I fell asleep for a little while. I had another dream. Something about a volcano, and six of us on it about to get toasted. Then it shifted to a picture of me and a girl dressed in formal wear in a church, getting married, I think. I heard what I thought was a church bell. The next thing I heard was the grandfather clock chiming eleven forty-five. I arose, wearily, from my well-worn chair and retrieved my dusty trench coat from the hook in my closet. I met Karin in the office. She said, “Goin’ somewhere, Adam?”
“Yes, my cousin Dan asked me if I would meet him for lunch. He says he has a friend he wants me to meet.” I replied.
“Well?” She asked.
“Well what?” I said.
“Well, are you going to take this case or not?”
“Well, I remember this Tracy person from church so I think this is the Lord’s way of telling me to.”
“Okay, but I don’t think Hannah will approve.”
“She’ll have to, I’m paying her!”
“Well then, I’ll stay here and be your secretary for the day.” She said with a smile. I smiled back, and left the office. I knew that this was going to be a tough one. I decided to acquire Dan’s assistance. He is an actor with the Cincinnati Express, out of Cincinnati, Arkansas and are currently on vacation to help me recover, and this is his last week before he goes back on tour. I would talk him into it while I was at lunch. I got into my car, and started for the cafe on Second Street.
While driving to the cafe I thought about how I could discover the reason for the tenants’ disappearance, but the plan would be useless without the help of my friends. I pulled up to the cafe. Upon exiting the car I noticed a gadget on the seat next to me. I picked it up and pushed a button on it. It said, “How are you today?” I looked all around it and saw a label that read: Noah Prescott, Inventor at Large. ‘Inventor at Large’ is right. I thought, with a smile, remembering the times we had had on our previous case. I put the gadget in the glove compartment of my car.
As I exited the car I spotted Dan, sitting in the far corner table with a girl. He said that she was a friend of his that had just moved into Nanopolis. Heidi had gone home, and Dan met her at a restaurant. He was showing her the highlights of the city before his tour group left. He introduced her to me as Jacie. I greeted them, sat down, and informed him about the case and asked him to help me with it. “What is it you want me to do?” He wondered.
“We must find some way to protect Tracy. She may be the next one to disappear. Do you have any ideas?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Dan said, “I probably could get someone from the cast to help you, but this is their last week of vacation, and next week we have to go.” As he was saying this I looked toward Jacie out of the corner of my eye. She was staring at me, with awe.
