Opening theme begins

Leon:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode Twenty-Two: A Place of Emotional Significance.

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[SFX: Recording begins, classical music playing]

Leo

Audio diary of Leo Quinn, specialist surveyor. Another dead end. Over a week of dead ends, actually. And we’re running out of time before the full moon. Only a week and a half left, and all we’ve had so far is just one ghost after another saying the same thing.

[SFX: Leo rifles through case files]

Melanie Cameron, Lucas Edgeworth, Anabelle Havering, so on and so forth, just a whole list of people who briefly encountered Nathaniel Gilbert, and were deemed guilty of some sin or other. Some of them totally ignored his petitions to ask forgiveness. Some of them didn’t. Some got payouts for their time. Some got life-long commitments to his specific brand of evangelism. But none of them got close enough to him on a personal level to find out anything about his life.

Riley did find Nathaniel’s original case file, but he was tethered to the place where he died – a hospital in London – and we’re not sure whether that holds enough actual significance for the moving-on ritual to work there, so that’s a dead-end too.

There’s only two left on the list. Benjamin Thatcher, and Penelope Smith. According to Riley, today’s case, Benjamin, was on the very meagre list of visitors when Nathaniel was in hospital. So I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it definitely seems more promising than-

[SFX: Door opens]

Julia

Oh, hi. I didn’t know you were in here, sorry.

Leo

No, don’t worry about it. I needed to go grab another stasis capsule in a minute anyway. Riley asleep?

Julia

Yeah, and Frank is obsessing over the merits of petrol versus ethanol as a substitution for gunpowder.

Leo

Uh… oh, for burning the memento?

Julia

Yup. Your man Whitley said the transfer of energy was what helped the spirits pass, and Frank is taking that in a very literal and scientific way. Don’t wander into lab three if you like your eyebrows the way they are.

Leo

(LAUGHS) Noted.

[SFX: Awkard pause, Leo clicks their pen a few times]

How’s being back at work?

Julia

Weird. All feels so pointless, doesn’t it? Has done ever since we broke into the warehouse, knowing we’re just dooming the spirits to sit on a shelf for however long. But now, it’s frustrating as hell because not only is my job unimportant, but there is something much, much more important that I should be focussing on instead.

Leo

We’ve got this. We’re making headway. It’s just me who’s lagging behind.

Julia

We’ll manage. At least I’m still getting time to speak to Arthur and Stephen. That feels meaningful. Louisa says Patrick’s hard at work building a case, digging through the case law to find the argument he’d make if Arthur were alive, then finding ways to adapt to the unique situation.

Leo

Oh, that’s good. How, uh, how’s Louisa doing?

Julia

She’s… she’s good, yeah. She’s been… a big comfort. With everything going on.

Leo

(SLIGHTLY TOO LONG A PAUSE, GET IT TOGETHER LEO) Right, yeah, that’s good.

Julia

Yeah.

Leo

(MORE AWKWARD PAUSE) Um. So I talked to Noah again last night, he suggested shrooms.

Julia

Just… in general? Or…

Leo

No, obviously not. Well, yes actually, he highly reccommends them, but that’s not- he suggested them for the ritual. Says they’re not very addictive, so there’s not much risk there. Should sufficiently scramble my brain without leaving me completely incapacitated.

Julia

I thought about shrooms, actually. Not a bad idea. Seemed like one of the most inoffensive options. Y’know, to your delicate sensibilities.

Leo

Now, I know that’s an insult. But I also can’t argue with it.

Julia

(SING-SONGY) That’s because I’m always right. (BEAT) Oh, I meant to mention, Frank made an interesting suggestion yesterday. A bit out of the blue. But he said once this is all over, he’s going to work on extending the stability of the mobile tether, make it last longer, hopefully permanently, at some point. He mentioned it because he said it would be useful for Arthur and Stephen to be reunited.

Leo

Frank said that?

Julia

Yeah, he was just in the room while me and Riley were talking about them. No reason at all to jump in, just researching flammable liquids in silence. And then, yeah, just (FRANK VOICE) have you considered the implications of the mobile tether on their relationship?

Leo

I mean, he’s right, it could be… everything for them.

Julia

Yeah, just didn’t expect it to come from Frank, you know?

Leo

Yeah. He’s… Yeah.

Julia

Anyway. I have to head out in a bit, but want some help getting that stasis capsule before I go?

Leo

Yes please.

[SFX: Recording ends]

[SFX: Recording begins, ghost recorder background noise already audible]

Leo

Right. Hi, am I speaking to Benjamin Thatcher?

