第57部分(第2/8 頁)

ey　off！　Thank　God！　All　you　have　to　do　is　show　Mr。　Detterick　a　picture　of　William　Wharton　。。。　his　mug…shot　should　do。。。〃

Brutal　and　I　exchanged　an　unfortable　look。　Dean　was　looking　a　bit　hopeful；　but　Harry　was　staring　down　at　his　hands；　as　if　all　at　once　fabulously　interested　in　his　fingernails。

〃What's　wrong？〃　Janice　asked。　〃Why　are　you　looking　at　each　other　that　way？　Surely　this　man　McGee　will　have　to…〃

〃Rob　McGee　struck　me　as　a　good　man；　and　I　think　he's　a　hell　of　a　law　officer〃；　I　said；　〃but　he　swings　no　weight　in　Trapingus　County。　The　power　there　is　Sheriff　Cribus；　and　the　day　he　reopens　the　Detterick　case　on　the　basis　of　what　I　was　able　to　find　out　would　be　the　day　it　snows　in　hell。〃

〃But　。。。　if　Wharton　was　there　。。。　if　Detterick　can　identify　a　picture　of　him　and　they　know　he　was　there。　。　。　〃

〃Him　being　there　in　May　doesn't　mean　he　came　back　and　killed　those　girls　in　June〃；　Brutal　said。　He　spoke　in　a　low；　gentle　voice；　the　way　you　speak　when　you're　telling　someone　there's　been　a　death　in　the　family。　〃On　one　hand　you've　got　this　fellow　who　helped　Klaus　Detterick　paint　a　barn　and　then　went　away。　Turns　out　he　was　mitting　crimes　all　over　the　place；　but　there's　nothing　against　him　for　the　three　days　in　May　he　was　around　Tefton。　On　the　other　hand；　you've　got　this　big　Negro；　this　huge　Negro；　that　you　found　on　the　riverbank；　holding　two　little　dead　girls；　both　of　them　naked；　in　his　arms。〃

He　shook　his　head。

〃Paul's　right；　Jan。　McG