jg.atimetokill-第96部分

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　〃It's　Noose；〃　Harry　Rex　said；　handing　the　phone　to　Jake。
　〃Hello。〃
　〃Are　you　okay；　Jake？〃
　〃Not　really。　I　won't　be　there　today。〃
　Noose　struggled　for　a　response。　〃Do　what？〃
　〃I　said　I　won't　be　in　court　today。　I'm　not　up　to　it。〃
　〃Well；　uh；　Jake；　where　does　that　leave　the　rest　of　us？〃
　〃I　don't　care；　really；〃　Jake　said；　sipping　on　his　second　margarita。
　〃Beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃I　said　I　don't　care；　Judge。　I　don't　care　what　you　do；　I　won't　be　there。〃
　Noose　shook　his　head　and　looked　at　the　receiver。　〃Are　you　hurt？〃　he　asked　with　feeling。
　〃You　ever　been　shot　at；　Judge？〃
　〃No；　Jake。〃
　〃You　ever　seen　a　man　get　shot；　hear　him　scream？〃
　〃No；　Jake。〃
　〃You　ever　had　somebody　else's　blood　splashed　on　your　suit？〃
　〃No；　Jake。〃
　〃I　won't　be　there。〃
　Noose　paused　and　thought　for　a　moment。　e　on　over；　Jake；　and　let's　talk　about　it。〃
　〃No。　I'm　not　leaving　my　office。　It's　dangerous　out　there。〃
　〃Suppose　we　stand　in　recess　until　one。　Will　you　feel　better　then？〃
　〃I'll　be　drunk　by　then。〃
　〃What！〃
　〃I　said　I'll　be　drunk　by　then；〃
　Harry　Rex　covered　his　eyes。　Ellen　left　for　the　kitchen。
　〃When　do　you　think　you　might　be　sober？〃　Noose　asked　sternly。　Ozzie　and　Buckley　looked　at　each　other。
　〃Monday。〃
　〃What　about　tomorrow？〃
　〃Tomorrow's　Saturday。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know；　and　I'd　planned　to　hold　court　tomorrow。　We've　got　a　jury　sequestered；　remember？〃
　〃Okay；　I'll　be　ready　in　the　morning。〃
　〃That's　good　to　hear。　What　do　I　tell　the　jury　right　now？　They're　sitting　in　the　jury　room　waiting　on　us。　The　courtroom　is　packed。　Your　client　is　sitting　out　there　by　himself　waiting　on　you。　What　do　I　tell　these　people？〃
　〃You'll　think　of　something；　Judge。　I've　got　faith　in　you。〃　Jake　hung　up。　Noose　listened　to　the　unbelievable　until　it　was　evident　that　he　had　in　fact　been　hung　up　on。　He　handed　the　phone　to　Ozzie。
　His　Honor　looked　out　the　window　and　removed　his　glasses。　〃He　says　he　ain't　in'　today。〃
　Uncharacteristically；　Buckley　remained　silent。
　Ozzie　was　defensive。　〃It　really　got　to　him；　Judge。〃
　〃Has　he　been　drinking？〃
　〃Naw；　not　Jake；〃　Ozzie　replied。　〃He's　just　tore　up　over　that　boy　gettin'　shot　like　he　did。　He　was　right　next　to　Jake；　and　caught　the　bullet　that　was　aimed　for　him。　It　would　upset　anybody；　Judge。〃
　〃He　wants　us　to　remain　in　recess　until　tomorrow　morning；〃　Noose　said　to　Buckley；　who　shrugged　and　again　said　nothing。
　As　word　spread；　a　regular　carnival　developed　on　the　sidewalk　outside　Jake's　office。　The　press　set　up　camp　and　pawed　at　the　front　window　in　hopes　of　seeing　someone　or　something　newsworthy　inside。　Friends　stopped　by　to　check　on　Jake；　but　were　informed　by　various　of　the　reporters　that　he　was　locked　away　inside　and　would　not　e　out。　Yes；　he　was　unhurt。
　Dr。　Bass　had　been　scheduled　to　testify　Friday　morning。　He　and　Lucien　entered　the　office　through　the　rear　door　a　few　minutes　after　ten；　and　Harry　Rex　left　for　the　liquor　store。
　With　all　the　crying；　the　conversation　with　Carla　had　been　difficult。　He　called　after　three　drinks；　and　things　did　not　go　well。　He　talked　to　her　father；　told　him　he　was　safe；　unhurt；　and　that　half　of　the　Mississippi　National　Guard　had　been　assigned　to　protect　him。　Settle　her　down；　he　said；　and　he　would　call　back　later。
　Lucien　was　furious。　He　had　fought　with　Bass　to　keep　him　sober　Thursday　night　so　he　could　testify　Friday。　Now　that　he　would　testify　Saturday；　there　was　no　way　to　keep　him　sober　two　days　in　a　row。　He　thought　of　all　the　drinking　they　had　missed　Thursday；　and　was　furious。
　Harry　Rex　returned　with　a　gallon　of　liquor。　He　and　Ellen　mixed　drinks　and　argued　over　the　ingredients。　She　rinsed　the　coffeepot；　filled　it　with　Bloody　Mary　mix　and　a　disproportionate　helping　of　Swedish　vodka。　Harry　Rex　added　a　lavish　dose　of　Tabasco。　He　made　the　rounds　in　the　conference　room　and　refilled　each　cup　with　the　delightful　mixture。
　Dr。　Bass　gulped　frantically　and　ordered　more。　Lucien　and　Harry　Rex　debated　the　likely　identity　of　the　gunman。　Ellen　silently　watched　Jake；　who　sat　in　the　corner　and　stared　at　the　bookshelves。
