Episode 206: All in the Family
Alex: From Pacific Northwest Stories and Minnow Beats Whale, it's season two of The Black Tapes Podcast. I'm Alex Reagan.
This season, we're continuing our exploration of the Strand Institute's enigmatic president and founder, Dr. Richard Strand. We're telling the story of the black tapes in order, every two weeks. So if you haven't listened to the first few episodes, go back and start there. We'll be here when you get back.
Alex: Glushka. It's a name I hadn't heard in months. The Bulgarian monastery where monks held a seance. Where we saw a video of a figure falling from a tower. Where Keith Dabic apparently is, or at least was, when he took, or somebody took, that photo.
Alex: Nic was right about us being a long way from what initially brought us here: the black tapes. Strand doesn't want to admit that they're all connected, but to me it's obvious they are. And I wondered if there might not be one black tape in particular that tied it all together.
Alex: It was just a five minute chat, but in that brief time, Cheryl painted a picture of Dr. Strand that made him seem like... almost like an entirely different person. I suppose none of us resembles the children we were in terms of character and sensibilities, but this Strand, terrified and worried for his family, somehow that child grew into the man I was now meeting.
Alex: I left. I'm sure Strand honestly believed that the information he shared with me would never become relevant. He never considered that I might find Cheryl's black tape. He certainly never thought she'd contact me. So he shared a private concern of his with me, and I'm going to share it with you. After the break.
Alex: Nic was right, I had definitely crossed a line. My head was not in the right space at the time of Strand's disclosure to me. I'm glad Nic had me erase the recording. It feels like I need to be back on track, on the right side of the ethical conversation. Here is what Strand revealed to me.
For several years now, Dr. Strand has suspected that he's being stalked. Followed by a group seeking artifacts and information. Things that would likely have been in his father's possession. I think that's why he's upset with my disclosure about Cheryl being his sister. I think he's been trying to protect her all these years. She gave me her permission to include her name in this episode. In fact, she insisted I include her in this episode.
Dr. Strand's family tree has now officially expanded by one branch. I'm going to see what I can do about repairing any damage my revealing his sister on this podcast has done to my relationship with him. While I was contemplating how I might accomplish this, Nic called with some new information.
Alex: I'm standing outside the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It's beautiful. Although... it's giving off a serious big time The Shining vibe. I've been calling Strand, but it just goes to voicemail. Nic got in touch with Ruby at the Strand Institute and she told him that Strand and I were on the same ferry. I asked the front desk and they told me he hadn't checked in yet. So I'm standing outside the hotel, waiting for Strand to show up.
Alex: So, Strand let me back in, so to speak. And the two of us walked down the long hall. And let me be perfectly clear about this... this was a Kubrickian hallway. Super creepy. Twins holding hands, blood pouring, weird Big Wheel-kid-riding creepy. It was old, but it felt... It had a kind of strange veneer of renovation that actually made it scarier somehow. Of course Strand was married here.
We walked down to the end of the longest hall I'd ever seen and entered the room.
Alex: He was pointing at a painting, a print of a painting. It looked kind of like a more... smeared oil paint version of those foxhunting prints you see in hotel rooms. But... this one was different. Way different. It was violent. Just looking at it made me feel dizzy for a second. The imagery was... well, it was pretty dark.
There were two hunters and a pack of wolves. One of the hunters looked like he was entwined with a deer... but he wasn't. The legs of the deer were part of him, and his face... his eyes were black and wild, and he was watching and smiling as the dogs tore something apart. Something that was hard to make out. It was a mess of wet hair and... bone, and...
Alex: Strand opened the door, and there were two very confused French Canadians. Apparently, they believed we were in their room. There had been a mixup. Strand and I re entered the lobby. He was intent on getting the room he'd paid for. They apologized profusely, and offered to put both of us for free. They weren't impressed that we wanted separate rooms. I'm not gonna tell you which one of us asked for separate rooms.
