Chapter 16 11-1

Police Officer Marco McCluskey sat in his office, brandishing three paper bags full of gambling tickets.He frowned, trying to make out the marks on the lottery.Whether you can recognize the markings on it is a matter of great importance.The gambling tickets in the paper bag had been taken by his commando the night before when they raided the casino run by the Corleone family.Now, that casino owner must buy back those tickets, or every gambler could claim he's won, and the owner could lose his fortune. Police officer McCluskey recognized the markings on these tickets as very important, because he was going to sell them to the casino owner, and he was afraid of being cheated and selling them for less money.If the total value of the bet is fifty thousand dollars, he will get five thousand dollars when he sells it.But if the stakes are large, and the total value of the lottery is $100,000, or even $200,000, the selling price will naturally be correspondingly much higher.McCluskey was twiddling the paper bag, deciding to rip off the boss first and let the casino owner make an offer himself.As long as he bids, the true value of the lottery may be known.

McCluskey sat in the police office and looked at the clock on the wall.When the time came, he should pick up the fat Sollozzo and send him to a meeting with the Corleone family representatives.McCloskey headed to the closet, changed into civilian clothes, and called his wife, saying he wasn't home for dinner tonight and had work outside.He never confides his secrets to his wife.She thought they were living off his police salary, McCluskey amused at the thought, and snorted.His mother thought so too, but she just didn't know what he learned from childhood.His father used practical actions to reveal to him the trick to making money.

His father was a police sergeant sergeant, and he would take his son for a walk around the district every week.McCluskey Sr. would always introduce his six-year-old son to the store owner: "This is my little boy." The store owner would always shake his hand and compliment him sweetly, then open the cash box and take out five or ten dollars to give to Thu.After a day's shopping, little Marco McCloskey felt elated with his pockets full of banknotes.His father's friends liked him very much, and they would give him some money when they saw him.Of course, my father deposited the money in the bank, saying that he would use it when he went to college in the future, but in fact, Xiao Ma could only use half of it at most.

At that time, Marco’s police uncle asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he bit his tongue childishly: “Be a policeman.” They all laughed.So, in the end, even though his father wanted him to go to college, he went to work as a policeman after high school. He was a competent policeman, a brave policeman, and those strong-bodied hooligans who were making trouble in the streets and alleys ran away when they saw him, and finally beat him out of sight.He's a very tough cop and a very fair cop at the same time.He never takes his little boy from shop to shop to shopkeepers looking for gifts and ignores garbage and parking violations; he pockets the fines because he feels It's his earned money.When he patrols on foot, he never sneaks into movie theaters or restaurants like some policemen do. Especially when patrolling at night in winter, he is more loyal to his duty and never runs around.He always walked back and forth according to the prescribed route, and he really made a lot of contributions.When drunks and drunks came from Farm Street to beg him to beat them, he drove them away with his fists and kicks.They suffered a loss, and they would never dare to come again next time.The businessmen in his area appreciated his style and publicly expressed their admiration for him.

He was also very disciplined, and the casino owners in his area knew that he never caused trouble for personal extra money, and he was content with his share of the police department's total hunting.His name was on the same bribe list as other cops, but he never personally extorted money.He is an impartial policeman who only accepts bribes through official channels, so he was promoted in the police station. He raised a large family of four sons, all of whom went to Fordham.Since then, Mark McCluskey has climbed from sergeant sergeant to second lieutenant and finally captain.His family wanted nothing, and it was during this period that McCluskey gained a reputation as a "money grabber."Casino owners in his area paid more for protection than casino owners in any area of ​​the city.Perhaps this was due to the expense of putting four boys through college.

McCloskey sees nothing wrong with making some extra money through official channels.Why should his children go to a county-run junior college or some cheap college in the south?What exactly is this for?Is it because the police station can't afford more money, and their families and children deserve not to be properly taken care of?He defended families with his life; his records show that he was repeatedly honored for taking down robbers, bodyguards, pimps, and, oftentimes, courageously engaged in a couple. One shootout.He beat such people so hard to show their faces.He made his corner of New York City a safe place for ordinary people, and he deserved more than the meager $100 a week he was paid.But he doesn't resent his low salary, because he understands the philosophy that people don't kill themselves.

