10. The Whisper

This show contains terrifying, shocking, and haunting stories that some listeners may find disturbing or offensive.

It's for a m You're driving down a dirt road, just off the sixty two. Not a soul in sight, just you and the desert night. But wait, you hear a signal off in the distance. It's faint that it grows louder. Is it a howl of a coyote, the hiss of a king snake? Or is the voice of a man guiding you toward a great darkness? From my heart radio and overtones media, You're listening to YFT two FM,

New batch of stories to keep you up as.

You drive down this dusty, desolate highway. We got one more tale for you. Ray Morrison has quite the following for a true crime author, fame can be a bit suffocating, especially when one of his fans takes it too far. This is the Whisper by James Kim Okay.

Are you still passing our tickets?

Oh?

We're actually done for the day. Please, I'll be less than a minute.

Well, we're starting to pack things up.

Please, I can see he's still meeting with a fan. I came a really long way.

I would have gotten here earlier, but there was no parking.

I had to park like a half mile away.

I I was supposed to come with my sister and she got sick.

It would mean everything to her if I got him to sign this book. Please.

I'm really sorry.

We have a strict cutoff time. So fine, have a good night. I'm just gonna buy one fam.

No, so we are close.

Hey, is everything okay?

Oh, mister Morrison, I'm sorry. I was just letting this woman know that we're close for the night.

Oh you know what, it's fine with me. If it's okay with you, I'd love to sign a book.

Well, I was just trying to respect your time.

I'm sure I have time for Sorry. What was your name, Janet? Yes, hi, Janet, come on over last one.

Thank you.

I'm such a big fan.

Well, thank you. I'm Ray.

I know I'm Janet.

I can't believe I'm meeting you. Will you sign my copy of The Whisper?

Oh?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely, thank you. It is a book signing of I'm happy to.

Here.

I've read all of your books.

You're incredible at crafting a mystery.

But this new one.

Wow, that is so kind of you. I'm sorry, I'm where is everything?

Okay?

Yeah, I just can't find my pen I've got one. Oh yeah, yeah, that's great.

Here, you know, I mean it though. The Whisper is unlike anything you ever written. Normally your stories are slow burns, but this one happen on the edge of my seat. I mean, it must feel great knowing that critics loved it too, especially after what they said about your last book.

I mean, not that it matters what they say.

I loved it, and your fans loved it.

Yeah. Look, I appreciate it, Janet, I really do. Thank you.

Oh I found it.

Oh, thank you. Let's see here, I'll.

Sign Actually, could you sign the back cover flap?

No need to write a message or anything, just your signature would be great.

Sure you don't want to buy my beautiful headshot? No? Okay, sorry, that was dumb. Let's see you know, I know.

I put a put a line where you can sign to make things easier.

Okay, there you go. That was easy.

Thank you so much. Great, truly, this means everything to me.

Thank you, Thank you, Janet, of course my pleasure.

I will never forget this moment.

Thank you, thanks, thanks again.

Finally mm hm, when I'm right, I'm right and I am always right.

You were right about this one. But I don't know if either of us thought this would be a huge hit.

Oh I knew, I always knew.

Well, it is your job to believe in me, your client.

Oh still just your agent.

No that's not what I mean, Margot, No, No, it's fine.

I guess I thought.

After fifteen years of working together, you know, I consider you a friend.

But if you don't, yeah, and friends don't let friends do random signings in Bloomington.

Okay, Okay, you should feel amazing that you could pack a small town bookstore like that.

Not all authors can do that, but not all authors are at the top of the best sellers list.

Yeah. I guess you're right. Maybe I could finally quit that teaching job.

I didn't realize you were doing that for money.

Well, it wasn't really that. It was just that I needed a break from writing.

Why because the critics have been so harsh lately. Okay, right, Look, we've been real about this.

We both know your last few books were goods, but this.

One's put you right back on top.

Here.

Here's to that.

However, it's good for your image to do a stop in a small town every.

Once in a while.

True, true, true.

But the downside is it attracts some peculiar fans.

Oh no, what did someone ask you to sign their chest?

Well, there was one person who gave off a very strange aura.

Oh yeah, I mean true crime fans are usually their own breed entirely.

