The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
62
for you?” 
Michael was as closemouthed as his father. “No,” he said. “I guess I’ll see you 
Christmas, everybody is going to be out at Long Beach, right?” 
“Right,” Hagen said. He was amused when Mike hung up on him without any small talk. 
He told his secretary to call his wife and tell her he would be home a little late but to 
have some supper for him. Outside the building he walked briskly downtown toward 
Macy’s. Someone stepped in his way. To his surprise he saw it was Sollozzo. 
Sollozzo took him by the arm and said quietly, “Don’t be frightened. I just want to talk to 
you.” A car parked at the curb suddenly had its door open. Sollozzo said urgently, “Get 
in, I want to talk to you.”. 
Hagen pulled his arm loose. He was still not alarmed, just irritated. “I haven’t got time,” 
he said. At that moment two men came up behind him. Hagen felt a sudden weakness 
in his legs. Sollozzo said softly, “Get in the car. If I wanted to kill you you’d be dead now. 
Trust me.” 
Without a shred of trust Hagen got into the car. 
* * *
Michael Corleone had lied to Hagen. He was already in New York, and he had called 
from a room in the Hotel Pennsylvania less than ten blocks away. When he hung up the 
phone, Kay Adams put out her cigarette and said, “Mike, what a good fibber you are.” 
Michael sat down beside her on the bed. “All for you, honey; if I told my family we were 
in town we’d have to go there right away. Then we couldn’t go out to dinner, we couldn’t 
go to the theater, and we couldn’t sleep together tonight. Not in my father’s house, not 
when we’re not married.” He put his arms around her and kissed her gently on the lips. 
Her mouth was sweet and he gently pulled her down on the bed. She closed her eyes, 
waiting for him to make love to her and Michael felt an enormous happiness. He had 
spent the war years fighting in the Pacific, and on those bloody islands he had dreamed 
of a girl like Kay Adams. Of a beauty like hers. A fair and fragile body, milky-skinned and 
electrified by passion. She opened her eyes and then pulled his head down to kiss him. 
They made love until it was time for dinner and the theater. 
After dinner they walked past the brightly lit department stores full of holiday shoppers 
and Michael said to her, “What shall I get you for Christmas?” 
She pressed against him. “Just you,” she said. “Do you think your father will approve of 

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