This article is about William Adler, the character in The Smoke Room. You may be looking for Willem van Dijk from Glory Hounds.
| “ | …and if my job is worth anything, it's to make sure good folks don't suffer.
— William Adler
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” |
William Adler is one of the love interests in The Smoke Room. He is the sheriff of Echo, and a friend and client of Samuel.
Appearance
William is a tall, burly coyote with tan and white fur. He has dark brown fur on his head, with mutton chops and some stubble. He has gold eyes. William also has numerous scars, including claw marks on his muzzle and a notch in his left ear.
He wears a slightly unbuttoned white dress shirt, with suspenders and black pants. William also wears a watch on his left wrist, which is set to the time zone of the city where he used to live.
Personality
William is a no-nonsense type of man, and Samuel remarks that he almost never relaxes. He acts professionally in most settings and has strong convictions about justice. Despite his rough exterior, William cares for the town of Echo and its inhabitants' safety. He is rational and perceptive, and very good at reading people.
Despite his attraction to other men, William views homosexuality as unsightly and has complex feelings about identifying as loving men himself. This denial of his identity has led William to feel a strong sense of guilt regarding his past marriage and family, and sometimes causes him to lash out at those who more freely express their sexuality.
Story
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| Spoiler warning past this point! |
Early Life
William Adler was born on December 18th, 1880[2]. Not much is known about William's childhood; he is half Native on his mother's side, but his family is from a northeastern tribe and he is not of Meseta heritage like most Native people in Echo, including Cynthia. William's father may have been named Conrad, and he is dead by the events of The Smoke Room. Will barely knew his mother because his father disapproved of her culture and rarely let him see her.
At some point Will befriended a woman named Hattie and eventually married her, in part to help her get away from her family. When Will was 19 they had a son named Andy, who is 16 by the events of the story. Will was a baseball player when he was younger and maintains an affinity for the game. He then became a detective affiliated with the BOI, the precursor to the FBI, in the Windy City, a large metropolis east of Echo controlled by organized crime. At home, Will cared for Hattie but felt hopelessly trapped and stifled in a heterosexual marriage, and contemplated suicide on numerous occasions.
As an officer of the law, Will had frequent brushes with danger, including one that left him with his distinct facial scars. He eventually brought down a number of criminals involved in the mafia, most notably the son of the leader of a major crime family. Will lost part of his ear to "torture" he survived during a retaliatory ambush afterward, and he was eventually forced to retire from police work and relocate for his own protection. In the process, he left behind his family, who went on living under new names. Will resettled in Echo and was elected town sheriff two years prior to the start of The Smoke Room, after the previous sheriff was killed. He and Hattie officially divorced at some point, although Hattie remains unaware of Will's sexual orientation.
William later became a client and then close friend of local prostitute Samuel Ayers, for whom he feels a fond protectiveness. Sam at one point recalls that William was much more strict when he first took the job as sheriff, but began to slightly relax over time.
Prologue
William is first seen talking with Murdoch in the town square, after Jack's body is discovered. Will is frustrated to learn that body has been moved, rendering the crime scene of limited use to him. He spots Samuel and beckons him over, and enlists his help in gathering information on Jack by relaying whatever he hears around the Hip. Will promises to elaborate further when he pays a visit to Sam as a client later.
That evening, Will receives fellatio from Sam and reiterates his desire for Sam to act as a spy for him, promising that in exchange the law will continue turning a blind eye to his prostitution. They then join Murdoch in the saloon of Saguaro's Hip, and Cynthia leads the three of them into the powder room so William can meet Madam Dora. After a gunshot is heard outside, signaling the beginning of a miners' riot, William orders everyone in the room to stay put.
William's Route
Chapter 1
William announces to the powder room that his deputy Todd has handled the riot, and that it is technically safe to leave the Hip. As everyone disperses, Will begrudgingly follows Samuel up to his bedroom, and Sam confesses to killing Jack. To Sam's surprise, William believes his side of the story, and even congratulates him on the act. When Will brings up the all the blood that has been spilled by others before Samuel throughout Echo's history, a skeletal bull appears in Sam's mirror behind him.
William refuses to bring Samuel in, believing that James Hendricks III would quickly have Sam hanged in order to alleviate the pressure on himself by giving the miners a convenient outlet for their anger. Will tells a relieved Sam not to cry in front of him, and resolves to help him cover up his crimes.
To corroborate Sam's story, Will escorts him back to the crime scene so he can explain exactly what happened. Will also solicits the help of Nikolai and Murdoch, for their expertise at navigating the mines and photographically documenting evidence respectively. The group runs into Todd on patrol near the mine entrance, who reports that he saw three dancing ladies enter it, though he is unsure if they were real. William is bewildered and admonishes Todd before sending him back to the station with orders to put a warrant out for Samuel's arrest if their group doesn't return before dawn. As Will leads the party into the mines, they are briefly startled by the sounds of women laughing.
Nik directs them to the hollow where Jack's body was found, and Sam's story appears to hold up. While Murdoch is taking photos, William spots one of Samuel's coins lodged in the wall and takes it. As they leave the mine, William hears a voice call out "I love you," and he shouts back a warning to what he assumes are trespassing youths.
William and Sam return to the station, where Todd is waiting for them. Will dismisses him, and obliges when Sam asks to spend the night. To keep Sam from having to sleep in a jail cell, William converts a desk chair into a bed for him and chooses to sleep in the cell bed himself. He returns Sam's coin, then tells him he is a good person and promises to resolve the issue of James still seeking a guilty party on which to pin the crime.
The next morning, William cooks breakfast for Samuel before he wakes up. Will calls Sam stupid for falling for Jack but also cautions against excessive paranoia, and urges Sam not to give up on trusting his friends. He invites Sam to a poker game in the evening so he can learn how to tell and detect lies better, as well as train his intuition and perception. During their conversation, Will defends Echo, and says he favors its growth into a larger settlement, if only because more industry would check James Hendricks' mining monopoly.
