司氏姐妹 第12章：约翰·亨特

第12章 - 约翰·亨特

 当她们穿好衣服，摩根和玛丽能听到一个男低音从一楼飘上来。她们没有听见门被打开或关闭的声音，从这个声音空洞地充满了整个房间上判断，她们猜测市长没有带来一大群人。法妈的声音不能听到，但她总是这样走路悄然无声。

 我想这是我们的机会，去看看市长在报纸上的声明有如何认真，玛丽对摩根用感应交流着想法。

 我想知道他有多么害怕，摩根对想回来。

 不要开玩笑。玛丽给摩根冷冷的盯了一眼，让她看起来像法妈一模一样。

 我知道，我知道。但是你不是很好奇他到底对我们有多少了解和喜欢？关于我们？和我们是否是女巫的事情？

 是啊。我们现在就去。你准备好了么？

 摩根点了点头。玛丽把她的头发向后梳成一个马尾辫，而摩根只是用手拔弄了几下她的那簇短红毛，然后两人一步两个台阶地蹦下楼梯，最后砰的一声跳到楼底。

 在客厅里市长和法妈相距一尺左右站着。他们挺直着背，看起来好像要努力使自己变得更高，尤其是法妈，她至少要比市长短一尺半。市长手里拿着个小杯茶。在他的手中，茶杯看上去小了几号，就像一个小孩子的玩具。在双胞胎的背后，米娜蹑手蹑脚地下楼，然后一下抓住了玛丽的手。

 “市长先生”，法妈说，微微转过头来介绍她的女儿们。“我的小女儿。摩根，玛丽，和米娜。“

 市长点了点头。他们见过面，在婚礼前。女孩们保持着同样的沉默。 “请叫我约翰。”他说。 “约翰·亨特“。

“市长先生。” 法妈说。“请坐。”

 约翰·亨特在用竹子改装过的红色沙发上坐了下来，并打量了一下他的周围。他的脸刮得干干净净，他看起来就像往常一样：穿着得体，整洁，准备着可以随时走上讲台发表演讲。甚至在他的眼框的下端，也没有眼袋或皱纹的痕迹来显示他有任何睡眠不足。他的外观是愉快的，散发出一定程度的信任和信心，他的面容聚集着格雷厄姆所继承的孩子气的英俊。他的脸上既没有微笑也没有皱着眉头，观众可以根据自己的喜好来区别决定这是什么表情，因此女孩们很难判断他是什么态度。

 终归是政客，摩根对玛丽感应道。

 “嗯，我已经告诉过你们的母亲，孩子们，但我想再说一遍，谢谢你们今天早上让我进入你们的房子。我知道这几晚对您们家是多么的不易。“

“您们也不容易。”法妈说。

 亨特市长点点头，低头看了一会儿他的手，就像要从中获取他的想法的灵感。他的目光的重心像是悲伤，但也可能是在集中精力。 “你们一定很奇怪为什么我要来这里。也许你们已经读过报纸。“

 “我敢打赌我们读过！”摩根轻声而含糊不清地说。法妈马上射出严厉的眼光。

 “她的意思是说，我们看了那篇关于您和您妻子的文章”玛丽说。

 市长向玛丽点点头，然后转向法妈。 “所以，您必须明白，我是带着最大的好意来的。我想为您所遭受和忍受的道歉，也为您女儿和姐…我的媳妇…”，讲到这里，亨特市长闭了一小会儿眼睛。“所遭受的道歉。我只希望能让您们安慰的是保证她在最安全的地方，不会被任何愤怒的乡民，包括我自己的妻子所加害，同时也请您们谅解我妻子的非理性。

 “我想重复我在报纸中表达的观点。我没有理由去设想您女儿杀害了我的儿子，我不会这样，除非在法庭上有充分的证据。即使最后发现玛拉是有罪的…”

