jg.atimetokill-第54部分

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　〃Pick　your　best　five；　Mr。　Buckley。　I　don't　plan　to　be　here　all　day。〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Mr。　Brigance；　you've　asked　for　a　change　of　venue。　It's　your　motion。　You　may　proceed。〃
　Jake　stood　and　walked　slowly　across　the　courtroom；　behind　Buckley；　to　the　wooden　podium　in　front　of　the　jury　box。　〃May　it　please　the　court；　Your　Honor；　Mr。　Hailey　has　requested　that　his　trial　be　moved　from　Ford　County。　The　reason　is　obvious：　the　publicity　in　this　case　will　prevent　a　fair　trial。　The　good　people　of　this　county　have　prejudged　the　guilt　or　innocence　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　He　is　charged　with　killing　two　men；　both　of　whom　were　born　here　and　left　families　here。　Their　lives　were　not　famous；　but　their　deaths　certainly　have　been。　Mr。　Hailey　was　known　by　few　outside　his　munity　until　now。　Now　everyone　in　this　county　knows　who　he　is；　knows　about　his　family　and　his　daughter　and　what　happened　to　her；　and　knows　most　of　the　details　of　his　alleged　crimes。　It　will　be　impossible　to　find　twelve　people　in　Ford　County　who　have　not　already　prejudged　this　case。　This　trial　should　be　held　in　another　part　of　the　state　where　the　people　are　not　so　familiar　with　the　facts。〃
　〃Where　would　you　suggest？〃　interrupted　the　judge。
　〃I　wouldn't　remend　a　specific　county；　but　it　should　be　as　far　away　as　possible。　Perhaps　the　Gulf　Coast。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Obvious　reasons；　Your　Honor。　It's　four　hundred　miles　away；　and　I'm　sure　the　people　down　there　do　not　know　as　much　as　the　people　around　here。〃
　〃And　you　think　the　people　in　south　Mississippi　haven't　heard　about　it？〃
　〃I'm　sure　they　have。　But　they　are　much　further　away。〃
　〃But　they　have　televisions　and　newspapers；　don't　they；　Mr。　Brigance？〃
　〃I'm　sure　they　do。〃
　〃Do　you　believe　you　could　go　to　any　county　in　this　state　and　find　twelve　people　who　haven't　heard　the　details　of　this　case？〃
　Jake　looked　at　his　legal　pad。　He　could　hear　the　artists　sketching　on　their　pads　behind　him。　He　could　see　Buckley
　grinning　out　ot　the　corner　of　his　eye。　〃It　would　be　difficult；〃　he　said　quietly。
　〃Call　your　first　witness。〃
　Harry　Rex　Vonner　was　sworn　in　and　took　his　seat　on　the　witness　stand。　The　wooden　swivel　chair　popped　and　creaked　under　the　heavy　load。　He　blew　into　the　microphone　and　a　loud　hiss　echoed　around　the　courtroom。　He　smiled　at　Jake　and　nodded。
　〃Would　you　state　your　name？〃
　〃Harry　Rex　Vonner。〃
　〃And　your　address？〃
　〃Eighty…four　ninety…three　Cedarbrush；　Clanton；　Mississippi。〃
　〃How　long　have　you　lived　in　Clanton？〃
　〃All　my　life。　Forty…six　years。〃
　〃Your　occupation？〃
　〃I'm　a　lawyer。　I've　had　my　license　for　twenty…two　years。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　met　Carl　Lee　Hailey？〃
　〃Once。〃
　〃What　do　you　know　about　him？〃
　〃He　supposedly　shot　two　men；　Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　Pete　Willard；　and　he　wounded　a　deputy；　DeWayne　Looney。〃
　〃Did　you　Know　either　of　those　boys？〃
　〃Not　personally。　I　knew　of　Billy　Ray　Cobb。〃
　〃How　did　you　learn　of　the　shootings？〃
　〃Well；　it　happened　on　a　Monday；　I　believe。　I　was　in　the　courthouse；　on　the　first　floor；　checking　title　on　some　land　in　the　clerk's　office；　when　I　heard　the　gunshots。　I　ran　out　into　the　hall　and　bedlam　had　broken　loose。　I　asked　a　deputy　and　he　told　me　that　the　boys　had　been　killed　near　the　back　door　of　the　courthouse。　I　hung　around　here　for　a　while；　and　pretty　soon　there　was　a　rumor　that　the　killer　was　the　father　of　the　little　girl　who　got　raped。〃
　〃What　was　your　initial　reaction？〃
　〃I　was　shocked；　like　most　people。　But　I　was　shocked　when　I　first　heard　of　the　rape　too。〃
　〃When　did　you　learn　that　Mr；　Hailey　had　been　arrested？〃
　〃Later　that　night。　It　was　all　over　the　television。〃
　〃What　did　you　see　on　TV？〃
　〃Well；　I　watched　as　much　of　it　as　I　could。　There　were　news　reports　from　the　local　stations　in　Memphis　and　Tupelo。　We've　got　the　cable；　you　know；　so　I　watched　the　news　out　of　New　York；　Chicago；　and　Atlanta。　Just　about　every　channel　had　something　about　the　shootings　and　the　arrest。　There　was　footage　from　the　courthouse　and　jail。　It　was　a　big　deal。　Biggest　thing　that　ever　happened　in　Clanton；　Mississippi。〃
