jg.atimetokill-第50部分

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rybody。　The　boys　run　to　her　bed　and　try　to　help；　but　it　scares　them。　Last　night　she　wouldn't　go　back　to　sleep　unless　the　boys　slept　on　the　floor　next　to　her。　We　all　laid　there　wide　awake　with　the　lights　on。〃
　〃The　boys'll　be　all　right。〃
　〃They　miss　their　daddy。〃
　Carl　Lee　managed　a　forced　smile。　〃It　won't　be　much　longer。〃
　〃You　really　think　so？〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　to　think　anymore。　But　I　don't　plan　to　spend　the　rest　of　my　life　in　jail。　I　hired　Jake　back。〃
　〃When？〃
　〃Yesterday。　That　Memphis　lawyer　never　showed　up；　never　even　called。　I　fired　him　and　hired　Jake　again。〃
　〃But　you　said　Jake　is　too　young。〃
　〃I　was　wrong。　He　is　young；　but　he's　good。　Ask　Lester。〃
　〃It's　your　trial。〃
　Carl　Lee　walked　slowly　around　the　yard；　never　leaving　the　fence。　He　thought　of　the　two　boys；　somewhere　out　there；　dead　and　buried；　their　flesh　rotting　by　now；　their　souls　burning　in　hell。　Before　they　died；　they　met　his　little　girl；　only　briefly；　and　within　two　hours　wrecked　her　little　body　and　ruined　her　mind。　So　brutal　was　their　attack　that　she　could　never　have　children；　so　violent　the　encounter　that　she　now　saw　them　hiding　for　her；　waiting　in　closets。　Could　she　ever　forget　about　it；　block　it　out；　erase　it　from　her　mind　so　her　life　would　be　normal？　Maybe　a　psychiatrist　could　do　that。　Would　other　children　allow　her　to　be　normal？
　She　was　just　a　little　nigger；　they　probably　thought。　Somebody's　little　nigger　kid。　Illegitimate；　of　course；　like　all　of　them。　Rape　would　be　nothing　new。
　He　remembered　them　in　court。　One　proud；　the　other　scared。　He　remembered　them　ing　down　the　stairs　as　he　awaited　the　execution。　Then；　the　looks　of　horror　as　he　stepped　forward　with　the　M…16。　The　sound　of　the　gunfire；　the　cries　for　help；　the　screams　as　they　fell　backward　together；　one　on　top　of　the　other；　handcuffed；　screaming　and　twisting；　going　nowhere。　He　remembered　smiling；　even　laughing；　as　he　watched　them　struggle　with　their　heads　half　blown　away；　and　when　their　bodies　were　still；　he　ran。
　He　smiled　again。　He　was　proud　of　it。　The　first　gook　he　killed　in　Vietnam　had　bothered　him　more。
　The　letter　to　Walter　Sullivan　was　to　the　point：
　Dear　J。　Walter：
　By　now　it's　safe　to　assume　Mr。　Marsharfsky　has　informed　you　that　his　employment　by　Carl　Lee　Hailey　has　been　terminated。　Your　services　as　local　counsel　will；　of　course；　no　longer　be　needed。　Have　a　nice　day。
　Sincerely；　Jake
　A　copy　was　sent　to　L。　Winston　Lotterhouse。　The　letter　to　Noose　was　just　as　short：
　Dear　Judge　Noose：
　Please　be　advised　that　I　have　been　retained　by　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　We　are　preparing　for　trial　on　July　22。　Please　show　me　as　counsel　of　record。
　Sincerely；　Jake
　A　copy　was　sent　to　Buckley。
　Marsharfsky　called　at　nine…thirty　Monday。　Jake　watched　the　hold　button　blink　for　two　minutes　before　he　lifted　the　receiver。　〃Hello。〃
　〃How'd　you　do　it？〃
　〃Who　is　this？〃
　〃Your　secretary　didn't　tell　you？　This　is　Bo　Marsharfsky；　and　I　want　to　know　how　you　did　it。〃
　〃Did　what？〃
　〃Hustled　my　case。〃
　Stay　cool；　thought　Jake。　He's　an　agitator。　〃As　I　recall；　it　was　hustled　from　me；〃　replied　Jake。
　〃I　never　met　him　before　he　hired　me。〃
　〃You　didn't　have　to。　You　sent　your　pimp；　remember？〃
　〃Are　you　accusing　me　of　chasing　cases？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　Marsharfsky　paused　and　Jake　braced　for　the　obscenities。
　〃You　know　something；　Mr。　Brigance；　you're　right。　I　chase　cases　everyday。　I'm　a　pro　at　hustling　cases。　That's　how　I　make　so　much　money。　If　there's　a　big　criminal　case；　I　intend　to　get　it。　And　I'll　use　whatever　method　I　find　necessary。〃
　〃Funny；　that　wasn't　mentioned　in　the　paper。〃
　〃And　if　I　want　the　Hailey　case；　I'll　get　it。〃
　〃e　on　down。〃　Jake　hung　up　and　laughed　for　ten　minutes。　He　lit　a　cheap　cigar；　and　began　working　on　his　motion　for　a　change　of　venue。
　Two　days　later　Lucien　called　and　instructed　Ethel　to　instruct　Jake　to　e　see　him。　It　was　important。　He　had　a　visitor　Jake　needed　to　meet。