Bruno Tattaglia was an old friend of his.Bruno also went to Fordham, where he was a classmate of one of his sons.Later, Bruno opened a nightclub, and whenever the McCloskeys occasionally went to the streets for entertainment at night, they ate and drank in the nightclub while enjoying singing and dancing performances.On New Year's Eve, they would receive engraved invitation cards from the manager, and they would be invited to the best table every time. Bruno would introduce them to the celebrities performing in his nightclub every time. Some are famous singers, some are Hollywood stars.Of course, Bruno sometimes asks him for a little favor, like when he wants to hire someone with a dirty history and has to have the stain removed before he can get a license to perform in a bar, usually a pretty girl because it's illegal Prostitution or opportunistic theft and have a file at the police station.McCluskey says yes every time.

McCluskey's strategy: Never appear to understand someone's intentions.When Sollozzo suggested to him that Don Corleone at the hospital should try to be left unprotected, he didn't ask why, just how much.When Sollozzo said $10,000, McCluskey knew the trick.He agreed without hesitation.One of the biggest mob bosses, Corleone has more back doors in politics than any well-connected politician.Anyone who knocked him out would be doing a great deed to the country.McCluskey got his hands on the money first, and then he got the job done.He was furious when he got a call from Sollozzo saying there were still two members of the Corleone family in front of the hospital.It turned out that he locked up all of Tessio's men; he also removed the detective guards from the door of Corleone's ward.But right now, as a principled person, he must return the ten thousand dollars, which he had already calculated and set aside as a fund for his grandson to go to school.So he came to the hospital in that rage and beat Michael Corleone.

However, it is a blessing to lose one's horse.He met Sollozzo at the Tattaglia nightclub, and they struck an even better deal.This time McCluskey still didn't ask any questions, because he knew all the answers.He just settled on how much he was due.It never occurred to him that he was in danger.Anyone would think that it would be too far-fetched for anyone to try to kill a police captain in New York City in a moment of insanity.The toughest member of the gang had to stand obediently and not move if the lowest-level patrolman wanted to slap his face.There is absolutely no advantage in killing the police.This is because: if the police are killed, many desperadoes will be shot dead for resisting arrest or trying to flee the scene.In such a situation, who would dare to stand up and take risks?

McCloskey sighed, ready to go.Blessings never come together, and misfortunes never come singly.His wife's sister had just died after fighting cancer for several years in Ireland, and he had spent a lot of money treating her.Now it's the burial expenses again, and he has to spend more money.His uncle and aunt in Ireland often need some help to maintain their sweet potato farm.Sending money also has another purpose.He does not spare money.He and his wife were treated like a returning king and queen when they returned home.Perhaps next summer they returned home, partly because the war was over, and partly because of the steady flow of extra money.McCluskey told his patrol secretary that he was there wherever he was needed.He has always believed that, personally, there is no need to take any precautions.He could always claim that Sollozzo was an informer he was going to meet.After leaving the police station, he walked a few blocks, hailed a taxi, and drove straight to the house where he had agreed to meet Sollozzo.

