Esther rushed into the wardroom just on time. She was sure of that, but as it turned out she raced at full speed only to meet Murdoch's reproachful gaze. «One minute past six». Damn it! Nevertheless, his reaction didn't come as a surprise. Other players paid her little attention. Esther took the only vacant seat right next to Moody.
— Nice to see you, miss Bailey! — he said gladly with a nod. — The room is a bit overcrowded, but we'll endure it, won't we?
— Without a doubt! — Esther couldn't suppress her laughter at Lightoller's poor attempts to bring the participants to their senses.
— Ladies and gen… Ladies and gentlemen, stop shouting, please! Missis Brown take your seat, will you?
Esther looked round. Obviously the more they discussed the more questions arose. She has never played Mafia before and was listening to what others were saying.
«— What exactly does the Cardsharper do?..»
«— Do we actually need the Judge?..»
«— May I exchange my card with someone else's, if I'm Mafia?..» etc.
— Hey, Lizzie! You own us some explanation, don't you think so? As long as «Mafia» is your favorite game. — Sean Sanders — Booker's colleague — looked slyly at miss Bodine — a fine young woman with dark hair and thick lips. — Nice ladies can't be in the Black Team, ah? — he added with his eyes fixed upon Fay Harlow this time. The blonde smiled with the corners of her crimson lips and Esther didn't fail to notice the expression of satisfaction on Sean's handsome face.
— Just discussing the rules! Good evening, miss Bailey, — Lizzie Bodine smiled and dropped a card by accident while waving at Esther.
— Miss Bodine has already enlightened us, — Wilde said impatiently with a particular crooked smile of his. — Let's start the show!
— I agree! — Lightoller said reluctantly looking at Wilde with disdain. The chief officer chuckled.
— Good for you to be our presenter, ah? Otherwise you wouldn't last even for the first round, my poor Charlie.
Lightoller inhaled deeply. His nostrils flared.
— Lads! — Murdoch interfered. — Miss Bailey has turned up. At last. Late as usual, though. — He quickly exchanged glances with Esther. — Nonetheless you'd better explain the rules once more, Lights.
Esther clenched her fists under the table. Murdoch's words made her blood boil. «As usual?!» How was she supposed to make peace with him?! How could he stand up for her at one moment and make fool of her the very next day?!
Giselle Beaumont —a fair-haired lady with refined features — was watching them and for one moment panic seized Esther. She kept her cool trying to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks, but what if Giselle could see through her? What if she would find out the truth about Esther's feelings towards Murdoch?!
On giving her a patronizing smile Giselle turned to Booker. Esther sighed with relief and observed her brother for a second. Luckily this time he had the presence of mind not to invite Lokerbi!
— I suppose we'd better get started right now! — Lightoller said in a standoffish manner unfolding the piece of paper. — I am reminding you the rules. Pay attention, please. There are 13 players: 5 ladies and 8 gentlemen, — Lightoller cast a skeptical glance at Wilde who grimaced back. — Four officers, two wireless operators and two engineers. We have 13 cards. Thus, everyone has a role. You are either Black, Green or Blue. The Cardsharper who plays for the Blue Team can «steal» the ability of any player to use it against someone else. Be careful then. Is everyone ready? Here we go!
Esther saw Murdoch take a card. His face remained inscrutable. Meanwhile, Lightoller came up to her. Esther stared at the depiction of a black figure in the white background. Can't be! She can't be in the Black Team! She is such a bad liar…
— Look at your card once more and go to sleep! — Lightoller commanded. — And now… Everyone is sleeping and the Mafia wakes up! Don, Advocate, Courtesan and Framer. Who's the Don? The Courtesan? The Framer and… the Advocate? Esther raised her hand and exchanged looks with the Framer who gave her a crooked smile and nodded towards Murdoch who was «sleeping soundly». The game promised to be engaging. Esther winked at him and the Framer chuckled. The Don of Mafia looked surprisingly calm and was obviously pleased with her card. The Framer and the Courtesan will no doubt give in to their decisions. She's so damn beautiful! The Courtesan, though, was still staring at his card in bewilderment with his mouth half-open. His reaction amused Esther. Poor fellow! The «best» role for a guy. On meeting her gaze the Courtesan smiled timidly and gave her the thumbs up trying to look cooler.
