jg.atimetokill-第6部分

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an　firm　over　in　the　bank　building　with　four　floors。　Jake　detested　the　Sullivan　firm。　Every　lawyer　detested　the　Sullivan　firm　except　those　in　it。　There　were　eight　in　all；　eight　of　the　most　pompous　and　arrogant　jerks　Jake　had　ever　met。　Two　had　Harvard　degrees。　They　had　the　big　farmers；　the　banks；　the　insurance　panies；　the　railroads；　everybody　with　money。　The　other　fourteen　lawyers　in　the　county　picked　up　the　scraps　and　represented　people…　living；　breathing　human　souls；　most　of　whom　had　very　little　money。　These　were　the　〃street　lawyers〃…those　in　the　trenches　helping　people　in　trouble。　Jake　was　proud　to　be　a　street　lawyer。
　His　offices　were　huge。　He　used　only　five　of　the　ten　rooms　in　the　building。　Downstairs　there　was　a　reception　room；　a　large　conference　room；　a　kitchen；　and　a　smaller　storage　and　junk　room。　Upstairs；　Jake　had　his　vast　office　and　another　smaller　office　he　referred　to　as　the　war　room。　It　had　no　windows；　no　telephones；　no　distractions。　Three　offices　sat　empty　upstairs　and　two　downstairs。　In　years　past　these　had　been　occupied　by　the　prestigious　Wilbanks　firm；　long　before　the　disbarment。　Jake's　office　upstairs；　the　office；　was　immense；　thirty　by　thirty　with　a　ten…foot　hardwood　ceiling；　hardwood　floors；　huge　fireplace；　and　three　desks…his　work　desk；　a　small　conference　desk　in　one　corner；　and　a　rolltop　desk　in　another　corner　under　the　portrait　of　William　Faulkner。　The　antique　oak　furniture　had　been　there　for　almost　a　century；　as　had　the　books　and　shelves　that　covered　one　wall。　The　view　of　the　square　and　courthouse　was　impressive；　and　could　be　enhanced　by　opening　the　French　doors　and　walking　onto　a　small　balcony　overhanging　the　sidewalk　next　to　Wash…
　ington　Street。　Jake　had；　without　a　doubt；　the　finest　office　in　Clanton。　Even　his　bitter　enemies　in　the　Sullivan　firm　would　concede　that　much。
　For　all　the　opulence　and　square　footage；　Jake　paid　the　sum　of　four　hundred　dollars　a　month　to　his　landlord　and　former　boss；　Lucien　Wilbanks；　who　had　been　disbarred　in　1979。
　For　decades　the　Wilbanks　family　ruled　Ford　County。　They　were　proud；　wealthy　people；　prominent　in　farming；　banking；　politics；　and　especially　law。　All　the　Wilbanks　men　were　lawyers；　and　were　educated　at　Ivy　League　schools。　They　founded　banks；　churches；　schools；　and　several　served　in　public　office。　The　firm　of　Wilbanks　&　Wilbanks　had　been　the　most　powerful　and　prestigious　in　north　Mississippi　for　many　years。
　Then　came　Lucien。　He　was　the　only　male　Wilbanks　of　his　generation。　There　was　a　sister　and　some　nieces；　but　they　were　expected　only　to　marry　well。　Great　things　were　expected　of　Lucien　as　a　child；　but　by　the　third　grade　it　was　evident　he　would　be　a　different　Wilbanks。　He　inherited　the　law　firm　in　1965　when　his　father　and　uncle　were　killed　in　a　plane　crash。　Although　he　was　forty；　he　had　just　recently；　several　months　prior　to　their　deaths；…pleted　his　study　of　the　law　by　correspondence　courses。　Somehow　he　passed　the　bar　exam。　He　took　control　of　the　firm　and　clients　began　disappearing。　Big　clients；　like　insurance　panies；　banks；　and　farmers；　all　left　and　went　to　the　newly　established　Sullivan　firm。　Sullivan　had　been　a　junior　partner　in　the　Wilbanks　firm　until　Lucien　fired　him　and　evicted　him；　after　which　he　left　with　the　other　junior　partners　and　most　of　the　clients。　Then　Lucien　fired　everyone　else…associates；　secretaries；　clerks…everyone　but　Ethel　Twitty；　his　late　father's　favorite　secretary。
