jg.atimetokill-第11部分

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　〃Did　you　advise　Mr。　Willard　of　his　rights？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Did　he　understand　them？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Did　he　sign　a　statement　to　that　effect？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Who　was　present　when　Mr。　Willard　made　his　statement？〃
　〃Me；　two　deputies；　my　investigator；　Rady；　and　Lieutenant　Griffin　with　the　Highway　Patrol。〃
　〃Do　you　have　the　confession？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Please　read　it。〃
　The　courtroom　was　still　and　silent　as　Ozzie　read　the　short　statement。　Carl　Lee　stared　blankly　at　the　two　defendants。　Cobb　glared　at　Willard；　who　picked　dirt　off　his　boots。
　〃Thank　you；　Sheriff；〃　Childers　said　when　Ozzie　finished。　〃Did　Mr。　Willard　sign　the　confession？〃
　〃Yes；　in　front　of　three　witnesses。〃
　〃The　State　has　nothing　further；　Your　Honor。〃
　Bullard　shouted；　〃You　may　cross…examine；　Mr。　Tyndale。〃
　〃I　have　nothing　at　this　time；　Your　Honor。〃
　Good　move；　thought　Jake。　Strategically；　for　the　de…
　listen；　take　notes；　let　the　court　reporter　record　the　testimony；　and　stay　quiet。　The　grand　jury　would　see　the　case　anyway；　so　why　bother？　And　never　allow　the　defendants　to　testify。　Their　testimony　would　serve　no　purpose　and　haunt　them　at　trial。　Jake　knew　they　would　not　testify　because　he　knew　Tyndale。
　〃Call　your　next　witness；〃　demanded　the　Judge。
　〃We　have　nothing　further；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Good。　Sit　down。　Mr。　Tyndale；　do　you　have　any　witnesses？〃
　〃No；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Good。　The　court　finds　there　is　sufficient　evidence　that　numerous　crimes　have　been　mitted　by　these　defendants；　and　the　court　orders　Mr。　Cobb　and　Mr。　Willard　to　be　held　to　await　action　by　the　Ford　County　grand　jury；　which　is　scheduled　to　meet　on　Monday；　May　27。　Any　questions？〃
　Tyndale　rose　slowly。　〃Yes；　Your　Honor；　we　would　request　the　court　to　set　a　reasonable　bond　for　these　de…〃
　〃Forget　it；〃　snapped　Bullard。　〃Bail　will　be　denied　as　of　now。　It's　my　understanding　that　the　girl　is　in　critical　condition。　If　she　dies；　there　will　of　course　be　other　charges。〃
　〃Well；　Your　Honor；　in　that　case；　I　would　like　to　request　a　bail　hearing　a　few　days　from　now；　in　the　hopes　that　her　condition　improves。〃
　Bullard　studied　Tyndale　carefully。　Good　idea；　he　thought。　〃Granted。　A　bail　hearing　is　set　for　next　Monday；　May　20；　in　this　courtroom。　Until　then　the　defendants　will　remain　in　the　custody　of　the　Ford　County　sheriff。　Court's　adjourned。〃
　Bullard　rapped　the　gavel　and　disappeared。　The　deputies　swarmed　around　the　defendants；　handcuffed　them；　and　they　too　disappeared　from　the　courtroom；　into　the　holding　room；　down　the　back　stairs；　past　the　reporters；　and　into　the　squad　car。
　The　hearing　was　typical　for　Bullard…less　than　twenty　minutes。　Justice　could　be　very　swift　in　his　courtroom。
　Jake　talked　to　the　other　lawyers　and　watched　the　crowd　file　silently　through　the　enormous　wooden　doors　at　the　rear　of　the　courtroom。　Carl　Lee　was　in　no　hurry　to　leave；　and　motioned　for　Jake　to　follow　him。　They　met　in　the　rotunda。
　Carl　Lee　wanted　to　talk；　and　he　excused　himself　from　the　crowd　and　promised　to　meet　them　at　the　hospital。　He　and　Jake　walked　down　the　winding　staircase　to　the　first　floor。
　〃I'm　truly　sorry；　Carl　Lee；〃　Jake　said。
　〃Yeah；　me　too。〃
　〃How　is　she？〃
　〃She'll　make　it。〃
　〃How's　Gwen？〃
　〃Okay；　I　guess。〃
　〃How　about　you？〃
　They　walked　slowly　down　the　hall　toward　the　rear　of　the　courthouse。　〃It　ain't　sunk　in　yet。　I　mean；　twenty…four　hours　ago　everthing　was　fine。　Now　look　at　us。　My　little　girl's　layin'　up　in　the　hospital　with　tubes　all　over　her　body。　My　wife's；　crazy　and　my　boys　are　scared　to　death；　and　all　I　think　about　is　gettin'　my　hands　on　those　bastards。〃
　〃I　wish　I　could　do　something；　Carl　Lee。〃
　〃All　you　can　do　is　pray　for　her；　pray　for　us。〃
　〃I　know　it　hurts。〃
　〃You　gotta　little　girl；　don't　you；　Jake？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　Carl　Lee　said　nothing　as　they　walked　in　silence。　Jake　changed　the　subject。　〃Where's　Lester？〃
　〃Chicago。〃
　〃What's　he　doing？〃
　〃Workin'　for　a　steel　pany。　Good　job。　Got　married。〃
　〃You're　kidding？　Lester；　married？〃
　〃Yeah；　married　a　white　girl。〃
　〃White　girl！　What's　he　want　with　a　white　girl？〃
