jg.atimetokill-第18部分

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und　to　the　rear　of　the　jail；　where　Ozzie　parked　and　the　three　walked　casually　inside。　Carl　Lee　was　given　to　the　jailer；　and　Ozzie　walked　down　the　hall　to　his　office　where　Jake　was　waiting。
　〃You　can　see　him　in　a　minute；　Jake；〃　he　said。
　〃Thanks。　You　sure　he　did　it？〃
　〃Yeah；　I'm　sure。〃
　〃He　didn't　confess；　did　he？〃
　〃No；　he　didn't　say　much　of　nothin'。　I　guess　Lester　coached　him。〃
　Moss　walked　in。　〃Ozzie；　them　reporters　wanna　talk　to　you。　I　said　you'd　be　out　in　a　minute。〃
　〃Thanks；　Moss；〃　Ozzie　sighed。
　〃Anybody　see　it？〃　Jake　asked。
　Ozzie　wiped　his　forehead　with　a　red　handkerchief。　〃Yeah；　Looney　can　I。D。　him。　You　know　Murphy；　the　little　crippled　man　who　sweeps　floors　in　the　courthouse？〃
　〃Sure。　Stutters　real　bad。〃
　〃He　saw　the　whole　thing。　He　was　sittin'　on　the　east　stairs；　directly　across　from　where　it　happened。　Eatin'　his　lunch。　Scared　him　so　bad　he　couldn't　talk　for　an　hour。〃　Ozzie　paused　and　eyed　Jake。　〃Why　am　I　tellin'　you　all　this？〃
　〃What　difference　does　it　make？　I'll　find　out　sooner　or　later。　Where's　my　man？〃
　〃Down　the　hall　in　the　jail。　They　gotta　take　his　picture　and　all　that。　Be　'bout　thirty　minutes。〃
　Ozzie　left　and　Jake　used　his　phone　to　call　Carla　and　remind　her　to　watch　the　news　and　record　it。
　_/z。zav^　iciwu　me　iiiiu　ujjuuiica　aiiu　utimuiiuv　　　　i　am　i　an…
　swerin'　no　questions。　We　have　a　suspect　in　custody。　Name　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey　from　Ford　County。　Arrested　for　two　counts　of　murder。〃
　〃Is　he　the　girl's　father？〃
　〃Yes；　he　is。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　he　did　it？〃
　〃We're　very　smart。〃
　〃Any　eyewitnesses？〃
　〃None　that　we　know　of。〃
　〃Has　he　confessed？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Where'd　you　find　him？〃
　〃At　his　house。〃
　〃Was　a　deputy　shot？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃How　is　he？〃
　〃He's　fine。　He's　in　the　hospital；　but　he's　okay。〃
　〃What's　his　name？〃
　〃Looney。　DeWayne　Looney。〃
　〃When's　the　preliminary　hearing？〃
　〃I'm　not　the　judge。〃
　〃Any　idea？〃
　〃Maybe　tomorrow；　maybe　Wednesday。　No　more　questions；　please。　I　have　no　further　information　to　release　at　this　time。〃
　The　jailer　took　Carl　Lee's　wallet；　money；　watch；　keys；　ring；　and　pocketknife　and　listed　the　items　on　an　inventory　form　that　Carl　Lee　signed　and　dated。　In　a　small　room　next　to　the　jailer's　station；　he　was　photographed　and　fingerprinted；　just　as　Lester　said。　Ozzie　waited　outside　the　door　and　led　him　down　the　hall　to　a　small　room　where　the　drunks　were　taken　to　blow　into　the　Intoxilyzer。　Jake　sat　at　a　small　table　next　to　the　machine。　Ozzie　excused　himself。
　The　lawyer　and　client　sat　across　the　table　and　analyzed　each　other　carefully。　They　grinned　admiringly　but　neither　spoke。　They　had　last　talked　five　days　before；　on　Wednesday　after　the　preliminary　hearing；　the　day　after　the　rape。
