子浪小说

第56部分（第2页）

〃The　dog；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　rubbing　his　neck　where　Wharton　had　wrapped　the　chain。　I　dont　think　he　even　knew　he　was　doing　it。　〃How　the　dogs　neck　was　broken。〃

〃Anyway；　I　went　on　up　to　Purdom　County　to　check　Whartons　court　records　…　all　we　had　here　were　the　reports　on　the　murders　that　got　him　to　the　Green　Mile。　The　end　of　his　career；　in　other　words。　I　wanted　the　beginning。〃

〃Lot　of　trouble？〃　Brutal　asked。

〃Yeah。　Vandalism；　petty　theft；　setting　haystack　fires；　even　theft　of　an　explosive　…　he　and　a　friend　swiped　a　stick　of　dynamite　and　set　it　off　down　by　a　creek。　He　got　going　early；　ten　years　old；　but　what　I　wanted　wasnt　there。　Then　the　Sheriff　turned　up　to　see　who　I　was　and　what　I　was　doing；　and　that　was　actually　lucky。　I　fibbed；　told　him　that　a　cell…search　had　turned　up　a　bunch　of　pictures　in　Whartons　mattress　…　little　girls　with　no　clothes　on。　I　said　Id　wanted　to　see　if　Wharton　had　any　kind　of　history　as　a　pederast；　because　there　were　a　couple　of　unsolved　cases　up　in　Tennessee　that　Id　heard　about。　I　was　careful　never　to　mention　the　Detterick　twins。　I　dont　think　they　crossed　his　mind；　either。〃

〃Course　not〃；　Harry　said。　〃Why　would　they　have？　That　case　is　solved；　after　all。〃

〃I　said　I　guessed　there　was　no　sense　chasing　the　idea；　since　there　was　nothing　in　Whartons　back　file。　I　mean；　there　was　plenty　in　the　file；　but　none　of　it　about　that　sort　of　thing。　Then　the　Sheriff　…　Catlett；　his　name　is　…　laughed　and　said　not　everything　a　bad　apple　like　Bill　Wharton　did　was　in　the　court　files；　and　what　did　it　matter；　anyway？　He　was　dead；　wasnt　he？

〃I　said　I　was　doing　it　just　to　satisfy　my　own　curiosity；　nothing　else；　and　that　relaxed　him。　He　took　me　back　to　his　office；　sat　me　down；　gave　me　a　cup　of　coffee　and　a　sinker；　and　told　me　that　sixteen　months　ago；　when　Wharton　was　barely　eighteen；　a　man　in　the　western　part　of　the　county　caught　him　in　the　barn　with　his　daughter。　It　wasnt　rape；　exactly；　the　fellow　described　it　to　Catlett　as　not　much　moren　stinkfinger。；　Sorry；　honey。〃

〃Thats　all　right〃；　Janice　said。　She　looked　pale；　though。

〃How　old　was　the　girl？〃　Brutal　asked。

〃Nine〃；　I　said。

He　winced。

〃The　man　mightve　taken　off　after　Wharton　himself；　if　hed　had　him　some　big　old　brothers　or　cousins　to　give　him　a　help；　but　he　didnt。　So　he　went　to　Catlett；　but　made　it　clear　he　only　wanted　Wharton　warned。　No　one　wants　a　nasty　thing　like　that　right　out　in　public；　if　it　can　be　helped。　Anyway；　Sheriff　C。　had　been　dealing　with　e　…　had　him　in　the　reform　school　up　that　way　for　eight　months　or　so　when　Wharton　was　fifteen　…　and　he　decided　enough　was　enough。　He　got　three　deputies；　they　went　out　to　the　Wharton　place；　set　Missus　Wharton　aside　when　she　started　to　weep　and　wail；　and　then　they　warned　Mr。　William　Billy　the　Kid；　Wharton　what　happens　to　big　pimple…faced　galoots　who　go　up　in　the　hayloft　with　girls　not　even　old　enough　to　have　heard　about　their　monthly　courses；　let　alone　started　them。　We　warned　that　little　punk　good〃　Catlett　told　me。　Warned　him　until　his　head　was　bleedin；　his　shoulder　was　dislocated；　and　his　ass　was　damn　near　broke。〃

