小说园

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。〃