Miles made it home at the same time Charlie was pulling up at Hailey State Prison, and the first thing he did was head to his bedroom.  Not to sleep. Instead, from the closet where he’d hidden it, he retrieved¹ the manila file.

There, he spent the next few hours flipping² and turning the pages, studying the information. There was nothing new, nothing he’d overlooked in the past, but still, he found it impossible to put down.

Now, he knew what to look for.

Sometime later, he heard the phone ring; he didn’t answer it. It rang again twenty minutes later, with the same result. At his usual time, Jonah got off the bus, and seeing his father’s car, he went home instead of to Mrs. Knowlson’s. He scrambled³ into the bedroom excitedly because he hadn’t expected to see his father until later and thought they could do something together before he went out with Mark. But he saw the file and knew immediately what that meant. Though they talked for a few moments, Jonah sensed his father’s need to be alone and didn’t bother asking for anything. He wandered back to the living room and turned on the television.

The afternoon sun began to sink; at dusk, Christmas lights throughout the neighborhood began twinkling. Jonah checked on his father, even spoke⁴ from the doorway⁵, but Miles never looked up.

Jonah had a bowl of cereal for dinner.

Still, Miles scoured⁶ the file. He jotted⁷ questions and notes in the margins⁸, beginning with Sims and Earl and the need to get them to testify. Then he turned to the pages that dealt with the investigation⁹ of Otis Timson, wishing he’d been there in the first place. More questions, more notes.Did they check every car on the property for damage—even the junked ones? Could he have borrowed one, and from where? Would someone at an

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1 retrieved
v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）
参考例句：
Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

2 flipping
讨厌之极的
参考例句：
I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆！ Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。

3 scrambled
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

6 scoured
走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮
参考例句：
We scoured the area for somewhere to pitch our tent. 我们四处查看，想找一个搭帐篷的地方。 The torrents scoured out a channel down the hill side. 急流沿着山腰冲刷出一条水沟。

7 jotted
v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下
参考例句：
I jotted down her name. 我匆忙记下了她的名字。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The policeman jotted down my address. 警察匆匆地将我的地址记下。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 margins
边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数
参考例句：
They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。 To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

9 investigation
n.调查，调查研究
参考例句：
In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。 He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 auto
n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车
参考例句：
Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。 The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

11 kit
n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物
参考例句：
The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。 The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

12 shuffling
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

13 exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的
参考例句：
It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。 Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

14 inhaled
v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。 Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 instinctively
adv.本能地
参考例句：
As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 frustration
n.挫折，失败，失效，落空
参考例句：
He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。 He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

17 exhaustion
n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述
参考例句：
She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。 His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

18 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 crumbs
int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式
参考例句：
She stood up and brushed the crumbs from her sweater. 她站起身掸掉了毛衣上的面包屑。 Oh crumbs! Is that the time? 啊，天哪！都这会儿啦？

20 prosecutors
检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人
参考例句：
In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句 You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

21 defense
n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩
参考例句：
The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。 The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

22 dire
adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的
参考例句：
There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。 We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

23 wavy
adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的
参考例句：
She drew a wavy line under the word.她在这个词的下面画了一条波纹线。 His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow.他的波浪式头发太长了，正好垂在他的眉毛下。

24 distinguished
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。 A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

25 jumbled
adj.混乱的；杂乱的
参考例句：
Books, shoes and clothes were jumbled together on the floor. 书、鞋子和衣服胡乱堆放在地板上。 The details of the accident were all jumbled together in his mind. 他把事故细节记得颠三倒四。

26 folder
n.纸夹，文件夹
参考例句：
Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。 He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。

27 peeked
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出
参考例句：
She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》 On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句

28 wring
n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭
参考例句：
My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿，我不得不拧干它们。 I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩，我就拧断你的脖子。

29 accusations
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名
参考例句：
There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。 He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

30 groggily
adv.酒醉地；东倒西歪地
参考例句：

31 pajamas
n.睡衣裤
参考例句：
At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。 He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

32 sipped
v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。 I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句