〃I don't think so；〃 Bill Henderson said。 〃All I saw was the broken finger； and it's broken clean off…just hanging there。〃
〃If it was an accident；〃 Violet Nygren said； 〃it could still be simple assault。 On the other hand； if the man in the leather jacket intended to kill him this way； knowing that there was a history of people dying from shock in the Krishna's background； this could very well be Murder One。〃
〃That's really reaching for it；〃 Hoke said。 〃You'll have to settle for manslaughter I think。〃
〃I'm not so sure；〃 she continued。 〃If you shoot a man and he dies later on from plications caused by the bullet； even though he was barely wounded when shot； we change the charge to either Murder One or Murder Two。 I'll have to research this case； that's all。 We can't do anything about it anyway until you catch the man in the leather jacket。〃
〃That's all we've got to go on；〃 Hoke said。 〃Leather jacket。 We don't even know the color of the jacket。 One guy said he had heard it was tan； another guy said he'd heard gray。 Unless the man es forward by himself； we haven't got a chance in hell of finding him。 He could be on a plane for England or someplace at this minute。〃 Hoke took a Kool out of a crumpled package； lit it； took one drag； and then butted it out in a standing ashtray。 〃The body's all yours； Doc。 We've got all of the stuff out of his pockets。〃
Violet Nygren opened her purse and turned off her tape recorder。 〃I should tell my mom about this case；〃 she said。 〃When my brother used to bend my fingers back； she never did anything to him。〃 She laughed nervously。 〃Now I can tell her that he was just trying to kill me。〃
3
Frederick J。 Frenger； Jr。； who preferred to be called Junior instead of Freddy； was twenty…eight years old。 He looked older because his life had been a hard one； the lines at the corners of his mouth seemed too deep for a man in his late twenties。 His eyes were a dark shade of blue； and his untrimmed blond eyebrows were almost white。 His nose had been broken and reset poorly； but some women considered him attractive。 His skin was unblemished and deeply tanned from long afternoons spent at the yeard at San Quentin。 At five…nine； he should have had a slighter build； but prolonged sessions with weights； pumping iron in the yard； as well as playing handball； had built up his chest； shoulders； and arms to almost grotesque proportions。 He had developed his stomach muscles to the point that he could stand； arms akimbo； and roll them in waves。
Freddy had been given a sentence of five…to…life for armed robbery。 The California Adult Authority had reduced the sentence to four years； fixing an earlier parole date for two years。 After serving the two years； Freddy had been offered a parole； but he turned it down； preferring to do two more years and then get out of prison without any strings attached。 He accepted the label in his jacket…the file folder that held his records in the warden's office…which had him down as a career criminal。 He knew that he would mit another crime as soon as he was released； and if he was on parole when he was caught； he would be returned to prison as a parole violator。 Violating a parole could mean eight or even ten more years of prison before beginning the new sentence for whatever it was that he was caught doing after he got out。
San Quentin is overcrowded； so there are not enough jobs for everyone and a man must earn a job。 Freddy liked to work （when he worked）； and he was efficient。 Assigned； after several months of idleness； to kitchen duty； he had observed the operation closely。 He had then written a ten…page memorandum to the warden； explaining in detail how the staff could be cut and the service improved if certain correction officers and prison chefs were removed and replaced。 To Freddy's surprise； he found himself back on the yard。
His report； which would have earned a management major in college a B ＋； earned Freddy the enmity of several kitchen screws。 These officers； with their solid links to the prisoner power structure； directed that Freddy be taught a lesson for his temerity。 Two black prisoners cornered Freddy in the yard one afternoon and worked him over。 At the yard captain's hearing； they claimed that Freddy had jumped them for no reason and that they were merely attempting to defend themselves from his psychopathic； racist attack。 Inasmuch as Freddy had tested out as a psychopath and sociopath （as had the two other prisoners）； he was sent to the hole for six days for his unprovoked attack on these innocent inmates。 The black yard captain also gave him a short lecture on racism。
