The Death of a Radio

Live on air, many suspected that is when she had died. DJ Carly Jones was part of the Riverbrooks Radio Station four-o-one point five. Live to all in the small town of Riverbrooks. Towards the funeral being held, before arriving at the funeral itself, the radio station was silent. She was usually upbeat and bright and cheerful and- you would understand right? It was that time you would get a cup of coffee in the morning and hear her talk about some sort of donations being held at a school or late at night when you were going to bed. She was there always making sure to keep you up to date about the weather.

“Crazy, isn’t Malcolm?” The voice of a young country young female officer standing next to me watching the people heading into the funeral being held at the Riverbrooks Memorial Cemetery. Her voice took me out of my daze.

“Crazy? Crazy is the old man William causing a disturbance with public nudity outside in his lawn mowing.” I look at the officer. “At night.” I stressed the words out and looked back towards the photo of Carly Jones in front of the caskets.

“This. This is beyond crazy.” I point out. “Even old man William is fully clothed here. Even crazy folks like him care.” I said pointing to a hunched-back old man fully clothed in a blue poker dot white suit.

“You know, seeing him fully clothed is just-odd.” The young officer agrees. “But a murder. Well, that shakes a lot of things up.” The young officer was still in disbelief.

I glance over to see her name-tag reads out, Kenny Kenna Kent. The department just calls her Kent. My partner at the department. Glancing down towards her wrist, she had the radio station number on her silver bracelet.

“Didn’t take you for a big fan of Jones.” I said pointing out.

“Never meet your heroes. Not like this anyways.” Kent sighs as she keeps looking onward.

“A hero?” I raised my brow.

Kent gives a soft light chuckle, just a brief one.

“What? You don’t?” Kent raised her light brown brows.

“Nobody is a hero. You only become one if you die in the fire.” I mention as I look over towards the black casket being carried by Johnes’ relatives.

“Huh, then that makes her a very good one then.” Kent retorts recalling several memories to the forefront of my mind.

The scene where the radio station was burnt down to the ground. The blood-curdling yelp, the smashing of what sounded to be a vase and then the fire. Arriving there was just nothing but a fire. Couldn’t even find the ashes of the body. Perhaps just not enough resources to find out if she really burned or just didn’t care enough to figure it out. A small town with even a smaller budget. I take a sip from my coffee. It was bitter.

“Not a fan, huh?” Kent asks.

“Blah, not really.” I quickly said looking at my coffee.

“Carly I mean.” Kent rolls her eyes.

“She’s okay.” I went to take another sip of the coffee. “Not my favorite genre of music. A local celebrity who made a name for herself. I can respect that much about her.” I shrug.

“You are just a hard egg to crack, huh?” Kent shakes her head.

“I like to keep it that way. Not wanting to fall off a wall anytime soon.” I point out.

“What?” Kent asks, a bit confused.

“Never mind.” I said.

The casket by this time was set down onto a stand with two overly big pictures of Carly Jones. Despite both pictures looking a bit different, she still had green eyes to compliment whatever hair she had tied it up that day or let loose and whatever color was into that hair. Sometimes, going out and about, I wouldn’t be surprised you could just narrowly miss her.

Watching the proceedings, the funeral had the whole town, even the children with their babysitters there. A whole pause to the town’s function as the preacher begins to recite verses and as different family members begin to go up to the podium to talk about the goodwill, the good heart and the good smiles she often had.

It tasted bitter again as I blah out the coffee.

“Welcome to Station four-o-five with the greatest track flows you’ve ever heard!” The voice of Carly Jones was on in the police car. I stopped as Kent blinked several times as the two of us turned towards the station. As Kent is a fan of the station, it was always the station we listened to.

“This is Carly Jones bringing you the tracks you have been dying for!” The cheerful sounding woman was heard stressing the word about death was heard thoroughly by the two officers.

“That's morbid.” I comment.

“I thought that station was burnt down to the ground, how in the world is it on?” Kent asks as she gets into the car to turn up the station.

“Probably re-runs. To memorialize the whole persona of Carly Jones.” I tried to find a reason.

“With the producers here too? Sobbing their eyes out? Besides, it burnt down.” Kent wasn’t too thrilled hearing Carly’s voice despite being a fan. “Isn’t reruns part of the TV?” Kent asks, giving me a dumb look.

“The hell I know?” I retorted.

“On today’s news, I heard that there will be a lot of frowns today. So let's turn those frowns upside down! Nothing like a good fire to the track won’t hurt!” Carly yells out in a happy attitude before music starts to play. A song called, A Girl on Fire. A remix version of it.

“Oh, that is so morbid.” I couldn’t help but try to hold in my small chuckle.

“Shut the hell up.” Kent slaps my arm gritting her teeth.

“You have to admit, this is what you would say, so in character.” I roll my eyes.

“And she’s dead. Have some modesty or conscience or- I don’t know.” Kent gestures behind me.

The sounds of weeping could be heard after the ceremony. Despite the radio being on, nobody was able to hear or at least acknowledge the voice on the radio. Thankfully they were parked away. I pulled out my radio.

“Hey, does anyone hear anything on station four-o-one point five?” I asked.

There was a degree of silence as I rolled my eyes.

“Over.” I grumble.

“Nothing going on in the small town of Riverbrooks!” The voice of the enthusiastic Carly Jones blurted out over the police communication lines.

“What the-” Kent paused before she said anymore.

“This isn’t a game.” I spoke on the radio again.

“Oh, you must be my first caller of the day! Hooray!” The sound of slapping their legs was heard. “I thought I would be getting nobody out there to play my game-show!” Carly kept going. “What is your name?”

I look towards Kent confused and irritated. Kent was pale and merely a shrug came from her.

“Malcolm Tennant of the Riverbrooks Police Department. Whoever this is, this is a secure line. You shouldn’t be meddling like this, whoever you are.” I growled.

“Oh, Malcolm! Well, someone is a sour-puss just like in school!” The voice of Carly calls out over the radio. “Then, as my first contestant of the day, let's play the game I have set up?” Carly asks. I could feel the smirk coming from the radio.

“I have no time playing games with you.” I spoke with a snarl.

“Too bad.” Carly sighs. “The game is perfect for you, actually! Lets play hide and go seek. I’ll hide and you come find me, okay?” Carly said happily.

“Hide and seek? Isn’t-” I paused looking at Kent. “Fine. Lets play.” I said.

“Great! I won’t move anywhere from Riverbrooks!” Carly chirps. “Meanwhile, let me play another track!”

As the voice of Carly left the radios, I looked at Kent.

“Is that a cry for help?” Kent asks, shocked and worried.

“Whatever it is, someone is looking for trouble.” I said with a rough huff. “I’m not dealing with some petty criminal who thinks they can take advantage of someone’s death.” I point out as I move towards the driver side.

“What if she is alive?” Kent asks as I get into the car. “It was her talking to us."

“I never bother with what-ifs.” I said before clicking the buttons of sirens disturbing the funeral pulling out and driving fast and recklessly out of the cemetery narrowly missing a gravestone. “Besides, whoever it is, they mean trouble if they can just use the radio we use.” I told my partner.

“Right.” Kent took a deep breath as the car drove out of the entrance of the cemetery. The game of hide and seek with the beloved local radio star was starting. The start of a very roundabout absurdity the town would soon find itself in.