jg.atimetokill-第34部分

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rt　to　distract　from　the　size　and　shape　of　the　nose。　Jake　had　always　suspected　this；　but　lacked　the　courage　to　inform　His　Honor　that　the　ridiculous；　orange…tinted　hexagonal　glasses　diverted　attention　from　everything　else　directly　to　the　nose。
　〃How　long　do　you　anticipate　for　trial；　Jake？〃　Noose　asked。
　〃Three　or　four　days。　But　it　could　take　three　days　to　pick　the　jury。〃
　〃Mr。　Buckley？〃
　〃Sounds　about　right。　But　I　don't　understand　why　it　takes　sixty　days　to　prepare　for　a　three…day　trial。　I　think　it　should　be　tried　sooner。〃
　〃Relax；　Rufus；〃　Jake　said　calmly。　〃The　cameras　will　be　here　in　sixty　days；　even　ninety　days。　They　won't　forget　about　you。　You　can　give　interviews；　hold　press　conferences；　preach　sermons；　everything。　The　works。　But　don't　worry　so　much。　You'll　get　your　chance。〃
　Buckley's　eyes　narrowed　and　his　face　reddened。　He　took　three　steps　in　Jake's　direction。　〃If　I'm　not　mistaken；　Mr。　Brigance；　you've　given　more　interviews　and　seen　more　cameras　than　I　have　during　the　past　week。〃
　〃I　know；　and　you're　jealous；　aren't　you？〃
　〃No；　I'm　not　jealous！　I　don't　care　about　the　cameras…〃
　〃Since　when？〃
　〃Gentlemen；　please；〃　Noose　interrupted。　〃This　promises　to　be　a　long；　emotional　case。　I　expect　my　attorneys　to　act　like　professionals。　Now；　my　calendar　is　congested。　The　only
　opening　I　have　is　the　week　of　July　22。　Does　that　present　a　problem？〃
　〃We　can　try　it　that　week；〃　said　Musgrove。
　Jake　smiled　at　Buckley　and　flipped　through　his　pocket　calendar。　〃Looks　good　to　me。〃
　〃Fine。　All　motions　must　be　filed　and　pretrial　matters　disposed　of　by　Monday；　July　8。　Arraignment　is　set　for　tomorrow　at　nine。　Any　questions？〃
　Jake　stood　and　shook　hands　with　Noose　and　Musgrove；　and　left。
　After　lunch　he　visited　his　famous　client　in　Ozzie's　office　at　the　jail。　A　copy　of　the　indictment　had　been　served　on　Carl　Lee　in　his　cell。　He　had　some　questions　for　his　lawyer。
　〃What's　capital　murder？〃
　〃The　worst　kind。〃
　〃How　many　kinds　are　there？〃
　〃Basically　three。　Manslaughter；　regular　murder；　and　capital　murder。〃
　〃What's　manslaughter？〃
　〃Twenty　years。〃
　〃What's　regular　murder？〃
　〃Twenty　to　life。〃
　〃What's　capital　murder？〃
　〃Gas　chamber。〃
　〃What's　aggravated　assault　on　an　officer？〃
　〃Life。　No　parole。〃
　Carl　Lee　studied　the　indictment　carefully。　〃You　mean　I　got　two　gas　chambers　and　a　life　sentence。〃
　〃Not　yet。　You're　entitled　to　a　trial　first。　Which；　by　the　way；　has　been　set　for　July　22。〃
　〃That's　two　months　away！　Why　so　long？〃
　〃We　need　the　time。　It'll　take　that　long　to　find　a　psychiatrist　who'll　say　you　were　crazy。　Then　Buckley　gets　to　send　you　to　Whitfield　to　be　examined　by　the　State's　doctors；　and　they'll　all　say　you　were　not　crazy　at　the　time。　We　file　motions；　Buckley　files　motions；　we　have　a　bunch　of　hearings。　It　takes　time。〃
　〃No　way　to　have　it　sooner？〃
　〃We　don't　want　it　sooner。〃
　〃What　if　I　do？〃　Carl　Lee　snapped。
　Jake　studied　him　carefully。　〃What's　the　matter；　Dig　man？〃
　〃I　gotta　get　outta　here；　and　fast。〃
　〃I　thought　you　said　jail　wasn't　so　bad。〃
　〃It　ain't；　but　I　need　to　get　home。　Gwen's　outta　money；　can't　find　a　job。　Lester's　in　trouble　with　his　wife。　She's　callin'　all　the　time；　so　he　won't　last　much　longer。　I　hate　to　ask　my　folk　for　help。〃
　〃But　they　will；　won't　they？〃
　〃Some。　They　got　their　own　problems。　You　gotta　get　me　outta　here；　Jake。〃
　〃Look；　you'll　be　arraigned　in　the　morning　at　nine。　The　trial　is　July　22；　and　the　date　won't　be　changed；　so　forget　about　that。　Have　I　explained　the　arraignment　to　you？〃
　Carl　Lee　shook　his　head。
　〃It　won't　last　twenty　minutes。　We　appear　before　Judge　Noose　in　the　big　courtroom。　He'll　ask　you　some　questions；　then　ask　me　some　questions。　He'll　read　the　indictment　to　you　in　open　court；　and　ask　if　you've　received　a　copy。　Then　he'll　ask　you　to　plead　guilty　or　not　guilty。　When　you　answer　not　guilty；　he'll　set　the　trial　date。　You'll　sit　down；　and　me　and　Buckley　will　get　into　a　big　fight　over　your　bond。　Noose　will　refuse　to　set　a　bond；　then　they'll　bring　you　back　to　the　jail；　where　you'll　stay　until　the　trial。〃
　〃What　about　after　the　trial？〃
　Jake　smiled。　〃Naw；　you　won't　be　in　jail　after　the　trial。〃
