第24部分(第3/7 頁)

nd　off　I　went；　singing　songs　like　〃e；　Josephine；　in　My　Flying　Machine〃　and　'We're　in　the　Money〃　to　keep　myself　pany。

I　went　to　the　offices　of　the　Tefton　Intelligencer　first；　and　they　told　me　that　Burt　Hammersmith；　the　fellow　I　was　looking　for；　was　most　likely　over　at　the　county　courthouse。　At　the　courthouse　they　told　me　that　Hammersmith　had　been　there　but　had　left　when　a　burst　waterpipe　had　closed　down　the　main　proceedings；　which　happened　to　be　a　rape　trial　（in　the　pages　of　the　Intelligencer　the　crime　would　be　referred　to　as　〃assault　on　a　woman；〃　which　was　how　such　things　were　done　in　the　days　before　Ricki　Lake　and　Carnie　Wilson　came　on　the　scene）。　They　guessed　he'd　probably　gone　on　home。　I　got　some　directions　out　a　dirt　road　so　rutted　and　narrow　I　just　about　didn't　dare　take　my　Ford　up　it；　and　there　I　found　my　man。　Hammersmith　had　written　most　of　the　stories　on　the　Coffey　trial；　and　it　was　from　him　I　found　out　most　of　the　details　about　the　brief　manhunt　that　had　ted　Coffey　in　the　first　place。　The　details　the　Intelligencer　considered　too　gruesome　to　print　is　what　I　mean；　of　course。

Mrs。　Hammersmith　was　a　young　woman　with　a　tired；　pretty　face　and　hands　red　from　lye　soap。　She　didn't　ask　my　business；　just　led　me　through　a　small　house　fragrant　with　the　smell　of　baking　and　onto　the　back　porch；　where　her　husband　sat　with　a　bottle　of　pop　in　his　hand　and　an　unopened　copy　of　Liberty　magazine　on　his　lap。　There　was　a　small；　sloping　backyard；　at　the　foot　of　it；　two　little　ones　were　squabbling　and　laughing　over　a　swing。　From　the　porch；　it　was　impossible　to　tell　their　sexes；　but　I　thought　they　were　boy　and　girl。　Maybe　even　twins；　which　cast　an　interesting　sort　of　light　on　their　father's　part；　peripheral　as　it　had　been；　in　the　Coffey　trial。　Nearer　at　hand；　set　like　an　is