mp.godfather-第40章

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really　had　to　go；　his　bowels　were　loose。　He　did　it　very　quickly；　then　reached　behind　the　enamel　water　cabinet　until　his　hand　touched　the　small；　blunt…nosed　gun　fastened　with　tape。　He　ripped　the　gun　loose；　remembering　that　Clemenza　had　said　not　to　worry　about　leaving　prints　on　the　tape。　He　shoved　the　gun　into　his　waistband　and　buttoned　his　jacket　over　it。　He　washed　his　hands　and　wet　his　hair。　He　wiped　his　prints　off　the　faucet　with　his　handkerchief。　Then　he　left　the　toilet。
　
　Sollozzo　was　sitting　directly　facing　the　door　of　the　toilet；　his　dark　eyes　blazing　with　alertness。　Michael　gave　a　smile。　〃Now　I　can　talk；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh　of　relief。
　
　Captain　McCluskey　was　eating　the　plate　of　veal　and　spaghetti　that　had　arrived。　The　man　on　the　far　wall　had　been　stiff　with　attention；　now　he　too　relaxed　visibly。
　
　Michael　sat　down　again。　He　remembered　Clemenza　had　told　him　not　to　do　this；　to　e　out　of　the　toilet　and　blaze　away。　But　either　out　of　some　warning　instinct　or　sheer　funk　he　had　not　done　so。　He　had　felt　that　if　he　had　made　one　swift　move　he　would　have　been　cut　down。　Now　he　felt　safe　and　he　must　have　been　scared　because　he　was　glad　he　was　no　longer　standing　on　his　legs。　They　had　gone　weak　with　trembling。
　
　Sollozzo　was　leaning　toward　him。　Michael；　his　belly　covered　by　the　table；　unbuttoned　his　jacket　and　listened　intently。　He　could　not　understand　a　word　the　man　was　saying。　It　was　literally　gibberish　to　him。　His　mind　was　so　filled　with　pounding　blood　that　no　word　registered。　Underneath　the　table　his　right　hand　moved　to　the　gun　tucked　into　his　waistband　and　he　drew　it　free。　At　that　moment　the　waiter　came　to　take　their　order　and　Sollozzo　turned　his　head　to　speak　to　the　waiter。　Michael　thrust　the　table　away　from　him　with　his　left　hand　and　his　right　hand　shoved　the　gun　almost　against　Sollozzo's　head。　The　man's　coordination　was　so　acute　that　he　had　already　begun　to　fling　himself　away　at　Michael's　motion。　But　Michael；　younger；　his　reflexes　sharper；　pulled　the　trigger。　The　bullet　caught　Sollozzo　squarely　between　his　eye　and　his　ear　and　when　it　exited　on　the　other　side　blasted　out　a　huge　gout　of　blood　and　skull　fragments　onto　the　petrified　waiter's　jacket。　Instinctively　Michael　knew　that　one　bullet　was　enough。　Sollozzo　had　turned　his　head　in　that　last　moment　and　he　had　seen　the　light　of　life　die　in　the　man's　eyes　as　clearly　as　a　candle　goes　out。
　
　Only　one　second　had　gone　by　as　Michael　pivoted　to　bring　the　gun　to　bear　on　McCluskey。　The　police　captain　was　staring　at　Sollozzo　with　phlegmatic　surprise；　as　if　this　had　nothing　to　do　with　him。　He　did　not　seem　to　be　aware　of　his　own　danger。　His　veal…covered　fork　was　suspended　in　his　hand　and　his　eyes　were　just　turning　on　Michael。　And　the　expression　on　his　face；　in　his　eyes；　held　such　confident　outrage；　as　if　now　he　expected　Michael　to　surrender　or　to　run　away；　that　Michael　smiled　at　him　as　he　pulled　the　trigger。　This　shot　was　bad；　not　mortal。　It　caught　MeCluskey　in　his　thick　bull…like　throat　and　he　started　to　choke　loudly　as　if　he　had　swallowed　too　large　a　bite　of　the　veal。　Then　the　air　seemed　to　fill　with　a　fine　mist　of　sprayed　blood　as　he　coughed　it　out　of　his　shattered　lungs。　Very　coolly；　very　deliberately；　Michael　fired　the　next　shot　through　the　top　of　his　white…haired　skull。
　
　The　air　seemed　to　be　full　of　pink　mist。　Michael　swung　toward　the　man　sitting　against　the　wall。　This　man　had　not　made　a　move。　He　seemed　paralyzed。　Now　he　carefully　showed　his　hands　on　top　of　the　table　and　looked　away。　The　waiter　was　staggering　back　toward　the　kitchen；　an　expression　of　horror　on　his　face；　staring　at　Michael　in　disbelief。　Sollozzo　was　still　in　his　chair；　the　side　of　his　body　propped　up　by　the　table。　McCluskey；　his　heavy　body　pulling　downward；　had　fallen　off　his　chair　onto　the　floor。　Michael　let　the　gun　slip　out　of　his　hand　so　that　it　bound　off　his　body　and　made　no　noise。　He　saw　that　neither　the　man　against　the　wall　nor　the　waiter　had　noticed　him　dropping　the　gun。　He　strode　the　few　steps　toward　the　door　and　opened　it。　Sollozzo's　car　was　parked　at　the　curb　still；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　the　driver。　Michael　turned　left　and　around　the　corner。　Headlights　flashed　on　and　a　battered　sedan　pulled　up　to　him；　the　door　swinging　open。　He　jumped　in　and　the　car　roared　away。　He　saw　that　it　was　Tessio　at　the　wheel；　his　trim　features　hard　as　marble。