The next morning, on the ferry back home, while we were up getting coffee and bagels, both of our cars were burglarized. They took all of our luggage, registration papers, sunglasses, and my iPod Classic. Which really pissed me off because I had 160 gigabytes of music on there. Good music. Ours weren't the only cars whose windows had been smashed, but we were two of four, and we were parked on opposite sides of the ferry.
It didn't go unnoticed by the police when we reached the mainland. They didn't think it was a coincidence. That is, until they spoke with their supervisor, who may have mentioned additional time and paperwork. They said they'd call us if they had any news. I asked them if I should go looking for my iPod on Craigslist or pawn shops. They said that was way too dangerous. So I was left feeling pretty Lebowski: no answers and no Creedence.
After we finished speaking with the police, Strand and I went our separate ways. In all the excitement I'd forgotten to ask Strand what Cheryl told me to ask him, about the boy and the river. That would have to wait. As soon as I got back to the office, Nic called me into the studio.
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Alex: Our call ended there as we had used up our time. I left that conversation shaken by some of the things Simon had said. He has a way of getting into my head that makes me... feel different. More open somehow. I don't know how to describe it but... well, he was right about one thing.
Alex: I had no idea what she was talking about. After the call, I opened up my personal account. One I rarely use anymore. I checked my Sent box, and there it was. An email to Amalia. I opened it. There was an attachment. The following sound file is what I had apparently attached to this email, an email I swear I can't remember sending.
(quiet, reedy, high sound plays)
Alex: It was the Unsound.
What if it wasn't Amalia who was behaving strangely? What if it was me? Had I put Amalia in danger here? In Russia? Was I putting her in danger now? And what about Keith Dabic? Coralee, Cheryl, and Strand himself? Was Nic right? Had I been behaving recklessly? Unethically? Was Simon Reese right about Maddie Franks? Or was he just telling me that to... what, to make me feel better? That doesn't sound very much like Simon.
It's The Black Tapes. I'm Alex Reagan. We'll be back again in two weeks.
The Black Tapes Podcast is a Pacific Northwest Stories and Minnow Beats Whale production. Recorded in Seattle and Vancouver. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Nic Silver. Edited by Nic Silver and Alex Reagan. Executive producers Paul Bae and Terry Miles.
Thank you so much for listening to The Black Tapes.
This season, we're continuing our exploration of the Strand Institute's enigmatic president and founder, Dr. Richard Strand. We're telling the story of the black tapes in order, every two weeks. So if you haven't listened to the first few episodes, go back and start there. We'll be here when you get back.
Alex: Glushka. It's a name I hadn't heard in months. The Bulgarian monastery where monks held a seance. Where we saw a video of a figure falling from a tower. Where Keith Dabic apparently is, or at least was, when he took, or somebody took, that photo.
- Alex: Glushka.
- Nic: Yep.
- Alex: Do we have the money to get me there?
- Nic: Yeah, well, mostly. Money's not the issue really, it's more of a Glushka Is A Fortress of Secrecy and Privacy issue.
- Alex: Yeah?
- Nic: Yeah. Let's play this out. You go to Glushka, you hire a translator, 'cause I'm assuming your Bulgarian is shaky, and then what? Knock on the gate, ring a doorbell, "Hi, it's me Alex."
- Alex: Well, we'll arrange a meeting.
- Nic: Well we couldn't reach anyone there the first time. We still can't find any information about them online or anywhere else. We're gonna have a hard time contacting an institution that doesn't wanna be contacted.
- Alex: Okay, but... let's go through this.
- Nic: Okay.
- Alex: Keith Dabic is alive... and in Russia.
- Nic: Um, not necessarily... and we're not sure.
- Alex: What?
- Nic: It's barely a maybe on both counts.
- Alex: He left a voice message.
- Nic: That was a long time ago, and since then all we have are cryptic emails and a creepy geotagged selfie.
- Alex: Well, he's probably being careful because he knows he's being watched.
