jg.atimetokill-第105部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　as　a　practicing　physician；　and　more　recently；　the　enormous　magnitude　of　his　job　as　head　of　staff　at　the　state　mental　hospital。　Buckley　asked　him　if　he　had　written　any　articles　in　his　field。　He　said　yes；　and　for　thirty　minutes　they　discussed　the　writings　of　this　very　learned　man。　He　had　received　research　grants　from　the　federal　government　and　from　various　states。　He　was　a　member　of　all　the　organizations　Bass　belonged　to；　and　a　few　more。　He　had　been　certified　by　every　association　remotely　touching　the　study　of　the　human　mind。　He　was　polished；　and　sober。
　Buckley　tendered　him　as　an　expert；　and　Jake　had　no　questions。
　Buckley　continued。　〃Dr。　Rodeheaver；　when　did　you　first　examine　Carl　Lee　Hailey？〃
　The　expert　checked　his　notes。　〃June　19。〃
　〃Where　did　the　examination　take　place？〃
　〃In　my　office　at　Whitfield。〃
　〃How　long　did　you　examine　him？〃
　〃Couple　of　hours。〃
　〃What　was　the'　purpose　of　this　examination？〃
　〃To　try　and　determine　his　mental　condition　at　that　time　and　also　at　the　time　he　killed　Mr。　Cobb　and　Mr。　Willard。〃
　〃Did　you　obtain　his　medical　history？〃
　〃Most　of　the　information　was　taken　by　an　associate　at　the　hospital。　I　reviewed　it　with　Mr。　Hailey。〃
　〃What　did　the　history　reveal？〃
　〃Nothing　remarkable。　He　talked　a　lot　about　Vietnam；　but　nothing　remarkable。〃
　〃Did　he　talk　freely　about　Vietnam？〃
　〃Oh　yes。　He　wanted　to　talk　about　it。　It　was　almost　like　he　had　been　told　to　discuss　it　as　much　as　possible。〃
　〃What　else　did　you　discuss　at　the　first　examination？〃
　〃We　covered　a　wide　variety　of　topics。　His　childhood；　family；　education；　various　jobs；　just　about　everything。〃
　〃Did　he　discuss　the　rape　of　his　daughter？〃
　〃Yes；　in　great　detail。　It　was　painful　for　him　to　talk　about　it；　the　sam&　as　it　would　have　been　for　me　had　it　been　my　daughter。〃
　〃Did　he　discuss　with　you　the　events　leading　up　to　the　shootings　of　Cobb　and　Willard？〃
　〃Yes；　we　talked　about　that　for　quite　a　while。　I　tried　to　ascertain　the　degree　of　knowledge　and　understanding　he　had　about　those　events。〃
　〃What　did　he　tell　you？〃
　〃Initially；　not　much。　But　with　time；　he　opened　up　and　explained　how　he　inspected　〃the　courthouse　three　days　before　the　shooting　and　picked　a　good　place　to　attack。〃
　〃What　about　the　shootings？〃
　〃He　never　told　me　much　about　the　actual　killings。　Said　he　didn't　remember　much；　but　I　suspect　otherwise。〃
　Jake　sprang　to　his　feet。　〃Objection！　The　witness　can　only　testify　as　to　what　he　actually　knows。　He　cannot　speculate。〃
　〃Sustained。　Please　continue；　Mr。　Buckley。〃
　〃What　else　did　you　observe　concerning　his　mood；　attitude；　and　manner　of　speech？〃
　Rodeheaver　crossed　his　legs　and　rocked　gently。　He　lowered　his　eyebrows　in　deep　thought。　〃Initially；　he　was　distrustful　of　me　and　had　difficulty　looking　me　in　the　eye。　He　gave　short　answers　to　my　questions。　He　was　very　resentful　of　the　fact　that　he　was　guarded　and　sometimes　handcuffed　while　at　our　facility。　He　questioned　the　padded　walls。　But　after　a　while；　he　opened　up　and　talked　freely　about　most
　everything。　He　flatly　refused　to　answer　a　few　questions；　but　other　than　that　I　would　say　he　was　fairly　cooperative。〃
　〃When　and　where　did　you　examine　him　again？〃
　〃The　next　day；　same　place。〃
　〃What　was　his　mood　and　attitude？〃
　〃About　the　same　as　the　day　before。　Cool　at　first；　but　he　opened　up　eventually。　He　discussed　basically　the　same　topics　as　the　day　before。〃
　〃How　long　did　this　examination　last？〃
　〃Approximately　four　hours。〃
　Buckley　reviewed　something　on　a　legal　pad；　then　whispered　to　Musgrove。　〃Now；　Dr。　Rodeheaver；　as　a　result　of　your　examinations　of　Mr。　Hailey　on　June　19　and　20；　were　you　able　to　arrive　at　a　medical　diagnosis　of　the　defendant's　psychiatric　condition　on　those　dates？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　diagnosis？〃
　〃On　June　19　and　20；　Mr。　Hailey　appeared　to　be　of　sound　mind。　Perfectly　normal；　I　would　say。〃
　〃Thank　you。　Based　on　your　examinations；　were　you　able　to　arrive　at　a　diagnosis　of　Mr。　Hailey's　mental　condition　on　the　day　he　shot　Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　Pete　Willard？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　diagnosis？〃
　〃At　that　time　his　mental　condition　was　sound；　no　defects　of　any　nature。〃
