mp.godfather-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ad　disappeared。
　
　Sally　Rags　had　walked　down　to　Third　Avenue　and　called　Rocco　Lampone　to　report　what　had　happened。　Rocco　took　the　news　calmly　and　in　his　turn　called　his　caporegime；　Pete　Clemenza。　Clemenza　groaned　and　said；　〃Oh；　Christ；　that　goddamn　Sonny　and　his　temper；〃　but　his　finger　had　prudently　clicked　down　on　the　hook　so　that　Rocco　never　heard　his　remark。
　
　Clemenza　called　the　house　in　Long　Beach　and　got　Tom　Hagen。　Hagen　was　silent　for　a　moment　and　then　he　said；　〃Send　some　of　your　people　and　cars　out　on　the　road　to　Long　Beach　as　soon　as　you　can；　just　in　case　Sonny　gets　held　up　by　traffic　or　an　accident。　When　he　gets　sore　like　that　he　doesn't　know　what　the　hell　he's　doing。　Maybe　some　of　our　friends　on　the　other　side　will　hear　he　was　in　town。　You　sever　can　tell。〃
　
　Clemenza　said　doubtfully；　〃By　the　time　I　could　get　anybody　on　the　road；　Sonny　will　be　home。　That　goes　for　the　Tattaglias　too。〃
　
　〃I　know；〃　Hagen　said　patiently。　〃But　if　something　out　of　the　ordinary　happens；　Sonny　may　be　held　up。　Do　the　best　you　can；　Pete。〃
　
　Grudgingly　Clemenza　called　Rocco　Lampone　and　told　him　to　get　a　few　people　and　cars　and　cover　the　road　to　Long　Beach。　He　himself　went　out　to　his　beloved　Cadillac　and　with　three　of　the　platoon　of　guards　who　now　garrisoned　his　home；　started　over　the　Atlantic　Beach　Bridge；　toward　New　York　City。
　
　One　of　the　hangers…on　around　the　candy　store；　a　small　bettor　on　the　payroll　of　the　Tattaglia　Family　as　an　informer；　called　the　contact　he　had　with　his　people。　But　the　Tattaglia　Family　had　not　streamlined　itself　for　the　war；　the　contact　still　had　to　go　all　the　way　through　the　insulation　layers　before　he　finally　got　to　the　caporegime；　who　contacted　the　Tattaglia　chief。　By　that　time　Sonny　Corleone　was　safely　back　in　the　mall；　in　his　father's　house；　in　Long　Beach；　about　to　face　his　father's　wrath。
　
　Chapter　17
　
　The　war　of　1947　between　the　Corleone　Family　and　the　Five　Families　bined　against　them　proved　to　be　expensive　for　both　sides。　It　was　plicated　by　the　police　pressure　put　on　everybody　to　solve　the　murder　of　Captain　McCluskey。　It　was　rare　that　operating　officials　of　the　Police　Department　ignored　political　muscle　that　protected　gambling　and　vice　operations；　but　in　this　case　the　politicians　were　as　helpless　as　the　general　staff　of　a　rampaging；　looting　army　whose　field　officers　refuse　to　follow　orders。
　
　This　lack　of　protection　did　not　hurt　the　Corleone　Family　as　much　as　it　did　their　opponents。　The　Corleone　group　depended　on　gambling　for　most　of　its　ine；　and　was　hit　especially　hard　in　its　〃numbers〃　or　〃policy〃　branch　of　operations。　The　runners　who　picked　up　the　action　were　swept　into　police　nets　and　usually　given　a　medium　shellacking　before　being　booked。　Even　some　of　the　〃banks〃　were　located　and　raided；　with　heavy　financial　loss。　The　〃bankers；〃　。90　calibers　in　their　own　right；　plained　to　the　caporegimes；　who　brought　their　plaints　to　the　family　council　table。　But　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。　The　bankers　were　told　to　go　out　of　business。　Local　Negro　free…lancers　were　allowed　to　take　over　the　operation　in　Harlem；　the　richest　territory；　and　they　operated　in　such　scattered　fashion　that　the　police　found　it　hard　to　pin　them　down。
　
　After　the　death　of　Captain　McCluskey；　some　newspapers　printed　stories　involving　him　with　Sollozzo。　They　published　proof　that　McCluskey　had　received　large　sums　of　money　in　cash；　shortly　before　his　death。　These　stories　had　been　planted　by　Hagen；　the　information　supplied　by　him。　The　Police　Department　refused　to　confirm　or　deny　these　stories；　but　they　were　taking　effect。　The　police　force　got　the　word　through　informers；　through　police　on　the　Family　payroll；　that　McCluskey　had　been　a　rogue　cop。　Not　that　he　had　taken　money　or　clean　graft；　there　was　no　rank…and…file　onus　to　that。　But　that　he　had　taken　the　dirtiest　of　dirty　money；　murder　and　drugs　money。　And　in　the　morality　of　policemen；　this　was　unforgivable。
　
　Hagen　understood　that　the　policeman　believes　in　law　and　order　in　a　curiously　innocent　way。　He　believes　in　it　more　than　does　the　public　he　serves。　Law　and　order　is；　after　all；　the　magic　from　which　he　derives　his　power；　individual　power　which　he　cherishes　as　nearly　all　men　cherish　individual　power。　And　yet　there　is　always　the　smoldering　resentment　against　the　public　he　serves。　They　are　at　the　same　time　his　ward　and　his　prey。　As　wards　they　are　ungrateful；　abusive　and　demanding。　As　prey　they　are　slippery　and　dangerous；　full　of　guile。　As　soon　as　one　is　in　the　policeman's　clutches　the　mechanism　of　the　society　the　policeman　defends　marshals　all　its　resources　to　cheat　him　of　his　prize。　The　fix　is　put　in　by　politicians。　Judges　give　lenient　suspended　sentences　to　the　worst　hoodlums。　Governors　of　the　States　and　the　President　of　the　United　States　himself　give　full　pardons；　assuming　that　respected　lawyers　have　not　already　won　his　acquittal。　After　a　time　the　cop　learns。　Why　should　he　not　collect　the　fees　these　hoodlums　are　paying？　He　needs　it　more。　His　children；　why　should　they　not　go　to　college？　Why　shouldn't　his　wife　shop　in　more　expensive　places？　Why　shouldn't　be　himself　get　the　sun　with　a　winter　vacation　in　Florida？　After　all；　he　risks　his　life　and　that　is　no　joke。
