mp.godfather-第56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！


as　a　little　bigger　and　a　little　heavier。　But　what　scared　him　was　Sonny's　rep；　though　he　himself　had　never　seen　Sonny　anything　but　good…natured　and　kidding　around。　Yeah；　Sonny　was　his　buddy。　Maybe　with　the　old　Don　gone；　things　would　open　up。
　
　He　dawdled　over　his　coffee。　He　hated　this　apartment。　He　was　used　to　the　bigger　living　quarters　of　the　West　and　in　a　little　while　he　would　have　to　go　crosstown　to　his　〃book〃　to　run　the　noontime　action。　It　was　a　Sunday；　the　heaviest　action　of　the　week；　what　with　baseball　going　already　and　the　tail　end　of　basketball　and　the　night　trotters　starting　up。　Gradually　he　became　aware　of　Connie　bustling　around　behind　him　and　he　turned　his　head　to　watch　her。
　
　She　was　getting　dressed　up　in　the　real　New　York　City　guinzo　style　that　he　hated。　A　silk　flowered…pattern　dress　with　belt；　showy　bracelet　and　earrings；　flouncy　sleeves。　She　looked　twenty　years　older。　〃Where　the　hell　are　you　going？〃　he　asked。
　
　She；　answered　him　coldly；　〃To　see　my　father　out　in　Long　Beach。　He　still　can't　get　out　of　bed　and　he　needs　pany。〃
　
　Carlo　was　curious。　〃Is　Sonny　still　running　the　show？〃
　
　Connie　gave　him　a　bland　look。　〃What　show？〃
　
　He　was　furious。　〃You　lousy　little　guinea　bitch；　don't　talk　to　me　like　that　or　I'll　beat　that　kid　right　out　of　your　belly。〃　She　looked　frightened　and　this　enraged　him　even　more。　He　sprang　from　his　chair　and　slapped　her　across　the　face；　the　blow　leaving　a　red　welt。　With　quick　precision　he　slapped　her　three　more　times。　He　saw　her　upper　lip　split　bloody　and　puff　up。　That　stopped　him。　He　didn't　want　to　leave　a　mark。　She　ran　into　the　bedroom　and　slammed　the　door　and　he　heard　the　key　turning　in　the　lock。　He　laughed　and　returned　to　his　coffee。
　
　He　smoked　until　it　was　time　for　him　to　dress。　He　knocked　on　the　door　and　said；　〃Open　it　up　before　I　kick　it　in。〃　There　was　no　answer。　〃e　on；　I　gotta　get　dressed；〃　he　said　in　a　loud　voice。　He　could　hear　her　getting　up　off　the　bed　and　ing　toward　the　door；　then　the　key　turned　in　the　lock。　When　he　entered　she　had　her　back　to　him；　walking　back　toward　the　bed；　lying　down　on　it　with　her　face　turned　away　to　the　wall。
　
　He　dressed　quickly　and　then　saw　she　was　in　her　slip。　He　wanted　her　to　go　visit　her　father；　he　hoped　she　would　bring　back　information。　〃What's　the　matter；　a　few　slaps　take　all　the　energy　out　of　you？〃　She　was　a　lazy　slut。
　
　〃I　don't　wanna　go。〃　Her　voice　was　tearful；　the　words　mumbled。　He　reached　out　impatiently　and　pulled　her　around　to　face　him。　And　then　he　saw　why　she　didn't　want　to　go　and　thought　maybe　it　was　just　as　well。
　
　He　must　have　slapped　her　harder　than　he　figured。　Her　left　cheek　was　blown　up；　the　cut　upper　lip　ballooned　grotesquely　puffy　and　white　beneath　her　nose。　〃OK；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　won't　be　home　until　late。　Sunday　is　my　busy　day。〃
　
　He　left　the　apartment　and　found　a　parking　ticket　on　his　car；　a　fifteen…dollar　green　one。　He　put　it　in　the　glove　partment　with　the　stack　of　others。　He　was　in　a　good　humor。　Slapping　the　spoiled　little　bitch　around　always　made　him　feel　good。　It　dissolved　some　of　the　frustration　he　felt　at　being　treated　so　badly　by　the　Corleones。
