jg.atimetokill-第91部分

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oaring　at　full　throttle　when　she　made　her　exit。
　Noose　glared　at　Jake　until　she　was　gone　and　the　courtroom　was　quiet　again。　Then　he　turned　to　the　jury　and　said：　〃Please　disregard　the　last　question　by　Mr。　Brigance。〃
　〃What'd　you　do　that　for？〃　Carl　Lee　whispered　to　his　lawyer。
　〃I'll　explain　later。〃
　〃The　State　calls　Earnestine　Willard；〃　Buckley　announced　in　a　quieter　tone　and　with　much　more　hesitation。
　Mrs。　Willard　was　brought　from　the　witness　room　above　the　courtroom。　She　was　sworn　and　seated。
　〃You　are　Earnestine　Willard？〃　asked　Buckley。
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　she　said　in　a　fragile　voice。　Life　had　been　rough　on　her　too；　but　she　had　a　certain　dignity　that　made　her　more　pitiful　and　believable　than　Mrs。　Cobb。　The　clothes　were　inexpensive；　but　clean　and　neatly　pressed。　The　hair　was　minus　the　cheap　black　dye　that　Mrs。　Cobb　relied　on　so　heavily。　The　face　was　minus　the　layers　of　makeup。　When　she　began　crying；　she　cried　to　herself。
　〃And　where　do　you　live？〃
　〃Out　from　Lake　Village。〃
　〃Pete　Willard　was　your　son？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃When　did　you　last　see　him　alive？〃
　〃Right　here　in　this　room；　just　before　he　was　killed。〃
　〃Did　you　hear　the　gunfire　that　killed　him？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Where　did　you　last　see　him？〃
　〃At　the　funeral　home。〃
　〃And　what　was　his　condition？〃
　〃He　was　dead；〃　she　said；　wiping　tears　with　a　Kleenex。
　〃I'm　very　sorry；〃　Buckley　offered。　〃No　further　questions；〃　he　added；　eyeing　Jake　carefully。
　〃Any　cross…examination？〃　Noose　asked；　also　eyeing　Jake　suspiciously。
　〃Just　a　couple；〃　Jake　said。
　〃Mrs。　Willard；　I'm　Jake　Brigance。〃　He　stood　behind　the　podium　and　looked　at　her　without　passion。
　She　nodded。
　〃How　old　was　your　son　when　he　died？〃
　〃Twenty…seven。〃
　Buckley　pushed　his　chair　from　the　table　and　sat　on　its　edge；　ready　to　spring。　Noose　removed　his　glasses　and　leaned　forward。　Carl　Lee　lowered　his　head。
　〃During　his　twenty…seven　years；　how　many　other　children　did　he　rape？〃
　Buckley　bolted　upright。　〃Objection！　Objection！　Objection！〃
　〃Sustained！　Sustained！　Sustained！〃
　The　yelling　frightened　Mrs。　Willard；　and　she　cried　louder。
　〃Admonish　him；　Judge！　He　must　be　admonished！〃
　〃I'll　withdraw　the　question；〃　Jake　said　on　his　way　back　to　his　seat。
　Buckley　pleaded　with　his　hands。　〃But　that's　not　good　enough；　Judge！　He　must　be　admonished！〃
　〃Let's　go　into　chambers；〃　Noose　ordered。　He　excused　the　witness　and　recessed　until　one。
　Harry　Rex　was　waiting　on　the　balcony　of　Jake's　office　with　sandwiches　and　a　pitcher　of　margaritas。　Jake　declined　and　drank　grapefruit　juice。　Ellen　wanted　just　one；　a　small　one　she　said　to　calm　her　nerves。　For　the　third　day；　lunch　had　been　prepared　by　Dell　and　personally　delivered　to　Jake's　office。　pliments　of　the　Coffee　Shop。
　They　ate　and　relaxed　on　the　balcony　and　watched　the　carnival　around　the　courthouse。　What　happened　in　chambers？　Harry　Rex　demanded。　Jake　nibbled　on　a　Reuben。　He　said　he　wanted　to　talk　about　something　other　than　the　trial。
　〃What　happened　in　chambers；　dammit？〃
　〃Cardinals　are　three　games　out；　did　you　know　that；　Row　Ark？〃
　〃I　thought　it　was　four。〃
　〃What　happened　in　chambers！〃
　〃Do　you　really　want　to　know？〃
　〃Yes！　Yes！〃
　〃Okay。　I've　got　to　go　use　the　rest　room。　I'll　tell　you　when　I　get　back。〃　Jake　left。
　〃Row　Ark；　what　happened　in　chambers？〃
　〃Not　much。　Noose　rode　Jake　pretty　good；　but　no　permanent　damage。　Buckley　wanted　blood；　and　Jake　said　he　was　sure；　some　was　forthing　if　Buckley's　face　got　any　redder。　Buckley　ranted　and　screamed　and　condemned　Jake　for　intentionally　inflaming　the　jury；　as　he　called　it。　Jake　just　smiled　at　him　and　said　he　was　sorry；　Governor。　Every　time　he　would　say　governor；　Buckley　would　scream　at　Noose；　'He's　calling　me　governor；　Judge；　do　something。'　And　Noose　would　say；　'Please；　gentlemen；　I　expect　you　to　act　like　professionals。'　And　Jake　would　say；　'Thank　you；　Your　Honor。'　Then　he　would　wait　a　few　minutes　and　call　him　governor　again。〃
　〃Why　did　he　make　those　two　old　ladies　cry？〃
