mp.godfather-第61部分

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wspaper　had　said　it　was　part　of　the　gang　war　involving　the　Corleone　Family。
　
　Kay　shook　her　head。　〃No；　the　last　time　I　saw　him　he　was　going　to　see　his　father　in　the　hospital。　That　was　perhaps　a　month　ago。〃
　
　The　other　detective　said　in　a　harsh　voice；　〃We　know　all　about　that　meeting。　Have　you　seen　or　heard　from　him　since　then？〃
　
　〃No；〃　Kay　said。
　
　Detective　Phillips　said　in　a　polite　voice；　〃If　you　do　have　contact　with　him　we'd　like　you　to　let　us　know。　It's　very　important　we　get　to　talk　to　Michael　Corleone。　I　must　warn　you　that　if　you　do　have　contact　with　him　you　may　be　getting　involved　in　a　very　dangerous　situation。　If　you　help　him　in　any　way；　you　may　get　yourself　in　very　serious　trouble。〃
　
　Kay　sat　up　very　straight　in　the　chair。　〃Why　shouldn't　I　help　him？〃　she　asked。　〃We're　going　to　be　married；　married　people　help　each　other。〃
　
　It　was　Detective　Siriani　who　answered　her。　〃If　you　help；　you　may　be　an　accessory　to　murder。　We're　looking　for　your　boy　friend　because　he　killed　a　police　captain　in　New　York　plus　an　informer　the　police　officer　was　contacting。　We　know　Michael　Corleone　is　the　person　who　did　the　shooting。〃
　
　Kay　laughed。　Her　laughter　was　so　unaffected；　so　incredulous；　that　the　officers　were　impressed。　〃Mike　wouldn't　do　anything　like　that；〃　she　said。　〃He　never　had　anything　to　do　with　his　family。　When　we　went　to　his　sister's　wedding　it　was　obvious　that　he　was　treated　as　an　outsider；　almost　as　much　as　I　was。　If　he's　hiding　now　it's　just　so　that　he　won't　get　any　publicity；　so　his　name　won't　be　dragged　through　all　this。　Mike　is　not　a　gangster。　I　know　him　better　than　you　or　anybody　else　can　know　him。　He　is　too　nice　a　man　to　do　anything　as　despicable　as　murder。　He　is　the　most　law…abiding　person　I　know；　and　I've　never　known　him　to　lie。〃
　
　Detective　Phillips　asked　gentiy；　〃How　long　have　you　known　him？〃
　
　〃Over　a　year；〃　Kay　said　and　was　surprised　when　the　two　men　smiled。
　
　〃I　think　there　are　a　few　things　you　should　know；〃　Detective　Phillips　said。　〃On　the　night　he　left　you；　he　went　to　the　hospital。　When　he　came　out　he　got　into　an　argument　with　a　police　captain　who　had　e　to　the　hospital　on　official　business。　He　assaulted　that　police　officer　but　got　the　worst　of　it。　In　fact　he　got　a　broken　jaw　and　lost　some　teeth。　His　friends　took　him　out　to　the　Corleone　Family　houses　at　Long　Beach。　The　following　night　the　police　captain　he　had　the　fight　with　was　gunned　down　and　Michael　Corleone　disappeared。　Vanished。　We　have　our　contacts；　our　informers。　They　all　point　the　finger　at　Michael　Corleone　but　we　have　no　evidence　for　a　court　of　law。　The　waiter　who　witnessed　the　shooting　doesn't　recognize　a　picture　of　Mike　but　he　may　recognize　him　in　person。　And　we　have　Sollozzo's　driver；　who　refuses　to　talk；　but　we　might　make　him　talk　if　we　have　Michael　Corleone　in　our　hands。　So　we　have　all　our　people　looking　for　him；　the　FBI　is　looking　for　him；　everybody　is　looking　for　him。　So　far；　no　luck；　so　we　thought　you　might　be　able　to　give　us　a　lead。〃
　
　Kay　said　coldly；　〃I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。〃　But　she　felt　a　bit　sick　knowing　the　part　about　Mike　getting　his　jaw　broken　must　be　true。　Not　that　that　would　make　Mike　mit　murder。
　
　〃Will　you　let　us　know　if　Mike　contacts　you？〃　Phillips　asked。
　
　Kay　shook　her　head。　The　other　detective；　Siriani；　said　roughly；　〃We　know　you　two　have　been　shacking　up　together。　We　have　the　hotel　records　and　witnesses。　If　we　let　that　information　slip　to　the　newspapers　your　father　and　mother　would　feel　pretty　lousy。　Real　respectable　people　like　them　wouldn't　think　much　of　a　daughter　shacking　up　with　a　gangster。　If　you　don't　e　clean　right　now　I'll　call　your　old　man　in　here　and　give　it　to　him　straight。〃
　
　Kay　looked　at　him　with　astonishment。　Then　she　got　up　and　went　to　the　door　of　the　study　and　opened　it。　She　could　see　her　father　standing　at　the　living…room　window；　sucking　at　his　pipe。　She　called　out；　〃Dad；　can　you　join　us？〃　He　turned；　smiled　at　her；　and　walked　to　the　study。　When　he　came　through　the　door　he　put　his　arm　around　his　daughter's　waist　and　faced　the　detectives　and　said；　〃Yes；　gentlemen？〃