- Nic: Or maybe Keith Dabic tried to reach out to us but then got intercepted and now someone's pretending to be him to get us out to Glushka on their demon-worshipping turf to... take us out.
- Alex: Do you think so?
- Nic: No Alex! That's the plot of a Lifetime thriller! Are you sure you're okay?
- Alex: (sighs) Yeah.
- Nic: What's going on?
- Alex: I feel like... (sighs) I'm picking at this... tiny corner of a huge tapestry that we can't see. You know? We're too small to see the whole thing from where we stand, but it's all connected. It's all there. Do you know what I mean?
- Nic: Oh, I know what you mean (laughs). And I'm excited to dig into everything, believe me, I just wanna be careful how we proceed. Given... you know.
- Alex: Maddie Franks.
- Nic: Yes. Maddie Franks, and everything else.
- Alex: Right.
- Nic: We've come a long way from the black tapes, Alex.
- Alex: What do you mean?
- Nic: Well... remember how all this started? A million dollar prize, a ghost hunter who doesn't believe in ghosts, a few unsolved paranormal mysteries. And now we're investigating some possibly crazy death cult in Eastern Europe that may or may not be sending out its minions to open demonic portals. And then there's the demon music and the creepy children that probably figure into everything as well.
- Alex: (gasps, gets up quickly)
- Nic: Um, where are you going?
- Alex: (away from the mic) You're right!
- Nic: Right about what?
Alex: Nic was right about us being a long way from what initially brought us here: the black tapes. Strand doesn't want to admit that they're all connected, but to me it's obvious they are. And I wondered if there might not be one black tape in particular that tied it all together.
- (phone rings)
- Woman: Hello?
- Alex: Hi, is this Cheryl?
- Cheryl: Speaking.
- Alex: This is Alex Reagan.
- Cheryl: (long pause) Yes?
- Alex: Um, I don't want to offend, but I do need to ask you for confirmation that you are who you say you are.
- Cheryl: Of course.
- Alex: It's just that our inbox if full of people responding to our last show, so... you know (laughs).
- Cheryl: I understand. I'll send you whatever you need.
- Alex: Great, thank you. Um, when's the last time you spoke with Richard Strand?
- Cheryl: God, it's been ages. Almost 20 years?
- Alex: So, around the time Coralee disappeared?
- Cheryl: Just after that, yes.
- Alex: Okay. Could you please describe your relationship with Richard Strand for our listeners?
- Cheryl: (very long pause) Richard Strand is my brother.
- Alex: Your last name is no longer Strand.
- Cheryl: My married name is Baker. Cheryl Baker.
- Alex: Richard's never mentioned you, and I feel like there must be a reason for that... if you don't mind my asking.
- Cheryl: Well, Richard's always been one to stick to the topic at hand. His family is at most... tangential.
- Alex: You mentioned in your email that his black tape titled "Cheryl" features the two of you when you were children.
- Cheryl: I remember that evening, yes.
- Alex: And you remember seeing something... strange that night?
- Cheryl: (long pause) I'll never forget it.
- Alex: You were looking out what look like patio doors into the dark.
- Cheryl: Into our back yard, yes.
- Alex: And you said you saw tall men?
- Cheryl: (pause) Yes.
- Alex: How tall?
- Cheryl: (pause) I don't know exactly, but to me, at the time, they seemed like giants. Tall, thin giants.
- Alex: Did you get any sense of what they looked like? Faces?
- Cheryl: It was too dark to see... the ones outside.
- Alex: Right. And then you saw one of them inside the house? In the corner?
- Cheryl: Yes. That one was tall. The top of its head would have touched the ceiling, but it was hunched over like something... like... a twisted, crooked tree. It's eyes were huge. Unblinking. It's arms were kind of shaking... as if it was getting ready to... it was excited. And there was a smell. A swampy... sick, musty sweat in the air. It smiled then. A crazed smile. I... froze.
