cwilleford.miamiblues-第3部分

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　ardor…I　don't　know。　Anyway；　the　two　brothers　over　there　said　she　was　closest　to　the　action；　and　she　kept　cricking　her　Kricket　at　the　Krishna　until　he　stopped　screaming。〃
　　〃How　was　he　killed？〃　Doc　Evans　said。　〃Or　do　you　want　me　to　look　at　him　now　and　tell　you？　I've　got　to　get　back　to　the　morgue。〃
　　〃That's　the　point；〃　Hoke　said。　〃He　wasn't　actually　killed。　He　bothered　some　guy　wearing　a　leather　coat。　The　guy　bent　his　finger　back　and　broke　it。　Then　the　guy　walked　away　and　disappeared。　The　Krishna　went　down　on　his　knees；　started　screaming；　and　then；　maybe　five　or　six　minutes　later；　he's　dead。　The　security　men　brought　his　body　in　here；　and　the　PR　man　over　there　called　Homicide。　So　there　it　is…the　Krishna　died　from　a　broken　finger。　How　about　it；　Miss　Nygren？　Is　that　a　homicide　or　not？〃
　　〃I　never　heard　of　anybody　dying　from　a　broken　finger；〃　she　said。
　　〃He　must　have　died　from　shock；〃　Doc　Evans　said。　〃I'll　tell　you　for　sure　after　I've　had　a　look　at　him。　How　old　is　he；　Hoke？〃
　　〃Twenty…one…acording　to　his　driver's　license。〃
　　〃That's　what　I　mean；〃　Doc　Evans　said；　pressing　his　lips。　〃Young　people　today　just　can't　stand　up　to　pain　the　way　we　could　when　we　were　younger。　This　one　was　probably　malnourished　and　in　lousy　shape。　The　pain　was　unexpected　and　just　too　much　for　him。　It　hurts　like　hell　to　have　your　finger　bent　back。〃
　　〃You're　telling　me；〃　Violet　Nygren　said。　〃My　brother　used　to　do　it　to　me　when　I　was　a　kid。〃
　　〃And　if　you　bend　it　back　all　the　way；〃　Doc　Evans　said；　〃until　it　breaks；　it　hurts　like　a　son　of　a　bitch。　So　he　probably　went　into　shock。　Nobody　gave　him　hot　tea　or　covered　him　up　with　a　blanket；　and　that　was　it。　It　doesn't　take　very　long　to　die　from　shock。〃
　　〃About　five　or　six　minutes；　the　Peeples　brothers　say。〃
　　〃That's　pretty　fast。〃　Doc　Evans　shook　his　head。　〃Shock　usually　takes　fifteen　or　twenty　minutes。　But　I'm　not　making　any　guesses。　For　all　I　know；　without　examining　the　body；　there　could　be　a　bullet　hole　in　him。〃
　　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Bill　Henderson　said。　〃All　I　saw　was　the　broken　finger；　and　it's　broken　clean　off…just　hanging　there。〃
　　〃If　it　was　an　accident；〃　Violet　Nygren　said；　〃it　could　still　be　simple　assault。　On　the　other　hand；　if　the　man　in　the　leather　jacket　intended　to　kill　him　this　way；　knowing　that　there　was　a　history　of　people　dying　from　shock　in　the　Krishna's　background；　this　could　very　well　be　Murder　One。〃
　　〃That's　really　reaching　for　it；〃　Hoke　said。　〃You'll　have　to　settle　for　manslaughter　I　think。〃
　　〃I'm　not　so　sure；〃　she　continued。　〃If　you　shoot　a　man　and　he　dies　later　on　from　plications　caused　by　the　bullet；　even　though　he　was　barely　wounded　when　shot；　we　change　the　charge　to　either　Murder　One　or　Murder　Two。　I'll　have　to　research　this　case；　that's　all。　We　can't　do　anything　about　it　anyway　until　you　catch　the　man　in　the　leather　jacket。〃
　　〃That's　all　we've　got　to　go　on；〃　Hoke　said。　〃Leather　jacket。　We　don't　even　know　the　color　of　the　jacket。　One　guy　said　he　had　heard　it　was　tan；　another　guy　said　he'd　heard　gray。　Unless　the　man　es　forward　by　himself；　we　haven't　got　a　chance　in　hell　of　finding　him。　He　could　be　on　a　plane　for　England　or　someplace　at　this　minute。〃　Hoke　took　a　Kool　out　of　a　crumpled　package；　lit　it；　took　one　drag；　and　then　butted　it　out　in　a　standing　ashtray。　〃The　body's　all　yours；　Doc。　We've　got　all　of　the　stuff　out　of　his　pockets。〃
　　Violet　Nygren　opened　her　purse　and　turned　off　her　tape　recorder。　〃I　should　tell　my　mom　about　this　case；〃　she　said。　〃When　my　brother　used　to　bend　my　fingers　back；　she　never　did　anything　to　him。〃　She　laughed　nervously。　〃Now　I　can　tell　her　that　he　was　just　trying　to　kill　me。〃
　　
　　
　　3
　　
