SEARCH: The Other Journalist
Serialised Fiction | Sci-Fi & Mystery | Season One Episode Five
Previously on SEARCH: Matt arrives in Fife to search for his source, where he finds a mysterious invitation and the hint that someone knows he is here. Meanwhile, McCullach and Wells begin to make plans for damage control…
Appendix 20: E-mail Correspondence Between Matt McNair & Sarah McNair on 16th November 2021, 12.48pm
From: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Day Two In Fife
Sarah,
Have spent most of the morning speaking to the locals (those who would stop for me) to try and learn more about Andy Murdoch and the footage he sent me. Not many folk seem to know him and those that do said much the same as Mary.
Will keep trying. Just heading for lunch now. Will call you later. Hope your day is going well.
—Matt
From: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Re: Day Two In Fife
Hmm not surprised. Hate to say it but I think he may have been pulling your leg. What about the “How Does Batman Reach?” clue?
Sarah.
P.S. Mind nothing fancy for your lunch, yer on a budget.
From: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Re: Day Two In Fife
I’m getting on with that clue just as well as you’d imagine I’m getting on with it.
Shite.
Also, wish you’d have told me about the budget before hand. I just googled “what is Fife’s equivalent to Glasgow’s The Ivy restaurant?” 😛👀💸🦀
From: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Re: Day Two In Fife
Aye that’ll be right. You’ll be picking up the tab for that one.
S
From: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Re: Day Two In Fife
I joke. Greasy spoon for me all day every day. If it’s not got the word grill in the title then I’m not interested.
—Matt
Appendix 21: E-mail Correspondence Between Matt McNair & Sarah McNair on 16th November 2021, 13.55pm
From: mattmcnair@thefiorail.com
To: sarahmcnair@thefiorail.com
Subject: Interview with Local aka The First Lead
JACKPOT! We are off to the races.
I’m glad I didn’t head into a fancy restaurant. Ended up chatting to one of the locals in the cafe I had lunch at (for less than £10 you’ll be glad to know) and I may have struck gold.
Have attached the recording of our interview Sarah. Have a listen then give me a call. I have some thoughts.
—Matt
Appendix 22: Transcript of Interview Between Matt McNair & Jimmy McKenna on 16th November 2021, 13:22pm
[BACKGROUND AUDIO FROM RECORDING IS CHATTER, WITH COFFEE MACHINE GOING AND CLINKS OF CUTLERY]
MATT: [CLAP] Recording live, sound at speed. Interview with Jimmy McKenna on 16th November 2021. Can you confirm your name for the recording and your consent to being recorded?
JIMMY: Aye, sure son. Jimmy McKenna here. I agree tae being recorded. And I promise tae tell the truth, the whole truth and nuhin but the truth. So help me God.
MATT: You don’t need to swear an oath Jimmy. It’s no court.
JIMMY: Aye I know but I’ve always wanted tae say that.
MATT: OK. You overheard me asking about Andy Murdoch, and approached me.
JIMMY: Aye. Didnae mean to eavesdrop but I couldn’t help hear you mention him and the fact you were a journalist looking for him I thought, ‘Christ, what’s he done now?’
MATT: He’s not done anything other than approach us for a story. But I’ve had a hard time tracking him down. I hope the fact you’ve brought him up to me means you can help me find him. You know Andy?
JIMMY: Listen, if I farted at wan end of the town you can bet by the close of business, the other end of the town will have had me down as shitting myself and I’d be known as Skiddy Jimmy.
[PAUSE ON THE RECORDING]
MATT: What?
JIMMY: It means, ye cannae say boo at one end of the town without someone at the other end getting a fright. Everybody knows everything and everyone here. So aye, I know yer man Andy. Comes into the shop I work in quite a bit. He’s an entertaining lad. Always got a good a story.
MATT: Do you know where I could find him?
JIMMY: Hmm aye but I’m no going to tell ye. GDPR and all that.
MATT: Aye, GDPR. Of course.
JIMMY: Ye cannae be too careful nowadays. Specially round here.
MATT: How do you mean?
JIMMY: Things have a funny way of turning round here, that’s all I’ll say. Yer no the first person to come around here asking to speak to people about stories.
MATT: What kind of people? Other journalists?