“她不是！”米娜突然叫了起来，拉紧了玛丽的手。

“她爱格雷厄姆胜过你！”摩根也迸出声来。

“孩子们！”法妈的声音像一根鞭子抽在空气中。 “注意礼貌！市长先生，请继续。“

市长点了点头，表示同意女孩们。 “我理解你们对姐姐的心情，我不是说她有罪。只是在她可能被判定有罪的情况下，我会尽我的一切努力，以确保在这个问题上，没有更多的无辜者受到伤害。也就是说，我会尽我一切权力来保护你们家庭来应对社会的反弹。如果您”，亨特市长转向法妈，“如果您和您的女儿能在整个诉讼过程中保持干净。“

法妈沉默了片刻，一眼不眨地盯着市长。

“我不懂您这最后一句话的意思，市长先生，”法妈说。

“我的意思是，”市长说，身体向前倾了倾，“在这一刻，我没有理由怀疑，除了玛拉外您的任何家人卷入了这场悲剧中，假如这个设想是真的，我不想让您们遭受不应该得到的遭遇。然而，对我来说，要继续相信整个家庭的清白，包括玛拉，我必须得到保证，您的家人不会去...干涉，就像我也没有打算去干涉整个刑事诉讼的公平和正义。“

玛丽深深地吸了一口气。原来这才是他的真正目的。

你认为他知道昨晚吗？摩根感应过来。

我不知道。

法妈从她的椅子上站了起来。市长也得到他的暗示而站立起来，把他的茶杯放在茶几上，茶杯突然又变成了正常大小。他刚要张嘴说话，并来握法妈的手，法妈打断了他的话。

“谢谢你的关心，市长先生，”她说。 “无论是什么样的结果，我们的苦难已经很深。至于干扰，我可以向您保证，即使我们希望去干，我们也没办法。“

她伸出手来握住市长的手，就在他们要放开时，玛丽走上前来。

“在您离开之前我可以问一个问题吗，市长先生？”

“当然，年轻的女士。 是玛丽吗？“

“如果你也不相信玛拉是有罪的，你认为谁是真正的犯罪嫌疑人呢？”

约翰·亨特的坚忍的脸上在几分之一秒钟内闪过一丝微笑，米娜似乎也看见他的眼角泛起小小光芒。接下来的一秒钟，他的脸又回到其正常的神态。他稍稍皱起眉头俯身对着玛丽，轻轻地说。

“如果你想听到真相，”他说，“我想我在那天晚上看到了一个奇怪的潜影。”

他朝门口走去，说着对不起。

“但是，也许您比我更清楚，那可能是什么。”他歪了一下头对着法妈，“我会再次找您谈话”，说完他走出了门。

Chapter 12 – John Hunter

As they got dressed, Morgan and Marie could hear the low  rumbles of a man’s voice float up from the first floor. They had not heard the door open or close, and judging from the hollowed way the voice filled the room, they guessed that the mayor had not brought a large group of people. Fa could not be heard, but then, she always moved silently.

I guess this is our chance to see how serious the mayor’s statements in the newspaper were, Marie thought to Morgan.

I wonder how easily he scares, Morgan thought back.

That’s not funny. Marie gave Morgan a cold stare that made her look eerily similar to Fa.

I know, I know. But aren’t you curious what he’s going to be like? About us? and all the witch business.

Yeah. Let’s go now. You ready?

Morgan nodded. Marie combed back her hair into a ponytail as Morgan ran a hand through her short red tuft, and then the girls bounded down the staircase, two steps at a time until they reached the first floor with a thud.

In the sitting room the mayor and Fa Switch were standing feet away from each other. Their backs were straight and they looked as if they were trying to make themselves tall–especially Fa, who was a good foot and a half shorter than the mayor. The mayor held a small cup of tea. In his hands, the teacup looked miniature, like a toy for a young child. Behind the twins, Mina crept quietly down the stairs and grabbed onto Marie’s hand.

“Mr. Mayor,” Fa said, turning her head slightly to acknowledge her daughters.

“My younger daughters. Morgan, Marie, and Mina.”

The mayor nodded. They had met before, before the wedding. The girls had been similarly silent. “Please,” he said. “Call me John. John Hunter.”

“Mr. Mayor,” Fa said. “Please have a seat.”

