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Eddie rammed his fist on the Tuckers’ front door and waited. In seconds, it was opened by Ms. Tucker, who stepped aside and let him in. Dario, sitting on the sofa, stood and passed his mom. He stopped in front of Eddie.
Eddie nodded at Ms. Tucker and looked around, his arms outstretched. “Look at this fuckin’ floor, ‘eh? Sparklin’ clean.” He backhanded Dario’s chest. “Nice work, kid.”
Dario scowled and rubbed the spot where Eddie had slapped him.
Eddie lowered his chin as he smirked at Dario. “Nice to see you so quiet, Dario. It suits you.” He laughed and hooked his arm around Dario’s neck. He pulled his head down to meet Eddie’s eyes. “You’re pretty tall, kid.”
He let him go and Dario adjusted his t-shirt and palmed his short Afro.
“One more thing before we go,” Eddie said.
Dario flinched as Eddie continued. “There’s somethin’ you’se two need-ta remember.” He jammed his finger in Dario’s direction. “I don’t give a fuck about you, your mother here, or your little brother. None-a ya’s.”
Ms. Tucker gasped and placed her shaking hand over her lips.
Eddie continued. “So you,”—he poked his finger into Dario’s chest—“better shape the fuck up. We can play this two ways. Either you’re with me or you’re against me. And trust me,”—Eddie waved his finger—“you don’t wanna’ be against me. Understand? Capisci? You’ll all regret it. Do what I say, and we’ll get along. If not, we got a serious fuckin’ problem.”
He looked at Dario’s mom. “Ms. Tucker. Besides all-a that, I want you-ta come see me if Dario gives you even the tiniest fuckin’ problem. I’ll handle him. I don’t have an office yet, but I will. Dario will tell you where-ta find me. You come see me anytime you need help—understand? For anything.”
Ms. Tucker twisted her lip but nodded. “Okay.”
Eddie noticed her hesitation. “I mean it. Come see me.”
She gave him a forced smile.
Eddie took Dario’s arm and shoved him as they headed out the door.
The sun had dipped below the ceiling of trees on Burr Street and the cool breeze invigorated Eddie as he walked around to the driver’s side of Micola’s black Honda. He looked at Dario from across the roof.
“Get in.”
They sat in silence for a while—Eddie in the driver’s seat, Dario in the passenger seat.
After a few minutes, Dario spoke. “Man, where we goin’? You takin’ me somewhere to kill me?”
Eddie looked at him and laughed. “Not yet, kid. I’m givin’ you a chance. I told-ya: you work-fa me now. Don’t worry. I won’t kill ya’—‘less you deserve it.”
Eddie chuckled and gave Dario’s shoulder a shove. “It’s easy. Just do as I say. Be loyal to me and you’ll live.” Eddie laughed. “Calm down. Shit. You might even make some money.”
Dario brought his fist to his mouth to hide a slight smile. He raised his brows. “For real?”
Eddie nodded. “For real.” He jabbed his finger in Dario’s direction. “Fuck me over, though—go to the cops—or whatever and your momma’s dead. Your little brother—what’s his name?”
“Cody.”
Eddie casually twirled his gold pinky-ring with his thumb. “Cody’s dead too.”
“Man, you can’t do that. He’s just a kid.”
Eddie’s eyes darkened as he looked at Dario. “I can and I will. Make it easy on everyone, Dario. Do as I say and your family will be fine. Fuck me over and you’ll all be as dead as your damned dog. What was the dog’s name again?”
“Barkley.”
Eddie shrugged. “Seemed like a nice dog, Barkley. Too bad. Keep him in mind when, or if, you ever consider fuckin’ me over, you hear?”
Dario nodded, his head hung low. “I hear ya’ man. I won’t fuck you over. I promise.”
Eddie slapped him on the side of his head. “Good!”
Dario brought his arm up and rubbed his head. “Man, please stop hittin’ me. That shit hurts.”
Eddie shook his head. “Jesus, you really gotta’ toughen up, Dario.”
Dario gave Eddie a side-glance. “Where we goin’, man? Why are we in this car?”
Eddie continued. “Your first assignment, whether you like it or not, is to bring me to Chow.”
Cheering up a bit, Dario nodded and said, “I can do that. You gonna’ pay me? What I gotta’ do?”
“No, I’m not payin’ you for that.”
“How come?”
Eddie shook his head. “Jesus. You don’t get it, do ya’?”
Dario gave him a blank stare.
“You and Chow—you’se two gotta ‘pologize to Mrs. F.”
“What? Come on, man. Why you—”
Eddie put his hand up and pointed. “That’s his house there, ain’t it? Across from Mrs. F.’s house?”
Dario nodded. From the car’s window they looked over at the big, dirty-white two-story house.
“Yep.”
Eddie nodded. “Okay. You go in first. I’ll come in after.”
