jg.atimetokill-第77部分

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　the　witness　finished　Noose　called　for　a　short　recess；　and　Jake　went　to　his　chambers。
　〃Hello；　Jake。　Why're　you　here？〃
　〃You　heard　what　happened　yesterday。〃
　〃I　saw　it　on　the　news　last　night。〃
　〃Have　you　heard　what　happened　this　morning？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Evidently　someone　gave　the　Klan　a　list　of　the　prospective　jurors。　Last　night　they　burned　crosses　in　the　yards　of　twenty　of　the　jurors。〃
　Noose　was　shocked。　〃Our　jurors！〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Did　they　catch　anybody？〃
　〃Of　course　not。　They　were　too　busy　putting　out　fires。　Besides；　you　don't　catch　these　people。〃
　〃Twenty　of　our　jurors；〃　Noose　repeated。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　Noose　pawed　at　his　mangled　mass　of　brilliant　gray　hair　and　walked　slowly　around　the　small　room；　shaking　his　head　and　occasionally　scratching　his　crotch。
　〃Sounds　like　intimidation　to　me；〃　he　muttered。
　What　a　mind；　thought　Jake。　A　real　genius。　〃I　would　say　so。〃
　〃So　what　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　he　asked　with　a　touch　of　frustration。
　〃Change　venue。〃
　〃To　where？〃
　〃Southern　part　of　the　state。〃
　〃I　see。　Perhaps　Carey　County。　I　believe　it's　sixty　percent
　black。　That　would　generate　at　least　a　hung　jury；　wouldn't　it？　Or　maybe　you　would　like　Brower　County。　I　think　it's　even　blacker。　You'd　probably　get　an　acquittal　there；　wouldn't　you？〃
　〃I　don't　care　where　you　move　it。　It's　not　fair　to　try　him　in　Ford　County。　Things　were　bad　enough　before　the　war　yesterday。　Now　the　white　folks　are　really　in　a　lynching　mood；　and　my　man's　got　the　nearest　available　neck。　The　situation　was　terrible　before　the　Klan　started　decorating　the　county　with　Christmas　trees。　Who　knows　what　else　they'll　try　before　Monday。　There's　no　way　to　pick　a　fair　and　impartial　jury　in　Ford　County。〃
　〃You　mean　black　jury？〃
　〃No；　sir！　I　mean　a　jury　that　hasn't　prejudged　this　case。　Carl　Lee　Hailey　is　entitled　to　twelve　people　who　haven't　already　decided　his　guilt　or　innocence。〃
　Noose　lumbered　toward　his　chair　and　fell　into　it。　He　removed　those　glasses　from　that　nose　and　picked　at　the　end　of　it。
　〃We　could　excuse　the　twenty；〃　he　wondered　aloud。
　〃That　won't　help。　The　entire　county　knows　about　it　or　will　know　about　it　within　a　few　hours。　You　know　how　fast　word　travels。　The　entire　panel　will　feel　threatened。〃
　〃Then　we　could　disqualify　the　entire　panel　and　summon　a　new　one。〃
　〃Won't　work；〃　Jake　answered　sharply；　frustrated　by　Noose's　stubbornness。　〃All　jurors　must　e　from　Ford　County；　and　everybody　in　the　county　knows　about　it。　And　how　do　you　keep　the　Klan　from　harassing　the　next　panel？　It　won't　work。〃
　〃What　makes　you　so　confident　the　Klan　won't　follow　the　case　if　I　move　it　to　another　county？〃　The　sarcasm　dripped　from　every　word。
　〃I　think　they　will　follow　it；〃　Jake　admitted。　〃But　we　don't　know　that　for　sure。　What　we　do　know　is　that　the　Klan　is　already　in　Ford　County；　that　it's　quite　active　now；　and　that　it　has　already　intimidated　some　potential　jurors。　That's　the　issue。　The　question　is；　what　will　you　do　about　it？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　Noose　said　bluntly。
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Nothing。　I　will　do　nothing　but　dismiss　the　twenty。　I　will
　carefully　interrogate　the　panel　next　Monday；　when　the　trial　starts　in　Clanton。〃
　Jake　stared　in　disbelief。　Noose　had　a　reason；　a　motive；　a　fear；　something　he　was　not　telling。　Lucien　was　right…someone　had　gotten　to　him。　'　　　〃May　I　ask　why？〃
　〃I　don't　think　it　matters　where　we　try　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　I　don't　think　it　matters　who　we　put　in　the　jury　box。　I　don't　think　it　matters　what　color　they　are。　Their　minds　are　made　up。　All　of　them；　wherever　and　whoever　they　are。　They've　already　made　up　their　minds；　Jake；　and　it's　your　job　to　pick　those　who　think　your　man　is　a　hero。〃
　That's　probably　true；　thought　Jake；　but　he　wouldn't　admit　it。　He　continued　staring　at　the　trees　outside。　〃Why　are　you　afraid　to　move　it？〃
　Ichabod's　eyes　narrowed；　and　he　glared　at　Jake。　〃Afraid？　I'm　not　afraid　of　any　ruling　I　make。　Why　are　you　afraid　to　try　it　in　Ford　County？〃
　〃I　thought　I　just　explained　it。〃