Before the poker game, Will tells Sam not to bother trying to win, and focus instead on reading the other players. When Murdoch and Cliff arrive together, William appears to intuit their mutual attraction and treats Cliff tersely but allows him to stay and join the game. Will then wins the first hand by bluffing convincingly. When a figure outside the window that Will has been monitoring suddenly fires a gun at Cliff, Will immediately leaps to his feet and fires back. He kills the assailant, a young delinquent named Jimmy Fisher. Will surmises that Jimmy must have followed Cliff and Murdoch to his office.
The others depart, escorted by Todd, and Will tells Sam he believes the recent strange happenings in Echo may not all necessarily be connected, but James Hendricks is nonetheless likely involved in some way. He also concludes that someone gave Jimmy the gun and sent him after Cliff.
Chapter 2
The next day, Will brings Jimmy's body to the coroner and purchases a new window to replace the one the bullet shattered, then visits a pawn shop to try and track the gun Jimmy used. He is successful, and returns to report to Todd and Sam that the gun belonged to Huxley Greene, who had recently purchased it back from the shop. Huxley has been missing for days, however, and so Will, Todd, and Sam question Huxley's wife Marcy about his whereabouts. She mentions that her husband often spoke about hopping a train out of Echo, and so Will plans to scout the train tracks.
Before the investigation can proceed, Will and the others are stopped in the streets of Echo by James Hendricks, who wants to 'exchange information' and in return promises to share news about Hattie, William's ex-wife. During their conversation, William calls James out of touch for his deluded assertion that Echo is a stable and prosperous town. When James tells him that Hattie has come to stay in Echo, Will appears to nearly pull his gun out but stops himself when James' bodyguards react. With an expression of shock and dread on his face, William sprints off to the Hip where Hattie is staying. As reciprocity for the intel, James tries to give Will a list of people he wants the sheriff to investigate, but Will is gone before James can get him to accept it.
At the Hip, Will gets into an argument with Hattie and then storms out. Sam follows him back to the police station from a distance, remarking that Will is in a mood he has never seen. In his office, Will explains that Hattie and their son Andy have followed him to Echo. Will suspects that James Hendricks was involved in bringing his former family to town to hinder his investigation, but is skeptical that James could find them in witness protection and believes that another party must be involved. Sam is able to get William to open up about his past, and Will admits that he never loved his ex-wife and was bitter and miserable in their marriage. Depending on how Sam comforts him, Will may kiss him for the very first time.
Murdoch arrives at the sheriff's office and reports that while at Lake Emma recovering from his injuries he overheard what sounded like a struggle, followed by a body being dumped from a minecart into the water. Will resolves to investigate, and invites Nik because of his familiarity with mining equipment. Sam agrees to tag along reluctantly, since Will wants to 'keep him close' and plans to stay away from the Hip while Hattie is there. Will is troubled by the implications of CSCG equipment being used for a potential crime, since prosecuting the mining company would likely bring economic ruin to Echo.
In the morning, William is already posted outside on a stakeout of the Hip when Sam leaves to come meet him. He mentions his past as a baseball player as he and Sam walk to Lake Emma, and talks about how boring Echo is in comparison to his home city. At the lake, Will and Sam meet up with the rest of the main cast. Cliff and Murdoch stay behind with a picnic while Sam, Will, and Nikolai cross a river in order to reach the area where Murdoch witnessed the possible crime. Will quickly hones in on a small gap in the cliffs concealing a cavern and finds a minecart inside, likely the one that was used to move the body to the water's edge to be dumped.
Will suddenly hears voices talking in a mafia code he recognizes from his home city, and follows them deeper into the cave. Sam and Nik are incredulous and cannot hear what Will does, but he insists that the voices are real, and then sees two figures crossing a bridge that Nik swears is rusted through and unfit for use. Will trusts his own instincts over Nik's warning, but when he decides to test the bridge by throwing a baseball from his pocket at it, he is baffled to find that it crumbles instantly. Nik realizes that the cavern they are in could potentially collapse and threatens to drag Will out by force if he tries to keep going, but Will relents and they leave.
Will apologizes for his behavior and Nik supports him, calling him a good friend. After Nik leaves, Will admits that the ball he tossed at the bridge often made him feel angry and he wanted to throw it, even though doing so felt like a loss of control. Sam may either help Will come to terms with his hallucinations in the mine, or try and excuse them by insisting that nothing is wrong with him. At the picnic, Murdoch invites William and Sam to The Stag that evening. Nik cautions against coming to the bar, which is a known gathering place for the miners' union, as a representative of the law, and Will agrees not to wear his badge.
Chapter 3
On the walk back to his office, in response to Sam sharing that he feels stuck in Echo, William admits he would leave the town if he lost his job as sheriff. Will then gets lost thinking about how much of his life has been spent in transitional places, and has a flashback to Hattie that Sam snaps him out of.
That night, William requests Sam's services and the two have sex. Will reveals that his sexuality is based largely around what he perceives as the inherent depravity of male intimacy. He binds and gags Sam and may then choose to help him get off, which brings the two closer, or may continue to keep Sam at an arm's length physically. The next day, Will pays Sam for his time.
Todd finds Huxley Greene's headless body offscreen in an unknown location and arrives at the station with it in the morning. Will determines Huxley was decapitated with ripping force, and concludes that since he evidently died before the hit was placed on Cliff, someone else must have hired Jimmy and given him Huxley's gun. He and Todd go to question Cliff, whom they find still on edge from an attempted break-in by Reed Morris, a friend of Huxley's who suspects Cliff in his disappearance. Will learns that Cliff is secretly working for James Hendricks, and so anyone hoping to disrupt James' enterprise might see Cliff as a target, and invites Cliff to stay at the sheriff's station for protection.
