After dinner, they walked to the Village, a girl with loose denim pants and a baggy jacket following a robot in a fedora. There was a row of small offices right alongside the street, and at the very end of the row, Tommy stopped and pointed at the window. In the light of a streetlamp, Charlie read what had been painted on the glass--Automaton Investigations.
"Tommy, this is the Village, we can't afford this."
"Yes, we can."
"No, we really can't. I mean, we're doing all right as it is, but mechanic is not what springs to mind when I think of high paying jobs."
"Come inside!"
Tommy went in the office, unlocking the door with the swipe of his hand. Charlie lingered a moment on the sidewalk and then, relenting, followed him inside. The first thing she saw was her couch, set against the back wall in what she assumed was a waiting area. There was also a small desk with a lamp and swivel chair pushed under it. Behind the desk was a small enclosed office, which contained another desk identical to the one in the waiting room, right down to the green, glass lamp. Onto the wide glass portion of the office door was etched another name--Tom Steel, PI.
"How are you paying for all of this?" she asked, nervously. She wondered if he'd memorized her new credit card number.
"The woman who owns this building said that this unit could have this office. There's even a desk for you, see?" He pointed to the one in the waiting area. "And she has given us our first case!"
Charlie sighed. "Where do I even start? I already have a job, Tommy, and it actually pays. No, wait, first--we have a case? What case?"
"She'd like us to keep tabs on her ex-husband. In return, we may stay here as long as we like."
"Oh, no, we can't get in the middle of something like that. We can't get mixed up in people's personal problems like that, okay? Things tend to go badly in those types of cases."
"We don't have to talk to him. We'll just watch. This unit won't be seen. Please, Charlie? Just for one week?"
She could feel a headache coming on and sighed a few more times for good measure. "Fine. One week, but then I want the couch back."
The robot hugged her gently, his metal body careful not to crush hers.
"Tommy, this is the Village, we can't afford this."
"Yes, we can."
"No, we really can't. I mean, we're doing all right as it is, but mechanic is not what springs to mind when I think of high paying jobs."
"Come inside!"
Tommy went in the office, unlocking the door with the swipe of his hand. Charlie lingered a moment on the sidewalk and then, relenting, followed him inside. The first thing she saw was her couch, set against the back wall in what she assumed was a waiting area. There was also a small desk with a lamp and swivel chair pushed under it. Behind the desk was a small enclosed office, which contained another desk identical to the one in the waiting room, right down to the green, glass lamp. Onto the wide glass portion of the office door was etched another name--Tom Steel, PI.
"How are you paying for all of this?" she asked, nervously. She wondered if he'd memorized her new credit card number.
"The woman who owns this building said that this unit could have this office. There's even a desk for you, see?" He pointed to the one in the waiting area. "And she has given us our first case!"
Charlie sighed. "Where do I even start? I already have a job, Tommy, and it actually pays. No, wait, first--we have a case? What case?"
"She'd like us to keep tabs on her ex-husband. In return, we may stay here as long as we like."
"Oh, no, we can't get in the middle of something like that. We can't get mixed up in people's personal problems like that, okay? Things tend to go badly in those types of cases."
"We don't have to talk to him. We'll just watch. This unit won't be seen. Please, Charlie? Just for one week?"
She could feel a headache coming on and sighed a few more times for good measure. "Fine. One week, but then I want the couch back."
The robot hugged her gently, his metal body careful not to crush hers.
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