- Alex: What happened next?
- Cheryl: Oh! And it's fingers. They were long, incredibly long.
- Alex: You remember all that?
- Cheryl: Of course. It pointed at me.
- Alex: It must have been terrifying.
- Cheryl: (pause) It was. But... I'd seen it before.
- Alex: You had?
- Cheryl: Yes.
- Alex: And Richard told you he saw it too?
- Cheryl: He saw it.
- Alex: You're sure?
- Cheryl: Richard became convinced that those things were after our family.
- Alex: He told you that? That he thought they were after you?
- Cheryl: Not just me, he told our parents too.
- Alex: What did they say to that?
- Cheryl: I remember dad giving Richard the strap. Yelling at him, something about trusting the facts.
- Alex: That must have been hard for both of you.
- Cheryl: When they developed the film, there was nothing there. Nothing to prove that there was anything in that room.
- Alex: The incident obviously disturbed your brother.
- Cheryl: (long pause) Do me a favor.
- Alex: Sure.
- Cheryl: (long pause) Ask Richard about the boy by the river.
- Alex: Uhh, okay. Who's the boy by the river?
- Cheryl: He'll have to tell you. It's not my place.
Alex: It was just a five minute chat, but in that brief time, Cheryl painted a picture of Dr. Strand that made him seem like... almost like an entirely different person. I suppose none of us resembles the children we were in terms of character and sensibilities, but this Strand, terrified and worried for his family, somehow that child grew into the man I was now meeting.
- Alex: Wow, I barely recognized the house.
- Strand: That's a good thing, right?
- Alex: (laughing) Definitely. You painted all this?
- Strand: Ruby chose the colors.
- Alex: Woman's got taste.
- Strand: Mm. Oh that couch, she reupholstered it herself. The tables are repurposed, uh reclaimed wood or something.
- Alex: Ahh.
- (long pause, Strand clears his throat)
- Alex: So... I spoke with your sister. (long pause) I find is surprising that you didn't mention Cheryl was your sister.
- Strand: That wasn't important.
- Alex: You lied to me.
- Strand: For a reason.
- Alex: Right, but... (sighs) I'm here to tell you that I'd like to disclose to our audience what you shared with me privately a few months ago. Your secret.
- Strand: Cheryl is not the topic of that black tape. I am. It makes not difference to your audience if she's my sister or friend. It's about what I saw in the room. Or... thought I saw.
- Alex: I disagree. (long pause) You agreed that if it ever became relevant, that I could share it. I'm sorry, but... I believe it's become relevant.
- Strand: I'd rather you did not share that information.
- Alex: This is my job. This was the whole point of research...
- Strand: I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. (long pause) Please.
Alex: I left. I'm sure Strand honestly believed that the information he shared with me would never become relevant. He never considered that I might find Cheryl's black tape. He certainly never thought she'd contact me. So he shared a private concern of his with me, and I'm going to share it with you. After the break.
- Nic: Okay this is just wrong, Alex. You've completely crossed the line here.
- Alex: It was in our studio.
- Nic: Yeah, but you told him you wouldn't record the conversation.
- Alex: No... he asked me to turn my handheld off, so I did.
- Nic: And then you turned on your smartphone recorder? That's... semantics. That's worse than semantics, that's almost criminal.
- Alex: You're being dramatic.
- Nic: I'm just doing my job.
- Alex: As am I.
- Nic: No, you're not. This is unprofessional. There's a way to do your job, and that is ethically. You're way over the line here.
- Alex: If you're worried about him suing us, he won't.
- Nic: I'm not worried about him suing us! At least I wasn't until you just mentioned it. I'm worried about us, you, losing all credibility.
- Alex: Wow.
- Nic: Wow? Are you being smug?
- Alex: He won't sue.
- Nic: You don't know that.
- Alex: Yes I do.
- Nic: You lied to me, Alex.
- Alex: Oh, you wanna talk honesty? You?