　
　The　first　time　he　had　marked　her　up；　he'd　been　a　little　worried。　She　had　gone　right　out　to　Long　Beach　to　plain　to　her　mother　and　father　and　to　show　her　black　eye。　He　had　really　sweated　it　out。　But　when　she　came　back　she　had　been　surprisingly　meek；　the　dutiful　little　Italian　wife。　He　had　made　it　a　point　to　be　the　perfect　husband　over　the　next　few　weeks；　treating　her　well　in　every　way；　being　lovey　and　nice　with　her；　banging　her　every　day；　morning　and　night。　Finally　she　had　told　him　what　had　happened　since　she　thought　he　would　never　act　that　way　again。
　
　She　had　found　her　parents　coolly　unsympathetic　and　curiously　amused。　Her　mother　had　had　a　little　sympathy　and　had　even　asked　her　father　to　speak　to　Carlo　Rizzi。　Her　father　had　refused。　〃She　is　my　daughter；〃　he　had　said；　〃but　now　she　belongs　to　her　husband。　He　knows　his　duties。　Even　the　King　of　Italy　didn't　dare　to　meddle　with　the　relationship　of　husband　and　wife。　Go　home　and　learn　how　to　behave　so　that　he　will　not　beat　you。〃
　
　Connie　had　said　angrily　to　her　father；　〃Did　you　ever　hit　your　wife？〃　She　was　his　favorite　and　could　speak　to　him　so　impudently。　He　had　answered；　〃She　never　gave　me　reason　to　beat　her。〃　And　her　mother　had　nodded　and　smiled。
　
　She　told　them　how　her　husband　had　taken　the　wedding　present　money　and　never　told　her　what　he　did　with　it。　Her　father　had　shrugged　and　said；　〃I　would　have　done　the　same　if　my　wife　had　been　as　presumptuous　as　you。〃
　
　And　so　she　had　returned　home；　a　tittle　bewildered；　a　little　frightened。　She　had　always　been　her　father's　favorite　and　she　could　not　understand　his　coldness　now。
　
　But　the　Don　had　not　been　so　unsympathetic　as　he　pretended。　He　made　inquiries　and　found　out　what　Carlo　Rizzi　had　done　with　the　wedding　present　money。　He　had　men　assigned　to　Carlo　Rizzi's　bookmaking　operation　who　would　report　to　Hagen　everything　Rizzi　did　on　the　job。　But　the　Don　could　not　interfere。　How　expect　a　man　to　discharge　his　husbandly　duties　to　a　wife　whose　family　he　feared？　It　was　an　impossible　situation　and　he　dared　not　meddle。　Then　when　Connie　became　pregnant　he　was　convinced　of　the　wisdom　of　his　decision　and　felt　he　never　could　interfere　though　Connie　plained　to　her　mother　about　a　few　more　beatings　and　the　mother　finally　became　concerned　enough　to　mention　it　to　the　Don。　Connie　even　hinted　that　she　might　want　a　divorce。　For　the　first　time　in　her　life　the　Don　was　angry　with　her。　〃He　is　the　father　of　your　child。　What　can　a　child　e　to　in　this　world　if　he　has　no　father？〃　he　said　to　Connie。
　
　Learning　all　this；　Carlo　Rizzi　grew　confident。　He　was　perfectly　safe。　In　fact　he　bragged　to　his　two　〃writers〃　on　the　book；　Sally　Rags　and　Coach；　about　how　he　bounced　his　wife　around　when　she　got　snotty　and　saw　their　looks　of　respect　that　he　had　the　guts　to　manhandle　the　daughter　of　the　great　Don　Corleone。
　
　But　Rizzi　would　not　have　felt　so　safe　if　he　had　known　that　when　Sonny　Cotleone　learned　of　the　beatings　he　had　flown　into　a　murderous　rage　and　had　been　restrained　only　by　the　sternest　and　most　imperious　mand　of　the　Don　himself；　a　mand　that　even　Sonny　dared　not　disobey。　Which　was　why　Sonny　avoided　Rizzi；　not　trusting　himself　to　control　his　temper。