During the six dismal days in the hole； which included revocation of Freddy's smoking privileges and reduction to bread and water with a plate of kidney beans every third day； Freddy reviewed his life and realized that altruism had been his major fault。
Back when he had been a juvenile offender； he had been sent to the reform school at Whittier； where he had organized a sit…down strike in the dining hall in an effort to get seconds on Sunday desserts （rice pudding with raisins； of which Freddy was very fond）。 The campaign failed； and Freddy had stayed at Whittier for the full three years of his sentence。
Again； at lone； California； in the Preston Institute for Youthful Offenders； Freddy had extended himself； planning the escape of a boy named Enoch Sawyers。 Enoch's father； who had caught his son masturbating； had castrated the boy。 Mr。 Sawyers was a very religious man and considered masturbation a grievous offense to God。 Mr。 Sawyers was arrested； but because of his religious connections and the laudatory testimony of his minister； he had been sentenced to two years' probation。 But when young Enoch； only fifteen years old at the time； had recovered from his unelected surgery； he had bee a neighborhood terror。 Deprived of his testicles and taunted by his schoolmates； he had demonstrated his manhood almost daily by beating one or more of his tormentors half to death。 He was fearless and could take incredible amounts of punishment without； apparently； noticing or caring how badly he was hurt。
Finally； at seventeen； Enoch had been sentenced to Preston as an incorrigible menace to the peace of Fresno； California。 At Preston； among some very hardened young prisoners； Enoch again felt pelled to prove his manhood by beating up on people。 His technique was to walk up to someone…anyone… and slam a hard right to his fellow prisoner's belly or jaw。 He would continue to pummel his victim until the person either fought back or ran away from him。
Enoch's presence in the dormitory was unsettling to the other prisoners。 Freddy； to solve the problem； had befriended him and worked out an escape plan； telling Enoch that he could prove his manhood to the authorities once and for all by escaping。 Escaping from Preston was not so difficult； and Enoch； with Freddy's help； got away easily。 He was caught in Oakland four days later when he tried to beat up three Chicano beetpullers and steal their truck。 They overpowered him； kicked out his remaining front teeth； and turned him over to the police。 Enoch told the officials at Preston that Freddy had planned his escape； so Freddy's good time was revoked。 Instead of eighteen months； Freddy spent three years there。 Moreover； Freddy had also taken a severe beating as soon as Enoch was returned to Preston。
In the hole at San Quentin； which was not altogether dark…a pale slice of light indicated the bottom of the door…Freddy thought hard about his life。 His desire for the good of others had been at the root of his problems； making his own life worse instead of better。 And he hadn't really helped anyone else。 He decided then to look out only for himself。
He quit smoking。 If your smoking privileges are revoked but you don't smoke； the punishment is meaningless。 Back in the yard； Freddy had quietly joined the jocks in the daily pumping of iron and had worked on his mind as well as his body。 He read Time magazine every week and took out a subscription to the 〃Reader's Digest〃。 He also gave up sex； trading his pudgy punk； a golden brown Chicano from East Los Angeles； for eight cartons of Chesterfields and 200 Milky Way candy bars。 He then traded the Chesterfields （the favorite brand among black prisoners） and 150 of the Milky Ways for a single cell。 He also made his peace with the prisoner power structure。 He had turned selflessness to self…interest； learning the lesson that everyone must e to eventually： what a man gives up voluntarily cannot be taken away from him。
Now Freddy was out。 Because of his good behavior they had let him out after three years instead of making him serve the full four。 They needed the space at San Quentin； and inasmuch as some two…thirds of the prisoners were classified as psychopaths； that could not really be held against him。 On the day Freddy was released； the assistant warden had advised him not to return to Santa Barbara； but to leave California and find a new state。
〃That way；〃 the assistant warden said； 〃when they catch you again； which they will； it will at least be a first offense in that particular state。 And bear in mind； Frenger； you were never very hap