sheriff　of　Lafayette　；　County。　Your　law　clerk；　Ellen　Roark；　is　in　the　hospital。〃
　〃What　happened！〃
　〃The　Klan　got　her　last　night。　Somewhere　between　here　and　Oxford。　They　tied　her　to　a　tree　and　beat　her。〃
　〃How　is　she？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃Stable　but　serious。〃
　〃What　happened？〃　Buckley　asked。
　〃We　ain't　sure。　They　stopped　her　car　somehow　and　took　her　out　in　the　woods。　Cut　her　clothes　off　her　and　cut
　her　hair。　She's　got　a　concussion　and　cuts　on　the　head；　so　they　figure　she　was　beat。〃
　Jake　needed　to　vomit　again。　He　couldn't　speak。　He　massaged　his　temples　and　thought　how　nice　it　would　be　to　tie　Bass　to　a　tree　and　beat　him。
　Noose　studied　the　defense　attorney　with　passion。　〃Mr。　Brigance；　are　you　okay？〃
　No　response。
　〃Let's　recess　until　two。　I　think　we　could　all　use　the　break；〃　Noose　said。
　Jake　walked　slowly　up　the　front　steps　with　an　empty　Coors　bottle　and　for　a　moment　gave　serious　thought　to　smashing　it　against　Lucien's　head。　He　realized　the　injury　would　not　be　felt。
　Lucien　rattled　his　ice　cubes　and　stared　off　in　the　distance；　in　the　direction　of　the　square；　which　had　long　been　deserted　except　for　the　soldiers　and　the　regular　crowd　of　teenagers　flocking　to　the　theater；　for　the　Saturday　night　double　feature。
　They　said　nothing。　Lucien　stared　away。　Jake　glared　at　him　with　the　empty　bottle。　Bass　was　hundreds　of　miles　away。
　After　a　minute　or　so；　Jake　asked；　〃Where's　Bass？〃
　〃Gone。〃
　〃Gone　where？〃
　〃Gone　home。〃
　〃Where's　his　home？〃
　〃Why　do　you　wanna　know？〃
　〃I'd　like　to　see　his　home。　I'd　like　to　see　him　in　his　home。　I'd　like　to　beat　him　to　death　with　a　baseball　bat　in　his　home。〃
　Lucien　rattled　some　more。　〃I　don't　blame　you。〃
　〃Did　you　know？〃
　〃Know　what？〃
　〃About　the　conviction？〃
　〃Hell　no。　No　one　knew。　The　record　was　expunged。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃Bass　told　me　the　record　of　the　conviction　in　Texas　was　expunged　three　years　after　it　was　entered。〃
　Jake　placed　the　beer　bottle　on　the　porch　beside　his
　chair。　He　grabbed　a　dirty　glass；　blew　into　it；　then　filled　it　with　ice　cubes　and　Jack　Daniel's。
　〃Do　you　mind　explaining；　Lucien？〃
　〃According　to　Bass；　the　girl　was　seventeen；　and　the　daughter　of　a　prominent　judge　in　Dallas。　They　fell　in　heat；　and　the　judge　caught　them　screwing　on　the　couch。　He　pressed　charges；　and　Bass　didn't　have　a　chance。　He　pled　guilty　to　the　statutory　rape。　But　the　girl　was　in　love。　They　kept　seeing　each　other　and　she　es　up　pregnant。　Bass　married　her；　and　gives　the　judge　a　perfect　baby　boy　for　his　first　grandchild。　The　old　man　has　a　change　of　heart；　and　the　record　is　expunged。〃
　Lucien　drank　and　watched　the　lights　from　the　square。
　〃What　happened　to　the　girl？〃
　〃According　to　Bass；　a　week　before　he　finished　medical　school；　his　wife；　who's　pregnant　again；　and　the　little　boy　were　killed　in　a　train　wreck　in　Fort　Worth。　That's　when　he　started　drinking；　and　quit　living。〃
　〃And　he's　never　told　you　this　before？〃
　〃Don't　interrogate　me。　I　told　you　I　knew　nothing　about　it。　I　put　him　on　the　witness　stand　twice　myself；　remember。　If　I　had　known　it；　he　would　never　have　testified。〃
　〃Why　didn't　he　ever　tell　you？〃
　〃I　guess　because　he　thought　the　record　was　erased。　I　don't　know。　Technically；　he's　right。　There　is　no　record　after　the　expungement。　But　he　was　convicted。〃
　Jake　took　a　long；　bitter　drink　of　whiskey。　It　was　nasty。
　They　sat　in　silence　for　ten　minutes。　It　was　dark　and　the　crickets　were　in　full　chorus。　Sallie　walked　to　the　screen　door　and　asked　Jake　if　he　wanted　supper。　He　said　no　thanks。
　〃What　happened　this　afternoon？〃　Lucien　asked。
　〃Carl　Lee　testified；　and　we　adjourned　at　four。　Buckley　didn't　have　his　psychiatrist　ready。　He'll　testify　Monday。〃
　〃How'd　he　do？〃
　〃Fair。　He　followed　Bass；　and　you　could　feel　the　hatred　from　the　jurors。　He　was　stiff　and　sounded　rehearsed。　I　don't　think　he　scored　too　many　points。〃
