Крестный отец

           Ashewashedhisbaby-blueCadillac,PeterClemenzaponderedandrehearsedhislines,theexpressionsofhisface.HewouldbecurtwithPaulie,asifdispleasedwithhim.WithamansosensitiveandsuspiciousasGattothiswouldthrowhimoffthetrackoratleastleavehimuncertain.Unduefriendlinesswouldmakehimwary.Butofcoursethecurtnessmustnotbetooangry.Ithadtoberatheranabsentmindedsortofirritation.AndwhyLampone?Pauliewouldfindthatmostalarming,especiallysinceLamponehadtobeintherearseat.Pauliewouldn’tlikebeinghelplessatthewheelwithLamponebehindhishead.ClemenzarubbedandpolishedthemetalofhisCadillacfuriously.Itwasgoingtobetricky.Verytricky.Foramomenthedebatedwhethertorecruitanothermanbutdecidedagainstit.Herehefollowedbasicreasoning.Inyearstocomeasituationmightarisewhereitmightbeprofitableforoneofhispartnerstotestifyagainsthim.Iftherewerejustoneaccompliceitwasone’swordagainsttheother.Butthewordofasecondaccomplicecouldswingthebalance.No,theywouldsticktoprocedure.

           WhatannoyedClemenzawasthattheexecutionhadtobe"public."Thatis,thebodywastobefound.Hewouldhavemuchpreferredhavingitdisappear.(UsualburyinggroundswerethenearbyoceanortheswamplandsofNewJerseyonlandownedbyfriendsoftheFamilyorbyothermorecomplicatedmethods.)ButithadtobepublicsothatembryotraitorswouldbefrightenedandtheenemywarnedthattheCorleoneFamilyhadbynomeansgonestupidorsoft.