　Carl　Lee　was　not　as　troubled　now。　His　face　was　relaxed　and　his　eyes　were　clear。　Finally　he　said：　〃You　didn't　think　I'd　do　it；　Jake。〃
　〃Not　really。　You　did　do　it？〃
　〃You　know　I　did。〃
　Jake　smiled；　nodded；　and　crossed　his　arms。　〃How　do　you　feel？〃
　Carl　Lee　relaxed　and　sat　back　in　the　folding　chair。　〃Well；　I　feel　better。　I　don't　feel　good　'bout　the　whole　thing。　I　wish　it　didn't　happen。　But　I　wish　my　girl　was　okay　too；　you　know。　I　didn't　have　nothin'　against　them　boys　till　they　messed　with　her。　Now　they　got　what　they　started。　I　feel　sorry　for　their　mommas　and　daddies；　if　they　got　daddies；　which　I　doubt。〃
　〃Are　you　scared？〃
　〃Of　what？〃
　〃How　about　the　gas　chamber？〃
　〃Naw；　Jake；　that's　why　I　got　you。　I　don't　plan　to　go　to　no　gas　chamber。　I　saw　you　get　Lester　off；　now　just　get　me　off。　You　can　do　it；　Jake。〃
　〃It's　not　quite　that　easy；　Carl　Lee。〃
　〃Say　what？〃
　〃You　just　don't　shoot　a　person；　or　persons；　in　cold　blood；　and　then　tell　the　jury　they　needed　killing；　and　expect　to　walk　out　of　the　courtroom。〃
　〃You　did　with　Lester。〃
　〃But　every　case　is　different。　And　the　big　difference　here　is　that　you　killed　two　white　boys　and　Lester　killed　a　nigger。　Big　difference。〃
　〃You　scared；　Jake？〃
　〃Why　should　I　be　scared？　I'm　not　facing　the　gas　chamber。〃
　〃You　don't　sound　too　confident。〃
　You　big　stupid　idiot；　thought　Jake。　How　could　he　be　confident　at　a　time　like　this。　The　bodies　were　still　warm。　Sure；　he　was　confident　before　the　killings；　but　now　it　was　different。　His　client　was　facing　the　gas　for　a　crime　which　he　admits　he　mitted。
　〃Where'd　you　get　the　gun？〃
　〃A　friend　in　Memphis。〃
　〃Okay。　Did　Lester　help？〃
　〃Nope。　He　knew　'bout　what　Fs　gonna　do；　and　he　wanted　to　help；　but　I　wouldn't　let　him。〃
　〃How's　Gwen？〃
　〃She's　pretty　crazy　right　now；　but　tester's　with　her。　She　didn't　know　a　thing　about　it。〃
　〃The　kids？〃
　〃You　know　how　kids　are。　They　don't　want　their　daddy　in　jail。　They　upset；　but　they'll　make　it。　Lester'll　take　care　of　them。〃
　〃Is　he　going　back　to　Chicago？〃
　〃Not　for　a　while。　Jake；　when　do　we　go　to　court？〃
　〃The　preliminary　should　be　tomorrow　or　Wednesday；　depends　on　Bullard。〃
　〃Is　he　the　judge？〃
　〃He　will　be　for　the　preliminary　hearing。　But　he　won't　hear　the　trial。　That'll　be　in　Circuit　Court。〃
　〃Who's　the　judge　there？〃
　〃Omar　Noose　from　Van　Buren　County；　same　judge　who　tried　Lester。〃
　〃Good。　He's　okay；　ain't　he？〃
　〃Yeah；　he's　a　good　judge。〃
　〃When　will　the　trial　be？〃
　〃Late　summer　or　early　fall。　Buckley　will　push　for　a　quick　trial。〃
　〃Who's　Buckley？〃
　〃Rufus　Buckley。　District　attorney。　Same　D。A。　who　prosecuted　Lester。　You　remember　him。　Big；　loud　guy…〃
　〃Yeah；　yeah；　I　remember。　Big　bad　Rufus　Buckley。　I'd　forgot　all　about　him。　He's　pretty　mean；　ain't　he？〃