　〃Mr。　Hailey　will　be　tried　in　Ford　County　starting　Monday。　That's　three　days　from　today。　And　he　will　be　tried　there　not　because　I'm　afraid　to　move　it；　but　because　it　wouldn't　do　any　good　to　move　it。　I've　considered　all　this　very　carefully；　Mr。　Brigance；　many　times；　and　I　feel　fortable　with　the　trial　in　Clanton。　It　will　not　be　moved。　Anything　further？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃Good。　See　you　Monday。〃
　Jake　entered　his　office　through　the　rear　door。　The　front　door　had　been　locked　for　a　week　now；　and　there　was　always　someone　banging　on　it　and　yelling　at　it。　Most　of　them　were　reporters；　but　many　were　friends　just　stopping　by　to　gossip　and　find　out　what　they　could　about　the　big　trial。　Clients　were　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　phone　rang　constantly。　Jake　never　touched　it　and　Ellen　grabbed　it　if　she　was　nearby。
　He　found　her　in　the　conference　room　up　to　her　elbows　in　law　books。　The　M'Naghten　brief　was　a　masterpiece。　He　had　requested　no　more　than　twenty　pages。　She　gave　him　seventy…five　perfectly　typed　and　plainly　worded　pages；　and　explained　there　was　no　way　to　cover　the　Mississippi　version
　of　M'Naghten　in　fewer　words。　Her　research　was　painstaking　and　detailed。　She　had　started　with　the　original　M'Naghten　case　in　England　in　the　1800's　and　worked　through　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　of　insanity　law　in　Mississippi。　She　discarded　insignificant　or　confusing　cases；　and　explained　in　wonderful　simplicity　the　plicated；　major　cases。　The　brief　concluded　with　a　summary　of　current　law；　and　applied　it　to　the　trial　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey。
　In　a　smaller　brief；　only　fourteen　pages；　she　had　reached　the　unmistakable　conclusion　that　the　jury　would　see　the　sickening　pictures　of　Cobb　and　Willard　with　their　brains　splattered　about　the　stairway。　Mississippi　admitted　such　inflammatory　evidence；　and　she　had　found　no　way　around　it。
　She　had　typed　thirty…one　pages　of　research　on　the　defense　of　justifiable　homicide；　something　Jake　had　considered　briefly　after　the　killings。　She　reached　the　same　conclusion　Jake　had　reached…it　wouldn't　work。　She　had　found　an　old　Mississippi　case　where　a　man　had　caught　and　killed　an　escaped　convict　who　was　armed。　He　had　been　acquitted；　but　the　differences　in　that　case　and　Carl　Lee's　case　were　enormous。　Jake　had　not　asked　for　the　brief；　and　was　irritated　that　so　much　energy　had　been　spent　on　it。　He　said　nothing；　however；　since　she　had　produced　everything　he　had　asked　for。
　The　most　pleasant　surprise　had　been　her　work　with　Dr。　W。T。　Bass。　She　had　met　with　him　twice　during　the　week；　and　they　had　covered　M'Naghten　in　great　detail。　She　prepared　a　twenty…five…page　script　of　the　questions　to　be　asked　by　Jake　and　the　answers　to　be　given　by　Bass。　It　was　a　skillfully　crafted　dialogue；　and　he　marveled　at　her　seasoning。　When　he　was　her　age；　he　was　an　average　student　more　concerned　with　romance　than　research。　She；　on　the　other　hand；　as　a　third…year　law　student　was　writing　briefs　that　read　like　treatises。
　〃How'd　it　go？〃　she　asked。
　〃As　expected。　He　did　not　budge。　The　trial　will　start　here　Monday　with　the　same　panel；　minus　the　twenty　who　received　their　subtle　warnings。〃
　〃He's　crazy。〃
　〃What're　you　working　on？〃
　〃I'm　finishing　the　brief　to　support　our　position　that　the
　details　of　the　rape　should　be　discussed　before　the　jury。　It　looks　good；　at　this　point。〃
　〃When　will　you　finish　it？〃
　〃Is　there　some　hurry？〃
　〃By　Sunday；　if　possible。　I've　got　another　chore；　something　a　little　different。〃
　She　slid　her　legal　pad　away　and　listened。
　〃The　State's　psychiatrist　will　be　Dr。　Wilbert　Rode…heaver；　head　of　staff　at　Whitfield。　He's　been　there　forever；　and　has　testifed　in　hundreds　of　cases。　I　want　you　to　dig　a　little　and　see　how　often　his　name　appears　in　court　decisions。〃
　〃Fve　already　run　across　his　name。〃
　〃Good。　As　you　know；　the　only　cases　we　read　about　from　the　Supreme　Court　are　the　ones　where　the　defendant　at　trial　was　convicted　and　has　appealed。　The　acquittals　are　not　reported。　I'm　more　interested　in　these。〃
　〃Where　are　you　ing　from？〃
　〃I　have　a　hunch　Rodeheaver　is　very　reluctant　to　give　an　opinion　that　a　defendant　was　legally　insane。　There's　a　chance　he's　never　done　it。　Even　in　cases　where　the　defendant　was　clearly　crazy　and　did　not　know　what　he　was　doing。　I'd　like　to　ask　Rodeheaver；　on　cross…examination；　about　some　of　the　cases　in　which　he's