第25部分(第1/7 頁)

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

〃And　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　easy　enough　to　follow　his　backtrail　and　find　out。　A　man　his　size；　and　a　Negro　to　boot；　can't　be　that　hard　to　trace。〃

〃You'd　think　so；　but　you'd　be　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃In　Coffey's　case；　anyhow。　I　know。〃

〃You　tried？〃

〃I　did；　and　came　up　all　but　empty。　There　were　a　couple　of　railroad　fellows　who　thought　they　saw　him　in　the　Knoxville　yards　two　days　before　the　Detterick　girls　were　killed。　No　surprise　there；　he　was　just　across　the　river　from　the　Great　Southern　tracks　when　they　collared　him；　and　that's　probably　how　he　came　down　here　from　Tennessee。　I　got　a　letter　from　a　man　who　said　he'd　hired　a　big　bald　black　man　to　shift　crates　for　him　in　the　early　spring　of　this　year　…　this　as　in　Kentucky。　I　sent　him　a　picture　of　Coffey　and　he　said　that　was　the　man。　But　other　than　that　…〃　Hammersmith　shrugged　and　shook　his　head。

〃Doesn't　that　strike　you　as　a　little　odd？〃

〃Strikes　me　as　a　lot　odd；　Mr。　Edgebe。　It's　like　he　dropped　out　of　the　sky。　And　he's　no　help；　he　can't　remember　last　week　once　this　week　es。〃

〃No；　he　can't；〃　I　said。　〃How　do　you　explain　it？〃

〃We're　in　a　Depression；〃　he　said；　〃that's　how　I　explain　it。　People　all　over　the　roads。　The　Okies　want　to　pick　peaches　in　California；　the　poor　whites　from　up　in　the　brakes　want　to　build　cars　in　Detroit；　the　black　folks　from　Mississippi　want　to　go　up　to　New　England　and　work　in　the　shoe　factories　or　the　textile　mills。　Everyone　…　black　as　well　as　white　…　thinks　it's　going　to　be　better　over　the　next　jump　of　land。　It's　the　American　damn　way。　Even　a　giant　like　Coffey　doesn't　get　noticed　everywhere　he　goes　…　until；　that　is；　he　decides　to　kill　a　couple　of　little　girls。　Little　white　girls。〃

〃Do　you