John Hunter sat down on the bamboo-upholstered red couch and took note of his surroundings. His face was clean shaven, and he looked like he always did: well-dressed, neat, and ready to step up to a podium at any time to give a speech. Even below his eyes, there were no bags or wrinkles to signal that he had lost any sleep. His general appearance was pleasant, commanding a certain measure of trust and confidence, a countenance from which could be gleaned the boyish handsomeness that Graham had inherited. His face was neither smiling nor frowning–it had the look of being distinguishable according to the viewer’s desires, and so it was difficult for the girls to determine what exactly he was feeling.

Always the politician, Morgan thought to Marie.

“Well, I have already told your mother this, girls, but I want to say it again–thank you for having me in your house this morning. I know it has not been the easiest of nights for your family.”

“Nor for yours.” Fa said.

Mayor Hunter nodded and looked down at his hands for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. The gravity in his gaze could have been grief, but it could also have been focus. ”You must be wondering why I have come at all. Perhaps you have had a chance to read the newspaper.”

“You bet we have,” Morgan mumbled. Fa shot her a sharp look.

“What she means to say is that we saw the article about you and your wife,” Marie said.

The mayor nodded at Marie and then turned to Fa. “So you must understand that I come with nothing but the best intentions. I want to apologize for the treatment you have endured up until now, as well as the treatment your  daughter and sister–my daughter-in-law”–here, Mayor Hunter closed his eyes for a brief moment–”has endured. I can only hope to comfort you by assuring that she is in the safest of hands, out of reach from any angry townspeople, or indeed, from my own wife, who you must forgive for being irrational.

“I would like to repeat the sentiments expressed in the paper. I have no reason to assume that your daughter murdered my son, and I will not do so until the evidence is held up in court. Even if it turns out that Mara is guilty–”

“She’s not!” Mina shouted suddenly, squeezing Marie’s hand tightly.

“She loved Graham more than you did!” Morgan burst out.

“Girls!” Fa’s voice snapped into the air like a whip. “Manners. Mr. Mayor, continue.”

The mayor nodded, acknowleding the girls now. “I understand your feelings about your sister, and I am not saying anything about her guilt. Only that given the possibility that she is determined guilty, I will do everything in my power to make sure that no more innocents are harmed in this matter. That is, I will do all in my power to protect your family against the backlash of the community. If you,” Mayor Hunter turned back to Fa, “If you and your daughters stay cleanly out of the proceedings, that is.”

Fa remained silent for a moment, not blinking or breaking her gaze with the mayor.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that last sentence, Mr. Mayor,” Fa said.

“What I mean,” the mayor said, leaning forward, “is that at this moment I have no reason to suspect that any of your family beyond Mara was involved in this tragedy, and given that this holds true, I would not want you to suffer what you do not deserve. However, for me to continue to believe in the entire family’s innocence–Mara’s included–I must be promised that your family will not… interfere, just as I do not plan to interfere, on the fairness and justice of the criminal proceedings.”

Marie breathed deeply. So this is what its really about.

Do you think he knows about last night? Morgan sent back.

I can’t tell.

Fa had stood up from her chair. The mayor took his cue to stand as well, placing his teacup on the side table, where it suddenly appeared to be normally sized again. He opened his mouth to speak, reaching out to shake Fa’s hand, when Fa interrupted him.

“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Mayor,” she said. “Whatever the outcomes of this, our sufferings have already been great. As for interference, I can assure you that we have no means for doing so even if we wished.”

She reached out to shake the mayor’s hand, and just as they were letting go, Marie stepped forward.

“If I may ask one question, Mr. Mayor, before you leave.”

“Of course, young lady. Marie?”

“If you don’t believe that Mara is guilty either, who do you think is the real suspect?”

John Hunter’s stoic face broke for a fraction of a second into a grin, and Mina thought she saw in the corner of his eye a small glint of light. The next second his face was back to its regular composure. He frowned lightly and leaned toward Marie, speaking softly.

“If you want to hear the truth,” he said, “I thought I saw a strange shadow lurking that night.”

He walked towards the door, excusing himself out.

“But perhaps you will know better than I what it could be.” He tipped his head at Fa–”We will speak again”–and stepped outside.