Hagen had to make all the arrangements for Michael to leave the United States, get him a fake passport, a seaman's certificate, and book him a berth on an Italian freighter that would berth in the port of Sicily.Several secret envoys were ordered to fly to Sicily on the same day to discuss with the gang leaders in the mountains to prepare a hiding place for him. Sonny arranged for a rock-solid driver to pick up Michael by car so that he could get in the car as soon as he came out of the hotel where the meeting was being held.The chosen driver was Tessio himself, who had actually recommended himself.The selected car looks dilapidated, but the engine on it is very good.The license plate on the car is fake, and it is impossible to trace the owner of the car with this car.This car is dedicated to number one special duty. Michael spent the day with Clemenza, practicing with the miniature pistol.The caliber is only 2.2 mm, and the bullets inside are soft. When punched in, there is only a hole like a pinhole. When it touches the human body, it explodes, leaving a big hole at the exit.He found that the miniature pistol was very accurate when fired five paces away from the target, and the bullets would miss the target any farther away.The trigger was not flexible enough, Clemenza repaired it, and it is much more flexible to pull.When the gun fired, there was a sound, and they decided to let it go, because they wanted to prevent naive bystanders from misunderstanding the situation and intervening rashly out of common man's courage.As soon as the gun is fired, bystanders duck. During the training process, Clemenza has been giving him ideas. "Put the gun away as soon as you've used it. Keep your arm straight against your body and let the gun slide from your hand. That way, no one will notice. People may think the gun is still on you, and it may Stare in your face. You can walk away from the scene quickly, but don't run. Don't look anyone in the eye, but don't look away as if you can't look directly at them. Remember, the bystander is afraid of you; I'm sure the bystander is. No one will intervene. Tessio is waiting for you in the car as soon as you walk out the door.Once you get in the car, you don't care about anything else.He will take care of everything, don't worry about accidents, you will be amazed how well things are going.Now put on this hat and let me see how you look. " After that, he put a gray fedora on Michael's head, and Michael, who never wore a hat, made a face.Clemenza then explained to him the benefits of wearing a hat. "Put on a hat in case anyone recognizes you. When we explain the situation to the witness, the witness will also have an excuse to change the testimony. Remember, Mike, don't worry about fingerprints, the gun stock and trigger are used The special belt is wrapped. You don't touch the rest of the gun. Remember that." Michael said, "Has Sollozzo found out where Sollozzo is taking me?" Clemenza shrugged. "Not yet. Sollozzo is very careful right now, but there is no need to worry that he will hurt you. The contacts are in our hands. If you don't come back, we won't let him go. In case you have any problems, we will Just ask the contact person to settle the account, and he will be responsible." "Then, why did the contact person risk his life like this?" Michael asked. "He's got a lot of money," said Clemenza, "a small fortune. Besides, he's an important figure in the big families. He knows Sollozzo won't let him lose one." Hair. For Sollozzo, your life is not as valuable as the life of the contact, it is as simple as that. You will be safe, but you have to prepare for the worst." "How bad is the situation going to be?" Michael asked. "It's going to be bad enough," Clemenza replied. "That means there's going to be an all-out war, everything the Tattaglias take on the Corleones. Most of the other families are going to side with the Tattaglias. This winter, the Ministry of Health will Lots of dead bodies will be picked up." Saying that, he shrugged his shoulders. "This sort of thing happens every ten years or so, and it's the inevitable result of a certain level of bad feeling built up. If we let people lead us on little things, they'll push us and drive us to the limit. You can't let them have the sweetness in the first place. Just like you shouldn't let Hitler have the sweetness in Munich, you shouldn't let him take advantage of so much at the meeting. Let him take such a big advantage, it is tantamount to Looking for such a big hardship." Michael had heard this historical lesson from his father in 1938, before the war officially broke out.If the big gangster family had presided over the State Department back then, World War II would never have broken out, Michael couldn't help laughing thinking about it. He drove back to the mall, to the old man's house, which Sonny still made his headquarters.Michael wondered how long Sonny would be able to hide in the safety of the mall.At that time, he must venture out.Now Sonny was dozing on the couch.On the coffee table lay the remains of his late lunch: steak scraps, bread crumbs, and a half bottle of whiskey. His father's office, which had always been neat and tidy, was now a mess of furniture.Michael shook his brother awake and said: "What's the matter with you, haven't you changed your lazy habits and tidied up the house?" Sonny yawned and said: "What are you to inspect the barracks? Mike, I haven't found out where they plan to take you. Sollozzo and McCloskey are cunning bastards.If we can't find the place by then, damn it, how can we send you a gun? " "Can't I carry a gun with me?" Michael asked. "Maybe they don't search me. Even if they search me, as long as I hide it cleverly, maybe I won't find it. Taking a step back, even if it is found, it's not a big deal. Just let people take the gun away, and it doesn't matter." Sonny shook his head. "That won't work," he said. "We've got to play it safe this time with the Sollozzo bastard; McCloskey is the stupider one, the slower one, and you'll be fine if you slow him down. Did Clemenza tell you that?" Do you have to throw away the gun?" "Told