jg.atimetokill-第30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！


　the　Hailey　case　would　be　presented　that　afternoon。　In　fact；　he　was　calling　a　press　conference　for　4：00　P。M。　on　the　front　steps　of　the　courthouse；　and　he　would　have　the　indictments　at　that　time。
　After　lunch；　the　chief　of　the　Karaway　Police　Department　sat　at　one　end　of　the　long　table　and　shuffled　nervously　through　his　files。　He　avoided　looking　at　the　grand　jurors；　who　anxiously　awaited　their　first　case。
　〃State　your　name！〃　barked　the　D。A。
　〃Chief　Nolan　Earnhart；　Karaway　City　Police。〃
　〃How　many　cases　do　you　have；　Chief？〃
　〃We　have　five　from　Karaway。〃
　〃Let's　hear　the　first　one。〃
　〃Okay；　let's　see；　all　right；〃　the　chief　mumbled　and　stuttered　as　he　flipped　through　his　paperwork。　〃Okay；　the　first　case　is　Fedison　Bulow；　male　black；　age　twenty…five；　got　caught　red…handed　in　the　rear　of　Griffin's　Feed　Store　in　Karaway　at　two　o'clock　in　the　mornin'；　April　12。　Silent　alarm　went　off　and　we　caught　him　in　the　store。　Cash　register　had　been　broken　into；　and　some　fertilizer　was　gone。　We　found　the　cash　and　the　goods　in　a　car　registered　in　his　name　parked　behind　the　store。　He　gave　a　three…page　confession　at　the　jail；　and　I've　got　copies　here。〃
　Buckley　walked　casually　around　the　room　smiling　at　everyone。　〃And　you　want　this　grand　jury　to　indict　Fedison　Bulow　on　one　count　of　breaking　and　entering　a　mercial　building；　and　one　count　of　grand　larceny？〃　Buckley　asked　helpfully。
　〃Yes；　sir；　that's　right。〃
　〃Now；　members　of　the　grand　jury；　you　have　the　right　to　ask　any　questions。　This　is　your　hearing。　Any　questions？〃
　〃Yes；　does　he　have　a　record？〃　asked　Mack　Loyd　Crow…ell；　an　unemployed　truck　driver。
　〃No；〃　replied　the　chief。　〃This　is　his　first　offense。〃
　〃Good　question；　always　ask　that　question　because　if　they　have　prior　records　we　may　need　to　indict　them　as　habitual　criminals；〃　lectured　Buckley。　〃Any　more　questions？　None？　Good。　Now　at　this　point；　someone　needs　to　make　a　motion　that　the　grand　jury　return　a　true　bill　of　indictment　against　Fedison　Bulow。〃
　Silence。　The　eighteen　stared　at　the　table　and　waited　for　someone　else　to　make　a　motion。　Buckley　waited。　Silence。　This　is　great；　he　thought。　A　soft　grand　jury。　A　bunch　of　timid　souls　afraid　to　speak。　Liberals。　Why　couldn't　he　have　a　bloodthirsty　grand　jury　eager　to　make　motions　to　indict　everybody　for　everything？
　〃Mrs。　Gossett；　would　you　like　to　make　the　first　motion；　since　you're　the　foreman？〃
　〃I　so　move；〃　she　said。
　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Buckley。　〃Now　let's　vote。　How　many　vote　to　indict　Fedison　Bulow　on　one　count　of　breaking　and
　entering　a　mercial　building　and　one　count　of　grand　larceny？　Raise　your　hands。〃
　Eighteen　hands　went　up；　and　Buckley　was　relieved。
　The　chief　presented　the　other　four　cases　from　Karaway。　Each　involved　defendants　equally　guilty　as　Bulow；　and　each　received　unanimous　true　bills。　Buckley　slowly　taught　the　grand　jury　how　to　operate　itself。　He　made　them　feel　important；　powerful；　and　laden　with　the　heavy　burden　of　justice。　They　became　inquisitive：
　〃Does　he　have　a　record？〃
　〃How　much　time　does　that　carry？〃
　〃When　will　he　get　out？〃
　〃How　many　counts　can　we　give　him？〃
　〃When　will　he　be　tried？〃
　〃Is　he　out　of　jail　now？〃
　With　five　indictments　out　of　the　way；　with　five　true　bills　and　no　dissension；　with　the　grand　jury　eager　for　the　next　case；　whatever　it　might　be；　Buckley　decided　the　mood　was　ripe。　He　opened　the　door　and　motioned　for　Ozzie；　who　was　standing　in　the　hall　talking　quietly　with　a　deputy　and　watching　the　reporters。
　〃Present　Hailey　first；〃　Buckley　whispered　as　the　two　met　in　the　door。
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　is　Sheriff　Walls。　I'm　sure　most　of　you　know　him。　He　has　several　cases　to　present。　What's　first；　Sheriff？〃
　Ozzie　scrambled　through　his　files；　lost　whatever　he　was　looking　for；　and　finally　blurted；　〃Carl　Lee　Hailey。〃
　The　jurors　became　quiet　again。　Buckley　watched　them　closely　to　gauge　their　reactions。　Most　of　them　stared　at　the　table　again。　No　one　spoke　while　Ozzie　reviewed　the　file；　then　excused　himself　to　get　another　briefcase。　He　had　not　planned　to　present　the　Hailey　case　first。
