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The question made me raise my head.
“What happened to movie night. Switched to a serious topic, have we? I’m still winning.”
“Well? Is being a vigilante ever a good career choice?”
“I guess sometimes, in some situations it might be worthwhile? Not in a country with an adequate law enforcement and court system, though.”
Wow, I mouthed the word. Cassius could talk fancy when he wanted to, as well as get me into armlocks and probably beat up bad guys.
“Adequate,” the doctor grumbled. “One needs excellent law not adequate. Vigilante justice could clean up what the legal system misses.” He raised his voice. “Charity, what do you think about vigilantes?”
“I guess if they target the right people, it’s a yes, that’s okay. The problem is how could they ever do a better job?”
“You mean statistically they’d have to get the wrong people a lot? Hang the wrong man, and so on?”
I nodded. Even the courts came to the wrong decision sometimes and jailed the wrong person.
The doctor made a move and sat back. “What if you had an inside view of a criminal organization and knew they were murderers.”
“Like what? The mafia? Is this your killer versus murderer theory again, doc?” Cassius pursed his lips. “You’re trying to distract me, or…” he moved the queen, as far as I could tell, “have you done some vigilante justice yourself? Man, I am beginning to wonder. Check.”
“The question you need to be asking is, if I had done some, would I tell you?”
“Haha. Truth. So…you ain’t saying nuthin’”
“Precisely.”
Listening to them talk gave me a weird sense of being in a whole new place here. This was what friends did. Though chess might not be your average game night at the pub.
“Movie night?” I piped up. “Do I get a say in this?”
The doctor spoke while still studying the board. “You can vote on aDie Hardmarathon,Lord of the Rings, theMatrixor theAlienseries.”
I puffed out my lips. “Jeez. Next time do I get a say in which ones we vote for?”
“Of course, Charity. Yes.” The doctor made a move. “Currently, we are locked with one vote forAliensand one forDie Hard.”
“Let me think on that.”
“Check the bedroom before you come to the beach. Put on the bikini you find there.”
I kept watching them in between translating.
Cassius won the game then danced about gently flourishing and admiring the gladius sword, while the doctor gave him tips on Roman sword fighting and used a wooden ruler in the duel with a plastic lid as a makeshift shield. It seemed Dr. Romanus knew more than medicine, antiques, and kink. After they left for the beach to go fishing, I studied for the time I’d been told to, then I packed up and contemplated looking for my phone.
Roland waved goodbye then locked the Inner Sanctum door. Which made me think I should have explored the Inner Sanctum more while I was allowed. Tomorrow was still possible.
I went up to our bedroom and found the floral bikini. I dressed, snagged a beach towel, casual shorts, and a soft shirt, then quietly went to the base of the tower to see what I could see. The phone was nowhere in sight. A huge section of prickly shrubbery, that continued toward the beach in swathes and patches, was below the window from which I thought I’d tossed the phone. The clothing I’d wrapped it in could have been a marker, but I found it in the sandy soil, several yards away—blown by the wind or carried by a curious animal. Or thrown by capricious Greek gods, knowing my luck.
“Of course you’re here, not fucking there where it’d be useful.”
I peered up at the roof of the tower and the small window that I must have used.
In a few days, the doc and Cassius would depart. I might wait before attempting phone retrieval. It would probably be wise since, with my bed empty at night, I could come here late and pretend to be admiring the moon.
I just needed a flashlight and a willingness to get scratched to pieces by the shrub.
“Blast and buggery.” I turned and headed for the beach. This difficulty only made me more determined. How fast was this Jacob expecting results? Or put another way, how worried was I that I’d be murdered?