- Nic: What are you talking about?
- Alex: I... nothing. Amalia. Probably. Maybe. Jesus, Nic. I don't know.
- Nic: Did you get any sleep at all during your break?
- Alex: Some.
- Nic: Real sleep?
- Alex: I'm seeing Dr. Burnnett tomorrow.
- Nic: Okay, I don't wanna piss you off, but I feel like your judgement might still be a little bit clouded.
- Alex: I don't think so. Just listen to what Strand has to say, you'll see that--
- Nic: I need you to erase that.
- Alex: What?
- Nic: The recording. In front of me. I need to see you hit the delete button.
- Alex: Then how's our audience supposed to hear it?
- Nic: They're not. You're going to tell them.
- Alex: What's the difference?
- Nic: (exasperated) You know the difference. Delete it. Do it the way you're supposed to do it. You're a journalist, Alex, you're not a tabloid... whatever. Paparazzi. (long pause) Thank you. Do you need another vacation?
- Alex: No.
- Nic: Then let's get to work.
Alex: Nic was right, I had definitely crossed a line. My head was not in the right space at the time of Strand's disclosure to me. I'm glad Nic had me erase the recording. It feels like I need to be back on track, on the right side of the ethical conversation. Here is what Strand revealed to me.
For several years now, Dr. Strand has suspected that he's being stalked. Followed by a group seeking artifacts and information. Things that would likely have been in his father's possession. I think that's why he's upset with my disclosure about Cheryl being his sister. I think he's been trying to protect her all these years. She gave me her permission to include her name in this episode. In fact, she insisted I include her in this episode.
Dr. Strand's family tree has now officially expanded by one branch. I'm going to see what I can do about repairing any damage my revealing his sister on this podcast has done to my relationship with him. While I was contemplating how I might accomplish this, Nic called with some new information.
- Alex: So what's going on?
- Nic: Well it might be nothing but...
- Alex: Mm, didn't sound like nothing on the phone.
- Nic: Okay, I'm just gonna play it for you.
- Computerized Woman's Voice: Don't go. They know.
-
- Alex: "Don't go, they know?"
- Nic: Yeah.
- Alex: Well, it sounds like it did before but, admittedly, less poetic.
- Nic: What do you think?
- Alex: I think we should probably call Strand.
- Nic: Yeah, I did. There's no answer. Goes to voicemail.
- Alex: Oh.
- Nic: So I called the Institute and spoke with Ruby and she told me Strand is on his way up to Victoria.
- Alex: ...Oh.
- Nic: Yeah.
- Alex: I'm going.
- Nic: Well I should tell you I don't think it's a good idea, but you're not gonna listen to me are you?
- Alex: Mm no, not a chance. (stands up)
- Nic: Okay. Be careful!
- Alex: (away from the mic) I will.
- Nic: Alright.
Alex: I'm standing outside the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It's beautiful. Although... it's giving off a serious big time The Shining vibe. I've been calling Strand, but it just goes to voicemail. Nic got in touch with Ruby at the Strand Institute and she told him that Strand and I were on the same ferry. I asked the front desk and they told me he hadn't checked in yet. So I'm standing outside the hotel, waiting for Strand to show up.
- Alex: Richard!
- Strand: Alex.
- Alex: It's me.
- Strand: What are you doing here?
- Alex: Listen, I need to warn you about something.
- Strand: You could have called.
- Alex: Your phone is going straight to voicemail.
- Strand: I turned it off.
- Alex: We received another message. Another computerized voicemail.
- Strand: (concerned) What did it say?
- Alex: It said "Don't go. They know."
- Strand: That's it?
- Alex: That's enough, don't you think?
- Strand: I'm going to check in.
- Alex: I don't think that's a good idea.
- Strand: Your objection is noted.
- Alex: (sighs) Hey, wait up. (footsteps) What if they don't even have the same room?
- Strand: They do, I reserved it.