　〃Aw；　you　know　Lester。　Always　an　uppity　nigger。　He's　on　his　way　home　now。　Be　in　late　tonight。〃
　〃What　for？〃
　They　stopped　at　the　rear　door。　Jake　asked　again：　〃What's　Lester　ing　in　for？〃
　〃Family　business。〃
　〃Y'all　planning　something？〃
　〃Nope。　He　just　wants　to　see　his　niece。〃
　〃Y'all　don't　get　excited。〃
　〃That's　easy　for　you　to　say；　Jake。〃
　〃I　know。〃
　〃What　would　you　plan；　Jake？〃
　What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃You　gotta　little　girl。　Suppose　she's　layin　up　in　the　hospital；　beat　and　raped。　What　would　you　do？〃
　Jake　looked　through　the　window　of　the　door　and　could　not　answer。　Carl　Lee　waited。
　〃Don't　do　anything　stupid；　Carl　Lee。〃
　〃Answer　my　question。　What　would　you　do？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　don't　know　what　I'd　do。〃
　〃Lemme　ask　you　this。　If　it　was　your　little　girl；　and　if　it　was　two　niggers；　and　you　could　get　your　hands　on　them；　what　would　you　do？〃
　〃Kill　them。〃
　Carl　Lee　smiled；　then　laughed。　〃Sure　you　would；　Jake；　sure　you　would。　Then　you'd　hire　some　big…shot　lawyer　to　say　you's　crazy；　just　like　you　did　in　Lester's　trial。〃
　〃We　didn't　say　Lester　was　crazy。　We　just　said　Bowie　needed　killing。〃
　〃You　got　him　off；　didn't　you？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　Carl　Lee　walked　to　the　stairs　and　looked　up。　〃This　how　they　get　to　the　courtroom？〃　he　asked　without　looking　at　Jake。
　〃Who？〃
　〃Those　boys。〃
　〃Yeah。　Most　of　the　time　they　take　them　up　those　stairs。　It's　quicker　and　safer。　They　can　park　right　outside　the　door　here；　and　run　them　up　the　stairs。〃
　Carl　Lee　walked　to　the　rear　door　and　looked　through　the　window　at　the　veranda。　〃How　many　murder　trials　you　had；　Jake？〃
　〃Three。　Lester's　and　two　more。〃
　〃How　many　were　black？〃
　〃All　three。〃
　〃How　many　you　win？〃
　〃All　three。〃
　〃You　pretty　good　on　nigger　shootin's；　ain't　you？〃
　〃I　guess。〃
　〃You　ready　for　another　one？〃
　〃Don't　do　it；　Carl　Lee。　It's　not　worth　it。　What　if　you're　convicted　and　get　the　gas　chamber？　What　about　the　kids？　Who'll　raise　them？　Those　punks　aren't　worth　it。〃
　〃You　just　told　me　you'd　do　it。〃
　Jake　walked　to　the　door　next　to　Carl　Lee。　〃It's　different　with　me。　I　could　probably　get　off。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃I'm　white；　and　this　is　a　white　county。　With　a　little　luck　I　could　get　an　all…white　jury；　which　will　naturally　be　sympathetic。　This　is　not　New　York　or　California。　A　man's　supposed　to　protect　his　family。　A　jury　would　eat　it　up。〃
　〃And　me？〃
　'　〃Like　I　said；　this　ain't　New　York　or　California。　Some　whites　would　admire　you；　but　most　would　want　to　see　you　hang。　It　would　be　much　harder　to　win　an　acquittal。〃
　〃But　you　could　do　it；　couldn't　you；　Jake？〃
　〃Don't　do　it；　Carl　Lee。〃
　〃I　have　no　choice；　Jake。　I'll　never　sleep　till　those　bastards　are　dead。　I　owe　it　to　my　little　girl；　I　owe　it　to　myself；　and　I　owe　it　to　my　people。　It'll　be　done。〃
　They　opened　the　doors；　walked　under　the　veranda　and　down　the　driveway　to　Washington　Street；　across　from　Jake's　office。　They　shook　hands。　Jake　promised　to　stop　by　the　hospital　tomorrow　to　see　Gwen　and　the　family。
　〃One　more　thing；　Jake。　Will　you　meet　me　at　the　jail　when　they　arrest　me？〃
　Jake　nodded　before　he　thought。　Carl　Lee　％miled　and　walked　down　the　sidewalk　to　his　truck。
　Lester　Hailey　married　a　Swedish　girl　from　Wisconsin；　and　although　she　still　professed　love　for　him；　Lester　suspected　the　novelty　of　his　skin　was　beginning　to　fade。　She　was　terrified　of　Mississippi；　and　flatly　refused　to　travel　south　with　Lester　even　though　he　assured　her　she　would　be　safe。　She　had　never　met　his　family。　Not　that　his　people　were　anxious　to　meet　her…they　were　not。　It　was　not　unmon　for　Southern　blacks　to　move　north　and　marry　white　girls；　but　no　Hailey　had　ever　mixed。　There　were　many　Haileys　in　Chicago；　most　were　kin；　and　all　married　black。　The　family　was　not　impressed　with　Lester's　blonde　wife。　He　drove　to　Clanton　in　his　new　Cadillac；　by　himself。
　It　was　late　Wednesday　night　when　he　arrived　at　the　hospital　and　found　some　cousins　reading　magazines　in　the　second…floor　waiting　room。　He　embraced　Carl　Lee。　They　had　not　seen　each　other　since　the　Christmas　holidays；　when　half　the　blacks　in　Chicago　trooped　home　to　Mississippi　and　Alabama。
　They　stepped…；　into　the　hall；　away　from　the　relatives。　〃How　is　she？〃　Lester　asked。
　〃Better。　Much　better。　Mig