jg.atimetokill-第99部分

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　Bass　stroked　his　chin　and　looked　perplexed。　〃Quite　frankly；　Mr。　Brigance；　it　would　take　a　great　deal　of　time　to　explain　what　the　rape　did　to　Mr；　Hailey。〃
　Jake　thought　a　moment；　and　seemed　to　thoroughly　analyze　this　last　statement。　〃Well；　could　you　summarize　it　for　the　jury？〃
　　Bass　nodded　gravely。　〃I'll　try。〃
　Lucien　grew　weary　of　listening　to　Bass；　and　began　watching　the　jury　in　hopes　of　eyeing　Clyde　Sisco；　who　had　also　lost　interest　but　appeared　to　be　admiring　the　boots。　Lucien　watched　intently　from　the　corner　of　his　eye；　waiting　for　Sisco　to　gaze　around　the　courtroom。
　Finally；　as　Bass　rambled　on；　Sisco　left　the　testimony　and　looked　at　Carl　Lee；　then　Buckley；　then　one　of　the　reporters　on　the　front　row。　Then　his　line　of　vision　locked　solidly　into　a　wild…eyed；　bearded　old　man　who　had　once　handed　him　eighty　thousand　cash　for　performing　his　civic　duty　and　returning　a　just　verdict。　They　focused　unmistakably　on　each　other；　and　both　managed　a　slight　grin。　How　much？　was　the　look　in　Lucien's　eyes。　Sisco　returned　to　the　testimony；　but　seconds　later　he　was　staring　at　Lucien。　How　much？　Lucien　said；　his　lips　actually　moving　but　with　no　sound。
　Sisco　looked　away　and　watched　Bass；　thinking　of　a　fair　price。　He　looked　in　Lucien's　direction；　scratched　his　beard；　then　suddenly；　while　staring　at　Bass；　flashed　five　fingers　across　his　face　and　coughed。　He　coughed　again　and　studied　the　expert。
　Five　hundred　or　five　thousand？　Lucien　asked　himself。　Knowing　Sisco；　it　was　five　thousand；　maybe　fifty　thousand。　It　made　no　difference；　Lucien　would　pay　it。　He　was　worth　a　ton。
　By　ten…thirty；　Noose　had　cleaned　his　glasses　a　hundred　times　and　consumed　a　dozen　cups　of　coffee。　His　bladder　pressed　forward　toward　the　spillway。　〃Time　for　the　morning　recess。　We'll　adjourn　until　eleven。〃　He　rapped　the　gavel　and　disappeared。
　〃How'm　I　doing？〃　Bass　asked　nervously。　He　followed　Jake　and　Lucien　to　the　law　library　on　the　third　floor。
　〃You're　doing　fine；〃　Jake　said。　〃Just　keep　those　boots　outta　sight。〃
　〃The　boots　are　critical；〃　Lucien　protested。〃
　〃I　need　a　drink；〃　Bass　said　desperately。
　〃Forget　it；〃　Jake　said。
　〃So　do　I；〃　Lucien　added。　〃Let's　run　over　to　your　office　for　a　quick　one。〃
　〃Great　idea！〃　Bass　said。
　〃Forget　it；〃　Jake　repeated。　〃You're　sober　and　you're　doing　great。〃
　　　　　　〃We　got　thirty　minutes；〃　Bass　said　as　he　and　Lucien　were　leaving　the　library　and　heading　for　the　stairs。
　〃No！　Don't　do　it；　Lucien！〃　Jake　demanded。
　〃Just　one；〃　Lucien　replied；　pointing　a　finger　at　Jake。　〃Just　one。〃
　〃You've　never　had　just　one。〃
　〃e　with　us；　Jake。　It'll　settle　your　nerves。〃
　〃Just　one；〃　Bass　yelled　as　he　disappeared　down　the　steps。
　At　eleven；　Bass　sat　himself　in　the　witness　chair　and　looked　through　glazed　eyes　at　the　jury。　He　smiled；　and　almost　giggled。　He　was　aware　of　the　artists　on　the　front　row；　so　he　looked　as　expert　as　possible。　His　nerves　were　indeed　settled。　〃Dr。　Bass；　are　you　familiar　with　the　criminal　responsibility　test　relative　to　the　M'Naghten　Rule？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃I　certainly　am！〃　Bass　replied　with　a　sudden　air　of　superiority。
　〃Would　you　explain　this　rule　to　the　jury？〃　〃Of　course。　The　M'Naghten　Rule　is　the　standard　for　criminal　responsibility　in　Mississippi；　as　in　fifteen　other　states。　It　goes　back　to　England；　in　the　year　1843；　when　a　man　by　the　name　of　Daniel　M'Naghten　attempted　to　assassinate　the　prime　minister；　Sir　Robert　Peel。　He　mistakenly　shot　and　killed　the　prime　minister's　secretary；　Edward　Drummond。　During　his　trial　the　evidence　plainly　showed　M'Naghten　was　suffering　from　what　we　would　call　paranoid　schizophrenia。　The　jury　returned　a　verdict　of　not　guilty；　by　reason　of　insanity。　From　this　the　M'Naghten　Rule　was　established。　It　is　still　followed　in　England　and　sixteen　states。〃　〃What　does　the　M'Naghten　Rule　mean？〃　〃The　M'Naghten　Rule　is　fairly　simple。　Every　man　is　presumed　to　be　sane；　and　to　establish　a　defense　on　the
　ground　of　insanity；　it　must　be　clearly　proven　that　when　the　defendant　did　what　he　did　he　was　laboring　under　such　a　defect　of　reason；　from　a　mental　disease；　that　he　did　not　know　the　nature　and　quality　of　the　act　he　was　doing；　or　if　he　did　know　what　he　was　doing；　he　did　not　know　it　was　wrong。〃
