Three months later, Hagen hurried through the paper work in his city office

Hoping to leave early enough for some Christmas shopping for his wife and

Children. He was interrupted by a phone call from a Johnny Fontane bubbling

With high spirits. The picture had been shot, the rushes, whatever the hell they

Were, Hagen thought, were fabulous. He was sending the Don a present for

Christmas that would knock his eyes out, he'd bring it himself but there were

Some little things to be done in the movie. He would have to stay out on the Coast.

Hagen tried to conceal his impatience. Johnny Fontane's charm had always been

lost on him. But his interest was aroused. "What is it?" he asked. Johnny Fontane

chuckled and said, "I can't tell, that's the best part of a Christmas present." Hagen

Immediately lost all interest and finally managed, politely, to hang up.

Ten minutes later his secretary told him that Connie Corleone was on the

Phone and wanted to speak to him. Hagen sighed. As a young girl Connie had

Been nice, as a married woman she was a nuisance. She made complaints about

Her husband. She kept going home to visit her mother for two or three days. And

Carlo Rizzi was turning out to be a real loser. He had been fixed up with a nice

Little business and was running it into the ground. He was also drinking, whoring

around, gambling and beating his wife up occasionally. Connie hadn't told her