子浪小说

第25部分（第1页）

〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃They　do。　They　certainly　do。〃

〃And　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　easy　enough　to　follow　his　backtrail　and　find　out。　A　man　his　size；　and　a　Negro　to　boot；　cant　be　that　hard　to　trace。〃

〃Youd　think　so；　but　youd　be　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃In　Coffeys　case；　anyhow。　I　know。〃

〃You　tried？〃

〃I　did；　and　came　up　all　but　empty。　There　were　a　couple　of　railroad　fellows　who　thought　they　saw　him　in　the　Knoxville　yards　two　days　before　the　Detterick　girls　were　killed。　No　surprise　there；　he　was　just　across　the　river　from　the　Great　Southern　tracks　when　they　collared　him；　and　thats　probably　how　he　came　down　here　from　Tennessee。　I　got　a　letter　from　a　man　who　said　hed　hired　a　big　bald　black　man　to　shift　crates　for　him　in　the　early　spring　of　this　year　…　this　as　in　Kentucky。　I　sent　him　a　picture　of　Coffey　and　he　said　that　was　the　man。　But　other　than　that　…〃　Hammersmith　shrugged　and　shook　his　head。

〃Doesnt　that　strike　you　as　a　little　odd？〃

〃Strikes　me　as　a　lot　odd；　Mr。　Edgebe。　Its　like　he　dropped　out　of　the　sky。　And　hes　no　help；　he　cant　remember　last　week　once　this　week　es。〃

〃No；　he　cant；〃　I　said。　〃How　do　you　explain　it？〃

〃Were　in　a　Depression；〃　he　said；　〃thats　how　I　explain　it。　People　all　over　the　roads。　The　Okies　want　to　pick　peaches　in　California；　the　poor　whites　from　up　in　the　brakes　want　to　build　cars　in　Detroit；　the　black　folks　from　Mississippi　want　to　go　up　to　New　England　and　work　in　the　shoe　factories　or　the　textile　mills。　Everyone　…　black　as　well　as　white　…　thinks　its　going　to　be　better　over　the　next　jump　of　land。　Its　the　American　damn　way。　Even　a　giant　like　Coffey　doesnt　get　noticed　everywhere　he　goes　…　until；　that　is；　he　decides　to　kill　a　couple　of　little　girls。　Little　white　girls。〃

〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　I　asked。

He　gave　me　a　bland　look　from　his　too…thin　face。　〃Sometimes　I　do；〃　he　said。

His　wife　leaned　out　of　the　kitchen　window　like　an　engineer　from　the　cab　of　a　lootive　and　called；　〃Kids！　Cookies　are　ready！〃　She　turned　to　me。　〃Would　you　like　an　oatmeal…raisin　cookie；　Mr。　Edgebe？〃

〃Im　sure　theyre　delicious；　maam；　but　Ill　take　a　pass　this　time。〃

〃All　right；〃　she　said；　and　drew　her　head　back　inside。

〃Have　you　seen　the　scars　on　him？〃　Hammersmith　asked　abruptly。　He　was　still　watching　his　kids；　selves　to　abandon　the　pleasures　of　the　swing　…　not　even　for　oatmeal…raisin　cookies。

〃Yes。〃　But　I　was　surprised　he　had。

He　saw　my　reaction　and　laughed。　〃The　defense　attorneys　one　big　victory　was　getting　Coffey　to　take　off　his　shirt　and　show　those　scars　to　the　jury。　The　prosecutor；　George　Peterson；　objected　like　hell；　but　the　judge　allowed　it。　Old　George　could　have　saved；　his　breath　…　juries　around　these　parts　dont　buy　all　that　psychology　crap　about　how　people　whove　been　mistreated　just　cant　help　themselves。　They　believe　people　can　help　themselves。　Its　a　point　of　view　I　have　a　lot　of　sympathy　for　…　but　those　scars　were　pretty　ghastly；　just　the　same。　Notice　anything　about　them；　Edgebe？〃

I　had　seen　the　man　naked　in　the　shower；　and　Id　noticed；　all　right；　I　knew　just　what　he　was　talking　about。　〃Theyre　all　broken　up。　Latticed；　almost。〃

〃You　know　what　that　means？〃

〃Somebody　whopped　the　living　hell　out　of　him　when　he　was　a　kid；〃　I　said。　〃Before　he　grew。〃

〃But　they　didnt　manage　to　whop　the　devil　out　of　him；　did　they；　Edgebe？　Should　have　spared　the　rod　and　just　drowned　him　in　the　river　like　a　stray　kitten；　dont　you　think？〃

I　suppose　it　would　have　been　politic　to　simply　agree　and　get　out　of　there；　but　I　couldnt。　Id　seen　him。　And　Id　felt　him；　as　well。　Felt　the　touch　of　his　hands。

〃Hes　。。。　strange；〃　I　said。　〃But　there　doesnt　seem　to　be　any　real　violence　in　him。　I　know　how　he　was　found；　and　its　hard　to　jibe　that　with　what　I　see；　day　in　and　day　out；　on　the　block。　I　know　violent　men；　Mr。　Hammersmith。〃　It　was　Wharton　I　was　thinking　about；　of　course；　Wharton　strangling　Dean　Stanton　with　his　wrist…chain　and　bellowing　Whoooee；　boys！　Aint　this　a　party；　now？

He　was　looking　at　me　closely　now；　and　smiling　a　little；　incredulous　smile　that　I　didnt　care　for　very　much。　〃You　didnt　e　up　here　to　get　an　idea　about　whether　or　not　he　might　have　killed　some　other　little　girls　somewhere　else；〃　he　said。　〃You　came　up　here　to　see　if　I　think　he　did　it　at　all。　Thats　it；　isnt　it？　Fess　up；　Edgebe。〃

I　swallowed　the　last　of　my　cold　drink；　put　the　bottle　down　on　the　little　table；　and　said：　〃Well？　Do　you？〃

〃Kids！〃　he　called　down　the　hill；　leaning　forward　a　little　in　his　chair　to　do　it。　〃Yall　e　on　up　here　now　n　get　your　cookies！〃　Then　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　again　and　looked　at　me。　That　little　smile　…　the　one　I　didnt　much　care　for　…　had　reappeared。

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