— Mafia have made their acquaintance and now it's time to act. Don, whose night will be the last? Alright. Advocate? Who are you going to block? Just to remind you: every role counts. Choose!
Esther looked round. Her eyes were locked on Booker. Does he have an important role? Judging from that smile on the corner of his lips: yes. Esther pointed to him. The Don nodded her approval.
— Now the Courtesan! Try to guess the role of any player. You show me the player and his role with your gestures. We have: the Doctor, the Lover, the Commissioner, the Sheriff, the Investigator, the Cardsharper, the Judge and the Journalist! Choose whoever you want. If you get it right, they are done… You think this is… Alright. Now the Framer! Frame someone so that the Police Department would consider them to be Black! Good choice. Well, the Mafia goes to sleep and now it's time for investigation. Police Department: Commissioner and Sheriff, wake up. Commissioner! It's time to get up. Well. Together again! — Esther smiled to herself. Lightoller wasn't likely to refer to a couple like that — there were no couples actually — not to her knowledge in fact — which meant that he was alluding to people working together. Murdoch and Lowe, for instance…
— Commissioner, check one player. Now it's Sheriff's turn. Sheriff, will you shoot? The Police Department goes to sleep a-a-nd the Journalist wakes up! Choose two players and I'll show you whether they are in the same team or not. Difficult to come to any conclusion without even talking to anybody, but you can rely on your intuition. Good job! Now you know that these people are in different teams. The Journalist goes to sleep and the Doctor wakes up. Go back to sleep and now it's the Investigator's turn. The Investigtor checked Mafia! Good for you, Investigator. The Lover wakes up! Who will you love tonight? I see. Can't say that I approve of your taste, though, — Lightoller sighed. — Yes. It's possible to change your mind. Show me the player you will love tonight. That's better. Sweet dreams!
Esther snorted. Who could have imagined that Lightoller would make jokes!
— And the last but not the least is the Cardsharper! Whose ability would you like to use tonight? Against who? Well. The Cardsharper can have a rest. Not for long, though, cause it's time for everyone to wake up!
Esther opened her eyes trying to hide her smile and suddenly realized that Murdoch and Lowe were watching her: the former — with a smirk, the latter — with curiousity. She frowned at Murdoch and offered Lowe a sweet smile.
Lightoller turned to Moody.
— Bad news for the city. Jim, I'm sorry, mate, but you are no longer with us.
Moody shrugged his shoulders.
— That's a pity. I could help!
— Who were you? — Lizzie asked leaning forward, eyes filled with compassion.
— The Investigator, — Lightoller said. — Unfortunately, the Investigator doesn't have the last word. Otherwise he would have told the City something interesting.
Moody stood up.
— Err… Have fun, everybody. See you!
— We'll all be there, — Phillips chuckled.
— Mister Moody is leaving. By the way, mister Bailey and mister Murdoch were loved tonight.
Murdoch raised his eyebrow. Everyone else smiled. Lowe looked puzzled.
— How come? The second Lover?
— The Cardsharper more likely, — Booker said looking more than pleased.
— Discussion. 3 minutes, — Lightoller said shortly. — Try to guess who is the Mafia here. I'll be waiting for your decision. Whoever gave you their heart, mister Bailey, you and Will are under protection for this round, which means that the City can't put you on trial.
— Poor Jim. Let's find those scoundrels! — Wilde banged his fist on the table and pierced his laughing eyes into Murdoch. — Well-well! The Lover certainly knew who to choose. You will always look suspicious to me!
— Oh, really? — Murdoch sniggered. — Actually I believe Mafia is somewhere over there. — He nodded at Esther. She flinched. Her cheeks burned, but she still managed to pull herself together and smile.
— If I were Mafia, you wouldn't be sitting at the table, sir! Hey, Harry, how are you doing?
— I think I know who gave him a heart. — Lowe said cheerfully pointing his thumb at Murdoch.
Esther rolled his eyes.
— Are we looking for the Mafia or the Lover?
Lowe leaned back in his chair.
— Let's just find someone and see!
— You look like the boss of mafia, you know? — Wilde said lazily.
Another thought ran through Esther's mind.
— The Cardsharper knows who the Lover is, — she exclaimed.
— Let's find the Cardshrper then. — Phillips snorted.