- Alex: ...Oh. Okay.
Alex: So, Strand let me back in, so to speak. And the two of us walked down the long hall. And let me be perfectly clear about this... this was a Kubrickian hallway. Super creepy. Twins holding hands, blood pouring, weird Big Wheel-kid-riding creepy. It was old, but it felt... It had a kind of strange veneer of renovation that actually made it scarier somehow. Of course Strand was married here.
We walked down to the end of the longest hall I'd ever seen and entered the room.
- Alex: What now?
- Strand: I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead.
- Alex: Well... is there... anything, you know, special or...?
- Strand: It was our honeymoon.
- Alex: (pause) Right. (long pause) Can you remember anything other than... honeymoon stuff?
- Strand: (pause) I don't remember that.
Alex: He was pointing at a painting, a print of a painting. It looked kind of like a more... smeared oil paint version of those foxhunting prints you see in hotel rooms. But... this one was different. Way different. It was violent. Just looking at it made me feel dizzy for a second. The imagery was... well, it was pretty dark.
There were two hunters and a pack of wolves. One of the hunters looked like he was entwined with a deer... but he wasn't. The legs of the deer were part of him, and his face... his eyes were black and wild, and he was watching and smiling as the dogs tore something apart. Something that was hard to make out. It was a mess of wet hair and... bone, and...
- Alex: Gross.
- Strand: It's Russian. Ilya Repin. A print was hanging in our hotel room in Moscow. Coralee made me lock it in the armoire.
- Alex: It doesn't look like typical hotel room art.
- Strand: It isn't. (scraping and rustling)
- Alex: Whoa, what are you doing?
- Strand: Taking it out of the frame.
- Alex: Oh... Right... (scraping and rustling) What is that? Sacred geometry?
- Strand: No.
- (someone knocks on the door)
- Alex: Are you expecting somebody?
- Strand: No. Could you take a picture of this with your phone?
- Alex: Um, yeah.
- (someone knocks on the door)
- Strand: I'll be right there!
Alex: Strand opened the door, and there were two very confused French Canadians. Apparently, they believed we were in their room. There had been a mixup. Strand and I re entered the lobby. He was intent on getting the room he'd paid for. They apologized profusely, and offered to put both of us for free. They weren't impressed that we wanted separate rooms. I'm not gonna tell you which one of us asked for separate rooms.
The next morning, on the ferry back home, while we were up getting coffee and bagels, both of our cars were burglarized. They took all of our luggage, registration papers, sunglasses, and my iPod Classic. Which really pissed me off because I had 160 gigabytes of music on there. Good music. Ours weren't the only cars whose windows had been smashed, but we were two of four, and we were parked on opposite sides of the ferry.
It didn't go unnoticed by the police when we reached the mainland. They didn't think it was a coincidence. That is, until they spoke with their supervisor, who may have mentioned additional time and paperwork. They said they'd call us if they had any news. I asked them if I should go looking for my iPod on Craigslist or pawn shops. They said that was way too dangerous. So I was left feeling pretty Lebowski: no answers and no Creedence.
After we finished speaking with the police, Strand and I went our separate ways. In all the excitement I'd forgotten to ask Strand what Cheryl told me to ask him, about the boy and the river. That would have to wait. As soon as I got back to the office, Nic called me into the studio.
- Nic: There's somebody waiting for you to call him.
- Alex: Who?
- Nic: An old friend.
- Alex: Ohh, dramatic!
- Nic: You only have five minutes, so.
- Alex: Okay...
- Nic: Yeah.
- (phone ringing)
- Alex: Hello?
- Simon: (pause) Alex Reagan?
- Alex: Hello, Simon.
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- Alex: I'm guessing you've been following our podcast?
- Simon: It's gotten very interesting.
- Alex: I assume you're talking about the knocking on the sleep note?
- Simon: There's so many things.
- Alex: Are you gonna tell me that you teleported or bilocated into my room that night?