　
　When　they　didn't　answer；　Kay　said　coolly　to　Detective　Siriani；　〃Give　it　to　him　straight；　officer。〃
　
　Siriani　flushed。　〃Mr。　Adams；　I'm　telling　you　this　for　your　daughter's　good。　She　is　mixed　up　with　a　hoodlum　we　have　reason　to　believe　mitted　a　murder　on　a　police　officer。　I'm　just　telling　her　she　can　get　into　serious　trouble　unless　she　cooperates　with　us。　But　she　doesn't　seem　to　realize　how　serious　this　whole　matter　is。　Maybe　you　can　talk　to　her。〃
　
　〃That　is　quite　incredible；〃　Mr。　Adams　said　politely。
　
　Siriani　jutted　his　jaw。　〃Your　daughter　and　Michael　Corleone　have　been　going　out　together　for　over　a　year。　They　have　stayed　overnight　in　hotels　together　registered　as　man　and　wife。　Michael　Corleone　is　wanted　for　questioning　in　the　murder　of　a　police　officer。　Your　daughter　refuses　to　give　us　any　information　that　may　help　us。　Those　are　the　facts。　You　can　call　them　incredible　but　I　can　back　everything　up。〃
　
　〃I　don't　doubt　your　word；　sir；〃　Mr。　Adams　said　gently。　〃What　I　find　incredible　is　that　my　daughter　could　be　in　serious　trouble。　Unless　you're　suggesting　that　she　is　a〃…　here　his　face　became　one　of　scholarly　doubt…　〃a　'moll；'　I　believe　it's　called。〃
　
　Kay　looked　at　her　father　in　astonishment。　She　knew　he　was　being　playful　in　his　donnish　way　and　she　was　surprised　that　he　could　take　the　whole　affair　so　lightly。
　
　Mr。　Adams　said　firmly；　〃However；　rest　assured　that　if　the　young　man　shows　his　face　here　I　shall　immediately　report　his　presence　to　the　authorities。　As　will　my　daughter。　Now；　if　you　will　forgive　us；　our　lunch　is　growing　cold。〃
　
　He　ushered　the　men　out　of　the　house　with　every　courtesy　and　closed　the　door　on　their　backs　gently　but　firmly。　He　took　Kay　by　the　arm　and　led　her　toward　the　kitchen　far　in　the　rear　of　the　house；　〃e；　my　dear；　your　mother　is　waiting　lunch　for　us。〃
　
　By　the　time　they　reached　the　kitchen；　Kay　was　weeping　silently；　out　of　relief　from　strain；　at　her　father's　unquestioning　affection。　In　the　kitchen　her　mother　took　no　notice　of　her　weeping；　and　Kay　realized　that　her　father　must　have　told　her　about　the　two　detectives。　She　sat　down　at　her　place　and　her　mother　served　her　silently。　When　all　three　were　at　the　table　her　father　said　grace　with　bowed　head。
　
　Mrs。　Adams　was　a　short　stout　woman　always　neatly　dressed；　hair　always　set。　Kay　had　never　seen　her　in　disarray。　Her　mother　too　had　always　been　a　little　disinterested　in　her；　holding　her　at　arm's　length。　And　she　did　so　now。　〃Kay；　stop　being　so　dramatic。　I'm　sure　it's　all　a　great　deal　of　fuss　about　nothing　at　all。　After　all；　the　boy　was　a　Dartmouth　boy；　he　couldn't　possibly　be　mixed　up　in　anything　so　sordid。〃
　
　Kay　looked　up　in　surprise。　〃How　did　you　know　Mike　went　to　Dartmouth？〃
　
　Her　mother　said　placently；　〃You　young　people　are　so　mysterious；　you　think　you're　so　clever。　We've　known　about　him　all　along；　but　of　course　we　couldn't　bring　it　up　until　you　did。〃
　
　〃But　how　did　you　know？〃　Kay　asked。　She　still　couldn't　face　her　father　now　that　he　knew　about　her　and　Mike　sleeping　together。　So　she　didn't　see　the　smile　on　his　face　when　he　said；　〃We　opened　your　mail；　of　course。〃
　
　Kay　was　horrified　and　angry。　Now　she　could　face　him。　What　he　had　done　was　more　shameful　than　her　own　sin。　She　could　never　believe　it　of　him。　〃Father；　you　didn't；　you　couldn't　have。〃
　
　Mr。　Adams　smiled　at　her。　〃I　debated　which　was　the　greater　sin；　opening　your　mail；　or　going　in　ignorance　of　some　hazard　my　only　child　might　be　incurring。　The　choice　was　simple；　and　virtuous。〃
　
　Mrs。　Adams　said　between　mouthfuls　of　boiled　chicken；　〃After　all；　my　dear；　you　are　terribly　innocent　for　your　age。　We　had　to　be　aware。　And　you　never　spoke　about　him。〃
　
　For　the　first　time　Kay　was　grateful　that　Michael　was　never　affectionate　in　his　letters。　She　was　grateful　that　her　parents　hadn't　seen　some　of　her　letters。　〃I　never　told　you　about　him　because　I　thought　you'd　be　horrified　about　his　family。〃
　
　〃We　were；〃　Mr。　Adams　said　cheerfully。　〃By　the　way；　has　Michael　gotten　in　touch　with　you？〃
　
　Kay　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　believe　he's　guilty　of　anything。〃
　
　She　saw　her　parents　exchange　a　glan