Brutal　was　laughing　in　spite　of　himself。　〃That　sounds　like　Purdom　County；　all　right；〃　he　said。　〃Like　as　not。〃

〃It　was　three　months　later；　give　or　take；　that　Wharton　broke　out　and　started　the　spree　that　ended　with　the　holdup；〃　I　said。　〃That　and　the　murders　that　got　him　to　us。〃

〃So　hed　had　something　to　do　with　an　underage　girl　once；〃　Harry　said。　He　took　off　his　glasses；　huffed　on　them；　polished　them。　〃Way　underage。　Once　isnt　exactly　a　pattern；　is　it？〃

〃A　man　doesnt　do　a　thing　like　that　just　once；〃　my　wife　said；　then　pressed　her　lips　together　so　tight　they　almost　werent　there。

Next　I　told　them　about　my　visit　to　Trapingus　County。　Id　been　a　lot　more　frank　with　Rob　McGee　…　Id　had　no　choice；　really。　To　this　day　I　have　no　idea　what　sort　of　story　he　spun　for　Mr。　Detterick；　but　the　McGee　who　sat　down　next　to　me　in　the　diner　seemed　to　have　aged　seven　years。

In　mid…May；　about　a　month　before　the　holdup　and　the　murders　which　finished　Whartons　short　career　as　an　outlaw；　Klaus　Detterick　had　painted　his　barn　（and；　incidentally；　Bowsers　doghouse　next　to　it）。　He　hadnt　wanted　his　son　crawling　around　up　on　a　high　scaffolding；　and　the　boy　had　been　in　school；　anyway；　so　he　had　hired　a　fellow。　A　nice　enough　fellow。　Very　quiet。　Three　days；　work　it　had　been。　No；　the　fellow　hadnt　slept　at　the　house；　Detterick　wasnt　foolish　enough　to　believe　that　nice　and　quiet　always　meant　safe；　especially　in　those　days；　when　there　was　so　much　dust…bowl　riffraff　on　the　roads。　A　man　with　a　family　had　to　be　careful。　In　any　case；　the　man　hadnt　needed　lodging；　he　told　Detterick　he　had　taken　a　room　in　town；　at　Eva　Prices。　There　was　a　lady　named　Eva　Price　in　Tefton；　and　she　did　rent　rooms；　but　she　hadnt　had　a　boarder　that　May　who　fit　the　description　of　Dettericks　hired　man；　just　the　usual　fellows　in　checked　suits　and　derby　hats；　hauling　sample　cases　…　drummers；　in　other　words。　McGee　had　been　able　to　tell　me　that　because　he　stopped　at　Mrs。　Prices　and　checked　on　his　way　back　from　the　Detterick　farm　…　thats　how　upset　he　was。

〃Even　so；〃　he　added；　〃theres　no　law　against　a　man　sleeping　rough　in　the　woods；　Mr。　Edgebe。　Ive　done　it　a　time　or　two　myself。〃

The　hired　man　didnt　sleep　at　the　Dettericks；　house；　but　he　took　dinner　with　them　twice。　He　would　have　met　Howie。　He　would　have　met　the　girls；　Cora　and　Kathe。　He　would　have　listened　to　their　chatter；　some　of　which　might　have　been　about　how　much　they　looked　forward　to　the　ing　summer；　because　if　they　were　good　and　the　weather　was　good；　Mommy　sometimes　let　them　sleep　out　on　the　porch；　where　they　could　pretend　they　were　pioneer　wives　crossing　the　Great　Plains　in　Conestoga　wagons。

I　can　see　him　sitting　there　at　the　table；　eating　roast　chicken　and　Mrs。　Dettericks　rye　bread；　listening；　keeping　his　wolfs　eyes　well　veiled；　nodding；　smiling　a　little；　storing　it　all　up。

〃This　doesnt　sound　like　the　wildman　you　told　me　about　when　he　first　came　on　the　Mile；　Paul；〃　Janice　said　doubtfully。　〃Not　a　bit。〃

〃You　didnt　see　him　up　at　Indianola　Hospital；　maam；〃　Harry　said。　〃Just　standin　there　with　his　mouth　open　and　his　bare　butt　h

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