“Man, why’d we even get in this car? How ‘bout I wait right here while you go in and bust up their house like you did mine? Huh?”
“Too many fuckin’ questions, Dario,” Eddie said. “Too many.”
“Ok. One question, then—”
“Because I want Chow—”
“Man, his name is Tau. Tau Vang.”
“Whatever. I want this Tau to see you as you are right now. Scared shitless.” Eddie laughed. “It’ll help him realize his predicament. Know what I mean? Let’s go.” He opened the driver’s side door and got out.
Dario got out from his side of the car and followed him across the street. “What predicament is that?” he asked.
Eddie stopped and stared at him. “Same predicament as you. The predicament that he’s comin’ to work for me, too.”
Dario stopped. “What?” He shook his head. “No way, man. Uh-uh. I ain’t workin’ with that piece-a shit. No fuckin’ way.”
Eddie shoved Dario’s shoulder. “Keep movin’.”
They stepped onto the boulevard and, before Dario got a chance to say another word, Eddie pushed his face up against the rough bark of a tree.
Eddie’s voice turned cold as he whispered in Dario’s ear. “Listen, you motherfucker. You gotta’ short memory, don’t you? You will do whatever I tell you to do, and you will keep that big fuckin’ mouth-a yours shut, you hear me?”
Eddie pressed and twisted Dario’s face around in the bark. Dario moaned. “Alright, alright. I hear you man. Stop! Please!”
Eddie abruptly released Dario, who tripped backward. Dario frowned at Eddie but kept his mouth shut.
They walked the short distance to Tau’s house in silence. Eddie stopped and pointed. “This it?”
“Yep.”
Eddie looked around. “Big house. Bigger than yours.”
Dario shrugged.
It was similar in size to Micola’s, but instead of a brick exterior, it had dirty cream-colored siding with green painted shutters and door, now faded from the sun and neglect.
“Move,” Eddie said.
They climbed five wide wooden steps up to an enormous front porch. Several pairs of shoes of varying styles and sizes were scattered around either side of the front door.
“Jesus,” said Eddie. “What’s with all the shoes?”
“Hmongs,” said Dario. “Big families—tons-a kids.”
Eddie rang the doorbell and stepped to the side with his back against the wall, out of sight of the door, pointing to Dario.
Dario looked over at him, arms outstretched. “What?”
Eddie pointed to the door and put his fingers to his lips.
A stampede of footsteps and giggles interrupted his response as the door slowly opened. Four little black-haired children, two boys and two girls, looked up at Dario.
Dario glanced at Eddie and then bent down to speak. “Is Tau here?”
One of them turned and shouted “Momma!” The others continued to stare.
A short Asian woman approached from down a hall toward the front door. Her black hair was pulled back and she wore a flower-printed apron over a dress, both of which were too big for her tiny frame. In a high, squeaky voice, she spoke in broken English. “I help you?”
“Yeah,” Dario said. “I’m lookin’ for Tau.”
“Tau not here.”
“Okay. I’ll come back later,” said Dario. She started to close the door.
Smoothly and quickly, Eddie appeared in the doorway. He grabbed Dario by the elbow and shoved his way past the four children and into the dark front hallway.
“We’ll wait,” Eddie said. “You Tau’s mother?” The woman’s head came only to his chest. He continued down the hall.
“Hey, wait a minute,” shouted the woman, looking first at Eddie, then Dario. “Who-you-think-you-are coming in my house? I call police!”
“Tell her Dario,” Eddie said, looking down at the woman. “Tell her she don’t wanna’ do that.”
Dario put his hands together like he was praying and bowed down to her. “Believe me when I say to you, ma’am, you do not wanna’ call the police.”
She pointed at Dario. “You that boy always fighting with Tau. You get him in trouble?” She looked up at Eddie, jerking her thumb in his direction. “Who is this guy?”
Eddie pushed back one side of his jacket to expose the handle of the pistol in his belt. He let his stare and the gun speak for themselves. Her shoulders sank.
“Call him,” Eddie said. “Tell him to get here. Now.”
Tau’s mother continued down the hall and turned the corner. Eddie and Dario followed her into a surprisingly spacious living room, though sparsely furnished. A strong odor of pork and ginger burned Eddie’s nostrils but not in an unpleasant way. Toys were strewn everywhere. A bird cage near the picture window held a tiny yellow parakeet screeching his annoyance at the disturbance of his afternoon nap.
The children gathered behind the woman, hanging onto her stained apron. She shooed them away in a language Eddie had never heard before and picked up an out-of-date cordless phone. She dialed with trembling fingers and then spoke to someone on the other end of the line in the same unfamiliar language.
“No!” She yelled. “You get here now!” She listened for a second and then hung up the phone. Visibly shaken, Tau’s mother informed her unwanted guests that Tau would be home at four o’clock.
Eddie looked at his watch.
“We’ll wait.”
