ure someone had showed him how to do it when he was a lad … maybe his father or maybe one of the boyfriends his mother had after the father was gone … but he'd forgot the knack。〃
〃I'm with Brutal … I still don't see what your shoe has to do with whether or not Coffey killed the Detterick twins；〃 Dean said。
So I went over the story of the abduction and murder again … what I'd read that hot day in the prison library with my groin sizzling and Gibbons snoring in the er； and all that the reporter； Hammersmith； told me later。
〃The Dettericks' dog wasn't much of a biter； but it was a world…class barker；〃 I said。 〃The man who took the girls kept it quiet by feeding it sausages。 He crept a little closer every time he gave it one； I imagine； and while the mutt was eating the last one； he reached out； grabbed it by the head； and twisted。 Broke its neck。
〃Later； when they caught up with Coffey； the deputy in charge of the posse … Rob McGee； his name was…spotted a bulge in the chest pocket of the biballs Coffey was wearing。 McGee thought at first it might be a gun。 Coffey said it was a lunch； and that's what it turned out to be … a couple of sandwiches and a pickle； wrapped up in newspaper and tied with butcher's string。 Coffey couldn't remember who gave it to him； only that it was a woman wearing an apron。…〃
〃Sandwiches and a pickle but no sausages；〃 Brutal said。
〃No sausages；〃 I agreed。
〃Course not；〃 Dean said。 〃He fed those to the dog。〃
〃Well； that's what the prosecutor said at the trial；〃 I agreed； 〃but if Coffey opened his lunch and fed the sausages to the dog； how'd he tie the newspaper back up again with that butcher's twine？ I don't know when he even would have had the chance； but leave that out of it； for the time being。 This man can't even tie a simple granny knot！〃
There was a long moment of thunderstruck silence； broken at last by Brutus。 〃Holy shit；〃 he said in a low voice。 〃How e no one brought that up at the trial？〃
〃Nobody thought of it；〃 I said； and found myself again thinking of Hammersmith； the reporter … Hammersmith who had been to college in Bowling Green； Hammersmith who liked to think of himself as enlightened； Hammersmith who had told me that mongrel dogs and Negroes were about the same； that either might take a chomp out of you suddenly； and for no reason。 Except he kept calling them your Negroes； as if they were still property 。。。 but not his property。 No； not his。 Never his。 And at that time； the South was full of Hammersmiths。 … Nobody was really equipped to think of it； Coffey's own attorney included。〃
〃But you did；〃 Harry said。 〃Goddam； boys； we're sittin here with Mr。 Sherlock Holmes。〃 He sounded simultaneously joshing and awed。
〃Oh； put a cork in it；〃 I said。 〃I wouldn't have thought 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？〃
I examined my heart as well as I could one final time； then nodded my head。 Not only did I know it now； there was an intuitive part of me that had known something wasn't right with John Coffey's situation from the very beginning； when Percy had e onto the block hauling on Coffey's arm and blaring 〃Dead man walking！ … at the top of his lungs。 I had shaken hands with him； hadn't I？ I had never shaken the hand of a man ing on the Green Mile before； but I had shaken Coffey's。
〃Jesus；〃 Dean said。 〃Good Jesus Christ。〃
〃Your shoe's one thing；〃 Harry said。 〃What's the other？〃
〃Not long before the posse found Coffey and the girls； the men came out of the woods near the south bank of the Trapingus River。 They found a patch of flattened…down grass there； a lot of blood； and the rest of Cora Detterick's nightie。 The dogs got confused for a bit。 Most wanted to go southeast； downstream along the bank。 But two of them…the coon…dogs … wanted to go upstream。 〃Bobo Marchant was running the dogs； and when he save the coonies a sniff of the nightgown； they turned with the others。〃
〃The coonies got mixed up； didn't they？〃 Brutal asked。 A strange； sickened little smile was playing around the corners of his mouth。 〃They ain't built to be trackers； strictly speaking ； and they got mixed up on what their job was。〃
'Yes。
〃I don't get it；〃 Dean said。
〃The coonies forgot whatever it was Bobo ran under their noses to get them started；〃 Brutal said。 〃By the time they came out on the riverbank； the coonies were tracking the killer； not the girls。 That wasn't a problem as long as the killer and the girls were together； but 。。。〃
The light was dawning in Dean's eyes。 Harry had already gotten it。
〃When you think about it；〃 I said； 〃you wonder how anybody； even a jury wanting to pin the crime on a wandering black fellow； could have believed John Coffey was their man for even a minute。 Just the idea of keeping the dog quiet with food until he could snap its neck would have been beyond Coffey。
〃He was never any closer to the Detterick farm than the south bank of the Trapingus； that's what I think。 Six or more miles away。 He was just mooning along； maybe meaning to go down to the railroad tracks and catch a freight to somewhere else…when they e off the trestle； they're going slow enough to hop…when he heard a motion to the north。〃
〃The killer？〃 Brutal asked。
〃The killer。 He might have raped them already； or maybe the rape was what Coffey heard。 In any case； that bloody patch in the grass was where the killer finished the business； dashed their heads together； dropped them； and then hightailed it。〃
〃Hightailed it northwest；〃 Brutal said。 〃The direction the coon…dogs wanted to go。〃
〃Right。 John Coffey es through a stand of alders that grows a little way southeast of the spot where the girls were left； probably curious about all the noise； and he finds their bodies。 One of them might still have been alive； I suppose it's possible both of them were； although not for much longer。 John Coffey wouldn't have known if they were dead； that's for sure。 All he knows is that he's got a healing power in his hands； and he tried to use it on Cora and Kathe Detterick。 When it didn't work； he broke down； crying and hysterical。 Which is how they found him。〃
〃Why didn't he stay there； where he found them？〃 Brutal asked。 〃Why take them south along the riverbank？ Any idea？〃
〃I bet he did stay put； at first；〃 I said。 〃At the trial； they kept talking about a big trampled area； all 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。〃
〃Let's worry about that later；〃 I said； because I didn't have the slightest idea how to answer him。 〃The question right now is what we do … or don't do … about Melly。 I'd say step back and take a few days to think it over； but I believe every day we wait raises the chances that he won't be able to help her。〃
〃Remember him holding his hands out for the mouse？〃 Brutal asked。 〃'Give im to me while there's still time；' he said。 While there's still time。〃
〃I remember。〃
Brutal considered；