We all stood. Frozen. Staring at each other. It was after five. They wanted to go home. I said, “I should have brought a book.” They looked at me blankly as if they’d never heard of such things.

It was only ten or fifteen minutes before Rollie rolled up in his sheriff’s car. Security had to leave me, quite sullenly, to unlock the door to let him in. They came back together. Rollie and I greeted each other by name.

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” he said.

“You motivated me,” I told him.

“I did?”

“You made me realize I should take control of my life again. Not let it slip-slide away, which is what I was doing.”

“That’s good. But is there a problem here?”

“Not with me. With them.”

“That’s not true,” the woman behind the desk said.

“He’s the problem,” the security guy said.

“Quiet,” Rollie said. “One at a time.”

“He was taking unauthorized pictures,” the woman said.

“This is private property,” the security guy said. “He has to do what he’s told.”

Rollie looked at me. I went through the whole sequence, trying to pay, being refused, trying to get proof that I tried. Rollie asked the woman if that was reasonably correct. Faced with an officer of the law, in uniform, with a badge, she admitted that it was. She insisted, however, that it was private property and they had a right to forbid people from taking pictures and making recordings. How were they to know it was not for some nefarious purpose like planning a robbery or a terrorist attack?

I started a rant about how every time we called the bank, or just about anything else, they recorded us, “ ‘for training purposes.’ Ha! Who believes that? Now, when I want to record them…”

“Quiet, would ya.” Rollie looked at each of us in turn. “This here, this is a very complex matter. Honestly, it’s beyond me to sort it out and be sure I’m correct about it. I think it’s a matter for a judge.”

That didn’t sound good.

“Here’s what I’m going to do,” he continued. “For now, I think Mr. Cassella should retain his cell phone and whatever is on it. The bank, which has an extensive and experienced legal staff, can then file legal proceedings. If a judge finds for the bank, I’m sure Mr. Cassella here will be happy to remit the material. Won’t you? If a court says to?”

“Of course, I will,” I said, compliant, upright, and true.

“See,” Rollie said. “For now, let’s all go about our business.”

The security guard escorted us to the front door. He unlocked it. Rollie and I left together. When we were outside, I said, “That was very well done. I’m impressed. Thank you, Rollie.”