— To tell you the truth, miss Bailey, my mind is giving way, but I'm here to stand up for Jimmy! — Lowe grinned and turned to Moody who was standing by the side of Lightoller.
— Those guys look suspicious! — Wilde nudged Lowe and nodded towards Phillips and Bride.
— Just looking for the Lover… the Mafia I mean! — Bride smiled looking a little flushed and pointed to Phillips. — I… I don't know this bloke. We seem to be in different teams.
— Oh, really? Anyway, I'm your chief, mate. And you look suspicious to me.
— Chief? The Boss of Mafia you mean? — Lowe asked Phillips.
— Of course!
— … and I'm assuring you that miss Bailey is not Mafia either! She's so energetic. She's asking questions. I heard her participating in conversations. If… if people behave this way it means they are green! They've got nothing to hide! — Lizzie blurted actively gesticulating.
— You can't be sure of anyone if you are not Mafia, because the peaceful residents get to know each other only at daytime and you are far more agressive than anyone else here, — Sean said in a mocking tone.
— What?! — Lizzie looked at Sean pleadingly. — Aggressive? I'm just telling you I'm not…
— Enough, — he chuckled. — You are a great actress. You are hypocritical like any Mafia and don't deny it! Miss Harlow, what do you think?
— She is quite strange today, — Fay admitted tilting her head to one side.
— I don't think miss Bodine is Mafia, — Esther said loudly. — What do you think, Harry? Are you content with your role, by the way? — she added forcing herself not to smile widely.
— Ah? — Bride blinked and looked at her apologetically. — Miss Bailey, I'm sorry. Didn't get the question, but… It's fine! Really. And you?
— I suppose mine is better than anyone else's including yours! What do you think of others? Any suspects?
— Miss Bodine is just a bit too active, but… she is not Mafia! — Bride whispered lowering his head.
— They are defending her. — Fay raised her eyebrow. Lowe and Sean looked at Esther and Bride. So did miss Bodine looking rather surprised.
— She is Mafia, believe me! — Sean pointed to Lizzie.
Miss Bodine shook her head, but Sean couldn't be so easily convinced.
— What does it feel like to be in the Black Team?
— You'd better ask him, son, — Molly said with a grin and tapped Wilde on the shoulder. — A brave officer with a gun you are, ah?
— Nonsense! — Wilde laughed good-naturedly. — I am a peaceful citizen! It must be one of the wireless operators.
— The one with a squint in the eye. Harry, right? — Sean looked at Bride. — Nothing personal. I'm quite superstitious.
Bride smiled genuinely and squinted up both eyes. Though slight, Bride's squint was noticeable, but Esther would never expect a gentleman like Sean to bring it up.
— How are you doing, Es? — Booker leaned across the table. — I thought that you were playing on mister Murdoch's side, but miss Beaumont doesn't think so, — he said teasingly, — she believes that Harold Bride and Fay Harlow are in the same team! The same goes for you and mister Wilde.
— I won't be so sure, — Esther said hastily and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Lightoller tapped his fingers on the table.
— The discussion is over! You have three more minutes to put someone on trial. Miss Harlow? Would you like to be the first to start?
Fay patted an imaginary thread from her gorgeous silky dress and sighed.
— I have to, I am afraid. Miss Bodine is so loud actually. She wants to befriend everyone at the table! I think it means…
— It's your opinion and you are free to choose, but we didn't even talk during the discussion! I am not Mafia, Fay! Please… I have my favourite role and that's why I'm talking too much. I know… I…
— Warning for the interruption! — Lightoller said writing something down. — So. Miss Bodine is on trial! Who else considers her to be Mafia?
— She is worried. Making friends also seems to be a black move in such a game. — Phillips reasoned. — That's why no offense, but I do believe her to be Mafia.
— So do I, — Lowe said.
— Your acting is perfect, Lizzie! — Sean smiled affectedly. — That's why I'm sure that you are Mafia.
— She is talking too fast and seems to be so friendly. — Fay continued in a sweet tone. Bride nodded absent-mindedly. Esther exchanged quick glances with them. Lizzie shook her head. She was on the verge of tears.
