Chapter 29 19-2

The causeway was poorly lit and not even a car.Far ahead, he saw a white conical hut managing the toll booth, and there were several toll booth huts beside it, but these huts were only open during the day when there were many vehicles and pedestrians. Someone is guarding.Sonny fumbled for some change in his pocket as he slowly thanked him.He had no change, so he took out his wallet and took out a large bill from it.He drove the car into the well-lit, vaulted passage.What surprised him was that the truck blocked the narrow channel set up by the toll booth, and the driver was obviously asking the toll collector something.Sonny honked the horn, and the car moved obediently forward, allowing his car to follow the narrow passage.

Sonny handed the big bill to the toll collector and waited for change.At this moment, he took the opportunity to hastily close the window, the Atlantic night wind) Hey, Yu Automobile Imperial Merchant was also very cold; but, the toll collector took the change in his hand and fumbled) Actually the change fell, When the toll collector bent down to pick up the money, his head and body were gone. '" Now Sonny noticed that the car wasn't going straight ahead, but was parked a few feet ahead, still blocking the road, and at the same time he caught a glimpse of the unlit toll-booth shack on the right still hiding behind them. J person; "However, he didn't have time to think about this. Before he said it, a car suddenly stopped in front of him, and two people got out of it and walked towards him. The toll collector was still missing. He suddenly realized : I can't live. At this moment, his mind is clear / Zai arc's brutality is completely exhausted, as if the last, real danger that appeared before him has purified him.

Even so, his tall body immediately reacted instinctively to escape from death, and quickly rushed to the car door and broke the lock.The man in the dark suddenly opened fire, and the bullet hit Sonny Corleone in the head and neck just as his tall body was about to rush out of the car door.At this time, the two people in front also raised their guns, and the man hiding in the dark cabin stopped shooting.Sonny fell on the asphalt, half of his leg still in the car door.The two men fired at Sonny's body again, then kicked him in the face.They kicked him in the face even more in disgrace, just to leave traces of vengeful brutality.

Seconds later, the four men—the three assassins and the phony toll collector—were all in their car and headed across to the Grass Creek Parkway on Jones Beach.And the pursuers from behind were blocked: Sonny's car and his body blocked the narrow passage in front of the toll booth.Minutes later, Sonny's bodyguards arrived at the scene and found Sonny's body lying there, with no intention of pursuing the killer.They drove around in the car and returned to Boracay.At the first payphone station not far from the causeway, one of them jumped down and called Tom Hagen.His report was very short and crisp.

"Sonny was shot at the Jones Beach Causeway Tollbooth." Hagen's voice was also very calm. "Got it," he said. "Go to Clemenza's house. Tell him to come here right away and he'll give you a mission." Hagen answered the phone from the kitchen, where Mrs. Corleone was busily preparing a quick meal for her daughter.He kept his countenance the same; the old lady could not see that any trouble had happened.If she had the heart, she could have sensed it, but she lived with the old man for a long time, and realized a truth, that is: it is a wiser attitude not to meddle in other people's business, and not to watch his face.If there is something she needs to know, people will tell her in time; if there is something that she should not know, it is fine for her not to know.She felt at ease not to share the pain of the men in the family.Then again, do men share the pain of women?She brews her coffee and sets the table with no expression.As far as her experience is concerned, mental pain and fear cannot reduce physical hunger, and eating can reduce pain.If the doctor tried to calm her down with drugs, she would fly into a fit of rage.This is of course because she has been influenced by relatively primitive culture since she was a child.

And so she let Tom Hagen slip away, into his corner conference room.As soon as he entered the conference room, Hagen began to tremble all over, very violently.He had to sit down with his legs clamped tightly, his shoulders shrugged and shrunk, and his head seemed to sink in between them.The hands are clasped together between the knees, as if praying to the devil. At this time, he knew that he was not worthy to be a family adviser during the war.He was deceived, fooled, and fascinated by the timid appearance of the five big families.They have been silent for a long time, but they have been laying out terrible traps.People are strategizing, waiting for the opportunity, and they will not show their blood when they are provoked at will.People are biding their time to deliver a blow that will knock you down.Such an opportunity has finally arrived.The old staff officer Genco Abbandan would never suffer such a disadvantage. Even if the mice were hiding in the hole and plotting tricks, he would find out in time and smoke them out with smoke, and at the same time he would be more vigilant.Thinking of this, Hagen was very sad.Sang Fan is his brother and his savior.Sonny had been his hero when they were little children.Sonny had never abused him or threatened him, but had always treated him with love.Sollozzo hugged him when Sollozzo let him out.Sonny's joy at that reunion was genuine.It seemed to Hagen that there was no logical necessity for Sonny to grow up and become a ruthless, murderous man.

