Page 53 of In Her Bed
The coffee shop on Main Street was bustling with afternoon customers.The aroma of freshly ground beans and baked goods created an atmosphere so disconnected from death and murder that it felt almost jarring.Jenna found herself noticing everyday details with heightened awareness—a woman laughing over her latte, a couple hunched over a computer tablet, a barista creating elaborate foam art.
They found a corner booth away from the crowd.Jake returned from the counter with two mugs of coffee and a plate with two blueberry scones.
“Thought you might be hungry,” he said, sliding onto the bench across from her.“I wanted a snack myself.”
Jenna accepted the coffee gratefully, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic.“Thanks.”She nibbled on a scone.
Jake took a sip of his coffee, studying her over the rim of his mug.“Can you remember anything more from your dream, Jenna?Anything at all that we haven’t discussed?”
She looked up sharply.“I’m not holding back.”
“I know you’re not.But we need everything we can get right now.If we’ve missed anything at all…”
Jenna sighed, knowing he was right.She closed her eyes, allowing the ambient sounds of the coffee shop to fade as she focused on recalling her dream encounter with Sandra Reeves.
The frustration was immediate.Dream memories were elusive at the best of times, and these encounters were always shrouded in a strange, otherworldly haze that made details difficult to grasp.She concentrated harder, trying to remember Sandra’s words, her expressions, any clue she might have offered.
Fragments came back to her—Sandra’s fear, the description of being choked with a cord, being bound ...
Jenna’s eyes snapped open.“She said the killer was talking while he bound her to the tower.”Keeping her voice low, she explained.“Sandra said he kept babbling while he was binding her to something hard.There were certain phrases ……”
Jake leaned forward, fully attentive now.“What phrases?”
“‘Astral voices,’ “Jenna recalled, the words surfacing with sudden clarity.“And ‘midnight voice.’“
Jake pulled out his phone immediately.“Let’s see what comes up.”
They huddled over the small screen as Jake typed the phrases into a search engine.The first few results were vague—references to spiritual practices, a few music albums, a self-help guru.
“Wait,” Jenna said, pointing to a result further down the page.“That one.”
Jake tapped on the link, which opened to a local history blog post titled “Forgotten Voices: Pinecrest’s Underground Radio Scene.”The article detailed the history of pirate radio stations in the area during the 1980s and early 1990s.
“‘Among the most notorious was ‘Astral Voices,’ broadcasting in Pinecrest from 1987 to 1991,’ “Jake read aloud.“‘Based in the ruins of the abandoned Ozark Sole Works shoe factory, the station gained a cult following for its eclectic music and mysterious on-air personalities, including the popular late-night personality, a woman known only as the Midnight Voice.’“
“That’s it,” Jenna gasped.“Both of those phrases.That has to be a connection.”
The coffee shop continued its normal afternoon rhythm around them, the patrons unaware of the breakthrough that had just occurred.The hunt for a killer had just taken a new direction—one that pointed toward the airwaves of Pinecrest’s past.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jenna pulled her phone from her pocket, pushing the remains of her scone to one side.The café around them had emptied somewhat, leaving their corner booth secluded enough for the call she needed to make.She glanced at Jake, as she scrolled through her contacts and found Spelling’s number.The colonel would have answers about Astral Voices – she was certain of it.
“I’m putting this on speaker, though not very loud,” she told Jake, placing the phone on the table between them.“I want you to hear everything.”
Jake nodded, setting down aside his coffee cup and bending forward to listen.
Spelling answered on the third ring, his voice crisp and official.“Colonel Spelling.”
“Colonel, it’s Sheriff Graves.I’m here with Deputy Hawkins.”
“Sheriff.What can I do for you?”The formality in his tone was familiar territory – Spelling never wasted words.
“Colonel, I need to add Chief Morgan to this call.Is that possible?”
There was a brief pause.“Hold on.”
The line went quiet for a moment, and then Spelling’s voice returned.“Morgan’s joining now.”
