jg.atimetokill-第94部分

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r　〃T。〃　He　would　blurt　out　something；　then　stutter　and　spit　incoherently。
　〃I　didn't　get　that；〃　she　would　say　helplessly　when　he　finished。　Buckley　would　sigh。　The　jurors　rocked　furiously。　Half　the　spectators　chewed　their　fingernails。
　〃Could　you　repeat　that？〃　Buckley　would　say　with　as　much　。patience　as　he　could　find。
　〃I'm　s…s…s…s…s…s…s…s…sorry；〃　he　would　say　frequently。　He　was　pitiful。
　Through　it　all；　it　was　determined　that　he　had　been　drinking　a　Coke　on　the　rear　stairs；　facing　the　stairs　where
　the　boys　were　killed。　He　had　noticed　a　black　man　peeking　out　of　a　small　closet　some　forty　feet　away。　But　he　didn't　think　much　about　it。　Then　when　the　boys　came　down；　the　black　man　just　stepped　out　and　opened　fire；　screaming　and　laughing。　When　he　stopped　shooting；　he　threw　down　the。　gun　and　took　off。　Yes；　that　was　him；　sitting　right　there。　The　black　one。
　Noose　rubbed　holes　in　his　glasses　listening　to　Murphy。　When　Buckley　sat　down；　His　Honor　looked　desperately　at　Jake。　〃Any　cross…examination？〃　he　asked　painfully。
　Jake　stood　with　a　legal　pad。　The　court　reporter　glared　at　him。　Harry　Rex　hissed　at　him。　Ellen　closed　her　eyes。　The　jurors　wrung　their　hands　and　watched　him　carefully。
　〃Don't　do　it；〃　Carl　Lee　whispered　firmly。
　〃No；　Your　Honor；　we　have　no　questions。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Brigance；〃　Noose　said；　breathing　again。
　The　next　witness　was　Officer　Rady；　the　investigator　for　the　Sheriffs　Department。　He　informed　the　jury　that　he　found　a　Royal　Crown　Cola　can　in　the　closet　next　to　the　stairs；　and　the　prints　on　the　can　matched　those　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey。
　〃Was　it　empty　or　full？〃　Buckley　asked　dramatically。
　〃It　was　pletely　empty。〃
　Big　deal；　thought　Jake；　so　he　was　thirsty。　Oswald　had　a　chicken　dinner　waiting　on　Kennedy。　No；　he　had　no　questions　for　this　witness。
　〃We　have　one　final　witness；　Your　Honor；〃　Buckley　said　with　great　finality　at　4：00　P。M。　〃Officer　DeWayne　Looney。〃
　Looney　limped　with　a　cane　into　the　courtroom　and　to　the　witness　stand。　He　removed　his　gun　and　handed　it　to　Mr。　Pate。
　Buckley　watched　him　proudly。　〃Would　you　state　your　name；　please；　sir？〃
　〃DeWayne　Looney。〃
　〃And　your　address？〃
　〃Fourteen　sixty…eight　Bennington　Street；　Clanton；　Mississippi。〃
　〃How　old　are　you？〃
　〃Thirty…nine。〃
　〃Where　are　you　employed？〃
　〃Ford　County　Sheriff's　Department。〃
　〃And　what　do　you　do　there？〃
　〃I'm　a　dispatcher。〃
　〃Where　did　you　work　on　Monday；　May　20？〃
　〃I　was　a　deputy。〃
　〃Were　you　on　duty？〃
　〃Yes。　I　was　assigned　to　transport　two　subjects　from　the　jail　to　court　and　back。〃
　〃Who　were　those　two　subjects？〃
　〃Billy　Ray　Cobb　and　Pete　Willard。〃
　〃What　time　did　you　leave　court　with　them？〃
　〃Around　one…thirty；　I　guess。〃
　〃Who　was　on　duty　with　you？〃
　〃Marshall　Prather。　He　and　I　were　in　charge　of　the　two　subjects。　There　were　some　other　deputies　in　the　courtroom　helpin'　us；　and　we　had　two　or　three　men　outside　waitin'　on　us。　But　me　and　Marshall　were　in　charge。〃
　〃What　happened　when　the　hearing　was　over？〃
　〃We　immediately　handcuffed　Cobb　and　Willard　and　got　them　outta　here。　We　took　them　to　that　little　room　over　there　and　waited　a　second　or　two；　and　Prather　walked　on　down　the　stairs。〃
　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　〃We　started　down　the　back　stairs。　Cobb　first；　then　Willard；　then　me。　Like　I　said；　Prather　had　already　gone　on　down。　He　was　out　the　door。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Then　what　happened？〃
　〃When　Cobb　was　near　'bout　to　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　the　shootin'　started。　I　was　on　the　landing；　fixin'　to　go　on　down。　I　didn't　see　anybody　at　first　for　a　second；　then　I　seen　Mr。　Hailey　with　the　machine　gun　firin'　away。　Cobb　was　blown　backward　into　Willard；　and　they　both　screamed　and　fell　in　a　heap；　tryin'　to　get　back　up　where　I　was。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Describe　what　you　saw。〃
　〃You　could　hear　the　bullets　bouncin'　off　the　walls　and　hittin'　everywhere。　It　was　the　loudest　gun　I　ever　heard　and　seemed　like　he　kept　shootin'　forever。　The　boys　just　twisted　and　thrashed　about；　screamin'　and　squealin'。　They　were　handcuffed；　you　know。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　What　happened　to　you？〃