Ben

Uh, yes, you are. Though, just Ben please. Can I ask-

Leo

Before you do, some frequently asked questions: Yes, you’re a ghost, no, this isn’t hell, it’s a Better Place storage facility. No, we can’t move you on just yet. I’m just here to ask you about your relationship with Nathaniel Gilbert.

Ben

Oh. Right. A little brusque, but efficient. Why are you asking about Nathaniel?

Leo

He’s part of an investigation, it’s really important that we get some information about his life. It’s a long story, but it involves his spirit, and, well, someone’s life depends on it.

Ben

Right. It shouldn’t surprise me. The world wasn’t exactly better for Nathaniel’s effect on it.

Leo

Did you know him well?

Ben

Better than most. He was my brother.

Leo

Oh. Oh! Really?

Ben

Yeah, I took my husband’s name. The family name never really fit right. If you know anything about Nathaniel, I’m sure you can figure out why.

Leo

Right, of course. So, not close then.

Ben

Hardly, we were estranged most of our adult lives. His deathbed was the first time I saw him in… maybe twenty years. I only came because I thought he… (PAUSE) In his letter, he told me he’d been sick for a long time. Cancer. And it had given him time to think, to reassess. I naively assumed he meant to apologise, or at least reconcile somehow, before he died. But no, he only meant to… to demand-

Leo

That you beg forgiveness.

Ben

That’s the one. So you do know him.

Leo

We’ve met. And I’ve spoken to a lot of people who knew him.

Ben

Right. So what do you need from me then?

Leo

From what I can tell, he never really got close to anyone.

Ben

Yes, that sounds about right.

Leo

We need… We need to know more about him. I’m sorry for the, y’know, the slightly abrasive opening to the conversation, it’s just I’ve had this conversation with a lot of people and not had very much help. But full disclosure, his ghost is possessing my friend. He means the people I care about a lot of harm. And we need help to move him on. Not hurt him, or destroy him, but just… remove him from my friend, and move him on to whatever’s waiting. (BEAT) Sorry if that’s a lot to take in.

Ben

You’re right, it’s a lot. But unfortunately, like I said, not enormously surprising. He had this strange way of talking about heaven, like it was some glorious reward that was meant for other people. Even in life, even very young, I got the idea that he didn’t particularly expect to see it himself. His “work” was too important for that. (PAUSE, THEN SIGH) So, what do you need to know?

Leo

We need two things: A place, somewhere of great emotional significance to him. Somewhere we can tether him to while we move his spirit on. [We also need]-

Ben

[A church.] (BEAT) A church. The one he went to when we were young.

Leo

Great! Where- where is that?

Ben

Nottingham, it was called Path To Forgiveness. Odd church. We were raised Baptist, but Nathaniel took a liking to that one when we were teenagers. I didn’t like church at all by that time really, it was mostly just a place to avoid eye contact with whatever boy I was secretly dating.

But when I finally put my foot down and stopped going, he did too. He stopped going to our usual church and started attending Path To Forgiveness. He found God young. But that place, that was the place he found his god. His twisted version of God.

I’m actually still religious, isn’t that strange? My husband is. And when we met, he took me to mass with him. And I learned that my experience of God wasn’t universal. And that faith didn’t have to be… contrary to my existence. But whatever God Nathaniel worshipped, it wasn’t the same one I did.

Leo

Thank you for telling me that. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. But you’ve helped us out enormously. It sounds like exactly what we needed.

Ben

There was something else, wasn’t there?

Leo

Yes, yes sorry. We also need a memento of some kind, it also has to be of emotional importance to him. It can be anything, apparently. An object that meant something important to him, a letter from someone he loved, just something significant that can be burned.

Ben

Oh, gosh, I wouldn’t know really. There were a few things from our childhood. He loved our dad, there were some things of his that Nathaniel kept after we lost him. There was a jumper. A ratty old thing that Dad wore almost every day. I’d catch Nathaniel clinging to it sometimes.

Maybe a few other things, there was a stuffed toy. A little rabbit that I brought to the hospital the day he was born. Dad bought it, technically, but he always said it was from me. Nathaniel loved it, back when he loved me. I’m not sure he cared about it after we became estranged. Problem is, I’m not sure where any of it would be now. Maybe he took some of it when he moved out. If he didn’t, it’s long gone. When mum passed, I inherited the house, but I sold it on. Don’t think I even checked for anything left behind in the attic or anything like that. Maybe the new owners would know something?

(BEAT) Oh, there was a suitcase of belongings, too. When he died, the hospital called me. I suppose I was the only official next-of-kin on the list. It was just a single suitcase, as far as I know he moved around a lot so I assume he travelled light. I took a quick glance when they gave it to me, just some clothes, a pair of shoes, a few bibles.

