jg.atimetokill-第7部分

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e　deputies　were　finished　with　their　food；　and　Jake　excused　himself。　He　hugged　Dell；　paid　his　check；　and　for　a　second　thought　of　driving　home　to　check　on　Hanna。
　At　three　minutes　before　seven；　he　unlocked　his　office　and　turned　on　the　lights。
　Carl　Lee　had　difficulty　sleeping　on　the　couch　in　the　waiting　room。　Tonya　was　serious　but　stable。　They　had　seen　her　at　midnight；　after　the　doctor　warned　that　she　looked　bad。　She　did。　Gwen　had　kissed　the　little　bandaged　face　while　Carl　Lee　stood　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　subdued；　motionless；　unable　to　do　anything　but　stare　blankly　at　the　small　figure　surrounded　by　machines；　tubes；　and　nurses。　Gwen　was　later　sedated　and　taken　to　her　mother's　house　in　Clanton。　The　boys　went　home　with　Gwen's　brother。
　The　crowd　had　dispersed　around　one；　leaving　Carl　Lee　alone　on　the　couch。　Ozzie　brought　coffee　and　doughnuts　at　two；　and　told　Carl　Lee　all　he　knew　about　Cobb　and　Willard。
　Jake's　office　was　a　two…story　building　in　a　row　of　two…story　buildings　overlooking　the　courthouse　on　the　north　side　of　the　square；　just　down　from　the　Coffee　Shop。　The　building　was　built　by　the　Wilbanks　family　back　in　the　1890s；　back　when　they　owned　Ford　County。　And　there　had　been　a　Wilbanks　practicing　law　in　the　building　from　the　day　it　was　built　until　1979；　the　year　of　the　disbarment。　Next　door　to　the　east　was　an　insurance　agent　Jake　had　sued　for　botching　a
　claim　for　Tim　Nunley；　the　mechanic　down　at　the　Chevrolet　place。　To　the　west　was　the　bank　with　the　mortgage　on　the　Saab。　All　the　buildings　around　the　square　were　two…story　brick　except　the　banks。　The　one　next　door　had　also　been　built　by　the　Wilbankses　and　had　just　two　floors；　but　the　one　on　the　southeast　corner　of　the　square　had　three　floors；　and　the　newest　one；　on　the　southwest　corner；　had　four　floors。
　Jake　practiced　alone；　and　had　since　1979；　the　year　of　the　disbarment。　He　liked　it　that　way；　especially　since　there　was　no　other　lawyer　in　Clanton　petent　enough　to　practice　with　him。　There　were　several　good　lawyers　in　town；　but　most　were　with　the　Sullivan　firm　over　in　the　bank　building　with　four　floors。　Jake　detested　the　Sullivan　firm。　Every　lawyer　detested　the　Sullivan　firm　except　those　in　it。　There　were　eight　in　all；　eight　of　the　most　pompous　and　arrogant　jerks　Jake　had　ever　met。　Two　had　Harvard　degrees。　They　had　the　big　farmers；　the　banks；　the　insurance　panies；　the　railroads；　everybody　with　money。　The　other　fourteen　lawyers　in　the　county　picked　up　the　scraps　and　represented　people…　living；　breathing　human　souls；　most　of　whom　had　very　little　money。　These　were　the　〃street　lawyers〃…those　in　the　trenches　helping　people　in　trouble。　Jake　was　proud　to　be　a　street　lawyer。
　His　offices　were　huge。　He　used　only　five　of　the　ten　rooms　in　the　building。　Downstairs　there　was　a　reception　room；　a　large　conference　room；　a　kitchen；　and　a　smaller　storage　and　junk　room。　Upstairs；　Jake　had　his　vast　office　and　another　smaller　office　he　referred　to　as　the　war　room。　It　had　no　windows；　no　telephones；　no　distractions。　Three　offices　sat　empty　upstairs　and　two　downstairs。　In　years　past　these　had　been　occupied　by　the　prestigious　Wilbanks　firm；　long　before　the　disbarment。　Jake's　office　upstairs；　the　office；　was　immense；　thirty　by　thirty　with　a　ten…foot　hardwood　ceiling；　hardwood　floors；　huge　fireplace；　and　three　desks…his　work　desk；　a　small　conference　desk　in　one　corner；　and　a　rolltop　desk　in　another　corner　under　the　portrait　of　William　Faulkner。　The　antique　oak　furniture　had　been　there　for　almost　a　century；　as　had　the　books　and　shelves　that　covered　one　wall。　The　view　of　the　square　and　courthouse　was　impressive；　and　could　be　enhanced　by　opening　the　French　doors　and　walking　onto　a　small　balcony　overhanging　the　sidewalk　next　to　Wash…
　ington　Street。　Jake　had；　without　a　doubt；　the　finest　office　in　Clanton。　Even　his　bitter　enemies　in　the　Sullivan　firm　would　concede　that　much。
　For　all　the　opulence　and　square　footage；　Jake　paid　the　sum　of　four　hundred　dollars　a　month　to　his　landlord　and　former　boss；　Lucien　Wilbanks；　who　had　been　disbarred　in　1979。