　　Frederick　J。　Frenger；　Jr。；　who　preferred　to　be　called　Junior　instead　of　Freddy；　was　twenty…eight　years　old。　He　looked　older　because　his　life　had　been　a　hard　one；　the　lines　at　the　corners　of　his　mouth　seemed　too　deep　for　a　man　in　his　late　twenties。　His　eyes　were　a　dark　shade　of　blue；　and　his　untrimmed　blond　eyebrows　were　almost　white。　His　nose　had　been　broken　and　reset　poorly；　but　some　women　considered　him　attractive。　His　skin　was　unblemished　and　deeply　tanned　from　long　afternoons　spent　at　the　yeard　at　San　Quentin。　At　five…nine；　he　should　have　had　a　slighter　build；　but　prolonged　sessions　with　weights；　pumping　iron　in　the　yard；　as　well　as　playing　handball；　had　built　up　his　chest；　shoulders；　and　arms　to　almost　grotesque　proportions。　He　had　developed　his　stomach　muscles　to　the　point　that　he　could　stand；　arms　akimbo；　and　roll　them　in　waves。
　　Freddy　had　been　given　a　sentence　of　five…to…life　for　armed　robbery。　The　California　Adult　Authority　had　reduced　the　sentence　to　four　years；　fixing　an　earlier　parole　date　for　two　years。　After　serving　the　two　years；　Freddy　had　been　offered　a　parole；　but　he　turned　it　down；　preferring　to　do　two　more　years　and　then　get　out　of　prison　without　any　strings　attached。　He　accepted　the　label　in　his　jacket…the　file　folder　that　held　his　records　in　the　warden's　office…which　had　him　down　as　a　career　criminal。　He　knew　that　he　would　mit　another　crime　as　soon　as　he　was　released；　and　if　he　was　on　parole　when　he　was　caught；　he　would　be　returned　to　prison　as　a　parole　violator。　Violating　a　parole　could　mean　eight　or　even　ten　more　years　of　prison　before　beginning　the　new　sentence　for　whatever　it　was　that　he　was　caught　doing　after　he　got　out。
　　San　Quentin　is　overcrowded；　so　there　are　not　enough　jobs　for　everyone　and　a　man　must　earn　a　job。　Freddy　liked　to　work　（when　he　worked）；　and　he　was　efficient。　Assigned；　after　several　months　of　idleness；　to　kitchen　duty；　he　had　observed　the　operation　closely。　He　had　then　written　a　ten…page　memorandum　to　the　warden；　explaining　in　detail　how　the　staff　could　be　cut　and　the　service　improved　if　certain　correction　officers　and　prison　chefs　were　removed　and　replaced。　To　Freddy's　surprise；　he　found　himself　back　on　the　yard。
　　His　report；　which　would　have　earned　a　management　major　in　college　a　B　＋；　earned　Freddy　the　enmity　of　several　kitchen　screws。　These　officers；　with　their　solid　links　to　the　prisoner　power　structure；　directed　that　Freddy　be　taught　a　lesson　for　his　temerity。　Two　black　prisoners　cornered　Freddy　in　the　yard　one　afternoon　and　worked　him　over。　At　the　yard　captain's　hearing；　they　claimed　that　Freddy　had　jumped　them　for　no　reason　and　that　they　were　merely　attempting　to　defend　themselves　from　his　psychopathic；　racist　attack。　Inasmuch　as　Freddy　had　tested　out　as　a　psychopath　and　sociopath　（as　had　the　two　other　prisoners）；　he　was　sent　to　the　hole　for　six　days　for　his　unprovoked　attack　on　these　innocent　inmates。　The　black　yard　captain　also　gave　him　a　short　lecture　on　racism。
　　During　the　six　dismal　days　in　the　hole；　which　included　revocation　of　Freddy's　smoking　privileges　and　reduction　to　bread　and　water　with　a　plate　of　kidney　beans　every　third　day；　Freddy　reviewed　his　life　and　realized　that　altruism　had　been　his　major　fault。
　　Back　when　he　had　been　a　juvenile　offender；　he　had　been　sent　to　the　reform　school　at　Whittier；　where　he　had　organized　a　sit…down　strike　in　the　dining　hall　in　an　effort　to　get　seconds　on　Sunday　desserts　（rice　pudding　with　raisins；　of　which　Freddy　was　very　fond）。　The　campaign　failed；　and　Freddy　had　stayed　at　Whittier　for　the　full　three　years　of　his　sentence。
　　Again；　at　lone；　California；　in　the　Preston　Institute　for　Youthful　Offenders；　Freddy　had　extended　himself；　planning　the　escape　of　a　boy　named　Enoch　Sawyers。　Enoch's　father；　who　had　caught　his　son　masturbating；　had　castrated　the　boy。　Mr。　Sawyers　was　a　very　religious　man　and　considered　masturbation　a　grievous　offense　to　God。　Mr。　Sawyers　was　arrested；　but　because　of　his　religious　connections　and　the　laudatory　testimony　of　his　minister；　he　had　been　sentenced　to　two　years'　probation。　But　when　young　Enoch；　only　fifteen　years　old　at　the　time；　had　recovered　from　his　unelected　surgery；　he　had　bee　a　neighborhood　terror。　Deprived　of　his　testicles　and　taunted　by　his　schoolmates；　he　had　demonstrated　his　manhood　almost　daily　by　beating　one　or　more　of　his　tormentors　half　to　death。　He　was　fearless　and　could　take　incredible　amounts　of　punishment　without；　apparently；　noticing　or　caring　how　badly　he　was　hurt。
　　Finally；　at　seventeen；　Enoch　had　been　sentenced　to　Preston　as　an　incorrigible　men