After Letty gave Dustin a slight nod, he turned his head away from Letty just in time to miss the tears filling up in her eyes.
“Well…” The Fish asked in a thick South Philly accent. “What do we have here? Sixty-four days without an accident… I think that sets a record around here,” The Fish said facetiously. “You were doing so well.”
“Did I ask for commentary, gentlemen? Do the job I’m payin’ you to do!” Michael spat with an angry look across his face.
“Which is what, exactly?” Dustin asked as he glared at his father with a look of utter disgust.
“Mop, sweep and dispose…” Michael said, giving his son an equally unhappy look.
“So let’s get this straight,” Dustin said as he pointed to The Fish and Dante. “You two are nothing more than glorified fucking trash men…”
Dante and the Fish glared at Dustin and proceeded to yell at him until he left the room. Crossing the parlor, Dustin climbed the spiral staircase to check on his sister. Dante and the Fish stepped into the parlor giving Letty a glaring look. Michael glanced over at Letty from his chaise lounge as the men regarded her. Their gazes were icy. It was as if they were cursing her for ever being born. Dante had his long hair pulled back into a ponytail and his shrewd eyes stared Letty up and down. Letty stared back, not giving him the opportunity to see her shake. The Fish, a man who had earned his nickname not only from his father’s fresh seafood business but also by his trout-like appearance, gave Letty a look of utter disgust.
“And what do ya propose we do wit’ her?” The Fish asked, pointing towards Letty as if she was last week’s garbage.
“You need us to take ’er out?” Dante asked in an inflammatory tone of voice.
So I am last week’s garbage, Letty thought.
Shifting her weight, Letty reached into the tall leg of her riding boot. Her fingers felt for the pocket knife that her father had given her for situations such as this.
Let them try and pull something on me. They don’t want to bring my crazy out… I’ll carry their balls around in my Berkeley bag.
Before Letty had the chance to pull a double Lorena Bobbitt, Michael shut the situation down. Michael backhanded each man’s head hard, damn near knocking Dante’s crown right out of his mouth. For being sick, Michael was still strong as a bull.
“Don’t you worry about her!” Michael spat. “Don’t you even look at her!”
“What if she talks?” The Fish asked, sounding defensive.
“Am I speakin’ fuckin’ Swahili?” Michael screamed, his face turning a violent shade of red.
“What if she goes to the Feds?” Dante demanded to know as he cast an evil look back at Letty.
“And so what if she does? What do I have to lose? The oncologist gave me two months. Two fucking months! That prick put his hands on my daughter. Now do what you gotta do and go!”
“That’s you! We ain’t knocking on heaven’s door, though!” the Fish said.
Michael gritted his teeth at the Fish. Grabbing a newspaper off his end table, Michael swatted Fish with the paper, the day’s headlines leaving a smudge on his forehead.
“Insensitive prick!” Michael spat. “Way to treat a dying man.”
Letty wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. Michael Capadonno just whacked someone, and here he was calling someone else insensitive. Somehow, she managed to contain her amusement.
“Yeah, we’ll just get to it, then,” Dante said, giving Michael a look of trepidation. Pulling a box of black trash bags from the Walmart bag, Dante prepared for the messy job ahead of him. “C’mon, Fish.”
The Fish pulled on a pair of rubber gloves, grabbed his bucket and mop and followed Dante from the room. Letty stayed out of the way as the mess was cleaned up. Dante and The Fish had come well prepared with trash bags, masking tape, rope and cleaning supplies. As the scent of ammonia wafted through the house, Letty tried to block out what was happening.
Just twenty minutes was all it took for Dante and the Fish to turn Michael Capadonno’s foyer from a murder scene to a grand affair straight from the Lifestyles of the Rich and the Shameless, YO!TV’s answer to MTV cribs. As the men turned to leave, Michael re-entered the parlor with a grave look on his face. Michael Capadonno appeared as if he had aged twenty-five years since Letty had served him dinner. Michael’s rage had given him strength that he hadn’t had for quite some time. But now that he had calmed down, Michael felt more tired than ever. Giving Letty a weary look, Michael approached her with an outstretched hand. Brushing his hand against Letty’s cheek, he cupped Letty’s chin with the other.
“I am sorry that you had to witness that. I hope I didn’t frighten you…” Michael said as his eyes peered into Letty’s.
She sat silently as Michael talked, utterly bewildered and unsure of what to say.
“There are things that men must do that is not for the eyes of a woman. Things to keep our families safe.”