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第57部分(第1页)

〃You didnt see him up at Indianola Hospital; maam;〃 Harry said。 〃Just standin there with his mouth open and his bare butt hangin out the back of his Johnny。 Lettin us dress him。 We thought he was either drugged or foolish。 Didnt we; Dean?〃

Dean nodded。

〃The day after he finished the barn and left; a man wearing a bandanna mask robbed Hampeys Freight Office in Jarvis;〃 I told them。 〃Cot away with seventy dollars。 He also took an 1892 silver dollar the freight agent carried as a lucky piece。 That silver dollar was on Wharton when he was captured; and Jarvis is only thirty miles from Tefton。〃

〃So this robber this wildman you think he stopped for three days to help Klaus Detterick pain his barn;〃 my wife said。 〃Ate dinner with them and said please pass the peas just like folks。〃

〃The scariest thing about men like him is how unpredictable they are〃; Brutal said。 〃He mightve been planning to kill the Dettericks and rifle their house; then changed his mind because a cloud came over the sun at the wrong time; or something like。 Maybe he just wanted to cool off a little。 But most likely he already had his eye on those two girls and was planning to e back。 Do you think; Paul?〃

I nodded。 Of course I thought it。 〃And then theres the name he gave Detterick。〃

〃What name?〃 Jan asked。

〃Will Bonney。〃

〃Bonney? I dont … 〃

〃It was Billy the Kids real name。〃

〃Oh。〃 Then her eyes widened。 〃Oh! So you can get John Coffey off! Thank God! All you have to do is show Mr。 Detterick a picture of William Wharton 。。。 his mug…shot should do。。。〃

Brutal and I exchanged an unfortable look。 Dean was looking a bit hopeful; but Harry was staring down at his hands; as if all at once fabulously interested in his fingernails。

〃Whats wrong?〃 Janice asked。 〃Why are you looking at each other that way? Surely this man McGee will have to…〃

〃Rob McGee struck me as a good man; and I think hes a hell of a law officer〃; I said; 〃but he swings no weight in Trapingus County。 The power there is Sheriff Cribus; and the day he reopens the Detterick case on the basis of what I was able to find out would be the day it snows in hell。〃

〃But 。。。 if Wharton was there 。。。 if Detterick can identify a picture of him and they know he was there。 。 。 〃

〃Him being there in May doesnt mean he came back and killed those girls in June〃; Brutal said。 He spoke in a low; gentle voice; the way you speak when youre telling someone theres been a death in the family。 〃On one hand youve got this fellow who helped Klaus Detterick paint a barn and then went away。 Turns out he was mitting crimes all over the place; but theres nothing against him for the three days in May he was around Tefton。 On the other hand; youve got this big Negro; this huge Negro; that you found on the riverbank; holding two little dead girls; both of them naked; in his arms。〃

He shook his head。

〃Pauls right; Jan。 McGee may have his doubts; but McGee doesnt matter。 Cribus is the only one who can reopen the case; and Cribus doesnt want to mess with what he thinks of as a happy ending … it was a nigger〃 thinks he; and not one of ourn in any case。 Beautiful。 Ill go up there to Cold Mountain; have me a steak and a draft beer at Mas; then watch him fry; and theres an end to it; 〃

Janice listened to all this with a mounting expression of horror on her face; then turned to me。 〃But McGee believes it; doesnt he; Paul? I could see it on your face。 Deputy McGee knows he arrested the wrong man。 Wont he stand up to the Sheriff?〃

〃All he can do by standing up to him is lose his job〃; I said。 〃Yes; I think that in his heart he knows it was Wharton。 But what he says to himself is that; if he keeps his mouth shut and plays the game until Cribus either retires or eats himself to death; he gets the job。 And things will be different then。 Thats what he tells himself to get to sleep; I imagine。 And hes probably not so much different than Homer about one thing。 Hell tell himself; After all; its only a Negro。 Its not like theyre going to burn a white man for it。; 〃

〃Then youll have to go to them〃; Janice said; and my heart turned cold at the decisive; no…doubt…about…it tone of her voice。 〃Go and tell them what you found out。〃

〃And how should we tell them we found it out; Jan?〃 Brutal asked her in that same low voice。

〃Should we tell them about how Wharton grabbed John while we were taking him out of the prison to work a miracle on the Wardens wife?〃

〃No 。。。 of course not; but。。。〃 She saw how thin the ice was in that direction and skated in another one。 〃Lie; then;〃 she said。 She looked defiantly at Brutal; then turned that look on me。 It was hot enough to smoke a hole in newspaper; youd have said。

〃Lie;〃 I repeated。 〃Lie about what?〃

〃About what got you going; first up to Purdom County and then down to Trapingus。 Go down there to that fat old Sheriff Cribus and say that Wharton told you he raped and murdered the Detterick girls。 That he confessed。〃 She switched her hot gaze to Brutal for a moment。 〃You can back him up; Brutus。 You can say you were there when he confessed; you heard it; too。 Why; Percy probably heard it as well; and that was probably what set him off。 He shot Wharton because he couldnt stand thinking of what Wharton had done to those children。 It snapped his mind。 Just 。。。 What? What now; in the name of God?〃

It wasnt just me and Brutal; Harry and Dean were looking at her; too; with a kind of horror。

〃We never reported anything like that; maam;〃 Harry said。 He spoke as if talking to a child。 〃The first thing peopled ask is why we didnt。 Were supposed to report anything our cell…babies say about prior crimes。 Theirs or anyone elses。〃

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