　Ethel　and　John　Wilbanks　had　been　very　close　through　the　years。　In　fact　she　had　a　younger　son　who　greatly　resembled　Lucien。　The　poor　fellow　spent　most　of　his　time　in　and　out　of　various　nut　houses。　Lucien　jokingly　referred　to　him　as　his　retarded　brother。　After　the　plane　crash；　the　retarded　brother　appeared　in　Clanton　and　started　telling　folks　he　was　the　illegitimate　son　of　John　Wilbanks。　Ethel　was　humiliated；　but　couldn't　control　him。　Clanton　seethed　with　scandal。　A
　lawsuit　was　filed　by　the　Sullivan　firm　as　counsel　for　the　retarded　brother　seeking　a　portion　of　the　estate。　Lucien　was　furious。　A　trial　ensued；　and　Lucien　vigorously　defended　his　honor　and　pride　and　family　name。　He　also　vigorously　defended　his　father's　estate；　all　of　which　had　been　left　to　Lucien　and　his　sister。　At　trial　the　jury　noted　the　striking　resemblance　between　Lucien　and　Ethel's　son；　who　was　several　years　younger。　The　retarded　brother　was　strategically　seated　as　close　as　possible　to　Lucien。　The　Sullivan　lawyers　instructed　him　to　walk；　talk；　sit；　and　do　everything　just　like　Lucien。　They　even　dressed　him　like　Lucien。　Ethel　and　her　husband　denied　the　boy　was　any　kin　to　the　Wilbanks；　but　the　jury　felt　otherwise。　He　was　found　to　be　an　heir　of　John　Wilbanks；　and　was　awarded　one　third　of　the　estate。　Lucien　cursed　the　jury；　slapped　the　poor　boy；　and　was　carried　screaming　from　the　courtroom　and　taken　to　jail。　The　jury's　decision　was　reversed　and　dismissed　on　appeal；　but　Lucien　feared　more　litigation　if　Ethel　ever　changed　her　story。　Thus；　Ethel　Twitty　remained　with　the　Wilbanks　firm。
　Lucien　was　satisfied　when　the　firm　disintegrated。　He　never　intended　to　practice　law　like　his　ancestors。　He　wanted　to　be　a　criminal　lawyer；　and　the　old　firm's　clientele　had　bee　strictly　corporate。　He　wanted　the　rapes；　the　murders；　the　child　abuses；　the　ugly　cases　no　one　else　wanted。　He　wanted　to　be　a　civil　rights　lawyer　and　litigate　civil　liberties。　But　most　of　all；　Lucien　wanted　to　be　a　radical；　a　flaming　radical　of　a　lawyer　with　unpopular　cases　and　causes；　and　lots　of　attention。
　He　grew　a　beard；　divorced　his　wife；　renounced　his　church；　sold　his　share　of　the　country　club；　joined　the　NAACP　and　ACLU；　resigned　from　the　bank　board；　and　in　general　became　the　scourge　of　Clanton。　He　sued　the　schools　because　of　segregation；　the　governor　because　of　the　prison；　the　city　because　it　refused　to　pave　streets　in　the　black　section；　the　bank　because　there　were　no　black　tellers；　the　state　because　of　capital　punishment；　and　the　factories　because　they　would　not　recognize　organized　labor。　He　fought　and　won　many　criminal　cases；　and　not　just　in　Ford　County。　His　reputation　spread；　and　a　large　following　developed　among　blacks；　poor　whites；　and　the　few　unions　in　north　Mississippi。　He　stumbled　into　some　lucrative　personal　injury　and　wrong…
　ful　death　cases。　There　were　some　nice　settlements。　The　firm；　he　and　Ethel；　was　more　profitable　than　ever。　Lucien　did　not　need　the　money。　He　had　been　born　with　it　and　never　thought　about　it。　Ethel　did　the　counting。