　
　〃Did　you　do　the　job　on　Sollozzo？〃　Tessio　asked。
　
　For　that　moment　Michael　was　struck　by　the　idiom　Tessio　had　used。　It　was　always　used　in　a　sexual　sense；　to　do　the　job　on　a　woman　meant　seducing　her。　It　was　curious　that　Tessio　used　it　now。　〃Both　of　them；〃　Michael　said。
　
　〃Sure？〃　Tessio　asked。
　
　〃I　saw　their　brains；〃　Michael　said。
　
　There　was　a　change　of　clothes　for　Michael　in　the　car。　Twenty　minutes　later　he　was　on　an　Italian　freighter　slated　for　Sicily。　Two　hours　later　the　freighter　put　out　to　sea　and　from　his　cabin　Michael　could　see　the　lights　of　New　York　City　burning　like　the　fires　of　hell。　He　felt　an　enormous　sense　of　relief。　He　was　out　of　it　now。　The　feeling　was　familiar　and　he　remembered　being　taken　off　the　beach　of　an　island　his　Marine　division　had　invaded。　The　battle　had　been　still　going　on　but　he　had　received　a　slight　wound　and　was　being　ferried　back　to　a　hospital　ship。　He　had　felt　the　same　overpowering　relief　then　that　he　felt　now。　All　hell　would　break　loose　but　he　wouldn't　be　there。
　
　**********
　
　On　the　day　after　the　murder　of　Sollozzo　and　Captain　McCluskey；　the　police　captains　and　lieutenants　in　every　station　house　in　New　York　City　sent　out　the　word：　there　would　be　no　more　gambling；　no　more　prostitution；　no　more　deals　of　any　kind　until　the　murderer　of　Captain　McCluskey　was　caught。　Massive　raids　began　all　over　the　city。　All　unlawful　business　activities　came　to　a　standstill。
　
　Later　that　day　an　emissary　from　the　Families　asked　the　Corleone　Family　if　they　were　prepared　to　give　up　the　murderer。　They　were　told　that　the　affair　did　not　concern　them。　That　night　a　bomb　exploded　in　the　Corleone　Family　mall　in　Long　Beach；　thrown　from　a　car　that　pulled　up　to　the　chain；　then　roared　away。　That　night　also　two　button　men　of　the　Corleone　Family　were　killed　as　they　peaceably　ate　their　dinner　in　a　small　Italian　restaurant　in　Greenwich　Village。　The　Five　Families　War　of　1946　had　begun。
　
　Book　Two
　
　Chapter　12
　
　Johnny　Fontane　waved　a　casual　dismissal　to　the　manservant　and　said；　〃See　you　in　the　morning；　Billy。〃　The　colored　butler　bowed　his　way　out　of　the　huge　dining　room…living　room　with　its　view　of　the　Pacific　Ocean。　It　was　a　friendly…goodbye　sort　of　bow；　not　a　servant's　bow；　and　given　only　because　Johnny　Fontane　had　pany　for　dinner。
　
　Johnny's　pany　was　a　girl　named　Sharon　Moore；　a　New　York　City　Greenwich　Village　girl　in　Hollywood　to　try　for　a　small　part　in　a　movie　being　produced　by　an　old　flame　who　had　made　the　big　time。　She　had　visited　the　set　while　Johnny　was　acting　in　the　Woltz　movie。　Johnny　had　found　her　young　and　fresh　and　charming　and　witty；　and　had　asked　her　to　e　to　his　place　for　dinner　that　evening。　His　invitations　to　dinner　were　always　famous　and　had　the　force　of　royalty　and　of　course　she　said　yes。
　
　Sharon　Moore　obviously；　expected　him　to　e　on　very　strong　because　of　his　reputation；　but　Johnny　hated　the　Hollywood　〃piece　of　meat〃　approach。　He　never　slept　with　any　girl　unless　there　was　something　about　her　he　really　liked。　Except；　of　course；　sometimes　when　he　was　very　drunk　and　found　himself　in　bed　with　a　girl　he　didn't　even　remember　meeting　or　seeing　before。　And　now　that　he　was　thirty…five　years　old；　divorced　once；　estranged　from　his　second　wife；　with　maybe　a　thousand　pubic　scalps　dangling　from　his　belt；　he　simply　wasn't　that　eager。　But　there　was　something　about　Sharon　Moore　that　aroused　affection　in　him　and　so　he　had　invited　her　to　dinner。
　
　He　never　ate　much　but　he　knew　young　pretty　girls　ambitiously　starved　themselves　for　pretty　clothes　and　were　usually　big　eaters　on　a　date　so　there　was　plenty　of　food　on　the　table。　There　was　also　plenty　of　liquor；　champagne　in　a　bucket；　scotch；　rye；　brandy　and　liqueurs　on　the　sideboard。　Johnny　served　the　drinks　and　the　plates　of　food　already　prepared。　When　they　had　finished　eating　he　led　her　into　the　huge　living　room　with　its　glass　wall　that　looked