jg.atimetokill-第62部分

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　〃We　could　excuse　the　twenty；〃　he　wondered　aloud。
　〃That　won't　help。　The　entire　county　knows　about　it　or　will　know　about　it　within　a　few　hours。　You　know　how　fast　word　travels。　The　entire　panel　will　feel　threatened。〃
　〃Then　we　could　disqualify　the　entire　panel　and　summon　a　new　one。〃
　〃Won't　work；〃　Jake　answered　sharply；　frustrated　by　Noose's　stubbornness。　〃All　jurors　must　e　from　Ford　County；　and　everybody　in　the　county　knows　about　it。　And　how　do　you　keep　the　Klan　from　harassing　the　next　panel？　It　won't　work。〃
　〃What　makes　you　so　confident　the　Klan　won't　follow　the　case　if　I　move　it　to　another　county？〃　The　sarcasm　dripped　from　every　word。
　〃I　think　they　will　follow　it；〃　Jake　admitted。　〃But　we　don't　know　that　for　sure。　What　we　do　know　is　that　the　Klan　is　already　in　Ford　County；　that　it's　quite　active　now；　and　that　it　has　already　intimidated　some　potential　jurors。　That's　the　issue。　The　question　is；　what　will　you　do　about　it？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　Noose　said　bluntly。
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Nothing。　I　will　do　nothing　but　dismiss　the　twenty。　I　will
　carefully　interrogate　the　panel　next　Monday；　when　the　trial　starts　in　Clanton。〃
　Jake　stared　in　disbelief。　Noose　had　a　reason；　a　motive；　a　fear；　something　he　was　not　telling。　Lucien　was　right…someone　had　gotten　to　him。　'　　　〃May　I　ask　why？〃
　〃I　don't　think　it　matters　where　we　try　Carl　Lee　Hailey。　I　don't　think　it　matters　who　we　put　in　the　jury　box。　I　don't　think　it　matters　what　color　they　are。　Their　minds　are　made　up。　All　of　them；　wherever　and　whoever　they　are。　They've　already　made　up　their　minds；　Jake；　and　it's　your　job　to　pick　those　who　think　your　man　is　a　hero。〃
　That's　probably　true；　thought　Jake；　but　he　wouldn't　admit　it。　He　continued　staring　at　the　trees　outside。　〃Why　are　you　afraid　to　move　it？〃
　Ichabod's　eyes　narrowed；　and　he　glared　at　Jake。　〃Afraid？　I'm　not　afraid　of　any　ruling　I　make。　Why　are　you　afraid　to　try　it　in　Ford　County？〃
　〃I　thought　I　just　explained　it。〃
　〃Mr。　Hailey　will　be　tried　in　Ford　County　starting　Monday。　That's　three　days　from　today。　And　he　will　be　tried　there　not　because　I'm　afraid　to　move　it；　but　because　it　wouldn't　do　any　good　to　move　it。　I've　considered　all　this　very　carefully；　Mr。　Brigance；　many　times；　and　I　feel　fortable　with　the　trial　in　Clanton。　It　will　not　be　moved。　Anything　further？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃Good。　See　you　Monday。〃
　Jake　entered　his　office　through　the　rear　door。　The　front　door　had　been　locked　for　a　week　now；　and　there　was　always　someone　banging　on　it　and　yelling　at　it。　Most　of　them　were　reporters；　but　many　were　friends　just　stopping　by　to　gossip　and　find　out　what　they　could　about　the　big　trial。　Clients　were　a　thing　of　the　past。　The　phone　rang　constantly。　Jake　never　touched　it　and　Ellen　grabbed　it　if　she　was　nearby。
　He　found　her　in　the　conference　room　up　to　her　elbows　in　law　books。　The　M'Naghten　brief　was　a　masterpiece。　He　had　requested　no　more　than　twenty　pages。　She　gave　him　seventy…five　perfectly　typed　and　plainly　worded　pages；　and　explained　there　was　no　way　to　cover　the　Mississippi　version
　of　M'Naghten　in　fewer　words。　Her　research　was　painstaking　and　detailed。　She　had　started　with　the　original　M'Naghten　case　in　England　in　the　1800's　and　worked　through　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　of　insanity　law　in　Mississippi。　She　discarded　insignificant　or　confusing　cases；　and　explained　in　wonderful　simplicity　the　plicated；　major　cases。　The　brief　concluded　with　a　summary　of　current　law；　and　applied　it　to　the　trial　of　Carl　Lee　Hailey。
