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torment。 Their passion for each other was of the most elementary kind； undiluted by poetry or any form of intellectualism。 It was love of the coarsest nature； a fleshly love； a love of tissue for opposing tissue。
When Sonny called to her he was ing she made certain there was enough liquor in the apartment and enough food for supper and breakfast because usually he would not leave until late the next morning。 He wanted his fill of her as she wanted her fill of him。 He had his own key and when he came in the door she would fly into his massive arms。 They would both be brutally direct； brutally primitive。 During their first kiss they would be fumbling at each other's clothing and he would be lifting her in the air； and she would be wrapping her legs around his huge thighs。 They would be making love standing up in the foyer of her apartment as if they had to repeat their first act of love together； and then he would carry her so to the bedroom。
They would lie in bed making love。 They would live together in the apartment for sixteen hours； pletely naked。 She would cook for him； enormous meals。 Sometimes he would get phone calls obviously about business but she never even listened to the words。 She would be too busy toying with his body； fondling it； kissing it； burying her mouth in it。 Sometimes when he got up to get a drink and he walked by her； she couldn't help reaching out to touch his naked body； hold him； make love to him as if those special parts of his body were a plaything； a specially constructed； intricate but innocent toy revealing its known； but still surprising ecstasies。 At first she had been ashamed of these excesses on her part but soon saw that they pleased her lover； that her plete sensual enslavement to his body flattered him。 In all this there was an animal innocence。 They were happy together。 。
When Sonny's father was gunned down in the street； she understood for the first time that her lover might be in danger。 Alone in her apartment； she did not weep； she wailed aloud； an animal wailing。 When Sonny did not e to see her for almost three weeks she subsisted on sleeping pills； liquor and her own anguish。 The pain she felt was physical pain； her body ached。 When he finally did e she held on to his body at almost every moment。 After that he came at least once a week until he was killed。
She learned of his death through the newspaper accounts and that very same night she took a massive overdose of sleeping pills。 For some reason； instead of killing； the pills made her so ill that she staggered out into the hall of her apartment and collapsed in front of the elevator door where she was found and taken to the hospital。 Her relationship to Sonny was not generally known so her case received only a few inches in the tabloid newspapers。
It was while she was in the hospital that Tom Hagen came to see her and console her。 It was Tom Hagen who arranged a job for her in Las Vegas working in flue hotel run by Sonny's brother Freddie。 It was Tom Hagen who told her that she would receive an annuity from the Corleone Family； that Sonny had made provisions for her。 He had asked her if she was pregnant； as if that were the reason for her taking the pills and she had told him no。 He asked her if Sonny had e to see her that fatal night or had called that he would e to see her and she told him no； that Sonny had not called。 That she was always home waiting for him when she finished working。 And she had told Hagen the truth。 'He's the only man I could ever love；〃 she said。 〃I can't love anybody else。〃 She saw him smile a little but he also looked surprised。 〃Do you find that so unbelievable？〃 she asked。 〃Wasn't he the one who brought you home when you were a kid？〃
〃He was a different person；〃 Hagen said； 〃he grew up to be a different kind of man。〃
〃Not to me；〃 Lucy said。 〃Maybe to everybody else； but not to me。〃 She was still too weak to explain how Sonny had never been anything but gentle with her。 He'd never been angry with her； never even irritable or nervous。
Hagen made all the arrangements for her to move to Las Vegas。 A rented apartment was waiting； he took her to the airport himself and he made her promise that if she ever felt lonely or if things didn't go right； she would call him and he would help her in any way he could。
Before she got on the plane she asked him hesitantly； 〃Does Sonny's father know what you're doing？〃
Hagen smiled； 〃I'm acting for him as well as myself。 He's old…fashioned in these things and he would never go against the legal wife of his son。 But he feels that you were just a young girl and Sonny should have known better。 And your taking all those pills shook everybody up。〃 He didn't explain how incredible it was to a man like the Don that any person should try suicide。
Now； after nearly eighteen months in Las Vegas； she was surprised to find herself almost happy。 Some nights she dreamed about Sonny and lying awake before dawn continued her dream with her own caresses until she could sleep again。 She had not had a man since。 But the life in Vegas agreed with her。 She went swimming in the hotel pools； sailed on Lake Mead and drove through the desert on her day off。 She became thinner and this improved her figure。 She was still voluptuous but more in the American than the old Italian style。 She worked in the public relations section of the hotel as a receptionist and had nothing to do with Freddie though when he saw her he would stop and chat a little。 She was surprised at the change in Freddie。 He had bee a ladies' man； dressed beautifully； and seemed to have a real flair for running a gambling resort。 He controlled the hotel side； something not usually done by casino owners。 With the long； very hot summer seasons； or perhaps his more active sex life； he too had bee thinner and Hollywood tailoring made him look almost debonair in a deadly sort of way。
It was after six months that Tom Hagen came out to see how she was doing。 She had been receiving a check for six hundred dollars a month； every month； in addition to her salary。 Hagen explained that this money had to be shown as ing from someplace and asked her to sign plete powers of attorney so that he could channel the money properly。 He also told her that as a matter of form she would be listed as owner of five 〃points〃 in the hotel in which she worked。 She would have to go through all the legal formalities required by the Nevada laws but everything would be taken care of for her and her own personal inconvenience would be at a minimum。 However she was not to discuss this arrangement with anyone without his consent。 She would be protected legally in every way and her money every month would be assured。 If the authorities or any law…enforcement agencies ever questioned her； she was to simply refer them to her lawyer and she would not be bothered any further。
Lucy agreed。 She understood what was happening but had no objections to how she was being used。 It seemed a reasonable favor。 But when Hagen asked her to keep her eyes open around the hotel； keep an eye on Freddie and on Freddie's boss； the man who owned and operated the hotel； as a major stockholder； she said to hi