mp.godfather-第34章

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！


awful　gamble　bucking　the　Don。　By　the　way；　we　got　the　confirmation　on　Luca。　They　killed　him　the　night　before　they　shot　your　father。　In　Bruno's　nightclub。　Imagine　that？〃
　
　Michael　said；　〃No　wonder　they　caught　him　off　guard。〃
　
　**********
　
　At　the　houses　in　Long　Beach　the　entrance　to　the　mall　was　blocked　by　a　long　black　car　parked　across　its　mouth。　Two　men　leaned　against　the　hood　of　the　car。　The　two　houses　on　each　side；　Michael　noticed；　had　opened　windows　on　their　upper　floors。　Christ；　Sonny　must　really　mean　business。
　
　Clemenza　parked　the　car　outside　the　mall　and　they　walked　inside　it。　The　two　guards　were　Clemenza's　men　and　he　gave　them　a　frown　of　greeting　that　served　as　a　salute。　The　men　nodded　their　heads　in　acknowledgment。　There　were　no　smiles；　no　greetings。　Clemenza　led　Hagen　and　Michael　Corleone　into　the　house。
　
　The　door　was　opened　by　another　guard　before　they　rang。　He　had　obviously　been　watching　from　a　window。　They　went　to　the　corner　office　and　found　Sonny　and　Tessio　waiting　for　them。　Sonny　came　to　Michael；　took　his　younger　brother's　head　in　his　hands　and　said　kiddingly；　〃Beautiful。　Beautiful。〃　Michael　knocked　his　hands　away；　and　went　to　the　desk　and　poured　himself　some　scotch；　hoping　it　would　dull　the　ache　in　his　wired　jaw。
　
　The　five　of　them　sat　around　the　room　but　the　atmosphere　was　different　from　their　earlier　meetings。　Sonny　was　gayer；　more　cheerful；　and　Michael　realized　what　that　gaiety　meant。　There　were　no　longer　any　doubts　in　his　older　brother's　mind。　He　was　mitted　and　nothing　would　sway　him。　The　attempt　by　Sollozzo　the　night　before　was　the　final　straw。　There　could　no　longer　be　any　question　of　a　truce。
　
　〃We　got　a　call　from　the　negotiator　while　you　were　gone；〃　Sonny　said　to　Hagen。　〃The　Turk　wants　a　meeting　now。〃　Sonny　laughed。　〃The　balls　on　that　son　of　a　bitch；〃　he　said　admiringly。　〃After　he　craps　out　last　night　he　wants　a　meeting　today　or　the　next　day。　Meanwhile　we're　supposed　just　to　lay　back　and　take　everything　he　dishes　out。　What　fucking　nerve。〃
　
　Tom　asked　cautiously；　〃What　did　you　answer？〃
　
　Sonny　grinned。　〃I　said　sure；　why　not？　Anytime　he　says；　I'm　in　no　hurry。　I've　got　a　hundred　button　men　out　on　the　street　twenty…four　hours　a　day。　If　Sollozzo　shows　one　hair　on　his　asshole　he's　dead。　Let　them　take　all　the　time　they　want。〃
　
　Hagen　said；　〃Was　there　a　definite　proposal？〃
　
　〃Yeah；〃　Sonny　said。　〃He　wants　us　to　send　Mike　to　meet　him　to　hear　his　proposition。　The　negotiator　guarantees　Mike's　safety。　Sollozzo　doesn't　ask　us　to　guarantee　his　safety；　he　knows　he　can't　ask　that。　No　point。　So　the　meeting　will　be　arranged　on　his　side。　His　people　will　pick　Mike　up　and　take　Mike　to　the　meeting　place。　Mike　will　listen　to　Sollozzo　and　then　they'll　turn　him　loose。　But　the　meeting　place　is　secret。　The　promise　is　the　deal　will　be　so　good　we　can't　turn　it　down。〃
　
　Hagen　asked；　〃What　about　the　Tattaglias？　What　will　they　do　about　Bruno？〃
　
　〃That's　part　of　the　deal。　The　negotiator　says　the　Tattaglia　Family　has　agreed　to　go　along　with　Sollozzo。　They'll　forget　about　Bruno　Tattaglia。　He　pays　for　what　they　did　to　my　father。　One　cancels　out　the　other。〃　Sonny　laughed　again。　〃The　nervy　bastards。〃
　
　Hagen　said　cautiously；　〃We　should　hear　what　they　have　to　say。〃
　
　Sonny　shook　his　head　from　side　to　side。　〃No；　no；　Consigliere；　not　this　time。〃　His　voice　held　a　faint　trace　of　Italian　accent。　He　was　consciously　mocking　his　father　just　to　kid　around。　〃No　more　meetings。　No　more　discussions。　No　more　Sollozzo　tricks。　When　the　negotiator　gets　in　touch　with　us　again　for　our　answer　I　want　you　to　give　him　one　message。　I　want　Sollozzo。　If　not；　it's　all…out　war。　We'll　go　to　the　mattresses　and　we'll　put　all　the　button　men　out　on　the　street。　Business　will　just　have　to　suffer。〃
　
　〃The　other　Families　won't　stand　for　an　all…out　war；〃　Hagen　said。　〃It　puts　too　much　heat　on　everybody。〃
　
　Sonny　shrugged。　〃They　have　a　simple　solution。　Give　me　Sollozzo。　Or　fight　the　Corleone　Family。〃　Sonny　paused；　then　said　roughly；　〃No　more　advice　on　how　to　patch　it　up；　Tom。　The　decision　is　made。　Your　job　is　to　help　me　win。　Understand？〃
