“I asked you a question, dickhead,” Josiah said.
“I’ve been hired to do a video history,” Eric said, not wanting to stare at Josiah Bradford’s eyes any longer but unable to stop himself. “My client wanted me to find out about Campbell Bradford. I didn’t know a damn thing about you, your family, or anybody else here until I got down here yesterday. Sure as shit didn’t expect to have you acting like an idiot the first night I got in town, begging for a fight.”
The longer Eric looked into Josiah’s eyes, the worse his headache became. It had swelled into a pain so intense and so demanding that even the conflict of this moment couldn’t distract him from it, and he turned away from him and sucked air in through his mouth, wincing and lifting his hand involuntarily to the back of his head.
“You been fighting again?” Edgar said. “Josiah, I swear you’re a lost cause.”
“They was looking for trouble, Edgar.”
“Bullshit.”
“Ah, he was only joking around with us yesterday,” Kellen said. “Say, Edgar, you ever hear the one about the nigger in the fur coat?”
Josiah lifted his arm and pointed at Kellen. “You watch your ass.”
“You watch yours,” Edgar shouted. “I won’t have this carrying on in my house.”
Josiah dropped his arm, ignoring the old man, and looked back at Eric. “I want to know why you’re down here asking about my family.”
“I already told you,” Eric said, and he had to speak with his head turned sideways. He didn’t like that body language; it suggested he was intimidated, but he also couldn’t stand to look him in the eye, because when he did, the pain flared worse.
“You didn’t tell me shit. Working on a movie, my ass. Where’s the cameras?”
That made a smile creep over Eric’s face.
“You think it’s funny lying to me? I’ll whip your ass right here.”
“Like hell you will,” Edgar said, and over by the door his grandson said, “Ease up, Josiah,” in a voice that was near a whisper.
“Where’s the cameras?” Josiah repeated.
“I had a little equipment malfunction this morning.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Eric shrugged.
“Who’s making the movie?” Josiah said. “And why?”
“I have no interest in answering that question,” Eric said, and this time he got his head lifted and looked Josiah Bradford in the face, taking care to stare at the center of his nose and avoid a direct look into those liquid brown eyes.
“Well, boy, I’m about to give you the interest,” Josiah said, stepping up and bumping his chest against Eric’s. Eric held his ground as Edgar shouted at Josiah to back off and Danny Hastings shifted uneasily at the door. Kellen stretched his legs out and put his feet up on the coffee table and yawned.
“You got no right to be asking about my family,” Josiah said, breath warm and reeking of beer. “You got questions? Then you’ll pay for the answers. I got a financial right to anything you do that so much as mentions my family.”
“No,” Eric said, “you do not. Perhaps you’ve never heard the word biography. I wouldn’t be surprised. Even if I want to make a movie about you, asshole, I’m legally entitled. The good news is, nobody in the world would be interested in seeing it. So rest assured, that won’t be happening. Meantime, if you threaten me again or harass my friend or pull any more of your pathetic, childish shit, I’ll have your ass thrown in jail.”
“It’s been there before,” Edgar said from his chair. “Going to have to say something different than that to convince him.”
“Shut up, Edgar,” Josiah said, his eyes still on Eric.
“Hey,” Danny Hastings said. “No call for that.”
Eric said, “Thanks for your time, Edgar. You were a help.”
He walked past Danny, then turned back when he had his hand on the door and watched Kellen get to his feet slowly, letting his full size unfold and fill the room.
“Get out,” Josiah said.
Kellen smiled at him. Then he leaned across the coffee table and offered his hand to Edgar Hastings, passed very close to Josiah without touching him or looking at him, nodded at Danny, and joined Eric at the door. Eric pushed it open and they stepped outside. They were halfway to the car when Josiah followed to yell a parting line.
“You better forget you ever heard the name Campbell Bradford,” he shouted. “All right? You better forget you ever heard his name.”
Neither of them responded. Eric kept his eyes on the mirror as Kellen started the Porsche and backed around the pickup truck, but Josiah stayed on the porch.