jg.atimetokill-第66部分

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　〃I　know　you　practice　alone；　and　I　know　you　don't　have　a　law　clerk。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　all　this？〃
　〃Newsweek。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　A　wonderful　publication。　It　was　a　good　picture；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃You　looked　a　bit　stuffy；　but　it　was　okay。　You　look　better　in　person。〃
　〃What　credentials　do　you　bring　with　you？〃
　〃Genius　runs　in　my　family。　I　finished　summa　cum　laude　at　BC；　and　I'm　second　in　my　law　class。　Last　summer　I　spent　three　months　with　the　Southern　Prisoners　Defense　League　in　Birmingham　and　played　gofer　in　seven　capital　trials。　I　watched　Elmer　Wayne　Doss　die　in　the　Florida　electric　chair　and　I　watched　Willie　Ray　Ash　get　lethally　injected　in　Texas。　In　my　spare　time　at　Ole　Miss　I　write　briefs　for　the　ACLU　and　I'm　working　on　two　death　penalty　appeals　for　a　law　firm　in　Spartanburg；　South　Carolina。　I　was　raised　in　my　father's　law　office；　and　I　was　proficient　in　legal　research　before　I　could　drive。　I've　watched　him　defend　murderers；　rapists；　embezzlers；　extortionists；　terrorists；　assassins；　child　abusers；　child　fondlers；　child　killers；　and　children　who　killed　their　parents。　I　worked　forty　hours　a　week　in　his　office　when　I　was　in　high　school　and　fifty　when　I　was　in　college。　He　has　eighteen　lawyers　in　his　firm；　all　very　bright；　very　talented。　It's　a　great　training　ground　for　criminal　lawyers；　and　I've　been　there　for　fourteen　years。　I'm　twenty…five　years　old；　and　when　I　grow　up　I　want　to　be　a　radical　criminal　lawyer　like　my　dad
　。　0。〃〃　~c。i^i　stamping　out　me　death　penalty。〃
　〃Is　that　all？〃
　〃My　dad's　filthy　rich；　and　even　though　we're　Irish　Catholic　I'm　an　only　child。　I've　got　more　money　than　you　do　so　I'll　work　for　free。　No　charge。　A　free　law　clerk　for　three　weeks。　I'll　do　all　the　research；　typing；　answering　the　phone。　I'll　even　carry　your　briefcase　and　make　the　coffee。〃
　〃I　was　afraid　you'd　want　to　be　a　law　partner。〃
　〃No。　I'm　a　woman；　and　I'm　in　the　South。　I　know　my　place。〃
　〃Why　are　you　so　interested　in　this　case？〃
　〃I　want　to　be　in　the　courtroom。　I　love　criminal　trials；　big　trials　where　there's　a　life　on　the　line　and　pressure　so　thick　you　can　see　it　in　the　air。　Where　the　courtroom's　packed　and　security　is　tight。　Where　half　the　people　hate　the　defendant　and　his　lawyers　and　the　other　half　pray　he　gets　off。　I　love　it。　And　this　is　the　trial　of　all　trials。　I'm　not　a　Southerner　and　I　find　this　place　bewildering　most　of　the　time；　but　I　have　developed　a　perverse　love　for　it。　It'll　never　make　sense　to　me；　but　it　is　fascinating。　The　racial　implications　are　enormous。　The　trial　of　a　black　father　for　killing　two　white　men　who　raped　his　daughter…my　father　said　he　would　take　the　case　for　free。〃
　〃Tell　him　to　stay　in　Boston。〃
　〃It's　a　trial　lawyer's　dream。　I　just　want　to　be　there。　I'll　stay　out　of　the　way；　I　promise。　Just　let　me　work　in　the　background　and　watch　the　trial。〃
　〃Judge　Noose　hates　women　lawyers。〃
　〃So　does　every　male　lawyer　in　the　South。　Besides；　I'm　not　a　lawyer；　I'm　a　law　student。〃
　〃I'll　let　you　explain　that　to　him。〃
　〃So　I've　got　the　job。〃
　Jake　stopped　staring　at　her　and　breathed　deeply。　A　minor　wave　of　nausea　vibrated　through　his　stomach　and　lungs　and　took　his　breath。　The　jackhammers　had　returned　with　a　fury　and　he　needed　to　be　near　the　restroom。
　〃Yes；　you've　got　the　job。　I　could　use　some　free　research。　These　cases　are　plicated；　as　I'm　sure　you　are　aware。〃
　She　flashed　a　ely；　confident　smile。　〃When　do　I　start？〃
　〃Now。〃
　Jake　led　her　through　a　quick　tour　of　the　office；　and　assigned　her　to　the　war　room　upstairs。　They　laid　the　Hailey　file　on　the　conference　table　and　she　spent　an　hour　copying　it。
　At　two…thirty　Jake　awoke　from　a　nap　on　his　couch。　He　walked　downstairs　to　the　conference　room。　She　had　removed　half　the　books　from　the　shelves　and　had　them　scattered　the　length　of　the　table　with　page　markers　sticking　up　every　fifty　or　so　pages。　She　was　busy　taking　notes。
　〃Not　a　bad　library；〃　she　said。
　〃Some　of　these　books　haven't　been　used　in　twenty　years。〃
　〃I　noticed　the　dust。〃
　〃Are　you　hungry？〃
　〃Yes。　I'm　starving。〃
