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Leanne:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode Eight: Pristine Leather.

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[SFX: Recording begins. Classical music playing.]

LEO

Audio diary of Leo Quinn. (PAUSE) I didn’t sleep. And I didn’t go into the lab this morning. I don’t know how to look at Frank. I can’t… after what I overheard yesterday. He’s working on keeping spirits stable outside of their natural tether, so that I can talk to Noah. But he’s experimenting on those spirits. The one I caught him experimenting on, that was, I think he said subject seventeen? And… I mean, that spirit was in pain. Last time I heard a spirit scream like that was Caitlyn Brooks, the first spirit I ever spoke to after I started building the recorder, and I never wanted to hear a scream like that again. And that’s attempt number seventeen. That’s after improvements.

He said that the latest round of tweaks only seemed to prolong the spirit’s pain, that he lasted for five minutes in agony before… I don’t know exactly. Regressing to a category one, Frank said, but it felt more violent than that. The air shifted, like he was tearing through somehow.

This is my fault. He’s doing this for me. I need him to keep doing this. He’s hurting spirits, and the worst part is… I’m not sure I want him to stop. If this is the only way I can speak to Noah, I think I’d do anything for that chance. Which, honestly, makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

Frank has told me so many times how alike we are, and I think I’m starting to believe it. I don’t want to think about that. I can’t think about that. I’m nauseous, and I’m losing my mind about this, and all I want to do is confront Frank about it, but what then? What if he tells me he’ll stop? What if I have to give up all hope of ever speaking to Noah again? I just… no. I’m going back to bed.

[SFX: Recording ends]

[SFX: Recording begins]

LEO

Yeah, going back to bed didn’t work. It’s almost as if lying in the dark with nothing to do but think… isn’t what I need right now? So I’ve snuck back into the basement archives to find a new case. I still have Frank’s calendar on my phone, and he’s doing his actual job right now, so at least I won’t run into him just yet. I just need to feel like I’m helping someone. I need to balance out the effect I’m having on the world right now. Spirits are suffering because of my selfish need to talk to my brother, so… while I figure out what to do about that, I’ve got to do something selfless.

[SFX: Case file being opened, pages turning occasionally]

LEO

There’s one I’ve been eyeing up for a while, but it has always seemed too difficult. It’s in a tip, which, I mean, I assumed those would be pretty easy to break into. It’s just piles of rubbish waiting to be disposed of or recycled, right? but nope, those places have security through the roof. It’s gonna be tricky. But I kind of owe the universe an extra mile or two right now.

Case MO#2109, Category Two, case status: unresolved.

So, it looks like someone called this in because they were having problems with a car they’d recently bought second-hand. The guy selling it had just asked for a few hundred quid cash then vanished before the new buyer had even noticed the icy feeling coming from the backseat.

Oh, bless her, it was reported by a Bella Abbot, a teenage girl who’d only just passed her driving test and was buying her first car. Except the car kept… uh… backseat driving? She’d get this feeling of… oh, poor thing. The report says she’d just get this intense feeling of disappointment whenever she rode the clutch, or left it too long without an oil change. It wasn’t until somebody else drove the car and experienced the same thing that she even considered the feeling might be external. Her parents called Better Place and raised a case, but by the time they were ready to remove the spirit she’d already given up so thoroughly on driving that she had decided to just sell the car for scrap and buy a bus-pass.

Looks like it was followed up on for a while. Since this is a fairly uncommon case of a ghost haunting an object, Better Place traced some of the parts for a while to make sure they weren’t being repurposed and causing problems. Turns out the spirit’s strongest connection was to the back seat of the car, which is why that part in particular is now languishing in the rubbish tip. (DEEP BREATH) Right. Well, I can do breaking and entering. It’s not like I’ve never done it before. It’s just… this time there’s CCTV and security guards to worry about. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

[SFX: Recording ends]

[SFX: Recording begins. Footsteps, debris shifting, fox cries can be heard distantly]

LEO

(A LITTLE BREATHLESS) Well, alright, turns out the only thing harder than breaking into a rubbish tip is trying to wander around with an EMF meter looking for a haunted car seat amidst piles of normal, un-haunted car seats that all look the same. While, yknow, trying not to get arrested. It’s almost midnight, and I am covered in just, a whole layer of crap. But I’ve found it, at least! And I don’t think there’s any security keeping an eye on this particular corner, so I think I’m good for a while.

[SFX: Recorder switches on, usual whooshing ghost recorder sound]

LEO

Hi, my name’s Leo, am I speaking to uh… Frankie Carter? The previous owner of this car?

FRANKIE

You… are. How? Why?

LEO

Sorry, this whole breaking and entering thing has really thrown me off, I normally lead with all the information. I’m Leo Quinn, a scientist working on communicating with spirits. I found your details through Better Place, and I built this recorder to pick up the voices of spirits. I’m here to help. Anything you need. Seems like you’ve had a rough go of it with that car you’re tethered to.