The rest of the day follows William as he carries out his investigations at City Hall, The Stag, and Saguaro's Hip. Going to The Stag in the morning prevents talking to Felipe, Dimitri, and Paul, but going to City Hall in the morning instead means missing out on a conversation with Porter Moore in the library that occurs after speaking with James. Porter teases that there is a mole in the Hip leaking sensitive information to James, which is all but confirmed to be Ethel if Will then chooses to speak with her at the Hip. Alternatively, the union miners tell Will that James frequently argues with Harlan, the barman at the Hip, and this intel allows Will to later get Harlan to divulge his deep-seated grudge against James.
In front of City Hall, William encounters Reed Morris. Reed admits to trying to break into Cliff's home, but William overlooks the crime in exchange for an account of Huxley's behavior before he went missing. At Will's prompting, Reed recounts that Huxley pawned his gun to support his alcoholism but had recently become paranoid and bought it back to defend himself. He also mentions that Marcy Greene might know how the gun left Huxley's possession, and Will makes a plan to speak with her again.
Whatever order William follows, at the Stag he will encounter a man named Kane, who behaves flirtatiously towards him, and also Chang, who explains that James and his business partner Gregory Briggs play favorites with their employees. At City Hall, Will is disgusted to find that Mayor Testerman is mostly preoccupied with keeping James happy and the public calm by preserving the CSCG corporation's image, rather than making a plan in case tensions escalate. James himself denies sole responsibility for bringing Hattie to Echo, although he admits facilitating her move once she reached out to him initially. When James slurs Will's Native heritage, Will flicks a pebble at his cheek with enough force to draw blood.
Will goes to the Hip, where he is shocked to learn that Sam has confessed his murder to Cynthia as well. Cynthia is very mistrustful of William, and threatens to make him pay if she catches him using Sam's secret to manipulate him. If Will then talks with Dora, she mentions blocking James from sleeping with Sam, seemingly on Will's orders.
While looking for Sam, Will finds Hattie in the Hip, and she explains that back east someone stalked her and sent her a threatening letter with James' contact information, which ultimately led her to relocate to Echo. If Sam has spent the route encouraging William to overcome the guilt he feels about leaving his family, and if Will also chose to reciprocate sexually towards Sam, then Will is more honest about his motivations with Hattie during their discussion, and does not cling to the self-deluding notion that he is a dutiful family man. Hattie begs William to look after their son if anything happens to her, but he excuses himself without giving her an answer.
Outside, Will finds a furious Andy, who blames him for the sudden relocation to Echo. William warns his son that Hattie is not safe in the town, and tells Andy that the only way to convince her to move somewhere else is to give up on his dream to enlist in the army, because his mother will do whatever he says if he grants her that. Andy is unconvinced, to Will's exasperation.
Back at the station with Sam in tow, Will learns that Todd found Huxley's corpse in a nearby ditch along the side of the road, meaning that it was most likely dumped there by an automobile. Todd is exhausted and distracted, so Will dismisses him for the night. Much to Will's frustration, Cliff has departed from the protection of the station, and before leaving decided to tidy up the sheriff's desk and office. Out of concern that Cliff may have accessed sensitive documents, Will remarks that he will have to review all of his paperwork to ensure nothing is missing. Sam tries to downplay the risk, but Will reminds him to always 'prepare for ugly possibilities.'
Will fills Sam in on the results of his investigation so far and invites him along to visit Marcy again in the morning, since he feels that Sam notices things that he himself misses. Sam mentions that Will used to be much more uptight when he first moved to Echo, and Will reflects on how much all the places he's lived, including and especially the places from his past, continue to shape him. Will asks Sam to stay the night again, simply for company instead of sex, and is so excited when Sam agrees that his tail wags, although he tries to downplay it. Sam insists on still being paid for his time, and Will playfully obliges.
The next day during the interview, Marcy suspects that Huxley is gone forever and demands to know the truth. Will tries to focus on the questioning, but Todd blurts out that Huxley is indeed dead, causing Marcy to become closed off and despondent. Will asks for permission to search her home and property and Marcy vacantly agrees. Outside, Will snaps at Todd, reminding him that Marcy is herself a suspect, then sends Todd and Sam to go scout the property while he takes some time alone to think about their next steps.
On the road not far from the Greene cottage, Will finds a gum wrapper that he suspects is evidence that someone else has been near the property, since it looks new and neither Huxley nor Marcy chew gum. Suddenly, Will is startled by Kane, who appears and admits to trailing him. Will learns Kane is a bounty hunter looking to profit off the capture of criminals in Echo, and that he has sought Will out because he hopes to collaborate. Will is initially dismissive but Kane is flirtatious and persistent, and so after some banter Will offers payment if Kane can turn up useful information about the gum wrapper. Will notably disappoints Kane by stipulating that he cannot resort to violence or killing while working on behalf of the law. After leaving Kane, Will also finds an empty canister used for camera film.
Upon returning to the Greenes' property, Will finds a startled Sam and Todd by the shed, and surmises what the two were up to. After the scolding the pair, he decides the group should investigate inside the house, as Will had seen Marcy was heading towards the Hip. He then goes into the Greenes' kitchen and finds a jar containing mugwart, and concludes that Marcy was inducing abortions to spare her children from whatever abuse Huxley was putting her through. In the bedroom, he sees a moldy shroud on Marcy's bed. Noting that Marcy may use dolls to process her grief (particularly openly now that Huxley is dead), he brings Sam and Todd to the kitchen to discuss. He asks Todd if there was anywhere in the house Marcy would never go, to which Todd mentions an icebox. Will realizes that the floorboards beneath him sound hollow and investigates to find a disguised trap door leading down to a room containing Marcy's icebox. Notably, the icebox itself is too small to have stored Huxley's corpse, but the strange room also contains a crib, a chest, and an ornate doll. Will decides to end their investigation, so the trio exits the property and walks back to town.