Oh I remember Bobby was telling me he had to do an event outside Chicago.

Janet, you signed my poppy in an experience, Janet, I can't believe I'm meeting you.

You whisper is this means everything that would up to me?

I will never forget this.

He is everything.

Okay, she's here? Who the woman from earlier? That the one who wanted me to sign her book. I don't care.

You're gonna have to be a lot more specific. There's lots of ladies here.

I knew something was off about her, Dan, What does she look like?

Blue sweater, red hat, edge of the bar by the entrance, you see.

Oh, she's staring at us.

Yep. I knew this was a bad idea.

It's not that big of a deal. Oh, she's probably just a fan. She's just a fan, and she's excited that her favorite author is in town.

And that's all great, but can we please get out of here?

Look at me, Look at right, look at me. Breathe. Yes, it's fine, it's not I'll tell you what.

Why don't you sneak out through the back patio, call yourself a ride, and I'll hang.

Here and I'll make sure she doesn't follow you.

Okay, okay, see you are my friend than you got you?

I got you.

You need you well rested before your live interview with The Twin Chronicle tomorrow.

Nervous, not about that.

Good Get out of here, go get some sleep.

Okay, okay, thanks, thanks, have a good night.

Excuse me? Did you follow me? Listen, ma'am?

I appreciate you being a fan, but you've crossed a line that what are you?

What are you doing?

Fan?

You think I'm a fan?

You are nothing more than a washed up author who became a city college professor because of your career, wedded to the shitter.

Who are you?

Did you really write the whisper?

My name is on the cover miss.

A murder mystery set during undas where people make kalama HATI.

That's a story you came up with.

Okay, I see what this is about. Now, Yeah, you can just leave.

My last name is Rossa, but older sister of Nikki Rusaliz, So you do remember, of.

Course I remember it.

Yes, she was a very bright student and what happened to her was awful.

You were her teacher.

She thought of you as her mentor, and you betrayed her.

Ma'am, I don't appreciate these defamatories.

Your copied her book word for word.

She couldn't handle how successful it became. That's why she killed herself.

That was not my fault.

You think that was a book you signed earlier? Yeah, and that pen was filled with regular ink.

What are you even talking about about. You're crazy.

You signed something, all right, and you signed it with the blood of my sister.

Step away from me.

It will come for you and it will take back what you have stolen.

You are a psychopath. You're insane.

Nah?

What?

Oh god?

Yeah, yeah, we got a real wild one. Fuck. Oh my god, oh my god.

We'll be back with our broadcast after these messages.

Oh hi, oh Charles Charles Mendelssohn from The Twin Chronicle.

Good to meet you.

I'm the guy who's gonna be your inquisitor today. Okay, yeah, wait, freak out. I'm sorry, No, no, I just have a lot of my mind. It's sorry. This is going to be me throwing you softball questions.

Okay, They're going to eat it up. They love you. You saw how many people are here, right, it's a nice crowd.

Yeah.

Yeah, they're so excited to see you and you are going.

To kill Thanks. Gonna be awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me. This is like, yeah, it really thank you. All right, showtime.

Thanks, fantastic to see all of you today. Thank you so much for coming. I'm Charles Mendelssohn. I'm the book critic at the Twin Chronicle. But you're not here for me. You're here for our author, who, over the last fifteen years has published ten novels. He has won eight Crime Awards for them, and he recently gave the commencement address. It is alma mater at a little school in ann Arbor. He is currently an English prophet Pico College, where he

The critics love it.

They have praised this man for his departure from his previous work, calling it a gripping and mature tale of generational trauma. At the Twin Chronicle, we gave it the pick of the week. Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to present today the author himself, mister Ray Morrison.

Do you pay them to do this?

As?

We're welcome? Ray? Got your mic right there? Yep? All right, hold it up close to your mouth. Make sure it's on. I think it's on. All right, Hello, Testing, What do you want to start? Okay? Ray, great to have you here. Thanks for having me.

Before we talk about The Whisper, I want to talk about your past, like, how did you get into writing true crime?

Well?

I never want to put myself into like sorry, I never want to put myself into like a box.

I wouldn't really like to label myself that way.