me a million times," Michael said. Sonny stood up and stretched. "Little ghost, how does your palate feel?" "Felt bad," Michael said. He felt labor pains on the left side of his face and felt numb where the wire was placed.He snatched the whiskey bottle from the table, brought it to his mouth, and swigged it.The pain subsided. Sonny said, "Hang on, Mike, this isn't the time to kill the time with booze." Michael retorted, "Oh, Christ, Sonny's the boss. I'm a battle-hardened man, and I've seen better guys than Sollozzo, and I've been through tougher tests. Does he have a mortar? Does he have any?" Is there air cover? Is there heavy artillery? Is there mines? He's just a nice son of a son of a bitch with a lord policeman to keep him company. Anyone who makes up their minds to kill them will have no trouble. Here's The key is to make up your mind, if they get beaten, they will never know who beat them." Tom Hagen entered.He nodded to them and walked towards the telephone with the false address registered.He made a few phone calls, then shook his head at Sonny. "There's not a single sniff out of it," he said. "Only Sollozzo himself knows the location, and he won't tell anyone else unless it's finally necessary." The phone rang.Sonny answered the phone himself, and though no one in the room was talking, he still held up a hand for silence.As he listened, he took notes on his pad.Then he said, "Okay, he'll be there in due time." After that, he hung up the phone. Sonny laughed loudly: "That son of a bitch, Sollozzo, is really up to something. The arrangement is this: He and Sergeant McCluskey will pick up Mike in front of Jack Dempser's Bar on Broadway at eight o'clock tonight. They'll go to another place for a meeting. Beware. Mike and Sollozzo talk in Italian so the Irishman can't understand what they're talking about. He even told me, don't worry, he knows that McCloskey has nothing but 'coins' He doesn't understand a single Italian word other than this one; and at the same time, he has found out about you, he knows you can understand the Sicilian dialect." Michael said calmly, "I've almost lost the Sicilian dialect, but it doesn't matter, we won't talk for a long time." Tom Hagen reminded: "If the contact person doesn't come, we can't let Mike go. Has the two sides negotiated this?" Clemenza nodded. "The contact was at my house, playing poker with three of my men, and they waited for my call before letting him go." Sonny sat back in the leather upholstered armchair and slouched. "How can we find out where the meeting is now, Tom? Why hasn't our insider in the Tattaglia family sent any information?" Hagen shrugged. "Sollozzo is fucking good, he's playing with his head in his head and no cover. He thinks one officer is enough, one officer is safer and more important than a few guns, that's what he thinks It also makes sense. We must send someone to follow Mike to strive for the best results, but also to prepare for the worst." Sonny shook his head. "It's useless. Anyone who makes up his mind can shake off his tail. Getting rid of his tail must be the top priority for people to implement." It was now five o'clock in the afternoon, and Sonny looked sad and said: "Maybe we should also allow Mike to kill anyone in the car that comes to pick him up." Hagen shook his head and said, "If Sollozzo isn't in the car, then we're in for nothing. Damn, we gotta find out where Sollozzo plans to take Mike." Clemenza interjected, "I guess we should wonder why he's so secretive?" Michael quickly took over and said: "Because there is a lot of risk here, why would he let us know something that he can keep secret from us? Also, he feels that there is danger inside, even if there is a police officer who is always with him, he can't avoid it." Be suspicious." With an idea, Hagen flicked his hand and twirled his fingers at the same time. "That detective, that guy called Phillips. Sonny, why don't you give him a call? Maybe he can find out where the officer is. McCluskey doesn't care who knows where he's going." Sonny grabbed the phone and dialed the number.He whispered something into the microphone and hung up. "He called us back," Sonny said. They waited for about thirty minutes, and the phone rang, and it was Phillips.Sonny made some notes on the pad as he listened, and then hung up.Sonny scowled. "And now we've got it," he said. "Officer McCluskey always leaves a message wherever he goes, so that he can be found. He's scheduled to be in the Blanche tonight from eight to ten o'clock. 'Clear Moon' restaurant in Sri Lanka. Does anyone know about this restaurant?" Tessio said with confidence, "I know that place is ideal. The place is small and divided into rooms, and each room is spacious enough for several people to talk in private. The quality of the food is good. The customers are different It is ideal for people to eat their own food without interfering with each other.” As he spoke, he stood up and leaned against Sonny's desk, made a sketch with a stubbed cigarette butt, pointed and said: "Here's the gate. Mike, when you're done, come out straight out, go left, and turn a corner. As soon as I see you, turn on the headlights and drive slowly, as you walk Get in the car. If you get entangled, just yell, and I'll try to free you. Clemenza, you have to act quickly, and send someone to put the gun in the agreed place. The toilet over there It’s old-fashioned. There’s a gap between the back of the water tank and the wall, so ask your people to tape the gun to the gap behind the water tank. Mike, after you got in the car, they searched you to prove that you didn’t have a gun. They may let their guard down on you. After arriving at the restaurant, wait a while before saying that you need to go to the toilet. Don't panic, it would be better to ask for permission first, and first pretend to be panicked. Naturally. That way, they won't think of going anywhere else. But when you come out of the toilet, don't delay. As soon as you get back to the table, don't sit down and shoot. Don't take it by chance. Steady. Shoot in the head, two shots each, and get out as fast as you can."