mp.godfather-第84章

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had　simply　sent　a　messenger　to　call　him。　Carlo　went　to　the　door　and　opened　it。　He　felt　his　whole　body　go　weak　with　terrible　sickening　fear。　Standing　in　the　doorway　was　Michael　Corleone；　his　face　the　face　of　that　death　Carlo　Rizzi　saw　often　in　his　dreams。
　
　Behind　Michael　Corleone　were　Hagen　and　Rocco　Lampone。　They　looked　grave；　like　people　who　had　e　with　the　utmost　reluctance　to　give　a　friend　bad　news。　The　three　of　them　entered　the　house　and　Carlo　Rizzi　led　them　into　the　living　room。　Recovered　from　his　first　shock；　he　thought　that　he　had　suffered　an　attack　of　nerves。　Michael's　words　made　him　really　sick；　physically　nauseous。
　
　〃You　have　to　answer　for　Santino；〃　Michael　said。
　
　Carlo　didn't　answer；　pretended　not　to　understand。　Hagen　and　Lampone　had　split　away　to　opposite　walls　of　the　room。　He　and　Michael　faced　each　other。
　
　〃You　fingered　Sonny　for　the　Barzini　people；〃　Michael　said；　his　voice　flat。　〃That　little　farce　you　played　out　with　my　sister；　did　Barzini　kid　you　that　would　fool　a　Corleone？〃
　
　Carlo　Rizzi　spoke　out　of　his　terrible　fear；　without　dignity；　without　any　kind　of　pride。　〃I　swear　I'm　innocent。　I　swear　on　the　head　of　my　children　I'm　innocent。　Mike；　don't　do　this　to　me；　please；　Mike；　don't　do　this　to　me。〃
　
　Michael　said　quietly；　〃Barzini　is　dead。　So　is　Phillip　Tattaglia。　I　want　to　square　all　the　Family　accounts　tonight。　So　don't　tell　me　you're　innocent。　It　would　be　better　for　you　to　admit　what　you　did。〃
　
　Hagen　and　Lampone　stared　at　Michael　with　astonishment。　They　were　thinking　that　Michael　was　not　yet　the　man　his　father　was。　Why　try　to　get　this　traitor　to　admit　guilt？　That　guilt　was　already　proven　as　much　as　such　a　thing　could　be　proven。　The　answer　was　obvious。　Michael　still　was　not　that　confident　of　his　right；　still　feared　being　unjust；　still　worried　about　that　fraction　of　an　uncertainty　that　only　a　confession　by　Carlo　Rizzi　could　erase。
　
　There　was　still　no　answer。　Michael　said　almost　kindly；　〃Don't　be　so　frightened。　Do　you　think　I'd　make　my　sister　a　widow？　Do　you　think　I'd　make　my　nephews　fatherless？　After　all　I'm　Godfather　to　one　of　your　kids。　No；　your　punishment　will　be　that　you　won't　be　allowed　any　work　with　the　Family。　I'm　putting　you　on　a　plane　to　Vegas　to　join　your　wife　and　kids　and　then　I　want　you　to　stay　there。　I'll　send　Connie　an　allowance。　That's　all。　But　don't　keep　saying　you're　innocent；　don't　insult　my　intelligence　and　make　me　angry。　Who　approached　you；　Tattaglia　or　Barzini？〃
　
　Carlo　Rizzi　in　his　anguished　hope　for　life；　in　the　sweet　flooding　relief　that　he　was　not　going　to　be　killed；　murmured；　〃Barzini。〃
　
　〃Good；　good；〃　Michael　said　softly。　He　beckoned　with　his　right　hand。　〃I　want　you　to　leave　now。　There's　a　car　waiting　to　take　you　to　the　airport。〃
　
　Carlo　went　out　the　door　first；　the　other　three　men　very　close　to　him。　It　was　night　now；　but　the　mail　as　usual　was　bright　with　floodlights。　A　car　pulled　up。　Carlo　saw　it　was　his　own　car。　He　didn't　recognize　the　driver。　There　was　someone　sitting　in　the　back　but　on　the　far　side。　Lampone　opened　the　front　door　and　motioned　to　Carlo　to　get　in。　Michael　said；　〃I'll　call　your　wife　and　tell　her　you're　on　your　way　down。〃　Carlo　got　into　the　car。　His　silk　shirt　was　soaked　with　sweat。
　
　The　car　pulled　away；　moving　swiftly　toward　the　gate。　Carlo　started　to　turn　his　head　to　see　if　he　knew　the　man　sitting　behind　him。　At　that　moment；　Clemenza；　as　cunningly　and　daintily　as　a　little　girl　slipping　a　ribbon　over　the　head　of　a　kitten；　threw　his　garrot　around　Carlo　Rizzis　neck。　The　smooth　rope　cut　into　the　skin　with　Clemenza's　powerful　yanking　throttle；　Carlo　Rizzi's　body　went　leaping　into　the　air　like　a　fish　on　a　line；　but　Clemenza　held　him　fast；　tightening　the　garrot　until　the　body　went　slack。　Suddenly　there　was　a　foul　odor　in　the　air　of　the　car。　Carlo's　body；　sphincter　released　by　approaching　death；　had　voided　itself。　Clemenza　kept　the　garrot　tight　for　another　few　minutes　to　make　sure；　then　released　the　rope　and　put　it　back　in　his　pocket。　He　relaxed　himself　against　the　seat　cushions　as　Carlo's　body　slumped　against　the　door。　After　a　few　moments　Clemenza　rolled　the　window　down　to　let　out　the　stink。