I think if my books is dealing with personal dramas, family dynamics, humanistic themes of loss and forgiveness, I didn't practice that.

By the way. It just so happened that people get murdered in my books, you know.

Man, So yeah, and that went great for eight novels, and then let's just say there.

Was a lull.

That's a nice yeah. Yeah.

I guess I'd be lying if I didn't admit that those books sucked.

But did that But did the experience of having two books that were not as great? Let's just say, did that give you the juice to write the whisper?

I don't know, And I guess I guess what happened is, you know, I became so comfortable in my own style, and so I said, what am I going to do? Now, Let's take a journey somewhere completely different. Let's leave La, let's leave Noir, let's go to the Philippines.

Yes, you took off in a totally new direction. And a lot of the critics they really noticed that. They said, it sounds like a new you. It's like like that was a totally different author writing that book.

Where did that come from. Yeah.

I mean, look, once you write, when you're doing well, nothing changes, you don't. You're not forced into change. And two really bad books made me think I have to change. So I stumbled on this news story about the history of the Undas and in the Philippines and well, basically it's what's known as Saints Holiday here.

No all Saints DA that's the correct translation.

Oh, I stand corrected, Yes, sorry about that. Yeah, anyway, today that's my to remember people who have departed. And I found it to be a beautiful but haunting story, perfect setting.

For this novel.

One of the things I really liked about The Whisper is how specific you got.

You really took us there, all.

The details like the food and the way they use candles to ward off spirits and everything else. You know, cultural appropriations a big topic nowadays, as it should be. You must have hired, brought in some experts, consulted with some experts to get that level of specificity.

No, you know, I don't know. I grew up in a time that it's different from now.

And I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I only learned to do books on my own, so I did all the research. I went to every library in the entire county. I found news articles and it just helped me with references. Here here we are now with the full story. How much time do you spend researching.

Whatever? Whatever? However long it took me to write the book, like a year, year and a half. You must have gone to the Philippines.

No, unfortunately, I've not been there yet.

This was a big risk for you. How do it feel? Sorry? How'd this big risk fuelds you? Uh? Yeah, I'm sorry. Do you hear anyone making noises in the audience? What like somebody's making the goat sounds goat like a goat out in the audience. I don't know, maybe I'm just yeah, sorry. I can't tell if you're being serious or not. But let's move on. Okay, you've got a great sense of humor. Do you have ideas about what you want to do next? Yeah, well,

I guess close to home now. Ah God, I just said that whole thing about departing from you know, Ellen Moore. But I'm probably gonna just have to be closer to my own personal experience.

I'm probably gonna just write.

About something that I know and only.

I know, and it's gonna have my signature style.

I promise, up stop it.

Sorry, Ray, are you okay?

I'm gonna write it. It will be different.

No no, no, no, no, no no no, get up?

Sh sh shit shit said.

No please fuck?

Fuck sure hell hell?

Oh oh no, I'm sorry.

Oh my god, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. No, please please don't not no, what's not not no no, not you? No no, not you. No, I didn't I'm sorry. I didn't mean too. Hi. I stole Nikki Rosales's story. I'm so sorry I didn't write it. I'm I'm so sorry. I needed I was gonna run and I needed out.

You stole the.

Idea for the Whispers.

Please don't take my poins.

Please don't take Why.

Are you talking to you?

Please don't hurt me?

Please please you no, Noyorray, somebody get some help.

The Whisper is written and directed by James Kim. The executive producers are James Kim and Taylor Chaquoine Erica as a producer Diego Perez is producer and lead sound designer. Daniel Martinez is a production sound mixer. Matthew Wong is a composer. Theme music by Ryo Baum and Robert Garova. Artwork by Justin D.

Lee.

This episode was recorded at Hobby Shop West in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Jennifer Zey is a production sound mixer. Henrik Heiser plays Ray, Tess Bartholomew plays Janet. Gwen Hollander plays Margo, John Rabie plays Charles. Katherine Borne Taylor plays the bookstore employee. The audience in choir include Alissa Curiel, Angela Wynn, Benjamin Nicholas, Ian Gabriel Luna, Isaiah Chacahan, Lauren Battley, Rebecca Bishop, Savannah Rivers,