乐文小说网

第24部分（第2页）

〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　he　said；　looking　at　me　with　a　little　more　interest。　〃So　…　the　bull…goose　screw　of　the　Green　Mile　is　standing　on　my　back　porch；　just　as　big　as　life。　What　brings　you　fifty　miles　to　talk　to　the　local　rags　only　full…time　reporter？〃

〃John　Coffey；〃　I　said。

I　think　I　expected　some　sort　of　strong　reaction　（the　kids　who　could　have　been　twins　working　at　the　back　of　my　mind　…　and　perhaps　the　doghouse；　too；　the　Dettericks　had　had　a　dog）；　but　Hammersmith　only　raised　his　eyebrows　and　sipped　at　his　drink。　〃Coffeys　your　problem　now；　isnt　he？〃　Hammersmith　asked。

〃Hes　not　much　of　a　problem；〃　I　said。　〃He　doesnt　like　the　dark；　and　he　cries　a　lot　of　the　time；　but　neither　thing　makes　much　of　a　problem　in　our　line　of　work。　We　see　worse。〃

〃Cries　a　lot；　does　he？〃　Hammersmith　asked。　〃Well；　hes　got　a　lot　to　cry　about；　Id　say。　Considering　what　he　did。　What　do　you　want　to　know？〃

〃Anything　you　can　tell　me。　Ive　read　your　newspaper　stories；　so　I　guess　what　I　want　is　anything　that　wasnt　in　them。〃

He　gave　me　a　sharp；　dry　look。　〃Like　how　the　little　girls　looked？　Like　exactly　what　he　did　to　them？〃

〃That　the　kind　of　stuff　youre　interested　in；　Mr。　Edgebe？〃

〃No；〃　I　said；　keeping　my　voice　mild。　〃Its　not　the　Detterick　girls　Im　interested　in；　sir。　Poor　little　mites　are　dead。　But　Coffeys　not　…　not　yet　…　and　Im　curious　about　him。〃

〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Pull　up　a　chair　and　sit；　Mr。　Edgebe。　Youll　forgive　me　if　I　sounded　a　little　sharp　just　now；　but　I　get　to　see　plenty　of　vultures　in　my　line　of　work。　Hell；　Ive　been　accused　of　being　one　of　em　often　enough；　myself。　I　just　wanted　to　make　sure　of　you。〃

〃And　are　you？〃

〃Sure　enough；　I　guess；〃　he　said；　sounding　almost　indifferent。　The　story　he　told　me　is　pretty　much　the　one　I　set　down　earlier　in　this　account　…　how　Mrs。　Detterick　found　the　porch　empty；　with　the　screen　door　pulled　off　its　upper　hinge；　the　blankets　cast　into　one　corner；　and　blood　on　the　steps；　how　her　son　and　husband　had　taken　after　the　girls　abductor；　how　the　posse　had　caught　up　to　them　first　and　to　John　Coffey　not　much　later。　How　Coffey　had　been　sitting　on　the　riverbank　and　wailing；　with　the　bodies　curled　in　his　massive　arms　like　big　dolls。　The　reporter；　rack…thin　in　his　open…collared　white　shirt　and　gray　town　pants；　spoke　in　a　low；　unemotional　voice　…　but　his　eyes　never　left　his　own　two　children　as　they　squabbled　and　laughed　and　took　turns　with　the　swing　down　there　in　the　shade　at　the　foot　of　the　slope。　Sometime　in　the　middle　of　the　story；　Mrs。　Hammersmith　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　homemade　root　beer；　cold　and　strong　and　delicious。　She　stood　listening　for　awhile；　then　interrupted　long　enough　to　call　down　to　the　kids　and　tell　them　to　e　up　directly；　she　had　cookies　due　out　of　the　oven。　〃We　will；　Mamma！〃　called　a　little　girls　voice；　and　the　woman　went　back　inside　again。

When　Hammersmith　had　finished；　he　said：　〃So　why　do　you　want　to　know？　I　never　had　me　a　visit　from　a　Big　House　screw　before；　its　a　first。〃

〃I　told　you　…　〃

〃Curiosity；　yep。　Folks　get　curious；　I　know　it；　I　even　thank　God　for　it；　Id　be　out　of　a　job　and　might　actually　have　to　go　to　work　for　a　living　without　it。　But　fifty　miles　is　a　long　way　to　e　to　satisfy　simple　curiosity；　especially　when　the　last　twenty　is　over　bad　roads。　So　why　dont　you　tell　me　the　truth；　Edgebe？　I　satisfied　yours；　so　now　you　satisfy　mine。〃

Well；　I　could　say；　I　had　this　urinary　infection；　and　John　Coffey　put　his　hands　on　me　and　healed　it。　The　man　who　raped　and　murdered　those　two　little　girls　did　that。　So　I　wondered　about　him；　of　course　…　anyone　would。　I　even　wondered　if　maybe　Homer　Cribus　and　Deputy　Rob　McGee　didnt　maybe　collar　the　wrong　man。　In　spite　of　all　the　evidence　against　him　I　wonder　that。　Because　a　man　who　has　a　power　like　that　in　his　hands；　you　dont　usually　think　of　him　as　the　kind　of　man　who　rapes　and　murders　children。

No；　maybe　that　wouldnt　do。

〃There　are　two　things　Ive　wondered　about；〃　I　said。　〃The　first　is　if　he　ever　did　anything　like　that　before。〃

Hammersmith　turned　to　me；　his　eyes　suddenly　sharp　and　bright　with　interest；　and　I　saw　he　was　a　smart　fellow。　Maybe　even　a　brilliant　fellow；　in　a　quiet　way。　〃Why？〃　he　asked。　〃What　do　you　know；　Edgebe？　What　has　he　said？〃

〃Nothing。　But　a　man　who　does　this　sort　of　thing　once　has　usually　done　it　before。　They　get　a　taste　for　it。〃

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

〃And　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　easy　e

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