乐文小说网

第41部分（第2页）

I　started　toward　the　kitchen　at　once；　but　slowly　…　there　was　no　reason　to　hurry　until　I　was　sure　Dolan　was　out　of　my　way。　A　gaggle　of　old　folks；　most　still　in　their　robes；　came　out　of　the　TV　room　（here　its　called　the　Resource　Center；　now　thats　grotesque）　to　see　what　was　going　on。　Chuck　Howland　was　among　them；　I　was　happy　to　see。

〃Edgebe！〃　Kent　Avery　rasped；　hanging　onto　his　walker　with　one　hand　and　yanking　obsessively　at　the　crotch　of　his　pajama　pants　with　the　other。　〃Real　alarm　or　just　another　falsie？　What　do　you　think？〃

〃No　way　of　knowing；　I　guess；〃　I　said。

Just　about　then　three　orderlies　went　trotting　past；　all　headed　for　the　west　wing；　yelling　at　the　folks　clustered　around　the　TV…room　door　to　go　outside　and　wait　for　the　all…clear。　The　third　in　line　was　Brad　Dolan。　He　didnt　even　look　at　me　as　he　went　past；　a　fact　that　pleased　me　to　no　end。　As　I　went　on　down　toward　the　kitchen；　it　occurred　to　me　that　the　team　of　Elaine　Connelly　and　Paul　Edgebe　would　probably　be　a　match　for　a　dozen　Brad　Dolans；　with　half　a　dozen　Percy　Wetmores　thrown　in　for　good　measure。

The　cooks　in　the　kitchen　were　continuing　to　clear　up　breakfast；　paying　no　attention　to　the　howling　fire。　alarm　at　all。

〃Say；　Mr。　Edgebe；〃　George　said。　〃I　believe　Brad　Dolan　been　lookin　for　you。　In　fact；　you　just　missed　him。〃

Lucky　me；　I　thought。　What　I　said　out　loud　was　that　Id　probably　see　Mr。　Dolan　later。　Then　I　asked　if　there　was　any　leftover　toast　lying　around　from　breakfast。

〃Sure；〃　Norton　said；　〃but　its　stone…cold　dead　in　the　market。　You　runnin　late　this　morning。〃

〃I　am；〃　I　agreed；　〃but　Im　hungry。〃

〃Only　take　a　minute　to　make　some　fresh　and　hot；〃　George　said；　reaching　for　the　bread。

〃Nope；　cold　will　be　fine；〃　I　said；　and　when　he　handed　me　a　couple　of　slices　（looking　mystified　…　actually　both　of　them　looked　mystified）；　I　hurried　out　the　door；　feeling　like　the　boy　I　once　was；　skipping　school　to　go　fishing　with　a　jelly　fold…over　wrapped　in　waxed　paper　slipped　into　the　front　of　my　shirt。

Outside　the　kitchen　door　I　took　a　quick；　reflexive　look　around　for　Dolan；　saw　nothing　to　alarm　me；　and　hurried　across　the　croquet　course　and　putting　green；　gnawing　on　one　of　my　pieces　of　toast　as　I　went。　I　slowed　a　little　as　I　entered　the　shelter　of　the　woods；　and　as　I　walked　down　the　path；　I　found　my　mind　turning　to　the　day　after　Eduard　Delacroixs　terrible　execution。

I　had　spoken　to　Hal　Moores　that　morning；　and　he　had　told　me　that　Melindas　brain　tumor　had　caused　her　to　lapse　into　bouts　of　cursing　and　foul　language　。。。　what　my　wife　had　later　labelled　（rather　tentatively；　she　wasnt　sure　it　was　really　the　same　thing）　as　Tourettes　Syndrome。　The　quavering　in　his　voice；　coupled　with　the　memory　of　how　John　Coffey　had　healed　both　my　urinary　infection　and　the　broken　back　of　Delacroixs　pet　mouse；　had　finally　pushed　me　over　the　line　that　runs　between　just　thinking　about　a　thing　and　actually　doing　a　thing。

And　there　was　something　else。　Something　that　had　to　do　with　John　Coffeys　hands；　and　my　shoe。