　〃Could　you　simplify　that？〃
　〃Yes。　If　a　defendant　cannot　distinguish　right　from　wrong；　he　is　legally　insane。〃
　〃Define　insanity；　please。〃
　〃It　has　no　significance；　medically。　It　is　strictly　a　legal　standard　for　a　person's　mental　state　or　condition。〃
　Jake　breathed　deeply　and　plowed　forward。　〃Now；　Doctor；　based　upon　your　examination　of　the　defendant；　do　you　have　an　opinion　as　to　the　mental　condition　of　Carl　Lee　Hai…ley　on　May　20　of　this　year；　at　the　time　of　the　shooting？〃
　〃Yes；　I　do。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　opinion？〃
　〃It　is　my　opinion；〃　Bass　said　slowly；　〃that　the　defendant　had　a　total　break　with　reality　when　his　daughter　was　raped。　When　he　saw　her　immediately　after　the　rape　he　didn't　recognize　her；　and　when　someone　told　him　she'd　been　gang…raped；　and　beaten；　and　almost　hanged；　something　just　snapped　in　Carl　Lee's　mind。　That's　a　very　elementary　way　of　putting　it；　but　that's　what　happened。　Something　snapped。　He　broke　with　reality。
　〃They　had　to　be　killed。　He　told　me　once　that　when　he　first　saw　them　in　court；　he　could　not　understand　why　the　deputies　were　protecting　them。　He　kept　waiting　for　one　of　the　cops　to　pull　a　gun　and　blow　their　heads　off。　A　few　days　went　by　and　nobody　killed　them；　so　he　figured　it。　was　up　to　him。　I　mean；　he　felt　as　though　someone　in　the　system　would　execute　the　two　for　raping　his　little　girl。
　〃What　I'm　saying；　Mr。　Brigance；　is　that；　mentally；　he　left　us。　He　was　in　another　world。　He　was　suffering　from　delusions。　He　broke。〃
　Bass　knew　he　was　sounding　good。　He　was　talking　to　the　jury　now；　not　the　lawyer。
　〃The　day　after　the　rape　he　spoke　with　his　daughter　in　the　hospital。　She　could　barely　talk；　with　the　broken　jaws　and　all；　but　she　said　she　saw　him　in　the　woods　running　to　save　her；　and　she　asked　him　why　he　disappeared。　Now；　can　you
　imagine　what　that　would　do　to　a　father？　She　later　told　him　she　begged　for　her　daddy；　and　the　two　men　laughed　at　her　and　told　her　she　didn't　have　a　daddy。〃
　Jake　let　those　words　sink　in。　He　studied　Ellen's　outline　and　saw　only　two　more　questions。
　〃Now；　Dr。　Bass；　based　upon　your　observations　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey；　and　your　diagnosis　of　his　mental　condition　at　the　time　of　the　shooting；　do　you　have　an　opinion；　to　a　reasonable　degree　of　medical　certainty；　as　to　whether　Carl　Lee　Hailey　was　capable　of　knowing　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong　when　he　shot　these　men？〃
　〃I　have。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　opinion？〃
　〃That　due　to　his　mental　condition；　he　was　totally　incapable　of　distinguishing　right　from　wrong。〃
　〃Do　you　have　an　opinion；　based　upon　the　same　factors；　as　to　whether　Carl　Lee　Hailey　was　able　to　understand　and　appreciate　the　nature　and　quality　of　his　actions？〃
　〃I　do。〃
　〃And　what　is　that　opinion？〃
　〃In　my　opinion；　as　an　expert　in　the　field　of　psychiatry；　Mr。　Hailey　was　totally　incapable　of　understanding　and　appreciating　the　nature　and　quality　of　what　he　was　doing。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Doctor。　I　tender　the　witness。〃
　Jake　gathered　his　legal　pad　and　strolled　confidently　back　to　his　seat。　He　glanced　at　Lucien；　who　was　smiling　and　nodding。　He　glanced　at　the　jury。　They　were　watching　Bass　and　thinking　about　his　testimony。　Wanda　Womack；　a　young　woman　with　a　sympathetic　glow　about　her；　looked　at　Jake　and　smiled　ever　so　slightly。　It　was　the　first　positive　signal　he　received　from　the　jury　since　the　trial　started。
　〃So　far　so　good；〃　Carl　Lee　whispered。
　Jake　smiled　at　his　client。　〃You're　a　real　psycho；　big　man。〃
　〃Any　cross…examination？〃　Noose　asked　Buckley。
　〃Just　a　few　questions；〃　Buckley　said　as　he　grabbed　the　podium。
　Jake　could　not　imagine　Buckley　arguing　psychiatry　with　an　expert；　even　if　it　was　W。T。　Bass。
　But　Buckley　had　no　plans　to　argue　psychiatry。　〃Dr。　Bass；　what　is　your　full　name？〃
　Jake　froze。　The　question　had　an　ominous　hint　to　it。　Buckley　asked　it　with　a　great　deal　of　suspicion。
　〃William　Tyler　Bass。〃
　〃What　do　you　go　by？〃
　〃W。T。　Bass。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　been　known　as　Tyler　Bass？〃
　The　expert　hesitated。　〃No；〃　he　said　meekly。
　An　immense　feeling　of　anxiety　hit　Jake　and　felt　like　a　hot　spear　tear