JIMMY: Some aye. Some naw. Ye can usually tell. The journalists look at ye to see if yer telling the truth, like you are the now. The other ones look at you to see if yer lying. I’ve seen folk talk to the latter kind, and not seen much of them after.
MATT: Why?
JIMMY: They just disappear away from the town completely. Drop aff the face of the earth kinda stuff. Never seen or heard from again.
MATT: Really?
JIMMY: Aye. Yer no the first to come searching for Andy recently either. Dunno what they were wanting or who they were. But they seemed awfy interested in him. And I know for a fact he didnae contact them first.
MATT: How do you know that?
JIMMY: Christ, I forgot completely. I told Andy that someone was asking after him. He got all nervous. I told him not to worry, I didnae tell them anything. He did say though, there was wan person I could talk tae if he came looking.
MATT: And who was that?
JIMMY: What’s your name again son?
MATT: Matt McNair.
JIMMY: Aye, that’s what I thought. It was you. You were the person he said I could talk tae if ye came knocking.
MATT: Did he say why?
JIMMY: Naw. Always speaks in riddles that boy.
MATT: These other people. Did they say who they were? Give you a name? Where they were from?
JIMMY: Did they hell! Least you’ve got some manners about ye. Least you’ve bought me a bloody coffee. Life’s a funny drink, ye know.
MATT: Aye?
JIMMY: Aye. A good number of years ago, there was a journalist here asking questions. Think I was the only person who’d give him any answers then as well.
MATT: Who?
JIMMY: Ach I cannae mind his name. Right sharp dressed man, well-mannered, articulate. Much like yerself as it goes. Ye have a bit of his look about him an all. You could tell he worked for wan o the fancy papers, no a red-top.
MATT: Can you remember what he was asking you about?
JIMMY: Oh aye, I remember. Not many folk dae and if they dae, they just turn a blind eye. You see, folk are more interested in keeping themselves right, ye know? Getting through the day, figuring out what scran tae have when they get hame and how to get through the week till the weekend. No me, I’ll tell it how I see it.
MATT: What was this other journalist asking about?
JIMMY: Was a strange thing. There was a string of folk that went missing throughout Scotland, sometime in the early 90s. Including someone fae here.
MATT: That’s the story this journalist was chasing.
JIMMY: Aye. Stranger still, there was one thing they all had in common, aw the folk that disappeared.
MATT: What was that?
JIMMY: Not wan person from their family or the like reported them missing. Not wan. Strange, eh?
MATT: Aye. Strange. Downright sad if ye ask me.
JIMMY: More and more strange things happening here recently.
MATT: Like what?
JIMMY: Now, I dunno whether it was maybe the drink from the night before, or maybe age is turnin’ me into a fool that passes white hair as wisdom, but I could have sworn I saw that same journalist about here again recently. And get this? He looks like he hasnae aged a day.
MATT: Really?
JIMMY: Aye. Like I say, life’s a funny drink. And it’s even funnier round here. Probably nothin’ though. Imagining it I suppose.
MATT: Aye. Aye. Maybe.
JIMMY: Maybe I’ll never know. Anyway, back to Andy. Any other questions for me?
MATT: Aye, just the one, might help me find him. He left a clue for a place he meets people. “How does Batman reach?”
[JIMMY LAUGHS]
JIMMY: Aw that’s a good one. Never heard that name for it.
MATT: For what?
JIMMY: Come on. How does Batman reach? Bruce’s arms. It’s a pub just off the Main Street. It’s called The Bruce Arms.
MATT: Bruce Arms. Of course! Thank you, Jimmy. I appreciate it.
JIMMY: Glad tae help. Just one thing though. My bet is those other folk looking after Andy aren’t the friendly sort. And anyone who finds him or talks to him might just be seen as someone getting in their way. Watch yer back. Alright? Ye seem like a good kid.
MATT: I will Jimmy. Thank you.
[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]
Appendix 23: Transcript of A Recording of A Telephone Conversation Between Between Matt McNair & Sarah McNair, on 16th November 2021, 2.42pm
MATT: You listen to the interview?
SARAH: I did. Sounds like you’ve got a lead. Good work.
MATT: What did you make of the part he said about the other journalist coming to ask questions?
