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第25部分(第1页)

〃Yes;〃 he said。 〃They do。 They certainly do。〃

〃And it occurred to me that it would be easy enough to follow his backtrail and find out。 A man his size; and a Negro to boot; cant be that hard to trace。〃

〃Youd think so; but youd be wrong;〃 he said。 〃In Coffeys case; anyhow。 I know。〃

〃You tried?〃

〃I did; and came up all but empty。 There were a couple of railroad fellows who thought they saw him in the Knoxville yards two days before the Detterick girls were killed。 No surprise there; he was just across the river from the Great Southern tracks when they collared him; and thats probably how he came down here from Tennessee。 I got a letter from a man who said hed hired a big bald black man to shift crates for him in the early spring of this year … this as in Kentucky。 I sent him a picture of Coffey and he said that was the man。 But other than that …〃 Hammersmith shrugged and shook his head。

〃Doesnt that strike you as a little odd?〃

〃Strikes me as a lot odd; Mr。 Edgebe。 Its like he dropped out of the sky。 And hes no help; he cant remember last week once this week es。〃

〃No; he cant;〃 I said。 〃How do you explain it?〃

〃Were in a Depression;〃 he said; 〃thats how I explain it。 People all over the roads。 The Okies want to pick peaches in California; the poor whites from up in the brakes want to build cars in Detroit; the black folks from Mississippi want to go up to New England and work in the shoe factories or the textile mills。 Everyone … black as well as white … thinks its going to be better over the next jump of land。 Its the American damn way。 Even a giant like Coffey doesnt get noticed everywhere he goes … until; that is; he decides to kill a couple of little girls。 Little white girls。〃

〃Do you believe that?〃 I asked。

He gave me a bland look from his too…thin face。 〃Sometimes I do;〃 he said。

His wife leaned out of the kitchen window like an engineer from the cab of a lootive and called; 〃Kids! Cookies are ready!〃 She turned to me。 〃Would you like an oatmeal…raisin cookie; Mr。 Edgebe?〃

〃Im sure theyre delicious; maam; but Ill take a pass this time。〃

〃All right;〃 she said; and drew her head back inside。

〃Have you seen the scars on him?〃 Hammersmith asked abruptly。 He was still watching his kids; selves to abandon the pleasures of the swing … not even for oatmeal…raisin cookies。

〃Yes。〃 But I was surprised he had。

He saw my reaction and laughed。 〃The defense attorneys one big victory was getting Coffey to take off his shirt and show those scars to the jury。 The prosecutor; George Peterson; objected like hell; but the judge allowed it。 Old George could have saved; his breath … juries around these parts dont buy all that psychology crap about how people whove been mistreated just cant help themselves。 They believe people can help themselves。 Its a point of view I have a lot of sympathy for … but those scars were pretty ghastly; just the same。 Notice anything about them; Edgebe?〃

I had seen the man naked in the shower; and Id noticed; all right; I knew just what he was talking about。 〃Theyre all broken up。 Latticed; almost。〃

〃You know what that means?〃

〃Somebody whopped the living hell out of him when he was a kid;〃 I said。 〃Before he grew。〃

〃But they didnt manage to whop the devil out of him; did they; Edgebe? Should have spared the rod and just drowned him in the river like a stray kitten; dont you think?〃

I suppose it would have been politic to simply agree and get out of there; but I couldnt。 Id seen him。 And Id felt him; as well。 Felt the touch of his hands。

〃Hes 。。。 strange;〃 I said。 〃But there doesnt seem to be any real violence in him。 I know how he was found; and its hard to jibe that with what I see; day in and day out; on the block。 I know violent men; Mr。 Hammersmith。〃 It was Wharton I was thinking about; of course; Wharton strangling Dean Stanton with his wrist…chain and bellowing Whoooee; boys! Aint this a party; now?

He was looking at me closely now; and smiling a little; incredulous smile that I didnt care for very much。 〃You didnt e up here to get an idea about whether or not he might have killed some other little girls somewhere else;〃 he said。 〃You came up here to see if I think he did it at all。 Thats it; isnt it? Fess up; Edgebe。〃

I swallowed the last of my cold drink; put the bottle down on the little table; and said: 〃Well? Do you?〃

〃Kids!〃 he called down the hill; leaning forward a little in his chair to do it。 〃Yall e on up here now n get your cookies!〃 Then he leaned back in his chair again and looked at me。 That little smile … the one I didnt much care for … had reappeared。

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