— I am not Mafia! I just want to be heard! I can help! I… I… can tell you for instance that I know for sure that mister Wilde and mister Lowe are not in the same team, though one of them might be the Cardsharper… and… and…
— Hush-hush, — Bride said softly. His eyes were brimming with sympathy.
Lizzie took a deep breath.
— Thanks. I'm not a baby, — she said. Her voice was trembling. Bride blushed.
— Maybe he is just waiting for the night to lay you to sleep! — Wilde smirked.
— My intuition is telling me that the real Mafia is sitting by my side! — Molly said pointing to Wilde.
— What are you talking about? I'm the greenest of the green! — Wilde exclaimed almost indignantly. Molly laughed heartily.
— A practical joker — this is what you are!
— Another person is on trial! — Lightoller announced. — Let's start the voting. Who votes against miss Bodine?
Fay, Sean, Phillips and Lowe raised their hands.
— Four votes, which implies that the rest of the table automatically voted against our chief officer. Well… Henry, you are done. Show us your card.
Wilde smirked.
— I'm not obliged to do it. Let them guess!
— And you were… the Framer of Mafia! Bravo, missis Brown! — Lightoller bowed his head. Everyone applauded. Lightoller raised his hand to calm them down.
— It's time to go to sleep! Everyone is sleeping and the Mafia together with the Betrayer wakes up!
Betrayer! Esther sighed with relief. They still had chances to win. She opened her eyes to meet the Betrayer's mischievous gaze. The Don offered him a charming smile. His eyes lingered on her as if he was waiting for the commands. Lightoller coughed.
— Don, you are the first to choose. Settled! Now, Advocate!
Esther looked at the Don and pointed to Booker again. The Don pointed to Lizzie. Miss Bodine's lips were slightly parted. The Don hemmed and showed her to the Courtesan.
— It's obvious who she is! You can guess! — Esther whispered quietly. The Courtesan looked at them pleadingly and shook his head. The Don frowned. The Courtesan seemed to have changed his mind. He pointed to Lizzie and made a hand heart.
— No. — The Don hissed. The Betrayer shook his head in disapproval. Esther questioned herself whether something was going on between Lizzie and the Courtesan. After all he couldn't have ignored the fact the Lizzie was the Journalist or not the Lover!
Lightoller woke all the citizens in the same order as the night before. The Doctor was the last to wake up this time.
— The night is over! Bad news for the City, — Lightoller said regretfully and looked at Murdoch.
— Am i?..
— I hate to say this, but… yes. And the City is left without the Doctor.
— Alright! — Murdoch said coolly and got up.
— Definitely not, — Esther gasped. The Don didn't point to him! How could it happen? Did the sheriff miss? With such an amount of roles it was so easy to go crazy!
— The most precious ones are the first to leave. I wish someone pointed me to the one who did it to the Doctor! — Missis Brown exclaimed. — Did he save anyone by the way?
— I hope so, — Murdoch said quietly looking into Esther's eyes. She stared at him in disbelief. Murdoch lowered his eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched.
— You have your last word, — Lightoller reminded him.
— Ah… well, pay attention to those guys then, — Murdoch pointed to Sean, Lowe and Bride.
— I'm sorry to continue, but Miss Beaumont is leaving us as well, — Lightoller said. — Together with mister Sanders.
Giselle bit her lower lip.
Sean frowned.
— You're kidding me, — he said squinting up at Lightoller.
— Well, we all make the wrong choices sometimes, mister Sanders. Miss Beaumont, you have your last word.
Giselle nodded at Lightoller and rose gracefully to her feet.
— First of all I would like to thank everyone for a marvelous game. I was the Cardsharper and all I know is who is the Lover here. That's all.
Booker bit his lower lip and looked up at her. Esther couldn't help suspecting her of knowing much more than anyone at the table, but for the reasons unknown miss Beaumont was not willing to share it.
— I can tell you something, — Sean said rising from the chair.
— Sorry, but the Sheriff doesn't have the last word…
— It's her. — Sean pointed to Lizzie. Despite looking rather defiant she curled up under his piercing gaze. Sean gave Fay a charming smile.
— Well. It was… fun. Good luck, Mafia! Such a bore to play for the City you know!
When he left the table Lizzie sighed with relief. Fay observed her for a moment.
— You seem to be glad, though he was the Sheriff. He was peaceful. Why are you content?