SARAH: I heard it. And I know what you’re thinking.
MATT: It can’t be a coincidence.
SARAH: No, Matt. If you pull on that thread anymore, I’ll come down there myself and huckle you home. Don’t be going down that particular rabbit hole.
MATT: I’m not saying for certain it’s what I think. But—
SARAH: Listen to me Matt. Yes, the journalist he was talking about could have been Dad. We know he was in that area researching a story just before he disappeared. But the part about seeing him recently but having not aged a day? Come on Matt. That’s a tale a local old man who fancies himself a storyteller and likes to tell stories to a captive audience.
MATT: Aye. Aye maybe you’re right.
SARAH: I am rarely wrong little brother. So, the Bruce Arms. That’s where Andy will be?
MATT: Seems like it. It’s not open yet but it will be soon. I’m going to head there later but I’ll phone ahead. Don’t want to go on a wild goose chase.
SARAH: OK. Well keep me posted.
[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]
Appendix 24: Transcript of A Recording of A Telephone Conversation Between Between Matt McNair & Gary Bruce, on 16th November 2021, 5.56pm
GARY: Hello, Bruce Arms. How can I help?
MATT: Hello. I’m looking to speak to Andy Murdoch if he’s there. Or confirm he will be there later on tonight.
GARY: Jesus Christ. Are you another wan o his daft wee pals? I swear he thinks I’m running a halfway house. He’s no here the now.
MATT: Well can I—
[TRANSCRIPT ENDS]
Appendix 25: Transcript of A Recording of A Telephone Conversation Between Between Matt McNair & Andy Murdoch, on 16th November 2021, 6.24pm
MATT: Hello?
ANDY: My name has been on your lips all day, it would seem.
MATT: Excuse me? Who is this?
ANDY: I know everything.
MATT: Who is—
ANDY: [LAUGHTER] Hahaha I’m sorry. I was only having a wee joke. It’s me. It’s Andy.
MATT: Aye very funny. What are ye trying to do tae me?
ANDY: I’m sorry. Couldn’t resist. And sorry on behalf of Gary as well, the guy you spoke to earlier. Gary’s just took the huff cos he gets no phone calls. Isn’t that right Gary?
GARY: [in the distance] Piss off.
ANDY: He’s a charmer is our Gary. Anyway, how have you been? Glad to see you cracked the code I left man.
MATT: How have I been? I’ve been looking for you is how I’ve been. What happened? You went silent.
ANDY: Aye, well. I’ve been keeping a low profile. Came completely off the grid. No social media. Changed phones. No e-mails.
MATT: Aye well, if I like the sound of a story, I’ll be sure to follow it wherever it takes me.
ANDY: Brilliant. Genuinely, that’s excellent. So you believe the video is real then? What about the way they just disappear? Mad, isn’t it?
MATT: Aye now listen. I’m going to need to see the original video, all the raw footage. Need to verify it’s not a fake or has been edited in anyway. Can you show me it?
ANDY: Course man, of course. Anything of New Scottish Legends is yours. You’re really going to do a story on this?
MATT: If there’s a story to tell, we’ll tell it.
ANDY: YAS! Amazing, Matt. Amazing. When do you want to start?
MATT: Tonight. The Bruce Arms. That’s where you are?
ANDY: Aye, we’ll be there.
MATT: Who is we?
ANDY: Aw Matt, you’ve nae idea man. So much has happened since that video. Come down tonight. You’ll get a story here, that I promise you. Just be careful though, eh?
MATT: You said that in your note. Be careful. Why?
ANDY: You’ll be getting watched now, just like we are.
With this chapter, the fifth episode in season one of SEARCH, the plot thickens! I think this is probably one of my favourite episodes to date. I love the character of Jimmy - I really enjoy those characters that pop up and layer some more mystery into the series. I also love that we get the first conversation with Andy.
I hope for there not to be as long a gap between episodes next time because the next episode absolutely has my favourite ending. It’s a bit of a game-changing cliffhanger and I can’t wait for you to read it. It was a real holy shit moment of discovery when I was writing the scripts for original series in its podcast form and I’m excited to rediscover it in this format.
As always, thank you so much for reading, subscribing, following, engaging and sharing my stories and this ongoing serialised novel!
Cheers,
Cx