- Simon: (pause) Dr. Strand would say that's impossible.
- Alex: And what do you say?
- Simon: Do you know why I killed my parents? (long pause) You wanna know, I know it.
- Alex: Yes.
- Simon: Ask me.
- Alex: (sighs) Why did you kill them, Simon?
- Simon: You know, most people live in this world and just... live. They laugh, love, hurt, watch sunsets. That's the way it's always been. There are some people who don't want that. They don't laugh. Love. Or hurt. They want to destroy sunsets.
- Alex: Who are these people?
- Simon: That's a difficult question.
- Alex: Why's that?
- Simon: They're... a speck of dust. But they are several. They get on everything. Into everything, everywhere. Even nurseries.
- Alex: What do you mean?
- Simon: (pause) I was chosen. I don't remember exactly how, but I have memories, long memories, of when I was an infant. I was just a baby, and a woman came to me and talked, whispered, names, incantations. She opened a door, and it never closed for me.
- Alex: Are you talking about portals? Those drawings you make on your walls?
- Simon: There are mechanisms greater than you. Greater than me. And they've been at work for thousands of years. I was to be a cog in that, I was called to play my part.
- Alex: Who was this woman?
- Simon: (long pause) Do you know what my mother did for a living?
- Alex: She was an accountant, wasn't she?
- Simon: (long pause) But on weekends she worked at a daycare. She was one of them.
- Alex: One of who?
- Simon: She was the one who opened the door. For me, and for many. She was the one who showed me how it will all end. She was my mother, Alex.
- Alex: And you stabbed her.
- Simon: And daddy too. I couldn't forget how he drew on my wall. Teaching me how it was and how it was meant to be.
- Alex: So you killed them in their sleep?
- Simon: I had to stop her. And him. 'Cause they were both part of it. You see, Alex, I'm not what you think I am. I think sunsets are beautiful.
- Alex: You think sunsets are beautiful... this is justification for murdering your parents?
- Simon: You're already thinking I'm right, Alex. I can sense it.
- Alex: What are you talking about?
- Simon: They're after the children. One by one. And you know it. You've seen it, you've heard it.
- Alex: I think you've been following our show, and you're using the content of the Black Tapes to... play some kind of game with me.
- Simon: Why would I do that?
- Alex: I don't know. I imagine it gets very boring there.
- Simon: No, Alex.
- Alex: (long pause) Well... thanks for the tip, Simon. Don't expect us to return any more calls.
- Simon: Dr. Strand is right.
- Alex: What do you mean?
- Simon: He's being followed.
- Alex: What?
- Simon: His secret.
- Alex: I haven't aired that information.
- Simon: But you're going to.
- Alex: ...I'm hanging up now.
- Simon: Stop denying what's real, Alex. It's happening. Right in front of you. Because you stumbled into the middle of it. You are in the middle of a gigantic web and don't even realize it. Or perhaps I should switch metaphors to make it easier for you.
- Alex: What are you talking about?
- Simon: You, Alex Reagan, are the one note in the symphony of the universe.
- Alex: How's that supposed to help?
- Simon: ...Oh you know. You already know.
- Alex: Was that you knocking in my sleep note?
- Simon: ...Who else would it be?
- Alex: Right. Okay. Well, thanks again for--
- Simon: You have to stop blaming yourself.
- Alex: Uhh, f-for what?
- Simon: The housekeeper, Maddie. She works for them.
- Alex: For who?
- Simon: Don't play dumb. She prepared the children, like my mother, like my father.
- Alex: Simon... there was blood on the wall in Maddie's apartment.
- Simon: Yes...
- Alex: It wasn't Maddie's blood.
- Simon: No. It wasn't.
- Alex: Do you know whose blood it was?
- Simon: Who? With so many guilty, you wanna know who? And spend another month chasing leads to other leads like a spider spinning a web out to nowhere? You already know who.
- Alex: The Order of the Cenophus.