As they walk, Will asks Todd if he ever noticed Marcy being pregnant, which Todd says he only noticed twice. Will informs them about the mugwart and that it was likely given to her; he also asks them to look for disturbed ground where the fetuses could be buried, as he believes there's a connection between the medicine and a motive for Huxley's death. Todd is skeptical of Marcy being involved, but doesn't elaborate. Will tells the two he'll investigate the general store alone with his gum wrapper and film canister, sternly relieving Todd from work for the day and sending Sam to get him cleaned up.
Upon arriving, Will is blocked at the door of Red's General Goods by Ralph, who insists that the store is closing for the night. A curious Murdoch hears that Will's business is urgent and may lead to arrests, and invites the sheriff inside despite Ralph's objections. Will and Murdoch go to the darkroom for privacy, and Murdoch confirms that the film canister matches the ones sold at the general store, although Marcy and Huxley were not known customers. He also discloses that his mother and possibly his father attended a party at the Hendricks mansion on the night of Huxley's disappearance. Will concludes Murdoch is likely not lying, although he may be covering for his family in some way. Suddenly, Gretchen herself appears and demands that any further questions be directed to her.
Will tells her plainly that Huxley Greene has been murdered, and observes that her surprise is either genuine or very well-rehearsed. Will then begins to get a familiar tingling intuition that violence is about to break out, and is unsettled to feel it coming from Gretchen. She further chastises him for not intervening in Marcy's situation sooner, but he reflects that as a relative outsider there is only so much he can do in certain situations.
As soon as Gretchen hears about Marcy's condition she leaves for the Hip, and Will questions Murdoch again without her present. He says he has nothing to hide, but advises that the best way to derail the investigation would be to tamper with evidence. Will remarks that Cliff was recently rummaging around at the police station, although he does not think that he is a suspect, and shares with Murdoch the discovery that Cliff is using an alias and working for James. They agree that it is strange but not necessarily suspicious, but Will nonetheless warns Murdoch about being willing to take a bullet for a stranger and calls him his friend.
Will then shows Murdoch a drawing of the gum wrapper from the Greenes' property, and learns both that Red's General Goods is the primary supplier for it and that Hattie bought some from the store in the last week.
Furious, Will leaves and makes his way straight to the Hendricks manor, since in addition to the party at the mansion on the night Huxley disappeared and the fact that an automobile has been implicated in the disposal of the body, the newly revealed involvement of Hattie, now an employee of James, is also pointing him there. James invites him inside and Will notices a conspicuous portrait of James I hanging in the foyer. Will tries to distract James by inviting him to speak at length about how grandfather founded the town, but does not manage to get close enough to the painting before James ushers him out of the room. When Will later investigates the portrait, he finds that it has hinges and the wall behind it is hollow.
In the parlor, Will finds James' wife Cordelia and young son Noah, as well as Nikolai. Will also notices a cardboard model of the mansion on a table and James explains that he is planning renovations that will bring the house closer to James I's expansive original vision for it, although he has no idea where his grandfather's original floor plans are. Will worries that this ignorance grants James significant plausible deniability, and that he could claim not to know anything about suspicious discoveries even if they are found within his own home.
Cordelia then remarks on how nice it is to have company, and Will identifies her as a lonely person who likes to talk. Will tells her and James about Big Momo, a mafioso he caught in The Windy City, and seemingly highlights the way Momo used others to do his dirty work and remained personable and popular to the public as a way to seemingly emphasize the way he suspects James may be operating. Despite James' objections, Cordelia is spellbound to such a degree that she gives Will free reign to investigate the mansion for signs of the organized crime that he warns her Echo could be harboring. James is then called away by a meeting, and Will begins his investigation.
When Will goes to examine the portrait of James I, Nik accompanies him and the two talk discreetly in the foyer. Upon hearing Nik's suspicion that James has targeted him not because of his association with the miners' union but because of his relationship with Sam, Will is shocked and badly shaken. Nik adds that James clearly knows he visits Sam at the Hip, and as a result has tried to invite them both to luxurious events. Will may then worry about James finding out how much time he and Sam have spent together recently, since it could present James with another opportunity to gain leverage over people Will is close to just like he did with Hattie and Andy. If Will has not been encouraged elsewhere in the route to move on from his duty to his family, however, then his thoughts are less focused on Sam and more on protecting his ex-wife and son. The portrait is hinged but does not open, and Will speculates that it may run on a clockwork mechanism that only unlocks at certain times.
In the kitchen, Will finds Hattie making dinner. Seeing her induces a flood of memories once again, and he is reminded of how close he came to suicide during their marriage. Evading her angry pleas to be straightforward with her about their relationship, Will instead tells her again that she is in danger, and explains his investigation has continuously shown that something is going on in the Hendricks house. He is also able to confirm from her that James enjoys the kind of gum found on the Greenes' property, and that she indeed bought it for him recently, although she promises him that she has not been coerced into aiding anything illegal or even out of the ordinary. When the topic drifts back to their marriage, Will insists that being treated as a component of a family instead of an individual can ‘unperson' someone, and admits that he was lonely when they were together. Hattie asks outright why Will still cares about her, and he tries to change the subject before conceding that he will tell her more when it's either "safe to" or when he has nothing to lose. Hattie then shows him the one conspicuously unusual thing she has found in the mansion: a vanity cabinet near the entrance to the basement that contains a huge collection of hand mirrors, which Cordelia has no idea about.