— I am not! It's just… I don't understand why he suspected me!
— And the last but not the least is…
— What?! — Lowe exclaimed looking at Lightoller in astonishment.
— And the last but not the least is mister Phillips!
Phillips slammed his card on the table.
— I knew that. And it's not over yet if I got it right.
Bride looked at him guiltily and exchanged glances with Esther.
— You did in fact, — Lightoller looked at the papers. — You can take any Mafia with you and you have one minute to choose.
— So we do need the Judge! Don't let us down, son, — Molly said encouragingly.
Phillips squinted up at Bride.
— Harry, are you ready to go to hell?
— Come on! I'm your assistant! Jack? I can't be Mafia! — Bride uttered rapidly. His face turned red.
Phillips smiled skeptically.
— Sleep soundly tonight. No doubts, you are done for the next round. As for now I would rather take a lady with me. Miss Bailey, would you love to keep me company?
Esther knew pretty well she was red in the face. It stood to reason other players would see through her!
— Why me?!
Despite feeling uneasy under Philips and Booker's amused gazes she raised her chin. Murdoch on the contrary didn't smile. He even seemed to be worried. As if he cared…
— But we… she is a peaceful citizen!.. — Bride mumbled.
His attempt to interfere was interrupted by Lightoller's gesture.
— Aren't you not then? — Sean said sardonically.
— I'm taking… I'm taking miss Bailey with me! — Phillips said solemnly.
Wilde shook his head.
— Wow! Impressive.
Lightoller mirrored Wilde's gesture.
— No reason to deny it. Miss Bailey, show us your card, please.
Esther quickly looked at her companions and bumped to her feet.
— Err… Well… I really don't know what the City will do without me!
— Esther, who were you? — Fay asked in the most innocent tone. Esther grinned, winked at Booker and raised her card.
— The Advocate of Mafia! — Lightoller said.
Lowe shook his head in disbelief. Lizzie seemed absorbed in thoughts.
— We've lost five players! — Booker noted.
— I'll explain you everything, kids, but later, — Wilde said patronizingly.
— Thanks, I'll do it myself, — Lightoller said dryly. — The Sheriff pointed to the Cardsharper who is regarded peaceful. The Don pointed to the Commissioner and the Cardsharper used the abilities of the Advocate against the Doctor.
— Oh… I didn't mean it, sir, — Esther said in a low voice turning to Murdoch. She had just joined those who were out of the game. He looked her up and down making her heart beat nineteen to the dozen.
— I knew who you were right from the start, miss Bailey, — he said calmly. — It was foolish I know. I came to you by mistake. I pointed to missis Brown. I didn't mean to heal you, so don't thank me!
Esther's heart sank, but then the words he said looking at HER before leaving the table sprang to her mind.
«— Did he save someone?»
«— I hope so…»
— You are a liar! — she whispered furiously. — You are a liar and a coward! You are afraid of being nice to me in front of others, God knows why! What have I done to you?
Murdoch frowned and looked down. When he raised his head there was a soft expression in his eyes.
— I am indeed. You are right, on the first night I came to you, — he said quietly. Esther was breathing heavily, but on hearing these words she stepped back. Had the game melted his brain or what? Murdoch got her quite right.
— Don't take it close to your heart, will you?
Esther squared her shoulders.
— I won't, sir! Actually, my team should have eliminated you earlier. I was pointing to you once…
Murdoch sighed.
— Still wonder, why I wasn't blocked, — he said with a teasing smile. — You are so bad at making choices, just for you to know! I really wanted to save you, let's say, from the Sheriff to prevent you from revealing your role…
She tapped the back of his hand.
— Hey! These two seem to be building their own team. Are we in? — Wilde said smiling widely this time.
Well, he was a poor liar too. Esther gave him the nod. If Murdoch had been the Mafia the Black Team would have won for sure. Esther heard miss Beaumont talking to Moody and Phillips.
— I am betting on the Black Team, — Giselle said reassuringly.
— Me too, — Murdoch said looking at Esther. — Who were you with?
She gave him a cunning smile.
— You'd better see it yourself, sir.
Meanwhile, the discussion was in full swing. Booker was standing his ground.
— … remember, don't you? What the Sheriff said about miss Bodine? I am not for voting against our ladies, but first things first: actually miss Bodine protected miss Bailey.
