jg.atimetokill-第20部分

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de　with　his　back　to　the　rows　of　thick；　expensive　law　books。
　The　microphones　were　placed　before　him　and　the　camera　lights　adjusted；　and　finally　an　attractive　lady　from　Memphis　with　streaks　of　bright　orange　across　her　forehead　and　under　her　eyes　cleared　her　throat　and　asserted　herself。　〃Mr。　Brigance；　you　represent　Carl　Lee　Hailey？〃
　〃Yes；　I　do。〃
　〃And　he's　been　charged　with　the　murders　of　Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　Pete　Willard？〃
　〃That's　correct。〃
　〃And　Cobb　and　Willard　were　charged　with　raping　Mr。　Hailey's　daughter？〃
　〃Yes；　that's　correct。〃
　〃Does　Mr。　Hailey　deny　killing　Cobb　and　Willard？〃
　〃He　will　plead　not　guilty　to　the　charges。〃
　〃Will　he　be　charged　for　the　shooting　of　the　deputy；　Mr。　Looney？〃
　〃Yes。　We　anticipate　a　third　charge　of　aggravated　assault　against　the　officer。〃
　〃Do　you　anticipate　a　defense　of　insanity？〃
　〃I'm　not　willing　to　discuss　the　defense　at　this　time　because　he　has　not　been　indicted。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　there's　a　chance　he　may　not　be　indicted？〃
　A　fat　pitch；　one　Jake　was　hoping　for。　The　grand　jury　would　either　indict　him　or　not；　and　the　grand　jurors　would　not　be　selected　until　Circuit　Court　convened　on　Monday；　May　27。　So　the　future　members　of　the　grand　jury　were　walking　the　streets　of　Clanton；　tending　their　shops；　working　in　the　factories；　cleaning　house；　reading　newspapers；　watching　TV；　and　discussing　whether　or　not　he　should　be　indicted。
　〃Yes；　I　think　there's　a　chance　he　may　not　be　indicted。　It's　up　to　the　grand　jury；　or　will　be　after　the　preliminary　hearing。〃
　〃When's　the　preliminary　hearing？〃
　〃Tomorrow。　Two　P。M。〃
　〃You're　assuming　Judge　Bullard　will　bind　him　over　to　the　grand　jury？〃
　〃That's　a　pretty　safe　assumption；〃　replied　Jake；　knowing　Bullard　would　be　thrilled　with　the　answer。
　〃When　will　the　grand　jury　meet？〃
　〃A　new　grand　jury　will　be　sworn　in　Monday　morning。　It　could　look　at　the　case　by　Monday　afternoon。〃
　〃When　do　you　anticipate　a　trial？〃
　〃Assuming　he's　indicted；　the　case　could　be　tried　in　late　summer　or　early　fall。〃
　〃Which　court？〃
　〃Circuit　Court　of　Ford　County。〃
　〃Who　would　be　the　judge？〃
　〃Honorable　Omar　Noose。〃
　〃Where's　he　from？〃
　〃Chester；　Mississippi。　Van　Buren　County。〃
　〃You　mean　the　case　will　be　tried　here　in　Clanton？〃
　〃Yes；　unless　venue　is　changed。〃
　〃Will　you　request　a　change　of　venue？〃
　〃Very　good　question；　and　one　I'm　not　prepared　to　answer　at　this　time。　It's　a　bit　premature　to　talk　defense　strat…
　egy。〃
　〃Why　would　you　want　a　change　of　venue？〃
　To　find　a　blacker　county；　Jake　thought。　He　answered　thoughtfully；　〃The　usual　reasons。　Pretrial　publicity；　etc。〃
　〃Who　makes　the　decision　to　change　venue？〃
　〃Judge　Noose。　The　decision　is　within　his　sole　discretion。〃
　〃Has　bond　been　set？〃
　〃No；　and　it　probably　won't　be　until　after　the　indictments　e　down。　He's　entitled　to　a　reasonable　bond　now；　but　as　a　matter　of　practice　in　this　county　bonds　are　not　set　in　capital　murder　cases　until　after　the　indictment　and　arraignment　in　Circuit　Court。　At　that　point　the　bond　will　be　set　by　Judge　Noose。〃
　〃What　can　you　tell　us　about　Mr。　Hailey？〃
　Jake　relaxed　and　reflected　a　minute　while　the　cameras　continued。　Another　fat　pitch；　with　a　golden　chance　to　plant　some　seeds。　〃He's　thirty…seven　years　old。　Married　to　the　same　woman　for　twenty　years。　Four　kids…three　boys　and　a　girl。　Nice　guy　with　a　clean　record。　Never　been　in　trouble　before。　Decorated　in　Vietnam。　Works　fifty　hours　a　week　at　the　paper　mill　in　Coleman。　Pays　his　bills　and　owns　a　little　land；　does　to　church　every　Sunday　with　his　family。　Minds　his　own　business　and　expects　to　be　left　alone。〃
　〃Will　you　allow　us　to　talk　to　him？〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃
　〃Wasn't　his　brother　tried　for　murder　several　years　ago？〃
　〃He　was；　and　he　was　acquitted。〃
　〃You　were　his　attorney？〃
　〃Yes；　I　was。〃
　〃You've　handled　several　murder　trials　in　Ford　County；　haven't　you？〃
　〃Three。〃
　〃How　many　acquittals？〃
　〃All　of　them；〃　he　answered　slowly。
　〃Doesn't　the　jury　have　several　options　in　Mississippi？〃　asked　the　lady　from　Memphis。
　〃That's　right。　With　a　capital　murder　indictment；　the　jury
