小说园

第55部分（第2页）

〃Tell　me　again　how　Coffey　looked　when　Wharton　grabbed　him。〃

〃Janice；　this　isnt　getting　us　anywhere。〃

〃Maybe　it　isnt　and　maybe　it　is。　Tell　me　again　how　he　looked。〃

I　sighed。　〃I　guess　youd　have　to　say　shocked。　He　gasped。　Like　you　would　if　you　were　sunning　at　the　beach　and　I　snuck　up　and　trickled　a　little　cold　water　down　your　back。　Or　like　hed　been　slapped。〃

〃Well；　sure；〃　she　said。　〃Being　grabbed　out　of　nowhere　like　that　startled　him；　woke　him　up　for　a　second。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　And　then；　〃No。〃

〃Well　which　is　it？　Yes　or　no？〃

〃No。　It　wasnt　being　startled。　It　was　like　when　he　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　cure　my　infection。　Or　when　he　wanted　me　to　hand　him　the　mouse。　It　was　being　surprised；　but　not　by　being　touched　。。。　not　exactly；　anyway　。。。　oh　Christ；　Jan；　I　dont　know。〃

〃All　right；　well　leave　it；〃　she　said。　〃I　just　cant　imagine　why　John　did　it；　thats　all。　Its　not　as　if　hes　violent　by　nature。　Which　leads　to　another　question；　Paul：　how　can　you　execute　him　if　youre　right　about　those　girls？　How　can　you　possibly　put　him　in　the　electric　chair　if　someone　else

I　jerked　in　my　chair。　My　elbow　struck　my　bowl　and　knocked　it　off　onto　the　floor；　where　it　broke。　An　idea　had　e　to　me。　It　was　more　intuition　than　logic　at　that　point；　but　it　had　a　certain　black　elegance。

〃Paul？〃　Janice　asked；　alarmed。　〃Whats　wrong？〃

〃I　dont　know；〃　I　said。　〃I　dont　know　anything　for　sure；　but　Im　going　to　find　out　if　I　can。〃

4。

The　aftermath　of　the　shooting　was　a　three…ring　circus　with　the　governor　in　one　ring；　the　prison　in　another；　and　poor　brain…blasted　Percy　Wetmore　in　the　third。　And　the　ringmaster？　Well；　the　various　gentlemen　of　the　press　took　turns　at　that　job。　They　werent　as　bad　then　as　they　are　now　…　they　didnt　allow　themselves　to　be　as　bad　…　but　even　back　then　before　Geraldo　and　Mike　Wallace　and　the　rest　of　them；　they　could　gallop　along　pretty　good　when　they　really　got　the　bit　in　their　teeth。　That　was　what　happened　this　time；　and　while　the　show　lasted；　it　was　a　good　one。

But　even　the　liveliest　circus；　the　one　with　the　scariest　freaks；　funniest　clowns；　and　wildest　animals；　has　to　leave　town　eventually。　This　one　left　after　the　Board　of　Enquiry；　which　sounds　pretty　special　and　fearsome；　but　actually　turned　out　to　be　pretty　tame　and　perfunctory。　Under　other　circumstances；　the　governor　undoubtedly　would　have　demanded　someones　head　on　a　platter；　but　not　this　time。　His　nephew　by　marriage　…　his　wifes　own　blood　kin　…　had　gone　crackers　and　killed　a　man。　Had　killed　a　killer　…　there　was　that；　at　least；　and　thank　God　for　it　…　but　Percy　had　still　shot　the　man　as　he　lay　sleeping　in　his　cell；　which　was　not　quite　sporting。　When　you　added　in　the　fact　that　the　young　man　in　question　remained　just　as　mad　as　a　March　hare；　you　could　understand　why　the　governor　only　wanted　it　to　go　away；　and　as　soon　as　possible。

Our　trip　to　Warden　Mooress　house　in　Harry　Terwilligers　truck　never　came　out。　The　fact　that　Percy　had　been　straitjacketed　and　locked　in　the　restraint　room　during　the　time　we　were　away　never　came　out。　The　fact　that　William　Wharton　had　been　doped　to　the　gills　when　Percy　shot　him　never　came　out；　either。　Why　would　it？　The　authorities　had　no　reason　to　suspect　anything　in　Whartons　system　but　half　a　dozen　slugs。　The　coroner　removed　those；　the　mortician　put　him　in　a　pine　box；　and　that　was　the　end　of　the　man　with　Billy　the　Kid　tattooed　on　his　left　forearm。　Good　riddance　to　bad　rubbish；　you　might　say。

