第42部分(第2/7 頁)

　of　it　either；　if　I　hadn't　put　together　what　he　told　Deputy　McGee　that　day　with　what　he　said　after　he　cured　my　infection；　and　what　he　said　after　he　healed　the　mouse。〃

〃What？〃　Dean　asked。

〃When　I　went　into　his　cell；　it　was　like　I　was　hypnotized。　I　didn't　feel　like　I　could　have　stopped　doing　what　he　wanted；　even　if　I'd　tried。〃

〃I　don't　like　the　sound　of　that；〃　Harry　said；　and　shifted　uneasily　in　his　seat。

〃I　asked　him　what　he　wanted；　and　he　said　'Just　to　help。'　I　remember　that　very　clearly。　And　when　it　was　over　and　I　was　better；　he　knew。　'I　helped　it；'　he　said。　'I　helped　it；　didn't　I？；　〃

Brutal　was　nodding。　〃Just　like　with　the　mouse。　You　said　'You　helped　it；'　and　Coffey　said　it　back　to　you　like　he　was　a　parrot。　'I　helped　Del's　mouse。'　Is　that　when　you　knew？　It　was；　wasn't　it？。〃

〃Yeah；　I　guess　so。　I　remembered　what　he　said　to　McGee　when　McGee　asked　him　what　had　happened。　It　was　in　every　story　about　the　murders；　just　about。　'I　couldn't　help　it。　I　tried　to　take　it　back；　but　it　was　too　late。'　A　man　saying　a　thing　like　that　with　two　little　dead　girls　in　his　arms；　them　white　and　blonde；　him　as　big　as　a　house；　no　wonder　they　got　it　wrong。　They　heard　what　he　was　saying　in　a　way　that　would　agree　with　what　they　were　seeing；　and　what　they　were　seeing　was　black。　They　thought　he　was　confessing；　that　he　was　saying　he'd　had　a　pulsion　to　take　those　girls；　rape　them；　and　kill　them。　That　he'd　e　to　his　senses　and　tried　to　stop。

〃But　by　then　it　was　too　late；〃　Brutal　murmured

〃Yes。　Except　what　he　was　really　trying　to　tell　them　was　that　he'd　found　them；　tried　to　heal　them　…　to　bring　them　back　…　and　had　no　success。　They　were　too　far　gone　in　death。〃

〃Paul；　do　you　believe　that？〃　Dean　asked。　〃Do　you　really；　honest…to…God　believe　that？〃