绿里奇迹(英文版)-第68章

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thinking　and　precious　little　sleeping　on　my　side　of　the　bed。　
The　next　day　I　got　up　while　the　sun　was　still　just　a　rumor　in　the　east　and　drove　downstate　to　Trapingus　County。　I　skirted　around　Homer　Cribus；　that　great　bag　of　guts　and　waters；　speaking　to　Deputy　Sheriff　Rob　McGee　instead。　McGee　didn't　want　to　hear　what　I　was　telling　him。　Most　vehemently　didn't　want　to　hear　it。　At　one　point　I　was　pretty　sure　he　was　going　to　punch　me　in　the　mouth　so　he　could　stop　hearing　it；　but　in　the　end　he　agreed　to　go　out　and　ask　Klaus　Detterick　a　couple　of　questions。　Mostly；　I　think；　so　he　could　be　sure　I　wouldn't。　〃He's　only　thirty…nine；　but　he　looks　like　an　old　man　these　days；〃　McGee　said；　〃and　he　don't　need　a　smartass　prison　guard　who　thinks　he's　a　detective　to　stir　him　up　just　when　some　of　the　sorrow　has　started　to　settle。　You　stay　right　here　in　town。　I　don't　want　you　within　hailing　distance　of　the　Detterick　farm；　but　I　want　to　be　able　to　find　you　when　I'm　done　talking　to　Klaus。　If　you　start　feeling　restless；　have　a　piece　of　pie　down　there　in　the　diner。　It'll　weight　you　down。〃　I　ended　up　having　two　pieces；　and　it　was　kind　of　heavy。　
When　McGee　came　into　the　diner　and　sat　down　at　the　counter　next　to　me；　I　tried　to　read　his　face　and　failed。　〃Well？〃　I　asked。　
〃e　on　home　with　me；　we'll　talk　there；〃　he　said。　〃This　place　is　a　mite　too　public　for　my　taste。〃　
We　had　our　conference　on　Rob　McGee's　front　porch。　Both。　of　us　were　bundled　up　and　chilly；　but　Mrs。　McGee　didn't　allow　smoking　anywhere　in　her　house。　She　was　a　woman　ahead　of　her　time。　McGee　talked　awhile。　He　did　it　like　a　man　who　doesn't　in　the　least　enjoy　what　he's　hearing　out　of　his　own　mouth。　
〃It　proves　nothing；　you　know　that；　don't　you？〃　he　asked　when　he　was　pretty　well　done。　His　tone　was　belligerent；　and　he　poked　his　home…rolled　cigarette　at　me　in　an　aggressive　way　as　he　spoke；　but　his　face　was　sick。　Not　all　proof　is　what　you　see　and　hear　in　a　court　of　law；　and　we　both　knew　it。　I　have　an　idea　that　was　the　only　time　in　his　life　when　Deputy　McGee　wished　he　was　as　country…dumb　as　his　boss。　
〃I　know；〃　I　said。　
〃And　if　you're　thinking　of　getting　him　a　new　trial　on　the　basis　of　this　one　thing；　you　better　think　again；　senor。　John　Coffey　is　a　Negro；　and　in　Trapingus　County　we're　awful　particular　about　giving　new　trials　to　Negroes。〃　
〃I　know　that；　too。〃　
〃So　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃　
I　pitched　my　cigarette　over　the　porch　rail　and　into　the　street。　Then　I　stood　up。　It　was　going　to　be　a　long；　cold　ride　back　home；　and　the　sooner　I　got　going　the　sooner　the　trip　would　be　done。　〃That　I　wish　I　did　know；　Deputy　McGee；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　don't。　The　only　thing　I　know　tonight　for　a　fact　is　that　second　piece　of　pie　was　a　mistake。〃　
〃I'll　tell　you　something；　smart　guy；〃　he　said；　still　speaking　in　that　tone　of　hollow　belligerence。　〃I　don't　think　you　should　have　opened　Pandora's　Box　in　the　first　place。〃　
〃It　wasn't　me　opened　it；〃　I　said；　and　then　drove　home。　
I　got　there　late　…　after　midnight　…　but　my　wife　was　waiting　up　for　me。　I'd　suspected　she　would　be；　but　it　still　did　my　heart　good　to　see　her；　and　to　have　her　put　her　arms　around　my　neck　and　her　body　nice　and　firm　against　mine。　〃Hello；　stranger；〃　she　said；　and　then　touched　me　down　below。　〃Nothing　wrong　with　this　fellow　now；　is　there？　He's　just　as　healthy　as　can　be。〃　
〃Yes　ma'am；〃　I　said；　and　lifted　her　up　in　my　arms。　I　took　her　into　the　bedroom　and　we　made　love　as　sweet　as　sugar；　and　as　I　came　to　my　climax；　that　delicious　feeling　of　going　out　and　letting　go；　I　thought　of　John　Coffey's　endlessly　weeping　eyes。　And　of　Melinda　Moores　saying　I　dreamed　you　were　wandering　in　the　dark；　and　so　was　I。　
Still　lying　on　top　of　my　wife；　with　her　arms　around　my　neck　and　our　thighs　together；　I　began　to　weep　myself。　
〃Paul！〃　she　said；　shocked　and　afraid。　I　don't　think　she'd　seen　me　in　tears　more　than　half　a　dozen　times　before　in　the　entire　course　of　our　marriage。　I　have　never　been；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　a　crying　man。　〃Paul；　what　is　it？〃　