So　I　had　called　the　men　I　worked　with；　the　men　I　had　trusted　my　life　to　over　the　years　…　Dean　Stanton；　Harry　Terwilliger；　Brutus　Howell。　They　came　to　lunch　at　my　house　on　the　day　after　Delacroixs　execution；　and　they　at　least　listened　to　me　when　I　outlined　my　plan。　Of　course；　they　all　knew　that　Coffey　had　healed　the　mouse；　Brutal　had　actually　seen　it。　So　when　I　suggested　that　another　miracle　might　result　if　we　took　John　Coffey　to　Melinda　Moores；　they　didnt　outright　laugh。　It　was　Dean　Stanton　who　raised　the　most　troubling　question：　What　if　John　Coffey　escaped　while　we　had　him　out　on　his　field…trip？

〃Suppose　he　killed　someone　else？〃　Dean　asked。　〃Id　hate　losing　my　job；　and　Id　hate　going　to　jail　…　I　got　a　wife　and　kids　depending　on　me　to　put　bread　in　their　mouths　…　but　I　dont　think　Id　hate　either　of　those　things　near　as　much　as　having　another　little　dead　girl　on　my　conscience。〃

There　was　silence；　then；　all　of　them　looking　at　me；　waiting　to　see　how　Id　respond。　I　knew　everything　would　change　if　I　said　what　was　on　the　tip　of　my　tongue；　we　had　reached　a　point　beyond　which　retreat　would　likely　bee　impossible。

Except　retreat；　for　me；　at　least；　was　already　impossible。　I　opened　my　mouth　and　said

2。

〃That　wont　happen。〃

〃How　in　Gods　name　can　you　be　so　sure？〃　Dean　asked。

I　didnt　answer。　I　didnt　know　just　how　to　begin。　I　had　known　this　would　e　up；　of　course　I　had；　but　I　still　didnt　know　how　to　start　telling　them　what　was　in　my　head　and　heart。　Brutal　helped。

〃You　dont　think　he　did　it；　do　you；　Paul？〃　He　looked　incredulous。　〃You　think　that　big　lug　is　innocent。〃

〃Im　positive　hes　innocent；〃　I　said。

〃How　can　you　be？〃

〃There　are　two　things；〃　I　said。　〃One　of　them　is　my　shoe。〃

〃Your　shoe？〃　Brutal　exclaimed。　What　has　your　shoe　got　to　do　with　whether　or　not　John　Coffey　killed　those　two　little　girls？〃

〃I　took　off　one　of　my　shoes　and　gave　it　to　him　last　night；〃　I　said。　〃After　the　execution；　this　was；　when　things　had　settled　back　down　a　little。　I　pushed　it　through　the　bars；　and　he　picked　it　up　in　those　big　hands　of　his。　I　told　him　to　tie　it。　I　had　to　make　sure；　you　see；　because　all　our　problem　children　normally　wear　is　slippers　…　a　man　who　really　wants　to　mit　suicide　can　do　it　with　shoelaces；　if　hes　dedicated。　Thats　something　all　of　us　know。〃

They　were　nodding。

〃He　put　it　on　his　lap　and　got　the　ends　of　the　laces　crossed　over　all　right；　but　then　he　was　stuck。　He　said　he　was　pretty　sure　someone　had　showed　him　how　to　do　it　when　he　was　a　lad　…　maybe　his　father　or　maybe　one　of　the　boyfriends　his　mother　had　after　the　father　was　gone　…　but　hed　forgot　the　knack。〃

〃Im　with　Brutal　…　I　still　dont　see　what　your　shoe　has　to　do　with　whether　or　not　Coffey　killed　the　Detterick　twins；〃　Dean　said。

So　I　went　over　the　story　of　the　abduction　and　murder　again　…　what　Id　read　that　hot　day　in　the　prison　library　with　my　groin　sizzling　and　Gibbons　snoring　in　the　er；　and　all　that　the　reporter；　Hammersmith；　told　me　later。

〃The　Dettericks　dog　wasnt　much　of　a　biter；　but　it　was　a　world…class　barker；〃　I　said。　〃The　man　who　took　the　girls　kept　it　quiet　by　feeding　it　sausages。　He　crept　a　little　closer　every　time　he　gave　it　one；　I　imagine；　and　while　the　mutt　was　eating　the　last　one；　he　reached　out；　grabbed　it　by　the　head；　and　twisted。　Broke　its　neck。

〃Later；　when　they　caught　up　with　Coffey；　the　deputy　in　charge　of　the　posse　…　Rob　McGee；　his　name　was…spotted　a　bulge　in　the　chest　pocket　of　the　biballs　Coffey　was　wearing。　McGee　thought　at　first　it　might　be　a　gun。　Coffey　said　it　was　a　lunch；　and　thats　wha

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