In the half hour after the shooting of his father, Sonny Corleone received five

Phone calls in rapid succession. The first was from Detective John Phillips, who

Was on the family payroll and had been in the lead car of plainclothesmen at the

scene of the shooting. The first thing he said to Sonny over the phone was, "Do

you recognize my voice?"

2 "Yeah," Sonny said. He was fresh from a nap, called to the phone by his wife.

3 Phillips said quickly without preamble, "Somebody shot your father outside

his place. Fifteen minutes ago. He's alive but hurt bad. They've taken him to

French Hospital. They got your brother Freddie down at the Chelsea precinct. You

better get him a doctor when they turn him loose. I'm going down to the hospital

now to help question your old man, if he can talk. I'll keep you posted."

4 Across the table, Sonny's wife Sandra noticed that her husband's face had

gone red with flushing blood. His eyes were glazed over. She whispered, "What's

the matter?" He waved at her impatiently to shut up, swung his body away so that

his back was toward her and said into the phone, "You sure he's alive?"

5 "Yeah, I'm sure," the detective said. "A lot of blood but I think maybe he's not

as bad as he looks."

6 "Thanks, " Sonny said. "Be home tomorrow morning eight sharp. You got a

grand coming."