In the living room, Will listens to Cordelia recount the strange noises she sometimes hears in the mansion, as well as a lingering burning smell that recurs occasionally. Just then, Noah reaches out to grab Will's gun, then once caught he admits that Andy put him up to it. Noah also asks if Will kills people, and Will reluctantly says he tries to avoid it but admits that he has.
As he and Nik go upstairs to search further, Will opens up about his relationship with Hattie. Nik chides him for trying to overrule her decision to move to Echo, and points out that if Will lets it bother him then he only accomplishes the likely goal of whoever orchestrated her relocation.
Nik immediately knows which door leads to James' office, and Will can tell he is lying when he says that James simply mentioned it earlier. Nik also seems to know that it will be unlocked, although he claims it is obvious because James is not one to think himself guilty.
In James' wastebasket, Will finds an unsigned note that references Hattie's relocation to Echo, later implied to have come from Harlan, that originally contained Hattie's address and a request to offer her employment as ‘a favor.' He also finds various personnel files and pictures of CSCG miners and wonders if James has access to a private photo developer. In the office's filing cabinets, he uncovers evidence of James' plot to replace the currency of Echo with a form of company scrip that would be worthless outside of the town, and is both startled and amused by the depth of James' ego-fueled delusions. Nik reveals that he is already aware of the scrip because James' secretary leaked word of it to the union, and Will considers that the news getting out makes James a target, since his scheme would destroy the economy of Echo.
Upon departing the mansion with Nik, Will cannot shake a nagging dread and then suddenly hears a shot and sees a bullet bounce off a can on a rock beside them. He tackles Nik to the ground, only to see Noah and Andy laughing. Andy claims he was shooting at the can for fun and was not aiming for them. Andy is irreverently nonchalant towards his father and insists that Will should stay away from him and Hattie because they don't need him, leaving Will furious. James appears, interrupting their argument, and takes Andy's side before leading both boys back to the mansion for dinner. Will observes James patting their shoulders affectionately as they go, and he considers that it may be a vain attempt by James to make him jealous. Nik remarks that Andy may be dangerous but Will is dismissive, thinking that Andy would've shot them if he wanted to, and believes there's no point in talking to him. However, Will admits that Hattie may be able to convince Andy not to enlist, which Nik encourages Will to do. The two part ways with Will heading towards the Hip.
Will gives a genuine smile when he finds Sam in the Hip's washroom. He asks Cynthia for a moment alone with him but she pushes back against him having any right to be in the Hip in the first place because of the power he wields over them all. Sam excuses himself, remarking as he goes up to his room that Will and Cynthia should have a talk.
Cynthia is frustrated that Sam has come back from his latest outing with Will clearly stressed and covered in Marcy's blood, but Will brushes off her concern and internally considers her a 'short yappy woman.' She also criticizes his failure to intervene in Marcy's domestic situation sooner, and her indignation that Will is continuing to spy on the Hip causes him to realize that Cynthia is the one who stole documents from his office. He accuses her and she dares him to prove it and arrest her. Will subsequently attempts to de-escalate the situation, and may be particularly successful depending on the progress of his investigation so far.
If Will has discovered the tension that exists between Harlan and James Hendricks, then he uses this to inform Cynthia that she should be more worried about Harlan than him. Cynthia then reveals that she has a grudge of her own against Harlan, because he was caught keeping a stash of her mother's remains for possibly occult purposes, and promises to help Will however she can if it means ruining Harlan's life. She shares a love letter written by Harlan for Dora as proof of his overbearing nature.
If Will has confirmed that Ethel is leaking information to James, then he shares this with Cynthia and she comes around to his cause after he assures her that he hasn't used information gathered from the brothel in any other way. If Will tells her that he wants to keep Sam and "the rest of us" safe, Cynthia remarks that he sounds more sincere than he ever has before. She then gives him a note containing Ethel's instructions for the night, seemingly also written by Harlan, in the hopes that knowing what she is up to that evening can help him.
If Will has not gleaned either of these insights, then he and Cynthia remain much more antagonistic towards one another; Will says the two should simply stay out of each other's way, and after Cynthia swears to obstruct any of his future attempts to gather information at the Hip, he tells her that he loves a challenge.
Suddenly, much to both Will and Cynthia's surprise, Cliff announces his presence from the doorway, cheerful and apologetic for interrupting their argument. Will assures a curt Cliff that he's working on his case, but if Will has discovered Ethel is leaking information, Will notices Cliff's reservation ticket and will ask him to ask who Ethel got her chores from. Sam then reappears, and, sensing that Will and Cynthia still have matters to discuss, Sam offers Cliff a drink at the bar to let the two resume. Picking back up, Cynthia admits to feeling unnerved by Harlan recently; if Will has not yet found either suspect, he decides to keep a closer watch on the barkeep, relationship still strained with Cynthia. However, if he has, she and William will talk about Dora and Harlan's stage days as well as Will's youth and personal life. Feeling less wary of Will, Cynthia suggests investigating Harlan's study with Sam's help.
At the bar, Will finds Sam alone, as Cliff has left for a drink. He briefs Sam on his and Cynthia's suspicions of Harlan, and their plan to get into his study by having Sam distract Harlan with one of Cynthia's bracelets. Sam is hesitant, but goes along when Will brings up that being upfront with Harlan would make him paranoid. Will hands Sam a bracelet to bait Harlan, and leaves to wait to slip into the study with Cynthia. Sam manages to distract Harlan long enough to give the two an in, and Will begins searching Harlan's desk. He manages to find a black binder inside, which Cynthia identifies as a copy of Madam Dora's book of contacts, which is kept hidden from everyone. Will advises against taking it, as doing so would draw Harlan's suspicion to Sam; Cynthia solemnly says she wishes Will cared about the Hip's workers as much as he does Sam, but is glad he cares about someone. As Will returns the binder, he comes across a hidden panel that contains recent papers. He notes that coercive pictures are drawn next to a name, "Chang Fulin." The two realize Harlan is approaching, and quickly reorganize the room before departing and returning to the bar, wordlessly.
