Крестный отец

           Therewereothertollboothsbesideitbuttheywerestaffedonlyduringtheday,forheaviertraffic.SonnystartedbrakingtheBuickandatthesametimesearchedhispocketsforchange.Hehadnone.Hereachedforhiswallet,flippeditopenwithonehandandfingeredoutabill.Hecamewithinthearcadeoflightandhesawtohismildsurpriseacarinthetollboothslotblockingit,thedriverobviouslyaskingsomesortofdirectionsfromthetolltaker.Sonnyhonkedhishornandtheothercarobedientlyrolledthroughtolethiscarslideintotheslot.

           Sonnyhandedthetolltakerthedollarbillandwaitedforhischange.Hewasinahurrynowtoclosethewindow.TheAtlanticOceanairhadchilledthewholecar.Butthetolltakerwasfumblingwithhischange;thedumbsonofabitchactuallydroppedit.Headandbodydisappearedasthetollmanstoopeddowninhisboothtopickupthemoney.

           AtthatmomentSonnynoticedthattheothercarhadnotkeptgoingbuthadparkedafewfeetahead,stillblockinghisway.Atthatsamemomenthislateralvisioncaughtsightofanothermaninthedarkenedtollboothtohisright.Buthedidnothavetimetothinkaboutthatbecausetwomencameoutofthecarparkedinfrontandwalkedtowardhim.Thetollcollectorstillhadnotappeared.Andtheninthefractionofasecondbeforeanythingactuallyhappened,SantinoCorleoneknewhewasadeadman.Andinthatmomenthismindwaslucid,drainedofallviolence,asifthehiddenfearfinallyrealandpresenthadpurifiedhim.