Opening theme (short version) begins

Leanne:

Wasting Company Time presents Tell No Tales, season two. Episode 9.5: Stories Matter

Opening theme (short version) ends

[SFX: Dial tone, almost to the last ring, Riley drums their fingers on a table impatiently]

RILEY

Fine. Don’t pick up. See if I care.

[SFX: Dial tone stops]

LEO

Riley. Hi.

RILEY

You answered.

LEO

You called.

RILEY

Don’t read too much into it. I’m still fucking furious.

LEO

(CHOKED UP) I know. I know. It’s just… really, really nice to hear your voice again.

RILEY

I’d ask what’s up with you but I get the feeling you wouldn’t answer.

LEO

It’s… I’m not sure I can.

RILEY

(TIRED) Yeah, that’s what I thought.

LEO

Are you okay?

RILEY

No. But I’m not sure I can tell you.

LEO

Yeah, I’m guessing Julia mentioned I’m still working with Frank.

RILEY

No, it wasn’t hard to guess- wait how would Julia know?

LEO

She didn’t tell you? About the call?

RILEY

You called her?

LEO

No! No, I- She called me. About a week ago.

RILEY

Oh. No, she didn’t tell me. But it’s not like I can blame her, I wasn’t planning on telling her about this.

LEO

What is this? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you called, just why did you call?

RILEY

I don’t know, to be honest. It’s not like you can actually help, from wherever you are.

LEO

Alright, can we drop this please? The defensiveness and the barbed comments? I get it, I know. I messed up and you hate me, I’m not about to forget that any time soon. So with that in mind, can we just be honest for a second? I’m tired, and I’m going through hell right now, and I’m assuming since you were desperate enough to call me, you are too. So just… let’s talk, ok? And I promise I won’t get any ideas about you forgiving me.

RILEY

(BEGRUDGINGLY) Fine. (PAUSE, THEN WITH MORE EMOTION) I’m in too deep, Leo. This is your thing. It’s the part you’re good at, and I’m just… out of my depth.

LEO

I… know the feeling. Almost too well, right now. Can you tell me anything more? I can’t really help unless I know something about what’s going on.

RILEY

We’re working on something. I- I’m trying to figure out how much I can tell you. There’s this spirit… a- (SIGHS) actually, no fuck it. You’ve been a piece of shit but you still deserve to know about this. We met Arthur. Stephen’s Arthur.

LEO

No. No way, he’s alive? Uh… he’s… I mean, he stayed behind?

RILEY

Yep, we didn’t even know it was him, at first. We were working with someone who’s trying to protect the building he haunts, and we thought we could help each other, y’know? But now? It’s too hands-on for me. I’m good at the big picture, I can build a story of someone’s entire life with research, but suddenly they’re relying on me to help them and I don’t know what to do. Two people are depending on us. There are real feelings at stake.

LEO

You already know what to do, Ri. You’re already doing it. You said it yourself, you can build a story of someone’s entire life with research, that’s not nothing. Individual stories matter. People matter. It’s easy to lose sight of that, when you’ve got some grand goal in mind. Or, I guess, when you’re fighting against someone at every turn. But the personal is what you’re good at. It always has been, that’s what I always loved about your research cases, they always included the detailed personal touches. Obviously the dispatchers always ignored it, but it was still the right thing to do. If you understand someone’s story, it’s not too hard to figure out how to help them from there.

RILEY

Right. Yeah. That’s… a good point, I think.

LEO

Are you… (HESITANT) doing okay, Riley? Julia mentioned-

RILEY

(ANGRILY) Julia doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

LEO

Okay, maybe not, but you seem-

RILEY

I’m fine, Leo.

[SFX: Riley begins to drum their fingers impatiently again]

I’ve got to go anyway.

LEO

Oh. I mean, if you’re-

[SFX: Phone call ends. Brief pause, then fabric rustle as Riley slumps and locks the phone]

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 and Leanne Egan as Leo. Thank you for listening, and remember: the dead don’t bite.

Closing theme (short version) ends