　In　a　smaller　brief；　only　fourteen　pages；　she　had　reached　the　unmistakable　conclusion　that　the　jury　would　see　the　sickening　pictures　of　Cobb　and　Willard　with　their　brains　splattered　about　the　stairway。　Mississippi　admitted　such　inflammatory　evidence；　and　she　had　found　no　way　around　it。
　She　had　typed　thirty…one　pages　of　research　on　the　defense　of　justifiable　homicide；　something　Jake　had　considered　briefly　after　the　killings。　She　reached　the　same　conclusion　Jake　had　reached…it　wouldn't　work。　She　had　found　an　old　Mississippi　case　where　a　man　had　caught　and　killed　an　escaped　convict　who　was　armed。　He　had　been　acquitted；　but　the　differences　in　that　case　and　Carl　Lee's　case　were　enormous。　Jake　had　not　asked　for　the　brief；　and　was　irritated　that　so　much　energy　had　been　spent　on　it。　He　said　nothing；　however；　since　she　had　produced　everything　he　had　asked　for。
　The　most　pleasant　surprise　had　been　her　work　with　Dr。　W。T。　Bass。　She　had　met　with　him　twice　during　the　week；　and　they　had　covered　M'Naghten　in　great　detail。　She　prepared　a　twenty…five…page　script　of　the　questions　to　be　asked　by　Jake　and　the　answers　to　be　given　by　Bass。　It　was　a　skillfully　crafted　dialogue；　and　he　marveled　at　her　seasoning。　When　he　was　her　age；　he　was　an　average　student　more　concerned　with　romance　than　research。　She；　on　the　other　hand；　as　a　third…year　law　student　was　writing　briefs　that　read　like　treatises。
　〃How'd　it　go？〃　she　asked。
　〃As　expected。　He　did　not　budge。　The　trial　will　start　here　Monday　with　the　same　panel；　minus　the　twenty　who　received　their　subtle　warnings。〃
　〃He's　crazy。〃
　〃What're　you　working　on？〃
　〃I'm　finishing　the　brief　to　support　our　position　that　the
　details　of　the　rape　should　be　discussed　before　the　jury。　It　looks　good；　at　this　point。〃
　〃When　will　you　finish　it？〃
　〃Is　there　some　hurry？〃
　〃By　Sunday；　if　possible。　I've　got　another　chore；　something　a　little　different。〃
　She　slid　her　legal　pad　away　and　listened。
　〃The　State's　psychiatrist　will　be　Dr。　Wilbert　Rode…heaver；　head　of　staff　at　Whitfield。　He's　been　there　forever；　and　has　testifed　in　hundreds　of　cases。　I　want　you　to　dig　a　little　and　see　how　often　his　name　appears　in　court　decisions。〃
　〃Fve　already　run　across　his　name。〃
　〃Good。　As　you　know；　the　only　cases　we　read　about　from　the　Supreme　Court　are　the　ones　where　the　defendant　at　trial　was　convicted　and　has　appealed。　The　acquittals　are　not　reported。　I'm　more　interested　in　these。〃
　〃Where　are　you　ing　from？〃
　〃I　have　a　hunch　Rodeheaver　is　very　reluctant　to　give　an　opinion　that　a　defendant　was　legally　insane。　There's　a　chance　he's　never　done　it。　Even　in　cases　where　the　defendant　was　clearly　crazy　and　did　not　know　what　he　was　doing。　I'd　like　to　ask　Rodeheaver；　on　cross…examination；　about　some　of　the　cases　in　which　he's　said　there's　nothing　wrong　with　an　obviously　sick　man；　and　the　jury　acquitted　him。〃
　〃Those　cases　will　be　very　hard　to　find。〃
　〃I　know；　but　you　can　do　it；　Row　Ark。　I've　watched　you　work　for　a　week　now；　and　I　know　you　can　do　it。〃
　〃I'm　flattered；　boss。〃
　〃You　may　have　to　make　phone　calls　to　attorneys　around　the　state　who've　crossed　Rodeheaver　before。　It'll　be　hard；　Row　Ark；　but　get　it　done。〃
　〃Yes；　boss。　I'm　sure　you　wanted　it　yesterday。〃
　〃Not　really。　I　doubt　if　we'll　get　to　Rodeheaver　next　week；　so　you　have　some　time。〃
　〃I　don't　know　how　to　act。　You　mean　it's　not　urgent？〃