　
　The　victory　of　the　Corleone　Family　was　plete。　During　that　same　twenty…four…hour　period　Clemenza　and　Lampone　turned　loose　their　regimes　and　punished　the　infiltrators　of　the　Corleone　domains。　Neri　was　sent　to　take　mand　of　the　Tessio　regime。　Barzini　bookmakers　were　put　out　of　business；　two　of　the　highest…ranking　Barzini　enforcers　were　shot　to　death　as　they　were　peaceably　picking　their　teeth　over　dinner　in　an　Italian　restaurant　on　Mulberry　Street。　A　notorious　fixer　of　trotting　races　was　also　killed　as　he　returned　home　from　a　winning　night　at　the　track。　Two　of　the　biggest　shylocks　on　the　waterfront　disappeared；　to　be　found　months　later　in　the　New　Jersey　swamps。
　
　With　this　one　savage　attack；　Michael　Corleone　made　his　reputation　and　restored　the　Corleone　Family　to　its　primary　place　in　the　New　York　Families。　He　was　respected　not　only　for　his　tactical　brillance　but　because　some　of　the　most　important　caporegimes　in　both　the　Barzini　and　Tattaglia　Families　immediately　went　over　to　his　side。
　
　It　would　have　been　a　perfect　triumph　for　Michael　Corleone　except　for　an　exhibition　of　hysteria　by　his　sister　Connie。
　
　Connie　had　flown　home　with　her　mother；　the　children　left　in　Vegas。　She　had　restrained　her　widow's　grief　until　the　limousine　pulled　into　the　mall。　Then；　before　she　could　be　restrained　by　her　mother；　she　ran　across　the　cobbled　street　to　Michael　Corleone's　house。　She　burst　through　the　door　and　found　Michael　and　Kay　in　the　living　room。　Kay　started　to　go　to　her；　to　fort　her　and　take　her　in　her　arms　in　a　sisterly　embrace　but　stopped　short　when　Connie　started　screaming　at　her　brother；　screaming　curses　and　reproaches。　〃You　lousy　bastard；〃　she　shrieked。　〃You　killed　my　husband。　You　waited　until　our　father　died　and　nobody　could　stop　you　and　you　killed　him。　You　killed　him。　You　blamed　him　about　Sonny；　you　always　did；　everybody　did。　But　you　never　thought　about　me。　You　never　gave　a　damn　about　me。　What　am　I　going　to　do　now；　what　am　I　going　to　do？〃　She　was　wailing。　Two　of　Michael's　bodyguards　had　e　up　behind　her　and　were　waiting　for　orders　from　him。　But　he　just　stood　there　impassively　and　waited　for　his　sister　to　finish。
　
　Kay　said　in　a　shocked　voice；　〃Connie；　you're　upset；　don't　say　such　things。〃
　
　Connie　had　recovered　from　her　hysteria。　Her　voice　held　a　deadly　venom。　〃Why　do　you　think　he　was　always　so　cold　to　me？　Why　do　you　think　he　kept　Carlo　here　on　the　mall？　All　the　time　he　knew　he　was　going　to　kill　my　husband。　But　he　didn't　dare　while　my　father　was　alive。　My　father　would　have　stopped　him。　He　knew　that。　He　was　just　waiting。　And　then　he　stood　Godfather　to　our　child　just　to　throw　us　off　the　track。　The　coldhearted　bastard。　You　think　you　know　your　husband？　Do　you　know　how　many　men　he　had　killed　with　my　Carlo？　Just　read　the　papers。　Barzini　and　Tattaglia　and　the　others。　My　brother　had　them　killed。〃
　
　She　had　worked　herself　into　hysteria　again。　She　tried　to　spit　in　Michael's　face　but　she　had　no　saliva。
　
　〃Get　her　home　and　get　her　a　doctor；〃　Michael　said。　The　two　guards　immediately　grabbed　Connie's　arms　and　pulled　her　out　of　the　house。
　
　Kay　was　still　shocked；　still　horrified。　She　said　to　her　husband；　〃What　made　her　say　all　those　things；　Michael；　what　makes　her　believe　that？〃
　
　Michael　shrugged。　〃She's　hysterical。〃
　
　Kay　looked　into　his　eyes。　〃Michael；　it's　not　true；　please　say　it's　not　true。〃