　
　So　feeling　perfectly　safe　on　this　beautiful　Sunday　morning；　Carlo　Rizzi　sped　crosstown　on　96th　Street　to　the　East　Side。　He　did　not　see　Sonny's　car　ing　the　opposite　way　toward　his　house。
　
　**********
　
　Sonny　Corleone　had　left　the　protection　of　the　mall　and　spent　the　night　with　Lucy　Mancini　in　town。　Now　on　the　way　home　he　was　traveling　with　four　bodyguards；　two　in　front　and　two　behind。　He　didn't　need　guards　right　beside　him；　he　could　take　care　of　a　single　direct　assault。　The　other　men　traveled　in　their　own　cars　and　had　apartments　on　either　side　of　Lucy's　apartment。　It　was　safe　to　visit　her　as　long　as　he　didn't　do　it　too　often。　But　now　that　he　was　in　town　he　figured　he　would　pick　up　his　sister　Connie　and　take　her　out　to　Long　Beach。　He　knew　Carlo　would　be　working　at　his　book　and　the　cheap　bastard　wouldn't　get　her　a　car。　So　he'd　give　his　sister　a　lift　out。
　
　He　waited　for　the　two　men　in　front　to　go　into　the　building　and　then　followed　them。　He　saw　the　two　men　in　back　pull　up　behind　his　car　and　get　out　to　watch　the　streets。　He　kept　his　own　eyes　open。　It　was　a　million…to…one　shot　that　the　opposition　even　knew　he　was　in　town　but　he　was　always　careful。　He　had　learned　that　in　the　1930's　war。
　
　He　never　used　elevators。　They　were　death　traps。　He　climbed　the　eight　flights　to　Connie's　apartment；　going　fast。　He　knocked　on　her　door。　He　had　seen　Carlo's　car　go　by　and　knew　she　would　be　alone。　There　was　no　answer。　He　knocked　again　and　then　he　heard　his　sister's　voice；　frightened；　timid；　asking；　〃Who　is　it？〃
　
　The　fright　in　the　voice　stunned　him。　His　kid　sister　had　always　been　fresh　and　snotty；　tough　as　anybody　in　the　family。　What　the　hell　had　happened　to　her？　He　said；　〃It's　Sonny。〃　The　bolt　inside　slid　back　and　the　door　opened　and　Connie　was　in　his　arms　sobbing。　He　was　so　surprised　he　just　stood　there。　He　pushed　her　away　from　him　and　saw　her　swollen　face　and　he　understood　what　had　happened。
　
　He　pulled　away　from　her　to　run　down　the　stairs　and　go　after　her　husband。　Rage　flamed　up　in　him；　contorting　his　own　face。　Connie　saw　the　rage　and　clung　to　him；　not　letting　him　go；　making　him　e　into　the　apartment。　She　was　weeping　out　of　terror　now。　She　knew　her　older　brother's　temper　and　feared　it。　She　had　never　plained　to　him　about　Carlo　for　that　reason。　Now　she　made　him　e　into　the　apartment　with　her。
　
　〃It　was　my　fault；〃　she　said。　〃I　started　a　fight　with　him　and　I　tried　to　hit　him　so　he　hit　me。　He　really　didn't　try　to　hit　me　that　hard。　I　walked　into　it。〃
　
　Sonny's　heavy　Cupid　face　was　under　control。　〃You　going　to　see　the　old　man　today？〃
　
　She　didn't　answer；　so　he　added；　〃I　thought　you　were；　so　I　dropped　over　to　give　you　a　lift。　I　was　in　the　city　anyway。〃
　
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　want　them　to　see　me　this　way。　I'll　e　next　week。〃
　
　〃OK；〃　Sonny　said。　He　picked　up　her　kitchen　phone　and　dialed　a　number。　〃I'm　getting　a　doctor　to　e　over　here　and　take　a　look　at　you　and　fix　you　up。　In