　〃Upon　what　factors　do　you　base　this？〃
　Rodeheaver　turned　to　the　jury　and　became　a　professor。　〃You　must　look　at　the　level　of　premeditation　involved　in　this　crime。　Motive　is　an　element　of　premeditation。　He　certainly　had　a　motive　for　doing　what　he　did；　and　his　mental　condition　at　that　time　did　not　prevent　him　from　entertaining　the　requisite　premeditation。　Frankly；　Mr。　Hailey　carefully　planned　what　he　did。〃
　〃Doctor；　you　are　familiar　with　the　M'Naghten　Rule　as　a　test　for　criminal　responsibility？〃
　〃Certainly。〃
　〃And　you　are　aware　that　another　psychiatrist；　a　Dr。　W。T。　Bass；　has　told　this　jury　that　Mr。　Hailey　was　incapable　of　knowing　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong；　and；
　further；　that　he　was　unable　to　understand　and　appreciate　the　nature　and　quality　of　his　actions。〃
　〃Yes；　I　am　aware　of　that。〃
　〃Do　you　agree　with　that　testimony？〃
　〃No。　I　find　it　preposterous；　and　I　am　personally　offended　by　it。　Mr。　Hailey　himself　has　testified　he　planned　the　murders。　He's　admitted；　in　effect；　that　his　mental　condition　at　the　time　did　not　prevent　him　from　possessing　the　ability　to　plan。　That's　called　premeditation　in　every　legal　and　medical　book。　I've　never　heard　of　someone　planning　a　murder；　admitting　he　planned　it；　then　claiming　he　did　not　know　what　he　was　doing。　It's　absurd。〃
　At　that　moment；　Jake　felt　it　was　absurd　too；　and　as　it　echoed　around　the　courtroom　it　sounded　mighty　absurd。　Rodeheaver　sounded　good　and　infinitely　credible。　Jake　thought　of　Bass　and　cursed　to　himself。
　Lucien　sat　with　the　blacks　and　agreed　with　every　word　of　Rodeheaver's　testimony。　When　pared　to　Bass；　the　State's　doctor　was　terribly　believable。　Lucien　ignored　the　jury　box。　From　time　to　time　he　would　cut　his　eyes　without　moving　his　head　and　catch　Clyde　Sisco　blatantly　and　openly　staring　directly　at　him。　But　Lucien　would　not　allow　their　eyes　to　meet。　The　messenger　had　not　called　Monday　morning　as　instructed。　An　affirmative　nod　or　wink　from　Lucien　would　consummate　the　deal；　with　payment　to　be　arranged　later；　after　the　verdict。　Sisco　knew　the　rules；　and　he　watched　for　an　answer。　There　was　none。　Lucien　wanted　to　discuss　it　with　Jake。
　〃Now；　Doctor；　based　upon　these　factors　and　your　diagnosis　of　his　mental　condition　as　of　May　20；　do　you　have　an　opinion；　to　a　reasonable　degree　of　medical　certainty；　as　to　whether　Mr。　Hailey　was　capable　of　knowing　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong　when　he　shot　Billy　Ray　Cobb；　Pete　Willard；　and　Deputy　DeWayne　Looney？〃
　〃I　have。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　opinion？〃
　〃His　mental　condition　was　sound；　and　he　was　very　capable　of　distinguishing　right　from　wrong。〃
　〃And　do　you　have　an　opinion；　based　upon　the　same　factors；　as　to　whether　Mr。　Hailey　was　able　to　understand　and　appreciate　the　nature　and　quality　of　his　actions？〃
　〃I　have。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　opinion？〃
　〃That　he　fully　appreciated　what　he　was　doing。〃
　Buckley　snatched　his　legal　pad　and　bowed　politely。　〃Thank　you；　Doctor。　I　have　no　further　questions。〃
　〃Any　cross…examination；　Mr。　Brigance？〃　Noose　asked。
　〃Just　a　few　questions。〃
　〃I　thought　so。　Let's　take　a　fifteen…minute　recess。〃
　Jake　ignored　Carl　Lee；　and　moved　quickly　out　of　the　courtroom；　up　the　stairs；　and　into　the　law　library　on　the　third　floor。　Harry　Rex　was　waiting；　and　smiling。
　〃Relax；　Jake。　I've　called　every　newspaper　in　North　Carolina；　and　there's　no　story　about　the　house。　There's　nothing　about　Row　Ark。　The　Raleigh　morning　paper　ran　a　story　about　the　trial；　but　it　was　in　real　general　terms。　Nothing　else。　Carla　doesn't　know　about　it；　Jake。　As　far　as　she　knows；　her　pretty　little　landmark　is　still　standing。　Isn't　that　great？〃
　〃Wonderful。　Just　wonderful。　Thanks；　Harry　Rex。〃
　〃Don't　mention　it。　Look；　Jake；　I　sorta　hate　to　bring　this　up。〃
　〃I　can't　wait。〃
　〃You　know　I　hate　Buckley。　Hate　him　worse　than　you　do。　But　me　and　Musgrove　get　along　okay。　I　can　talk　to　Mus…grove。　I　was　thinking　last　night　that　it　might　be　a　good　idea　to　approach　them…me　through　Musgrove…and　explore　the　possibilities　of　a　plea　bargain。〃
　〃No！〃
　〃Listen；　Jake。　What　harm　will　it　do？　None！　If　you　can　plead　him　guilty　to　murde