　〃What'd　Buckley　do？〃
　〃Went　wild。　Screamed　at　Carl　Lee　for　an　hour。　Carl　Lee　kept　getting　smart　with　him；　and　they　sniped　back　and　forth。　I　think　they　both　got　hurt。　On　redirect；　I　propped　him
　up　some　and　he　came　across　pitiful　and　sympathetic。　Almost　cried　at　the　end。〃
　〃That's　nice。〃
　〃Yeah；　real　nice。　But　they'll　convict　him；　won't　they？〃
　〃I　would　imagine。〃
　〃After　we　adjourned；　he　tried　to　fire　me。　Said　I'd　lost　his　case　and　he　wanted　a　new　lawyer。〃
　Lucien　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　porch　and　unzipped　his　pants。　He　leaned　on　a　column　and　sprayed　the　shrubs。　He　was　barefoot　and　looked　like　a　flood　victim。　Sallie　brought　him　a　fresh　drink。
　〃How's　Row　Ark？〃　he　asked。
　〃Stable；　they　say。　I　called　her　room　and　a　nurse　said　she　couldn't　talk。　I'll　go　over　tomorrow。〃
　〃I　hope　she's　okay。　She's　a　fine　girl。〃
　〃She's　a　radical　bitch；　but　a　very　smart　one。　I　feel　like　it's　my　fault；　Lucien。〃
　〃It's　not　your　fault。　It's　a　crazy　world；　Jake。　Full　of　crazy　people。　Right　now　I　think　half　of　them　are　in　Ford　County。〃
　〃Two　weeks　ago；　they　planted　dynamite　outside　my　bedroom　window。　They　beat　to　death　my　secretary's　husband。　Yesterday　they　shot　at　me　and　hit　a　guardsman。　Now　they　grab　my　law　clerk；　tie　her　to　a　pole；　rip　her　clothes　off；　cut　her　hair；　and　she's　in　the　hospital　with　a　concussion。　I　wonder　what's　next。〃
　〃I　think　you　should　surrender。〃
　〃I　would。　I　would　march　down　to　the　courthouse　right　now　and　surrender　my　briefcase；　lay　down　my　arms；　give　up。　But　to　whom？　The　enemy　is　invisible。〃
　〃You　can't　quit；　Jake。　Your　client　needs　you。〃
　〃To　hell　with　my　client。　He　tried　to　fire　me　today。〃
　〃He　needs　you。　This　thing　ain't　over　till　it's　over。〃
　Nesbit's　head　hung　halfway　out　the　window　and　the　saliva　dripped　down　the　left　side　of　his　chin；　down　the　door；　forming　a　small　puddle　over　the　〃O〃　in　the　Ford　of　the　Sheriffs　Department　insignia　on　the　side　of　the　car。　An　empty　beer　can　moistened　his　crotch。　After　two　weeks　of　bodyguard　duty　he　had　grown　accustomed　to　sleeping　with　the　mosquitoes　in　his　patrol　car　while　protecting　the　nigger's　lawyer。
　Moments　after　Saturday　turned　into　Sunday；　the　radio　violated　his　rest。　He　grabbed　the　mike　while　wiping　his　chin　on　his　left　sleeve。
　〃S。O。　8；〃　he　responded。
　〃What's　your　10…20？〃
　〃Same　place　it　was　two　hours　ago。〃
　〃The　Wilbanks　house？〃
　〃10…4。〃
　〃Is　Brigance　still　there？〃
　〃10…4。〃
　〃Get　him　and　take　him　to　his　house　on　Adams。　It's　an　emergency。〃
　Nesbit　walked　past　the　empty　bottles　on　the　porch；　through　the　unlocked　door；　where　he　found　Jake　sprawled　on　the　couch　in　the　front　room。
　〃Get　up；　Jake！　You　gotta　go　home！　It's　an　emergency！〃
　Jake　jumped　to　his　feet　and　followed　Nesbit。　They　stopped　on　the　front　steps　and　looked　past　the　dome　of　the　courthouse。　In　the　distance　a　boiling　funnel　of　black　smoke　rose　above　an　orange　glow　and　drifted　peacefully　toward　the　half　moon。
　Adams　Street　was　blocked　with　an　assortment　of　volunteer　vehicles；　mostly　pickups。　Each　had　a　variety　of　red　and　yellow　emergency　lights；　at　least　a　thousand　in　all。　They　spun　and　flashed　and　streaked　through　the　darkness　in　a　silent　chorus；　illuminating　the　street。
　The　fire　engines　were　parked　haphazardly　in　front　of　the　house。　The　firemen　and　volunteers　worked　frantically　laying　lines　and　getting　organized；　responding　occasionally　to　the　mands　of　the　chief。　Ozzie；　Prather；　and　Hastings　stood　near　an　engine。　Some　guardsmen　lingered　benignly　near　a　jeep。
　The　fire　was　brilliant。　Flames　roared　from　every　window　across　the　front　of　the。　house；　upstairs　and　down。　The　carport　was　pletely　engulfed。　Carla's　Cutlass　burned　inside　and　out…the　four　tires　emitting　a　darker　glow　of　their　own。　Curiously；　another；　smaller　car；　not　the　Saab；　burned　next　to　the　Cutlass。
　The　thundering；　crackling　noise　of　the　fire；