- Simon: Good. Now, why?
- Alex: Because... they're sending out members to perform rituals with certain children? They're choosing them, preparing them?
- Simon: Again: why?
- Alex: I don't know! Just tell me what you want to say, Simon.
- Simon: I want what you want.
- Alex: And what's that?
- Simon: To watch sunsets.
- Alex: ...Right.
- Simon: When's the last time you sat down and had a real good chat with Amalia?
- Alex: You think Amalia's involved in this?
- Simon: You know where she was during her... disappearance in Russia? Where she stayed? Who she met?
- Alex: No.
- Simon: Hm. You would think a journalist would ask such questions.
- Alex: Look, she needed space, so I gave it to her. She's a friend.
- Simon: Is she?
- Alex: Yes.
- Simon: Are you sure?
Alex: Our call ended there as we had used up our time. I left that conversation shaken by some of the things Simon had said. He has a way of getting into my head that makes me... feel different. More open somehow. I don't know how to describe it but... well, he was right about one thing.
- Amalia: Hello, Alexandra.
- Alex: Hi, Amalia. You've been hard to reach.
- Amalia: I've been at Nic's, just a phone call away.
- Alex: Right. Okay, well, I actually wanna talk to you about where you were a few months ago when we couldn't find you.
- Amalia: I told you, I don't want to talk about it, not yet.
- Alex: I know, but you've placed me in an uncomfortable situation. I'm pursuing this story, and you're smack in the middle of it. I can't proceed without having you answer some of these things.
- Amalia: You would jeopardize my safety for your story?
- Alex: ...Amalia.
- Amalia: (sighs)
- Alex: Did anyone from the Order of the Cenophus contact you during the time you were away? (pause) Were you hiding from the Order of the Cenophus? Did you visit the monastery in Glushka? Or the one in--
- Amalia: Alexandra, I'm stopping you right there before you do any more damage.
- Alex: Damage? What do you mean?
- Amalia: To our friendship.
- Alex: Uh, Amalia, I've been trying to reach out as friend ever since you got back, and you've been the one avoiding me.
- Amalia: Well, I didn't want to bring this up, but yes, I have been avoiding you. But it's because you've been acting strange.
- Alex: Me?
- Amalia: Yes, you know this. You've been short tempered, distracted, and I'm still upset about your email.
- Alex: What email?
- Amalia: Oh, suddenly your memory fails you.
- Alex: No, I really don't know what email you're talking about.
- Amalia: You know, I didn't want to show Nic because I didn't want to jeopardize your working relationship with him.
- Alex: What was in the email?
- Amalia: This sound file.
- Alex: I didn't send you a sound file, Amalia.
- Amalia: Yes, you did.
- Alex: No, I didn't.
- Amalia: Well, it came from your personal email account. So, I don't know.
Alex: I had no idea what she was talking about. After the call, I opened up my personal account. One I rarely use anymore. I checked my Sent box, and there it was. An email to Amalia. I opened it. There was an attachment. The following sound file is what I had apparently attached to this email, an email I swear I can't remember sending.
(quiet, reedy, high sound plays)
Alex: It was the Unsound.
What if it wasn't Amalia who was behaving strangely? What if it was me? Had I put Amalia in danger here? In Russia? Was I putting her in danger now? And what about Keith Dabic? Coralee, Cheryl, and Strand himself? Was Nic right? Had I been behaving recklessly? Unethically? Was Simon Reese right about Maddie Franks? Or was he just telling me that to... what, to make me feel better? That doesn't sound very much like Simon.
It's The Black Tapes. I'm Alex Reagan. We'll be back again in two weeks.
The Black Tapes Podcast is a Pacific Northwest Stories and Minnow Beats Whale production. Recorded in Seattle and Vancouver. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Nic Silver. Edited by Nic Silver and Alex Reagan. Executive producers Paul Bae and Terry Miles.
Thank you so much for listening to The Black Tapes.