FOLEY, THE RED-FACED, uniformed deputy on duty innbsp;the hall, peeked through one of the glass ovals inset innbsp;the leather-covered courtroom doors and said:nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;"Hey, the jury's comin, out!" nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;A concentrated and irritable sigh from the group ofnbsp;news-photographers lounging in the hall greeted the announcement.nbsp;There was an intangible flurry of movement,nbsp;a casual shifting of stances. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Brant, of the News, sighed wearily. "Boy, it's aboutnbsp;time." nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Tobacco smoke, the residue of a four-hour harvestnbsp;from an apparently inexhaustible supply of cigarettes,nbsp;choked the air with a stale stuffy smell and hung suspendednbsp;in a hazy, pale-blue blanket that shrouded thenbsp;arched ceiling. Cigarette butts, matches, crumpled papernbsp;holders littered the ash-strewn floor. Cameras and bulkynbsp;black plate-cases were stacked in a row along one wall. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Foley said: "It won't be long now," and kept his eyenbsp;glued to the little glass window. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Brant sighed again. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Coughlin and Weinstock, who had been matchingnbsp;nickels for the past hour, continued, unimpressed. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;'Til bet he gets it," Kesler said. He looked around asnbsp;though waiting for a challenge. "Who wants to bet Girard ain't guilty?" nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;"Girard's waiting to hear it," Foley announced.nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Coughlin said: "That's four bits you're in me. A buckor nothing." Weinstock nodded silently and flipped hisnbsp;coin. Coughlin said: "Nuts!" and fished a crumpled billnbsp;from his pocket. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;"It looks like an acquittal," Foley said. "Girard is--" nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;He broke off in sudden alarm and jumped aside. Innbsp;the next instant the swinging doors slapped outward;nbsp;Purdy, of the Evening Standard, bucked through thenbsp;opening. Without breaking his stride, Purdy called: "Notnbsp;Guilty!" and pounded down the marble floor in his race for a telephone. nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Foley growled: "Hey, you! Quiet!" Then the rest ofnbsp;the reporters swarmed out of the courtroom and he wasnbsp;forgotten. [from Chapter 1]