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more that night. He and Nino took the girls to a party and Tina spent the night in his bed
but he wasn't much good there. The girl was a little disappointed. But what the hell, you
couldn't do everything all in one day, Johnny thought.
He woke up in the morning with a sense of apprehension, with a vague terror that he
had dreamed his voice had come back. Then when he was sure it was not a dream he
got scared that his voice would be shot again. He went to the window and hummed a bit,
then he went down to the living room still in his pajamas. He picked out a tune on the
piano and after a while tried singing with it. He sang mutedly but there was no pain, no
hoarseness in his throat, so he turned it on. The chords were true and rich, he didn't
have to force it at all. Easy, easy, just pouring out. Johnny realized that the bad time
was over, he had it all now. And it didn't matter a damn if he fell on his face with movies,
it didn't matter if he couldn't get it up with Tina the night before, it didn't matter that
Virginia would hate him being able to sing again. For a moment he had just one regret.
If only his voice had come back to him while trying to sing for his daughters, how lovely
that would have been. That would have been so lovely.
The hotel nurse had come into the room wheeling a cart loaded with medication.
Johnny got up and stared down at Nino, who was sleeping or maybe dying. He knew
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Nino wasn't jealous of his getting his voice back. He understood that Nino was only
jealous because he was so
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happy about getting his voice back. That he cared so much about singing. For what was
very obvious now was that Nino Valenti didn't care enough about anything to make him
want to stay alive.
Chapter 27
Michael Corleone arrived late in the evening and, by his own order, was not met at the
airport. Only two men accompanied him: Tom Hagen and a new bodyguard, named
Albert Neri.
The most lavish suite of rooms in the hotel had been set aside for Michael and his
party. Already waiting in that suite were the people it would be necessary for Michael to
see.
Freddie greeted his brother with a warm embrace. Freddie was much stouter, more
benevolent-looking, cheerful, and far more dandified. He wore an exquisitely tailored
gray silk and accessories to match. His hair was razor cut and arranged as carefully as
a movie star's, his face glowed with perfect barbering and his hands were manicured.
He was an altogether different man than the one who had been shipped out of New
York four years before.
He leaned back and surveyed Michael fondly. "You look a hell of a lot better now that
you got your face fixed. Your wife finally talked you into it, huh? How is Kay? When she
gonna come out and visit us out here?"
Michael smiled at his brother. "You're looking pretty good too. Kay would have come
out this time, but she's carrying another kid and she has the baby to look after. Besides
this is business, Freddie, I have to fly back tomorrow night or the morning after."
"You have to eat something first," Freddie said. "We've got a great chef in the hotel,
you'll get the best food you ever ate. Go take your shower and change and everything
will be set up right here. I have all the people you want to see lined up, they'll be waiting
around for when you're ready, I just have to call them."
Michael said pleasantly, "Let's save Moe Greene to the end, OK? Ask Johnny
Fontane and Nino up to eat with us. And Lucy and her doctor friend. We can talk while
we eat." He turned to Hagen. "Anybody you want to add to that, Tom?"
Hagen shook his head. Freddie had greeted him much less affectionately than
Michael, but Hagen understood. Freddie was on his father's shit list and Freddie
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naturally blamed the Consigliori for not straightening things out. Hagen would gladly
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have done so, but he didn't know why Freddie was in his father's bad graces. The Don
did not give voice to specific grievances. He just made his displeasure felt.
It was after midnight before they gathered around the special dinner table set up in
Michael's suite. Lucy kissed Michael and didn't comment on his face looking so much
better after the operation. Jules Segal boldly studied the repaired cheekbone and said
to Michael, "A good job. It's knitted nicely. Is the sinus OK?"
"Fine," Michael said. "Thanks for helping out."
Dinner focused on Michael as they ate. They all noted his resemblance in speech and
manner to the Don. In some curious way he inspired the same respect, the same awe,
and yet he was perfectly natural, at pains to put everyone at their ease. Hagen as usual
remained in the background. The new man they did not know; Albert Neri was also very