mp.godfather-第72节

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nimal　wailing。　When　Sonny　did　not　e　to　see　her　for　almost　three　weeks　she　subsisted　on　sleeping　pills；　liquor　and　her　own　anguish。　The　pain　she　felt　was　physical　pain；　her　body　ached。　When　he　finally　did　e　she　held　on　to　his　body　at　almost　every　moment。　After　that　he　came　at　least　once　a　week　until　he　was　killed。
　
　She　learned　of　his　death　through　the　newspaper　accounts　and　that　very　same　night　she　took　a　massive　overdose　of　sleeping　pills。　For　some　reason；　instead　of　killing；　the　pills　made　her　so　ill　that　she　staggered　out　into　the　hall　of　her　apartment　and　collapsed　in　front　of　the　elevator　door　where　she　was　found　and　taken　to　the　hospital。　Her　relationship　to　Sonny　was　not　generally　known　so　her　case　received　only　a　few　inches　in　the　tabloid　newspapers。
　
　It　was　while　she　was　in　the　hospital　that　Tom　Hagen　came　to　see　her　and　console　her。　It　was　Tom　Hagen　who　arranged　a　job　for　her　in　Las　Vegas　working　in　flue　hotel　run　by　Sonny's　brother　Freddie。　It　was　Tom　Hagen　who　told　her　that　she　would　receive　an　annuity　from　the　Corleone　Family；　that　Sonny　had　made　provisions　for　her。　He　had　asked　her　if　she　was　pregnant；　as　if　that　were　the　reason　for　her　taking　the　pills　and　she　had　told　him　no。　He　asked　her　if　Sonny　had　e　to　see　her　that　fatal　night　or　had　called　that　he　would　e　to　see　her　and　she　told　him　no；　that　Sonny　had　not　called。　That　she　was　always　home　waiting　for　him　when　she　finished　working。　And　she　had　told　Hagen　the　truth。　'He's　the　only　man　I　could　ever　love；〃　she　said。　〃I　can't　love　anybody　else。〃　She　saw　him　smile　a　little　but　he　also　looked　surprised。　〃Do　you　find　that　so　unbelievable？〃　she　asked。　〃Wasn't　he　the　one　who　brought　you　home　when　you　were　a　kid？〃
　
　〃He　was　a　different　person；〃　Hagen　said；　〃he　grew　up　to　be　a　different　kind　of　man。〃
　
　〃Not　to　me；〃　Lucy　said。　〃Maybe　to　everybody　else；　but　not　to　me。〃　She　was　still　too　weak　to　explain　how　Sonny　had　never　been　anything　but　gentle　with　her。　He'd　never　been　angry　with　her；　never　even　irritable　or　nervous。
　
　Hagen　made　all　the　arrangements　for　her　to　move　to　Las　Vegas。　A　rented　apartment　was　waiting；　he　took　her　to　the　airport　himself　and　he　made　her　promise　that　if　she　ever　felt　lonely　or　if　things　didn't　go　right；　she　would　call　him　and　he　would　help　her　in　any　way　he　could。
　
　Before　she　got　on　the　plane　she　asked　him　hesitantly；　〃Does　Sonny's　father　know　what　you're　doing？〃
　
　Hagen　smiled；　〃I'm　acting　for　him　as　well　as　myself。　He's　old…fashioned　in　these　things　and　he　would　never　go　against　the　legal　wife　of　his　son。　But　he　feels　that　you　were　just　a　young　girl　and　Sonny　should　have　known　better。　And　your　taking　all　those　pills　shook　everybody　up。〃　He　didn't　explain　how　incredible　it　was　to　a　man　like　the　Don　that　any　person　should　try　suicide。
　