Molly didn't wait to step in.
— And still it's pure discrimination!
— Let's listen to miss Bodine, then, — Harold Lowe said. — Who does she suspect?
Lizzie shook her head.
— I… I don't know for sure, but I am, I am not Mafia… though I'm sorry, Fay, I'm terribly sorry, but I don't understand why you accused me before without even talking to me…
— Can't be, — Lowe said trying to look calm. — Miss Harlow was against miss Bailey and… and… she is not as nervous as miss Bodine.
— Ah, but miss Harlow voted against Lizzie and not that man with a gun, though he was Mafia, — Molly said indignantly nodding towards Wilde.
— That's true, but I would rather trust Sean… the Sheriff, — Booker said.
— Yeah. — Lowe nodded. — Miss Bodine is Mafia.
— Please! I even told the citizens who I am, what my role is… I told them previously and I don't regret…
— Well, you will if I eliminate you, — Lightoller said warningly. — Sorry to interrupt you, miss, but you can't reveal your role or I'll be compelled to expel you! One more warning and…
— She is… she is peaceful or she would be talking even faster! She talks fast, but not as fast as she would if she were Mafia, — Bride said suddenly. Lizzie stared at him in surprise. Molly laughed.
— That's true! I wouldn't call her a chatterbox though, but sometimes this young miss seems to be even more talkative than me!
Molly winked at Esther.
— Who else is Mafia here? You or… you? — she said to Lowe and Bride.
— Both of them, I suppose, — Fay said in a honeyed voice. — I am joking, guys.
— That's a good question by the way, — Booker said rubbing his chin. — There are six of us and only three are the peaceful residents, which means… — He turned to Bride. — Sparks might be Mafia together with miss Bodine or… miss Harlow.
— … or you perhaps? — Molly said giving him a funny look. Booker shook his head.
— Might be me, of course!
— I believe you for now, — Molly said. — You are not one of them. — She proceeded pointing to Bride and Low.
— Why do you trust mister Bailey? — Low asked surprisingly. Lightoller raise his hand.
— It's time to start the voting. As far as I have understood, miss Bodine is on trial. Who disagrees?
— I do! — Bride raised his hand.
Fay raised her eyebrows.
— I wouldn't be flattered in your place, Lizzie. You are Mafia and I'm voting against you, because…
— … because you are nervous! — Lowe continued much to Fay's delight.
Lizzie looked round and Esther didn't miss the look she instinctively shot at Bride as if begging him to say something else.
— She is nervous indeed, — Booker said doubtfully. Fay smiled to him.
— She is not! Stop it… She's just so lovely… so lively! — Bride said running his hand through his hair His voice trembled slightly.
— Oh, my…
Lizzie looked at him in astonishment and lowered her head biting her lower lip. Then she raised her eyes opened her mouth to say something, but Lowe interrupted her.
— She is what?! You'd better trust miss Harlow, Sparks. Miss Bodine is Mafia. Together with you or mister Bailey.
— Well if I could I would have already put them both on trial, — Molly said.
Lightoller nodded.
— Nothing is impossible. Booker Bailey is on trial if I got it right.
— Yes! — Lowe said looking rather relaxed. Booker inhaled deeply and smoothed his hair.
— Well… if you are ready to lose peaceful citizens so easily, let it be so. I am almost sure miss Bodine and I are in different teams!
— Miss Bodine! Who do you suspect? — Fay asked curiously.
— I… I don't know now. I'm lost! — Lizzie exclaimed squeezing her head in her hands. — I want to believe missis Brown and you, Fay. Though, I don't know, but I want to! I want to believe you, — she whispered turning to Bride. He turned scarlet.
— Why are you looking away? — Lizzie demanded. — I do believe you, Harry… mister Bride. I'm sorry… I…
— Two people are on trial. Who votes against miss Bodine? Three! Miss Harlow, mister Lowe and… mister Bailey, which means that three other votes go to mister Bailey. Thus, we have a tie! Three against three. Who votes for leaving both at the table? Miss Bodine, mister Bride, mister Bailey, of course and missis Brown. Four against two.
— One of them is peaceful I'm sure, — Molly said firmly.