Back at the bar, Will returns to sit with Sam right as Todd arrives. He confirms Marcy made it home as well as recording the morning's events, and he apologizes profusely for fooling around with Sam. However, the deputy is reluctant to question her again after all that happened. Will figures it's due to his childhood history with her, but Sam questions whether or not Todd wants Mrs. Greene to keep quiet about something. Will wonders whether something was between Todd and the Greenes, but lets the topic drop as Nik makes his appearance. The miner updates the group on the strike and reminds the three about the plan to visit the Stag later that night, which Will is unsure of going to. Will goes to take a smoke break outside when the conversation shifts to religion, where he begins to think about his feelings on Sam. However, he doesn't want to act on them, fearing what would happen to him if they got caught.
When Murdoch suddenly makes his appearance, Will considers but shoots down any ideas of sexual flings with the photographer. Murdoch asks for updates on the case, and Will confirms that there's nothing concrete against his mother, reassuring him. Murdoch confirms he's going to Stag despite feeling under the weather, which prompts Will to ask him about what Murdoch feels during sex, to which he merely states he feels whole during the act. Remarking that the conversation would be better suited between Will and Sam, Murdoch brings to cougar outside and leaves to find Cliff. Will shares his first meeting with Kane to Sam, and is still baffled at his forwardness. Will admits a liking towards Kane but is scared to pursue sex, remembering the last time he indulged his father caught him, subsequently arranging his marriage to Hattie. He admits starting a family was the only choice he felt he had, but Sam says he still wants Will to try having sex with Kane, as he might enjoy it.
After some time of sitting in silence, Sam pushes for Will to come the Stag, which he reluctantly he agrees to. The two head into the Hip to gather Todd, Nik, Murdoch, and Cliff. If Will had made his request to Cliff then he confirms her orders came from Harlan. Outside the group begins their walk to the Stag, though Will remains out of the conversation about the bar and it's status as a queer presence in Echo. Closer to the barn, Sam is saddened by Nik's curtness with him but cheers up at the prospect of seeing Will dance. Will is irked at the chance of seeing Kane though, as well as all the attention he'll get for being there at all. Outside the entrance, Will is noticeably on edge as Sam lets slip that Will might sleep with Kane to Nik. The two try to reassure him that no one would care if he did, and that he should just enjoy himself for the night, though Will's nerves still haven't calmed.
When the group walks in, Nik spots a tiger miner and surmises that Chang is present. He and Will head to the loft where they sit, though when Will uses Chang's alias he dodges a swipe from an incensed Yao, much to the Chang's amusement and Yao's shame. That aside, Will shows Chang his sketches of the pictures he saw in Harlan's notes, which quickly send him into a panic, as the pictures imply extortion; though Will is unsure of he is being extorted or extorting another. He decides to leave the sable alone for the night, but tells him he can stop by his office if he wants to tell him anything. Work done for the night, Will goes to sit at the bar with Sam, slightly disappointed to not see Kane. The two watch as Murdoch moves to the stage, guitar in tow, to perform a song for the Stag. Though Will remains surly as he dances with the other members of the group, his mood picks up after spotting Kane and dancing with him, before sharing a kiss with Sam after they dance. The two sit together outside the barn, but Will is still tense after all the excitement. Sam notices, asks him why he hasn't pursued Kane yet. When Will says he doesn't he should, Sam asks Will why he wants to. Regardless of what Will says, if Will hasn't been getting closer to Sam, he simply decides to head back inside with Sam. If he has, Sam will ask him to do something stupid and have sex with Kane. Will may be willing or unwilling to kneel for Kane but either way, the two walk back inside the bar together.
The two sit at the bar next to Kane, where Will and Kane begin to flirt, which attracts Todd's attention. Kane notices the deputy get bashful about sex, and uses Sam's intent to sleep with Todd to force both lawmen to come with Sam and Kane. Will finds the proposition stupid and risky, so Kane suggests alcohol will make Will more brave enough to do something stupid. Will downs the mug when offered, but can still take or turn down the ultimatum. If he turns it down, Kane accepts but isn't too bothered. If he accepts, Will downs another drink, wanting to feel buzzed. The group then takes their leave to one of the smaller barns outside. The group then begins, as the lawmen begin performing fellatio. Will briefly flashes back to the last time he did when his father caught him, but proceeds with sex anyway. In the morning, Will wakes up next to Sam, who asks if he enjoyed the night; Will says he did, which makes Sam happy. The moment quickly sours however, when Will realizes the trio was robbed of their clothes and possessions, including his watch. Sam managed to hide Will's gun and keys, however. Though Will kicks himself for his choice, luckily Nik finds the three in their predicament and leaves to bring the three spare clothes.
If Will turns Kane down, Sam lightly chides him for missing his chance. They get back to drinking, when Nik suddenly appears and coolly greets Will and Sam. Nik notes how Will and Sam keep disappearing together, and though Will tries to diffuse the impending conversation, Sam bitterly jabs at Nik for talking to Will behind his back. Nik angrily defends himself by saying he was worried about Sam, who responds with further indignation. Will takes Nik's side since he was concerned about Sam, and forces Sam to apologize to and thank Nik. However, they're both surprised to see him loudly cry and hug Sam. This attracts onlookers, so the three decide to go outside to finish the conversation. They enter a clearing in a nearby grove, where Nik reveals he's moving to Payton in less than a week. Will approves but Sam disapproves as Nik explains that there are better work opportunities there, and he wants to stay close to Echo to encourage his friends to follow.