　Now；　after　nearly　eighteen　months　in　Las　Vegas；　she　was　surprised　to　find　herself　almost　happy。　Some　nights　she　dreamed　about　Sonny　and　lying　awake　before　dawn　continued　her　dream　with　her　own　caresses　until　she　could　sleep　again。　She　had　not　had　a　man　since。　But　the　life　in　Vegas　agreed　with　her。　She　went　swimming　in　the　hotel　pools；　sailed　on　Lake　Mead　and　drove　through　the　desert　on　her　day　off。　She　became　thinner　and　this　improved　her　figure。　She　was　still　voluptuous　but　more　in　the　American　than　the　old　Italian　style。　She　worked　in　the　public　relations　section　of　the　hotel　as　a　receptionist　and　had　nothing　to　do　with　Freddie　though　when　he　saw　her　he　would　stop　and　chat　a　little。　She　was　surprised　at　the　change　in　Freddie。　He　had　bee　a　ladies'　man；　dressed　beautifully；　and　seemed　to　have　a　real　flair　for　running　a　gambling　resort。　He　controlled　the　hotel　side；　something　not　usually　done　by　casino　owners。　With　the　long；　very　hot　summer　seasons；　or　perhaps　his　more　active　sex　life；　he　too　had　bee　thinner　and　Hollywood　tailoring　made　him　look　almost　debonair　in　a　deadly　sort　of　way。
　
　It　was　after　six　months　that　Tom　Hagen　came　out　to　see　how　she　was　doing。　She　had　been　receiving　a　check　for　six　hundred　dollars　a　month；　every　month；　in　addition　to　her　salary。　Hagen　explained　that　this　money　had　to　be　shown　as　ing　from　someplace　and　asked　her　to　sign　plete　powers　of　attorney　so　that　he　could　channel　the　money　properly。　He　also　told　her　that　as　a　matter　of　form　she　would　be　listed　as　owner　of　five　〃points〃　in　the　hotel　in　which　she　worked。　She　would　have　to　go　through　all　the　legal　formalities　required　by　the　Nevada　laws　but　everything　would　be　taken　care　of　for　her　and　her　own　personal　inconvenience　would　be　at　a　minimum。　However　she　was　not　to　discuss　this　arrangement　with　anyone　without　his　consent。　She　would　be　protected　legally　in　every　way　and　her　money　every　month　would　be　assured。　If　the　authorities　or　any　law…enforcement　agencies　ever　questioned　her；　she　was　to　simply　refer　them　to　her　lawyer　and　she　would　not　be　bothered　any　further。
　
　Lucy　agreed。　She　understood　what　was　happening　but　had　no　objections　to　how　she　was　being　used。　It　seemed　a　reasonable　favor。　But　when　Hagen　asked　her　to　keep　her　eyes　open　around　the　hotel；　keep　an　eye　on　Freddie　and　on　Freddie's　boss；　the　man　who　owned　and　operated　the　hotel；　as　a　major　stockholder；　she　said　to　him；　〃Oh；　Tom；　you　don't　want　me　to　spy　on　Freddie？〃
　
　Hagen　smiled。　〃His　father　worries　about　Freddie。　He's　in　fast　pany　with　Moe　Greene　and　we　just　want　to　make　sure　he　doesn't　get　into　any　trouble。〃　He　didn't　bother　to　explain　to　her　that　the　Don　had　backed　the　building　of　this　hotel　in　the　desert　of　Las　Vegas　not　only　to　supply　a　haven　for　his　son；　but　to　get　a　foot　in　the　door　for　bigger　operations。
　
　It　was　shortly　after　this　interview　that　Dr。　Jules　Segal　came　to　work　as　the　hotel　physician。　He　was　very　thin；　very　handsome　and　charming　and　seemed　very　young　to　be　a　doctor；　at　least　to　Lucy。　She　met　him　when　a　lump　grew　above　her　wrist　on　her　forearm。　She　worried　about　it　for　a　few　days；　then　one　morning　went　to　the　doctor's　suite　of　offices　in　the　hotel。　Two　of　the　show　girls　from　the　chorus　line　were　in　the　waiting　room；　gossiping　with　each　other。　They　had　the　blond　peach…colored　prettiness　Lucy　always　envied。　They　looked　angelic。　But　one　of　the　girls　was　saying；　〃I　swear　if　I　have　another　dose　I'm　giving　up　dancing。〃