　〃There's　a　little　cafe　around　the　corner　where　the　specialty　is　grease　and　fried　corn　meal。　My　system　needs　a　shot　of　grease。〃
　〃Sounds　delicious。〃
　They　walked　around　the　square　to　Claude's；　where　the　crowd　was　thin　for　a　Saturday　afternoon。　There　were　no　other　whites　in　the　place。　Claude　was　absent　and　the　silence　was　deafening。　Jake　ordered　a　cheeseburger；　onion　rings；　and　three　headache　powders。
　〃Got　a　headache？〃　Ellen　asked。
　〃Massive。〃
　〃Stress？〃
　〃Hangover。〃
　〃Hangover？　I　thought　you　were　a　teetotaler。〃
　〃And　where'd　you　hear　that？〃
　〃Newsweek。　The　article　said　you　were　a　clean…cut　family　man；　workaholic；　devout　Presbyterian　who　drank　nothing　and　smoked　cheap　cigars。　Remember？　How　could　you　forget；　right？〃
　〃You　believe　everything　you　read？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Good；　because　last　night　I　got　plastered；　and　I've　puked　all　morning。〃
　The　law　clerk　was　amused。　〃What　do　you　drink？〃
　〃I　don't…remember。　At　least　I　didn't　until　last　night。
　_　i；　ano　i　nope　it's　my　last。　I'd　forgotten　how　terrible　these　things　are。〃
　〃Why　do　lawyers　drink　so　much？〃
　〃They　learn　how　in　law　school。　Does　your　dad　drink？〃
　〃Are　you　kidding？　We're　Catholic。　He's　careful；　though。〃
　〃Do　you　drink？〃
　〃Sure；　all　the　time；〃　she　said　proudly。
　〃Then　you'll　make　a　great　lawyer。〃
　Jake　carefully　mixed　the　three　powders　in　a　glass　of　ice　water　and　slugged　it　down。　He　grimaced　and　wiped　his　mouth。　She　watched　intently　with　an　amused　smile。
　〃What'd　your　wife　say？〃
　〃About　what？〃
　〃The　hangover；　from　such　a　devout　and　religious　family　man。〃
　〃She　doesn't　know　about　it。　She　left　me　early　yesterday　morning。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　〃She　went　to　stay　with　her　parents　until　the　trial　is　over。　We've　had　anonymous　phone　calls　and　death　threats　for　two　months　now；　and　early　yesterday　morning　they　planted　dynamite　outside　our　bedroom　window。　The　cops　found　it　in　time　and　they　caught　the　men；　probably　the　Klan。　Enough　dynamite　to　level　the　house　and　kill　all　of　us。　That　was　a　good　excuse　to　get　drunk。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。〃
　〃The　job　you've　just　taken　could　be　very　dangerous。　You　should　know　that　at　this　point。〃
　〃I've　been　threatened　before。　Last　summer　in　Dothan；　Alabama；　we　defended　two　black　teenagers　who　had　sodomized　and　strangled　an　eighty…year…old　woman。　No　lawyer　in　the　state　would　take　the　case　so　they　called　the　Defense　League。　We　rode　into　town　on　black　horses　and　the　mere　sight　of　us　would　cause　lynch　mobs　to　form　instantly　on　street　corners。　I've　never　felt　so　hated　in　my　life。　We　hid　in　a　motel　in　another　town　and　felt　safe；　until　one　night　two　men　cornered　me　in　the　motel　lounge　and　tried　to　abduct　me。〃
　〃What　happened？〃
　〃I　carry　a　snub…nosed　。38　in　my　purse　and　I　convinced　them　I　knew　how　to　use　it。〃
　〃A　snub…nosed　。38？〃
　〃My　father　gave　it　to　me　for　my　fifteenth　birthday。　I　have　a　license。〃
　〃He　must　be　a　hell　of　a　guy。〃
　〃He's　been　shot　at　several　times。　He　takes　very　controversial　cases；　the　kind　you　read　about　in　the　papers　where　the　public　is　outraged　and　demanding　that　the　defendant　be　hanged　without　a　trial　or　a　lawyer。　Those　are　the　cases　he　likes　best。　He　has　a　full…time　bodyguard。〃
　〃Big　deal。　So　do　I。　His　name　is　Deputy　Nesbit；　and　he　couldn't　hit　the　side　of　a　barn　with　a　shotgun。　He　was　assigned　to　me　yesterday。〃
　The　food　arrived。　She　removed　the　onions　and　tomatoes　from　her　Claudeburger；　and　offered　him　the　french　fries。　She　cut　it　in　half　and　nibbled　around　the　edges　like　a　bird。　Hot　grease　dripped　to　her　plate。　With　each　small　bite；　she　carefully　wiped　her　mouth。
　Her　face　was　gentle　and　pleasant　with　an　easy　smile　that　belied　the　ACLU；　ERA；　burn…the…bra；　I…can…outcuss…you　bitchiness　Jake　knew　was　lurking　somewhere　near　the　surface。　There　was　not　a　trace　of　makeup　anywhere　on　the　face。　None　was　needed。　She　was　not　beautiful；　not　cute；　and　evidently　determined　not　to　be　so。　She　had　the　pale　skin　of　a　redhead；　but　it　was　healthy　skin　with　seven　or　eight　freckles　splattered　about　the　small；　pointed　nose。　With　each　frequent　smile；　her　lips　spread　wonderfully　and　folded　her　cheeks　into　neat；　transient；　hollow　dimples。　The　smiles　were　confident；　challenging；　and　mysterious。　The　metallic　green　eyes　radiated　a　soft　fury　and　wer