第42部分(第5/7 頁)

ll　the　grass　squashed　flat。　And　John　Coffey's　a　big　man。〃

〃John　Coffey's　a　fucking　giant；〃　Harry　said；　pitching　his　voice　very　low　so　my　wife　wouldn't　hear　him　cuss　if　she　happened　to　be　listening。

〃Maybe　he　panicked　when　he　saw　that　what　he　was　doing　wasn't　working。　Or　maybe　he　got　the　idea　that　the　killer　was　still　there；　in　the　woods　upstream；　watching　him。　Coffey's　big；　you　know；　but　not　real　brave。　Harry；　remember　him　asking　if　we　left　a　light　on　in　the　block　after　bedtime？〃

〃Yeah。　I　remember　thinking　how　funny　that　was；　what　with　the　size　of　him。〃　Harry　looked　shaken　and　thoughtful。

〃Well；　if　he　didn't　kill　the　little　girls；　who　did？〃　Dean　asked。

I　shook　my　head。　〃Someone　else。　Someone　white　would　be　my　best　guess。　The　prosecutor　made　a　big　deal　about　how　it　would　have　taken　a　strong　man　to　kill　a　dog　as　big　as　the　one　the　Dettericks　kept；　but…〃

〃That's　crap；〃　Brutus　rumbled。　〃A　strong　twelve　year…old　girl　could　break　a　big　dog's　neck；　if　she　took　the　dog　by　surprise　and　knew　where　to　grab。　If　Coffey　didn't　do　it；　it　could　have　been　damned　near　anyone　。。。　any　man；　that　is。　We'll　probably　never　know。〃

I　said；　〃Unless　he　does　it　again。〃

〃We　wouldn't　know　even　then；　if　he　did　it　down　Texas　or　over　in　California；〃　Harry　said。

Brutal　leaned　back；　screwed　his　fists　into　his　eyes　like　a　tired　child；　then　dropped　them　into　his　lap　again。　〃This　is　a　nightmare；〃　he　said。　〃We've　got　a　man　who　may　be　innocent　…　who　probably　is　innocent　…　and　he's　going　to　walk　the　Green　Mile　just　as　sure　as　God　made　tall　trees　and　little　fishes。　What　are　we　supposed　to　do　about　it？　If　we　start　in　with　that　healing…fingers　shit；　everyone　is　going　to　laugh　their　asses　off；　and　he'll　end　up　in　the　Fry…O…Lator　just　the　same。〃

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