jg.atimetokill-第21部分

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　〃Sir；　is　there　any　evidence　of　additional　gunmen？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Really！　Who？〃
　〃We　have　evidence　that　the　shootin's　were　authorized　and　financed　by　an　offshoot　of　the　Black　Panthers；〃　Moss　Junior　replied　with　a　straight　face。
　Half　the　reporters　would　either　stutter　or　stare　blankly　while　the　other　half　repeated　what　he　said　and　scribbled　furiously。
　Bullard　refused　to　leave　his　office　or　take　calls。　He　called　Jake　again　and　begged　him　to　waive　the　preliminary。　Jake　refused。　Reporters　waited　in　the　lobby　of　Bullard's　office　on　the　first　floor　of　the　courthouse；　but　he　was　safe　with　his　vodka　behind　the　locked　door。
　There　was　a　request　to　film　the　funeral。　The　Cobb　boys　said　yes；　for　a　fee；　but　Mrs。　Willard　vetoed　the　proposal。　The　reporters　waited　outside　the　funeral　home　and　filmed　what　they　could。　Then　they　followed　the　procession　to　the　grave　sites；　and　filmed　the　burials；　and　followed　the　mourners　to　Mrs。　Cobb's；　where　Freddie；　the　oldest；　cursed　them　and　made　them　leave。
　The　Coffee　Shop　on　Wednesday　was　silent。　The　regulars；　including　Jake；　eyed　the　strangers　who　had　invaded　their　sanctuary。　Most　of　them　had　beards；　spoke　with　unusual　accents；　and　did　not　order　grits。
　〃Aren't　you　Mr。　Hailey's　attorney？〃　shouted　one　from　across　the　room。
　Jake　worked　on　his　toast　and　said　nothing。
　〃Aren't　you？　Sir？〃
　〃What　if　I　am？〃　shot　Jake。
　〃Will　he　plead　guilty？〃
　〃I'm　eating　breakfast。〃
　〃Will　he？〃
　〃No　ment。〃
　〃Why　no　ment？〃
　〃No　ment。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃I　don't　ment　during　breakfast。　No　ment。〃
　〃May　I　talk　to　you　later？〃
　〃Yeah；　make　an　appointment。　I　talk　at　sixty　bucks　an　hour。〃
　The　regulars　hooted；　but　the　strangers　were　undaunted。
　Jake　consented　to　an　interview；　without　charge；　with　a　Memphis　paper　Wednesday；　then　barricaded　himself　in　the
　war　room　and　prepared　for　the　preliminary　hearing。　At　noon　he　visited　his　famous　client　at　the　jail。　Carl　Lee　was　rested　and　relaxed。　From　his　cell　he　could　see　the　ing　and　going　of　the　reporters　in　the　parking　lot。
　〃How's　jail？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃Not　that　bad。　Food's　good。　I　eat　with　Ozzie　in　his　office。〃
　〃You　what！〃
　〃Yep。　Play　cards　too。〃
　〃You're　kidding；　Carl　Lee。〃
　〃Nope。　Watch　TV　too。　Saw　you　on　the　news　last　night。　You　looked　real　good。　I'm　gonna　make　you　famous；　Jake；　ain't　I？〃
　Jake　said　nothing。
　〃When　do　I　get　on　TV？　I　mean；　I　did　the　killin'　and　you　and　Ozzie　gettin'　famous　for　it。〃　The　client　was　grinning…　the　lawyer　was　not。
　〃Today；　4n　about　an　hour。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　heard　we's　goin'　to　court。　What　for？〃
　〃Preliminary　hearing。　It's　no　big　deal；　at　least　it's　not　supposed　to　be。　This　one　will　be　different　because　of　the　cameras。〃
　〃What　do　I　say？〃
　〃Nothing！　You　don't　say　a　word　to　anyone。　Not　to　the　judge；　the　prosecutor；　the　reporters；　anyone。　We　just　listen。　We　listen　to　the　prosecutor　and　see　what　kind　of　case　he's　got。　They're　supposed　to　have　an　eyewitness；　and　he　might　testify。　Ozzie　will　testify　and　tell　the　judge　about　the　gun；　the　fingerprints；　and　Looney…〃
　〃How's　Looney？〃
　〃Don't　know。　Worse　than　they　thought。〃
　〃Man；　I　feel　bad　'bout　shootin'　Looney。　I　didn't　even　see　the　man。〃
　〃Well；　they're　going　to　charge　you　with　aggravated　assault　for　shooting　Looney。　Anyway；　the　preliminary　is　just　a　formality。　Its　purpose　is　to　allow　the　judge　to　determine　if　there's　enough　evidence　to　bind　you　over　to　the　grand　jury。　Bullard　always　does　that；　so　it's　just　a　formality。〃
　〃Then　why　do　it？〃
　〃We　could　waive　it；〃　replied　Jake；　thinking　of　all　the
　cameras　he　would　miss。　〃But　I　don't　like　to。　It's　a　good　chance　to　see　what　kind　of　case　the　State　has。〃
　〃Well；　Jake；　I'd　say　they　gotta　pretty　good　case；　wouldn't　you？〃
　〃I　would　think　so。　But　let's　just　listen。　That's　the　strategy　of　a　preliminary　hearing。　Okay？〃
　〃Sounds　good　to　me。　You　talked　to　Gwen　or　Lester　today？〃
　〃No；　I　called　them　Monday　night。〃
　〃They　were　here　yesterday　in　Ozzie's　office。　Said　they'd　be　in　court　today。〃
　〃I　think　everyone　will　be　in　court　today。〃