　For　decades　the　Wilbanks　family　ruled　Ford　County。　They　were　proud；　wealthy　people；　prominent　in　farming；　banking；　politics；　and　especially　law。　All　the　Wilbanks　men　were　lawyers；　and　were　educated　at　Ivy　League　schools。　They　founded　banks；　churches；　schools；　and　several　served　in　public　office。　The　firm　of　Wilbanks　&　Wilbanks　had　been　the　most　powerful　and　prestigious　in　north　Mississippi　for　many　years。
　Then　came　Lucien。　He　was　the　only　male　Wilbanks　of　his　generation。　There　was　a　sister　and　some　nieces；　but　they　were　expected　only　to　marry　well。　Great　things　were　expected　of　Lucien　as　a　child；　but　by　the　third　grade　it　was　evident　he　would　be　a　different　Wilbanks。　He　inherited　the　law　firm　in　1965　when　his　father　and　uncle　were　killed　in　a　plane　crash。　Although　he　was　forty；　he　had　just　recently；　several　months　prior　to　their　deaths；…pleted　his　study　of　the　law　by　correspondence　courses。　Somehow　he　passed　the　bar　exam。　He　took　control　of　the　firm　and　clients　began　disappearing。　Big　clients；　like　insurance　panies；　banks；　and　farmers；　all　left　and　went　to　the　newly　established　Sullivan　firm。　Sullivan　had　been　a　junior　partner　in　the　Wilbanks　firm　until　Lucien　fired　him　and　evicted　him；　after　which　he　left　with　the　other　junior　partners　and　most　of　the　clients。　Then　Lucien　fired　everyone　else…associates；　secretaries；　clerks…everyone　but　Ethel　Twitty；　his　late　father's　favorite　secretary。
　Ethel　and　John　Wilbanks　had　been　very　close　through　the　years。　In　fact　she　had　a　younger　son　who　greatly　resembled　Lucien。　The　poor　fellow　spent　most　of　his　time　in　and　out　of　various　nut　houses。　Lucien　jokingly　referred　to　him　as　his　retarded　brother。　After　the　plane　crash；　the　retarded　brother　appeared　in　Clanton　and　started　telling　folks　he　was　the　illegitimate　son　of　John　Wilbanks。　Ethel　was　humiliated；　but　couldn't　control　him。　Clanton　seethed　with　scandal。　A
　lawsuit　was　filed　by　the　Sullivan　firm　as　counsel　for　the　retarded　brother　seeking　a　portion　of　the　estate。　Lucien　was　furious。　A　trial　ensued；　and　Lucien　vigorously　defended　his　honor　and　pride　and　family　name。　He　also　vigorously　defended　his　father's　estate；　all　of　which　had　been　left　to　Lucien　and　his　sister。　At　trial　the　jury　noted　the　striking　resemblance　between　Lucien　and　Ethel's　son；　who　was　several　years　younger。　The　retarded　brother　was　strategically　seated　as　close　as　possible　to　Lucien。　The　Sullivan　lawyers　instructed　him　to　walk；　talk；　sit；　and　do　everything　just　like　Lucien。　They　even　dressed　him　like　Lucien。　Ethel　and　her　husband　denied　the　boy　was　any　kin　to　the　Wilbanks；　but　the　jury　felt　otherwise。　He　was　found　to　be　an　heir　of　John　Wilbanks；　and　was　awarded　one　third　of　the　estate。　Lucien　cursed　the　jury；　slapped　the　poor　boy；　and　was　carried　screaming　from　the　courtroom　and　taken　to　jail。　The　jury's　decision　was　reversed　and　dismissed　on　appeal；　but　Lucien　feared　more　litigation　if　Ethel　ever　changed　her　story。　Thus；　Ethel　Twitty　remained　with　the　Wilbanks　firm。
　Lucien　was　satisfied　when　the　firm　disintegrated。　He　never　intended　to　practice　law　like　his　ancestors。　He　wanted　to　be　a　criminal　lawyer；　and　the　old　firm's　clientele　had　bee　strictly　corporate。　He　wanted　the　rapes；　the　murders；　the　child　abuses；　the　ugly　cases　no　one　else　wanted。　He　wanted　to　be　a　civil　rights　lawyer　and　litigate　civil　liberties。　But　most　of　all；　Lucien　wanted　to　be　a　radical；　a　flaming　radical　of　a　lawyer　with　unpopular　cases　and　causes；　and　lots　of　attention。
　He　grew　a　beard；　divorced　his　wife；　renounced　his　church；　sold　his　share　of　the　country　club；　joined　the　NAACP　and　ACLU；　resigned　from　the　bank　board；　and　in　general　became　the　scourge　of　Clanton。　He　sued　the　schools　because　of　segregation；　the　governor　because　of　the　prison；　the　city　because　it　refused　to　pave　streets　in　the　black　section；　the　bank　because　there　were　no　black　tellers；　the　state　because　of　capital　punishment；　and　the　factories　because　they　would　not　recognize　organized　labor。　He　fought　and　won　many　criminal　cases；　and　not　just　in　Ford　County。　His　reputation　spread；　and　a　large　following　developed　among　blacks；　poor　whites；　and　the　few　unions　in　north　Mississippi。　He　stumbled　into　some　lucrative　personal　injury　and　wrong…
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