jg.atimetokill-第58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！


l。　He　was　the　boss。
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　she　whispered。
　Reverend　Agee　peered　through　a　crack　in　one　of　the　huge　stained　glass　windows　of　his　church　and　watched　with　satisfaction　as　the　clean　Cadillacs　and　Lincolns　arrived　just　before　five　Sunday　afternoon。　He　had　called　a　meeting　of　the　council　to　assess　the　Hailey　situation　and　plan　strategy　for　the　final　three　weeks　before　the　trial；　and　to　prepare　for　the　arrival　of　the　NAACP　lawyers。　The　weekly　collections　had　gone　well…over　seven　thousand　dollars　had　been　gathered　throughout　the　county　and　almost　six　thousand　had　been　deposited　by　the　reverend　in　a　special　account　for　the　Carl　Lee　Hailey　Legal　Defense　Fund。　None　had　been　given　to　the　family。　Agee　was　waiting　for　the　NAACP　to　direct　him　in　spending　the　money；　most　of　which；　'he　thought；　should　go　to　the　defense　fund。　The　sisters　in　the　church　could　feed　the　family　if　they　got　hungry。　The　cash　was　needed　elsewhere。
　The　council　talked　of　ways　to　raise　more　money。　It　was　not　easy　getting　money　from　poor　people；　but　the　issue　was　hot　and　the　time　was　right；　and　if　they　didn't　raise　it　now　it　would　not　be　raised。　They　agreed　to　meet　the　following　day　at　the　Springdale　Church　in　Clanton。　The　NAACP　people　were　expected　in　town　by　morning。　No　press；　it　was　to　be　a　work　session。
　Norman　Reinfeld　was　a　thirty…year…old　genius　in　criminal　law　who　held　the　record　for　finishing　Harvard's　law　school　at　the　age　of　twenty…one；　and　after　graduation　declined　a　most　generous　offer　to　join　his　father　and　grandfather's　prestigious　Wall　Street　law　factory；　opting　instead　to　take　a　job　with　the　NAACP　and　spend　his　time　fighting　furiously　to　keep　Southern　blacks　off　death　row。　He　was　very　good　at　what　he　did　although；　through　no　fault　of　his　own；　he　was　not　very　successful　at　what　he　did。　Most　Southern　blacks　along　with　most　Southern　whites　who　faced　the　gas　chamber　deserved　the　gas　chamber。　But　Reinfeld　and　his　team　of　capital　murder　defense　specialists　won　more　than　their
　share；　and　even　in　the　ones　they　lost　they　usually　managed　to　keep　the　convicts　alive　through　a　myriad　of　exhausting　delays　and　appeals。　Four　of　his　former　clients　had　either　been　gassed；　electrocuted；　or　lethally　injected；　and　that　was　four　too　many　for　Reinfeld。　He　had　watched　them　all　die；　and　with　each　execution　he　renewed　his　vow　to　break　any　law；　violate　any　ethic；　contempt　any　court；　disrespect　any　judge；　ignore　any　mandate；　or　do　whatever　it　took　to　prevent　a　human　from　legally　killing　another　human。　He　didn't　worry　much　about　the　illegal　killings　of　humans；　such　as　those　killings　so　artfully　and　cruelly　achieved　by　his　clients。　It　wasn't　his　business　to　think　about　those　killings；　so　he　didn't。　Instead　he　vented　his　righteous　and　sanctimonious　anger　and　zeal　at　the　legal　killings。
　He　seldom　slept　more　than　three　hours　a　night。　Sleep　was　difficult　with　thirty…one　clients　on　death　row。　Plus　seventeen　clients　awaiting　trial。　Plus　eight　egotistical　attorneys　to　supervise。　He　was　thirty　and　looked　forty…five。　He　was　old；　abrasive；　and　ill…tempered。　In　the　normal　course　of　his　business；　he　would　have　been　much　too　busy　to　attend　a　gathering　of　local　black　ministers　in　Clanton；　Mississippi。　But　this　was　not　the　normal　case。　This　was　Hailey。　The　vigilante。　The　father　driven　to　revenge。　The　most　famous　criminal　case　in　the　country　at　the　moment。　This　was　Mississippi；　where　for　years　whites　shot　blacks　for　any　reason　or　no　reason　and　no　one　cared；　where　whites　raped　blacks　and　it　was　considered　sport；　where　blacks　were　hanged　for　fighting　back。　And　now　a　black　father　had　killed　two　white　men　who　raped　his　daughter；　and　faced　the　gas　chamber　for　something　that　thirty　years　earlier　would　have　gone　unnoticed　had　he　been　white。　This　was　the　case；　his　case；　and　he　would　handle　it　personally。
　On　Monday　he　was　introduced　to　the　council　by　Reverend　Agee；　who　opened　the　meeting　with　a　lengthy　and　detailed　review　of　the　activities　in　Ford　County。　Reinfeld　was　brief。　He　and　his　team　could　not　represent　Mr。　Hailey　because　he　had　not　been　hired　by　Mr。　Hailey；　so　a　meeting　was　imperative。　Today；　preferably。　Tomorrow　morning　at　the　latest；　because　he　had　a　flight　out　of　Memphis　at　noon。　He　was　needed　in　a　murder　trial　somewhere　in　Georgia。　Reverend　Agee　promised　to　arrange　a　meeting　with　the　defendant　as