　The　law　became　his　life。　With　no　family；　he　became　a　workaholic。　Fifteen　hours　a　day；　seven　days　a　week；　Lucien　practiced　law　with　a　passion。　He　had　no　other　interests；　except　alcohol。　In　the　late　sixties　he　noticed　an　affinity　for　Jack　Daniel's。　By　the　early　seventies　he　was　a　drunk；　and　when　he　hired　Jake　in　1978　he　was　a　full…fledged　alcoholic。　But　he　never　let　booze　interfere　with　his　work；　he　learned　to　drink　and　work　at　the　same　time。　Lucien　was　always　half　drunk；　and　he　was　a　dangerous　lawyer　in　that　condition。　Bold　and　abrasive　by　nature；　he　was　downright　frightening　when　he　was　drinking。　At　trial　he　would　embarrass　the　opposing　attorneys；　insult　the　judge；　abuse　the　witnesses；　then　apologize　to　the　jury。　He　respected　no　one　and　could　not　be　intimidated。　He　was　feared　because　he　would　say　and　do　anything。　People〃　walked　lightly　around　Lucien。　He　knew　it　and　loved　it。　He　became　more　and　more　eccentric。　The　more　he　drank；　the　crazier　he　acted；　then　people　talked　about　him　even　more；　so　he　drank　even　more。
　Between　1966　and　1978　Lucien　hired　and　disposed　of　eleven　associates。　He　hired　blacks；　Jews；　Hispanics；　women；　and　not　one　kept　the　pace　he　demanded。　He　was　a　tyrant　around　the　office；　constantly　cursing　and　berating　the　young　lawyers。　Some　quit　the　first　month。　One　lasted　two　years。　It　was　difficult　to　accept　Lucien's　craziness。　He　had　the　money　to　be　eccentric…his　associates　did　not。
　He　hired　Jake　in　1978　fresh　from　law　school。　Jake　was　from　Karaway；　a　small　town　of　twenty…five　hundred；　eighteen　miles　west　of　Clanton。　He　was　clean…cut；　conservative；　a　devout　Presbyterian　with　a　pretty　wife　who　wanted　babies。　Lucien　hired　him　to　see　if　he　could　corrupt　him。　Jake　took　the　job　with　strong　reservations　because　he　had　no　other　offers　close　to　home。
　A　year　later　Lucien　was　disbarred。　It　was　a　tragedy　for　those　very　few　who　liked　him。　The　small　union　at　the　shoe　factory　north　of　town　had　called　a　strike。　It　was　a　union　Lucien　had　organized　and　represented。　The　factory　began　hiring　new　workers　to　replace　the　strikers；　and　violence　fol…
　lowed。　Lucien　appeared　on　the　picket　line　to　rally　his　people。　He　was　drunker　than　normal。　A　group　of　scabs　attempted　to　cross　the　line　and　a　brawl　erupted。　Lucien　led　the　charge；　was　arrested　and　jailed。　He　was　convicted　in　city　court　of　assault　and　battery　and　disorderly　conduct。　He　appealed　and　lost；　appealed　and　lost。
　The　State　Bar　Association　had　grown　weary　of　Lucien　over　the　years。　No　other　attorney　in　the　state　had　received　as　many　plaints　as　had　Lucien　Wilbanks。　Private　reprimands；　public　reprimands；　and　suspensions　had　all　been　used；　all　to　no　avail。　The　plaints　Tribunal　and　Disciplinary　mittee　moved　swiftly。　He　was　disbarred　for　outrageous　conduct　unbeing　a　member　of　the　bar。　He　appealed　and　lost；　appealed　and　lost。
　He　was　devastated。　Jake　was　in　Lucien's　office；　the　big　office　upstairs；　when　word　came　from　Jackson　that　the　Supreme　Court　had　upheld　the　disbarment。　Lucien　hung　up　the　phone　and　walked　to　the　doors　overlooking　the　square。　Jake　watched　him　closely；　waiting　for　the　tirade。　But　Lucien　said　nothing。　He　walked　slowly　down　the　stairs；　stopped　and　stared　at　Ethel；　who　was　crying；　and　then　looked　at　Jake。　He　opened　the　door　and　said；　〃Take　care　of　this　place。　I'll　see　you　later。〃
　They　ran　to　the　front　window　and　watched　him　speed　away　from　the　square　in　his　ragged　old　Porsche。　For　several　months　there　was　no　word　from　him。　Jake　labored　diligently　on　Lucien's　cases　while　Ethel　kept　the　office　from　chaos。　Some　of　the　cases　were　settled；　some　left　for　other　lawyers；　some　went　to　trial。
　Six　months　later　Jake　returned　to　his　office　after　a　long　day　in　court　and　found　Lucien　asleep　on　the　Persian　rug　in　the　big　office。　〃Lucien！　Are　you　all　right？〃　he　asked。
　Lucien　jumped　up　and　sat　in　the　big　leather　chair　behind　the　desk。　He　was　sober；　tanne