ey 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 f