第42部分(第1/7 页)

ey　was　wearing。　McGee　thought　at　first　it　might　be　a　gun。　Coffey　said　it　was　a　lunch；　and　that's　what　it　turned　out　to　be　…　a　couple　of　sandwiches　and　a　pickle；　wrapped　up　in　newspaper　and　tied　with　butcher's　string。　Coffey　couldn't　remember　who　gave　it　to　him；　only　that　it　was　a　woman　wearing　an　apron。…〃

〃Sandwiches　and　a　pickle　but　no　sausages；〃　Brutal　said。

〃No　sausages；〃　I　agreed。

〃Course　not；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　fed　those　to　the　dog。〃

〃Well；　that's　what　the　prosecutor　said　at　the　trial；〃　I　agreed；　〃but　if　Coffey　opened　his　lunch　and　fed　the　sausages　to　the　dog；　how'd　he　tie　the　newspaper　back　up　again　with　that　butcher's　twine？　I　don't　know　when　he　even　would　have　had　the　chance；　but　leave　that　out　of　it；　for　the　time　being。　This　man　can't　even　tie　a　simple　granny　knot！〃

There　was　a　long　moment　of　thunderstruck　silence；　broken　at　last　by　Brutus。　〃Holy　shit；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃How　e　no　one　brought　that　up　at　the　trial？〃

〃Nobody　thought　of　it；〃　I　said；　and　found　myself　again　thinking　of　Hammersmith；　the　reporter　…　Hammersmith　who　had　been　to　college　in　Bowling　Green；　Hammersmith　who　liked　to　think　of　himself　as　enlightened；　Hammersmith　who　had　told　me　that　mongrel　dogs　and　Negroes　were　about　the　same；　that　either　might　take　a　chomp　out　of　you　suddenly；　and　for　no　reason。　Except　he　kept　calling　them　your　Negroes；　as　if　they　were　still　property　。。。　but　not　his　property。　No；　not　his。　Never　his。　And　at　that　time；　the　South　was　full　of　Hammersmiths。　…　Nobody　was　really　equipped　to　think　of　it；　Coffey's　own　attorney　included。〃

〃But　you　did；〃　Harry　said。　〃Goddam；　boys；　we're　sittin　here　with　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。〃　He　sounded　simultaneously　joshing　and　awed。

〃Oh；　put　a　cork　in　it；〃　I　said。　〃I　wouldn't　have　thought