　soon　as　possible。　He　was　friends　with　the　sheriff。　Fine；　said　Reinfeld；　just　get　it　done。
　〃How　much　money　have　you　raised？〃　Reinfeld　asked。
　〃Fifteen　thousand　from　you　folks；〃　Agee　answered。
　〃I　know　that。　How　much　locally？〃
　〃Six　thousand；〃　Agee　said　proudly。
　〃Six　thousand！〃　repeated　Reinfeld。　〃Is　that　all？　I　thought　you　people　were　organized。　Where's　all　this　great　local　support　you　were　talking　about？　Six　thousand！　How　much　more　can　you　raise？　We've　only　got　three　weeks。〃
　The　council　members　were　silent。　This　Jew　had　a　lot　of　nerve。　The　only　white　man　in　the　group　and　he　was　on　the　attack。
　〃How　much　do　we　need？〃　asked　Agee。
　〃That　depends；　Reverend；　on　how　good　a　defense　you　want　for　Mr。　Hailey。　I've　only　got　eight　other　attorneys　on　my　staff。　Five　are　in　trial　at　this　very　moment。　We've　got　thirty…one　capital　murder　convictions　at　various　stages　of　appeal。　We've　got　seventeen　trials　scheduled　in　ten　states　over　the　next　five　months。　We　get　ten　requests　each　week　to　represent　defendants；　eight　of　which　we　turn　down　because　we　simply　don't　have　the　staff　or　the　money。　For　Mr。　Hailey；　fifteen　thousand　has　been　contributed　by　two　local　chapters　and　the　home　office。　Now　you　tell　me　that　only　six　thousand　has　been　raised　locally。　That's　twenty…one　thousand。　Fpr　that　amount　you'll　get　the　best　defense　we　can　afford。　Two　attorneys；　at　least　one　psychiatrist；　but　nothing　fancy。　Twenty…one　thousand　gets　a　good　defense；　but　not　what　I　had　in　mind。〃
　〃What　exactly　did　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃A　first…class　defense。　Three　or　four　attorneys。　A　battery　of　psychiatrists。　Half　dozen　investigators。　A　jury　psychologist；　just　to　name　a　few。　This　is　not　your　run…of…the…mill　murder　case。　I　want　to　win。　I　was　led　to　believe　that　you　folks　wanted　to　win。〃
　〃How　much？〃　asked　Agee。
　〃Fifty　thousand；　minimum。　A　hundred　thousand　would　be　nice。〃
　〃Look；　Mr。　Reinfeld；　you're　in　Mississippi。　Our　people　are　poor。　They've　given　generously　so　far；　but　there's　no　way　we　can　raise　another　thirty　thousand　here。〃
　Reinfeld　　　　adjusted　　　his　　　horn…rimmed　　　glasses　　　and
　scratched　his　graying　beard。　〃How　much　more　can　you　raise？〃
　〃Another　five　thousand；　maybe。〃
　〃That's　not　much　money。〃
　〃Not　to　you；　but　it　is　to　the　black　folk　of　Ford　County。〃
　Reinfeld　studied　the　floor　and　continued　stroking　his　beard。　〃How　much　has　the　Memphis　chapter　given？〃
　〃Five　thousand；〃　answered　someone　from　Memphis。
　〃Atlanta？〃
　〃Five　thousand。〃
　〃How　about　the　state　chapter？〃
　〃Which　state？〃
　〃Mississippi。〃
　〃None。〃
　〃None？〃
　〃None。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Ask　him；〃　Agee　said；　pointing　at　Reverend　Henry　Hillman；　the　state　director。
　〃Uh；　we　tryin'　to　raise　some　money　now；〃　Hillman　said　weakly。　〃But…〃
　〃How　much　have　you　raised　so　far？〃　asked　Agee。
　〃Well；　uh；　we　got…〃
　〃Nothin'；　right？　You　ain't　raised　nothin'；　have　you；　Hillman？〃　Agee　said　loudly。
　〃e　on；　Hillman；　tell　us　how　much　you　raised；〃　chimed　in　Reverend　Roosevelt；　vice…chairman　of　the　council。
　Hillman　was　dumbfounded　and　speechless。　He　had　been　sitting　quietly　on　the　front　pew　minding　his　own　business；　half　asleep。　Suddenly　he　was　under　attack。
　〃The　state　chapter　will　contribute。〃
　〃Sure　you　will；　Hillman。　You　folks　at　state　are　constantly　badgerin'　us　locals　to　contribute　here　and　donate　there　for　this　cause　and　that　cause；　and　we　never　see　any　of　the　money。　You　always　cryin'　about　bein'　so　broke；　and　we're　always　sendin'　money　to　state。　But　when　we　need　help；　state　don't　do　a　thing　but　show　up　here　and　talk。〃
　〃That's　not　true。〃
　〃Don't　start　lyin'；　Hillman。〃
　Reinfeld　was　embarrassed　and　immediately　aware　that
　a　nerve　had　been　touched。　〃Gentlemen；　gentlemen；　let's　move　on；〃　he　said　diplomatically。
　〃Good　idea；〃　Hillman　said。
　〃When　can　we　meet　with　Mr。　Hailey？〃　Reinfeld　asked。
　〃I'll　arrange　a　meetin'　for　in　the　mornin'；〃　Agee　said。
　〃Where　can　we　meet？〃
　〃I　suggest　we　meet　in　Sheriff　Walls