　The　visitor　was　Dr。　W。T。　Bass；　a　retired　psychiatrist　from　Jackson。　He　had　known　Lucien　for　years；　and　they　had　collaborated　on　a　couple　of　insane　criminals　during　their　friendship。　Both　of　the　criminals　were　still　in　Parchman。　His　retirement　had　been　one　year　before　the　disbarment　and　had　been　precipitated　by　the　same　thing　that　contributed　heavily　to　the　disbarment；　to　wit；　a　strong　affection　for　Jack　Daniel's。　He　visited　Lucien　occasionally　in　Clanton；　and　Lucien　visited　him　more　frequently　in　Jackson；　and　they　enjoyed　their　visits　because　they　enjoyed　staying　drunk　together。　They　sat　on　the　big　porch　and　waited　on　Jake。
　〃Just　say　he　was　insane；〃　instructed　Lucien。
　〃Was　he？〃　asked　the　doctor。
　〃That's　not　important。〃
　〃What　is　important？〃
　〃It's　important　to　give　the　jury　an　excuse　to　acquit　the　man。　They　won't　care　if　he's　crazy　or　not。　But　they'll　need　some　reason　to　acquit　him。〃
　〃It　would　be　nice　to　examine　him。〃
　〃You　can。　You　can　talk　to　him　all　you　want。　He's　at　the　jail　just　waiting　on　someone　to　talk　to。〃
　〃I'll　need　to　meet　with　him　several　times。〃
　〃I　know　that。〃
　〃What　if　I　don't　think　he　was　insane　at　the　time　of　the　shooting？〃
　〃Then　you　won't　get　to　testify　at　trial；　and　you　won't　get　your　name　and　picture　in　the　paper；　and　you　won't　be　interviewed　on　TV。〃
　Lucien　paused　long　enough　to　take　a　long　drink。　〃Just　do　as　I　say。　Interview　him；　take　a　bunch　of　notes。　Ask　stupid　questions。　You　know　what　to　do。　Then　say　he　was　crazy。〃
　〃I'm　not　so　sure　about　this。　It　hasn't　worked　too　well　in　the　past。〃
　〃Look；　you're　a　doctor；　aren't　you？　Then　act　proud；　vain；　arrogant。　Act　like　a　doctor's　supposed　to　act。　Give　your　opinion　and　dare　anyone　to　question　it。〃
　〃I　don't　know。　It　hasn't　worked　too　well　in　the　past。〃
　〃Just　do　as　I　say。〃
　〃I've　done　that　before；　and　they're　both　at　Parchman。〃
　〃They　were　hopeless。　Hailey's　different。〃
　〃Does　he　have　a　chance？〃
　〃Slim。〃
　〃I　thought　you　said　he　was　different。〃
　〃He's　a　decent　man　with　a　good　reason　for　killing。〃
　〃Then　why　are　his　chances　slim？〃
　〃The　law　says　his　reason　is　not　good　enough。〃
　〃That's　par　for　the　law。〃
　〃Plus　he's　black；　and　this　is　a　white　county。　I　have　no　confidence　in　these　bigots　around　here。〃
　〃And　if　he　were　white？〃
　〃If　he　were　white　and　he　killed　two　blacks　who　raped　his　daughter；　the　jury　would　give　him　the　courthouse。〃
　Bass　finished　one　glass　and　poured　another。　A　fifth　and　a　bucket　of　ice　sat　on　the　wicker　table　between　the　two。
　〃What　about　his　lawyer？〃　he　asked。
　〃He　should　be　here　in　a　minute。〃
　〃He　used　to　work　for　you？〃　^
　〃Yeah；　but　I　don't　think　you　met　him。　He　was　in　the　firm　about　two　years　before　I　left。　He's　young；　early　thirties。　Clean；　aggressive；　works　hard。〃
　〃And　he　used　to　work　for　you？〃
　〃That's　what　I　said。　He's　got　trial　experience　for　his　age。　This　is　not　his　first　murder　case；　but；　if　I'm　not　mistaken；　it's　his　first　insanity　case。〃
　〃That's　nice　to　hear。　I　don't　want　someone　asking　a　lot　of　questions。〃
　〃I　like　your　confidence。　Wait　till　you　meet　the　D。A。〃
　〃I　just　don't　feel　good　about　this。　We　tried　it　twice；　and　it　didn't　work。〃
　Lucien　shook　his　head　in　bewilderment。　〃You've　got　to　be　the　humblest　doctor　I've　known。〃
　〃And　the　poorest。〃
　〃You're　supposed　to　be　pompous　and　arrogant。　You're　the　expert。　Act　like　one。　Who's　gonna　question　your　professional　opinion　in　Clanton；　Mississippi？〃
　〃The　State　will　have　experts。〃
　〃They　will　have　one　psychiatrist　from　Whitfield。　He'll　examine　the　defendant　for　a　few　hours；　and　then　drive　up　for　trial　and　testify　that　the　defendant　is　the　sanest　man　he's
　ever　met。　He's　never　seen　a　legally　insane　defendant。　To　him　no　one　is　insane。　Everybody's　blessed　with　perfect　mental　health。　Whitfield　is　full　of　sane　people；　except　when　it　applies　for　government　money；　then　half　the　state's　crazy。　He'd　get　fired　if　he　started　saying　defendants　are　legally　insane。　So　that's　who　you're　up　against。〃
　〃And　the　jury　will　automatically　believe　me？〃
　〃You　act　as　though　you've　never　been　through　one　of　these　before。〃
　〃Twice；　remember。　One　rapist；　one　murderer。　Neither　was　insane；　in　spite　of　what　I　said。　Both　are　now　locked　away　where　they　belong。〃
　Lucien　took　a　long　drink　and　studied　the　light　brown　liquid　and　the　floating　ice　cubes。　〃You　said　you　would　help　me。