　〃It　was　a　brilliant　move；　Harry　Rex。　He　showed　the　jury；　Noose；　Buckley；　everybody；　that　it's　his　courtroom　and　he's　not　afraid　of　a　damned　person　in　it。　He　drew　first　blood。　He's　got　Buckley　so　jumpy　right　now　he'll　never　relax。　Noose　respects　him　because　he's　not　intimidated　by　His　Honor。　The　jurors　were　shocked；　but　he　woke　them　up　and　told　them　in　a　not　so　subtle　way　that　this　is　war。　A　brilliant　move。〃
　〃Yeah；　I　thought　so　myself。〃
　〃It　didn't　hurt　us。　Those　women　were　asking　for　sympathy；　but　Jake　reminded　the　jury　of　what　their　sweet　little　boys　did　before　they　died。〃
　〃The　scumbags。〃
　〃If　there's　any　resentment　by　the　jury；　they'll　forget　by　the　time　the　last　witness　testifies。〃
　〃Jake's　pretty　smooth；　ain't　he？〃
　〃He's　good。　Very　good。　He's　the　best　I've　seen　for　his　age。〃
　〃Wait　till　his　closing　argument。　I've　heard　a　couple。　He　could　get　sympathy　out　of　a　drill　sergeant。〃
　Jake　returned　and　poured　a　small　margarita。　Just　a　very　small　one；　for　his　nerves。　Harry　Rex　drank　like　a　sailor。
　Ozzie　was　the　first　State　witness　after　lunch。　Buckley　produced　large；　multicolored　plats　of　the　first　and　second　floors　of　the　courthouse；　and　together　they　traced　the　precise；　last　movements　of　Cobb　and　Willard。
　Then　Buckley　produced　a　set　of　ten　16　x　24　color　photographs　of　Cobb　and　Willard　lying　freshly　dead　on　the　stairs。　They　were　gruesome。　Jake　had　seen　lots　of　pictures　of　dead　bodies；　and　although　none　were　particularly　pleasant　given　their　nature；　some　weren't　so　bad。　In　one　of　his　cases；　the　victim　had　been　shot　in　the　heart　with　a　。357　and　simply　fell　over　dead　on　his　porch。　He　was　a　large；　muscular　old　man；　and　the　bullet　never　found　its　way　out　of　the　body。　So　there　was　no　blood；　just　a　small　hole　in　his　overalls；　and　then　a　small　sealed　hole　in　his　chest。　He　looked　as　though　he　could　have　fallen　asleep　and　slumped　over；　or　passed　out　drunk　on　the　porch；　like　Lucien。　It　was　not　a　spectacular　scene；　and　Buckley　had　not　been　proud　of　those　photo…
　graphs。　They　had　not　been　enlarged。　He　had　just　handed　the　small　Polaroids　to　the　jury　and　looked　disgusted　because　they　were　so　clean。
　But　most　murder　pictures　were　grisly　and　sickening；　with　blood　splashed　on　walls　and　ceilings；　and　parts　of　bodies　blown　free　and　scattered　everywhere。　Those　were　always　enlarged　by　the　D。A。　and　entered　into　evidence　with　great　fanfare；　then　waved　around　the　courtroom　by　Buckley　as　he　and　the　witness　described　the　scenes　in　the　pictures。　Finally；　with　the　jurors　fidgeting　with　curiosity；　Buckley　would　politely　ask　the　judge　for　permission　to　show　the　photographs　to　the　jury；　and　the　judge　would　always　consent。　Then　Buck…ley　and　everybody　else　would　watch　their　faces　intently　as　they　were　shocked；　horrified；　and　occasionally　nauseated。　Jake　had　actually　seen　two　jurors　vomit　when　handed　photos　of　a　badly　slashed　corpse。
　Such　pictures　were　highly　prejudicial　and　highly　inflammatory；　and　also　highly　admissible。　〃Probative〃　was　the　word　used　by　the　Supreme　Court。　Such　pictures　could　aid　the　jury；　according　to　ninety　years　of　decisions　from　the　Court。　It　was　well　settled　in　Mississippi　that　murder　pictures；　regardless　of　their　impact　on　the　jury；　were　always　admissible。
　Jake　had　seen　the　Cobb　and　Willard　photographs　weeks　earlier；　and　had　filed　the　standard　objection　and　received　the　standard　denial。
　These　were　mounted　professionally　on　heavy　pos…terboard；　something　the　D。A。　had　not　done　before。　He　handed　the　first　one　into　the　jury　box　to　Reba　Betts。　It　was　the　one　of　Willard's　head　and　brains　taken　at　close　range。
　〃My　God！〃　she　gasped；　and　shoved　it　to　the　next　juror；　who　gawked　in　horror；　and　passed　it　on。　They　handed　it　to　one　another；　then　to　the　alternates。　Buckley　took　it；　and　gave　Reba　another　one。　The　ritual　continued　for　thirty　minutes　until　all　the　pictures　were　returned　to　the　D。A。
　Then　he　grabbed　the　M…16　and　thrust　it　at　Ozzie。　〃Can　you　identify　this？〃
　〃Yes；　it's　the　weapon　found　at　the　scene。〃
　〃Who　picked　it　up　at　the　scene？〃
　〃I　did。〃
　〃And　what　did　you　do　with　it？〃
　〃Wrapped　in　a　plastic　bag　and　placed　in　a　vault　at　the　jail。　Kept　it　locked　up　until　I　handed　it　to　Mr。　Laird　with　the　crime　lab　in　Jackson。〃
　〃Your　Honor；　the　State　would　offer　the　weapon；　Exhibit　S…13；　int