ead them avidly； like a man doing research。 It was like he was trying to find out how to act； and thought the information was in those magazines。 He'd e just after we did Anthony Ray； the hatchet…killer … and he hadn't actually participated in an execution yet； although he'd witnessed one from the switch…room。
〃He knows people；〃 Harry said。 〃He's connected。 You'll have to answer for sending him off the block； and you'll have to answer even harder for expecting him to do some real work。〃
〃I don't expect it；〃 I said； and I didn't 。。。 but I had hopes。 Bill Dodge wasn't the sort to let a man just stand around and do the heavy looking…on。 〃I'm more interested in the big boy； for the time being。 Are we going to have trouble with him？〃
Harry shook his head with decision。
〃He b at court down there in Trapingus County；〃 Dean said。 He took his little rimless glasses off and began to polish them on his vest。 〃Of course they had more chains on him than Scrooge saw on Marley's ghost； but he could have kicked up dickens if he'd wanted。 That's a pun； son。〃
〃I know；〃 I said； although I didn't。 I just hate letting Dean Stanton get the better of me。
〃Big one； ain't he？〃 Dean said。
〃He is；〃 I agreed。 〃Monstrous big。〃
〃Probably have to crank Old Sparky up to Super Bake to fry his ass！'
〃Don't worry about Old Sparky；〃 I said absently。 〃He makes the big 'uns little。〃
Dean pinched the sides of his nose； where there were a couple of angry red patches from his glasses； and nodded。 〃Yep；〃 he said。 〃Some truth to that； all right。〃
I asked； 〃Do either of you know where he came from before he showed up in 。。。 Tefton？ It was Tefton； wasn't it？〃
〃Yep；〃 Dean said。 〃Tefton； down in Trapingus County。 Before he showed up there and did what he did； no one seems to know。 He just drifted around； I guess。 You might be able to find out a little more from the newspapers in the prison library； if you're really interested。 They probably won't get around to moving those until next week。〃 He grinned。 〃You might have to listen to your little buddy bitching and moaning upstairs； though。〃
〃I might just go have a peek； anyway；〃 I said； and later on that afternoon I did。
The prison library was in back of the building that was going to bee the prison auto shop … at least that was the plan。 More pork in someone's pocket was what I thought； but the Depression was on； and I kept my opinions to myself … the way I should have kept my mouth shut about Percy； but sometimes a man just can't keep it clapped tight。 A man's mouth gets him in more trouble than his pecker ever could； most of the time。 And the auto shop never happened； anyway … the next spring； the prison moved sixty miles down the road to Brighton。 More backroom deals； I reckon。 More barrels of pork。 Wasn't nothing to me。
Administration had gone to a new building on the east side of the yard； the infirmary was being moved （whose country…bumpkin idea it had been to put an infirmary on the second floor in the first place was just another of life's mysteries）； the library was still partly stocked … not that it ever had much in it … and standing empty。 The old building was a hot clapboard box kind of shouldered in between A and B Blocks。 Their bathrooms backed up on it and the whole building was always swimming with this vague pissy smell； which was probably the only good reason for the move。 The library was L…shaped； and not much bigger than my office。 I looked for a fan； but they were all gone。 It must have been a hundred degrees in there； and I could feel that hot throb in my groin when I sat down。 Sort of like an infected tooth。 I know that's absurd； considering the region we're talking about here； but it's the only thing I could pare it to。 It got a lot worse during and just after taking a leak； which I had done just before walking over。
There was one other fellow there after all … a scrawny old trusty named Gibbons dozing away in the corner with a Wild West novel in his lap and his hat pulled down over his eyes。 The heat wasn't bothering him； nor were the grunts； thumps； and occasional curses from the infirmary upstairs （where it had to be at least ten degrees hotter； and I hoped Percy Wetmore was enjoying it）。 I didn't bother him； either； but went around to the short side of the L； where the newspapers were kept。 I thought they might be gone along with the fans； in spite of what Dean had said。 They weren't； though； and the business about the Detterick twins was easily enough looked out； it had been front…page news from the mission of the crime in June right through the trial in late August and September。