If he owned anything else I don’t know where it ended up. The suitcase went into my attic, though. I didn’t really care to think about it much, but couldn’t quite bring myself to throw it away. So, maybe if you can get in touch with my husband, Carl Thatcher, he might know what happened to it. Not sure how much emotional importance a few clothes and shoes might have, though.

Leo

Okay, okay that’s all helpful, thank you. There’s one person left on my list, maybe she’ll know something about some of it. If not, like you said, chasing up the new owners of your childhood house is an option. Thank you so much for this, Ben. I can’t imagine it’s an easy chapter of your life to re-live.

Ben

It’s difficult, but it isn’t soul-crushing. The boy my brother was stopped existing as a teenager. I had a lifetime to come to terms with that. I’ve loved so many people in my life, I’ve carved my own family. Learned to love myself. It hurt when I visited him in the hospital, obviously. But it only hurt because I realised I’d been secretly hoping for his forgiveness. It was the final reminder for me, afterwards, that I never needed forgiveness. It was cathartic, in a way. I’m sorry he’s hurting your friend. I hope you can stop him. And I hope he finds some rest.

Leo

Yeah, me too. I’m going to return you to the stasis capsule, okay? Just for a bit longer. But eventually, you and every other spirit waiting will be moved on, if that’s what you want.

Ben

Yes, I think it is. I miss my husband. I’d like to find out what’s next.

Leo

You will. Speak soon, Ben.

[SFX: Stasis capsule opens, recording ends]

[SFX: New scene fades in, footsteps, then a knock on a door, muffled operatic music from behind the door]

Leo

Frank? Nothing’s on fire, right?

Frank

(FROM BEHIND CLOSED DOOR) No Leonardo, though forgive the smell.

[SFX: door opens]

(VOICE CLOSER AND CLEARER) I would open a window to let the fumes out, but there are none. A devastating oversight in designing this particular basement laboratory. You are up late, seems we are both burning the midnight oil. Or petrol.

Leo

Frank, was that a pun?

Frank

It was an exceedingly clever turn of phrase.

Leo

Sure. But yeah, I’ve made some headway actually. Still more to do, but it’s looking good. I was going to head home for the night, but I thought I’d drop by first. I’m sorry, I know we haven’t really spoken, since uh, since everything.

Frank

I understand your hesitation.

Leo

But that’s just it. The Frank from a year ago, hell, the Frank from a few months ago, he wouldn’t have understood. I’m sorry I lashed out. (SHORT PAUSE) There’s no pretending you’ve haven’t had a bad influence on me, but that’s- that’s a me problem.

Frank

Leonardo-

Leo

No, let me finish, I just- despite everything, you have consistently proven us all wrong. Or, maybe not consistently, you still regularly make choices that range from questionable to downright bad. But, often. You’ve been helping us non-stop with Riley. And Julia told me, earlier, about you offering the mobile tether to Arthur and Stephen, when it’s ready.

Frank

I only meant to-

Leo

No, don’t try to explain your way out of it, it was a nice thing to do, Frank. It was just. Nice. I’ve been listening to a lot of ghosts talk about forgiveness and redemption, and it’s all… I just wanted to say sorry, for lashing out. And thank you, for proving yourself.

Frank

Well. You have nothing to apologise for, but apology accepted nontheless. And as for your thanks, hold them. I only intend to prove myself further, moving forward.

Leo

Well, that’s… really good to hear.

Frank

(CLEARS THROAT) You’ll also be pleased to hear that petrol seems to be the solution to the gunpowder problem.

Leo

Oh, yeah?

Frank

Yes, it seems to offer just the right level of combustion to initiate an energy transfer that will affect the spirit plane, while minimising the chances of being blown up ourselves.

Leo

That’s good. It would be really annoying if we pulled all this off only to get blown up right at the end.

Frank

Indeed it would. You should get some sleep, Leonardo. Tomorrow, you can tell us all about the progress you’ve made today.

Leo

Yeah, I will. Night, Frank.

Frank

Goodnight, Leo.

Closing theme begins

Leon:

This episode of Tell No Tales was written and produced by Leon Egan. In it, you heard the voices of Leon Egan as Leo Quinn, Shannon Kelly as Julia, Aiya Islam as Ben, and Asher Amor-Train as Frank. If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love it if you let someone know. It doesn’t have to be us, but it would be a nice ego boost if it was. You can find us on Twitter or Tumblr @tellnotalespod and as always, links and information about transcripts can be found in the show notes. Tell No Tales is distributed by Wasting Company Time Productions, under a Creative Commons attribution non-commercial share-alike 4.0 international license. Thank you for listening, and remember: the dead don’t bite.

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