old　him　that　a　cell…search　had　turned　up　a　bunch　of　pictures　in　Wharton's　mattress　…　little　girls　with　no　clothes　on。　I　said　I'd　wanted　to　see　if　Wharton　had　any　kind　of　history　as　a　pederast；　because　there　were　a　couple　of　unsolved　cases　up　in　Tennessee　that　I'd　heard　about。　I　was　careful　never　to　mention　the　Detterick　twins。　I　don't　think　they　crossed　his　mind；　either。〃

〃Course　not〃；　Harry　said。　〃Why　would　they　have？　That　case　is　solved；　after　all。〃

〃I　said　I　guessed　there　was　no　sense　chasing　the　idea；　since　there　was　nothing　in　Wharton's　back　file。　I　mean；　there　was　plenty　in　the　file；　but　none　of　it　about　that　sort　of　thing。　Then　the　Sheriff　…　Catlett；　his　name　is　…　laughed　and　said　not　everything　a　bad　apple　like　Bill　Wharton　did　was　in　the　court　files；　and　what　did　it　matter；　anyway？　He　was　dead；　wasn't　he？

〃I　said　I　was　doing　it　just　to　satisfy　my　own　curiosity；　nothing　else；　and　that　relaxed　him。　He　took　me　back　to　his　office；　sat　me　down；　gave　me　a　cup　of　coffee　and　a　sinker；　and　told　me　that　sixteen　months　ago；　when　Wharton　was　barely　eighteen；　a　man　in　the　western　part　of　the　county　caught　him　in　the　barn　with　his　daughter。　It　wasn't　rape；　exactly；　the　fellow　described　it　to　Catlett　as　'not　much　more'n　stinkfinger。；　Sorry；　honey。〃

〃That's　all　right〃；　Janice　said。　She　looked　pale；　though。

〃How　old　was　the　girl？〃　Brutal　asked。

〃Nine〃；　I　said。

He　winced。

〃The　man　might've　taken　off　after　Wharton　himself；　if　he'd