mp.godfather-第115章

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　Carlo　Rizzi；　still　waiting　for　his　interview　with　Michael；　became　jittery　with　all　the　arrivals　and　departures。　Obviously　something　big　was　going　on　and　it　looked　as　if　he　were　going　to　be　left　out。　Impatiently　he　called　Michael　on　the　phone。　One　of　the　house　bodyguards　answered；　went　to　get　Michael；　and　came　back　with　the　message　that　Michael　wanted　him　to　sit　tight；　that　he　would　get　to　him　soon。
　
　Carlo　called　up　his　mistress　again　and　told　her　he　was　sure　he　would　be　able　to　take　her　to　a　late　supper　and　spend　the　night。　Michael　had　said　he　would　call　him　sin；　whatever　he　had　planned　couldn't　take　more　than　an　hour；　or　two。　Then　it　would　take　him　about　forty　minutes　to　drive　to　Westbury。　It　could　be　done。　He　promised　her　he　would　do　it　and　sweet…talked　her　into　not　being　sore。　When　he　hung　up　he　decided　to　get　properly　dressed　so　as　to　save　time　afterward。　He　had　just　slipped　into　a　fresh　shirt　when　there　was　a　knock　on　the　door。　He　reasoned　quickly　that　Mike　had　tried　to　get　him　on　the　phone　and　had　kept　getting　a　busy　signal　so　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