— We'll see about that. — Lightoller chuckled. — Both players stay at the table and the game goes on! Everyone goes to sleep! Everyone is sleeping and the rest members of the Black Team wake up! The Don, the Courtesan and the Betrayer. I'm reminding you that you are the Framer now. Make your choices, guys!
— Three men in a boat! — Molly concluded. — You look too cunning, sonnies!
— I'm impressed by the Courtesan, — Murdoch whispered.
Phillips smirked.
— It definitely made my day! I'll remember that till the end of this trip.
— Poor kid, — Wilde сhuckled looking at the Courtesan.
— Interesting, — Murdoch said exchanging glances with Wilde. — Our team still stands a chance by the way.
— But how?.. — Esther thought for a moment. There were three «green» peaceful citizens and three «bad» guys. If the Mafia kills one of the civilians— what they are supposed to do — they will win! Only if… only if the Commissioner doesn't find one of them at night, doesn't guess who else is Mafia during the day and doesn't convince the rest of his team to vote against the Mafia clan. Well. He's not that experienced.
The Don blew a kiss to her «servants» and pointed her finger to Booker.
— The city doesn't stand a chance, — Esther muttered resisting the temptation to smile widely at Murdoch's puzzled expression.
— Courtesan, make your choice! — Lightoller rushed him. The Courtesan thought for a moment and…
— No, you can't! — Esther hissed. What was the Courtesan doing?!
— Actually, he can, — Giselle said surprisingly. — Though I don't get it…
— Is this your final decision? — Lightoller looked at the Courtesan as if he was a madman. — Alright! Everyone wakes up, cause the game is over.
The look of outrage and disbelief spread across the Don't beautiful face.
— The Mafia decided to eliminate themselves… — Lightoller continued. — Thus, we have a tie! The Mafia could win, but…
— Are you serious? — Booker exclaimed. — Well, a good ending to an interesting game…
— Yay! — Moody exclaimed.
— A tie is not that bad, ah? — Murdoch said to Esther. She wrinkled her nose.
— You let us down! — Fay said indignantly rising to her feet. Bride threw his hands up.
— I'm sorry! I… I just wanted to play for… to confuse the City, though it was fun! — he said apologetically.
Booker turned to Lightoller.
— Who were who then?
Lightoller pointed to Fay, Lowe, Bride, Esther and Wilde.
— The Don, the Betrayer, the Courtesan, the Advocate and the Framer. And here are the City, — he said pointing to Lizzie, Molly and Booker. – The Journalist, the Lover and the Commissioner.
— You were the Courtesan and you didn't guess anyone's role. I'm disappointed, — Phillips said to Bride before turning to Fay.
— Nicely done, miss!
— He could! Why didn't you point to miss Bodine previously? — Lowe asked Bride. — She was the Journalist. Everyone got it right except for you! You disappointed miss Harlow, you know?..
— Two more games and I'll find the way to make peace with you! — Wilde came to Lightoller and clapped him on the shoulder. Lightoller flinched.
— Not likely! — he said, though less hostilely than before.
Esther exchanged glances with Murdoch.
— It was a pleasure to play with you, miss Bailey, — he said quietly. — You are a poor liar, but I think you could make it if mister Phillips were less shrewd.
— They both are! — Esther chuckled looking at the wireless operators. She remembered what Bride said about miss Bodine. After having a lively conversation with Molly Brown Lizzie stood up and rushed to Bride.
— Don't you think that Harold Bride should have supported miss Harlow? — Giselle said to Sean. Sean looked at Bride.
— He should have! I didn't think he was that desperate! Look at him.
Esther smiled. The junior operator was talking to miss Bodine and misses Brown. Bride asked something.
— I never… never would expect it to happen at the end of the game! I have played it before so many times. Sometimes people did the same to confuse others… — Lizzie was bubbling and Bride were watching her. The former — with amusement, the latter — with admiration.
— It can't be! — Giselle hissed as if something was getting out of hand. Esther followed her gaze.
Fay Harlow was surrounded by the young men. Everyone except for Lightoller, Murdoch and Bride was congratulating her on the victory she could take but for Bride who was listening patiently to Lizzie instead.
— Hey! Let's play one more game so that the City wins! - Esther said cheerfully. Murdoch nodded with a smile.
— Now I am in charge! – Wilde said loudly. – Everyone takes their seats and let the second game begin!