28. Kennedy #3
“Because she’s always loved true crime stuff,” I said softly, shoulders slumping.
“Yes. I told her the show was tipped to do very well because true crime fans love shows hosted by family members of either killers or their victims,” he said.
“But, unfortunately, the son had just changed his mind, and no contract had been signed yet, so the show was dead in the water. So now I was just sitting around feeling sorry for myself and praying the next big thing would come along to sweep the true crime world off its feet.”
“So… you planted the idea in her head.”
“Yes. I could practically see her brain ticking when I told her all that stuff,” he said.
“She told me she’d always dreamed of starting a podcast. She also told me that her best friend was the daughter of one of the Carver victims, which meant she had her own slight personal connection to it.
Then she asked if I thought the Carver case was a good idea for a show. ”
“Just for herself?”
“Yes. She knew you’d have no interest in doing a show like that, good friend that she is,” he replied.
“But I told her it would only go viral if she convinced you to co-host, because her tangential connection to the case simply wasn’t enough to provide that deeply personal family appeal that fans love so much.
Then I handed her a fake business card with my email.
After that, we stayed in contact. She’d occasionally send ideas, and I’d keep nudging her to get you on board with a Carver podcast.”
“Which she eventually did.”
Malachi nodded. “She said you rejected the idea at first. A few times, actually. But I told her exactly what to say to change your mind. Eventually, it worked.”
“And then what?”
“Well, obviously, I’m not a real producer, so I ghosted her after that.
But she was already intent on doing the show by that stage, and she’s a smart girl with a lot of connections, so I knew she’d make it happen by herself.
And she did,” he said. “I helped things along from the shadows, of course. I secretly bought ads for the first teaser to help it go viral. And as for the sponsorship deal you two got after that initial success…”
He trailed off, putting his palms up.
“Wait… you’re Konnekt Media?” I said, eyes widening. “You’re the company who gave us all that money to keep the show going?”
He grinned. “Yes. It’s a fake company, but I made it look real enough.”
“But why ?” I shook my head rapidly. “Why the hell did you even want us to do a podcast in the first place?”
“Firstly, I wanted the Carver case back in the public spotlight. When the truth about it finally comes out, courtesy of me, I want everyone to hear it. A viral true crime podcast is perfect for that,” he said.
“Secondly, those body parts I’ve been sending you from the so-called missing victims…
they’ve caught national attention, and that’s pushed your show into the stratosphere.
And the bigger it gets, the better the bait.
At this point, there’s just no way your father isn’t listening. ”
My thoughts scrambled to catch up. “So… you want to use the podcast to lure my father back to Corwin Bay? Is that it?”
“Now you’re finally getting it,” he said, flashing me another cold smile.
“You’re going to record a message for me.
One that I’ll send to Freya to play on a special mini-episode of After the Carver .
In the message, you’ll say you’ve been kidnapped by a mysterious masked man who plans to kill you within a set time frame unless Dr. Mark Campbell returns from wherever he’s hiding in order to save you. ”
“If you’re going to kill me, then why the hell should I make things easy for you and help with your plan?” I asked woodenly, stomach churning.
“I’m not really going to kill you, Kennedy. But your father won’t know that, obviously.”
I stared at the opposite wall, blinking rapidly as my mind raced. “Even if I agree to do it, it won’t work,” I finally said.
“Oh, it will. The moment your father hears his precious little protégé is in danger, he’ll return. It’s the only way to draw him out.”
“No, I mean… it won’t work for you . Because if my father actually returns, it would have to be at a specific time and location that I mention on the hostage message, right?
So you can get him,” I said. “And the police will hear it, because Freya will obviously pass the message on to them. Then they’ll show up to that location to save me, and you’ll get caught in the process. ”
Malachi scoffed. “You think I haven’t considered that already?” he said. “In the message, you’ll reference a location that only you and your father know. So you won’t actually say the spot. You’ll just hint at it in a way that only he’ll be able to interpret.”
“I won’t do it,” I said, shaking my head. “Even if I can think of a place that only he and I know, you can’t force me to say those words.”
“Of course I can. You know what I’m capable of. And by now, you also know that I’m a very patient man,” he replied. “I’ve already waited years for my plans to come to fruition. So I can wait as long as it takes for this.”
“Well, you’ll be waiting forever, because contrary to your beliefs, you actually can’t make me do anything,” I said stubbornly, clenching my jaw. “I won’t let you.”
He raised a brow. “It’s interesting. You’ve spent the last thirty minutes swearing you didn’t know anything about your father’s Carver involvement,” he said.
“But if that were true, you’d want him to face the music for his crimes, wouldn’t you?
Instead, it sounds like you want to protect him. Save him.”
“I’m not trying to save him,” I shot back. “I do want him to face justice for what he did. Real justice, though. Not your vigilante version of it. And I know if I record that message and make him come back, you’ll kill him the same way you killed the other four.”
Malachi studied me in silence, the coldness in his eyes hardening.
“So I’m not doing it,” I went on, my voice shaking now. “I’m not helping you murder my father.”
A flicker of something passed over his face. Annoyance? Admiration? It vanished before I could tell.
He stepped back toward the cell door, fingers curling around the handle.
“You will, Kennedy,” he said, voice quiet but absolute. “You’ll see.”
With that, he was gone.