　
　But　usually　he　draws　the　line　against　accepting　dirty　graft。　He　will　take　money　to　let　a　bookmaker　operate。　He　will　take　money　from　a　man　who　hates　getting　parking　tickets　or　speeding　tickets。　He　will　allow　call　girls　and　prostitutes　to　ply　their　trade；　for　a　consideration。　These　are　vices　natural　to　a　man。　But　usually　he　will　not　take　a　payoff　for　drugs；　armed　robberies；　rape；　murder　and　other　assorted　perversions。　In　his　mind　these　attack　the　very　core　of　his　personal　authority　and　cannot　be　countenanced。
　
　The　murder　of　a　police　captain　was　parable　to　regicide。　But　when　it　became　known　that　McCluskey　had　been　killed　while　in　the　pany　of　a　notorious　narcotics　peddler；　when　it　became　known　that　he　was　suspected　of　conspiracy　to　murder；　the　police　desire　for　vengeance　began　to　fade。　Also；　after　all；　there　were　still　mortgage　payments　to　be　made；　cars　to　be　paid　off；　children　to　be　launched　into　the　world。　Without　their　〃sheet〃　money；　policemen　had　to　scramble　to　make　ends　meet。　Unlicensed　peddlers　were　good　for　lunch　money。　Parking　ticket　payoffs　came　to　nickels　and　dimes。　Some　of　the　more　desperate　even　began　shaking　down　suspects　（homosexuals；　assaults　and　batteries）　in　the　precinct　squad　rooms。　Finally　the　brass　relented。　They　raised　the　prices　and　let　the　Families　operate。　Once　again　the　payoff　sheet　was　typed　up　by　the　precinct　bagman；　listing　every　man　assigned　to　the　local　station　and　what　his　cut　was　each　month。　Some　semblance　of　social　order　was　restored。
　
　**********
　
　It　had　been　Hagen's　idea　to　use　private　detectives　to　guard　Don　Corleone's　hospital　room。　These　were；　of　course；　supplemented　by　the　much　more　formidable　soldiers　of　Tessio's　regime。　But　Sonny　was　not　satisfied　even　with　this。　By　the　middle　of　February；　when　the　Don　could　be　moved　without　danger；　he　was　taken　by　ambulance　to　his　home　in　the　mall。　The　house　had　been　renovated　so　that　his　bedroom　was　now　a　hospital　room　with　all　equipment　necessary　for　any　emergency。　Nurses　specially　recruited　and　checked　had　been　hired　for　round…the…clock　care；　and　Dr。　Kennedy；　with　the　payment　of　a　huge　fee；　had　been　persuaded　to　bee　the　physician　in　residence　to　this　private　hospital。　At　least　until　the　Don　would　need　only　nursing　care。
　
　The　mall　itself　was　made　impregnable。　Button　men　were　moved　into　the　extra　houses；　the　tenants　sent　on　vacations　to　their　native　villages　in　Italy；　all　expenses　paid。
　
　Freddie　Corleone　had　been　sent　to　Las　Vegas　to　recuperate　and　also　to　scout　out　the　ground　for　a　Family　operation　in　the　luxury　hotel…gambling　casino　plex　that　was　springing　up。　Las　Vegas　was　part　of　the　West　Coast　empire　still　neutral　and　the　Don　of　that　empire　had　guaranteed　Freddie's　safety　there。　The　New　York　five　Families　had　no　desire　to　make　more　enemies　by　going　into　Vegas　after　Freddie　Corleone。　They　had　enough　trouble　on　their　hands　in　New　York。
　
　Dr。　Kennedy　had　forbade　any　discussion　of　business　in　front　of　the　Don。　This　edict　was　pletely　disregarded。　The　Don　insisted　on　the　council　of　war　being　held　in　his　room。　Sonny；　Tom　Hagen；　Pete　Clemenza　and　Tessio　gathered　there　the　very　first　night　of　his　homeing。
　
　Don　Corleone　was　too　weak　to　speak　much　but　he　wished　to　listen　and　exercise　veto　powers。　When　it　was　explained　that　Freddie　had　been　sent　to　Las　Vegas　to　learn　the　gambling　casino　business　he　nodded　his　head　approvingly。　When　he　learned　that　Bruno　Tattaglia　had　been　killed　by　Corleone　button　men　he　shook　his　head　and　sighed。　But　what　distressed　him　most　of　all　was　learning　that　Michael　had　killed　Sollozzo　and　Captain　McCluskey　and　had　then　been　forced　to　flee　to　Sicily。　When　he　heard　this　he　motioned　them　out　and　they　continued　the　conference　in　the　corner　room　that　held　the　law　library。
　
　Sonny　Corleone　relaxed　in　the　huge　armchair　behind　the　desk。　〃I　think　we'd　better　let　the　old　man　take　it　easy　for　a　couple　of　weeks；　until　the　doc　says　he　can　do　business。〃　He　paused。　〃I'd　like　to　have　it　going　again　before　he　gets　better。　We　have　the　go…ahead　from　the　cops　to　operate。　The　first　thing