jg.atimetokill-第42部分

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　〃Wait　a　minute；　hayseed…〃
　〃No；　you　wait　a　minute；　counselor。　This　may　e　as　a　surprise　to　you；　but　in　this　state　we　have　ethics　and　laws　against　soliciting　litigation　and　clients。　Champerty…ever　hear　of　it？　Of　course　not。　It's　a　felony　in　Mississippi；　as　in　most　states。　We　have　canons　of　ethics　that　prohibit　ambulance　chasing　and　solicitation。　Ethics；　Mr。　Shark；　ever　hear　of　them？〃
　〃I　don't　chase　cases；　sonny。　They　e　to　me。〃
　〃Like　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　I'm　supposed　to　believe　he　picked　your　name　out　of　the　yellow　pages。　I'm　sure　you　have　a　full…page　ad；　next　to　the　abortionists。〃
　〃He　was　referred　to　me。〃
　〃Yeah；　by　your　pimp。　I　know　exactly　how　you　got　him。　Outright　solicitation。　I　may　file　a　plaint　with　the　bar。　Better　yet；　I　might　have　your　methods　reviewed　by　the　grand　jury。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　understand　you　and　the　D。A。　are　real　close。　Good　day；　counselor。〃
　Marsharfsky　got　the　last　word　before　he　hung　up。　Jake　fumed　for　an　hour　before　he　could　concentrate　on　the　brief　he　was　writing。　Lucien　would　have　been　proud　of　him。
　Just　before　lunch　Jake　received　a　call　from　Walter　Sullivan；　of　the　Sullivan　firm。
　〃Jake；　my　boy；　how　are　you？〃
　〃Wonderful。〃
　〃Good。　Listen；　Jake；　Bo　Marsharfsky　is　an　old　friend　of　mine。　We　defended　a　couple　of　bank　officials　years　ago　on　fraud　charges。　Got　them　off；　too。　He's　quite　a　lawyer。　He's　associated　me　as　local　counsel　for　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　I　was　just　wanting　to　know…〃
　Jake　dropped　the　receiver　and　walked　out　of　his　office。　He　spent　the　afternoon　on　Lucien's　front　porch。
　Gwen　did　not　have　Lester's　number。　Neither　did　Ozzie；　nor　did　anyone　else。　The　operator　said　there　were　two　pages　of　Haileys　in　the　Chicago　phone　book；　at　least　a　dozen　Lester　Haileys；　and　several　L。　S。's。　Jake　asked　for　the　first　five　Lester　Haileys　and　called　each　one。　They　were　all　white。　He　called　Tank　Scales；　the　owner　of　one　of　the　safer　and　finer　black　honky　tonks　in　the　county。　Tank's　Tonk；　as　it　was　known。　Lester　was　especially　fond　of　the　place。　Tank　was　a　client　and　often　provided　Jake　with　valuable　and　confidential　information　on　various　blacks；　their　dealings　and　whereabouts。
　Tank　stopped　by　the　office　Tuesday　morning　on　the　way　to　the　bank。
　〃Have　you　seen　Lester　Hailey　in　the　past　two　weeks？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃Sure。　Spent　several　days　at　the　place　shootin'　pool；　drinkin'　beer。　Went　back　to　Chicago　last　weekend；　I　heard。　Must've；　I　didn't　see　him　all　weekend。〃
　〃Who　was　he　with？〃
　〃Hisself　mostly。〃
　〃What　about　Iris？〃
　〃Yeah；　he　brung　her　a　couple　of　times　when　Henry　was　outta　town。　Makes　me　nervous　when　he　brings　her。　Henry's　a　bad　dude。　He'd　cut　them　both　if　he　knew　they's　datin'。〃
　〃They've　been　doing　it　for　ten　years；　Tank。〃
　〃Yeah；　sh；e　got　two　kids　by　Lester。　Everbody　knows　it　but　Henry。　Poor　old　Henry。　He'll　find　out　one　day；　and　you'll　have　another　murder　case。〃
　〃Listen；　Tank；　can　you　talk　to　Iris？〃
　〃She　don't　e　in　too　often。〃
　〃That's　not　what　I　asked。　I　need　Lester's　phone　number　in　Chicago。　I　figure　Iris　knows　it。〃
　〃I'm　sure　she　does。　I　think　he　sends　her　money。〃
　〃Can　you　get　it　for　me？　I　need　to　talk　to　Lester。〃
　〃Sure；　Jake。　If　she's　got　it；　I'll　get　it。〃
　By　Wednesday　Jake's　office　had　returned　to　normal。　Clients　began　to　reappear。　Ethel　was　especially　sweet；　or　as　sweet　as　possible　for　a　cranky　old　nag。　He　went　through　the　motions　of　practicing　law；　but　the　pain　showed。　He　skipped　the　Coffee　Shop　each　morning　and　avoided　the　courthouse　by　making　Ethel　do　the　filing　or　checking　or　whatever　business　required　his　presence　across　the　street。　He　was　embarrassed；　humiliated；　and　troubled。　It　was　difficult　to　concentrate　on　other　cases。　He　contemplated　a　long　vacation；　but　couldn't　afford　it。　Money　was　tight；　and　he　was　not　motivated　to　work。　He　spent　most　of　his　time　in　his　office　doing　little　but　watching　the　courthouse　and　the　town　square　below。
