jg.atimetokill-第78部分

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e　was　doing。　I'd　like　to　ask　Rodeheaver；　on　cross…examination；　about　some　of　the　cases　in　which　he's　said　there's　nothing　wrong　with　an　obviously　sick　man；　and　the　jury　acquitted　him。〃
　〃Those　cases　will　be　very　hard　to　find。〃
　〃I　know；　but　you　can　do　it；　Row　Ark。　I've　watched　you　work　for　a　week　now；　and　I　know　you　can　do　it。〃
　〃I'm　flattered；　boss。〃
　〃You　may　have　to　make　phone　calls　to　attorneys　around　the　state　who've　crossed　Rodeheaver　before。　It'll　be　hard；　Row　Ark；　but　get　it　done。〃
　〃Yes；　boss。　I'm　sure　you　wanted　it　yesterday。〃
　〃Not　really。　I　doubt　if　we'll　get　to　Rodeheaver　next　week；　so　you　have　some　time。〃
　〃I　don't　know　how　to　act。　You　mean　it's　not　urgent？〃
　〃No；　but　that　rape　brief　is。〃
　〃Yes；　boss。〃
　〃Have　you　had　lunch？〃
　〃I'm　not　hungry。〃
　〃Good。　Don't　make　any　plans　for　dinner。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃It　means　I've　got　an　idea。〃
　〃Sort　of　like　a　date？〃
　〃No；　sort　of　like　a　business　lunch　with　two　professionals。〃
　Jake　packed　two　briefcases　and　left。　〃I'll　be　at　Lu…cien's；〃　he　told　her；　〃but　don't　call　unless　it's　a　dire　emergency。　Don't　tell　anyone　where　I　am。〃
　〃What　are　you　working　on？〃
　〃The　jury。〃
　Lucien　had　passed　out　drunk　in　the　swing　on　the　porch；　and　Sallie　was　not　around。　Jake　helped　himself　to　the　spacious　study　upstairs。　Lucien　had　more　law　books　in　his　home　than　most　lawyers　had　in　their　offices。　He　unpacked　his　mess　in　a　chair；　and　on　the　desk　he　placed　an　alphabetical　list　of　the　jurors；　a　stack　of　three…by…five　notecards；　and　several　Magic　Markers。
　The　first　name　was　Acker；　Barry　Acker。　The　last　name　was　written　in　large　print　across　the　top　of　a　notecard　with　a　blue　Magic　Marker。　Blue　for　men；　red　for　women；　black　for　blacks；　regardless　of　gender。　Under　Acker's　name　he　made　notes　with　a　pencil。　Age；　about　forty。　Married　to　his　second　wife；　three　children；　two　daughters。　Runs　a　small　unprofitable　hardware　store　on　the　highway　in　Clanton。　Wife；　secretary　at　a　bank。　Drives　a　pickup。　Likes　to　hunt。　Wears　cowboy　boots。　Pretty　nice　guy。　Atcavage　had　gone　to　the　hardware　store　Thursday　to　get　a　look　at　Barry　Acker。　Said　he　looked　okay；　talked　like　he　had　。some　education。　Jake　wrote　the　number　nine　by　the　name　Acker。
　Jake　was　impressed　with　his　research。　Surely　Buckley　would　not　be　as　thorough。
　The　next　name　was　Bill　Andrews。　What　a　name。　There　were　six　of　them　in　the　phonebook。　Jake　knew　one；　Harry　Rex　knew　another　one；　and　Ozzie　knew　a　black　one；　but　nobody　knew　which　one　got　the　summons。　He　pvut　a　question　mark　by　the　name。
　Gerald　Ault。　Jake　smiled　when　he　wrote　the　name　on　the　notecard。　Ault　had　passed　through　his　office　a　few　years　back　when　the　bank　foreclosed　on　his　house　in　Clanton。　His　wife　was　stricken　with　kidney　disease；　and　the　medical　bills　broke　them。　He　was　an　intellectual；　educated　at　Princeton；
　where　he　met　his　wife。　She　was　from　Ford　County；　the　only　child　of　a　once　prominent　family　of　fools　who　had　invested　all　their　money　in　railroads。　He　arrived　in　Ford　County　just　in　time　for　his　in…laws　to　go　under；　and　the　easy　life　he　had　married　dissolved　into　one　of　struggle。　He　taught　school　for　a　while；　then　ran　the　library；　then　worked　as　a　clerk　in　the　courthouse。　He　developed　an　aversion　to　hard　work。　Then　his　wife　got　sick；　and　they　lost　their　modest　house。　He　now　worked　in　a　convenience　store。
　Jake　knew　something　about　Gerald　Ault　that　no　one　else　knew。　As　a　child　in　Pennsylvania；　his　family　lived　in　a　farmhouse　near　the　highway。　One　night　while　they　slept；　the　house　caught　fire。　A　passing　motorist　stopped；　kicked　in　the　front　door　and　began　rescuing　the　Aults。　The　fire　spread　quickly；　and　when　Gerald　and　his　brother　awoke　they　were　trapped　in　their　upstairs　bedroom。　They　ran　to　the　window　and　screamed。　Their　parents　and　siblings　yelled　helplessly　from　the　front　lawn。　Flames　poured　from　every　window　in　the　house　except　for　their　bedroom。　Suddenly；　the　rescuer　soaked　himself　with　water　from　the　garden　hose；　dashed　into　the　burning　house；　fought　the　flames　and　smoke　as　he　raced　upstairs；　then　bolted　through　the　bedroom　door。　He　kicked　out　the　window；　grabbed　Gerald　and　his　brother；　and　jumped　to　the　ground。　Miraculously；　they　were　not　hurt。　They　thanked　him；　through　tears　and　embraces。　They　thanked　this　stranger；　whose　skin　was　black。　He　was　the　first　Negro　the　children　had　ever　seen。