　Buckley　prided　himself　on　reading　jurors；　of　watching　their　faces　and　knowing　precisely　their　thoughts。　He　watched　the　jury　constantly　during　a　trial；　always　predicting　to　himself　what　each　was　thinking。　He　would　cross…examine　a　witness　and　never　take　his　eyes　off　the　jury。　He　would　sometimes　stand　and　face　the　jury　box　and　interrogate　a　witness　and　watch　the　faces　react　to　the　answers。　After　hundreds　of　trials　he　was　good　at　reading　jurors；　and　he　knew
　instantly　he　was　in　trouble　with　Hailey。　The　five　blacks　grew　tense　and　arrogant　as　if　they　weled　the　case　and　the　inevitable　argument。　The　foreman；　Mrs。　Gossett；　looked　particularly　pious　as　Ozzie　mumbled　to　himself　and　flipped　papers。　Most　of　the　whites　looked　nonmittal；　but　Mack　Loyd　Crowell；　a　hard…looking　middle…aged　rural　type；　appeared　as　arrogant　as　the　blacks。　Crowell　pushed　back　his　chair　and　walked　to　the　window；　which　looked　over　the　north　side　of　the　courtyard。　Buckley　could　not　read　him　precisely；　but　he　knew　Crowell　was　trouble。
　〃Sheriff；　how　many　witnesses　do　you　have　for　the　Hailey　case？〃　Buckley　asked；　somewhat　nervously。
　Ozzie　stopped　shuffling　paper　and　said；　〃Well；　uh；　just　me。　We　can　get　another　if　we　need　one。〃
　〃All　right；　all　right；〃　replied　Buckley。　〃Just　tell　us　about　the　case。〃
　Ozzie　reared　back；　crossed　his　legs；　and　said；　〃Shoot；　Rufus；　everbody　knows　about　this　case。　Been　on　TV　for　a　week。〃
　〃Just　give　us　the　evidence。〃
　〃The　evidence。　Okay；　one　week　ago　today；　Carl　Lee　Hailey；　male　black；　age　thirty…seven；　shot　and　killed　one　Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　one　Pete　Willard；　and　he　shot　a　peace　officer；　one　DeWayne　Looney；　who's　still　in　the　hospital　with　his　leg　cut　off。　The　weapon　was　an　M…16　machine　gun；　illegal；　which　we　recovered　and　matched　the　fingerprints　with　those　of　Mr。　Hailey。　I　have　an　affidavit　signed　by　Deputy　Looney；　and　he　states；　under　oath；　that　the　man　who　did　the　shootin'　was　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　There　was　an　eyewitness；　Murphy；　the　little　crippled　man　that　sweeps　the　courthouse　and　stutters　real　bad。　I　can　get　him　here　if　you　want。〃
　〃Any　questions？〃　interrupted　Buckley。
　The　D。A。　nervously　watched　the　jurors；　who　nervously　watched　the　sheriff。　Crowell　stood　with　his　back　to　the　others；　looking　through　the　window。
　〃Any　questions？〃　Buckley　repeated。
　〃Yeah；〃　answered　Crowell　as　he　turned　and　glared　at　the　D。A。；　then　at　Ozzie。　〃Those　two　boys　he　shot；　they　raped　his　little　girl；　didn't　they；　Sheriff？〃
　〃We're　pretty　sure　they　did；〃　answered　Ozzie。
　〃Well；　one　confessed；　didn't　he？〃
　〃Yep。〃
　Crowell　walked　slowly；　boldly；　arrogantly　across　the　room；　and　stood　at　the　other　end　of　the　tables。　He　looked　down　at　Ozzie。　〃You　got　kids；　Sheriff？〃
　〃Yep。〃
　〃You　got　a　little　girl？〃
　〃Yep。〃
　〃Suppose　she　got　raped　and　you　got　your　hands　on　the　man　who　did　it。　What　would　you　do？〃
　Ozzie　paused　and　looked　anxiously　at　Buckley；　whose　neck　had　turned　a　deep　red。
　〃I　don't　have　to　answer　that；〃　Ozzie　replied。
　〃Is　that　so。　You　came　before　this　grand　jury　to　testify；　didn't　you？　You're　a　witness；　ain't　you？　Answer　the　question。〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　I'd　do。〃
　〃e　on；　Sheriff。　Give　us　a　straight　answer。　Tell　the　truth。　What　would　you　do？〃
　Ozzie　felt　embarrassed；　confused；　and　angry　at　this　stranger。　He　would　like　to　tell　the　truth；　and　explain　in　detail　how　he　would　gladly　castrate　and　mutilate　and　kill　any　pervert　who　touched　his　little　girl。　But　he　couldn't。　The　grand　jury　might　agree　and　refuse　to　indict　Carl　Lee。　Not　that　he　wanted　him　indicted；　but　he　knew　the　indictment　was　necessary。　He　looked　sheepishly　at　Buckley；　who　was　perspiring　and　seated　now。
　Crowell　zeroed　in　on　the　sheriff　with　the　zeal　and　fervor　of　a　lawyer　who　had　just　caught　a　witness　in　an　obvious　lie。
　〃e　on；　Sheriff；〃　he　taunted。　〃We're　all　listenin'。　Tell　the　truth。　What　would　you　do　to　the　rapist？　Tell　us。　e　on。〃
　Buckley　was　near　panic。　The　biggest　case　of　his　wonderful　career　was　about　to　be　lost；　not　at　trial；　but　in　the　grand　jury　room；　in　the　first　round；　at　the　hands　of　an　unemployed　truck　driver。　He　stood　and　struggled　for　words。　〃The　witness　does　not　have　to　answer。〃
　Crowell　turned　and　shouted　at　Buckley；　〃You　sit　down　and