　He　dwelt　on　Carl　Lee；　sitting　in　his　cell　a　few　blocks　away；　and　asked　himself　a　thousand　times　why　he　had　been　betrayed。　He　had　pushed　too　hard　for　money；　and　forgot　there　were　other　lawyers　willing　to　take　the　case　for　free。　He　hated　Marsharfsky。　He　recalled　the　many　times　he　had　seen　Marsharfsky　parade　in　and　out　of　Memphis　courtrooms　proclaiming　the　innocence　and　mistreatment　of　his　pitiful；　oppressed　clients。　Dope　dealers；　pimps；　crooked　politicians；　and　slimy　corporate　thugs。　All　guilty；　all　deserving　of　long　prison　terms；　or　perhaps　even　death。　He　was　a　yankee；　with　an　obnoxious　twang　from　somewhere　in　the　upper　Midwest。　It　would　irritate　anybody　south　of　Memphis。　An　acplished　actor；　he　would　look　directly　into　the　cameras　and　whine：　〃My　client　has　been　horribly　abused　by　the　Memphis　police。〃　Jake　had　seen　it　a　dozen　times。　〃My　client　is　pletely；　totally；　absolutely　innocent。　He　should　not　be　on　trial。　My　client　is　a　model　citizen；　a　taxpayer。〃　What　about　his　four　prior　convictions　for　extortion？　〃He　was　framed　by　the　FBI。　Set　up　by　the　government。　Besides；　he's　paid　his　debt。　He's　innocent　this　time。〃　Jake　hated　him；　and　to　his　recollection；　he　had　lost　as　many　as　he　had　won。
　By　Wednesday　afternoon；　Marsharfsky　had　not　been　seen　in　Clanton。　Ozzie　promised　to　notify　Jake　if　he　showed　up　at　the　jail。
　Circuit　Court　would　be　in　session　until　Friday；　and　it　would　be　respectful　to　meet　briefly　with　Judge　Noose　and　explain　the　circumstances　of　his　departure　from　the　case。　His　Honor　was　presiding　over　a　civil　case；　and　there　was　a
　good　chance　Buckley　would　be　absent。　He　had　。to　be　absent。　He　could　not　be　seen　or　heard。
　Noose　usually　recessed　for　ten　minutes　around　three…thirty；　and　precisely　at　that　time　Jake　entered　chambers　through　the　side　door。　He　had　not　been　seen。　He　sat　patiently　by　the　window　waiting　for　Ichabod　to　descend　from　the　bench　and　stagger　into　the　room。　Five　minutes　later　the　door　flung　open；　and　His　Honor　walked　in。
　〃Jake；　how　are　you？〃　he　asked。
　〃Fine；　Judge。　Can　I　have　a　minute？〃　Jake　asked　as　he　closed　the　door。
　〃Sure；　sit　down。　What's　on　your　mind？〃　Noose　removed　his　robe；　threw　it　over　a　chair；　and　lay　on　top　of　the　desk；　knocking　off　books；　files；　and　the　telephone　in　the　process。　Once　his　gawky　frame　had　ceased　moving；　he　slowly　folded　his　hands　over　his　stomach；　closed　his　eyes；　and　breathed　deeply。　〃It's　my　back；　Jake。　My　doctor…tells　me　to　rest　on　a　hard　surface　when　possible。〃
　〃Uh；　sure；　Judge。　Should　I　leave？〃
　〃No；　no。　What's　on　your　mind？〃
　〃The　Hailey　case。〃
　〃I　thought　so。　I　saw　your　motion。　Found　a　new　lawyer；　huh？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　had　no　idea　it　was　ing。　I　expected　to　try　the　case　in　July。〃
　〃You　owe　no　apologies；　Jake。　The　motion　to　withdraw　will　be　granted。　It's　not　your　fault。　Happens　all　the　time。　Who's　the　new　guy　Marsharfsky？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　From　Memphis。〃
　〃With　a　name　like　that　he　should　be　a　hit　in　Ford　County。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Almost　as　bad　as　Noose；　thought　Jake。
　〃He　has　no　Mississippi　license；〃　Jake　explained；　helpfully。
　〃That's　interesting。　Is　he　familiar　with　our　procedure？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　he's　ever　tried　a　case　in　Mississippi。　He　told　me　he　normally　associates　a　local　boy　when　he's　out　in　the　country。〃
　〃In　the　country？〃
　〃That's　what　he　said。〃
　〃Well；　he'd　better　associate　if　he　es　into　my　court。
　I've　had　some　bad　experiences　with　out…of…state　attorneys；　especially　from　Memphis。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　Noose　was　breathing　harder；　and　Jake　decided　to　leave。　〃Judge；　I　need　to　go。　If　I　don't　see　you　in　July；　I'll　see　you　during　the　August　term　of　court。　Take　care　of　your　back。〃
　〃Thanks；　Jake。　Take　care。〃
　Jake　almost　made　it　to　the　rear　door　of　the　small　office　when　the　main　door　from　the　courtroom　opened　and　the　Honorable　L。　Winston　Lotterhouse　and　another　hatchet　man　from　the　Sullivan　firm　strutted　into　chambers。
　〃Well；　hello；　Jake；〃　Lotterhouse　announced。　〃You　know　K。　Peter　Otter；　our　newest　associate。〃
　〃Nice　to　meet　you　K。　Peter；〃　replied　Jake。
　〃Are　we　interrupting　anything？〃
　〃No；　I　was　just　leaving。　Judge　Noose　is　resting　his　back；　and　I　was　on　my　way　out。〃
　〃Sit　down；　gentlemen；〃　Noose　said。
　Lotterhouse　smelled　blood。　〃Say；　Jake；　I'm　sure　Walter　Sullivan　has　informed　you　that　our　firm　will　serve　as　local　counsel　for　Carl　Lee　Hailey。〃
　〃I　have　heard。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　it　happened　to　you。〃
　〃You