Dante sat down facing him. “You heard about Audrey?”
“I hope you’re not here to complain.”
“Matter of fact, I am. I can’t have Cappi pulling shit like that.”
“Hey, bub. You were gone. He came to me with a problem. His solution made sense. He knew you’d never go for it. You’re too busy playing boss man and pissing on his shoes. Besides which you’re off on some mountain and no one could get hold of you.”
“They have phone service in Canada. You could have called anytime.”
“Says you. Someone had to step up to the plate.”
“Pop, I’ve known Audrey years. She wouldn’t have turned on us. I can guarantee.”
“That’s not what Cappi heard. Word on the grapevine, she was rolling over on us. I told him to take care of it.”
Pop and Cappi had used the same phrase, “rolling over on us.” Dante wasn’t sure who’d come up with it first. “I don’t get where you’re coming from. You tell him to take care of it and he goes out and whacks a valuable employee. That doesn’t seem right. Does it seem right to you?”
“That might have been a bad call. I won’t argue the point. You delegate responsibility, you can’t come along after and second-guess what went down.”
“I didn’t delegate anything. You did that. I can’t have you undermining my authority.”
“What authority? Anything you have, I gave you.”
“That’s right. I run the operation. He doesn’t know the first thing about business.”
“So you teach him.”
“I’ve tried! He has the attention span of a gnat.”
“He says you’re condescending. He says you belittle him.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Don’t argue the point with me. I’m just telling you what he says.”
“And I’m telling you, he’s not cut out for this. I promote from within the company based on merit and seniority. He’s sitting on a felony conviction. How does that look?”
“You’ve been accused of a thing or two yourself.”
“All the more reason to keep the lid on.”
“You’re the strong one. You’ve had all the advantages. Your brother wasn’t as lucky.”
Dante tried to bite back his response. Anytime his father was losing an argument, he shifted to this old saw. Dante couldn’t help himself this time. He said, “He wasn’t as lucky about what?”
“Your mother ran off and left him.”
“Jesus. You know what? She ran off and left me too. I don’t see you cutting me any slack. Just the opposite. I gotta carry Cappi on my back whether I like it or not.”
“Now that’s the kind of selfish attitude I’m talking about. He can’t help what happened to him. He was a little kid. What she did crushed his spirit. He’s never gotten over it. So he’s touchy, you know, because she ripped his heart out. He’s had a tough row to hoe, which you were spared.”
“I was spared? News to me. How so?”
“You never said a word about her. Name one question you ever came to me with after she walked out. Every day Cappi asked for her and every day he bawled his eyes out. You never shed a tear.”
“Because you told me to buck up.”
“That’s right. Twelve years old, it’s time to get a grip. You knew when she left, it had nothing to do with you. Cappi was four and what’s he supposed to think? One minute she’s there, the next minute she’s gone. He’s never been the same.”
“I have four sisters who turned out all right. How come they’re okay but not him? And what about me?”
“Even then, you knew better. Women are like that. About the time you think you can count on ’em, they take off without a word. She didn’t even leave a note.”
“So Cappi’s a loser and everything goes back to that? He gets a free ride off that one event? I should be so lucky.”
“You watch your mouth. You be careful what you wish for.”
“Forget it.” Dante got up. He had to get away from the old man before he blew his stack.
His father stirred with agitation, his tone peevish. “Where’s Amo?” Dante stared down at him, caught off-guard. “Amo?”
“I haven’t seen him since breakfast. He wants me to take him shooting. I said we’d go up to the firing range and get in some target practice.”
“Amo’s been dead forty years.”