　at　trial　can　find　the　defendant　guilty　of　manslaughter；　which　carries　twenty　years；　or　capital　murder；　which　carries　life　or　death　as　determined　by　the　jury。　And　the　jury　can　find　the　defendant　not　guilty。〃　Jake　smiled　at　the　cameras。　〃Again；　you're　assuming　he'll　be　indicted。〃
　〃How's　the　Hailey　girl？〃
　〃She's　at　home。　Went　home　Sunday。　She's　expected　to　be　fine。〃
　The　reporters　looked　at　each　other　and　searched　for　other　questions。　Jake　knew　this　was　the　dangerous　part；　when　they　ran　out　of　things　to　ask　and　began　serving　up　screwball　questions。
　He　stood　and　buttoned　his　coat。　〃Look；　I　appreciate　you　folks　stopping　by。　I'm　usually　available；　just　give　a　little　more　notice；　and　I'll　be　glad　to　talk　to　you　anytime。〃
　They　thanked　him　and　left。
　At　ten　Wednesday　morning；　in　a　no…frills　double　service　at　the　funeral　home；　the　rednecks　buried　their　dead。　The　minister；　a　freshly　ordained　Pentecostal；　struggled　desperately　for　forting　and　reassuring　thoughts　to　lay　upon　the　small　crowd　and　over　the　two　closed　caskets。　The　service　was　brief　with　few　tears。
　The　pickups　and　dirty　Chevrolets　moved　slowly　behind　the　single　hearse　as　the　procession　left　town　and　crawled　into　the　country。　They　parked　behind　a　small　red　brick　church。　The　bodies　were　laid　to　rest　one　at　a　time　at　opposite　ends　of　the　tiny；　overgrown　cemetery。　After　a　few　additional　words　of　inspiration；　the　crowd　dispersed。
　Cobb's　parents　had　divorced　when　he　was　small；　and　his　father　drove　from　Birmingham　for　the　funeral。　After　the　burial　he　disappeared。　Mrs。　Cobb　lived　in　a　small；　clean　white　frame　house　near　the　settlement　of　Lake　Village；　ten　miles　south　of　Clanton。　Her　other　two　sons　and　their　cousins　and　friends　gathered　under　an　oak　tree　in　the　backyard　while　the　women　made　a　fuss　over　Mrs。　Cobb。　The　men　talked　about　niggers　in　general；　and　chewed　Red　Man　and　sipped　whiskey；　and　reminisced　about　the　other　days　when　niggers　knew　their　place。　Now　they　were　just　pampered　and　protected　by　the　government　and　courts。　And　there　was
　nothing　white　people　could　do。　One　cousin　knew　a　friend　or　someone　who　used　to　be　active　in　the　Klan；　and　he　might　give　him　a　call。　Cobb's　grandfather　had　been　in　the　Klan　long　before　his　death；　the　cousin　explained；　and　when　he　and　Billy　Ray　were　kids　the　old　man　would　tell　stories　about　hanging　niggers　in　Ford　and　Tyler　counties。　What　they　should　do　was　the　same　thing　the　nigger　had　done；　but　there　were　no　volunteers。　Maybe　the　Klan　would　be　interested。　There　was　a　chapter　farther　down　south　near　Jackson；　near　Nettles　County；　and　the　cousin　was　authorized　to　contact　them。
　The　women　prepared　lunch。　The　men　ate　quietly；　then　returned　to　the　whiskey　under　the　shade　tree。　The　nigger's　hearing　at　2：00　P。M。　was　mentioned；　and　they　loaded　up　and　drove　to　Clanton。
　There　was　a　Clanton　before　the　killings；　and　there　was　a　Clanton　after　the　killings；　and　it　would　be　months　before　the　two　resembled　each　other。　One　tragic；　bloody　event；　the　duration　of　which　was　less　than　fifteen　seconds；　transformed　the　quiet　Southern　town　of　eight　thousand　into　a　mecca　for　journalists；　reporters；　camera　crews；　photographers；　some　from　neighboring　towns；　others　from　the　national　news　organizations。　Cameramen　and　TV　reporters　bumped　into　one　another　on　the　sidewalks　around　the　square　as　they　asked　the　man　in　the　street　for　the　hundredth　time　how　he　or　she　felt　about　the　Hailey　event　and　how　he　or　she　would　vote　if　he　or　she　was　on　the　jury。　There　was　no　clear　verdict　from　the　man　on　the　street。　Television　vans　followed　small；　marked；　imported　television　cars　around　the　square　and　down　the　streets　chasing　leads；　stories；　and　interviews。　Ozzie　was　a　favorite　at　first。　He　was　interviewed　a　half　dozen　times　the　day　after　the　shooting；　then　found　other　business　and　delegated　the　interviewing　to　Moss　Junior；　who　enjoyed　bantering　with　the　press。　He　could　answer　twenty　questions　and　not　divulge　one　new　detail。　He　also　lied　a　lot；　and　the　ignorant　foreigners　could　not　tell　his　lies　from　his　truth。
　〃Sir；　is　there　any　evidence　of　additional　gunmen？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Really！　Who？〃
　〃We　have　evidence　that　the　shootin's　were　authorized　an