　〃Like　I　said；　I　never　made　it　past　the　landing。　I　think
　one　of　the　bullets　ricocheted　off　the　wall　and　caught　me　in　the　leg。　I　was　tryin'　to　get　back　up　the　steps　when　I　felt　my　leg　burn。〃
　〃And　what　happened　to　your　leg？〃
　〃They　cut　it　off；〃　Looney　answered　matter…of…factly；　as　if　an　amputation　happened　monthly。　〃Just　below　the　knee。〃
　〃Did　you　get　a　good　look　at　the　man　with　the　gun？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Can　you　identify　him　for　the　jury？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　It's　Mr。　Hailey；　the　man　sittin'　over　there。〃
　That　answer　would　have　been　a　logical　place　to　end　Looney's　testimony。　He　was　brief；　to　the　point；　sympathetic　and　positive　of　the　identification。　The　jury　had　listened　to　every　word　so　far。　But　Buckley　and　Musgrove　retrieved　the　large　diagrams　of　the　courthouse　and　arranged　them　before　the　jury　so　that　Looney　could　limp　around　for　a　while。　Under　Buckley's　direction；　he　retraced　everybody's　exact　movements　just　before　the　killings。
　Jake　rubbed　his　forehead　and　pinched　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　Noose　cleaned　and　recleaned　his　glasses。　The　jurors　fidgeted。
　〃Any　cross…examination；　Mr。　Brigance？〃　Noose　asked　at　last。
　〃Just　a　few　questions；〃　Jake　said　as　Musgrove　cleared　the　debris　from　the　courtroom。
　〃Officer　Looney；　who　was　Carl　Lee　looking　at　when　he　was　shooting？〃
　〃Them　boys；　as　far　as　I　could　tell。〃
　〃Did　he　ever　look　at　you？〃
　〃Well；　now；　I　didn't　spend　a　lotta　time　tryin'　to　make　eye　contact　with　him。　In　fact；　I　was　movin'　in　the　other　direction。〃
　〃So　he　didn't　aim　at　you？〃
　〃Oh；　no；　sir。　He　just　aimed　at　those　boys。　Hit　them　too。〃
　〃What　did　he　do　when　he　was　shooting？〃
　〃He　just　screamed　and　laughed　like　he　was　crazy。　It　was　the　weirdest　thing　I　ever　heard；　like　he　was　some　kinda　madman　or　something。　And　you　know；　what　I'll　always　remember　is　that　with　all　the　noise；　the　gun　firin'；　the　bullets
　whistlin'；　the　boys　screamin'　as　they　got　hit；　over　all　the　noise　I　could　hear　him　laughin'　that　crazy　laugh。〃
　The　answer　was　so　perfect　Jake　had　to　fight　off　a　smile。　He　and　Looney　had　worked　on　it　a　hundred　times；　and　it　was　a　thing　of　beauty。　Every　word　was　perfect。　Jake　busily　flipped　through　his　legal　pad　and　glanced　at　the　jurors。　They　all　stared　at　Looney；　enthralled　by　his　answer。　Jake　scribbled　something；　anything；　nothing；　just　to　kill　a　few　more　seconds　before　the　most　important　questions　of　the　trial。
　〃Now；　Deputy　Looney；　Carl　Lee　Hailey　shot　you　in　the　leg。〃
　〃Yes；　sir；　he　did。〃
　〃Do　you　think　it　was　intentional？〃
　〃Oh；　no；　sir。　It　was　an　accident。〃
　〃Do　you　want　to　see　him　punished　for　shooting　you？〃　？　〃No；　sir。　I　have　no　ill　will　toward　the　man。　He　did　what　I　would've　done。〃
　Buckley　dropped　his　pen　and　slumped　in　his　chair。　He　looked　sadly　at　his　star　witness。
　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃
　〃I　mean　I　don't　blame　him　for　what　he　did。　Those　boys　raped　his　little　girl。　I　gotta　little　girl。　Somebody　rapes　her　and　he's　a　dead　dog。　I'll　blow　him　away；　just　like　Carl　Lee　did。　We　oughtta　give　him　a　trophy。〃
　〃Do　you　want　the　jury　to　convict　Carl　Lee？〃
　Buckley　jumped　and　roared；　〃Objection！　Objection！　Improper　question！〃
　〃No！〃　Looney　yelled。　〃I　don't　want　him　convicted。　He's　a　hero。　He…〃
　〃Don't　answer；　Mr。　Looney！〃　Noose　said　loudly。　〃Don't　answer！〃
　〃Objection！　Objection！〃　Buckley　continued；　on　his　tiptoes。
　〃He's　a　hero！　Turn　him　loose！〃　Looney　yelled　at　Buck…ley。
　〃Order！　Order！〃　Noose　banged　his　gavel。
　Buckley　was　silent。　Looney　was　silent。　Jake　walked　to　his　chair　and　said；　〃I'll　withdraw　the　question。〃
　〃Please　disregard；〃　Noose　instructed　the　jury。
　Looney　smiled　at　the　jury　and　limped　from　the　courtroom。
　〃Call　your　next　witness；〃　Noose　said；　removing　nis　glasses。
　Buckley　rose　slowly　and　with　a　great　effort　at　drama；　said；　〃Your　Honor；　the　State　rests。〃
　〃Good；〃　Noose　replied；　looking　at　Jake。　〃I　assume　you　have　a　motion　or　two；　Mr。　Brigance。〃
　〃Yes；　Your　Honor。〃
　〃Very　well；　we'll　take　those　up　in　chambers。〃
　Noose　excused　his　jury　with　the　same　parting　instructions　and　adjourned　until　nine　Friday。
　Jake　awoke　in　the　darkness　with　a　slight　hangover；　a　headache　due　to　fatigue　and　Coors；　and　the　distant　but　unmistakable　sound　of　his　doorbell　ringing　conti