If Will has gotten close to Sam and said he was open to kneeling, Will remarks on how close the three are and thanks Sam for his work. Touched, Sam admits how Nik and Will gave him purpose despite his circumstances, and asks Will if they can join Nik once the case is finished. He agrees and Nik says he was hoping they would join him too. However, Sam says if they're going to move, he wants them to be able have sex equally and coaxes Will to admit he can kneel for them. If Will admits it, the three have sex, though Will flashes back to his father catching him and Aiden, remembering windows breaking, punching being thrown and blood. The three briefly fall asleep on the forest floor, but Will is woken up by Sam who seemingly has a supernatural experience. If Will doesn't admit he can kneel, Sam is bitter as Will blithely doesn't try to convince Nik of staying or following Nik. The badger remarks that tensions will boil over soon and that Will can just resign, which Will agrees with but says that he owes Madame Dora a favor for bringing him here, so he's beholden to his post. Nik stiffly accepts this, and asks Will to still consider the offer.
Regardless of Will's choices at the Stag, he, Sam and Todd reconvene at the Greene's house the next day. He arrives with dread and notices the increased number of knitted items on the outside of the house. Will asks Marcy through the door if they can enter, to which she refuses weakly. Will attempts to ask again when they hear a splash from behind the door; realizing the situation, the trio quickly break down the door and find Marcy delivering over a pail. Panicked, they take action and Will helps comfort her, and watches as the others help deliver the baby, though it is delivered small and stillborn. She absentmindedly blames herself, not wanting the children to share her same fate. When Marcy nearly faints, Todd and Will run to get water for her.
Returning to Marcy, Will clears the couch of Marcy's dolls and helps Sam move her onto it. She wants to go upstairs to put the stillbirth with the others, with the group realizing the shroud likely contains the remains of other stillbirths. Todd does so, and when he returns, Will brings him and Sam to the kitchen. Will instructs Sam to go to the Hip so Dora can help find a discreet doctor for Marcy. The lawmen return to Marcy, and Todd gives her the ornate doll to comfort her. Her condition continues to worsen, but Will gently continues his questioning, and eventually Marcy reveals that on the night Huxley disappeared, she last saw him take his gun and get into a carriage with a red fox. She passes out, and Will orders Todd to stay with her until Sam returns.
Sometime later, Will returns to the Hip after Marcy stabilizes, finding Sam and Cynthia in a washroom. Incensed, Cynthia immediately asks Will what happened, but he shuts her down, as he is looking for Mrs. Byrnes urgently.
Murdoch's Route
Chapter 1
Sam and Murdoch develop the crime scene photos from the mine for William and then arrive at his office one night to deliver them. William answers the door smelling like alcohol and, according to Sam, looking scared and disorganized. He accepts the photos and tells Murdoch to pay Sam what he's worth for his time. Sam hears the voice of a woman, presumably Hattie, calling for William from inside, and William bids Sam and Murdoch an abrupt goodbye.
Offscreen, Murdoch reports a possible murder that he, Sam, and Ralph witnessed at Lake Emma to William. Will directs Todd to investigate the water where the body was dumped, but to no avail.
Chapter 2
Later in the route, Red Byrnes believes his staff is acting strangely and summons the sheriff to his general store. Will is sober and focused, unlike he was when Sam saw him at the station previously, and leads Sam and Murdoch into a back room for questioning. Will is apparently satisfied by Sam's claim that he has no memory of sustaining his head wound, and flirts with Murdoch as he departs.
Cliff's Route
Chapter 1
The night before Sam and Cliff depart on their expedition, they stumble upon Will questioning Reed about Huxley Greene's disappearance. After Will notices them, he advises Sam and Cliff not to venture out into the wilderness, because once they leave Echo they will be out of his jurisdiction and away from his protection. Will acts dismissively towards Cliff and belittles his research and pampered upbringing, which causes Cliff to react indignantly. The two begin shouting at one another, culminating in Will calling Cliff a homophobic slur and asking Sam to get the weasel out of his face.
Nikolai's Route
Chapter 1
Sam refuses to confess his crime to the sheriff, and so William becomes a notably adversarial presence in the early part of the route.
The morning after the miners' riot, William comes to Sam's room at the Hip to question him and Nik, who has stayed the night, about Sam's injury. Will is annoyed by their attempts to obscure what exactly happened, and assures them that he will figure out whatever they are trying to hide on his own. Before leaving, he warns Nik not to become complicit in covering up a crime. Shortly after, Sam realizes that William is surveilling him from a distance as he walks around town, and successfully shakes off the sheriff's pursuit.
Chapter 2
William is waiting for Sam and Nik when they emerge from the mines later that day, and demands to know why Sam is in the vicinity of the crime scene. James Hendricks interrupts to chide William for bothering his workers, and then falls for Yao's claim that Sam is simply touring the mines because he is a prospective employee. Will seems unconvinced, but lets Sam and the others depart. Later, Nik and Yao encourage Sam to accept a job in the mines partly to avoid further scrutiny from Will.
That night, while Sam sleeps over in the miners' bunkhouse, William comes by the Hip three times to ask Dora when Sam will be back.
Several days pass, until Will once again catches Sam and Nik as they leave the mine, this time late at night long after their shift has ended. He coldly informs them he knows they have been lying, and mentions that people in town are more on edge every day that passes without the murderer being caught. However, he does not arrest them, and after expressing that it would not be justice to see them punished, he warns the two that the most important thing they can do is survive. He also advises Sam and Nik that they should just ask for his help next time, then leaves to head back to the station.
Echo
During Flynn's route, Chase Hunter stumbles upon two pictures of William during his research into Echo's past. One was taken after a partial collapse of the Hendricks 'Castle,' and the other features William and Cliff at a town meeting discussing Echo's relationship with the Meseta tribe.
