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Leanne:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode 6.5: Asking for help

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[SFX: Sad pop music playing, Julia’s phone vibrates.]

JULIA

Riley, hi!

RILEY

(TRIUMPHANTLY) Arthur. Holloway.

JULIA

No, Julia Wilde.

RILEY

I’d bet my life on it. I am so good at research, Julia, you have no idea.

JULIA

You’ve perked up.

RILEY

I’ve had a lot of caffeine. Arthur Holloway gave basically everything he owned to the club in his will, which was a stupid oversight of mine, because the transaction on the club’s end looked like it could have just been a business loan or something. But once I figured it out I zeroed in on this guy and everything has just been clicking into place. Arthur Holloway is our guy, Jules. I’ve still got it, baybeee.

JULIA

Okay. Okay okay okay. So. Theoretically great news, but now I’ve got to get the recorder finished.

RILEY

How close are you?

JULIA

Close. But not close enough. Unless. Shit okay, last resort time. I had an idea a while back. It could save us a ton of time. Okay. I’m going to hang up and try something. It’s very likely to come to nothing, but if it works, I could have this thing up and running in like. Maybe a week, max.

RILEY

What is it, arson? What could possibly be so bad that you haven’t done it yet?

JULIA

Ugh, it’s bad, trust me.

RILEY

Are you going to do it anyway?

JULIA

Arthur Holloway’s depending on me, isn’t he?

RILEY

Yup.

JULIA

I’ll call you back later. (DEEP BREATH)

[SFX: Outbound ringtone]

LEO

Jesus christ, Frank, I told you I’m fine-

JULIA

Woah, you actually answered. I had this whole deeply mortifying voicemail planned. There was grovelling involved.

LEO

Julia?

JULIA

Yup, turns out you only pick up the phone when you think it’s Frank on the other end. That seems normal and not at all concerning. Now that I’ve got you though, can we talk? I won’t even ask about why you fucked off and left us in the dark for months. Just to be nice.

LEO

I… yeah. Yes, I can talk, yeah.

JULIA

Good. I need you to send me the EMF data you used to get the recorder up-and-running. In fact, any data you’ve gathered since would also be helpful.

LEO

Can I… ask why?

JULIA

Can’t stop you from asking. Doesn’t mean I have to answer.

LEO

yeah that’s… fair.

JULIA

We’re doing what you couldn’t. Let’s leave it at that. Especially if you’re still in touch with Frank, which I’m guessing you are from how you answered the phone.

LEO

Yeah it’s… it’s probably best if I don’t know the details.

JULIA

But you’ll help? You’ll send the data?

LEO

Yes. I trust you. Whatever you’re doing, I trust it’s worth doing.

JULIA

(SCOFFS) Trust. That’s rich.

LEO

I… deserved that.

JULIA

This is no fun at all if you’re not going to fight back.

LEO

Sorry.

JULIA

You have so many things to apologise for, and you choose that?

LEO

Seemed like the easiest place to start.

JULIA

(LONG PAUSE) (SOFTER) Was it something we did?

LEO

No! No, not at all. It’s… I had to do this. This thing I’m doing, with Frank. I didn’t get too much of a choice. But I couldn’t- can’t bring you and Riley into it too.

JULIA

You don’t get to make those choices for us.

LEO

It’s more complicated than that.

JULIA

(COLDLY) Yeah. I’m sure it is.

LEO

(LONG PAUSE, THEN VOICE BRAKING) Julia, I-

JULIA

No. Unless you’re planning on telling us everything, unless you’re planning on letting us back in, I don’t want to hear it.

LEO

I can’t do that. I’m sorry.

JULIA

Yeah me too.

LEO

(SNIFFLES, THEN PITCHILY) I’ll se- uh (MORE COMPOSED) I’ll send the data though. As soon as I get home. I hope you can put it to better use than I could.

JULIA

Yeah. (PAUSE) Before you go…

LEO

(WAY TOO EAGER) Yeah?

JULIA

It’s… I’m worried about Riley.

LEO

Oh.

JULIA

Do they ever just shut you out? Like something’s obviously going on with them, and they won’t let you help?

LEO

(DRY LAUGH) Yeah that’s uh… that’s like their whole thing.

JULIA

It is?

LEO

They love to fix other people’s problems. They refuse to let other people fix theirs.

JULIA

What do I do?

LEO

Let them come to you, usually. Pushing it just makes them close off even more. What’s the… are they okay?

JULIA

Not really. But they haven’t been okay for months. So it’s hard to tell.

LEO

Right. I’m… I’m really-

JULIA

Don’t apologise unless you’re going to do something about it. Sorry doesn’t mean shit unless you’re willing to change your behaviour.

LEO

I wish I could explain.

JULIA

Me too, Leo. You have my email address to send the data.

[SFX: Julia hangs up the phone. After a long pause, she throws the phone with some force]

JULIA

Fuck.

Closing theme (short version) begins

Leanne:

This episode of Tell No Tales was written and produced by Leanne Egan. In it, you heard the voices of Phil Thompson as Riley, Shannon Kelly as Julia, and Leanne Egan as Leo. Thank you for listening, and remember: the dead don’t bite.

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