　〃No；　but　that　rape　brief　is。〃
　〃Yes；　boss。〃
　〃Have　you　had　lunch？〃
　〃I'm　not　hungry。〃
　〃Good。　Don't　make　any　plans　for　dinner。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃It　means　I've　got　an　idea。〃
　〃Sort　of　like　a　date？〃
　〃No；　sort　of　like　a　business　lunch　with　two　professionals。〃
　Jake　packed　two　briefcases　and　left。　〃I'll　be　at　Lu…cien's；〃　he　told　her；　〃but　don't　call　unless　it's　a　dire　emergency。　Don't　tell　anyone　where　I　am。〃
　〃What　are　you　working　on？〃
　〃The　jury。〃
　Lucien　had　passed　out　drunk　in　the　swing　on　the　porch；　and　Sallie　was　not　around。　Jake　helped　himself　to　the　spacious　study　upstairs。　Lucien　had　more　law　books　in　his　home　than　most　lawyers　had　in　their　offices。　He　unpacked　his　mess　in　a　chair；　and　on　the　desk　he　placed　an　alphabetical　list　of　the　jurors；　a　stack　of　three…by…five　notecards；　and　several　Magic　Markers。
　The　first　name　was　Acker；　Barry　Acker。　The　last　name　was　written　in　large　print　across　the　top　of　a　notecard　with　a　blue　Magic　Marker。　Blue　for　men；　red　for　women；　black　for　blacks；　regardless　of　gender。　Under　Acker's　name　he　made　notes　with　a　pencil。　Age；　about　forty。　Married　to　his　second　wife；　three　children；　two　daughters。　Runs　a　small　unprofitable　hardware　store　on　the　highway　in　Clanton。　Wife；　secretary　at　a　bank。　Drives　a　pickup。　Likes　to　hunt。　Wears　cowboy　boots。　Pretty　nice　guy。　Atcavage　had　gone　to　the　hardware　store　Thursday　to　get　a　look　at　Barry　Acker。　Said　he　looked　okay；　talked　like　he　had　。some　education。　Jake　wrote　the　number　nine　by　the　name　Acker。
　Jake　was　impressed　with　his　research。　Surely　Buckley　would　not　be　as　thorough。
　The　next　name　was　Bill　Andrews。　What　a　name。　There　were　six　of　them　in　the　phonebook。　Jake　knew　one；　Harry　Rex　knew　another　one；　and　Ozzie　knew　a　black　one；　but　nobody　knew　which　one　got　the　summons。　He　pvut　a　question　mark　by　the　name。
　Gerald　Ault。　Jake　smiled　when　he　wrote　the　name　on　the　notecard。　Ault　had　passed　through　his　office　a　few　years　back　when　the　bank　foreclosed　on　his　house　in　Clanton。　His　wife　was　stricken　with　kidney　disease；　and　the　medical　bills　broke　them。　He　was　an　intellectual；　educated　at　Princeton；
　where　he　met　his　wife。　She　was　from　Ford　County；　the　only　child　of　a　once　prominent　family　of　fools　who　had　invested　all　their　money　in　railroads。　He　arrived　in　Ford　County　just　in　time　for　his　in…laws　to　go　under；　and　the　easy　life　he　had　married　dissolved　into　one　of　struggle。　He　taught　school　for　a　while；　then　ran　the　library；　then　worked　as　a　clerk　in　the　courthouse。　He　developed　an　aversion　to　hard　work。　Then　his　wife　got　sick；　and　they　lost　their　modest　house。　He　now　worked　in　a　convenience　store。
　Jake　knew　something　about　Gerald　Ault　that　no　one　else　knew。　As　a　child　in　Pennsylvania；　his　family　lived　in　a　farmhouse　near　the　highway。　One　night　while　they　slept；　the　house　caught　fire。　A　passing　motorist　stopped；　kicked　in　the　front　door　and　began　rescuing　the　Aults。　The　fire　spread　quickly；　and　when　Gerald　and　his　brother　awoke　they　were　trapped　in　their　upstairs　bedroom。　They　ran　to　the　window　and　screamed。　Their　parents　and　siblings　yelled　helplessly　from　the　front　lawn。　Flames　poured　from　every　window　in　the　house　except　for　their　bedroom。　Suddenly；　the　rescuer　soaked　himself　with　water　from　the　garden　hose；　dashed　into　the　burning　house；　fought　the　flames　and　smoke　as　he　raced　upstairs；　then　bolted　through　the　bedroom　door。　He　kicked　out　the　window；　grabbed　Gerald　and　his　brother；　and　jum