　The　phone　rang。　Harry　Rex　grabbed　it　and　listened　intently。　He　hung　up　and　said；　〃That　was　Ozzie。　The　soldier's　outta　surgery。　Bullet's　lodged　in　the　spine。　They　think　he'll　be　paralyzed。〃
　They　all　sipped　in　unison　and　said　nothing。　They　made　great　efforts　to　ignore　Jake　as　he　rubbed　his　forehead　with　one　hand　and　sloshed　his　drink　with　the　other。　The　faint
　sound　of　someone　knocking　at　me　rear　door　interrupted　brief　memorial。
　〃Go　see　who　it　is；〃　Lucien　ordered　Ellen；　who　left　to　see　who　was　knocking。
　〃It's　Lester　Hailey；〃　she　reported　to　the　conference　room。
　〃Let　him　in；〃　Jake　mumbled；　almost　incoherently。
　Lester　was　introduced　to　the　parry　and　offered　a　Bloody　Mary。　He　declined　and　asked　for　something　with　whiskey　in　it。
　〃Good　idea；〃　said　Lucien。　〃I'm　tired　of　light　stuff。　Let's　get　some　Jack　Daniel's。〃
　〃Sounds　good　to　me；〃　added　Bass　as　he　gulped　the　remnants　in　his　cup。
　Jake　managed　a　weak　smile　at　Lester；　then　returned　to　the　study　of　the　bookshelves。　Lucien　threw　a　hundred…dollar　bill　on　the　table；　and　Harry　Rex　left　for　the　liquor　store。
　When　she　awoke　hours　later；　Ellen　was　on　the　couch　in　Jake's　office。　The　room　was　dark　and　deserted；　with　an　acrid；　intoxicating　smell　to　it。　She　moved　cautiously。　She　found　her　boss　peacefully　snoring　away　in　the　war　room；　on　the　floor；　partially　under　the　war　desk。　There　were　no　lights　to　extinguish；　so　she　carefully　walked　down　the　stairs。　The　conference　room　was　littered　with　empty　liquor　bottles；　beer　cans；　plastic　cups　and　chicken　dinner　boxes。　It　was　9：30　P。M。　She　had　slept　five　hours。
　She　could　stay　at　Lucien's；　but　needed　to　change　clothes。　Her　friend　Nesbit　would　drive　her　to　Oxford；　but　she　was　sober。　Plus；　Jake　needed　all　the　protection　he　could　get。　She　locked　the　front　door　and　walked　to　her　car。
　Ellen　almost　made　it　to　Oxford　when　she　saw　the　blue　lights　behind　her。　As　usual；　she　was　driving　seventy…five。　She　parked　on　the　shoulder　and　walked　to　her　taillights；　where　she　searched　her　purse　and　waited　on　the　trooper。
　Two　plainsclothesmen　approached　from　the　blue　lights。
　〃You　drunk；　ma'am？〃　one　of　them　asked；　spewing　tobacco　juice。
　〃No；　sir。　I'm　trying　to　find　my　license。〃
　She　crouched　before　the　taillights　and　fished　for　the
　license。　Suddenly；　she　was　knocked　to　the　ground。　A　heavy　quilt　was　thrown　over　her　and　both　men　held　her　down。　A　rope　was　wrapped　around　her　chest　and　waist。　She　kicked　and　cursed；　but　could　offer　little　resistance。　The　quilt　covered　her　head　and　trapped　her　arms　underneath。　They　pulled　the　rope　tightly。
　〃Be　still；　bitch！　Be　still！〃
　One　of　them　removed　her　keys　from　the　ignition　and　opened　the　trunk。　They　threw　her　inside　and　slammed　it　shut。　The　blue　lights　were　unplugged　in　the　old　Lincoln　and　it　roared　away；　trailed　by　the　BMW。　They　found　a　gravel　road　and　followed　it　deep　into　the　woods。　It　turned　into　a　dirt　road　that　led　to　a　small　pasture　where　a　large　cross　was　being　burned　by　a　handful　of　Kluxers。
　The　two　assailants　quickly　donned　their　robes　and　masks　and　removed　her　from　the　trunk。　She　was　thrown　to　the　ground　and　the　quilt　removed。　They　bound　and　gagged　her；　and　dragged　her　to　a　large　pole　a　few　feet　from　the　cross　where　she　was　tied；　her　back　to　the　Kluxers；　her　face　to　the　pole。
　She　saw　the　white　robes　and　pointed　hats；　and　tried　desperately　to　spit　out　the　oily；　cotton　rag　crammed　in　her　mouth。　She　managed　only　to　gag　and　cough。
　The　flaming　cross　illuminated　the　small　pasture；　discharging　a　glowing　wave　of　heat　that　began　to　roast　her　as　she　wrestled　with　the　pole　and　emitted　strange；　guttural　noises。
　A　hooded　figure　left　the　others　and　approached　her。　She　could　hear　him　walking　and　breathing。　〃You　nigger…loving　bitch；〃　he　said　in　a　crisp　Midwestern　voice。　He　grabbed　the　rear　of　her　collar　and　ripped　the　white　silk　blouse　until　it　hung　in　shreds　around　her　neck　and　shoulders。　Her　hands　were　tied　firmly　around　the　pole。　He　removed　a　bowie　knife　from　under　the　robe；　and　began　cutting　the　remainder　of　the　blouse　from　her　body。　〃You　nigger…loving　bitch。　You　nigger…loving　bitch。〃
　Ellen　cursed　him；　but　her　words　were　muffled　groans。
　He　unzipped　the　navy　linen　skirt　on　the　right　side。　S