　〃How　did　you　react　when　you　learned　that　the　girl's　father　had　supposedly　done　the　shooting？〃
　〃It　was　no　big　surprise　to　me。　I　mean；　we　all　sort　of　figured　it　was　him。　I　admired　him。　I've　got　kids；　and　I　sympathize　with　what　he　did。　I　still　admire　him。〃
　〃How　much　do　you　know　about　the　rape？〃
　Buckley　leapt　to　his　feet。　〃Objection！　The　rape　is　irrelevant！〃
　Noose　ripped　off　his　glasses　again　and　stared　angrily　at　the　D。A。　Seconds　passed　and　Buckley　glanced　at　the　table。　He　shifted　his　weight　from　one　foot　to　the　next；　then　sat　down。　Noose　leaned　forward　and　glared　down　from　the　bench。
　〃Mr。　Buckley；　don't　yell　at　me。　If　you　do　it　again；　so　help　me　God；　I　will　hold　you　in　contempt。　You　may　be　correct；　the　rape　may　be　irrelevant。　But　this　is　not　the　trial；　is　it？　This　is　simply　a　hearing；　isn't　it？　We　don't　have　a　jury　in　the　box；　do　we？　You're　overruled　and　out　of　order。　Now　stay　in　your　seat。　I　know　it's　hard　with　this　sort　of　audience；　but　I　instruct　you　to　stay　in　your　seat　unless　you　have　something　truly　worthy　to　say。　At　that　point；　you　may　stand　and　politely　and　quietly　tell　me　what's　on　your　mind。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Your　Honor；〃　Jake　said　as　he　smiled　at　Buckley。　〃Now；　Mr。　Vonner；　as　I　was　saying；　how　much　do　you　know　about　the　rape？〃
　〃Just　what　I've　heard。〃
　〃And　what's　that？〃
　Buckley　stood　and　bowed　like　a　Japanese　sumo　wrestler。　〃If　Your　Honor　please；〃　he　said　softly　and　sweetly；　〃I　would　like　to　object　at　this　point；　if　it　pleases　the　court。　The　witness　may　testify　to　only　what　he　knows　from　first…hand　knowledge；　not　from　what　he's　heard　from　other　people。〃
　Noose　answered　just　as　sweetly。　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Buck…
　ley。　Your　objection　is　noted；　and　you　are　overruled。　Please　continue；　Mr。　Brigance。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃What　have　you　heard　about　the　rape？〃
　〃Cobb　and　Willard　grabbed　the　little　Hailey　girl　and　took　her　out　in　the　woods　somewhere。　They　were　drunk；　they　tied　her　to　a　tree；　raped　her　repeatedly　and　tried　to　hang　her。　They　even　urinated　on　her。〃
　〃They　what！〃　asked　Noose。
　〃They　pissed　on　her；　Judge。〃
　The　courtroom　buzzed　at　this　revelation。　Jake　had　never　heard　it；　Buckley　hadn't　heard　it；　and　evidently　no　one　knew　it　but　Harry　Rex。　Noose　shook　his　head　and　lightly　rapped　his　gavel。
　Jake　scribbled　something　on　his　legal　pad　and　marveled　at　his　friend's　esoteric　knowledge。　〃Where　did　you　learn　about　the　rape？〃
　〃All　over　town。　It's　mon　knowledge。　The　cops　were　giving　the　details　the　next　morning　at　the　Coffee　Shop。　Everybody　knows　it。〃
　〃Is　it　mon　knowledge　throughout　the　county？〃
　〃Yes。　I　haven't　talked　to　anybody　in　a　month　who　did　not　know　the　details　of　the　rape。〃
　〃Tell　us　what　you　know　about　the　shootings。〃
　〃Well；　like　I　said；　it　was　a　Monday；　afternoon。　The　boys　were　here　in　this　courtroom　for　a　bail　hearing；　I　believe；　and　when　they　left　the　courtroom　they　were　handcuffed　and　led　by　the　deputies　down　the　back　stairs。　When　they　got　down　the　stairs；　Mr。　Hailey　jumped　out　of　a　closet　with　an　M…16。　They　were　killed　and　DeWayne　Looney　was　shot。　Part　of　his　leg　was　amputated。〃
　〃Exactly　where　did　this　take　place？〃
　〃Right　below　us　here；　at　the　rear　entrance　of　the　courthouse。　Mr。　Hailey　was　hiding　in　a　janitor's　closet　and　just　stepped　out　and　opened　fire。〃
　〃Do　you　believe　this　to　be　true？〃
　〃I　know　it's　true。〃
　〃Where　did　you　learn　all　this？〃
　〃Here　and　there。　Around　town。　In　the　newspapers。　Everybody　knows　about　it。〃
　〃Where　have　you　heard　it　discussed？〃
　〃Everywhere。　In　bars；　in　churches；　at　the　bank；　at　the　cleaners；　at　the　Tea　Shoppe；　at　the　cafes　around　town；　at　the　liquor　store。　Everywhere。〃
　〃Have　you　talked　to　anyone　who　believes　Mr。　Hailey　did　not　kill　Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　Pete　Willard？〃
　〃No。　You　won't　find　a　single　person　in　this　county　who　believes　he　didn't　do　it。〃
　〃Have　most　folks　around　here　made　up　their　minds　about　his　guilt　or　innocence？〃
　〃Every　single　one　of　them。　There　are　no　fence　strad…dlers　on　this　one。　It's　a　hot　topic；　and　everyone　has　an　opinion。〃
　〃In　your　opinion；　could　Mr。　Hailey　receive　a　fair　trial　in　Ford　County？〃
　〃No；　sir。　You　couldn't　find　three　people　in　this　county　of　thirty　thousand　who　have　not　already　made　up　th