　
　Hagen　bowed　his　head。　He　was　deep　in　thought　for　a　moment。　Then　he　said；　〃I　spoke　to　your　contact　in　the　police　station。　He　says　that　Captain　McCluskey　is　definitely　on　Sollozzo's　payroll　and　for　big　money。　Not　only　that；　but　McCluskey　is　going　to　get　a　piece　of　the　drug　operation。　McCluskey　has　agreed　to　be　Sollozzo's　bodyguard。　The　Turk　doesn't　poke　his　nose　out　of　his　hole　without　McCluskey。　When　he　meets　Mike　for　the　conference；　McCluskey　will　be　sitting　beside　him。　In　civilian　clothes　but　carrying　his　gun。　Now　what　you　have　to　understand；　Sonny；　is　that　while　Sollozzo　is　guarded　like　this；　he's　invulnerable。　Nobody　has　ever　gunned　down　a　New　York　police　captain　and　gotten　away　with　it。　The　heat　in　this　town　would　be　unbearable　what　with　the　newspapers；　the　whole　police　department；　the　churches；　everything。　That　would　be　disastrous。　The　Families　would　be　after　you。　The　Corleone　Family　would　bee　outcasts。　Even　the　old　man's　political　protection　would　run　for　cover。　So　take　that　into　consideration。〃
　
　Sonny　shrugged。　〃McCluskey　can't　stay　with　the　Turk　forever。　We'll　wait。〃
　
　Tessio　and　Clemenza　were　puffing　on　their　cigars　uneasily；　not　daring　to　speak；　but　sweating。　It　would　be　their　skins　that　would　go　on　the　line　if　the　wrong　decision　was　made。
　
　Michael　spoke　for　the　first　time。　He　asked　Hagen；　〃Can　the　old　man　be　moved　out　of　the　hospital　onto　the　mall　here？〃
　
　Hagen　shook　his　head。　〃That's　the　first　thing　I　asked。　Impossible。　He's　in　very　bad　shape。　He'll　pull　through　but　he　needs　all　kinds　of　attention；　maybe　some　more　surgery。　Impossible。〃
　
　〃Then　you　have　to　get　Sollozzo　right　away；〃　Michael　said。　〃We　can't　wait。　The　guy　is　too　dangerous。　He'll　e　up　with　some　new　idea。　Remember；　the　key　is　still　that　he　gets　rid　of　the　old　man。　He　knows　that。　OK；　he　knows　that　now　it's　very　tough　so　he's　willing　to　take　defeat　for　his　life。　But　if　he's　going　to　get　killed　anyway；　he'll　have　another　crack　at　the　Don。　And　with　that　polite　captain　helping　him　who　knows　what　the　hell　might　happen。　We　can't　take　that　chance。　We　have　to　get　Sollozzo　right　away。〃
　
　Sonny　was　scratching　his　chin　thoughtfully。　〃You're　right；　kid；〃　he　said。　〃You　got　right　to　the　old　nuts。　We　can't　let　Sollozzo　get　another　crack　at　the　old　man。〃
　
　Hagen　said　quietly；　〃What　about　Captain　McCluskey？〃
　
　Sonny　turned　to　Michael　with　an　odd　little　smile。　〃Yeah；　kid；　what　about　that　tough　police　captain？〃
　
　Michael　said　slowly；　〃OK；　it's　an　extreme。　But　there　are　times　when　the　most　extreme　measures　are　justified。　Let's　think　now　that　we　have　to　kill　McCluskey。　The　way　to　do　it　would　be　to　have　him　heavily　implicated　so　that　it's　not　an　honest　police　captain　doing　his　duty　but　a　crooked　police　official　mixed　up　in　the　rackets　who　got　what　was　ing　to　him；　like　any　crook。　We　have　newspaper　people　on　our　payroll　we　can　give　that　story　to　with　enough　proof　so　that　they　can　back　it　up。　That　should　take　some　of　the　heat　off。　How　does　that　sound？〃　Michael　looked　around　deferentially　to　the　others。　Tessio　and　Clemenza　had　gloomy　faces　and　refused　to　speak。　Sonny　said　with　the　same　odd　smile；　〃Go　on；　kid；　you're　doing　great。　Out　of　the　mouths　of　infants；　as　the　Don　always　used　to　say。　Go　ahead；　Mike；　tell　us　more。〃
　
　Hagen　was　smiling　too　a　little　and　averting　his　head。　Michael　flushed。　〃Well；　they　want　me　to　go　to　a　conference　with　Sollozzo。　It　will　be　me；　Sollozzo　and　McCluskey　all　on　our　own。　Set　up　the　meeting　for　two　days　from　now；　then　get　our　informers　to　find　out　where　the　meeting　will　be　held。　Insist　that　it　has　to　be　a　public　place；　that　I'm　not　going　to　let　them　take　me　into　any　apartments　or　houses。　Let　it　be　a　restaurant　or　a　bar　at　the　height　of　the　dinner　hour；　something　like　that；　so　that　I'll　feel　safe。　They'll　feel　safe　too。　Even　Sollozzo　won't　figure　that　we'll　dare　to　gun　the　captain。　They'll　frisk　me　when　I　meet　them　so　I'll　have　to　be　clean　then；　but　figure　out　a　way　you　can　get　a　weapon　to　me　while　I'm　meeting　them。　Then　I'll　take　both　of　them。〃
　
　All　four　heads　turned　and　stared　at　him。　Clemenza　and　Tessio　were　gravely　astonished。　Hage