　〃He's　good；　very　good。　He's　corrupt　and　ambitious；　and　he'll　eat　this　up　because　of　the　publicity。〃
　〃You've　beat　him；　ain't　you？〃
　〃Yeah；　and　he's　beat　me。〃
　Jake　opened　his　briefcase　and　removed　a　file。　Inside　was　a　contract　for　legal　services；　which　he　studied　although　he　had　it　memorized。　His　fees　were　based　on　the　ability　to　pay；　and　the　blacks　generally　could　pay　little　unless　there　was　a　close　and　generous　relative　in　St。　Louis　or　Chicago　with　a　good…paying　job。　Those　were　rare。　In　Lester's　trial　there　had　been　a　brother　in　California　who　worked　for　the　post　office　but　he'd　been　unwilling　or　unable　to　help。　There　were　some　sisters　scattered　around　but　they　had　their　own　problems　and　had　offered　only　moral　support　for　Lester。　Gwen　had　a　big　family；　and　they　stayed　out　of　trouble；　but
　they　were　not　prosperous。　Carl　Lee　owned　a　few　acres　around　his　house　and　had　mortgaged　it　to　help　Lester　pay　Jake　before。
　He　had　charged　Lester　five　thousand　for　his　murder　trial；　half　was　paid　before　trial　and　the　rest　in　installments　over　three　years。
　Jake　hated　to　discuss　fees。　It　was　the　most　difficult　part　of　practicing　law。　Clients　wanted　to　know　up　front；　immediately；　how　much　he　would　cost；　and　they　all　reacted　differently。　Some　were　shocked；　some　just　swallowed　hard；　a　few　had　stormed　out　of　his　office。　Some　negotiated；　but　most　paid　or　promised　to　pay。
　He　studied　the　file　and　the　contract　and　thought　desperately　of　a　fair　fee。　There　were　other　lawyers　out　there　who　would　take　such　a　case　for　almost　nothing。　Nothing　but　publicity。　He　thought　about　the　acreage；　and　the　job　at　the　paper　mill；　and　the　family；　and　finally　said；　〃My　fee　is　ten　thousand。〃
　Carl　Lee　was　not　moved。　〃You　charged　Lester　five　thousand。〃
　Jake　anticipated　this。　〃You　have　three　counts；　Lester　had　one。〃
　〃How　many　times　can　I　go　to　the　gas　chamber？〃
　〃Good　point。　How　much　can　you　pay？〃
　〃I　can　pay　a　thousand　now；〃　he　said　proudly。　〃And　I'll　borrow　as　much　as　I　can　on　my　land　and　give　it　all　to　you。〃
　Jake　thought　a　minute。　〃I've　got　a　better　idea。　Let's　agree　on　a　fee。　You　pay　a　thousand　now　and　sign　a　note　for　the　rest。　Borrow　on　your　land　and　pay　against　the　note。〃
　〃How　much　you　want？〃　asked　Carl　Lee。
　〃Ten　thousand。〃
　〃I'll　pay　five。〃
　〃You　can　pay　more　than　that。〃
　〃And　you　can　do　it　for　less　than　ten。〃
　〃Okay；　I　can　do　it　for　nine。〃
　〃Then　I　can　pay　six。〃
　〃Eight？〃
　〃Seven。〃
　〃Can　we　agree　on　seventy…five　hundred？〃
　〃Yeah；　I　think　I　can　pay　that　much。　Depends　on　how
　much　they'll　loan　me　on　my　land。　You　want　me　to　pay　a　thousand　now　and　sign　a　note　for　sixty…five　hundred？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃Okay；　you　got　a　deal。〃
　Jake　filled　in　the　blanks　in　the　contract　and　promissory　note；　and　Carl　Lee　signed　both。
　〃Jake；　h