It was Clemenza. The fat man's voice came wheezing over the phone in

gruntlike gasps. "You hear about your father?" he asked.

14 "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."

15 "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.

16 "You'll have to carry the ball, Sonny," Clemenza said. "What do you want me

to do?"

17 "Get over to my father's house," Sonny said. "Bring Paulie Gatto."

18 "That's all?" Clemenza asked. "Don't you want me to send some people to the

hospital and your place?"

19 "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."

21 Sonny was instantly alert. "How many times did he stay home the last couple

of months?"

22 "Maybe three or four times," Clemenza said. "I always asked Freddie if he

Wanted another guy but he said no. There's been no cause, the last ten years

things been smooth, you know."

23 "Yeah," Sonny said. "I'll see you at my father's house. Be sure you bring

Paulie. Pick him up on your way over. I don't care how sick he is. You got that?"

He slammed down the phone without waiting for an answer.

His wife was weeping silently. He stared at her for a moment, then said in a

harsh voice, "Any of our people call, tell them to get me in my father's house on

 

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His special phone. Anybody else call, you don't know nothing. If Tom's wife calls,

Tell her that Tom won't be home for a while, he's on business.

25 He pondered for a moment. "A couple of our people will come to stay here."

He saw her look of fright and said impatiently, "You don't have to be scared, I just

Want them here. Do whatever they tell you to do. If you wanta talk to me, get me

On Pop's special phone but don't call me unless it's really important. And don't

worry." He went out of the house.

Darkness had fallen and the December wind whipped through the mall. Sonny

Had no fear about stepping out into the night. All eight houses were owned by

Don Corleone. At the mouth of the mall the two houses on either side were rented

By family retainers with their own families and star boarders, single men who

Lived in the basement apartments. Of the remaining six houses that formed the

Rest of the half circle, one was inhabited by Tom Hagen and his family, his own,

And the smallest and least ostentatious by the Don himself. The other three

Houses were given rent-free to retired friends of the Don with the understanding

That they would be vacated whenever he requested. The harmless-looking mall

Was an impregnable fortress.

All eight houses were equipped with floodlights which bathed the grounds

Around them and made the mall impossible to lurk in. Sonny went across the

Street to his father's house and let himself inside with his own key. He yelled out,

"Ma, where are you?" and his mother came out of the kitchen. Behind her rose

The smell of frying peppers. Before she could say anything, Sonny took her by the

arm and made her sit down. "I just got a call," he said. "Now don't get worried.

Pop's in the hospital, he's hurt. Get dressed and get ready to get down there. I'll

have a car and a driver for you in a little while. OK?"