〃I　know　everything　there　is　to　know；〃　I　said　through　my　tears。　〃I　know　too　goddam　much；　if　you　want　to　know　the　truth。　I'm　supposed　to　electrocute　John　Coffey　in　less　than　a　week's　time；　but　it　was　William　Wharton　who　killed　the　Detterick　girls。　It　was　Wild　Bill。〃　
5。　
The　next　day；　the　same　bunch　of　screws　who　had　eaten　lunch　in　my　kitchen　after　the　botched　Delacroix　execution　ate　lunch　there　again。　This　time　there　was　a　fifth　at　our　council　of　war：　my　wife。　It　was　Jan　who　convinced　me　to　tell　the　others；　my　first　impulse　had　been　not　to。　Wasn't　it　bad　enough；　I　asked　her；　that　we　knew？　
〃You're　not　thinking　clear　about　it；〃　she'd　answered。　〃Probably　because　you're　still　upset。　They　already　know　the　worst　thing；　that　John's　on　the　spot　for　a　crime　he　didn't　mit。　If　anything；　this　makes　it　a　little　better。〃　
I　wasn't　so　sure；　but　I　deferred　to　her　judgement。　I　expected　an　uproar　when　I　told　Brutal；　Dean；　and　Harry　what　I　knew　（I　couldn't　prove　it；　but　I　knew；　all　right）；　but　at　first　there　was　only　thoughtful　silence。　Then；　taking　another　of　Janice's　biscuits　and　beginning　to　put　an　outrageous　amount　of　butter　on　it；　Dean　said：　〃Did　John　see　him；　do　you　think？　Did　he　see　Wharton　drop　the　girls；　maybe　even　rape　them？〃　
〃I　think　if　he'd　seen　that；　he　would　have　tried　to　stop　it；〃　I　said。　〃As　for　seeing　Wharton；　maybe　as　he　ran　off；　I　suppose　he　might　have。　If　he　did；　he　forgot　it　later。〃　
〃Sure；〃　Dean　said。　〃He's　special；　but　that　doesn't　make　him　bright。　He　only　found　out　it　was　Wharton　when　Wharton　reached　through　the　bars　of　his　cell　and　touched　him。〃　
Brutal　was　nodding。　〃That's　why　John　looked　so　surprised　。。。　so　shocked。　Remember　the　way　his　eyes　opened？〃　
I　nodded。　〃He　used　Percy　on　Wharton　like　a　gun；　that　was　what　Janice　said；　and　it　was　what　I　kept　thinking　about。　Why　would　John　Coffey　want　to　kill　Wild　Bill？　Percy；　maybe　…Percy　stamped　on　Delacroix's　mouse　right　in　front　of　him；　Percy　burned　Delacroix　alive　and　John　knew　it　…　but　Wharton？　Wharton　messed　with　most　of　us　in　one　way　or　another；　but　he　didn't　mess　with　John　at　all；　so　far　as　I　know　…hardly　passed　four　dozen　words　with　him　the　whole　time　they　were　on　the　Mile　together；　and　half　of　those　were　that　last　night。　Why　would　he　want　to？　He　was　from　Purdom　County；　and　as　far　as　white　boys　from　up　there　are　concerned；　you　don't　even　see　a　Negro　unless　he　happens　to　step　into　your　road。　So　why　did　he　do　it？　What　could　he've　seen　or　felt　when　Wharton　touched　him　that　was　so　bad　that　he　saved　back　the　poison　he　took　out　of　Melly's　body？〃　
〃And　half…killed　himself　doing　it；　too；〃　Brutal　said。　
〃More　like　three…quarters。　And　the　Detterick　twins　were　all　I　could　think　of　that　was　bad　enough　to　explain　what　he　did。　I　told　myself　the　idea　was　nuts；　too　much　of　a　coincidence；　it　just　couldn't　be。　Then　I　remembered　something　Curtis　Anderson　wrote　in　the　first　memo　I　ever　got　about　Wharton　…that　Wharton　was　crazy…wild；　and　that　he'd　rambled　all　over　the　state　before　the　holdup　where　he　killed　all　those　people。　Rambled　all　over　the　state。　That　stuck　with　me。　Then　there　was　the　way　he　tried　to　choke　Dean　when　he　came　in。　That　got　me　thinking　about　…　〃　
〃The　dog；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　rubbing　his　neck　where　Wharton　had　wrapped　the　chain。　I　don't　think　he　even　knew　he　was　doing　it。　〃How　the　dog's　neck　was　broken。〃　
〃Anyway；　I　went　on　up　to　Purdom　County　to　check　Wharton's　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　wasn't　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　Wharton's　mattress　…　little　girls　with　no　clothes　on。　I　said　I'd　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　I'd　heard　about。　I　was　careful　never　to　mention　the　Detterick　twins。　I　don't　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　Wharton's　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；　wasn't　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　wasn't　rape；　exactly；　the　fellow　described　it　to　Catlett　as　'not　much　more'n　stinkfinger。；　Sorry；　honey。〃　
〃That's　all　right〃；　Janice　said。　She　looked　pale；　though。　
〃How　old　was　the　girl？〃　Brutal　asked。