FRANKIE

Yeah, rough go of it sounds about right. They ripped her apart!

LEO

Wait- who?

FRANKIE

My baby!

LEO

(HORRIFIED) They ripped- oh, the car!

FRANKIE

Yes, the car! My baby! God, she was gorgeous. I know, I know, it’s hard to see right now. It’s just half a backseat covered in other people’s crap, but picture it, okay? Look at this leather, now imagine it clean. Not just clean but perfect, pristine.

Don’t worry about the make or model, no offense but you look like it’d be lost on you. She wasn’t anything special on paper, anyway. I bought her cheap back in the sixties and fixed her up myself. But instead, picture the paint job. Flawless, the deepest glossiest black you’ve ever seen, the chrome practically sparkling. You turn the key, and she just purrs, the most satisfying rumbling you’ve ever heard. I poured my everything into this car.

You know what life was like, someone who looked like me in the sixties?

LEO

I’m sorry, I can’t actually see you.

FRANKIE

Shit, I forgot. Well, I’m a real dyke, yeah? Have been all my life. Didn’t have it in me to be any other way, just came out the womb with a leather jacket and a crew cut. Gotta get tough fast when you can’t hide it. This car, though, this got me respect. The boys over at the garage knew not to mess with me. Half the time they were too busy asking me for advice on whatever car they were working on. And look, it didn’t hurt my chances with the ladies, is all I’ll say.

LEO

(LAUGHS) Yeah, I can imagine.

FRANKIE

And it’s not all superficial, you know? It’s… this car was how I picked up Joan on our first date. Then after, it was our gateway to freedom, we went everywhere together in this.

LEO

Who was Joan?

FRANKIE

Joan was a goddess, that’s who she was. My wife, in all but law. But who cares about law? I got to grow old next to her, wake up every day with her beside me, what was a piece of paper compared to that little taste of divinity?

LEO

It sounds like you both had something amazing.

FRANKIE

We did. Even after I was gone. She didn’t want to sell the car. She didn’t even know I was there, but she spoke to me, just in case. She explained to me that she knew how much this car had meant to me, and how much it meant to her, but she didn’t know how to look after it. She thought the best way to honour me would be to sell it to someone who could treat it right. She couldn’t have known that I was tied to it.

LEO

From what I know of your case, that didn’t exactly go to plan.

FRANKIE

Nah, she tried her best though. Took almost a year to sell it, vetted everyone, made it clear that this car was to be loved, not just driven, turned away anyone who looked like they found that weird. This guy who bought it, he seemed like the right buyer at first, but just didn’t want to put the money in to keep her going. She’s old, but she’s not classy enough to be considered vintage. Wasn’t worth his while hunting down the old parts, apparently. Sold her cheap to some kid.

LEO

Yeah, Bella. She, uh, she didn’t have such a great time.

FRANKIE

Yeah, I’m feeling pretty bad about that. I didn’t even know I was doing it, she was just a kid, it wasn’t her fault! But god, she was just doing everything wrong, and it stressed me out. Guess she picked up on that.

LEO

She’ll bounce back, I’m sure. Maybe get herself a nice little automatic.

FRANKIE

Dear god yes, do not inflict that girl on any more clutches I beg of you.

LEO

(LAUGHS, THEN PAUSES) So now you’re here.

FRANKIE

Now I’m here.

LEO

Can I ask, why this part of the car?

FRANKIE

You want the polite answer?

LEO

Um-

FRANKIE

The polite answer is that maybe the backseat was the only part that didn’t change over the years. The only constant.

LEO

Okay, so what’s the impolite version?

FRANKIE

This was where me and Joan… Oh no, look at you, you’re too sweet, I can’t phrase that how I was planning to. It’s, uh, where we got together for the first time.

LEO

(WILDLY UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT TRYING SO HARD NOT TO BE) Oh. Oh, right. Yeah, no, that’s… that makes sense.

FRANKIE

See, look! You’re uncomfortable!

LEO

I’m not, I swear it’s just–

[SFX: Sirens in distance]

Oh you have got to be kidding me.

FRANKIE

Those for you?

LEO

it’s… possible. IiIiIi might have missed a couple of CCTV cameras on my way here. Look, before I go, real quick, is there anything I can do to help? Anyone I can contact?

FRANKIE

You got a knife?

LEO

W- No?

FRANKIE

Of course you haven’t. Right, there’s a bit of the leather peeling in the corner there, see if you can pull off a chunk.

[SFX: Some tearing while Leo grunts]

FRANKIE

Yeah, there you go. See if you can get that to Joan Marlowe. If she’s still around. If not, we had a family. Lost kids who came to us after their parents kicked them out. Theo, Erica, Crystal. Maybe a part of me comes with it, if not, it’s at least a meaningful reminder that I’m still with them.

