mp.godfather-第21部分

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！


expected　Don　Corleone's　alert　reaction。　He　dropped　the　bag　of　fruit　and　darted　toward　the　parked　car　with　startling　quickness　for　a　man　of　his　bulk。　At　the　same　time　he　shouted；　〃Fredo；　Fredo。〃　It　was　only　then　that　the　two　men　drew　their　guns　and　fired。
　
　The　first　bullet　caught　Don　Corleone　in　the　back。　He　felt　the　hammer　shock　of　its　impact　but　made　his　body　move　toward　the　car。　The　next　two　bullets　hit　him　in　the　buttocks　and　sent　him　sprawling　in　the　middle　of　the　street。　Meanwhile　the　two　gunmen；　careful　not　to　slip　on　the　rolling　fruit；　started　to　follow　in　order　to　finish　him　off。　At　that　moment；　perhaps　no　more　than　five　seconds　after　the　Don's　call　to　his　son；　Frederico　Corleone　appeared　out　of　his　car；　looming　over　it。　The　gunmen　fired　two　more　hasty　shots　at　the　Don　lying　in　the　gutter。　One　hit　him　in　the　fleshy　part　of　his　arm　and　the　second　hit　him　in　the　calf　of　his　right　leg。　Though　these　wounds　were　the　least　serious　they　bled　profusely；　forming　small　pools　of　blood　beside　his　body。　But　by　this　time　Don　Corleone　had　lost　consciousness。
　
　Freddie　had　heard　his　father　shout；　calling　him　by　his　childhood　name；　and　then　he　had　heard　the　first　two　loud　reports。　By　the　time　he　got　out　of　the　car　he　was　in　shock；　he　had　not　even　drawn　his　gun。　The　two　assassins　could　easily　have　shot　him　down。　But　they　too　panicked。　They　must　have　known　the　son　was　armed；　and　besides　too　much　time　had　passed。　They　disappeared　around　the　corner；　leaving　Freddie　alone　in　the　street　with　his　father's　bleeding　body。　Many　of　the　people　thronging　the　avenue　had　flung　themselves　into　doorways　or　on　the　ground；　others　had　huddled　together　in　small　groups。
　
　Freddie　still　had　not　drawn　his　weapon。　He　seemed　stunned。　He　stared　down　at　his　father's　body　lying　face　down　on　the　tarred　street；　lying　now　in　what　seemed　to　him　a　blackish　lake　of　blood。　Freddie　went　into　physical　shock。　People　eddied　out　again　and　someone；　seeing　him　start　to　sag；　led　him　to　the　curbstone　and　made　him　sit　down　on　it。　A　crowd　gathered　around　Don　Corleone's　body；　a　circle　that　shattered　when　the　first　police　car　sirened　a　path　through　them。　Directly　behind　the　police　was　the　Daily　News　radio　car　and　even　before　it　stopped　a　photographer　jumped　out　to　snap　pictures　of　the　bleeding　Don　Corleone。　A　few　moments　later　an　ambulance　arrived。　The　photographer　turned　his　attention　to　Freddie　Corleone；　who　was　now　weeping　openly；　and　this　was　a　curiously　ical　sight；　because　of　his　tough；　Cupid…featured　face；　heavy　nose　and　thick　mouth　smeared　with　snot。　Detectives　were　spreading　through　the　crowd　and　more　police　cars　were　ing　up。　One　detective　knelt　beside　Freddie；　questioning　him；　but　Freddie　was　too　deep　in　shock　to　answer。　The　detective　reached　inside　Freddie's　coat　and　lifted　his　wallet。　He　looked　at　the　identification　inside　and　whistled　to　his　partner。　In　just　a　few　seconds　Freddie　had　been　cut　off　from　the　crowd　by　a　flock　of　plainclothesmen。　The　first　detective　found　Freddie's　gun　in　its　shoulder　holster　and　took　it。　Then　they　lifted　Freddie　off　his　feet　and　shoved　him　into　an　unmarked　car。　As　that　car　pulled　away　it　was　followed　by　the　Daily　News　radio　car。　The　photographer　was　still　snapping　pictures　of　everybody　and　everything。
　
　**********
　
　In　the　half　hour　after　the　shooting　of　his　father；　Sonny　Corleone　received　five　phone　calls　in　rapid　succession。　The　first　was　from　Detective　John　Phillips；　who　was　on　the　family　payroll　and　had　been　in　the　lead　car　of　plainclothesmen　at　the　scene　of　the　shooting。　The　first　thing　he　said　to　Sonny　over　the　phone　was；　〃Do　you　recognize　my　voice？〃
　
　〃Yeah；〃　Sonny　said。　He　was　fresh　from　a　nap；　called　to　the　phone　by　his　wife。
　
　Phillips　said　quickly　without　preamble；　〃Somebody　shot　your　father　outside　his　place。　Fifteen　minutes　ago。　He's　alive　but　hurt　bad。　They've　taken　him　to　French　Hospital。　They　got　your　brother　Freddie　down　at　the　Chelsea　precinct。　You　better　get　him　a　doctor　when　they　turn　him　loose。　I'm　going　down　to　the　hospital　now　to　help　question　your　old　man；　if　he　can　talk。　I'll　keep　you　posted。〃
