The Adventures of Will Irving: Automaton Trouble

Chapter 13

"Hey, the machine's blinking," Hank noted as Will followed him into their office's reception room and then closed the door.

"Play the messages," Will said as he walked into the next room.

Hank pressed the button on the answering machine. A moment later, a voice was heard.

"Will, it's Sam. I got something for you. Give me a call at home as soon as you can," Sam's recording sounded urgent.

Will returned from the next room, placing his gun into his shoulder holster and giving it a quick adjustment. He gave Hank a hopeful look.

"I wonder what he found out," Will said as he reached for the phone and dialed.

"Sam," Will greeted a few moments later. "I got your message. What's up?"

"Hey, Will," Sam replied. "A couple of updates for you. First off, after you left I took a look around Dr. Ferryman's office like you asked me to. I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary. So no luck there. But...about an hour later, two police detectives came by and said they were investigating Dr. Ferryman's disappearance. They were asking questions about his work, and they also said they were trying to get in touch with his daughter. I was already on my way out for the day, so I didn't hang around too long. When I left, they were scrounging around in Dr. Ferryman's office. I thought you should know...and don't worry, I didn't mention anything about you or what you had told me."

"Thanks, Sam," Will replied. "It may not seem like much, but every little bit helps. Keep me posted if you notice anything else tomorrow."

"Will do," Sam agreed. "Take care."

"You too," Will returned, and then he hung up the phone.

"What did he say?" Hank asked.

"Two detectives stopped by the factory not too long after I left," Will answered.

"Dante and Grayson again?" Hank suggested.

"I'd bet all the money in my wallet on it," Will agreed.

"You ain't got any money in..." Hank started to say sarcastically.

"Shut up, and get your stuff!" Will playfully interrupted.

Hank chuckled and walked into the next room.

"I'm bringing Ol' Faithful," Hank called out. "There's no telling what kind of trouble we might find ourselves in tonight."

A few moments later, Hank emerged from the other room, wearing a shoulder holster containing his pistol and loading two shots into a shotgun. He closed the shotgun and gave Will a ready look. The two friends then grabbed their jackets and left the office.