　〃You　promise？〃
　〃Nope。　No　promises。　Any　questions　about　tomorrow？〃
　〃No。　Say；　Jake；　uh；　how　much　money　did　I　pay　you？〃
　Jake　hesitated　and　smelled　trouble。　〃Why　do　you　ask？〃
　〃Just　thinkin'。〃
　〃Nine　hundred；　plus　a　note。〃
　Gwen　had　less　than　a　hundred　dollars。　Bills　were　due　and　food　was　low。　She　had　visited　on　Sunday　and　cried　for　an　hour。　Panic　was　a　part　of　her　life；　her　makeup；　her　position。　But　he　knew　they　were　broke　and　she　was　scared。　Her　family　would　be　of　little　help；　maybe　some　vegetables　from　the　garden　and　a　few　bucks　for　milk　and　eggs。　When　it　came　to　funerals　and　hospital　stays　they　were　very　dependable。　They　were　generous　and　gave　of　their　time　freely　to　wail　and　moan　and　put　on　a　show。　But　when　real　money　was
　needed　they　scattered　like　chickens。　He　had　little　use　for　her　family；　and　his　wasn't　much　better。
　He　wanted　to　ask　Jake　for　a　hundred　dollars；　but　decided　to　wait　until　Gwen　was　pletely　broke。　It　would　be　easier　then。
　Jake　flipped　through　his　legal　pad　and　waited　for　Carl　Lee　to　ask　for　money。　Criminal　clients；　especially　the　blacks；　always　asked　for　some　of　the　fee　back　after　it　was　paid。　He　doubted　he　would　ever　see　more　than　nine　hundred　dollars；　and　he　was　not　about　to　return　any。　Besides；　the　blacks　always　took　care　of　their　own。　The　families　would　be　there　and　the　churches　would　get　involved。　No　one　would　starve。
　He　waited　and　placed　the　legal　pad　and　file　in　his　briefcase。　〃Any　questions；　Carl　Lee？〃
　〃Yeah。　What　can　I　say　tomorrow？〃
　〃What　do　you　want　to　say？〃
　〃I　wanna　tell　that　judge　why　I　shot　them　boys。　They　raped　my　daughter。　They　needed　shootin'。〃
　〃And　you　want　to　explain　that　to　the　judge　tomorrow？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃And　you　think　he'll　turn　you　loose　once　you　explain　it　all？〃
　Carl　Lee　said　nothing。
　〃Look；　Carl　Lee；　you　hired　me　to　be　your　lawyer。　And　you　hired　me　because　you　have　confidence　in　me；　right？　And　if　I　want　you　to　say　something　tomorrow；　I'll　tell　you。　If　I　don't；　you　stay　quiet。　When　you　go　to　trial　in　July　you'll　have　the　chance　to　tell　your　side。　But　in　the　meantime；　I'll　do　the　talking。〃
　〃You　got　that　right。〃
　Lester　and　Gwen　piled　the　boys　and　Tonya　in　the　red　Cadillac　and　drove　to　the　doctor's　building　next　to　the　hospital。　The　rape　was　two　weeks　in　the　past。　Tbnya　walked　with　a　slight　limp　and　wanted　to　run　and　climb　steps　with　her　brothers。　But　her　mother　held　her　hand。　The　soreness　in　her　legs　and　buttocks　was　almost　gone；　the　bandages　on　her　wrists　and　ankles　had　been　removed　by　the　doctor　last　week；　and　the　cuts　were　healing　nicely。　The　gauze　and　cotton　between　her　legs　remained。
　In　a　small　room　she　unaressea　anu　sat　HCAI　iu　n^；；　mother　on　a　padded　table。　Her　mother　hugged　her　and　helped　her　stay　warm。　The　doctor　poked　in　her　mouth　and　rubbed　her　jaw。　He　held　her　wrists　and　ankles　and　inspected　them。　He　laid　her　on　the　table　and　touched　between　her　legs。　She　cried　and　clutched　her　mother；　who　leaned　over　her。
　She　was　hurting　again。
　At　five　Wednesday　morning；　Jake　sipped　coffee　in　his　office　and　stared　through　the　French　doors　across　the　dark　courtyard　square。　He　had　slept　fitfully；　and　several　hours　earlier　had　given　up　and　left　his　warm　bed　in　a　desperate　effort　to　find　a　nameless　Georgia　case　that；　as　he　thought　he　remembered　from　law　school；　required　the　judge　to　allow　bail　in　a　capital　murder　case　if　the　defendant　had　no　prior　criminal　record；　owned　property　in　the　county；　had　a　stable　job；　and　had　plenty　of　relatives　nearby。　It　had　not　been　found。　He　did　find　a　battery　of　recent；　well…reasoned；　clear；　and　unambiguous　Mississippi　cases　allowing　the　judge　plete　discretion　in　denying　bail　to　such　defendants。　That　was　the　law　and　Jake　now　knew　it　well；　but　he　needed　something　to　argue　to　Ichabod。　He　dreaded　asking　bail　for　Carl　Lee。　Buckley　would　scream　and　preach　and　cite　those　wonderful　cases；　and　Noose　would　smile　and　listen；　then　deny　bail。　Jake　would　get　his　tail　kicked　in　the　first　skirmish。
　〃You're　here　early　this　morning；　sweetheart；〃　Dell　said　to　her　favorite　customer　as　she　poured　his　coffee。
　〃At　least　I'm　here。〃　He　h