The reason he had slipped out of the kitchen was because he must not tell Mrs. Corleone the sad news of his son's death.He had never felt that she was his mother, but he had felt that the Don was his father and Sonny his brother.He felt for her what he felt for Freddie and Michael and Connie.This kind of affection is usually friendly, but it lacks the affection of a loving person.However, he still couldn't bear to confide the bad news to her.In a few short months, she had lost all her sons: Freddie had gone into exile in Nevada; Michael had hid in the west to save his life; and now Sonny was dead.Which of the thirty sons did she love the most?She can't see it at all in her usual behavior.

After only a few minutes, Hagen calmed down and grabbed the phone.He dialed Connie's phone number, and the phone rang for a long time before hearing Connie's whispering voice. Hei said gently to her, "Connie, this is Tom, wake up your husband, I have something to say to him." Connie said in a low, frightened voice, "Is Sonny coming here, Tom? "No," said Hagen. "Sonny isn't coming to you, don't you worry. Wake Carlo up and say I have something very important to tell him." Connie said, "Tom, he just hit me, and I'm afraid. If he knows I called my mother's, he'll hit me again."

Hagen said softly to him, "He won't hit you anymore. He'll talk to me and I'll talk to him and everything will be fine. Just tell him he has to answer the phone. That's it, okay?" " It was almost five minutes before Carlo's voice was heard on the phone, a voice muffled by whiskey and drowsiness, Hagen speaking harshly to keep him focused. "Listen, Carlo," he said, "I'm going to tell you some terrible news, and you've got to get ready now, because when I tell you that news, I want you to answer me in a very casual tone. , it doesn't seem so shocking. I told Connie that it was very important, so you had to make up a story and coax her. You just told her that the family decided that you should move to the mall, and that There's an important job for you. And the old man has finally decided to give you a chance to make things better for both of you. Do you understand?"

There was a hopeful tone in Carlo's voice when he replied, "Yes, yes." Hagen continued, "In a few minutes, two of my guys will be knocking on your door and trying to take you away. Just tell them I want them to call me first, and don't say anything else. .I'll instruct them to keep you at home with Connie. Is that all right?" "Yes, yes, I see," Carlo said.His voice was excited.The tense tone in Hagen's voice seemed to have finally concentrated his energy, and he had a premonition that the news to be said next was very important. Hagen cut to the chase and said, "Sonny was shot tonight and it's a secret. Connie called him while you were asleep, and he was ambushed on his way to your place. , but I don't want her to know that, and even if she guesses, I don't want her to know with certainty. She'll think it's all her fault. Now I want you to be with her tonight, but there's nothing about it. Don't tell her. I want you to reconcile with her and be a perfect husband who loves his wife. And I want you to remain a good husband at least until she gives birth to the baby. I'll find someone else for Kang in the morning Ni said, her elder brother was beaten to death, and this person may be you, the old man, or her mother. In addition, I want you to stay by her side, promise me this request, and I will take care of you in the future, you understand?"