　
　Across　the　table；　Sonny's　wife　Sandra　noticed　that　her　husband's　face　had　gone　red　with　flushing　blood。　His　eyes　were　glazed　over。　She　whispered；　〃What's　the　matter？〃　He　waved　at　her　impatiently　to　shut　up；　swung　his　body　away　so　that　his　back　was　toward　her　and　said　into　the　phone；　〃You　sure　he's　alive？〃
　
　〃Yeah；　I'm　sure；〃　the　detective　said。　〃A　lot　of　blood　but　I　think　maybe　he's　not　as　bad　as　he　looks。〃
　
　〃Thanks；〃　Sonny　said。　〃Be　home　tomorrow　morning　eight　sharp。　You　got　a　grand　ing。〃
　
　Sonny　cradled　the　phone。　He　forced　himself　to　sit　still。　He　knew　that　his　greatest　weakness　was　his　anger　and　this　was　one　time　when　anger　could　be　fatal。　The　first　thing　to　do　was　get　Tom　Hagen。　But　before　he　could　pick　up　the　phone；　it　rang。　The　call　was　from　the　bookmaker　licensed　by　the　Family　to　operate　in　the　district　of　the　Don's　office。　The　bookmaker　had　called　to　tell　him　that　the　Don　had　been　killed；　shot　dead　in　the　street。　After　a　few　questions　to　make　sure　that　the　bookmaker's　informant　had　not　been　close　to　the　body；　Sonny　dismissed　the　information　as　incorrect。　Phillips'　dope　would　be　more　accurate。　The　phone　rang　almost　immediately　a　third　time。　It　was　a　reporter　from　the　Daily　News。　As　soon　as　he　identified　himself；　Sonny　Corleone　hung　up。
　
　He　dialed　Hagen's　house　and　asked　Hagen's　wife；　〃Did　Tom　e　home　yet？〃　She　said；　〃No；〃　that　he　was　not　due　for　another　twenty　minutes　but　she　expected　him　home　for　supper。　〃Have　him　call　me；〃　Sonny　said。
　
　He　tried　to　think　things　out。　He　tried　to　imagine　how　his　father　would　react　in　a　like　situation。　He　had　known　immediately　that　this　was　an　attack　by　Sollozzo；　but　Sollozzo　would　never　have　dared　to　eliminate　so　high…ranking　a　leader　as　the　Don　unless　he　was　backed　by　other　powerful　people。　The　phone；　ringing　for　the　fourth　time；　interrupted　his　thoughts。　The　voice　on　the　other　end　was　very　soft；　very　gentle。　〃Santino　Corleone？〃　it　asked。
　
　〃Yeah；〃　Sonny　said。
　
　〃We　have　Tom　Hagen；〃　the　voice　said。　〃In　about　three　hours　he'll　be　released　with　our　proposition。　Don't　do　anything　rash　until　you've　heard　what　he　has　to　say。　You　can　only　cause　a　lot　of　trouble。　What's　done　is　done。　Everybody　has　to　be　sensible　now。　Don't　lose　that　famous　temper　of　yours。〃　The　voice　was　slightly　mocking。　Sonny　couldn't　be　sure；　but　it　sounded　like　Sollozzo。　He　made　his　voice　sound　muted；　depressed。　〃I'll　wait；〃　he　said。　He　heard　the　receiver　on　the　other　end　click。　He　looked　at　his　heavy　gold…banded　wristwatch　and　noted　the　exact　time　of　the　call　and　jotted　it　down　on　the　tablecloth。
　
　He　sat　at　the　kitchen　table；　frowning。　His　wife　asked；　〃Sonny；　what　is　it？〃　He　told　her　calmly；　〃They　shot　the　old　man。〃　When　he　saw　the　shock　on　her　face　he　said　roughly；　〃Don't　worry；　he's　not　dead。　And　nothing　else　is　going　to　happen。〃　He　did　not　tell　her　about　Hagen。　And　then　the　phone　rang　for　the　fifth　time。
　
　It　was　Clemenza。　The　fat　man's　voice　came　wheezing　over　the　phone　in　gruntlike　gasps。　〃You　hear　about　your　father？〃　he　asked。
　
　〃Yeah。〃　Sonny　said。　〃But　he's　not　dead。〃　There　was　a　long　pause　over　the　phone　and　then　Clemenza's　voice　came　packed　with　emotion；　〃Thank　God；　thank　God。〃　Then　anxiously；　〃You　sure？　I　got　word　he　was　dead　in　the　street。〃
　
　〃He's　alive；〃　Sonny　said。　He　was　listening　intently　to　every　intonation　in　Clemenza's　voice。　The　emotion　had　seemed　genuine　but　it　was　part　of　the　fat　man's　profession　to　be　a　good　actor。
　
　〃You'll　have　to　carry　the　ball；　Sonny；〃　Clemenza　said　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　
　〃Get　over　to　my　father's　house；〃　Sonny　said。　〃Bring　Paulie　Gatto。〃
　
　〃That's　all？〃　Clemenza　asked。　〃Don't　you　want　me　to　send　some　people　to　the　hospital　and　your　place？〃
　
　〃No；　I　just　want　you　and　Paulie　Gatto；〃　Sonny　said。　There　was　a　long　pause。　Clemenza　was　getting　the　message。　To　make　it　a　little　more　natural；　Sonny　asked；　〃Where　the　hell　was　Paulie　anyway？　What　the　hell　was　he　doing？〃
　
　There　was　no　longer　any　wheezing　on　the　other　end　of　the　line。　Clemenza's　voice　was　guarded。　〃Paulie　was　sick；　he　had　a　cold；　so　he　stayed　home。　He's　been　a　little　sick　all　winter。〃
　
　Sonny　was