Lupin The Third: The Gunslinger's Lament

Chapter 6

They drove through the greater Rome metropolitan area until finally they parked in the shadows of a dingey alleyway. Ruby followed Jigen into the alley and down some stone stairs, trying to look curious rather than nervous. She trusted Jigen implicitly, but knowing the sort of person he was, she didn't honestly know what to expect in such a place. She followed him at a trot, trying to match his long strides, the arms of her red 'Lupin' jacket flapping like a robin's wings and giving her the appearance of someone much younger.

The stairs led to a cobblestone walk which let out of the mouth of another alley. But just to the side of the stairs, tucked away in the corner, stood a doorway to a place called. J.T.'s. When Jigen knocked upon the green wooden door, a little slider opened and a pair of eyes peered through.

"Parola d'ordine," the person said.

To which Jigen replied, "Puoi sentire gli applausi del Colosseo da qui."

The person looked at Jigen, then looked at Ruby, then closed the slider. The door was unlocked and the man on the other side them in. The room inside was small and dimly lit, and whether Jigen wanted it or not, Ruby stepped closer to him and took his arm, practically hugging it as she gazed wide-eyed at a room that contained nothing but a single bookcase. Ruby hadn't a clue as to what this was until the man stomped his foot a couple times and the bookcase slid open to reveal a staircase leading into a 1920s style speakeasy, complete with earthen and woody tones and dim lighting. Something about this place just screamed 'Jigen.

"Daaamn, Al Capone," remarked Ruby, sounding more like her former self. "A fucking speakeasy?" Then, to the man standing at the slide-aside bookcase, "Are you The Real McCoy?

The man looked confused. "Mc...Coy?"

"Easy, Ruby," said Jigen. "They're not rum runners. It's a gimmick. You know, clever theming? They just know how to make their business stand out in people's minds. It's kinda out of the way, but they've got some really good booze."

Ruby sighed as she followed Jigen down into the stairs. Sometimes he just didn't get her jokes. Perhaps it was a loss in translation. Facetiousness, even if only in tone, didn't always sound the same in all languages. Though, Jigen hadn't been entirely wrong when he picked up her rather nervous demeanor. A part of her wondered, even if the drinks themselves weren't illicit, if perhaps this were a shady hangout for seedier folks on the wrong side of the law.

'You're on the wrong side of the law right now, actually, Rubes,' that voice in her head that always sounded like Kierra reminded her.

Ruby took a seat at the bar next to Jigen as he gave the bartender his order. "Bourbon on the rocks, yeah?" She was still gazing wildly about when he added, "And whatever the lady wants."

At first, Ruby glanced over her shoulder, wondering which lady Jigen was referring to, when she realized it was her. She was so used to him calling her 'kid,' that she was a little unprepared.

When the barkeeper turned his gaze on Ruby, she said, "Oh, uh, ditto the rocky bourbon." The man didn't even ask for her ID, but Ruby didn't know if this was due to Italy's rather liberal drinking age, or if the people in this establishment just didn't give a shit.

Jigen was a little surprised. He didn't take Ruby, who had only recently begun her journey into the world of booze, for a bourbon drinker. "Living dangerously, eh?"

"It's nice being 18 in a foreign country. Viva l'italia!"

Then, realizing she only looked half her age at the moment, she shrugged out of her slightly-too-large jacket, revealing her black 'Milano Italia' tank-top which showed off some nice, toned gymnast arms and a chest which certainly didn't belong to a mere kid. Jigen glanced briefly in her direction. Once more, he was reminded that Ruby was not a bad looking girl.