　
　When　Dr。　Jules　Segal　opened　his　office　door　to　motion　one　of　the　show　giris　inside；　Lucy　was　tempted　to　leave；　and　if　it　had　been　something　more　personal　and　serious　she　would　have。　Dr。　Segal　was　wearing　slacks　and　an　open　shirt。　The　horn…rimmed　glasses　helped　and　his　quiet　reserved　manner；　but　the　impression　he　gave　was　an　informal　one；　and　like　many　basically　old…fashioned　people；　Lucy　didn't　believe　that　medicine　and　informality　mixed。
　
　When　she　finally　got　into　his　office　there　was　something　so　reassuring　in　his　manner　that　all　her　misgivings　fled。　He　spoke　hardly　at　all　and　yet　he　was　not　brusque；　and　he　took　his　time。　When　she　asked　him　what　the　lump　was　he　patiently　explained　that　it　was　a　quite　mon　fibrous　growth　that　could　in　no　way　be　malignant　or　a　cause　for　serious　concern。　He　picked　up　a　heavy　medical　book　and　said；　〃Hold　out　your　arm。〃
　
　She　held　out　her　arm　tentatively。　He　smiled　at　her　for　the　first　time。　〃I'm　going　to　cheat　myself　out　of　a　surgical　fee；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　just　smash　it　with　this　book　and　it　will　flatten　out。　It　may　pop　up　again　but　if　I　remove　it　surgically；　you'll　be　out　of　money　and　have　to　wear　bandages　and　all　that。　OK？〃
　
　She　smiled　at　him。　For　some　reason　she　had　an　absolute　trust　in　him。　〃OK；〃　she　said。　In　the　next　instant　she　let　out　a　yell　as　he　brought　down　the　heavy　medical　volume　on　her　forearm。　The　lump　had　flattened　out；　almost。
　
　〃Did　it　hurt　that　much？〃　he　asked。
　
　〃No；〃　she　said。　She　watched　him　pleting　her　case　history　card。　〃Is　that　all？〃
　
　He　nodded；　not　paying　any　more　attention　to　her。　She　left。
　
　A　week　later　he　saw　her　in　the　coffee　shop　and　sat　next　to　her　at　the　counter。　〃How's　the　arm？〃　he　asked。
　
　She　smiled　at　him。　〃Fine；〃　she　said。　〃You're　pretty　unorthodox　but　you're　pretty　good。〃
　
　He　grinned　at　her。　〃You　don't　know　how　unorthodox　I　am。　And　I　didn't　know　how　rich　you　were。　The　Vegas　Sun　just　published　the　list　of　point　owners　in　the　hotel　and　Lucy　Mancini　has　a　big　ten　points。　I　could　have　made　a　fortune　on　that　little　bump。〃
　
　She　didn't　answer　him；　suddenly　reminded　of　Hagen's　warnings。　He　grinned　again。　〃Don't　worry；　I　know　the　score；　you're　just　one　of　the　dummies；　Vegas　is　full　of　them。　How　about　seeing　one　of　the　shows　with　me　tonight　and　I'll　buy　you　dinner。　I'll　even　buy　you　some　roulette　chips。〃
　
　She　was　a　little　doubtful。　He　urged　her。　Finally　she　said；　〃I'd　like　to　e　but　I'm　afraid　you　might　be　disappointed　by　how　the　night　ends。　I'm　not　really　a　swinger　like　most　of　the　girls　here　in　Vegas。〃
　
　〃That's　why　I　asked　you；〃　Jules　said　cheerfully。　〃I've　prescribed　a　night's　rest　for　myself。〃
　
　Lucy　smiled　at　him　and　said　a　little　sadly；　〃Is　it　that　obvious？〃　He　shook　his　head　and　she　said；　〃OK；　supper　then；　but　I'll　buy　my　own　roulette　chips。〃
　
　They　went　to　the　supper　show　and　Jules　kept　her　amused　by　describing　different　types　of　bare　thighs　and　breasts　in　medical　terms；　but　without　sneering；　all　in　good　humor。　Afterward　they　played　roulette　to