　
　Michael　shook　his　head　wearily。　〃Of　course　it's　not。　Just　believe　me；　this　one　time　I'm　letting　you　ask　about　my　affairs；　and　I'm　giving　you　an　answer。　It　is　not　true。〃　He　had　never　been　more　convincing。　He　looked　directly　into　her　eyes。　He　was　using　all　the　mutual　trust　they　had　built　up　in　their　married　life　to　make　her　believe　him。　And　she　could　not　doubt　any　longer。　She　smiled　at　him　ruefully　and　came　into　his　arms　for　a　kiss。
　
　〃We　both　need　a　drink；〃　she　said。　She　went　into　the　kitchen　for　ice　and　while　there　heard　the　front　door　open。　She　went　out　of　the　kitchen　and　saw　Clemenza；　Neri　and　Rocco　Lampone　e　in　with　the　bodyguards。　Michael　had　his　back　to　her；　but　she　moved　so　that　she　could　see　him　in　profile。　At　that　moment　Clemenza　addressed　her　husband；　greeting　him　formally。
　
　〃Don　Michael；〃　Clemenza　said。
　
　Kay　could　see　how　Michael　stood　to　receive　their　homage。　He　reminded　her　of　statues　in　Rome；　statues　of　those　Roman　emperors　of　antiquity；　who；　by　divine　right；　held　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　their　fellow　men。　One　hand　was　on　his　hip；　the　profile　of　his　face　showed　a　cold　proud　power；　his　body　was　carelessly；　arrogantly　at　ease；　weight　resting　on　one　foot　slightly　behind　the　other。　The　caporegimes　stood　before　him。　In　that　moment　Kay　knew　that　everything　Connie　had　accused　Michael　of　was　true。　She　went　back　into　the　kitchen　and　wept。
　
　Book　nine
　
　Chapter　32
　
　The　bloody　victory　of　the　Corleone　Family　was　not　plete　until　a　year　of　delicate　political　maneuvering　established　Michael　Corleone　as　the　most　powerful　Family　chief　in　the　United　States。　For　twelve　months；　Michael　divided　his　time　equally　between　his　headquarters　at　the　Long　Beach　mall　and　his　new　home　in　Las　Vegas。　But　at　the　end　of　that　year　he　decided　to　close　out　the　New　York　operation　and　sell　the　houses　and　the　mall　property。　For　that　purpose　he　brought　his　whole　family　East　on　a　last　visit。　They　would　stay　a　month；　wind　up　business；　Kay　would　do　the　personal　family's　packing　and　shipping　of　household　goods。　There　were　a　million　other　minor　details。
　
　Now　the　Corleone　Family　was　unchallengeable；　and　Clemenza　had　his　own　Family。　Rocco　Lampone　was　the　Corleone　caporegime。　In　Nevada；　Albert　Neri　was　head　of　all　security　for　the　Family…controlled　hotels。　Hagen　too　was　part　of　Michael's　Western　Family。
　
　Time　helped　heal　the　old　wounds。　Connie　Corleone　was　reconciled　to　her　brother　Michael。　Indeed　not　more　than　a　week　after　her　terrible　accusations　she　apologized　to　Michael　for　what　she　had　said　and　assured　Kay　that　there　had　been　no　truth　in　her　words；　that　it　had　been　only　a　young　widow's　hysteria。
　
　Connie　Corleone　easily　found　a　new　husband；　in　fact；　she　did　not　wait　the　year　of　respect　before　filling　her　bed　again　with　a　fine　young　fellow　who　had　e　to　work　for　the　Corleone　Family　as　a　male　secretary。　A　boy　from　a　reliable　Italian　family　but　graduated　from　the　top　business　college　in　America。　Naturally　his　marriage　to　the　sister　of　the　Don　made　his　future　assured。
　
　Kay　Adams　Corleone　had　delighted　her　in…laws　by　taking　instruction　in　the　Catholic　religion　and　joining　that　faith。　Her　two　boys　were　also；　naturally；　being　brought　up　in　that　church；　as　was　required。　Michael　himself　had　not　been　too　pleased　by　this　development。　He　would　have　preferred　the　children　to　be　Protestant；　it　was　more　American。
　
　To　her　surprise；　Kay　came　to　love　living　in　Nevada。　She　loved　the　scenery；　the　hills　and　canyons　of　garishly　red　rock；　the　burning　deserts；　the　unexpected　and　blessedly　refreshing　lakes；　even　the　heat。　Her　two　boys　rode　their　own　ponies。　She　had　real　servants；　not　bodyguards。　And　Michael　lived　a　more　normal　life。　He　owned　a　construction　business；　he　joined　the　businessmen's　clubs　and　ci