Carlo's voice trembled. "I'll do it, Tom. I'll do it. Listen to me. I've been on good terms with you. I appreciate you, understand?" "I understand," said Hagen, "no one will accuse you of fighting with Connie and making this a mess, and you don't have to worry about it. I'm responsible." He paused for a moment, then said softly and encouragingly. , "Right now, cheer up and care about Connie." After that, he hung up the phone. He had learned the virtue of not threatening, the old man had taught him, but Carlo read the implication correctly, and he was now a narrow escape. Hagen called again, this time to Tessio, and told him to get to Long Beach Boulevard immediately.He didn't give a reason, and Tessio didn't ask.Hagen sighed, and now the scene he feared the most was about to be revealed. He must wake up the old man from the drugged stupor and explain to the most beloved person in the world: He has failed his commission and failed to protect his country and the life of his eldest son. He must explain to the old man: unless He took part in the command battle while sick, otherwise everything would be lost.Hagen never deluded himself, and only the great old man himself could have wrought a stalemate out of such a fiasco.Hagen didn't even bother to ask the doctor's opinion, because it would be a waste of time to ask a doctor's opinion.Regardless of the doctor's prohibition, he must also tell the news to his adoptive father, and die with him.As for what the old man will do, it is of course conceivable and beyond doubt.The old man must know the news, and he must take command in person to fight the battle, or order Hagen to surrender to the five families and hand over the power of the Corleone family to them. But Hagen, despite his utter devotion, felt chills.He tried his best to be mentally prepared, first of all to be calm, and to examine his crimes from all angles.Too much blaming can only add to the old man's grief.He counted his various shortcomings as a wartime staff officer, which could only prompt the old man to blame himself for his misjudgment, and actually chose such an incompetent person to take on such an important position. Hagen deeply felt that he had to tell the truth, put forward his own analysis, what should be done to save the day, and then listened attentively.If the old man asked him to confess, he confessed honestly; if the old man welcomed his sorrow, he confessed his difficulties honestly and nakedly. Hagen looked up as soon as he heard the rumble of the engine. Several cars were approaching the mall.The commanders were approaching, and he intended to brief them first before going upstairs to wake Don Corleone.He stood up, went to the wine cabinet by the desk, took out a glass and a bottle of wine, he stood there like a ghost, he couldn't even pour the wine into the glass, he heard the door behind him. It closed softly, and looking back, it was Don Corleone, fully dressed for the first time since he had been shot. The old man walked down the hall and sat down in front of his big leather chair.His gait was a little stiff, and his clothes seemed a little baggy, as if they were hanging loosely.But to Hagen, he was just as he always was.His face was firm, showing the same power and toughness as before.He sat up straight in the armchair and said to Hagen, "Give me some anisette." Hagen took the bottle and poured them each a glass of fiery red anisette, slightly licorice.It was a home-made wine favored by peasants, much stronger than the ones sold in the tavern, and the old man's house wine was a gift from an old friend.This old friend sends a truckload of such wine to the old man every year. "My wife was crying until she fell asleep," said Don Corleone. "I looked out of the window and saw some of my headquarters coming into the house, but it's midnight, so my staff , I think you should truthfully report to your old man what everyone already knows." Hagen took his time and said, "I didn't say anything to Mama. I was just going up to wake you up to give you the news straight away. I would have woken you up in a minute. Don Corleone said calmly, "But first you have to drink." "Yes," said Hagen. "You drank the wine," said the old man. "Now you can tell me." The old man's overtones were an extremely veiled condemnation of Hagen's weakness. "They shot Sonny on the causeway," said Hagen, "and he killed him. Don Corleone blinked and in about a second the walls of his will crumbled and the exhaustion of his energy was evident in his countenance.Then: his demeanor was restored at once. His hands were clasped and clasped, resting on the table in front of him, looking Hagen straight in the eye. "Tell me everything that happened," he said. He held up his hand and said again, "Wait until Clemenza and Tessio arrive, lest you repeat yourself." A few minutes later, two commanders came in.For the old man stood up to meet them, and they saw at once that the old man knew his son was dead.They hugged him one by one, only old friends can hug him.Hagen poured each of them a glass of ouzo, and after they toasted, Hagen reported to them the changes that night. Don Corleone asked a question after listening: "Is my son really dead?" Clemenza answered that question. "It's really dead," he said. "The bodyguards were from the Sandino Corps, but I picked them. They came to my house afterward, and I questioned them carefully. They looked at them under the lights of the toll booth." Those who saw his body could clearly see the wounds on his body. With such injuries, it is impossible for him to be alive. They pledged their lives to guarantee that everything they said was true." When Don Corleone heard this conclusion, he didn't show any emotion. After only a few minutes of silence, he said: "Don't allow any of you to care about this matter. Without my order, don't allow any of you to go after the murderer of my son." Murderer. Without my clear instructions, no more military action is allowed against the five major families. Before my son's funeral, our family will stop all business activities and stop providing protection for any of our businesses. We will come to this place later to open a Yes, study to decide what must be done in the future. Tonight we will do our best to prepare for Sandino's funeral: we must bury him like a Christian, and I myself intend to clear my friend of something with the police and other relevant authorities. Lemenza, you will always be with me, be my bodyguard, you and all the generals in your regiment will be with me; Tessio, you will protect all the rest of my family; Tom , I'm going to give Amerigo Bonasera a call and tell him what time tonight I need him to wait for me at the funeral home maybe two or three hours. You guys understand Do I mean?" All three nodded.Don Corleone said again, "Have some people and cars waiting for me, and I'll be ready in a few minutes, Tom, you're doing the right thing. I want Constance to be with her mother early tomorrow morning, Arrange that she and her husband move to the avenue. Invite Sandra's friends, I mean women, to her house to keep her company. My wife is going too, and I will let her go after I talk to her.It was up to my wife to tell her about the unfortunate incident.Those women went to church to hear mass and pray for his soul. " After finishing speaking, the old man stood up from the leather chair, and everyone else followed suit.Clemenza and Tessio hugged him again.Hagen opened the door for the old man. The old man stopped to look at him for a while, then reached out and touched his face, gave him a quick hug, and said in Italian: "Based on long-term performance, you are a good man." Son, you comfort me. He was saying, Hagen was just right at this terrible time. The old man went up to the bedroom to explain it to his wife. At this moment, Hagen told A Merigo Bonasera called and asked the undertaker to repay the kindness the Corleones had shown him.