　Gerald　Ault　was　one　of　the　few　white　people　in　Ford　County　who　truly　loved　black　people。　Jake　put　a　ten　by　his　name。
　For　six　hours　he　went　through　the　jury　list；　making　note…cards；　concentrating　on　each　name；　envisioning　each　juror　in　the　box　and　in　deliberation；　talking　to　each　one。　He　rated　them。　Every　black　got　an　automatic　ten；　the　whites　were　not　so　easy。　The　men　rated　higher　than　the　women；　the　young　men　higher　than　the　old　men；　the　educated　slightly　higher　than　the　uneducated；　the　liberals；　both　of　them；　received　the　highest　ratings。
　He　eliminated　the　twenty　Noose　planned　to　exclude。　He　knew　something　about　one　hundred　and　eleven　of　the　prospective　jurors。　Surely；　Buckley　could　not　know　so　much。
　Ellen　was　typing　on　Ethel's　machine　when　Jake　returned　from　Lucien's。　She　turned　it　off；　closed　the　law　books　she　was　typing　from；　and　watched　him。
　〃Where's　dinner？〃　she　asked　with　a　wicked　smile。
　〃We're　taking　a　road　trip。〃
　〃All　right！　Where　to？〃
　〃Have　you　ever　been　to　Robinsonville；　Mississippi？〃
　〃No；　but　I'm　ready。　What's　there？〃
　〃Nothing　but　cotton；　soybeans；　and　a　great　little　restaurant。〃
　〃What's　the　dress　code？〃
　Jake　inspected　her。　She　wore　the　usual…jeans；　neatly　starched　and　faded；　no　socks；　a　navy　button…down　that　was　four　sizes　too　big　but　tucked　in　nicely　above　her　slender　hips。
　〃You　look　fine；〃　he　said。
　They　turned　off　the　copier　and　the　lights　and　left　Clanton　in　the　Saab。　Jake　stopped　at　a　liquor　store　in　the　black　section　of　town　and　bought　a　six…pack　of　Coors　and　a　tall；　cold　bottle　of　Chablis。
　〃You　have　to　bring　your　own　bottle　to　this　place；〃　he　explained　as　they　left　town。　The　sun　was　setting　into　the　highway　ahead；　and　Jake　flipped　down　the　sun　visors。　Ellen　played　bartender　and　opened　two　cans。
　〃How　far　is　this　place？〃　she　asked。
　〃Hour　and　a　half。〃
　〃Hour　and　a　half！　I'm　starving。〃
　〃Then　fill　up　on　beer。　Believe　me　it's　worth　it。〃
　〃What's　on　the　menu？〃
　〃Barbecued；　sauteed　shrimp；　frog　legs；　and　charbroiled　catfish。〃
　She　sipped　on　the　beer。　〃We'll　see。〃
　Jake　stepped　on　the　gas；　and　they　raced　across　bridges　over　the　countless　tributaries　of　Lake　Chatulla。　They　climbed　steep　hills　covered　with　layers　of　dark　green　kudzu。　They　flew　around　corners　and　dodged　pulpwood　trucks　making　their　last　runs　of　the　day。　Jake　opened　the　sunroof；　lowered　the　windows　and　let　the　wind　blow。　Ellen　leaned　back　in　the　seat　and　dosed　her　eyes。　Her　thick；　wavy　hair　swirled　around　her　face。
　〃Look；　Row　Ark；　this　dinner　is　strictly　business…〃
　〃Sure；　sure。〃
　〃I　mean　it。　I'm　the　employer；　you're　the　employee；　and　this　is　a　business　meal。　Nothing　more　or　less。　So　don't　get　any　lustful　ideas　in　your　ERA；　sexually　liberated　brain。〃
　〃Sounds　like　you're　the　one　with　the　ideas。〃
　〃Nope。　I　just　know　what　you're　thinking。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　what　I'm　thinking？　Why　do　you　assume　you're　so　irresistible　and　that　I'm　planning　a　big　seduction　scene？〃
　〃Just　keep　your　hands　to　yourself。　I'm　a　wonderfully　happily　married　man　with　a　gorgeous　wife　who'd　kill　if　she　thought　I　was　fooling　around。〃
　〃Okay；　let's　pretend　to　be　friends。　Just　two　friends　having　dinner。〃
　〃That　doesn't　work　in　the　South。　A　male　friend　cannot　have　dinner　with　a　female　friend　if　the　male　friend　has　a　wife。　It　just　doesn't　work　down　here。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Because　men　don't　have　female　friends。　No　way。　I　don't　know　of　a　single　man　in　the　entire　South　who　is　married　and　has　a　female　friend。　I　think　it　goes　back　to　the　Civil　War。〃
　〃I　think　it　goes　back　to　the　Dark　Ages。　Why　are　Southern　women　so　jealous？〃
　〃Because　that's　the　way　we've　trained　them。　They　learned　from　us。　If　my　wife　met　a　male　friend　for　lunch　or　dinner；　I'd　tear　his　head　off　and　file　for　divorce。　She　learned　it　from　me。〃
　〃That　makes　absolutely　no　sense。〃
　〃Of　course　it　doesn't。〃
　〃Your　wife　has　no　male　friends？〃
　〃None　that　I　know　of。　I