Soon I had forgotten the heat and the thumps from upstairs and old Gibbons's wheezy snores。 The thought of those little nine…year…old girls … their fluffy heads of blonde hair and their engaging Bobbsey Twins smiles … in connection with Coffey's hulking darkness was unpleasant but impossible to ignore。 Given his size； it was easy to imagine him actually eating them； like a giant in a fairy tale。 What he had done was even worse； and it was a lucky thing for him that he hadn't just been lynched right there on the riverbank。 If； that was； you considered waiting to walk the Green Mile and sit in Old Sparky's lap lucky。
4。
King Cotton had been deposed in the South seventy years before all these things happened and would never be king again； but in those years of the thirties it had a little revival。 There were no more cotton plantations； but there were forty or fifty prosperous cotton farms in the southern part of our state。 Klaus Detterick owned one of them。 By the standards of the nieen…fifties he would have been considered only a rung above shirttail poor； but by those of the thirties he was considered well…to…do because he actually paid his store bill in cash at the end of most months； and he could meet the bank president's eyes if they happened to pass on the street。 The farmhouse was clean and modious。 In addition to the cotton； there were the other two c's： chickens and a few cows。 He and his wife had three children： Howard。 who was twelve or thereabouts； and the twin girls。 Cora and Kathe。
On a warm night in June of that year； the girls asked for and were given permission to sleep on the screen…enclosed side porch； which ran the length of the house。 This was a great treat for them。 Their mother kissed them goodnight just shy of nine； when the last light had gone out of the sky。 It was the final time she saw either of them until they were in their coffins and the undertaker had repaired the worst of the damage。
Country families went to bed early in those days … 〃soon as 'twas dark under the table；〃 my own mother sometimes said … and slept soundly。 Certainly Klaus； Marjorie； and Howie Detterick did on the night the twins were taken。 Klaus would almost certainly have been wakened by Bowser； the family's big old half…breed collie； if he had barked； but Bowser didn't。 Not that night； not ever again。
Klaus was up at first light to do the milking。 The porch was on the side of the house away from the barn； and Klaus never thought to look in on the girls。 Bowser's failure to join him was no cause for alarm； either。 The dog held the cows and the chickens alike in great disdain； and usually hid in his doghouse behind the barn when the chores were being performed； unless called 。。。 and called energetically； at that。
Marjorie came downstairs fifteen minutes or so after her husband had pulled on his boots in the mudroom and tromped out to the barn。 She started the coffee； then put bacon on to fry。 The bined smells brought Howie down from his room under the eaves； but not the girls from the porch。 She sent Howie out to fetch them as she cracked eggs into the bacon grease。 Klaus would want the girls out to get fresh ones as soon as breakfast was over。 Except no breakfast was eaten in the Detterick house that morning。 Howie came back from the porch； white around the gills and with his formerly sleep…puffy eyes now wide open。
〃They're gone；〃 he said。
Marjorie went out onto the porch； at first more annoyed than alarmed。 She said later that she had supposed； if she had supposed anything； that the girls had decided to take a walk and pick flowers by the dawn's early light。 That or some similar green…girl foolishness。 One look； and she understood why Howie had been white。
She screamed for Klaus … shrieked for him … and Klaus came on the dead run； his workboots whitened by the half…full pail of milk he had spilled on them。 What he found on the porch would have jellied the legs of the most courageous parent。 The blankets in which the girls would have bundled themselves as the night drew on and grew colder had been cast into one er。 The screen door had been yanked off its upper hinge and hung drunkenly out into the dooryard。 And on the boards of both the porch and the steps beyond the mutilated screen door； there were spatters of blood。
Marjorie begged her husband not to go hunting after the girls alone； and not to take their son if he felt he had to go after them； but she could have saved her breath。 He took the shotgun he kept mounted in the mudroom high out of the reach of little hands； and gave Howie the 。22 they had been saving for his birthday in July。 Then they went；