LEO

I’ll do that. Thanks for talking to me, Frankie, I promise I’ll-

POLICE OFFICER

Hey! You’re trespassing!

LEO

Shit-

[SFX: Recording ends]

[SFX: Street ambience fades in, two sets of footsteps]

FRANK

Well. That was an unexpected way to end my night.

LEO

You didn’t have to-

FRANK

I disagree. It was entirely necessary. You could have been prosecuted, Leonardo. As it stands, I was able to pull some strings and you will merely be fined. I will cover it, as I understand that you were… acting out after our last meeting. I appreciate that what you saw in the lab was unpleasant to witness, but that was no reason to go about acting reckless!

LEO

It wasn’t reckless! It- I was being- I was trying to be selfless, for once. She needed my help.

FRANK

(SARCASTICALLY) I’m sure she did.

[SFX: Car door opening]

FRANK

Get in the car. I will take you home. (LONG PAUSE, THEN WITH SOME WARNING) Leonardo.

LEO

Fine.

[SFX: Car doors closing, ignition turned, driving SFX throughout]

FRANK

Would you like to talk about it?

LEO

Not really.

FRANK

I see.

LEO

Oh, do you? What do you see, Frank?

FRANK

You are feeling guilty. You do not wish for me to stop my experiments, and you are agonising over it. That, I assume, is why you wanted to do something selfless. But you are not conducting these experiments, Leonardo. I am. You are free from blame.

LEO

That’s not how it works. If you’re willing to stop at my say so, and I let you-

FRANK

Then I will not ask.

LEO

That’s not-

FRANK

I will be selfish on your behalf. I will not ask.

LEO

I don’t think that’s how it works. I don’t think that makes me feel any better.

FRANK

It will, once you are reunited with your brother.

LEO

(VOICE BREAKING) I’m not so sure.

FRANK

(VERY LONG PAUSE, IN WHICH ONLY THE SOUNDS OF FRANK DRIVING AND LEO CRYING SOFTLY CAN BE HEARD) Tell me about who you helped tonight.

LEO

I don’t want your pity.

FRANK

You do not have it. Only my curiosity.

LEO

(PULLING THEMSELVES TOGETHER FOR A MOMENT) A woman who was haunting the back seat of a car. She asked me to take part of it to her family.

FRANK

Fascinating. I had wondered.

LEO

Wondered- wondered about what?

FRANK

You cannot feel that? It is only faint.

LEO

No?.. What do you-

FRANK

Show me what you took.

LEO

You’re driving.

FRANK

Just- (THE WORLD WEARIEST SIGH YOU’VE EVER HEARD) Leonardo, I do not need to examine it, just, please take it out of wherever you are keeping it.

[SFX: Bag unzipping]

LEO

Oh. Oh, no you’re right, that’s… wait, hang on. Let me get the EMF meter-

[SFX: More rummaging, soft click then buzzing]

LEO

(EXCITED) Oh my god, she’s here.

FRANK

Fascinating indeed. Very little research has been done on what happens when a small part of a tether is removed.

LEO

Maybe it’s… I mean, a tether is based on an emotional map of the spirit in life, right? It’s about emotional connection to a place or object. So maybe the act of taking this for her family did something? If this is going to people she loved, then the emotional connection to this piece in particular is… now the strongest?

FRANK

Perhaps. It is an intriguing thought. I had not considered the emotional factor in my tether research.

LEO

Are you… you’re not serious.

FRANK

I am quite serious.

LEO

That’s like the whole thing! It’s the… it’s the whole thing!

FRANK

That is a vast oversimplification. There are many other physical scientific bases for a tether, as well you know. But perhaps I had not been paying enough heed to the emotional aspect. This could… yes….

LEO

You shouldn’t think so hard while driving.

FRANK

(IGNORING THEM COMPLETELY) You should give yourself more credit, Leonardo. You may have helped more than this one spirit, tonight. Perhaps… yes, I will leave for the lab once you are safely home. I cannot promise that I will cease my experiments entirely, but if this theory leads anywhere, it may… yes, it may progress things quite rapidly.

LEO

Oh. Right. That’s… something.

FRANK

I will say it again, then no more. You are not at fault for my actions.

LEO

And I’ll say it as many times as I need to. I don’t think that’s true.

FRANK

Nevertheless, I trust I will see you in the labs again tomorrow?

LEO

Maybe? Maybe. I’ll take this to Frankie’s family first. I’ll spend the morning researching, then catch a train as far as I need to to get this to whoever I can find. Then… We’ll see.

FRANK

That is enough… for now.

Closing theme begins

Leanne:

This episode of Tell No Tales was written and produced by Leanne Egan. In it, you heard the voices of Leanne Egan as Leo, Stephanie Tobin as Frankie, Cameron Gergett as the police officer, and Asher Amor-Train as Frank. If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love it if you’d 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. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our season two crowdfund, but with special thanks this episode to Ivan Heneghan for your incredibly generous support of this season. 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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