Relationships
Samuel
William is a regular client of Samuel. He enjoys the services provided, but much to Sam's disappointment, he does not reciprocate sexually during these meetings and remains prickly even when expressing affection. Despite this, the two of them are close friends, and they are often forthright with each other. William feels a "harsh protectiveness" of Sam, and uses his position as sheriff to look out for him, but in return expects Sam to act cooperatively as a potential informant for his investigations.
In his own route, Will says that he considers Samuel's passivity one of his worst qualities, and is surprised and impressed by his use of violence against Jack. As they grow closer, William becomes more comfortable outwardly expressing affection for Sam, and the shift to Will's perspective reveals how much he enjoys things like Sam's rare laughter and his smile.
Murdoch
William and Murdoch have a good working relationship. Will considers Murdoch a friend and seems to feel protective over him. The two infrequently interact outside of work, but Will enjoys Murdoch's company enough to regularly invite him over for poker. In Murdoch's route, Will demonstrates an openness to becoming intimate with Murdoch.
Will's general distaste for Cliff means that he struggles to see why Murdoch is so willing to endanger himself to protect him.
Cliff
William and Cliff have a tense relationship. William seems to think Cliff is ill-suited to life in Echo and considers him unable to protect himself, and Cliff feels patronized and demeaned by Will's attitude of gruff superiority. Their dynamic is complicated by William's complex feelings towards his own sexuality, which contrast sharply with Cliff's flamboyant self-expression and conspicuously homosexual behavior. Will is frustrated by Cliff's lack of discretion because the hostile attention it attracts endangers Will and those he cares about. Combined with Will's own internalized shame about his sexuality.
In Cliff's route, Cliff erupts at William for looking down upon him and William fires back with slurs that target Cliff's orientation and mannerisms, but in other routes the two are more neutral towards one another.
Nikolai
William and Nikolai are familiar acquaintances. Will regularly invites Nik over for poker nights, which seem to be a way for the gay men of Echo to safely socialize. The two display mutual respect for one another and are shown giving each other sincere and honest life advice, although in his own route Nik is willing to lie to Will to keep Sam safe. Whichever of them Sam chooses to pursue, Will and Nik each become one of the very few people to be fully aware of the other's relationship with him.
Will proves himself to be very invested in Nik's safety: during Nik's route he advises Nik and Sam to prioritize their survival no matter what, and in his own route his first instinct upon hearing a gunshot is to tackle Nik to the ground to protect him.
Todd
William readily depends on Todd and appears to consider him a trustworthy and reliable deputy. Will especially considers Todd 'good with people,' and, since Todd is a lifelong resident of Echo and has been in local law enforcement longer than Will, values his popularity around town. He is also, however, very aware of Todd's occasionally simple-minded worldview and seems to consider him unsuited to tasks that require more guile, such as interrogating Cliff.
Will tries to temper Todd's zeal for his duty, and often has to overrule Todd's insistence that he can still work in order to send him home to rest.
Kane
William quickly grows impatient with Kane's flirtatious behavior, and remains wary of his possible inclination towards violence, but is nonetheless charmed by him to some degree and warily agrees to use Kane's services as a bounty hunter to aid his own police work.
Madam Dora
The Hip is an important source of information in Echo, and so William often collaborates with Dora during his investigations and is willing to use his influence to grant her favors in return for information. The two have a working relationship, but are at odds whenever Will's pursuit of the truth clashes with Dora's obligation to maintain discretion for her employees and their clients.
James III
William considers James Hendricks frivolous and self-serving, but recognizes the ruthless streak that James demonstrates when it comes to protecting his image and endearing himself to the leaders of Echo. He also thinks James overstates his own importance in the town, as well as the importance of Echo itself, and characterizes James as suffering from 'small city brain rot.' He believes James is an inept manager of the mine, and that he would be unable to maintain the operation without Briggs' expertise.
Will favors the expansion of Echo into a larger settlement to bring competition to James' mining operation.
Mayor Testerman
William has a very low opinion of Echo's mayor, describing him as 'thick as pig shit' and considering him basically an apparatus of the mining barons who indirectly control the town by influencing him.
Hattie
William is Hattie's ex-husband, but he married her out of moral obligation and while in denial about his sexuality, rather than as a result of actual attraction. The marriage was miserable for Will but he bears no ill-will against Hattie, although he seems unable or unwilling to honestly explain to her that his sexuality led to the end of their marriage, rather than something that Hattie could have done differently.
Depending on choices made during William's route, Will may gradually shed the self-justifying belief that he left Hattie to protect her, and instead begins to accept that his decision to leave his marriage was selfish but necessary to save himself.
Andy
Despite Andy's eagerness to prove himself a capable man, William still very much sees him as a boy, and remarks that his son is in over his head when Andy naïvely claims to be able to protect Hattie all on his own. William has very little interest in raising Andy as his son, and would rather see him and Hattie living safely together somewhere far away from him.
Trivia
- William was the first character ever revealed for The Smoke Room. Because of this, fans assumed him to be the game's protagonist. This isn't strictly the case, although William does become the point-of-view character for a portion of his route.
- The Windy City where William is from is the Echo universe's version of Chicago.
- The closest real-world analogue to William's Native ancestry is the Ojibwe tribe, but this has not yet been made explicit in the story.
- William is an ancestor of Janice Adler, a character in Echo.
- In very early concept art, William had only one scar across his muzzle instead of three.
- William's favorite book is The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.[3]
- William’s surname may be an homage to the character of Irene Adler. Adler is a central character of the short story “A Scandal in Bohemia,” published in the novel The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Adler is the object of Holmes’ immense admiration due to Adler’s ability to outsmart and thoroughly foil the plans of the detective.