　Jake　left。　In　the　parking　lot　he　brushed　by　some　of　the　reporters　who　were　awaiting　Carl　Lee's　departure　from　jail。　He　had　no　ments　for　them　and　no　ments　for　the　reporters　waiting　outside　his　office。　He　was　too　busy　at　the　moment　for　questions；　but　he　was　very　aware　of　the　cameras。　At　one…thirty　he　went　to　the　courthouse　and　hid　in　the　law　library　on　the　third　floor。
　Ozzie　and　Moss　Junior　and　the　deputies　watched　the　parking　lot　and　quietly　cursed　the　mob　of　reporters　and　cameramen。　It　was　one　forty…five；　time　to　transport　the　prisoner　to　court。
　〃Kinda　reminds　me　of　a　buncha　vultures　waitin'　for　a　dead　dog　beside　the　highway；〃　Moss　Junior　observed　as　he　gazed　through　the　blinds。
　〃Rudest　buncha　folks　I　ever　saw；〃　added　Prather。　〃Won't　take　no　for　an　answer。　They　expect　the　whole　town　to　cater　to　them。〃
　〃And　that's　only　half　of　them…other　half　s　waitin'　at　the　courthouse。〃
　Ozzie　hadn't　said　much。　One　newspaper　had　criticized　him　for　the　shooting；　implying　the　security　around　the　courthouse　was　intentionally　relaxed。　He　was　tired　of　the　press。　Twice　Wednesday　he　had　ordered　reporters　out　of　the　jail。
　〃I　got　an　idea；〃　he　said。
　〃What？〃　asked　Moss　Junior。
　〃Is　Curtis　Todd　still　in　jail？〃
　〃Yep。　Gets　out　next　week。〃
　〃He　sorta　favors　Carl　Lee；　don't　he？〃
　〃Whatta　you　mean？〃
　〃Well；　I　mean；　he's　'bout　as　black　as　Carl　Lee；　roughly　the　same　height　and　weight；　ain't　he？〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　so　what？〃　asked　Prather。
　Moss　Junior　grinned　and　looked　at　Ozzie；　whose　eyes　never　left　the　window。　〃Ozzie；　you　wouldn't。〃
　〃What？〃　asked　Prather。
　〃Let's　go。　Get　Carl　Lee　and　Curtis　Todd；〃　Ozzie　ordered。　〃Drive　my　car　around　back。　Bring　Todd　here　for　some　instructions。〃
　Ten　minutes　later　the　front　door　of　the　jail　opened　and　a　squad　of　deputies　escorted　the　prisoner　down　the　sidewalk。　Two　deputies　walked　in　front；　two　behind；　and　one　on　each　side　of　the　man　with　the　thick　sunglasses　and　handcuffs；　which　were　not　fastened。　As　they　approached　the　reporters；　the　cameras　clicked　and　rolled。　The　questions　flew：
　〃Sir；　will　you　plead　guilty？〃
　〃Sir；　will　you　plead　not　guilty？〃
　〃Sir；　how　will　you　plead？〃
　〃Mr。　Hailey；　will　you　plead　insanity？〃
　The　prisoner　smiled　and　continued　the　slow　walk　to　the　waiting　patrol　cars。　The　deputies　smiled　grimly　and　ignored　the　mob。　The　photographers　scrambled　about　trying　to　get　the　perfect　shot　of　the　most　famous　vigilante　in　the　country。
　Suddenly；　with　the　nation　watching；　with　deputies　all　around　him；　with　dozens　of　reporters　recording　his　every　move；　the　prisoner　broke　and　ran。　He　jolted；　jumped；　twisted；　and　squirmed；　running　wildly　across　the　parking　lot；　over　a　ditch；　across　the　highway；　into　some　trees　and　out　of　sight。　The　reporters　shouted　and　broke　ranks　and　several　even　chased　him　for　a　moment。　Curiously；　the　deputies　ran　back　to　the　jail　and　slammed　the　door；　leaving　the　vultures　roaming　in　circles　of　disarray。　In　the　woods；　the　prisoner　removed　the　handcuffs　and　walked　home。　Curtis　Todd　had　just　been　paroled　one　week　early。
　Ozzie；　Moss　Junior；　and　Carl　Lee　quickly　left　through　the　rear　of　the　jail　and　drove　down　a　back　street　to　the　courthouse；　where　more　deputies　waited　to　escort　him　into　the　courthouse。
　〃How　many　niggers　out　there？〃　Bullard　screamed　at　Mr。　Pate。
　〃A　ton。〃
　〃Wonderful！　A　ton　of　niggers。　I　guess　there's　a　ton　of　rednecks　too？〃
　〃Quite　a　few。〃
　〃Is　the　courtroom　full？〃
　〃Packed。〃
　〃My　God…it's　only　a　preliminary！〃　Bullard　screamed。　He　finished　a　half　pint　of　vodka　as　Mr。　Pate　handed　him　another　one。
　〃Take　it　easy；　Judge。〃
　〃Brigance。　It's　all　his　fault。　He　could　waive　this　if　he　wanted　to。　I　asked　him　to。　Asked　him　twice。　He　knows　I'll　send　it　to　the　grand　jury。　He　knows　that。　All　lawyers　know　that。　But　now　I　gotta　make　all　the　niggers　mad　because　I　won't　turn　him　loose；　and　I'll　make　all　the　rednecks　mad　because　I　won't　execute　him　today　in　the　courtroom。　I'll　get　Brigance　for　this。　He's　playing　for　the　cameras。　I　have　to　get　reelected；　but　he　doesn't；　does　he？〃
　〃No；　Judge。〃
　〃How　many　officers　out　there？〃
　〃Plenty。　Sheriffs　called　in　the　reserves。　You're　safe。〃
　〃How　about　the　press？〃
　〃They're　lined　up　on　the　front　rows。〃
　〃No　cameras！〃
　〃No　cameras