All　in　all；　the　uproar　lasted　about　two　weeks。　During　that　time　I　didnt　dare　fart　sideways；　let　alone　so　take　a　day　off　to　investigate　the　idea　Id　gotten　at　my　kitchen　table　on　the　morning　after　all　the　upheavals。　I　knew　for　sure　that　the　circus　had　left　town　when　I　got　to　work　on　a　day　just　shy　of　the　middle　of　November　…　the　twelfth；　I　think；　but　dont　hold　me　to　that。　That　was　the　day　I　found　the　piece　of　paper　Id　been　dreading　on　the　middle　of　my　desk：　the　DOE　on　John　Coffey。　Curtis　Anderson　had　signed　it　instead　of　Hal　Moores；　but　of　course　it　was　just　as　legal　either　way；　and　of　course　it　had　needed　to　go　through　Hal　in　order　to　get　to　me。　I　could　imagine　Hal　sitting　at　his　desk　in　Administration　with　that　piece　of　paper　in　his　hand；　sitting　there　and　thinking　of　his　wife；　who　had　bee　something　of　a　nine　days；　wonder　to　the　doctors　at　Indianola　General　Hospital。　Shed　had　her　own　DOE　papers　handed　to　her　by　those　doctors；　but　John　Coffey　had　tom　them　up。　Now；　however；　it　was　Coffeys　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile；　and　who　among　us　could　stop　it？　Who　among　us　would　stop　it？

The　date　on　the　death　warrant　was　November　20th。　Three　days　after　I　got　it　…　the　fifteenth；　I　think　I　had　Janice　call　me　in　sick。　A　cup　of　coffee　later　I　was　driving　north　in　my　badly　sprung　but　otherwise　reliable　Ford。　Janice　had　kissed　me　on　my　way　and　wished　me　good　luck；　Id　thanked　her　but　no　longer　had　any　clear　idea　what　good　luck　would　be　…　finding　what　I　was　looking　for　or　not　finding　it。　All　I　knew　for　sure　is　that　I　didnt　feel　much　like　singing　as　I　drove。　Not　that　day。

By　three　that　afternoon　I　was　well　up　in　the　ridge　country。　I　got　to　the　Purdom　County　Courthouse　just　before　it　closed；　looked　at　some　records；　then　had　a　visit　from　the　Sheriff；　who　had　been　informed　by　the　county　clerk　that　a　stranger　was　poking　in　amongst　the　local　skeletons。　Sheriff　Catlett　wanted　to　know　what　I　thought　I　was　doing。　I　told　him。　Catlett　thought　it　over　and　then　told　me　something　interesting。　He　said　hed　deny　hed　ever　said　a　word　if　I　spread　it　around；　and　it　wasnt　conclusive　anyway；　but　it　was　something；　all　right。　It　was　sure　something。　I　thought　about　it　all　the　way　home；　and　that　night　there　was　a　lot　of　thinking　and　precious　little　sleeping　on　my　side　of　the　bed。

The　next　day　I　got　up　while　the　sun　was　still　just　a　rumor　in　the　east　and　drove　downstate　to　Trapingus　County。　I　skirted　around　Homer　Cribus；　that　great　bag　of　guts　and　waters；　speaking　to　Deputy　Sheriff　Rob　McGee　instead。　McGee　didnt　want　to　hear　what　I　was　telling　him。　Most　vehemently　didnt　want　to　hear　it。　At　one　point　I　was　pretty　sure　he　was　going　to　punch　me　in　the　mouth　so　he　could　stop　hearing　it；　but　in　the　end　he　agreed　to　go　out　and　ask　Klaus　Detterick　a　couple　of　questions。　Mostly；　I　think；　so　he　could　be　sure　I　wouldnt。　〃Hes　only　thirty…nine；　but　he　looks　like　an　old　man　these　days；〃　McGee　said；　〃and　he　dont　need　a　smartass　prison　guard　who　thinks　hes　a　detective　to　stir　him　up　just　when　some　of　the　sorrow　has　started　to　settle。　You　stay　right　here　in　town。　I　dont　want　you　within　hailing　distance　of　the　Detterick　farm；　but　I　want　to　be　able　to　find　you　when　Im　done　talking　to　Klaus。　If　you　start　feeling　restless；　have　a　piece　of　pie　down　there　in　the　diner。　Itll　weight　you　down。〃　I　ended　up　having　two　pieces；　and　it　was　kind　of　heavy。

When　McGee　came　into　the　diner　and　sat　down　at　the　counter　next　to　me；　I　tried　to　read　his　face　and　failed。　〃Well？〃　I　asked。

〃e　on　home　with　me；　well　talk　there；〃　he　said。　〃This　place　is　a　mite　too　public　for　my　taste。〃

We　had　our　conference　on　Rob　McGees　front　porch。　Both。　of　us　were　bundled　up　and　chilly；　but　Mrs。　McGee　didnt　allow　smoking　anywhere　in　her　house。　She　was　a　woman　ahead　of　her　time。　McGee　talked　awhile。　He　did　it　like　a　man　who　doesnt　in　the　least　enjoy　what　hes　hearing　out　of　his　own　mouth。

〃It　proves　nothing；　you　know　that；　dont　you？〃　he　asked　when　he　was　pretty　well　done。　His　tone　was　belligerent；　and　he　poked　his　home…rolled　cigarette　at　me　in　an　aggressive　way　as　he　spoke；　but　his　face　was　sick。　Not　all　proof　is　what　you　see　and　hear　in　a　court　of　law；　and　we　both　knew　it。　I　have　an　idea　that　was　the　only　time　in　his　life　when　Deputy　McGee　wished　he　was　as　country…dumb　as　his　boss。

〃I　know；〃　I　said。

〃And　if　youre　thinking　of　getting　him　a　new　trial　o