Chapter 1.9

The wedding day of Connie Corleone ended well for her. Carlo Rizzi performed his

duties as a bridegroom with skill and vigor, spurred on by the contents of the bride's gift

purse which totaled up to over twenty thousand dollars. The bride, however, gave up her

virginity with a great deal more willingness than she gave up her purse. For the latter, he

had to blacken one of her eyes.

Lucy Mancini waited in her house for a call from Sonny Corleone, sure that he would

ask her for a date. Finally she called his house and when she heard a woman's voice

answer the phone she hung up. She had no way of knowing that nearly everyone at the

wedding had remarked the absence of her and Sonny for that fatal half hour and the

gossip was already spreading that Santino Corleone had found another victim. That he

had "done the job" on his own sister's maid of honor.

Amerigo Bonasera had a terrible nightmare. In his dreams he saw Don Corleone, in

peaked cap, overalls and heavy gloves, unloading bullet-riddled corpses in front of his

funeral parlor and shouting, "Remember, Amerigo, not a word to anyone, and bury them

quickly." He groaned so loud and long in his sleep that his wife shook him awake. "Eh,

what a man you are," she grumbled. "To have a nightmare only after a wedding."

Kay Adams was escorted to her New York City hotel by Paulie Gatto and Clemenza.

The car was large, luxurious and driven by Gatto. Clemenza sat in the back seat and

Kay was given the front seat next to the driver. She found both men wildly exotic. Their

speech was movie Brooklynese and they treated her with exaggerated courtliness.

During the ride she chatted casually with both men and was surprised when they spoke

of Michael with unmistakable affection and respect. He had led her to believe that he

was an alien in his father's world. Now Clemenza was assuring her in his wheezing

guttural voice that the "old man" thought Mike was the best of his sons, the one who

would surely inherit the family business.

"What business is that?" Kay asked in the most natural way.

Paulie Gatto gave her a quick glance as he turned the wheel. Behind her Clemenza said

in a surprised voice. "Didn't Mike tell you? Mr. Corleone is the biggest importer of Italian

olive oil in the States. Now that the war is over the business could get real rich. He'll

need a smart boy like Mike."

At the hotel Clemenza insisted on coming to the desk with her. When she protested, he

said simply, "The boss said to make sure you got home OK. I gotta do it."

After she received her room key he walked her to the elevator and waited until she got

in. She waved to him, smiling, and was surprised at his genuine smile of pleasure in

return. It was just as well she did not see him go back to the hotel clerk and ask, "What

name she registered under?"

The hotel clerk looked at Clemenza coldly. Clemenza rolled the little green spitball he

was holding in his hand across to the clerk, who picked it up and immediately said, "Mr.

and Mrs. Michael Corleone."

Back in the car, Paulie Gatto said, "Nice dame."

Clemenza grunted. "Mike is doing the job on her." Unless, he thought, they were really

married. "Pick me up early in the morning," he told Paulie Gatto. "Hagen got some deal

for us that gotta be done right away."