Chapter 11

           CaptainMarkMcCluskeysatinhisofficefingeringthreeenvelopesbulgingwithbettingslips.Hewasfrowningandwishinghecoulddecodethenotationsontheslips.Itwasveryimportantthathedoso.TheenvelopeswerethebettingslipsthathisraidingpartieshadpickedupwhentheyhadhitoneoftheCorleoneFamilybookmakersthenightbefore.Nowthebookmakerwouldhavetobuybacktheslipssothatplayerscouldn’tclaimwinnersandwipehimout.

           ItwasveryimportantforCaptainMcCluskeytodecodetheslipsbecausehedidn’twanttogetcheatedwhenhesoldtheslipsbacktothebookmaker.Iftherewasfiftygrandworthofaction,thenmaybehecouldsellitbackforfivegrand.Butiftherewerealotofheavybetsandtheslipsrepresentedahundredgrandormaybeeventwohundredgrand,thenthepriceshouldbeconsiderablyhigher.McCluskeyfiddledwiththeenvelopesandthendecidedtoletthebookiesweatalittlebitandmakethefirstoffer.Thatmighttipoffwhattherealpriceshouldbe.

           McCluskeylookedatthestationhouseclockonthewallofhisoffice.ItwastimeforhimtopickupthatgreasyTurk,Sollozzo,andtakehimtowhereverhewasgoingtomeettheCorleoneFamily.McCluskeywentovertohiswalllockerandstartedtochangeintohiscivilianclothes.Whenhewasfinishedhecalledhiswifeandtoldherhewouldnotbehomeforsupperthatnight,thathewouldbeoutonthejob.Heneverconfidedinhiswifeonanything.Shethoughttheylivedthewaytheydidonhispoliceman’ssalary.McCluskeygruntedwithamusement.